Theos-Talk Archives (December 2002 Message tt00327)

Oct 9 2002

Dear Steven:

Re: Bad Karma, plus immoral, plus ignorant



In addition to your good posting let me add some words said concerning
H P B and the Mahatmas which speak for themselves:

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

Part I

Mahatma


"A visitor from one of the other planets of the solar system who might
learn the term Mahatma after arriving here would certainly suppose
that the etymology of the word undoubtedly inspired the believers in
Mahatmas with the devotion, fearlessness, hope, and energy which such
an ideal should arouse in those who have the welfare of the human race
at heart...The whole sweep, meaning, and possibility of evolution are
contained in the word Mahatma. Maha is "great," Atma is "soul," and
both compounded into one mean those great souls who have triumphed
before us not because they are made of different stuff and are of some
strange family, but just because they are of the human race.

Reincarnation, karma, the sevenfold division, retribution, reward,
struggle, failure, success, illumination, power, and a vast embracing
love for man, all these lie in that single word.

The soul emerges from the unknown, begins to work in and with matter,
is reborn again and again, makes karma, develops the 6 vehicles for
itself, meets retribution for sin and punishment for mistake, grows
strong by suffering, succeeds in bursting through the gloom, is
enlightened by true illumination, grasps power, retains charity,
expands with love for orphaned humanity, and thenceforth helps all
others who remain in darkness until all may be raised up to the place
with the "Father in Heaven" who is the Higher Self." WQJ -- ART.
II, p. 39-40



Spiritual Star of the Soul


"...every class of adept has its own bond of spiritual communion...by
bringing oneself within the influence of the Spiritual light which
radiates from one's own Logos. ... such communion is only possible
between persons whose souls derive their life and sustenance from the
same divine RAY, and that, as seven distinct rays radiate from the
'Central Spiritual Sun,' all adepts and Dhyan Chohans are divisible
into seven classes, each of which is guided, controlled, and
overshadowed by one of the seven forms or manifestations of the divine
Wisdom." S Row quoted by HPB, SD I 574.



One Source: 7 Aspects - Primary Rays


"The divine, purely Adi-Buddhic monad manifests as the universal
Buddhi (the Mahabuddhi or Mahat ...) the spiritual omniscient and
omnipotent root of divine intelligence, the highest anima mundi or the
Logos. This descends "like a flame spreading from the eternal Fire,
immovable...ever the same to the end" of the cycle of existence, and
becomes universal life on the Mundane Plane. From this Plane (the
logoi of Life); then the Dhyani-Buddhas of contemplation; the
concrete forms of their formless Fathers -- the Seven Sons of Light,
still themselves, ... "Thou art 'THAT' -- Brahm." It is from these
Dhyani-Buddhas that emanate their chhayas (Shadows) the Bodhisattvas,
and of the terrestrial Buddhas, and finally of men. The "Seven Sons
of Light" are also called "Stars."

"The star under which a human Entity is born, says the Occult
teaching, will remain for ever its star, throughout the whole cycle of
its incarnations in one Manvantara. But this is not his astrological
star. The latter is concerned and connected with the personality, the
former with the INDIVIDUALITY. The "Angel" of that Star, or the
Dhyani-Buddha will be either the guiding or simply the presiding
"Angel," so to say, in every new rebirth of the monad, which is part
of its own essence. though his vehicle, man, may remain for ever
ignorant of this fact. The adepts have each their Dhyani-Buddha,
their elder "twin Soul," and they know it, calling it "Father-Soul,"
and "Father-Fire." ... The Logos, or both the unmanifested and the
manifested WORD, is called by the Hindus, Iswara...the highest
consciousness in nature.. There are seven chief groups of such Dhyan
Chohans, which groups will be found and recognized in every religion,
for they are the primeval SEVEN Rays. Humanity...is divided into
seven distinct groups and their sub-divisions, mental, spiritual, and
physical * [ Fn.:-- Hence the 7 chief planets, the spheres of the
indwelling 7 spirits, under each of which is born one of the human
groups which is guided and influenced thereby. There are only 7
planets (specially connected with earth), and 12 houses, but the
possible combinations of their aspects are countless. ... as infinite
as the spiritual, psychic, mental, and physical capacities in the
numberless varieties of the genus homo, each of which...is born under
on of the 7 planets and one of the said countless planetary
combinations. See Theosophist for August l886]" S. D. VOL. I, p.
572-3



