Theos-Talk Archives (December 2002 Message tt00306)

Dallas-Your comment regarding reading the Bhagavad-Gita together with The Voice of the Silence seems a most useful bit of advice. This combination seems to give one a truly useful perspective into the great schools of thought regarding our duty and devotion to self and Self and through that to humanity. I

think it's possible to simplify ones study of texts by, not so much limiting ourselves to these two, but seeing that so much is included in these two texts, in terms understanding the two paths. These are the Heart Doctrine and the Doctrine of the Eye. 

I mention the two paths because I believe that if we think on the concept of spirituality as only focusing on the inner man, we over-look the necessary training and perspective needed to rightly enlist the power of the physical man. Thus we need to enlist all of ourself (so to speak) so we can act rightly in the world and for the right motive.

Steve L.

----- Original Message -----
From: dalval14@earthlink.net
Sent: Sunday, December 08, 2002 3:58 AM
To: study@blavatsky.net
Subject: Theos-World RE: [bn-study] Re: New Topic KARMA -- can WE "TWEAK IT?"

Dec. 8th 2002

Re: the Web of Karma and we are ? the "Web-Masters ?"

Dear Gopi, and friends:


As far as I can see, the BHAGAVAD GITA solves the problem but the
solution is not one that is entirely approved of by the Lower Manas.


What is there to surrender? A certain pride in our ill-chosen
decisions of the past? Is that not defensive of them? and if it is
defensive, then in whose tribunal are we defending them? Does the
HIGHER SELF require an excuse or explanation ? If anything we have to
learn at all times to accept the truth we are meeting the exact
results now, of our earlier failures to act spiritually? -- perhaps
of something we wished on another.

And who are such "others?" Are they not also part of the great band
of Monads ? Are they not ATMA-BUDDHIS, living and working side by
side with us in the sacred acts of purifying the Universe of material
darkness, and making it luminous with the wisdom of the spiritual
nature of all -- and, that spiritual nature is not "outside," lost
somewhere, but right within ourselves ?

The Lower Manas is you and me, awake and alert, using the body and
brain that have been provided to us in this incarnation -- who
provided them? We have by our choices. The body and the feeling
nature ( Kama - passions and desires ) Nature then formed the paths
of energy and life (Prana) which drew us back into incarnation along
with the innumerable Monads of lesser experience, that form our own
particular small "universe."

In the BHAGAVAD GITA, Sri Krishna continually tells Arjuna that he
must perform actions. But when he performs those actions, they have
to be reviewed by the Dehi -- the "resident God" -- the Highest level
of his own consciousness ( Buddhi-Manas).

When this is done the Lower Manas finds that the verdict of the Higher
Manas (his older Brother) is to always rely on the great Law of the
Universe ( which is Sri Krishna: "I established this whole Universe
with a single portion of myself, and remain separate." -- Ch. X, v.
43)

So the Lower Self finds as his special discipline: he has to give
up any interest in THE RESULTS of any of his actions, thoughts,
feelings. He has to impersonalize, and make himself compassionate, he
has to view himself as a servant to Sri Krishna, and not view him as a
remote, or an unobtainable "God," but as the UNIVERSE in which the
most perfect harmony exists.

And, since He, and I, and you, everyone, are all part of the same vast
ONE, ( Ch. II, v. 16 - 20; and v. 55 - 57 )it is not strange or
unusual for the Lord, who sings the eternal sound the unpronounceable
WORD -- the sound of LIFE for ALL -- to suggest that Brotherhood be
applied always. But the actor always is ourselves. and our momentary
choices are always our own responsibility.

At this stage of human evolution it is crucial that this importance of
CHOICE be understood. It is the embodied INTELLIGENCE the Kama-Manas
which has to elect or reject the appeal made to it by the Higher
Self -- ATMA-BUDDHI -- to rise up to the highest aspirations and the
most noble endeavours it can visualize and make them its daily
sacrifice. the word "sacrifice" means : not to give up anything, but
to make everything that is done HOLY and SACRED.

Is this so difficult in this age when all is darkness and selfishness?
I say it is the most difficult thing in the world, and like Arjuna,
faced with all his kith and kin on Kurukshetra, every one of his past
decisions that were selfish raise themselves to defend their
existence.

Who made them? Who makes the "demons" that rise to fight and deter
us? We did. Once we realise this, then half the battle is over. (Ch
II, v. 60 - 63)

But, you could ask why is their evil? Why is there sorrow and disease
and the thundering fall of such circumstances as may overwhelm a
person or a family or a race ?

