Theos-Talk Archives (June 2002 Message tt00173)

June 26 2002

Re: Study of The SECRET DOCTRINE (pp. 1 - 300) Including the
Proem., Stanzas of Dzyan,
and the Commentaries.



Dear Friends:

This is no continue the study began some weeks ago by the questions
that " Buz Buz" asked.

We have looked at key ideas in the Introductory, and we can now enter
the Proem and see what faces us there (pp. 1 - 26, and then, the
Commentaries from 27 to 300)


The Proem ( pp. 1 - 26) contains some of the most important
statements we ought to consider and remember if we wish to make sense
of the ensuing pages.


We find that the Stanzas of Dzyan ( wisdom) are then offered to us.
( pp 27- 34) These relate to cosmogenesis and to the first half of
evolution on our Earth. ( the first 3 1/2 Rounds ).


Here are some important statements:


Universal Symbology is summarized: ( pp. I 4 - 6, 19, 97 (top) ;
II 536, 586, ).


An Occult Catechism is partially revealed: ( pp. 9, 11, 120 ).


The THREE FUNDAMENTALS (pp 14 - 19). She says that the whole
philosophy of The SECRET DOCTRINE rests on these, and invites us to
consider them, remember them and then see how they fit into the fabric
of the rest of The SECRET DOCTRINE.



Some important IDEAS and phrases seem to be :

P. 23 "this work is written for the instruction of students of
Occultism."

P. 37 Time - an illusion is described - see also pp. 43-4.
"Time...the panoramic succession of our states of consciousness..."
(44)

P. 38 Mind - is described

p. 40 "...the upward progress of the Ego is a series of progressive
awakenings..."

P. 43 "The SECRET DOCTRINE teaches the progressive development of
everything, worlds as well as atoms... Our Universe is only one of an
infinite number of Universes..."

P. 45 "...the One Being...must underlie phenomena and give them
whatever shadow of reality they possess..."

P. 46 "... "one Form of Existence" as the basis and source of all
things." "Karana -- Cause -- the ideal spirit of that cause...
omnipresent yet abstract, the self-existent plastic Essence and the
root of all things..." (75) there is but One Universal Element,
which is infinite, unborn, and undying, and that all the rest--as in
the world of phenomena--are but so many various differentiated aspects
and transformations (correlations) of that ONE..." (89) ...the
undiscernible Causeless CAUSE..."

P. 49 "Esoteric philosophy teaches that everything lives and is
conscious but not that all life and consciousness are similar to those
of human or even animal beings."

P. 50 "...the Universality of the Occult doctrines...Motion, the ONE
LIFE, or Jivatma..."

P. 51 "...the Finite cannot conceive of the Infinite..."

P. 52 "the Dhyan Chohans or Dhyani Buddhas...correspond mystically
to the human Buddhas and Bodhisattvas...their whole personality is
merged in their compound sixth (Buddhi) and seventh (Atma)
principles--or Atma-Buddhi, and ... they become the "diamond souled"
... the full Mahatmas."

P. 54 "...things can cease to exist and still BE."

P. 55 "The "Breath" of the One Existence...its equivalent in the
material plane--Motion,. The One Eternal element ...is Space,
dimensionless in every sense...endless duration, primordial
(indestructible) matter, and motion -- absolute perpetual
motion...This Breath...can never cease..."

P. 56 "Concrete consciousness cannot be predicated of abstract
Consciousness.... The Bondless can have no relation to the bounded and
the conditioned. ... In the occult teachings the Unknown and the
Unknowable MOVER, or the Self-Existing, is the absolute divine
Essence.

P. 56 "...Absolute Consciousness contains the cognizer, the thing
cognized, and the cognition, all three in itself and all three ONE."

P. 57 "The ray of the "Ever Darkness" flashes into the "Germ"...the
Germ exists in the center of every atom...the collectivity of these
form the noumenon of eternal and indestructible matter." [ p. 69
"The essence of darkness being absolute light." ]

P. 58 "The first and Fundamental dogma of Occultism is Universal
Unity (or Homogeneity) under three aspects. Life can be known only
by the TREE OF LIFE..."