Attuning One's Consciousness to the Seven Chords


"... Whenever you are able to attune your consciousness to any of the
seven chords of 'Universal Consciousness,' those chords that run along
the sounding-board of Kosmos, vibrating from one Eternity to another;
when you have studied thoroughly 'the music of the Spheres," then only
will you become quite free to share your knowledge with those with
whom it is safe to do so. ... Do not give out the great Truths that
are the inheritance of the future Races, to our present generation.
Do not attempt to unveil the secret of being and non-being to those
unable to see the hidden meaning of Apollo's HEPTACHORD--the lyre of
the radiant god, in each of the seven strings of which dwelleth the
Spirit, Soul and Astral body of the Kosmos, whose shell only has now
fallen into the hands of Modern Science..." S D I 167



Adept Lives to Serve the World


"[The Adept]...serves humanity and identifies himself with the whole
world; he is ready to make vicarious sacrifice for it at any
moment--by living not by dying for it. Why should he not die for it?
Because he is part of the whole, and one of the most valuable parts of
it. Because he lives under laws of order which he does not desire to
break. His life is not his own, but that of the forces which work
behind him. He is the flower of humanity, the bloom which contains
the divine seed. He is, in his own person, a treasure of the
universal nature. which is guarded and made safe in order that the
fruition shall be perfected. It is only at definite periods of the
world's history that he is allowed to go among the herd of men as
their redeemer."
LIGHT ON THE PATH p. 72-3



Seclusion of the Adept


Through all time the wise men have lived apart from the mass. [ That
the chief body of these wise ones should be understood to dwell beyond
the fastnesses of the Himalayas...p. 70 ] And even when some
temporary purpose or object induces one of them to come into the midst
of human life, his seclusion and safety is preserved as completely as
ever... they are only known as mystics by those who have the power to
recognize; the power given by the conquering of self. Otherwise how
could they exist, even for an hour, in such a mental and psychic
atmosphere as is created by the confusion and disorder of a city ?
Unless protected and made safe their own growth would be interfered
with, their work injured. And the neophyte may meet an adept in the
flesh, may live in the same house with him, and yet be unable to
recognize him, and unable to make his own voice heard by him... No
voice penetrates to his inner hearing till it has become a divine
voice, a voice which gives no utterance to the cries of self... Until
a man has become, in heart and spirit a disciple, he has no existence
for those who are teachers of disciples. And he becomes this by one
method only--the surrender of his personal humanity." L ON P p. 74-5



"If, for generations we have "shut out the world from the Knowledge of
our Knowledge," it is on account of its absolute unfitness; and if,
notwithstanding proofs given, it still refuses yielding to evidence,
then will we at the End of this cycle retire into solitude and our
kingdom of silence once more...We have offered to exhume the primeval
strata of man's being, his basic nature, and lay bare the wonderful
complications or his inner Self...and demonstrate it
scientifically...It is our mission to plunge and bring the pearls of
Truth to the surface...For countless generations hath the adept
builded a fane of imperishable rocks, a giant's Tower of Infinite
Thought, wherein the Titan dwelt, and will yet, if need be, dwell
alone, emerging from it but at the end of every cycle, to invite the
elect of mankind to co-operate with him and help in his turn enlighten
superstitious man. And we will go on in that periodical work of ours;
we will not allow ourselves to be baffled in our philanthropic
attempts until that day when the foundations of a new continent of
thought are so firmly built that no amount of opposition and ignorant
malice guided by the Brethren of the Shadow will be found to prevail."
M L p. 50-1