To say " It is Karma" does not fully answer the facts. It merely sets
a decision aside for some indefinite future. Is this "Tamas' working
when we ought to be "Rajasic?" How would Sattva rule? Better still,
how would the impersonal HIGHER SELF, the Krishna within, rule?

Because the real lesson that Nature (the harmonious Universe) is
conveying is: You did it, you now receive it. What will be your next
choice? Will you apply mildness and repentance and reform? Or will
you increase the chasm of ill and anger etc... ? ( Ch. III, v. 6 -
12 ) See also Ch. 9, v. 1 to 19 )

As a second course of study use the VOICE OF THE SILENCE daily. Read
the BHAGAVAD GITA in the Light of the VOICE OF THE SILENCE and you
will realise that they are one, and spoken by the same Master, only at
different times.

The BHAGAVAD GITA ushered in the KALI YUGA and will vibrate in one way
or another for the whole long period of 432,000 years. The VOICE
written about 113 years ago, marks the Zodiacal change from "Pices" to
"Aquarius." It is a cycle of 2,255 years taking the solar Zodiacal
(or sidereal) year of 25,868 years into account.

H P B as the "Messenger" from the great and single LODGE of the
MAHATMAS wrote this down under Their instructions for the benefit of
humanity at this point in the cycle when 5,000 years since the "death"
of Sri Krishna had occurred. Thus the Great Wheel of the Law (as the
Buddha might express it) was impelled again with SPIRITUAL energy.
We are its humble and reverent assistants in this the world of karmic
effects.

But what are we in essence? We are one of the imperishable Monads --
an "Atma-Buddhic" ray -- we are to then, think of our bodies as a
sacred shrine, as a tabernacle and we are in fact (each one of us) the
abode of a "ray" of Sri Krishna. We are Arjunas, and as He
suggests -- this is in the 10th Adhyaya (chapter) v. 25 "I am the
monosyllable OM.." and later, v. 37 "...of the Pandava I am Arjuna
the conqueror of wealth..." What kind of "wealth" does Arjuna conquer
?

Is it not the ability to cut through the superficial, the personal
selfishness of this moment in time, and become timeless, universal,
impersonal, and spiritual in all we do, resigning any interest in our
future to the performance of SACRED ACTIONS ?

This is as I see it, the only way in which we can wipe out the evils
we may have had a hand in, in the past, and the Karma that continually
nags us in our many successive personalities, as we live from life to
life.

We have to enshrine the vision of the eternal Monad we are: of
ATMA-BUDDHI -- the God-within. We are its messenger, we are its
representative in this world. So are not our tasks laid our for us in
the place where we live and work ? (Ch. III, v. 15 to 26) So in
final effect, we are the walking, but not yet fully effective examples
of the "Deity within" manifesting and working on the outer plane.

Thank you for your response. I hope what the little I am able to say
(as a brother, as an Eternal Pilgrim in this common journey) may
prove useful to you.

Best wishes,

Dallas

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



-----Original Message-----
From: Gopi C
Sent: Saturday, December 07, 2002
To: study@blavatsky.net
Subject: [bn-study] Re: KARMA -- can WE "TWEAK IT?"

Dear Dallas,

All that translates to me in terms of what to do in the following way.

Whatever terms we use, 'I' can not clean up my Karma, because I (at
least
in most cases) is the Lower Manas with the Personality or ego (not the
Ego) that is talking.

So, where do we go from there.

One has to surrender. To what and how? It is not simple!


First of all one has to know that there is (however
theoretical it may sound) a Higher purpose, or Higher Manas. In other
language, there is a spark in every one. That feeling is within reach
of
everyone.

Work that satisfies the ego or Lower Manas produces Karma because ego
is
the center of that work, looking for satisfaction / improvement.
Dharma
is not centered in the ego. It is most of the times centered in
service.


The results will not effect the person, so there is nothing to build
Karma.

A practice of this selfless work (understanding of selflessness
improves with the practice) will eventually help neutralize Karma.


This is where Masters come in handy. This is what I get out of
Bhagavat
Gita - Chapter 3.

This leads to surrender.

A constant alert practise at higher level of
understanding selfless service becomes Bhakthi Yoga and Total
Surrender
to the Higher.

Understanding of Higher also expands as the practice continues.
Then we will have walking personifications of service such as
Rama Krishna, Mother Theresa, Amma, Ramana Maharshi and so on.

Gopi






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