Theos-Talk Archives (January 2002 Message tt00130)

Tuesday, January 08, 2002

Dear Gerry:

As I look through The SECRET DOCTRINE I find continued evidence
that there are "TWO" Egos in Man. See for instance
S D II 167, 254-5, 247, and I 225.

The process of human evolution ( S D I 181 ) shows three lines
converging. The SPIRITUAL and the physical meld and merge with
the consciousness of the INTELLECTUAL (Mind).

Merely to say reincarnation is the result of maya, and karma does
not do away with either the cause or the ultimate result of all
this effort. Nor does it do away with the elements of
benevolence and generosity. The Wise invariably remain as
teachers to assist the evolution of their pupils through ADVICE.

True there are some who believe that wisdom is only for their
selfish benefit, and that Nirvana is a cessation of any
involvement with sin, sorrow and the trials of chaos. But if
freeing ones' self ALONE from these annoyances is the ONLY GOAL,
then some other aspects of perfection seem to be omitted from the
survey.

How, for instance doe we explain the statement made in S D II 79
that some of the Beings returning into manifestation are
"returning Nirvanees from preceding Maha-Manvantaras--ages of
incalculable duration which have rolled away in the Eternity..."
In the VOICE OF THE SILENCE I find ( P. 33 -- THE TWO PATHS ) :
"The Lion of the Law, the Lord of Mercy, perceiving the true
cause of human woe, immediately forsook the sweet but selfish
rest of quiet wilds. From Aranyaka He became the Teacher of
mankind. After Julai had entered the Nirvana, He preached on
mount and plain, and held discourses in the cities, to Devas, men
and Gods."

I'm still puzzling over that.

Best wishes,

Dallas.




-----Original Message-----
From: G S
Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2002 6:15 AM
To:
Subject: Spirit and Morals

<<<What, precisely is the REALITY with which Buddhism concerns
itself? Is it matter? is it SPIRIT (whatever that may be). Is
it soul, or mind, or thought? Is it the way we "feel" about
things? >>>

Dear Dallas, it is none of those things at all.

**************************

<<<Are we immortals undergoing training in spiritual things by
repeated incarnations? Or is that nonsense? >>>

The idea that we are immortals going through reincarnations is
maya, and as long as we retain this belief, we will keep on
reincarnating. This is what Buddha taught, Dallas, it is not my
own thought. The fact that you keep saying this kind of thing
demonstrates that you don't understand liberation, and I suspect
that few, if any, Theosophists do understand it.

The root cause of reincarnation is our own ignorance about its
mayavic nature. Why do Theosophists keep missing this essential
point?

*******************************

<<< If we are ephemera that live a brief life -- what is the
sum-value of it by the time it ends? Is living and idealism and
virtue totally worthless?>>>

Of course morals and ethics and good thoughts and deed are
important, and of course virtue is not worthless. There is not
one single person on this list who thinks so. No one dismisses
the fact of karma. But you and I do seem to define it
differently.

*******************************

<<<Maybe the word "spiritual" needs more careful defining. >>>

Spiritual and moral are two very different things, Dallas. Matter
and spirit are two aspects of "substance" and when in samsara we
experience matter, and when in nirvana we experience spirit, and
the planes and subplanes in between are combinations of matter
and spirit. Substance itself has nothing whatever to do with
morals.

Jerry S.