Theos-Talk Archives (November 2001 Message tt00501)

PART 2 -


TRIKAYA -- NIRMANAKAYA -- PRATYEKHA BUDDHA --

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PART 2


NIRMANAKAYA-- SAMBHOGAKAYA -- DHARMAKAYA -- PRATYEKHA

TRIKAYA, NIRVANA AND NIRVANEES



PRATYEKHA BUDDHAS


HPB writes in the Voice of the Silence, p. 47 of the Pratyekha
Buddha, and of "spiritual Selfishness."

In the Theosophical Glossary, p.261 HPB says this designation
describes high intellectual development but with no true
spirituality.

It is the result of practicing the dead-letter of the laws that
lead to spiritual development, but does not include those that
come from Buddhi: compassion, generosity, brotherhood. It is
also the result of only a partial understanding of the Law of
Evolution. Such an individual has not yet learned to visualize
all Beings as the One Self, and his own indissoluble relations
with It, and with all others. He is self-centered in his personal
(kama-manasic) state of consciousness. Intellect, and personal
comprehension, are added to a strict carrying out, literally, of
the rules of psycho-mental inner development, he helps other and
appears compassionate, but in reality he is focused on his own
personal "liberation" from the wheel of rebirth and life on this
Earth. He has created a barrier which isolates him personally
and does not include the fact of the unity of all Nature.

In the Theosophical Forum, Mr. Judge has answered points that are
raised by one trying to understand this :

"...there are two methods of attaining Nirvana, one selfish and
the other unselfish, but the word selfish here would designate
really unselfishness among us. It refers to the refinement of
selfishness in that a person is working by unselfish acts to
obtain that which, in the end of all analysis, is selfish,
because it is for the benefit of the person involved. But it was
never taught that a man could attain Nirvana by working for his
own selfish advantage as his motive, and he does not gain it at
the expense of anyone; therefore his selfishness in obtaining
Nirvana, being at no one's expense, is of a very different
quality from what we ordinarily call selfishness. As a matter of
fat it is stated that at a certain point of development the
highly spiritualized person may in a moment pass into Nirvana
through an instantaneous personal desire to gain that state."
WQJ -- Forum Answers, p. 73-4

It appears to be an illustration of the saying: "Everyone was
out of step, but Johnny."

HPB calls it "the lowest of the three paths to Nirvana...in which
a Yogi--'without teacher and without saving others'--by the mere
force of will and technical observance attains to a kind of
nominal Buddhaship, doing no good to anyone but working selfishly
for his own salvation."

Mr. Judge in the Forum Answers says:--

"Bad karma is that act and thought which displeases the Higher
Self. Hence all self-seeking acts and thoughts no matter how
high and outwardly virtuous they are, are bad karma, since the
Higher Self desires no such acts for its sake.

Nirvana comes to those who have risen over the delusions and have
realized the supreme unity of all; then it may be taken; but if
it is taken for oneself, leaving others in the mire of life
unhelped, it becomes an enormous selfishness which later on must
result in the being having to do penance in some other
manvantara."	WQJ -- Forum Answers p. 97


If we use the knowledge HPB gives in the Key of the nature and
range of our principles, and take into consideration the whole
thrust of evolution as expressed by Mr. Judge in the Ocean, of
Theosophy p. 60, the "raising of the entire mass of sentient
matter to the level of "conscious god-hood," we are told that the
One Consciousness, working in us through the "embodied soul"
(kama-manas) and through the many successive personalities that
Karma provides us, is also working on this "mass" to raise it.
We are given an inestimable opportunity to voluntarily work in
this vast cooperative endeavor. This is one of the reasons why
the "man-stage" of evolution is essential. As a class we are in
the position of being confronted, sooner or later, with the
choice of becoming voluntary assistants in this work, or of
terminating our association with it for a while--of becoming
Nirvanees.

This process of devoted work to be done by a host of mind-beings
(including ourselves) using the great mass of "living-matter" is
the way in which it is being refined, and "raised." It is we,
humans, who in our struggle to master the causal powers inherent
in our nature, work to impersonalize the personality (our
Kama-Manas), while assisting it to advance in its own way. As
self-conscious beings, our task is to assist all departments of
nature in this vast progression. [ As an example we may look at
our own physical bodies made up of many kinds of cells and
structures, and see the wonderful whole, welded into a conscious
mass by the Master Intelligence that we call "ourselves," and in
this "we live and have our being."]

