Theos-Talk Archives (October 2002 Message tt00175)

Oct 22 2002

Dear Tanuja Kumar

In Theosophy the use of specialized words like MANAS and BUDDHI were
given a specific meaning, perhaps a little different from the literal
translation from Hindi or sanskrit.

The MANAS is indeed the "Mind." It has to do with reasoning, and
remembering, also it has the creative quality when so used as to be
able to plan for the future. Actually the Mind (Manas) can be used
two ways: The ordinary way is that which we use everyday -- its
knowledge is mixed with our desires, passions and sense of personal
self. That is the "Lower Manas" and is sometimes called Kama-Manas.
The term of "Eye Doctrine" is sometimes applied to indicate the
quality of its knowledge, as it is usually limited to the superficial
appearance of things and concepts.

The second aspect of the Mind is called the "Higher Manas," or
Buddhi-Manas. It is noble, altruistic, unselfish, generous, and all
the "virtues" relate to it. It is also called the "Doctrine of the
Heart." This is because it is in use closest to Atma-Buddhi. This is
what the VOICE OF THE SILENCE teaches.

BUDDHI is the "Highest Intellection" or the faculty of moral
discrimination. It is the faculty and "principal" that is in between
Manas and Atman -- the Supreme Soul in Man. To it the faculty of
"Intuition" is attributed, because it is the "Voice of Conscience" and
also, it is the storehouse of the experiences of countless
incarnations in a succession of bodies. It carries that experience
with it always, and "whispers" to the embodied mind ( Kama-manas) when
necessary a warning. -- unfortunately the embodied mind does not
always believe it and does not carry out the suggestion to be cautious
that is given to it by the Inner SPIRITUAL SELF.

If you wish to accurately understand these then let me give you a
small essay (below) to consider.

Theosophy states that man is essentially a spiritual being (
Atma-Buddhi-Manas) and this incarnates periodically in a succession of
bodies (personalities -- or "masks") on earth. It does this because
it recognizes in those "personalities" the seeds of spirituality and
desires to encourage their growth in each human being. To put it even
more clearly, as all ancient legends of Hindustan teach, there is
resident in each human being a Spiritual Guru -- ATMA -- and to emerge
successful from the strife and tribulations of earth life, each one
has to secure a definite knowledge of this important fact.
And having understood it, resolve to live and act as a "God" would in
earthly life and affairs. The BHAGAVAD GITA is a treatise on this and
ought to be very carefully studied. Sri Krishna is the inner GURU and
Arjuna is the embodied mind seeking to purify itself and perform
perfect DHARMA (duties). The "Kurus" are the representatives of the
lower passions and desire s and selfishness. Arjuna is taught by Sri
Krishna how to recognize and conquer these. "I am the Ego seated in
all beings." says Sri Krishna. "I established this whole Universe
with a portion of myself, and remain separate."

Each human being is actually the conjunction of three definite and
distinct streams of evolution: Spiritual, Intellectual and physical
( S D I 181 )

In the meanwhile may I recommend that using http://www.blavatsky.net
you can access two important and basic books:

Mme. Blavatsky the KEY TO THEOSOPHY and

Mr. W. Q. Judge the OCEAN OF THEOSOPHY

If you wish to discover more about the duality of the Mind, its powers
and its mastery, then Mr. Judges small book -- the translation of
PATANJALI -- YOGA SUTRAS is recommended after the study of the KEY TO
THEOSOPHY (HPB)

Both of these are short but give an excellent view of exactly what are
the fundamental teachings of Theosophy -- and they will also serve to
answer your questions.

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

SOUL -- EGO -- MIND


Nearly everyone says he has a soul and a body, and there it ends.
What the soul is, and whether it is the real person or whether it
has any powers of its own, are not inquired into, the preachers
usually confining themselves to its salvation or damnation. And
by thus talking of it as something different from oneself, the
people have acquired an underlying notion that they are not souls
because the soul may be lost by them. From this has come about a
tendency to materialism causing men to pay more attention to the
body than to the soul, the latter being left to the tender
mercies of the priest of the Roman Catholics, and among
dissenters the care of it is most frequently put off to the dying
day. But when the true teaching is known it will be seen that the
care of the soul, which is the Self, is a vital matter requiring
attention every day, and not to be deferred without grievous
injury resulting to the whole man, both soul and body....


THE 7-FOLD CLASSIFICATION

H. P. Blavatsky directly from the Great Lodge of
Initiates...places...the old doctrine [of seven-fold Man] before
western civilization. The classification is:

1. The Body, or Rupa. (physical form, molecules, cells)
2. Vitality, or Prana-Jiva. (Life principle)
3. Astral Body, or Linga-Sarira. (electro-magnetic form, atoms
and energies)
4. Animal Soul, or Kama-Rupa (Lower Manas & desires)
5. Human Soul, or Manas. (logic and ratiocination - (Higher
manas)
6. Spiritual Soul, or Buddhi. (discrimination, intuition, wisdom)
7. Spirit, or Atma, (HIGHER SELF overshadows the other
6)

The Sanskrit language has a wider sense than the English terms.
This classification stands to this day for all practical
purposes, but it is capable of modification and extension. For
instance, a later arrangement which places ASTRAL BODY second
instead of third in the category does not substantially alter it.
It at once gives an idea of what man is, very different from the
vague description by the words "body and soul," and also boldly
challenges the materialistic conception that mind is the product
of brain, a portion of the body.

