Theos-Talk Archives (November 2001 Message tt00314)

<<<I have a sincere question, you gave some good explanations about Atma, Maha Pralaya,the Monad and so on lately, could you pls once give a complete overview , not only about the highest principles, but inclusive the rest and what it as far you have been able to research actually means, also on a practical level. (the scematics are known) Maybe that will avoid needles "from pure trees not seeing the forest anymore".syndrome
Thank you,
Brigitte>>>

OK. I will give here my own view of Theosophical creation, in my own words, in very brief outline.

Initial Assumptions: 

1. There is an ineffable divinity that exists outside of space and time, and this is eternal and infinite and perfect. 

2. This divinity has an inherent ability to self-express. In this sense it is inherently creative.

NOTE: These assumptions are such because they cannot be proved or demonstrated, and must be taken on faith, as with the initial assumptions of any thesis whatever. So, we have to assume that these two things are true. If so, then we can reach logical fallouts.

Logical Theoretical Fallouts: 

1. The Monad. This divinity expresses itself in rays or "divine sparks" called monads because they are indivisible units each one in the image and likeness of divinity itself, and each also outside of space and time.

2. The Planes. Each Monad, being in the image and likeness of divinity also self-expresses, and collectively a manvantara of seven planes is produced from their co-operative creative forces. It is formed from matter left over from the past manvantara and in accordance with karma from the past manvantara (there is no "first" manvantara" nor will there be a "last" one, and so such self-expressions are endless). The entire manvantaric expression is dualistic - everything is dual, having two polar opposites. This sense of duality is called maya because it doesn't really exist, or more to the point, it only exists within this manvantaric expression and so its reality is relative or conditional. The chief/original duality is Space and Motion, and from these come all the others.

3. Atma (or Atman). Certain monads conspire/collect/aggregate together to enter this new manvantara in what are called life-waves. There are seven life-waves altogether, one of which is our human life-wave. The human life-wave begins with a collective definition of just what a human being is, and this is called atma. These life-waves define collective populations, within which individual activity and evolutionary development can occur. Life-waves as such remain throughout the manvantara although they do grow and mature over time and they take on various differential characteristics called races and nations and families and so on all the while remaining human. But individuals can "cross over" or advance through them, and this sense of individual progression through and between life-waves can be described as cycles of evolution and involution.

4. Atma self-expresses also (as above so below holds throughout this manvantara) and forms principles on the four lower planes, which attract the appropriate matter on each plane to form bodies. Atma is "spirit," the subjective side, matter is the objective side of the same thing. 

5. Reincarnation. Atma combines with buddhi and manas to form the Reincarnating Ego. This is experientially a single unit, but its unity is mayavic because it really is a compound of parts. The Reincarnating Ego self-expresses as living beings on the lowest plane, the physical, and the initial expression of this accounts for what are called the elements - earth, water, air, fire, and space/spirit (ie these elements are established during the first of 7 Rounds).

5. Evolution. Within this manvantara, monadic self-expressions begin with unself-consciousness - atma-buddhi-manas has no sense of self and gradually, over long time periods, a self-consciousness is gained. The idea of a personal self, and the need for its survival over time is established. Then, gradually over more time, this self will be seen to be an illusion. At the end of the manvantara, most, but not all, of the beings evolving within it will realize their own mayavic nature and gain enlightenment. Those that don't, must sleep until the next manvantara. All of this takes place within the 7 planes of our Solar System and the 12 globes of our Earth Planetary Chain, where each passage around the entire planetary chain is a Round, and each manvantara consists of 7 Rounds.

6. The Path. The atma-buddhi-manas triad first evolves then involves. The process and goal of evolution is twofold. First there is a limiting of consciousness down to the mineral/elemental levels, where atma-buddhi-manas self-expresses as a so-called mineral monad, and physically as an atom. then comes the second, a rising up through the kingdoms, and finally attaining enlightenment. The upward rise into enlightenment is slow and gradual for the atma-buddhi-manas participants, as they rise through the kingdoms and life-waves. Evolution into matter is largely unconscious. Involution back into spirit is conscious after a certain point. After a certain point, individuals in the human-life reach a developmental position of being able to tread a spiritual Path consciously. Such conscious involution allows for advancement beyond the collective average, and produces so-called 5th, 6th and 7th Rounders - those atma-buddhi-manas triads who, while yet in the 4th Round, are equivalent to the collective triads in future Rounds.

7. Where We Are. We are currently slightly past the midpoint of the 4th Round. We are currently in the human life-wave along the Arc of Ascent, still on Globe D (our physical planet Earth), the lowest and most material, at that point in which we can tread a Path consciously, and speed up our evolutionary development, if we want to.

Logical Practical Fallouts: 

1. The Path. The practical application of the theoretical fallouts given above is the Path. The immediate goal of this Path is liberation or freedom from karmic suffering. The ultimate goal is to return to our original monadic state of Be-ness.

2. Step One. Essentially, to become an Adept, one must combine together the atma-buddhi-manas triad into an atma-buddhi-manas monad (an experiential monad or unity). The first step in doing this is to purify the manas, because only a purified manas can unite with buddhi. This necessitates the development of ethics, morals, and compassion.

3. Step Two. The next step requires meditation. The goal is to combine buddhi and manas into buddhi-manas. There are, in fact, two ways of "direct seeing" (gnosis) what is really going on. The easiest is kama-manas, a psychic developmental approach that allows us to view the inner planes with a great deal of detail. However, kama-manas is limited to the four lower planes, and is not reliable because all perception is filtered through the lower portion of one's own aura and only an Adept with a pure aura can do this reliably. So, until step one above is completed, one should try for the harder type of seeing, buddhi-manas. This is done via yoga, using an exercise called one-pointedness, which slowly brings manas into conscious control and eventual quiessence. When manas is fully under control, and thinking itself can be temporarily stopped (or at least can be totally ignored by using conscious mindfullness) then one can see the inner planes via buddhi-manas. Buddhi-manas is much more reliable than kama-manas because one views through the upper portion of one's aura which is usually clearer. Also, the viewpoint itself is higher than with kama-manas (kama-manas is limited to the astral and mental planes, while buddhi-manas includes the causal plane). However, there is little detail, its perception is in the form of general images and ideas. Now one is ready for step three.

4. Step Three. This step combines the triad into a monad, at least experientially. It is the union of shamata (one-pointedness) and vipashyana (analytical meditation or special insight) as described in Buddhist meditation. Sometimes it is called the union of wisdom (subject/gnosis) and means (object/compassion). The idea is to raise consciousness into atma-buddhi while thinking and anlyzing with a purified manas. In this way, the three combine together to produce the mind of an Adept. This is, in Theosophical terminolgy, where Blavatsky's Masters were said to be.

5. Further Steps. There are more steps to the Path, and its eventual goal of full enlightenment and Buddhahood. These involve transcending atma, and raising consciousness to the indivisible monad itself, which equates to perceptions outside of space-time altogether, and likely won't concern most of us just yet.

Hope this helps,

Jerry S.

PS. Reading and studying the core teachings does (or can) help to purify manas, but this is only a first step.

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