Theos-Talk Archives (October 2002 Message tt00121)

Oct 14 2002

Re: When there is knowledge, there is no fear.

Dear Larry:

I try as far as possible to see if Theosophical doctrines and
teachings solve our problems. The basic concepts help, I think, if
uniformly used. So, look on this as one student's attempt to show how
he thinks on the subject you ask about.

Here goes:

It is when we began dividing and separating and analyzing that we
begin to create excuses for special sections, people ourselves, and
other situations about which we are unsure.

Lets take it that Law rules everywhere. If we agree then the
application of that law solves problems in all "special cases" because
it reduces them to the same common denominator: Man is man -- mind
is mind. It rubs out the problem of the temporary race, or cult, or
politics of the immediate moment -- all of which engage and also waste
time, and current attention -- and which very few carry out to their
ultimate resultant If we were able to look, say 10, or 100 years
into the future (or imagine it) we would see how very petty some of
our interests now are. (I am thinking of our experiments in
visualizing a tree so as to understand it better. I would say you
first have to study the tree physically, and then begin to apply what
you know of Theosophy to visualize the astral, pranic and kamic
aspects, then rise to the Mind plane -- what does a tree do for
others, and for itself. What is its ecological reason? Why did
Nature devise trees and of so many kinds? Why is there anything? is
the next logical question. How do things get made so as to fit into a
harmonious and cooperating environment ? -- Nature has been at it for
ages, but few can visualize the immense period it has taken to create
living things, we take the support from Nature we get all too
casually. Nature owes us nothing, does she? Do we help? Or do we
usually impede? So why all this unthanked effort to help man to
survive?. I think that's an important question to dwell on.)


For me the Theosophical fundamentals would be -- not an exhaustive
list, of course --: (These are not constructs made by H P B. But as
she says they are part of a "message" she brought to us from the
Masters of Wisdom. Are we to deny, and say: there are NO Masters of
Wisdom? We might as well consider these ideas on their own merits
only.]


All are immortals in SPIRIT. There is only ONE SPIRIT. It is
eternal, ubiquitous, and supportive of all life.

We are a band of Immortal Pilgrims. Our source is also the ONE
SPIRIT.

Our goal is to attain individually to "Sublime Perfection," to a
totality of WISDOM and RIGHT ACTION.

Hence BROTHERHOOD is the BASIC LAW OF BEING. No exceptions.

All. forms, races, religions, communities, personal quirks or genius,
etc... are temporary and change.

Individuals move constantly to new positions for their learning
processes.

All time and all events, when taken in general, are seen to move in
cycles.

Law (KARMA) pervades all places and things, and it is impartial,
universal, just, generous and fair.

We all get exactly what we dole out to others. That is a statement of
the operation of Karma.

There is no "escape hatch" for any one. Every being is always treated
fairly according to their intelligence and to their deserts. Good for
good, and evil for evil. We make our own future.

No one can be permanently "killed." The form may be destroyed, but
the Spirit/Soul survives and reincarnates. We will meet those
individuals again in some future life or lives until our differences
resolve themselves in understanding and brotherhood.

Humanity, mankind in its units, forms a group of free-minds.

Their individual advance (as they are free Minds) depends on their
free choosing. Karma emerges from the moral quality of those
individual choices.

Morality and ethics are universal. [No group, race, country, or creed
holds the sole key to their performance and the results that would
flow from their observance in practice. It is a false position to
lump a bunch of people into a single concept we formulate as to their
worth or liabilities. Each is an individual and is faced in their
condition with the same kind of problems we are. Our temporary
political or national "leaders" do NOT represent uniformly the will of
all the people they claim to represent.]

These moral/ethical laws are innate to us all. They are common and
they are self evident. They are an expression of the one Spirit that
animates all, and this is expressed in practical life as BROTHERHOOD..

Everyone chooses independently. No blame can be placed on any one
else. [Nor can we, with fairness, blame our "leaders" for the
decisions they make and which we cannot endorse].

Repeated progress for these free-minds is by repeated incarnations.
[So much of our present excitement an political and international
posturing is really "hot air."]

The Earth is a vast School. It supports us. We all have equal status
in and on it .No Spirit/Soul is superior to or inferior to another.

The Earth (and our Universe), which together we call "Nature," has all
the rules, laws and properties of all materials and their underlying,
supportive energies in place and operating for an enormous number of
years. A knowledge of these is Science. (The ability to SEE clearly
and truthfully.)

It is a very well organized WHOLE. We need to discover more details
about this.

The Astral world of electro-magnetic lattices -- as the frame work for
physical forms -- are forces and energies, and they underlie the
physical world of solid forms, and gives the molecules the framework
on which to align themselves.

The great Life-currents of electricity and magnetism underlie the
astral, and the plane of desires and passions which surge in cycles of
Karma, move the great cycles, and underlie those. Over all, there are
the rules and plans that cause evolution to work -- this is the region
of MIND. Man is a "Son of the Mind." ( a Manasaputra).

The Universe evolves as a whole, and also in all its parts. It is the
evolution of intelligence. Hence there is a UNIVERSAL MIND, (MAHAT
also called ANIMA MUNDI) which is the intelligent guide to our Earth,
as to all aspects of evolution anywhere. Our Earth is integrated into
the community of the vast Universe. (But we cannot say that
conditions as pertain on this Earth, are identical for INTELLIGENCE to
work thorough elsewhere Nor are physical conditions identical there
as we find them here today. -- see S D I 142)

The Immortal Spirit in every being (call it a Monad ? ATMA-BUDHI --
Spirit-Wisdom) receives over many years, increments in that
intelligence; briefly, and old Hermes broadly stated it : "A stone
becomes a plant, then an animal, then a man, and, then a God, never
has the change of form made any weakening or lessening of the immortal
innate INTELLIGENCE." (the MONAD).