No claim is made that these principles were hitherto unknown, for
they were all understood in various ways not only by the Hindus
but by many Europeans. Yet the compact presentation of the
sevenfold constitution of man in intimate connection with the
septenary constitution of a chain of Globes through which the
being evolves, had not been given out...

Considering these constituents in another manner, we would say
that the lower man is a composite being, but in his real nature
is a unity, or immortal being, comprising a trinity of Spirit,
Discernment, and Mind which requires four lower mortal
instruments or vehicles through which to work in matter and
obtain experience from Nature.

This trinity is that called Atma-Buddhi-Manas in Sanskrit,
difficult terms to render in English. Atma is Spirit, Buddhi is
the highest power of intellection, that which discerns and
judges, and Manas is Mind. This threefold collection is the real
man; and beyond doubt the doctrine is the origin of the
theological one of the trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
The four lower instruments or vehicles are shown in this table:

Real Man is Triune (3) -- :

Atma,
Buddhi,
Manas,

Lower Vehicles are 4 -- :

* The Passions and Desires,
* Life Principle,
* Astral Body,
* Physical Body.

These four lower material constituents are transitory and subject
to disintegration in themselves as well as to separation from
each other. When the hour arrives for their separation to begin,
the combination can no longer be kept up, the physical body dies,
the atoms of which each of the four is composed begin to separate
from each other, and the whole collection being disjointed is no
longer fit for one as an instrument for the real man.


DEATH of the PHYSICAL

This is what is called "death" among us mortals, but it is not
death for the real man because he is deathless, persistent,
immortal. He is therefore called the Triad, or indestructible
trinity, while they are known as the Quaternary or mortal four.

This quaternary or lower man is a product of cosmic or physical
laws and substance. It has been evolved during a lapse of ages,
like any other physical thing, from cosmic substance, and is
therefore subject to physical, physiological, and psychical laws
which govern the race of man as a whole.

Hence its period of possible continuance can be calculated just
as the limit of tensile strain among the metals used in bridge
building can be deduced by the engineer. Any one collection in
the form of man made up of these constituents is therefore
limited in duration by the laws of the evolutionary period in
which it exists. Just now, that is generally seventy to one
hundred years, but its possible duration is longer. Thus there
are in history instances where ordinary persons have lived to be
two hundred years of age; and by a knowledge of the occult laws
of nature the possible limit of duration may be extended nearly
to four hundred years.

* THE VISIBLE PHYSICAL MAN IS:
*
* Brain, Nerves, Blood, Bones, Lymph, Muscles, Organs of
Sensation and Action, and Skin.
*
* THE UNSEEN PHYSICAL MAN IS:
*
* Astral Body, Passions and Desires, Life Principle (called
prana or jiva).
*
It will be seen that the physical part of our nature is thus
extended to a second department which, though invisible to the
physical eye, is nevertheless material and subject to decay.


REAL AND UNREAL

Because people in general have been in the habit of admitting to
be real only what they can see with the physical eye, they have
at last come to suppose that the unseen is neither real nor
material. But they forgot that even on the earth plane noxious
gases are invisible though real and powerfully material, and that
water may exist in the air held suspended and invisible until
conditions alter and cause its precipitation.


Let us recapitulate before going into details. The Real Man is
the trinity of Atma-Buddhi-Manas, or Spirit and Mind, and he uses
certain agents and instruments to get in touch with nature in
order to know himself.

These instruments and agents are found in the lower Four -- or
the Quaternary -- each principle in which category is of itself
an instrument for the particular experience belonging to its own
field, the body being the lowest, least important, and most
transitory of the whole series.

For when we arrive at the body on the way down from the Higher
Mind, it can be shown that all of its organs are in themselves
senseless and useless when deprived of the man within.

Sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smelling do not pertain to the
body but to the second unseen physical man, the real organs for
the exercise of those powers being in the ASTRAL BODY, and those
in the physical body being but the mechanical outer instruments
for making the coordination between nature and the real organs
inside.

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

You will find on study and comparison that Sri Krishna, the Buddha,
and Theosophy teach the same basic facts. And they recommend the
practice of the virtues in daily life as a means to purify one's
"Lower Mind." This cannot be done for us, nor can any one "buy" a
course that will teach it. One has to recognize these facts and then
by self-effort one has to apply them in daily affairs all the time.
Truth has to be recognized as being inward to all of us -- from the
ATMA. Spirituality is never "for sale." The true disciple makes
himself. It is also good to know and recognize that our efforts are
known to our "inner 'God,.'" always.

I hope this will be of help,

Best wishes.

Dallas

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-----Original Message-----
From: tanuja k.
Sent: Tuesday, October 22, 2002 1:09 AM
To:
Subject: Manas and Buddhi

hi!

this is going deeper into the buddhist philosophy or hinduism for that
matter, manas in my understanding is mind, buddhi is awareness of all
things
great. very much like intuition, we all have manas, but only certain
individuals with developed states of consciousness can achieve
buddhi, therefore saints, and so on.

bye
tanuja

CUT