Theos-Talk Archives (March 2003 Message tt00049)

Thursday, March 06, 2003


Dear Friends in the past couple of day the question has been asked
about God’s part in this current crisis and the possible war that may
develop.

Here are some thoughts on the subject, inspired by a study of
Theosophy that might be of assistance.

Best wishes,

Dallas

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

Some thoughts on:


DEITY -- GOD -- THEOS -- DEUS -- DIEU -- THE ABSOLUTE  




ABSOLUTE - UNIVERSAL SPIRIT ?


Why not use the idea of UNIVERSAL SPIRIT for that which in religions
has been designated “Deity” or “God?” It is UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD as
a living fact. It has always been there and will continue to be
there, and we will always be in and with IT. Its beginnings (and
ours) are of the same duration, and that cannot be measured in terms
of what we call time, distance or motion. Call it a sublime IDEA.

Some of these concepts can appeal to us and we can then use them as
avenues of thought to universalize our concept of IT, and those will
cause us to see it first in ourselves as our dearest friend, and
closest tutor, and then, if we reach out to the radiance in
everything, we will sense it in a daisy, the Sun, our friends and
family, in a grain of sand or a cloud, in roaring fire or tinkling
brook - wherever we may project or stretch our minds-there LIFE IS.
There are no strangers anywhere.

Than if we see “God” everywhere, who are we to change or destroy the
natural system of that Presence or manifestation? Are to assume with
incomplete knowledge, the position of tyrants or oppressors ? If we
think God is all-knowledge then we can never be ignorant of IT. Nor
can we ‘escape’ from the consequences of our choices.

There is an old hymn or verse that says this:  
  
“Never was I not, never was I not.”
Never will I cease to be.
Never the Spirit was IT not,
Beginnings and ends are but dreams.”



Can we emerge from Materialism?


How often in framing our concepts do we rely on our education? Almost
all the time. At what point do we begin to question some of the
basics that were given to us as facts and truths, and which we later
find to be only hypotheses? What is an atom, what makes it move? How
old is it? What is electricity, magnetism, light, sound, vibration of
any kind? What causes these, and why are they always described in
terms of their effects and not in terms of their actual causes ?

True that for our present Western frame of mind (as well as often in
the East as well) the term “God” is employed to designate a Power
which we hope we may turn to our help by some method of worship or
propitiation. How can we imagine that this might be done solely for
us by our whole world with all its differences ? How can we
reasonably imagine a whole Galaxy, is still mainly unexplored and
unknown to us, treat us in a private, or special way ? How can we
delve into our own psyche and mind – still largely, not in our
control? What have we ? Blind alleys, or horizons of hope and
encouragement to widen our range of understanding? Then comes the
death of the physical body. Is all lost or is there a continuance?
What is the purpose of so complex, and rather vague, situation?

What evidence can we assemble to prove or disprove the Theosophical
propositions about the nature of the Universe and our role as humans
in it? Perhaps it is well that there is no finality and that our
curiosity is left with an open field in which to grow, to ever grow?




The following extracts from Robert Bowen's notes of personal teachings
given by H.P.B. to private pupils during the years 1888 to 1891 on how
to study SD may be of some help.

"At last we have managed to get H.P.B. to put us right on the matter
of the study of the S.D. Let me get it down while it is all fresh in
mind. Reading the S.D. page by page as one reads any other book (she
says) will only end us in confusion. The first thing to do, even if it
takes years, is to get some grasp of the "Three Fundamental
Principles" given in the Proem (p. 14-19) Then follow that up by study
of the Recapitulation -- the numbered items in the Summing Up to Vol.
I. (Part 1.). Then take the Preliminary Notes (Vol. II.) and the
Conclusion (Vol. II.)...... 

She talked a good deal about the "Fundamental Principle." She says: If
one imagines that one is going to get a satisfactory picture of the
constitution of the Universe from the S.D. one will get only confusion
from its study. It is not meant to give any such final verdict on
existence, but to LEAD TOWARDS THE TRUTH. She repeated this latter
expression many times.  

It is worse than useless going to those whom we imagine to be advanced
students (she said) and asking them to give us an "interpretation" of
the S.D. They cannot do it. If they try, all they give are cut and
dried exoteric renderings which do not remotely resemble the Truth. To
accept such interpretation means anchoring ourselves to fixed ideas,
whereas Truth lies beyond any ideas we can formulate or express.

