Theos-Talk Archives (November 2001 Message tt00178)

<<<Immortal? What is your definition of immortal, Jerry? 
And then once we know how you use the word, how does HPB use the same word "immortal"?
Also what Webster's dictionary are you using when you cite the definition for "eternal"?>>>

Daniel, from my own Theosophical viewpoint, immortal refers to that which is in the three higher cosmic planes, while mortal refers to that which is in the four lower cosmic planes. Thus to me, mortal is synonymous with material, and immortal with spiritual.

My Webster's (Random House Webster's College Dictionary, Random House, NY, 1999) gives "mortality" as "the state or condition of being subject to death" and "immortal" as "not mortal, not lible or subject to death." Of course, in order to really understand what these definiitons mean, we need to know what death is: "the act of dying; the end of life." For which, one needs to know what life is ...

I don't recall where, and don't have the time to find them, but somewhere Blavatsky says that she uses "eternity" as the length of a manvantara, and "infinity" as being the boundaries of our solar system. So she somewhat limits both terms, and in fact it was reading these limitations many years ago that persuaded me to join the TS.

Eveything that exists on the four lower planes (which are all expressions of that which exists on the upper three planes) is mortal in the sense that it is continually dying/changing. By relative comparison, everything that exists on the upper three planes seems eternal and infinite. It has always bothered me to say that they ARE eternal and infinite because is seems too easy, too pat, too "wrapt in a box with a pretty ribbon" and so on. When I came across (somewhere) Blavatsky saying that both eternal and infinite are only relatively so, I knew that she was an Adept and joined the TS (so if I am wrong here, I will turn in my card). For time=0, or that which exists outside of time, and which is truly permanent, she uses "Duration." 

Atman, as Blavatsky defines it, is on the three upper planes, and so is eternal and infinite in the sense that Blavatsky used those terms. It is formless, and spiritual and immortal, and it is relatively eternal and relatively infinite. It exists as a "monadic ray" throughout the manvantara and is universally present throughout this solar system. (don't ask me if this refers to our entire mayavic 7-plane solar system, as I have no words with which to answer that one). 

Jerry S.


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