The "raising" is the assisting of all the many beings, in and
around us, to a position of greater refinement, so that
"instinctual consciousness" can be assisted to bridge the gap to
true wisdom. In India the group named the Jains are seen to
carry this ancient ideal into practice on the physical plane:
they seek to avoid harming (killing) any form in which
intelligence dwells. On the planes of passion and thought, a
similar process is to be carried out, whereby controlling both
these faculties we avid harming the skandaic elementals by
impressing them with our selfish and evil passionate thoughts.

The responsibility of being human implies free-will, and each one
of these minute beings is potentially a unit of the humanity of
the future. { We can witness this repeated in every incarnation,
when the consciousness of a child is enlivened by its parents,
teachers and circumstances. At about age seven, the Atma is able
to incarnate in the personal form through the entrance of the
Higher Manas conjoined to Buddhi. The divine Triad has access to
the next in the series of personal brain-mind beings that Karmic
progress has again provided. In effect, the One Consciousness
becomes again the guide and friend, as Krishna is for Arjuna. }

Considering, what the selfish anchorite, the Pratyekha Buddha
does, we may understand that he focuses his energy on his
personally, aiming to retire from the world of action into one
supposed to be the inaction of bliss, and of non-involvement. He
visualizes and creates for himself as a person, a cocoon wherein
time is made to stand still, a temporary "Nirvana." He intensely
desires (a kamic act) to remove himself from awareness of any
sensations of pain, pleasure or other involvement in the process
of evolution and of the impact of dealing with its many beings.

In the Forum Answers, p. 120, Mr. Judge answers a question based
on a statement made on p. 28 of the Epitome of Theosophy:

"When an Adept has reached a certain very high point in his
evolution he may, by a mere wish, become what the Hindus call a
"Deva"--or lesser god. If he does this, then, although he will
enjoy the bliss and power of that state for a vast length of
time, he will not at the next Pralaya partake of the conscious
life "in the bosom of the Father," but has to pass down into
matter at the next new "creation," performing certain functions
that could not now be made clear, and has to come up again
through the elemental world; but this fate is not like that of
the Black Magician who falls into Avitchi. And again between the
two he can choose the middle state and become a Nirmanakaya--one
who gives up the bliss of Nirvana and remains in conscious
existence outside of his body after its death; in order to help
Humanity. This is the greatest sacrifice he can do for mankind."
Epitome, p. 28

Again in the Theosophical Forum he states :

"The whole matter is a reference to a very obscure doctrine, but
little known, that if the Adept voluntarily takes the delights,
pleasures and powers referred to, he is compelled, after millions
of years of enjoyment, to reenter objective nature at the
elemental stage. That is plainly related." Forum Answers p.
120

One might say that this is encouraged in the sayings attributed
to Sankaracharya, in his "Crest Jewel of Wisdom." There one
finds a constant emphasis on liberating ones' consciousness from
the bonds of passion, so that "freedom" may be secured. It would
be significant to ask "What is the Principle, or the nature of
that Being which has "consciousness" as an attribute;" next:
"What are the bonds of "Passion," and how are they different from
"Thought;" and: "What would this "freedom" be--"freedom" from
what, and for how long ? And if that is time-limited, what
ensues ? Can we ever be totally free ? "

Some devotees seize upon the concept of "freedom," and decide
that they will consider that all actions that bind one through
karma to rebirth are to be shunned. They lose sight of the
higher virtues of cooperation, generosity, assistance to others
who "know less than ourselves." Those virtues which are
enshrined in the practice of brotherhood.

BROTHERHOOD is named: "The One Esoteric Truth." If one
meditates on this, all else unfolds, and the right proportion and
use of powers and choice on physical plane events becomes clear.
All such choices must be preceded by a deliberate and careful
moral, and mental purification of our motive. To impersonalize
it and universalize it is paramount.

To return to the Pratyekha, or "Passi Buddha." He goes on, in
increasing personal isolation, developing in his
misinterpretation of the goal of evolution a desire for this long
but temporary Nirvanic state. So strong is he in the exercise of
his will, that he erects around himself barriers to further
contact with other beings, including the Mahatmas. He estranges
himself from a full understanding and a complete use of all the
doctrines of universal "Theosophy," and chooses from among them,
only those that suit him personally. In effect he makes of his
being a "nish-karma," or a karma-less being for a very long
time--as he enters an Individualized state, a limited Nirvana the
duration of which is commensurate with the level of "merit" he
develops.