Exoteric interpretations are all very well, and she does not condemn
them so long as they are taken as pointers for beginners, and are not
accepted by them as anything more. Many persons who are in, or who
will in the future be in the T.S. are of course potentially incapable
of any advance beyond the range of a common exoteric conception. But
there are, and will be others, and for them she sets out the following
and true way of approach to the S.D. 

Come to the S.D. (she says) without any hope of getting the final
Truth of existence from it, or with any idea other than seeing how far
it may lead TOWARDS the Truth. See in study a means of exercising and
developing the mind never touched by other studies. Observe the
following rules: 

1. No matter what one may study in the S.D. let the mind hold fast, as
the basis of its ideation to the following ideas 

(a) The FUNDAMENTAL UNITY OF ALL EXISTENCE. This unity is a thing
altogether different from the common notion of unity -- as when we say
that a nation or an army is united; or that this planet is united to
that by lines of magnetic force or the like. The teaching is not that.
It is that existence is ONE THING, not any collection of things linked
together. 

Fundamentally there is ONE BEING. 

This Being has two aspects, positive and negative. The positive is
Spirit, or CONSCIOUSNESS. The negative is SUBSTANCE, the subject of
consciousness. 

This Being is the Absolute in its primary manifestation. Being
absolute there is nothing outside it. It is All-Being. It is
indivisible, else it would not be absolute. 

If a portion could be separated, that remaining could not be absolute,
because there would at once arise the question of COMPARISON between
it and the separated part. Comparison is incompatible with any idea of
absoluteness. Therefore it is clear that this fundamental One
Existence, or Absolute Being must be the Reality in every form there
is. 

I said that though this was clear to me I did not think that many in
the Lodges would grasp it. 

"Theosophy," she said, "is for those who can think, or for those who
can drive themselves to think, not mental sluggards." H.P.B. has grown
very mild of late. "Dumskulls!" used to be her name for the average
student.  

4 Fundamental Ideas Given by HPB 

(a)The Atom, the Man, the God (she says) are each separately, as well
as all collectively, Absolute Being in their last analysis, that is
their REAL INDIVIDUALITY. It is this idea which must be held always in
the background of the mind to form the basis for every conception that
arises from study of the S.D. The moment one lets it go (and it is
most easy to do so when engaged in any of the many intricate aspects
of the Esoteric Philosophy) the idea of SEPARATION supervenes, and the
study loses its value.  

(b) The second idea to hold fast to is that THERE IS NO DEAD MATTER.
Every last atom is alive. It cannot be otherwise since every atom is
itself fundamentally Absolute Being. Therefore there is no such thing
as "spaces" of Ether, or Akasha, or call it what you like, in which
angels and elementals disport themselves like trout in water. That's
the common idea. The true idea shows every atom of substance no matter
of what plane to be in itself a LIFE. 

(c) The third basic idea to be held is that Man is the MICROCOSM. As
he is so, then all the Hierarchies of the Heavens exist within him.
But in truth there is neither Macrocosm nor Microcosm but ONE
EXISTENCE. Great and small are such only as viewed by a limited
consciousness. 

(d) Fourth and last basic idea to be held is that expressed in the
Great Hermetic Axiom. It really sums up and synthesizes all the
others. 

“As is the Inner, so is the Outer; as is the Great so is the Small; as
it is above, so it is below; there is but One Life and Law; and he
that worketh it is ONE. Nothing is Inner, nothing is Outer; nothing is
Great, nothing is Small; nothing is High, nothing is Low, in the
Divine Economy. “

No matter what one takes as study in the S.D. one must correlate it
with those basic ideas."




Why should Manifestation Occur ?


Why does SPIRIT undergo the evolutionary process. Basically it would
seem so that: "IT should know Itself."


Logic: SPIRIT by itself is UNCONSCIOUS - UNIVERSAL - without
contrast. Evolutionary law (KARMA) provides periodically the contrast
of MATTER in an evolutionary Manvantara such as we are now involved
in. [ Karma: as the endless "pulsing" of unconscious Life, which is
perceived by "the opened eye of the Dangma" (the perception of the
WISE)--SD I 27, Verse 8.]

