Theos-Talk Archives (December 2001 Message tt00090)

Friday, December 07, 2001


Dear Adelasie:


While I have you , please let me have your own E-mail address.
Some time ago you cancelled the old one.

As to the questions and observations you make.

1.	We have to take the position that we are IMMORTALS and
SPIRITUAL BEINGS at the base of our natures.

2.	This makes BROTHERHOOD a FACT and not a vague dream.

3.	It also makes REINCARNATION a necessity -- as th SPIRIT never
DIES.

4.	Next: we have to agree that nature is minutely sensitive and
that all we think, feel and do is recorded. Nature is always
creative, never destructive unless it is to destroy those
temporary constructs we made of them in terms of selfishness,
evil, illusion, and ignorance.

5.	This "destruction, is actually a rearrangement of those
component elements (monads of lesser experience) as they are
made to compensate for their distortion (if any). The
rearrangement mainly on the emotional plane (Kama) gives pain to
the personality. The "pain" is that caused by a return to the
Law of progress and harmony. (It is always self-enforced.)

Karma is a fact. We get back exactly what we put into our
choices. Our bodies (physical, astral, vital, emotional, mental
and IDEAL) are all constructed of aggregations of Monads which
have flocked to the inner central SPIRITUAL MONAD that resides in
us. As we live we impress them with our will. If the flow of
universal energy, returning under Karma finds them obstructive,
its effort to restore harmony gives them "pain." The "pain" is
educative, if we learn to ask "Why?" "How did I cause this ?"

Last: we have to agree that all living things, are spiritual
Monads and they are evolving through Nature and the Universe in
search of a confirmation of their spiritual nature. In doing
this they become at every new experience wiser. That wisdom is
then shared and compared with the experiences of others. This is
again Brotherhood in action.

================

If we still have residual doubts of this then we have not
seriously meditated into the causes of our existence. Nor have
we perceived that the SPIRITUAL has voluntarily incarnated into
our PERSONAL NATURE in order to offer an example of altruism and
brotherhood in actual operation. It also implies we have not
given to the components of our various "bodies, or, sheaths" the
same immortality (in concept) that we give to ourselves. Because
they are smaller or weaker, we believe they are unimportant and
at our command they will sacrifice themselves. Why should they?
Why should we play the "bullies?"

============================

There are those who are so firmly linked to the personal that
they desire to demonstrate that has primary importance. But they
do not carry that out to the logical future: The PERSONALITY
dies and is dispersed as monads. But the impressions we laid on
them continue to reside in them to be reanimated when Karma
returns them to us in the future. What have we to show for it?
Hopefully an impress on the sands of time.

But the sands shift, and even the Buddhas, Christs and Krishnas
of real antiquity -- over 10,000 years past, have faded from our
physical records -- and vaguely remain as shadows in myth and
lore -- until a movement like the THEOSOPHICAL MOVEMENT comes
out, and makes the cause and case for SPIRITUAL IMMORTALITY
plain.

How many grasp this? You ask a series of valid questions that
individuals can only answer to themselves.

Many come to Theosophy sensing its verities. How many truly
assure themselves of those? How many see that Nature contains
all and supports all in its omniscience and omnipotence. The
Church sought to eradiate the pagan (peasant) concept of PAN --
the UNIVERSAL GOD OF AND IN NATURE. As a substitute they made a
construct and called it the PERSONAL GOD. [To explain paid an
suffering, they constructed a PERSONAL DEVIL. But they have
never satisfactorily explained why GOD did not dispose (as
Omnipotence) of the "Devil." Nor have they ever explained how
they transformed the Benevolent God into a "wrathful and angry
one on certain occasions. -- speaking of "complications !" ]
Jesus being a spiritual being incarnated, was then transformed
into a special something called THE SON OF GOD and set apart from
Humanity.

Theosophy offers Jesus as an example of a PERFECTED MAN in whom
the Universal potency of the SPIRIT is made manifest in an
incarnation designed to help and reform "the lost sheep of
Israel."