Temporarily, the great law of evolution, acting under the
concentrated force of a spiritual desire, provides him with a
"resting place"--on one of the seven planes of Nirvana--where he
waits until those who were his contemporaries, which he had
out-distanced for a while, reach his level of consciousness, will
and ability, which might be called the perfection of the
Kama-Manasic state and plane of consciousness.

Nature has, higher duties and planes of work, and these must be
satisfied in the great economy of manifestation. The price for
such a limited horizon of rest and isolation has to be paid.

In the Notes on the Bhagavad Gita, pp. pp. 98-99, It is called
the "One Consciousness which pierces up and down through all the
seven states or planes of Being, and serves to uphold the
memory...of each state's experience." This "One Consciousness is
one and not many, nor different from other consciousnesses. It
is not the waking consciousness or sleeping consciousness, or any
other but consciousness itself." It derives from, and is the
active aspect of the Atma, the Ray of the Central Spiritual Sun
that unites all beings. It is the "Law of Laws--Compassion
absolute."

For the Pratyekha Buddha, this isolated "Nirvanic" condition is
self-centered, or selfish, and therefore it is brought to an end
by the great Law; which, being compassionate, gives such an
entity another chance to progress on to the true goal.

At the opposite pole of conscious endeavor, we are told that
there are those who choose to oppose the work of evolution, who
make of themselves isolated and antagonistic, perverse centers of
consciousness, rooted in the isolation of matter and selfish
passion. These face the annihilation of the personality as a
conscious base. That selfishly directed personality acquires
great knowledge, and misapplies, or misdirects it. It enters a
state named Avitchi.

The Monad severs itself from that series of personalities, and
under the great law, it is again recirculated through the
evolutionary process. The Monad is immortal. It provides for a
fresh assemblage of intelligence a focus for a new focus for the
development of the mama-manasic intelligence we call the
personality. The ascent from the bottom of experience begins
again. It is the personal consciousness and memories that are
"annihilated," obliterated in that case. Similarly, all memory
in the memory of humanity, of a Pratyekha Buddha is said to be
obliterated, since such an one ceases from its duty of assisting
and participating in evolution.

In this connection HPB in The Secret Doctrine says :

" [ the power ] which propels towards, and forces evolution,
i.e., compels the growth and development of Man towards
perfection, is (a) the monad, or that which acts in it
unconsciously through a force inherent in itself; and (b) the
lower astral body or the personal self. The former...that force
[which]...owing to its identity with the all-force...inherent in
the Monad, it is all-potent on the Arupa or formless plane...So
with the Atman: unless the higher Self or ego gravitates towards
its Sun--the Monad--the lower Ego, or personal Self, will have
the upper hand in every case. For it is this Ego, with its
fierce Selfishness and animal desire to live a Senseless life
(Tanha), which is "the maker of the tabernacle,"...In short,
Spirituality is on its ascending arc, and the animal or physical
impedes it from steadily progressing on the path of its evolution
only when the selfishness of the personality has so strongly
infected the real inner man with its lethal virus, that the
upward attraction has lost all its power on the thinking
reasonable man."
S D II 109-110

As an illustration, we could consider a band of pilgrims who are
climbing a sacred mountain together. One spurts ahead, then,
finding a niche, sits. When the rest arrive, they go on
together. The one who raced ahead to sit and wait in isolation,
has lost the intervening growth that accrued to the others
through their exchange of ideas, mutual assistance, and
friendship.

He has to acquire those, and they include compassion and a
perception of the duty owed to the skandhas. He has to learn
that any progress, requires the sharing of all learning acquired.
This understanding comes from developing Buddhic heart qualities.
It is a recognition of the continuous debt that wisdom developed
from within confers on its recipients. This is represented as
sacrifice of the 'self' for the selves of all other beings.

In India the Brahmins often adopt the attitude that they desire
to isolate themselves from contact with others of a "lower
caste." because they conceive that spiritual life demands such an
isolation from physical proximity. They forget that the true
insulation of the spiritual life is an inner attitude, it
pertains to the mind. Buddha is said, while living in the world,
He sent out wide and sweeping currents of force for good that
enveloped all who surrounded him. And further, such is their
power, they have carried his peaceful influence forward for over
2,500 years to all those who contact his words and ideas.