P. 60 "Above, the Son is the whole Kosmos; below, he is MANKIND."

P. 68 "...the Non-Separateness of all that lives..."

P. 61 "The "Light" is the same Omnipresent Spiritual Ray, which has
entered and now fecundated the divine Egg, and calls cosmic matter to
begin its long series of differentiations." (p. 70) "Light is
matter, and DARKNESS pure Spirit. Darkness, in its radical,
metaphysical basis, is subjective and absolute light..."

P. 75 "Mahat [ Universal Mind ] develops into the feeling of
Self-Consciousness--I--then it assumes the name of Egoism."

P. 76 "Fohat...the primordial Electric entity... electrifies into
life and separates primordial stuff or pregenetic matter into atoms,
themselves the source of all forms of life and consciousness." (see
top p. 84)

P. 78	"...the universal mystery, the doctrine of the identity of
man's essence with god-essence...the unvarying idea of the Divine
operating through all these..."

P. 79 "... the postulate of a universally diffused, omnipresent,
eternal Deity in nature ...to credit man with being the septenary
symbol, on the terrestrial plane, of the ONE GREAT UNIT (the Logos)
which is itself the seven-vowelled sign, the Breath crystallized into
the WORD."

P. 85 "It is through Fohat that the ideas of the Universal Mind are
impressed upon matter."

P. 88 "...the Seven proceed from the (immaculate) mother alone.
[she] is overshadowed, not impregnated, by the Universal MYSTERY--when
she emerges from her state of Laya or undifferentiated condition."

P. 97 "Nature geometrizes universally in all her manifestations..."

P. 103-4 The "Lipika" the "scribes of karma .. "who impress on to
the (to us) invisible tablets of the Astral Light, "the great
picture-gallery of eternity" -- a faithful record of every act, and
even every thought, of man, of all that was, is, or ever will be, in
the phenomenal Universe." ..."The Eternal Record" ..."each particle of
the existing matter must be a register of all that has happened."

P. 105 "Connected as the Lipika are with the destiny of every man
and the birth of every child, whose life is already traced in the
Astral Light--not fatalistically, but only because the future, like
the Past, is ever alive in the PRESENT...."

P. 106 "...the existence of spiritual humanity within physical
mankind. For the hosts of thee "Sons of Light" and "mind-born sons" of
the first manifested Ray of the UNKNOWN ALL, are the very root of
spiritual man."

P. 106 "The doctrine teaches that, in order to become a divine fully
conscious god--aye, even the highest--the Spiritual primeval
INTELLIGENCES must pass through the human stage

(this is only up to p. 106 going on, more important concepts will be
found)

Mr. Judge wrote an article titled: HIDDEN HINTS IN The SECRET
DOCTRINE ( Judge Articles, Vol. I p. 599...) It would be good to
refer to these, and if we have The SECRET DOCTRINE open, we can trace
the actual passages he refers to.

--------------

As I understand it, in a broad way, the S D offers us a summary of our
evolution as:

1. Spiritual immortals, as

2. Intellectually growing intelligences, and,

3. as material forms. (p. 181)

The key to understanding this system is the MONAD. (pp. 173-169)

The Monads are everywhere in Nature, (Nature being the Universe).

In evolution The SECRET DOCTRINE describes them as immortal, conjoined
pairs -- made up of fragments of SPIRIT, and a corresponding speck of
neutralizing MATTER. (These are symbolized by the YANG/YIN image of
perfect gyrating balance. The Monad is often symbolized by an egg
with 2 foci enveloped by a shell -- the idea was used in ancient Hindu
philosophy and mythology, as Brahma asleep before the Universe
manifested.

The nearest conceptual picture we could have of this Monad today,
might be: the scientific "ATOM." Theosophy however states that these
"Atoms" are centers of Intelligent FORCE.