Jesus is shown in Theosophy to be the natural result of a process
of perfection in which the whole of humanity shares. It also
shows "God," not as a "personal being," but as a UNIVERSAL
PRINCIPLE that encompasses everything. What could be more simple
and direct ? Of course Jesus is to be revered and respected and
also emulated. As the example given in the opening of ISIS
UNVEILED he is the "drop of water" that proves an "ocean" of
water to the desert dweller far from the shores. All the great
Masters -- and most are totally unknown to us, exist to assist
evolution as a whole, each fills that "place" where he is needed.
Do we fill the place where we are needed ?

The lure of the PERSONALITY is so great that many set the
importance of IMMORTALITY of the INVISIBLE but POTENT HUMAN
SPIRIT aside in favor of adopting and perhaps in a slight way
reforming the ideas of the physiological trap we all live in --
the illusionary personality. Yes, it has value, but only insofar
as it reflects the karma of our past and affords us an anchor to
live and dwell in the company of the tattered and fragmentary
remnants of our past -- (I mean the :skandhas" and the "monads of
lesser intelligence" -- to which the SPIRITUAL MONAD has come to
try to get them in their aggregation to see that they have to
transform and illuminate themselves with the universal WISDOM
that is their birthright.

The problem is : Why believe in SPIRIT if the PHYSICAL is
evident? But, does the physical explain itself? Does it give
adequate reasons for its existence? What are its causes ?

Suppose that "matter" is simply crystallized SPIRIT? (The
MONAD -- in evolution -- is said to be ATMA and BUDDHI
indissolubly con joined. MANAS is also there as the intermediate
"Perceiver" that being neutral, sees both and their interaction.
It is a power, a Force, an individualized ENERGY. It has no
physical, or any other dimensions. Neither do the sub-atomic
particles Science has unveiled in Nature's immortal ATOMS.

Until those are adequately explained to ITSELF there is doubt and
confusion mainly because of the residual impact of our early
education and religious instruction in this life. Few indeed
have escaped these impresses. Few are free of "authority." And
few are those who have had the strength to actually QUESTION
as Heretics do) the pronouncements of science and religion. Few
have dared to stand out from the herd, and be themselves.

Well this started out to be brief -- but.

Best wishes,

Dal

=======================


Original Message-----
From: adelasie [mailto:adelasie@surfari.net]
Sent: Thursday, December 06, 2001 9:01 AM
To: study@blavatsky.net
Subject: [bn-study] RE: List WHERE IS PRACTICAL THEOSOPHY TO BE
FOUND ?

Dear Dallas,

I too am very happy to read your words. It seems to me that you
have hit on a very important aspect of the study of theosophy.
What do we do with it? There is a big difference, it seems to me,
between reading the literature, absorbing the teachings, and
putting
them to work in our lives. And it is the latter that is the
completion,
the validation, of all the outpouring of force that went into
bringing
these teachings to us. We are indeed priviledged to have the
opportunity, incarnated at this time, to take these teachings to
heart, to make them a part of our daily lives, and by this
process to
allow them to work to uplift all humanity. It is a great
opportunity
and a great responsibility, but if we were not equal to the task,
it
would not be ours to do.

We might ask, but how do we do this? This is such a complicated
and difficult body of teachings. We struggle so just to
understand
what they mean. How apply them to daily life?

===============================

DTB	Actually it is not. It is the perversion of the TRUE that is
complicated. The TRUE cuts across all the personal, isolationist
and selfish nonsense we have adopted as a Norm" to exist with the
mass of humanity without shocking them too much. How much do we
concede to pretend to act and live and speak like them? How does
it happen we want company and are afraid to go out on our own, on
sound principles?

===================================


While it is true that theosophy is deep and seems almost
impenetrable at times, it is
also, basically, very simple. There are three fundamental
principles,
the unity of all life, the cyclic nature of all manifestation,
and the
cause and effect relationship of all phenomena.


=====================================

DTB	Those are broad and simple enough -- pity we are not taught
about them in childhood.

Have you ever looked through the ETERNAL VERITIES -- written for
children in Theosophy School ?

=========================


If we truly wish to contribute positively to the evolution of our
race of humanity, we
need to examine ourselves, our thoughts, words and deeds, often,
to determine how they stand up in the light of these three basic
principles. Have we behaved during the day as though all those we
met were truly our brother?

=================================

DTB	Nothing is well grasped without contrast and some neutral
"ground" from which to be able to see change.