Harmony of the Adept - Chela


"...an adept may be compared to that one key which contains all the
keys in the great harmony of nature. He has the synthesis of all keys
in his thoughts, whereas the ordinary man has the same key as a basis,
but only acts and thinks on one or a few changes of this great key,
producing in his brain only a few chords out of the whole great
possible harmony...the brain of the chela is attuned by training to
the brain of the Master. His vibrations synchronize with those of the
Adept...so the chela's brain is abnormal...(425) ...the adept sees all
the colors in every color and yet does not confuse them together...the
highest adepts [ have raised their vibrations so as to have them the
same as those of nature as a whole ]...He can produce a sound which
will alter a color. It is the sound which produces the color, and not
the other or opposite. By correlating the vibrations of a sound in
the proper way a new color is made...on the astral plane every sound
always produces a color...these are invisible because not yet
correlated by the human brain so as to become visible on the earth
plane....His astral senses may see the true color, but the physical
eye has its own vibrations, and these, being on the outer plane,
overcome the others for the time, and the astral man is compelled to
report to the brain that it saw correctly. For in each case the outer
stimulus is sent to the inner man, who then is forced, as it were, to
accept the message and to confirm it for the time so far as it goes.
But there are cases where the inner man is able to even then overcome
the outer defect and to make the brain see the difference...."
WQJ ARTICLES, Vol. I, p. 423-426.



Daily and Hourly Initiations -- Tests of Daily Life


"It is supposed by some that initiation is always and in every case a
set and solemn occasion for which the candidate is prepared and
notified in advance. While there are some initiations surrounded by
such solemnities as these, the daily one, without success in which no
aspirant will ever have the chance to try for those that are higher,
comes to the disciple with almost each moment. It is met in our
relations with our fellows, and in the effects upon us of all the
circumstances of life. And if we fail in these, we never get to the
point where greater ones are offered. If we cannot bear momentary
defeat, or if a chance word that strikes our self-love finds us
unprepared, or if we give way to the desire to harshly judge others,
or if we remain in ignorance of some of our most apparent faults, we
do not build up that knowledge and strength imperatively demanded from
whoever is to be master of nature." WQJ ART II 497-8



Moments of Choice


"It is in the life of every one to have a moment of choice, but that
moment is not set for any particular day. It is the sum total of all
days; and it may be put off until the day of death, and then it is
beyond our power, for the choice has been fixed by all the acts and
thoughts of the lifetime. We are self-doomed at that hour to just the
sort of life, body, environment, and tendencies which will best carry
out our karma. This is a thing solemn enough, and one that makes the
"daily initiation" of the very greatest importance to each earnest
student."
WQJ ART II 497-8



Universe of Consciousness -- Range of the Initiate


"That High Spirits work on Earth in bodies of men, while those spirits
are still in the highest spheres [ see SD I 233-4 &fn, 235fn ]...it is
clearly explained that the author [HPB] does not mean that which is
called among the spiritualists "control" of mediums by a spirit, but
the actual continuance of the status and functions of the incarnated
spirit in the supersensuous regions, while actually using as its own
and working in a mortal envelope on earth. So that, according to her,
there are certain persons on this earth, living and working as
ordinary human beings and members of society. whose informing divine
part is so immeasurably high in development that they as such high
beings have a definite status and function in the "supersensuous
regions."

We should say...that she herself was such a case, and that "H.P.B.,"
whether hourly in the day and night when all around was still, had a
status and functions" in their spheres where she consciously carried
on the work of that high station, whatever it was.

There were many events in her daily life known to those who were
intimate with her that this hint may reveal, or at least shed much
light upon. And in one of her letters the sentence appears--in
substance--"The difference between you and me is that you are not
conscious except at day, while I am conscious day and night, and have
much to do and to endure in both of these existences from which you,
being thus half-conscious, are happily saved."

In the Hindu books and teachings there is a reference to this when the
speak of high gnanees--that is, persons full of knowledge and
spiritual power--being attracted to this earth by certain acts and at
certain times in the history of nation, race or city." "Hidden
Hints in the S. D."
WQJ Art I 615-6



"If it is true that "the whole universe is an aggregate of states of
consciousness," it would seem to follow that the real difference
between one who is an initiate and one who is not lies in the fact
that the former looks at all things from a totally different stand
point to the majority of men...that he is on a higher plane of
consciousness altogether. If such a higher plane has been attained,
it will follow that his whole range of ideas will differ from that of
others and he will be sensible of the operation of causes of a more
far-reaching character than those cognized by others. He will be as
it were in the possession of higher and superior information and so
will be able to form juster conclusions and this fact alone will give
him enormous power."
THEOS. ART. & NOTES, p. 60