They do not occur for no reason, nor are they the product of chaotic
matter clashing randomly over a long period of time.

The Ancient Teachers say all evolution has a purpose, and that purpose
is for Man (as an independent Mind -- capable of embracing all aspects
of the Universe) to become fully experienced in the laws that balance
all aspects of life in this UNIVERSE -- to become wise, and that
ethical and moral equations are logical expressions of the
universality and the purpose of those LAWS. [ To make this clear, our
attention is drawn to the fact that our Science is continually
investigating the conditions and laws inherent in existing Nature --
in all departments. In other words, Science proves the universality
of law and intelligence already resident in every department and
aspect of Nature. It work of discovery, then, is only the peeling
back of layers of ignorance, and obtaining a deeper perception of the
interactions and cooperative nature of all existence. This is a fact
that is inescapable and unarguable.

Continuing: In the "Atom" --

1. The CENTER is the ever incognizable and invisible SPIRIT ( or
rather a "Ray" thereof ).

2. The spinning vortical movement indicates UNIVERSAL LAW present in
the smallest portion of manifested SPACE. The mass movement of Monads
( atoms) makes the consolidation of all the universes, galaxies,
stars, planets and of course our Earth, and the physical forms we use
(as mind beings) to live and experience through.

3. The illusion of physical solidity is created by the spinning
"electrons, (Matter)" which move so rapidly around the Energic
attractive spiritual CENTER that they give the illusion of a shell of
substance with its attendant and peculiar properties. (An
illustration of this is a rapidly spinning fan. The blades move so
rapidly they give the illusion of solid impenetrable sheet of matter.)

In these "forms," made up of many such monads, the evolving
Intelligence (the Human Mind) lives and works. The cohesive force of
any form is limited in time, and eventually it disperses, and dies --
whereupon the Central Spiritual Monad finds, under Law, another form
in which to pursue its educational work. Thus we have reincarnation as
a method of progressive intelligent living, in and on, all worlds.

It is said that the "Spiritual Monad" actually sacrifices its high
degree of spirituality in order to help and guide the evolution of
Intelligence (Mind) through the labyrinth of experience. This
sacrifice is a prolonged one.

The human mind under training by Nature (you and me) is thus led to
perceive the generous character of all laws which are designed to
permit all levels of difference to blend and interact harmoniously.
We might say that the Universe is a vast harmony of diversities. The
lubricant is tolerance, and a brotherly regard extended to all
beings -- because of the central SPIRITUAL FORCE that is embodied in
every form, no matter how different in appearance or seeming
difference of view points from us.

This interaction produces for every mind-being the attendant rule of
laws related to is, that bind it to others around it -- called Karma.
It is Karma, or the personal suite of destiny, that we weave by our
momentary choices, as we live. It is these that help and educate the
being as it progresses. In this process all the Monads of lesser
experience that make up the forms are assisted in their advance, at
the level of intelligence which they are endowed with.


In the 1st volume of The SECRET DOCTRINE H P B gives us a survey of
the evolution of worlds

This is of the Kosmos. ( SECRET DOCTRINE Vol. I pp 1 - 134) She
shows how Intelligence and the Universal Plans brought from the past
are employed to mold substance and forms suitable for the incoming
"Mind-beings" (us) to use and continue our advance.

Of special importance are the THREE FUNDAMENTALS (pp 14 - 19) She
says that the whole philosophy of The SECRET DOCTRINE rests on these
and invites us to consider them, remember them and then see how they
fit into the fabric of the rest of The SECRET DOCTRINE.

An important point to grasp is The SECRET DOCTRINE is HISTORY. (267)
in its pages we will find we are provided with a consecutive account
of the development of the Universe, of our solar System, of our Earth
and finally of ourselves. It exposes to our gaze those pages that
have been destroyed when great ancient libraries were burned and
destroyed, in Messopotamia, Assyria, The Jews, Egypt, Greece, etc --
of which history keeps some very fragmentary and scattered record.
Those who have read ISIS UNVEILED will have found these described and
reassembled to a large degree. There the various power that belong by
right to man are also described and made clear.

