Theos-Talk Archives (April 2002 Message tt00135)

Monday, April 08, 2002
04/08/2002 2:50 AM

Re: ATMA and "proving" the HIGHER SELF in Man.

Dear Laura:

Your surmise is correct as I understand it.

The 1st FUNDAMENTAL [S D I p. 14-15 ], concerning the
"all-presence" of SPIRIT, is predicated on the EVER-EXISTENT
ABSOLUTE as an ETERNAL and UNMODIFIABLE BACKGROUND.

Mystically it is said to be "everything and no-thing."

It is called UNCONSCIOUS commonly, and by some philosophers,
because in thought our "Embodied Mind" is only able to conceive
of limitations. And limitations are called "maya" or
"illusions." But that is not enough for if we can conceive of
being self-limited we are simultaneously aware of the fact that
one aspect of our minds is not subject to the "mayavic"
concept -- because IT SEES IT. It is therefore independent.
That is the one and important clue that leads us on -- see
further:

Getting back to the fact of limitations:

The grandest of these limitations is the Idea of the UNIVERSAL
MIND or the 2nd Logos, the Manifesting Logos. It rules for a
Manvantara and then its work being done it goes to sleep, or
"dies" and is reincarnated again with every smallest being within
its compass, carefully preserves, reincarnated, and sent on their
progressive ways of self-education again.

This One SELF is unlimited, and stands in and behind all that is
manifested. It is the root of perception consciousness, memory,
anticipation and wisdom. It translates sense perception into the
Brain center as one might flash a motion picture "cel," It is
ever the "Seer," the Eternal Witness." Immovable, it perceives
all changes and every "motion" in the heaving sea of maya
surrounding us all.

The Individual CONSCIOUSNESS acts as Witness, as Librarian
comparator (memory), and then in reaction, generates the Cause
for a response. That causal response is then subject to our
embodied limitations in terms of mind patterns -- limited and
imposed on our personality -- by our "Kamic," or desire and
passionate natures.

Then, as personalities (Kama-Manas) we act on the physical plane
through the supervising astral body which imposes its orders on
the material and gross material we are sheathed with, calling it
"our body," and sometimes, limiting ourselves to it, by calling
it "my-self."

It is the Divine Self, and is in reality, it may be seen to be
the molder of IDEALS, and the shaper of the invisible 7 PRIMAL
Forces that its messenger, FOHAT, carries into every plane of
manifestation. This is done so that JIVA, the universal electric
LIFE, is made active and causal in all that evolves. Its contact
with the "lower principles," causes the birth of numerous "Sons
of Fohat," and then Karma results from that motivational, and
decisive, ruling contact.

Of course the scope of this process is universal --- from the
sublime to the most ignorant and pettiest of the centers of
life -- all are energized and galvanized by the primal urge to
become better, to advance, to assume as soon as possible the
knowledge and power of the wisest.

SECRET DOCTRINE I p. 189 states in the words of the ancient
catechism, that there is not an "angula" or finger's breadth of
space in the manifested Universe that is not teeming with
"monads."

By "monad," the fact that Spirit and primordial Matter are
continually in balance is to be understood, this is fundamental
to all and to the least of manifested beings or creatures. The
line that unites them (Spirit and Matter) is Mind, or
Consciousness, and thus the MONAD in manifestation is
ATMA-BUDDHI-MANAS -- a Three in ONE. A SPIRITUAL SELF.

We now, as Human Monads, were once exactly like those -- and had
just emerged from the universal MONADIC ESSENCE [ S D I 619,
625-28, 632-4 ]. We now have the added responsibility of
free-will and the power to choose -- to cooperate, or to distort
and denigrate Nature, our surroundings and other struggling
monads. This gives immediate rise to personal Karma, good or
bad. We as humans are in the point of balance -- we can
advance spiritually and beneficently, or we can debase and
decline into the grossest materialism, and selfish personal
destructive tendencies, and seek to drag others down to that
destructive level also. That is how "Black Magicians" create
themselves.

Let us get back to the subject:

THAT is: UNIVERSAL ATMAN or, the ONE SPIRIT which pervades the
whole Universe and is also the ONE PRINCIPLE. Everything else is
a "vehicle" [ see Judge THE SEVENFOLD DIVISION W Q J Articles,
I p 298; H P B Articles II 238; SECRET DOCTRINE I 13, 334,
460; S D II 241; Key 23-4; Gita Notes 98-9, THEOSOPHY Mag.,
Vol. 16, p. 255. ]

As you noted in TRANSACTIONS OF THE BLAVATSKY LODGE, H P B
equates Atma with the HIGHER SELF in man. "Our individual Atma"
is in reality only a "ray" of the Universal ATMAN
and every being, at whatever level of manifestation, is pervaded
by the ONE ATMAN.