Since the dawn of Intelligence there have always been great men of
minds complete who have assisted nature in her work and who stand
today as the grand custodians of Wisdom. They are the Elder brothers,
Adepts, Mahatmas, Masters of Wisdom, Prophets of legend -- which all
nations and cultures give report about.


This to me covers the areas of inquiry you raised.


One of the key faculties of mind in man is the use of the imagination.
It is creation in and of the mind, and employs "Mind-substance" to
evolve forms which our Mind then perceives. We may give to that any
shape, color or limitation we choose. Every human has this faculty,
but not all have developed it very much. We also have the power to
"fix" those constructs for a short or long period so they can be
abandoned or reused as we decide.

Using this, you can see how one imagines a tree, and then, applies to
it all we know of the form, existence and purpose of a "tree". Our
mental construct will however be limited by our actual knowledge, and
the power we have developed to hold the mind steady and one pointed..
[ I think that if you will see what Patanjali has to say on this, you
will get a lot of useful information. He is a Master psychologist and
way ahead of any of our modern experimental academics. But you have
to understand that he has used Theosophy, which is age-old. I
recommend Judge's translation, and pay attention to his NOTES.]

To make use of the creative force and faculty ( this is Kriya-sakti)
one has to know perfectly the nature and purpose of the object we
desire to produce. So if our knowledge is limited, the creation will,
to that extent be faulty. You can guess that it takes a Mahatma ( a
great soul) to be able to use and apply this method exactly and with
karmic acuity, so as not to disturb Nature's equilibrium. Everyone
has some power to imagine the future result of an act. This is used
in selecting our deeds and words. And Karma sees to it that the
responsibility arising therefrom will continue to be ours. This works
inevitably for everyone who makes choices.

Nothing but the mind can handle this. If the choice is frivolous,
then the desire principle taints the creation. If it is for the
benefit of another, or for the world, then benevolence purifies it.

I do hope you will look at this critically and ask or comment further.

Also see notes below, please.

Best wishes,

Dallas

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


-----Original Message-----
From: Larry F Kolts [mailto:llkingston2@juno.com]
Sent: Sunday, October 13, 2002 12:54 PM
To:
Subject RE: Right, wrong, fear,to forget and to remember

Excellent points Dallas. I agree with all you have written.

I do have a question concerning one point. You write:

> If we take the theosophical viewpoint as a basic one: We are the
> immortal MONADS the Pilgrims of eternity, then the question of
> forgiveness and forgetting wrongs becomes academic.

But couldn't that be said about every aspect of our lives here? Are we
not still responsible to so order our lives that we become in harmony
with the whole?



DTB	OF COURSE -- YOU ARE RIGHT I THINK



I agree that once we have totally accepted and understand what
Theosophy
teaches that our entire paradigm or worldview must shift and we view
these things far differently than before. But most still struggle with
daily living and while we strive to fully integrate those theosophical
teachings in our lives, we are also still encumbered with excess
baggage
from the past. It is the baggage I'm concerned about. And the
emotions. I
certainly can't speak for anyone else, but I know that I am far from
acheiving that state of consciousness. Not that I don't try. But much
remains to be done.

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


DTB	You state this well I think-- we are all so encumbered. Further,
as we live and interact with others we share in their Karma and so
will it be to the "endless end."

One thing we must keep in mind and that is that having attained
wisdom, we need to use it to help others or it atrophies and becomes
useless, and we will in some far future, have to rejoin the human race
and re-learn this lesson. Those who preach "liberation" make a sad
error. They do not think it through. There is no "safe house":
somewhere in the universe to which a "successful" human (now wise, and
able to avoid making averse karma) can retire, and divest himself of
all future responsibility? Ask yourself: Is that fair? Is all the
work that Nature has put into supporting a successful Mind to be
utterly and selfishly wasted?

Of course some think the Buddha preached "Liberation," but on close
study one sees that is not so. It is illogical, and the Buddha was
one of the highest metaphysicians. Wisdom stretches far further that
self-comfort and freedom from pity and compassion for the world of
mortals. I say this ironically.

Read the last 5 pages of the VOICE OF THE SILENCE and note the
question asked of the Bodhisattva -- and the footnotes. Also go to
The SECRET DOCTRINE II bottom of p 79-80 and pp 93-4 -- there you will
see that the "returning Nirvanees" have to come back. Also, that some
of us are those "returning Nirvanees," now learning this important
lesson again. But that is a matter that requires deep study and every
serious thought.


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

I have also tried some of K's techniques. But I look at a tree, and I
still see a tree. I can not acheive union with that tree. I also know
that the "word is not the thing," but I am a man of words and find it
hard to view the tree without thinking "tree" and all the qualitiesI
can
verbalize. It's just all beyond me. And although I do believe there is
much wisdom in what K taught, it would seem that not many have
achieved
his vison. He expressed frustration about that himself. Now just
because
others can't achieve something is no reason I shouldn't try anyway, I
just saying I find it very difficult.


Understanding can be easier than application.

Larry