"The action of the entire universe is but a detailed manifestation and
example of the action of mind on matter, governed at the highest point
by the action of the universal mind. Between the finite human mind of
the ordinary uninitiated individual and this universal mind lie an
infinite number of gradually ascending degrees, and the higher the
plane of consciousness the nearer is the approach to the universal
mind which is, as it were, the mainspring of the whole." --"Alpha"
THEOS ART & NOTES, p. 60-1




"Brain" Of The Manifested Universe


"Occult philosophy reconciles the absurdity of postulating in the
manifested Universe an active Mind without an organ, with that worse
absurdity, an objective Universe evolved as everything else in it, by
blind chance, by giving to this Universe an organ of thought, a
"brain." The latter, although not objective to our senses, is
nonetheless existing; it is to be found in the Entity called Kosmos
(Adam Kadmon, in the Kabala)."

"As in the Microcosm, Man, so in the Macrocosm, of the Universe.
Every "organ" in it is a sentient entity, and every particle of matter
or substance, from the physical molecule up to the spiritual atom, is
a cell, a nerve center, which communicates." T A & N 208




Man's Ego -- Atma-Buddhi -- A Ray Of Universal Mind


"This is precisely what occult philosophy claims: our Ego is a ray of
the Universal Mind, individualized for the space of a cosmic
life-cycle, during which space of time it gets experience in almost
numberless reincarnations or rebirths, after which it returns to its
Parent-Source.

"The Occultist would call the "Higher Ego" the immortal Entity, whose
shadow and reflection is the human Manas, the mind, limited by its
physical senses. The two may be well compared to the Master-artist
and the pupil-musician.

"In the course of natural evolution our "brain-mind" will be replaced
by a finer organism, and helped by the 6th and the 7th senses.

"The "sensing principle" in us is an entity capable of acting outside
as inside its material body; and it is certainly independent of any
organ in particular, in its actions, although during its incarnation
it manifests itself through its physical organs. T A &
N 208-9



Memory Is Impressed In Imperishable Waves Of Astral Light


"Our "memory" is but a general agent, and its "tablets," with their
indelible impressions, but a figure of speech; the "brain-tablets"
serve only as a upadhi or a vahan (basis or vehicle) for reflecting at
a given moment the memory of one or another thing. The records of
past events, of even minutest action, and of passing thoughts, in
fact, are really impressed on the imperishable waves of the ASTRAL
LIGHT, around us and everywhere, not in the brain alone; and these
mental pictures, images, and sounds, pass from these waves via the
consciousness of the personal Ego or Mind (the lower Manas) whose
grosser essence is astral, into the "cerebral reflectors," so to say,
or our brain, whence they are delivered by the psychic to the sensuous
consciousness. This at every moment of the day, and even during
sleep."
HPB FOOTNOTE IN LUCIFER THEOS ART & NOTES, p. 208-9



Pure Mind Guide Of The Highest Faculties


"..."Mind" is manas, or rather its lower reflection, which whenever it
disconnects itself, for the time being, with kama, becomes the guide
of the highest mental faculties, and is the organ of the free-will in
physical man...." HPB ARTICLES, Vol. II, p. 13


"Mankind usually receives a thousand impressions through the senses to
one through the spiritual nature. Adeptship means reversing the
proportion." -- H.S.Olcott, PATH Vol. 3, p. 109


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

Best wishes,

Dallas

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

-----Original Message-----
From: Steven Levey
Sent: Monday, December 09, 2002 12:03 PM
To:
Subject: Bad Karma, plus immoral, plus ignorant

Hello wry-

This notion of "fabrication of the Masters" seems odd to me. In
other words, what is the point of fabrication if history is replete
with
their intervention? Now you might say that this is up to dispute. But,
it
can only be disputed if the definition one holds of the concept of
"Mahatma" leaves one with overly miraculous or fairytale beliefs
regarding
their existence.

This is not a faith belief issue, they are because they have to be,
given
the actual possibility for perfection which exists in all beings. Even
from a
Darwinian perspective they are the fittest. We suffer with how
extraordinary
a being can be, compared to us. We are always lowering our standards
in
relation to our ignorance of greatness.