H P B also indicates a most important fact there: Nightly in the
condition called "deep sleep" the embodied self, confabulates
with the resident TUTOR -- the ATMA -- the HIGHER SELF.

When it resumes waking consciousness it may or may not recall
this discussion. Our personal nature and our personal karma
decides how easy or difficult this will be. Theosophy
recommends, as an active and creative practice, the pacifying,
and the harmonizing, and making our lives spiritually creative,
while awake -- SPIRITUAL-- so that this wonderful process can be
increasingly taken advantage of, night after night.

Thus, the UNIVERSAL SPIRIT -- ATMAN -- is the source of
Universal Brotherhood.

It is the Source of CONSCIOUSNESS, of the MIND, and in it resides
the imperishable records of Akasa -- in which all of the
processes of evolution undergone by every Monad are imperishably
and ineffaceably recorded. These are the source of the "Voice of
conscience," and, the "Intuition." In our inner, Higher Selves
we carry access to the vast library of our own past lives and the
decisions, good or bad we made.

The Real Man ( the immortal HIGHER "I," Impersonal and undying )
is the ATMA in us, but, it is not the property of (is not owned
by) the "personal, embodied Lower self." [ Your best reference
to the ONE CONSCIOUSNESS that pierces up and down the 7 states of
Being and serves to uphold the memory of experiences in every
one of them, is in BHAGAVAD GITA Notes, p. 98-100.]

You are right, it is that, taken as a whole, and symbolized by
the "Egg of Brahma," which is the permanent "Manvantaric 'Body'".
Each of us is, and has, such a "permanent body." We can make it
either a "temple," or a "gambling joint, and a den of thieves and
liars." The depraved ever pay tribute to the virtuous, by
appearing to be themselves models of virtue and selflessness on
the surface.

Our Atma is the Eternal :Pilgrim which incarnates to serve and
accelerate the progress of the aggregation of the skandhas
(monads) that form the continuing personalities attached to it
the MONAD ) incarnation after incarnation ( S D I 174-5,
Footnote).

You will find this given a grand description in The SECRET
DOCTRINE I 207-210 in the nature and QUALITY of the GREAT
SACRIFICE -- a MASTER, a BUDDHA, perhaps for us, the
ADI-BUDDHA, -- whose single Will upholds manifestation so that
every "monad" may ultimately become like unto it: aware, alert,
attentive, wise and compassionately, a BROTHER to all.

We have to generate in our embodied minds the assurance that this
far transcends the limited views of our "one-life" experience,
that our personal "lower mind," and "Kama-enveloped mind" can
perceive.

We have to invoke the eternal and imperishable faculties of the
DIVINE INNER CONSCIOUSNESS -- evoke the GOD-WITHIN, if we are to
develop in our present embodied minds a glimmer of the REALITY.
[ This is why 'prayers' and 'worship' to some selected outside
"God" is utterly useless. It is a lure, a ploy, developed by
debased priesthood to secure the blind and fearful adherence of
millions of average minds which have not yet opened their
perceptions to the reality of their own immortality, and their
creative power to choose without props or lures, the way in which
they will develop their own future.]

That is how I understand it. And if grasped, I am sure that our
lives in the "here and now" can be changed BY OURSELVES.

We, the inner divine Self, is continually given an opportunity to
take charge of our life's objectives. Why not choose the Goal of
SUPREME PERFECTION ?.


Best wishes

Dallas

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


-----Original Message-----
From: John Gray [mailto:classiccontours@sympatico.ca]
Sent: Sunday, April 07, 2002 9:57 AM
To: study@blavatsky.net
Subject: [bn-study] Fw: bn-study digest: April 06, 2002

> Question:
> Is it because we are the Unknowable Absolute Eternal , that we
can move
from
> one state of consciousness or being to another? When studying
the Secret
> Doctrine and the Transactions we see that HPB goes from talking
about the
> Absolute, right into a study of the states of consciousness.
Imagine
never
> being able to leave the state of consciousness we are in now
until the end
> of the manvantara! The cycles of nature are compassionate and
we travel
> them through them all. Is this an indication of Be-ness and
Being?
>
> Laura
>