Krishna, an Avatar, who came at the commencement of the Kali-Yuga
[3,102 BC] offered the Bhagavad Gita as a spiritual reformation
of the rituals and rote of Brahmanical practice. Krishna was an
"avatar" incarnated, and, although a Sage in a Kshatriya
(warrior) body, He was brought up as a sudra (a "servant"). Kali
Yuga was the fresh cycle (to last 432,000 years) that would
influence the world. It was one in which ancient practices would
become confused. He stands as an example of the spiritual
person, to whom external caste means nothing. His influence will
pervade the rest of that vast period of time. The true devotee,
aspiring to approach the Rishis, the Wise Ones of Old, welcomes
living in the world where he can help anyone who needs such
spiritual perception as he may have secured. [see S D I 272-3,
207-210]

The achievement of "head learning," with a lack of "soul Wisdom,"
limits any personal development to the level of Kama-Manas. If
this is carried to its highest level isolation of the personality
results in the Pratyekha Buddha. The qualities (Paramitas) named
Dana-charity, Shila-harmony and Kshanti-peacefulness need
development. The 'lower mind' (Kama-Manas) has to become the
'human mind.' (MANAS--pure and impersonal). And this is done
with the power of Viraga: "indifference to pleasure as to pain,
illusion conquered, truth alone perceived." From this, the 4th
or balance virtue, are developed the qualities of the Adept:
Virya, dauntless and well directed energy, leading to the work of
a spiritual mind, (Buddhi-Manas) and represented in the next
series of Paramitas: Virya, Dhyana, and Prajna.
[see Voice, p. 52[

In compassion we may see wise action inspired and directed by
Higher Manas, Buddhi and Atman. The embodied mind realizes that
it is entirely responsible for the qualities impressed by the
power of choice on the skandhas that provide it with the vestures
of its personality. Assisting and educating them is a part of
our karmic task. They will always be our associates.

The power of the law of conjoint evolution in all spheres and
levels, includes all beings without exception, therefore any
selfish attempt at isolation can only be temporary. In the case
of the Pratyekha, the delay caused by selfish choice affects the
merit he had acquired intellectually, using his lower manasic
reasoning.

The elements of the personality, the "life-atoms" clothe the
"Pilgrim," with those vestures that provide not only the path but
the place of our pilgrimage. The "life-atoms" that cluster
karmically about it, cause the kind of incarnation which
represents the stage at which he abandoned them. There the
interrupted work starts again to assist and be assisted by all
those that he had delayed by indulging in the "sin of
separateness."
References: M L 114, SD I 371 329-30; II 79-80 109-10
233fn;
Key 113-4; Forum Answers, pp. 73-4, 97-8, 120;
Epitome, p. 28; Glossary 261. 345, 231, 232;
Aryan Path, Vol. I, p. 656.

DTB


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-----Original Message-----
From: Eldon B Tucker
Sent: Sunday, November 25, 2001 12:15 PM
To:
Subject: "Nirmanakaya"

>In an 1887 letter to W. Q. Judge, Madame Blavatsky
>wrote:
>
>". . . Do you understand what it means? It means that
>unless you consent, you force me to a miserable life &
>a miserable death with the idea preying on my mind
>that there is an end of theosophy. That for several
>years I will not be able to help it on & stir its
>course, because I will have to act in a body which
>will have to be assimilated to the Nirmanakaya,
>because even in Occultism there are such things as a
>failure, & a retardment, and a misfit. But you don't
>understand me, I see. . .

In OCCULT GLOSSARY, under Nirmanakaya (page 114),
G. de Purucker describes it in part as:

>A Nirmanakaya is a complete man possessing all the
>principles of his constitution except the Linga-Sharira,
>and its accompanying physical body. He is one who lives
>on the plane of being next superior to the physical
>plane, and his purpose in so doing is to save men from
>themselves by being with them, and by continuously
>instilling thoughts of self-sacrifice, of self-forgetfulness,
>of spiritual and moral beauty, of mutual help, of compassion,
>and of pity.

Under this definition, to have "a body which will have to
be assimilated to the Nirmanakaya," would mean the
death of the vital-astral-physical aspect of one's
constitution, while yet remaining conscious, active,
and otherwise embodied in one's higher principles.
This would be similar to the astral or semi-astral
state of humanity in the first three Root Races
(similar in type of bodies although not similar in
degree of awakened self-consciousness).

Purucker goes on to mention the three bodies (trikaya),
which include the Sambhogakaya and the Dharmakaya. And
he says,

>The Nirmanakaya-vesture or condition enables one
>entering it to live in touch and sympathy with the
>world of men ... therefore, in the Nirmanakaya-
>vesture if not in physical form that live and
>work the Buddhas of Compassion, the greatest Sages
>and Seers, and all the super-holy men who through
>striving through ages of evolution bring forth
>into manifestation and power and function the
>divinity within.

-- Eldon