Oh, there are also people and systems which need them (Mahatmas) for
their
own purposes and consequently have fabricated their existence.
When a group or an individual does this then some other group has to
respond
defensively that Mahatmas either cannot exist or certainly the claim
makers
are making false claims, in the event that the Mahatmas are given
credit for
existing.

History is replete with this nonsense also, and if I were a Mahatma I
would
remain silent and work behind the scenes. But, apparently their needs
are
for the greater good and coming out into our world, as problematic as
it can
be, is done for purposes of their own and needs we are ignorant of.

If the profound actions of different individuals on the world scene
are seen
as the actions of "Great Souls" then they have been here throughout
history.
Definition is an important thing here.

What are "Great Souls"? Gandhi refused the appellation of Mahatma.
Not
because the concept is some how false, but because it means so much to
him
as to be wrongly applied when attached to his name.

This dispute is similar to those who really cannot believe that the
notion
of theosophy can exist. They think this because the idea of truth in
all
areas of human endeavor is seen as relative and absolutes are just not
possible to them. Also, theosophy has been so poorly represented by
those
using the name with a large t (T).

But, Theosophy does exist, (how can it not-things and people really do
work
in particular ways from a star to a stone) regardless of how poorly we
or
others represent it to the world, and so do, of human necessity, the
Mahatmas.

Believe me our doubts say more about us than it can about them.

Steve L.