SPIRIT emanates aspects of itself - "Rays" - which appear
simultaneously with "matter" of a refined and "primordial type". Also
simultaneously arises the POWER TO PERCEIVE, or UNIVERSAL MIND-MAHAT.
[ Primordial matter is also named "Mulaprakriti" (root matter) and
"Mahabuddhi" (Great, and timeless WISDOM of ALL EXPERIENCE).

The "Rays" invested with "matter" or MAHA-BUDDHI (Wisdom derived from
experience) pass as individual MONADS [Atma-Buddhi-Manas] through all
the planes and spheres of manifestation and eventually find themselves
as individual Men-Minds on this, the grossest, most material of the
planes. The SD describes this process starting SD Vol. I, p. 152.
The OCEAN OF THEOSOPHY covers this in brief in Chapters 2, 3, 4, and
14, 15, if a synopsis is desired.

If one is asking for a FIRST CAUSE, [SD I 14-5 214 342 426] you will
be disappointed because there is none of a "material" kind. In terms
of metaphysics, HPB hints in the SD that it is the
CAUSELESS CAUSE, [SD I 9-10 14-5 55 89 273 280 II 589 ] and it is
indescribable in our material, physical terms and thoughts.

What then remains for us to do to un-puzzle our minds? Only the fact
that we are here. The fact that we are questioning is highly
significant.  

In THE SECRET DOCTRINE we are given one of the most comprehensive
"keys" to the great seven-fold puzzle. This 7-fold mystery stretches
between the polar opposites of Spirit and Matter, and employs the Mind
which is midway between and independent of them, to note and record
all their interactions in terms of time, space and motion. In effect
we are told: "Man know thyself."  

Since we are also 7-fold, each one of our principles when ultimately
refined and brought under control opens the corresponding "lock" of
great nature. Man is the "Microcosm" of the "Macrocosm" and contains
in himself, in miniature, every power and force that the Universe has.
He has to understand these, where they come from and how they are
used, but, the power to employ the secret laws and powers of nature
are not entrusted to him by the WISE who hold the final "secrets,"
until he has become completely HARMLESS to himself and to Nature
around him. The practice of "brotherhood" is the opening aspect of
the discipline that leads to individual "success" and to ultimate
Wisdom (or the practice of benevolence as a force that is employed
only for the good of others).

By the fact that in any one evolutionary period a mass of minds
independently and cooperatively achieve the highest illumination into
the nature of SPIRIT and the UNIVERSE, to that extent SPIRIT GETS TO
KNOW ITSELF.  

It becomes progressively SELF-CONSCIOUS. 

Thus the human stage is an essential component of the evolutionary
process and those Men-minds that become successful are entrusted with
the guidance of various aspects of future evolutionary schemes and the
assisting of still more "minds" to become universally enlightened.
Spirit may be said to get to "know itself" by the success of Minds who
are wisely benevolent.

As the process is continuous and eternal, evolution and progress
towards spirituality (with the memory of every Egoic, individual
experience in all departments of Nature stored in Akasa – the BUDDHI
aspect of NATURE) the SPIRITUAL PERSON, that we are fundamentally,
becomes ONE WITH THE UNIVERSAL SPIRIT. But this merging does not
annihilate or disintegrate the Individual, for that continues as a
conscious unit on a self-assumed mission of assistance, compassion and
mercy described in the VOICE OF THE SILENCE in the last pages of the
book (pp. 76-79 and the all-important footnotes there). We as humans
are half-way through this vast process and work.

HPB in her article ISIS UNVEILED AND THE VISISHTADWAITA says:

"I maintain as an occultist, on the authority of the Secret Doctrine
Parabrahm, man's spirit which not individual per se, yet preserves its
distinct individuality in Paranirvana owing to the
accumulation in it of the aggregates, or "skandhas" that have survived
after each death, from the highest faculties of the Manas. The most
spiritual--i.e., the highest and divinest aspirations of every
personality follow "Buddhi" and the Seventh Principle into Devachan
("Swarga") after the death of each personality along the line of
rebirths, and become part and parcel of the "Monad." [HPB Articles
III, p. 265.]




DTB



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