She then (in the S D ) deals with the process of the endless
reincarnations of the whole host of Monads (ourselves), as we
progressed through the Moon Chain and eventually came (as a host) to
this Earth. And here we continue that arduous and most interesting
process.

We, as developing mind-beings, caused the Earth ( pp. 136 - 169 )
The tenuous substance of the early Rounds has gradually hardened, and
has become the dense substance (as we know it) of this our 4th ROUND.
Every life we incarnate into a body of that material. Every life we
pick up the strands of that which we were studying and learning in the
last life.

In ROUND 4 the whole process was rapidly recapitulated in GLOBES 1, 2,
and 3 -- and finally, in the 4th GLOBE (our immediate past, and
current present) the tenuous substance becomes "solid" matter and
provides the vehicles for the mind-beings to live in and act through.

As we are today we can see in each one of us ,that we are a Wise
intelligence capable of looking at our Minds and employing them, We
also look at our emotions, and have the power to guide them with
intelligence. We also use our bodies and train them to do whatever is
necessary to provide for our living in this world.

The concept of reincarnation of the IMMORTAL MIND-Beings (our
CONSCIOUS SELVES) has to be grasped. Each incarnation resembles a
"day" at "School."

Our Earth Chain of Globes developed out of the Lunar Chain of Globes.
[ The Lunar chain of 7 Globes lived in an immediately previous
Manvantara to the present one. The Moon as we see it is the "corpse"
of that "chain."]

The first three ROUNDS on our Earth. were passed gradually, and matter
progressively became more dense. ( pp 170 - 192 ) It is now at its
densest condition.

Vol. I SECRET DOCTRINE , from p. 191 on describes the various problems
connected with our re-education and getting acclimatized to the new
environment provided by the Earth. It speaks of 7 hierarchies or
groups of intelligences -- these are actually methods of looking at
life -- not isolated from others, but conjoined, only one of those
aspects is more emphasized in each human mind. It makes for the
sameness and yet the differences in perception and sensitivity we
exhibit t each other in our natures and characters.

>From p. 269 to 300 we find that H P B has summed up all that which is
contained in these first 300 pages. This is a most important section
and ought to be carefully studied.

Best wishes,

Comments and further questions and observations will be gladly
considered by all.

Dallas

-----Original Message-----
From: L. R. A
Sent: Wednesday, June 26, 2002 3:08 PM
To:
Subject: Faith

Hello Friends,

As Larry and Louis pointed out recently, we are humans
"wearing coats of skin." I take some of this to mean
that in our present state, we are imprisoned, as it
where, within our present evolutionary
limitations-regardless of the higher Truth and lofty
ideals to which we all aspire.

A thank you to those who gave feedback on the question
of meditation and prayer. As was pointed out,
comprehensive discussions of both topics appear in the
WisdomWorld.org website. This brings us to the
question of faith. Much is being discussed about the
"travesty" that modern religions have become vis-a-vis
the SD and ancient wisdom. Those of us who were
brought up in the various religions were taught to
pray, from early age, to God, to Christ, the Virgin
Mary, etc., and to have faith that Deity as we saw it,
would make our worldly lives more bearable.

Now that we are pursuing higher Truth, in What or Whom
shall we have faith? The answer might be that we must
have faith in Highest Truth, a Truth that ultimately
will bring us peace, clarity, certain knowledge that
all is well.

But because we are indeed "wearing coats of skin," we
get impatient. We don't want to wait an unknown number
of reincarnations before we see more light. It is
quite human to want at least a little more light NOW.

What can we do? We have discussed "meditation," a
rather broad subject is seems to me, because there
seem to be so many techniques. What else can we do,
aside from exercising our intellects, to gain more
light, to expand our awareness, to develop our powers
of Intuition perhaps, so that we may carry on with
more serenity?

Louis 2.

__________________________________________________


CUT