>From: "wry" < >
>Reply-To:
>To: >
>Subject: Re: Bad Karma plus immoral plus ignorant
>Date: Sun, 8 Dec 2002 22:56:19 -0800
>
>Hi Steve. Your message is very interesting. I will make a few
comments. I
>used to believe it was wrong to give Santa Claus to a child, but as I
began
>to understand more and more the fascinating subject of allegory, I
came to
>realize, it is a gift. I personally believe it is important for
children to
>believe, as long as that child's reason is developed appropriately at
each
>appropriate stage. When I was a child, Grimm's Fairy Tales gave me
great
>hope. It is amazing that some "educated" parents will not give these
>stories
>to their children. It is natural for a child to believe in Santa
Claus and
>when the time is appropriate, the child will let go and move to the
next
>level.
>
>I have had the fortune to receive much Buddhist teaching, though I
consider
>myself to be only a bare beginner about to enter the Mahayana path.
Anyway,
>Buddhism is very interesting in that it teaches that there are
different
>kinds of religions appropriate for people at different stages of
>development
>and that it is not right action to interfere with this. It is said in
the
>tenets of the Madhyamika School of Mahayana Buddhism that the Buddha
taught
>different and even sometimes seemingly contradictory teachings for
people
>who were at different stages of development and out of these
different
>teachings were developed the four schools of Buddhism. The tolerance
of some
>of these great Tibetan teachers for what they consider to be less
developed
>forms of religion is amazing. I will go on and make some commentary
on
>your message, which follows.
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Steven Levey" <levey_steven@hotmail.com>
>To: "theos talk" <theos-talk@yahoogroups.com>
>Sent: Sunday, December 08, 2002 7:29 PM
>Subject: Re: Theos-World Bad Karma plus immoral plus ignorant
>
>
> > Hello wry-
> >
> > I have had good luck explaining to my daughter that all who give
to
>others
>around that period of time dedicated to the great Light Bringers
(oh-11/17
>to 12/25 or so) are doing the work of Santa Cause. Believe me, I have
felt
>as if I am off of the proverbial hook and actually as if I have said
>something to her that was useful. So, there is and there is not a
Santa
>Clause in my book.
> >
> > It has always been a source of amusement to me to watch a Miracle
on
>34th
>Street at this time of year, and see the Court being forced to admit
the
>existence of Santa Clause, because the federal government has to.
This
>based
>in the mail at the Post office to Santa Clause (as the story goes). I
work
>for the Government so I therefore have to believe.
> >
> > Besides, It is motive that determines karma, so let the "chips
fall
>where
>they may" as long as hearts are in the right place.
> >
>
>Wry: Yes, it is motive that determines karma. What you say here is
very
>beautiful.
>
>
> > What aught to be explaining away is the relationship of Christmas
>belonging to the Church. I would love to see its reattachment to the
Winter
>solstice as the central celestial occurrence which marks the return
of the
>Son and the sun back to the Western Hemisphere. This kind of thinking
>allows
>the Light bringers (Mahatmas) back into humanity at large as
represented by
>the sun and marked by the "longer and longer" days.
>
>I always try to educate people about the pagan origin of Christmas
and its
>relationship to the winter solstice.(Once when I was in my mid
twenties I
>was a pagan for about a year, not a member of a group, but with Pan.
It was
>profound but I outgrew this fast, as I am at heart a monotheist, even
now
>that I am a Buddhist. I think most people understand about Christmas
and
>the winter solstice on an intuitive level. Being alive is always
about
>light
>and at this time of year, especially in cold climates, it is
sometimes
>difficult to keep the faith. The Jewish festival of lights is
interesting,
>too, in relationship to the winter solstice, One tradition involves
the
>spinning of the dradel until the participants run out of coins and
the
>winner gets them all. To me, the spinning for the coins is about
something
>profound which is celestial, but I cannot quite put my finger on it
enough
>to verbalize it.
>
>The problem about tracing the Mahatmas back to an individual
experiences
>with certain people and saying Madame Blavatsky fabricated it or
modeled it
>out of that, is that this is too simplistic to explain much of
anything. It
>is, in my opinion, not valuable, and even destructive. People tend to
think
>in terms of either this or that. Because a person fabricates
something,
>they
>assume there are no masters. Or because a person wants to believe
there are
>masters, they assume there is no fabrication of masters. The truth is
that
>there can be both a deliberate fabrication of masters and also real
masters
>existing in the same time and space, each connected materially, and
perhaps
>one cannot exist without the other. It is a miracle and in the realm
of the
>miraculous. It is the believing that "I" can hold on to this material
that
>is deadly and will lead into the nether. This is the illusion, as has
been
>suggested in some very insightful messages recently.
>
>What is the inner meaning of Santa Claus? Has anyone on here who is
as
>deeply interested in word roots as I am tried to ponder this? We have
>sixteen days left before Christmas. For anyone who is interested, try
to
>figure this out, but if you do, do not tell, ever, as we would not
want to
>rob anyone of the joy of discovering for himself, tomorrow, next year
or
>even someday. If I find the poem I made up last Christmas to give
some
>clues
>to this word puzzle, I will put it out here, but I am too busy.
Actually, I
>am going to make up a different clue poem right now that will be good
>enough: "In Steve L's message you will find a clue. Bear with the
puzzle
>till you link anew. My note to Bhakti tells you something, too." Wry
> >
> > Just some ideas-Steve L.
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: wry
> > Sent: Sunday, December 08, 2002 1:36 AM
> > To:
> > Subject: Bad Karma plus immoral plus ignorant
> >
> > To whom this may concern: Is it or is it not bad karma, immoral
and
>ignorant to tell a young child there is no Santa Claus? Is it
valuable and
>important and natural for this child to believe in the existence of
Santa
>Claus? Moreover, IS there a Santa Claus, and are there really elves
and
>fairies? Everyone who is really anyone knows the answer to this one.
> >
> > Moreover, are there actually masters, both living and "dead" (who
are
>still alive)? I, personally, who have done much experimentation with
the
>occult, am here to suggest that It is perhaps both bad karma and even
>dangerous to pursue this line of questioning of Madame Blavatsky and
the
>so-called derivation of the masters any further, as, in respect to
this,
>the
>die is already cast. Perhaps the physical universe is constructed in
such a
>way as to offer an explanation for the "masters" that is both
miraculous
>and also mundane
> >
> > Remember to sprinkle everything with just a little bity of salt,
not too
>much and not too little. This has more to do with bread making than
with
>magic. With this in mind, we can get down to the five-
minutes -at-a-time
>Work of mastering a situation which is most problematic, life on
earth, in
>such a way that something within is raised gently to heaven without
losing
>touch with both the physical earth and also an inner earth or ground.
> >
> > If you sense or feel a master by your side as you are going about
your
>day
>and attempting to make a certain bread, keep your mind on your hands
>kneading the dough and do not worry about the masters or not-masters.
In
>this way, simple daily activities will take on a greater significance
and
>everything will assume a shape that is already its own star, Home.
Wry
> >
> >