===================================


Have we dealt with them as we would like to be dealt with?
Do we incorporate into our understanding of
our own lives and those around us the fact that everything that
happens is part of a larger pattern, that every event,
circumstance,
and situation is linked to what has gone before and what will
come
in the future?

=======================

DTB	There has been too much emphasis on isolation of the
individual. When we are shown the unity of all things -- say on
the atomic level, or politically: The earth is round -- and
political country borders are arbitrary and constantly
changing -- so "loyalty" is also being made a matter of
convenience to those in "power."

========================

Do we take responsibility for what happens in our own
lives, accepting that we have caused the effects that we live
with
today, and that we are creating the effects we will endure or
enjoy
in the future?

============================

DTB	Any one who makes plans does some of this. But the ultimate
PLAN takes care of all factors with equity, justice and
generosity. We do not trust the generosity of others, do we ?

=============================


Do we examine our temptation to blame others for our problems?

================================


DTB	That has become instinctive to us, as we try to hide our
selfishness. The "Personal God" idea does not help. If we are
taught that the priest can intercede (providing we pay in coin of
the realm) with God -- how many actually got any favors ? [ Is
the payment refunded in case of failure ? ] Are we encouraged
to change to another religion? Or are we told there is some
obscure impediment in our case?

================================


Do we face up to our failures and examine them, looking
for the lesson they can teach us, and then let them go and vow to
try to do better?

==============================

DTB	Well Isn't that Jesus' work if we say we believe in Him? How
can we expect to be and act so wise ? But Theosophy placing us
on our own responsibility is discouraging because we can't buy
ourselves out of our troubles -- self-inflicted.

==============================





Do we forgive those who harm us, reach out to
help those who suffer, seek the light of divinity in the eyes of
all we
meet? And if we do not, can we begin now?

====================================

DTB	I wish we could. What is so difficult about that? We do it
often in case of kin and family and forgive sins that are deeper
and far more soul blackening in them. is it right? Are not the
whole of humanity our brothers and sisters?

=====================================


Theosophy is the hope of the world. It is not the only teaching
of this nature. On the
contrary, it is the latest in a long line of such efforts on the
part of
the Older Brothers to help us, guide us, illlumine our lives,
bring us
closer to the realization of our potential destiny. How much time
do
we have to vacillate, question? What are we afraid of? Do we not
see that what we do now will affect the future of the whole human
race for ages to come?

=================================

DTB	Good questions for those who have read and studied and are
serious about making Theosophy a "living power in their lives. "


=========================================


Has the unbelievable mountain of work
done by HPB and her associates been in vain? I don't believe that
for a moment. I know there are countless workers, silently and
devotedly functioning in their own small spheres, following the
path
laid out for them by the teachers. But I also know that there
could
be more. Each one of us could be one of those workers, if we only
would. The time is now.


DTB	AGREED



What will we choose? The old familiar way
of hiding in the shadows and pretending they are the light? Or
will
we strike out into the real light of self-knowledge, altruism,
devotion
to duty that transcends all opposition?


DTB	A CHALLENGE TO THOSE WHO ARE RESOLUTE IN THE TRUE.




The Masters have not gone away. The cycle for their contact with
humanity may have passed for a time, but They are where They
always were, in the hearts of every human being, and I too am
sure
They guide us in every way the Law will allow. Every one who
tries
sincerely to follow the teachings of the ancient wisdom in their
own
daily lives puts himself in close contact with the Masters of
Wisdom. It may not be a matter of psychic manifestations. After
all, who are we to decide how that contact should manifest? It
may
be nothing more evident than a lightening of the heart, a
knowledge
that all is as it should be, an enduring hope and faith that life
is
good, that love prevails, that we can cope with anything that
comes. But that is not nothing. Not at all. It is a lot, peace
and
serenity in one's soul, awareness that one is a part of a vast
brotherhood, that knowing that we are either a part of the
problem or
a part of the solution, we have chosen the latter.

Any thoughts?



PLENTY -- see above.

But first: the INNER MASTER has to be realized. [ see
TRANSACTIONS OF THE BLAVATSKY LODGE pp 66 - 78 ]




Adelasie


CUT