Theos-Talk Archives (December 2002 Message tt00239)

Dec 6th 2002

Dear Jerry:


As to Buddha I venerate HIM. And I am most grateful for his
instructions, which I try to follow.


I remind you that some time back I quoted to you from the MAHATMA
LETTERS that They venerate and Honor the Buddha as one of their
greatest TEACHERS. I can understand why.


As I have said before, I do not belong to any particular sect of
"Buddhism."

My approach is direct -- through THEOSOPHY, and I express ideas using
Theosophical phraseology and fundamental concepts but place them in
ordinary English as far as possible.


Of course I don't mind your help and participation.

But what holds the SKANDHAS together? And Why ?

As PERSONALITIES I agree with the idea of "mind-streams." But, what
is the SOURCE of the MIND-STREAM ? What holds it together? What is
its purpose ?


Because I DO NOT RECALL MY PAST LIVES IN THIS PERSONALITY DOES NOT
MEAN i HAVE NOT GONE THROUGH THEM.

If I am not "real to myself" then to what or who am I real ? As I see
it, it is to the UNIVERSAL BUDDHA -- WISDOM-UNIVERSAL. of which I am
one of the humble streams, or rays.

I can well see that the many become, in source and in final essence,
the ONE. In the meantime we have to deal with the "skandhas."

Best wishes,

Dallas

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


-----Original Message-----
From: gschueler
Sent: Thursday, December 05, 2002 3:09 PM
To:
Subject: Re to Dallas - the Thinker According to Buddha


<<<<[Dallas to Mauri:] Are you the same individual all the way through
or are
you a succession of "mayas?" And if there is a thread that you recall
and
review, then is that "Thread considerer" unitary? Real ? If there are
memories then who or what remembers ? Is there "reality" for that ? I
have
done a lot of thinking, but my thoughts are subsidiary to MYSELF as a
THINKER.
To myself I am real. I look on all aspects of myself, etc... as
fragments of
the ONE.>>>


Dear Dallas, I hope you don't mind me breaking into your response to
Mauri. I
have heard you speak well of Buddha in the past, and I presume that
you still
think highly of him. Let me address, briefly, your statements above in
light
of what I have learned from Buddha's own teachings:

There is no such thing as an individual or person, there is only
ever-changing
skandhas, which comprise the body and mind of each human being. These
ever-changing skandhas are called mind-streams or mental continuums
rather
than persons because there is no "thing" there to point to. A "person"
is a
superimposition, a reification of the mind. The skandhas have a
conditional
reality because they exist in dependence on causes and conditions;
they are a
product of karma and are part of what are called dependent arisings.
They do
not exist ultimately, because they are not permanent. The I or s/Self
does not
even exist conditionally. When the mind, in its ignorance,
superimposes a
reality onto dependent arisings that is not really there, this is
called maya.


The above can be said for the ego and body and for our entire physical
world.
It also holds for the mind and our mental world. It also holds for our
Spiritual Self, our Reincarnating Ego, and our spiritual world right
up to and
including paramatman. All apparent "real things" are superimpositions
or
projections of the mind and this very superimpositioning process is
maya.

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