Theos-Talk Archives (March 2003 Message tt00321)

Part II


Dear Leon,

I removed my previous comments and some of yours
previous comments, otherwise was going to be very
long. 

Erica 


Leon: Actually, intuition which includes immediate
cognition, also means "knowing" since we define
"cognition" as; "1. The mental process or faculty of
knowing including aspects such as: awareness,
perception, reasoning, and judgment. 

2. That, which comes to be known, as through
perception, reasoning, or intuition; knowledge."
(Amer. Heritage Dict.) 

Erica: Many can have intuition, but not necessarily
awareness and comprehension of the intuition itself. 

The definition of intuition in the dictionary, as
immediate cognition, should be so applied for one that
is far advanced on the path. 

“He who would hear the voice of Nada (2), "the
Soundless Sound," and comprehend it... H.P.B. Voice of
the Silence

Leon: this implies that cognition and comprehension or
"knowing" are synonymous -- when one's intuition is
awakened to Nada after merging the seven sounds. 
Its' like seeing the pure white as the sum of all the
colours of the rainbow. HPB might as well have
entitled the book "The Picture of the Colourless" or
"The Reality of the Emptiness." :-)

Erica: Once more you confirm what I mentioned, this
level of intuition is for those advanced on the path.
But, intuition has many levels and forms of expression
not necessarily followed by the full comprehension of
it.

Erica: We could name this “immediate cognition” as the
soundless sound or the pathless path? But, if not
followed by comprehension seems to be dangerous. 

Leon: I don't know what you mean by dangerous. If one
has "immediate cognition" through intuition -- that is
the "pathless path" -- as well as full comprehension
of the ultimate reality of the Spirit within oneself.
That intuitive grasp of the reality of Spirit is the
only way one can experience the "soundless sound" or
the "colorless color."

The experience of that state is also the awakening of
oneself to the realization or consciousness of the
higher Self. At which state one can commune directly
with the source of all knowledge and wisdom. But the
sounds, themselves, are only symbols of 
the seven states of consciousness that one steps
through to arrive at that final end. 

Erica: 
“The Chela is not only called to face all the latent
evil propensities of his nature, but, in addition, the
whole volume of maleficent power accumulated by the
community and nation to which he belongs” H.P.B

I would say the only way someone can experience “the
soundless sound” is after to win the great battle with
“Mara”. What I consider dangerous is that necessarily
an inner journey is going to awaken our hidden fears,
demons, it’s like to start trying to face Mara,
without comprehending it.
There is a saying: ”the worst sinners become the
holiest saints” 

Not only, the Mahatmas in their letters mention that
many aspirants to Chela, have failed. 

Why? May be because they believed to be ready to
follow the path, but they succumb to the unknown and
dormant aspects of the self, which necessarily is
awaken during the process. 

The level you mention above seems for me that one have
already reached the third hall, wisdom. Do not say a
very romantic point of view.

See H.P.B’s statement below, about aspirants to
chelaship:

“One went bad in the head, recanted noble sentiments
uttered but a few weeks previously, and became a
member of a religion he had just scornfully and
unanswerably proven false. 

A second became a defaulter and absconded with his
employer's money--the latter also a Theosophist. 

A third gave himself up to gross debauchery, and
confessed it with ineffectual sobs and tears, to his
chosen Guru. 

A fourth got entangled with a person of the other sex
and fell out with his dearest and truest friends. 

A fifth showed signs of mental aberration and was
brought into Court upon charges of discreditable
conduct. 

A sixth shot himself to escape the consequences of
criminality, on the verge of detection! 

And so we might go on and on. All these were
apparently sincere searchers after truth, and passed
in the world for respectable persons. Externally, they
were fairly eligible as candidates for Chelaship, as
appearances go; but "within all was rottenness and
dead men's bones." H.P.B

As you see, it’s easy to say, but hard to try. I am
speaking about a sincere try, not a self nourishment
of the ego, and the creation of fantasies in the mind.

Leon But, the VOS and the SD were written for those
who are ready to comprehend the immediate cognition of
their intuition. Those you speak of who's brains are
defective, are that way as a result of their own karma
and, therefore, are not yet "ready" to assimilate the
higher knowledge. HPB spoke only to the intuition of
initiated chelas who's karma gave them the 
brains to comprehend what they could intuit through
her writing. I doubt if any bipolar or attention
deficit individual could possibly be capable of
following the path laid down in the Voice, or the
metaphysics taught in the SD. 

Erica: About psychological problems, once I mentioned
bipolarity, what science sees today as a mental
disease, as epilepsy, and maniac depression ancient
Greeks use to consider a blessing. 

Plato was a bipolar, or maniac depressive. The brain
seems to have some over activities and to give one the
ability of immediate cognition, which very few have.

The genetic reason of bipolarity is 30% more brain
cells of the types of cells that transfer the
information to the neuronios. Because the neuron can’t
sort out the information a chemical unbalance happens
and they have stages of depression, hypomania and
mania. 

But if the bipolarity manifests in a more advanced
personality great results are going to be expressed,
most of the artists and many philosophers have
bipolarity. William Blake, Plato and many others. It
seems to increase creativity and sensitivity as well. 

On this I don’t agree with you, even Blavatsky’s
personality could be seriously questioned in terms of
psychology. Not only Krishnamurti in his personal life
have expressed as well many gaps that could be
psycologicaly questioned.

It seems that those who are in the path, their
personal behaviour breaks all the patterns of what is
considered “normal”.

Actually once the path is essential esoteric, changes
in the psychological behaviour are expected, followed
by many inner crisis. Above of all it’s an inner
battle. There is no battle without conflicts and
crisis. I think this is clear.

To open the inner gates that conduces to the depths of
human soul, is the first and maybe the most difficult
step to overtake. To comprehend the soundless sound
which of course is referred to the inner depths of the
soul. 

Leon: Yes, but that's why so many are called and so
few chosen. My comments, following directly on those
made by HPB on this subject -- speak only to those
capable of using their intuition to directly
comprehend the inner depths of their souls. But,
first, comes the basic knowledge of 
what those inner gates are composed of, how to open
them, and what they open into. 
Thus the "keys" to those gates given in the SD (which
can only be gotten through ones intuition) are as
important as the meditations on the path.

Erica: Well one capable to use his intuition to
understand the inner depths of his soul, might be
already enlightened. Nobody can knows what is behind
his inner gates unless opens it. One can intuit but
not comprehend it, now forgetting the semantic of
intuition in the dictionary. 

“No man or woman knows his or her moral strength until
it is tried. Thousands go through life very
respectably, because they were never put to the pinch”
H.P.B

Also in the article Chelas and Lay Chelas Blavatsky
explains some “qualifications expected in a Chela”: 

1.	Perfect physical health; 

2.	Absolute mental and physical purity; 

3.	Unselfishness of purpose; universal charity; 

pity for all animate beings; 

4.	Truthfulness and unswerving faith in the law of
Karma, independent of any power in nature that could
interfere: a law whose course is not to be obstructed
by any agency, not to be caused to deviate by prayer
or propitiatory exoteric ceremonies; 

5.	A courage undaunted in every emergency, even by
peril to life; 

6.	An intuitional perception of one's being the
vehicle of the manifested Avalokitesvara or Divine
Atman (Spirit); 

7.	Calm indifference for, but a just appreciation of
everything that constitutes the objective and
transitory world, in its relation with, and to, the
invisible regions

About the 1, she mentions that there are some
exceptions. 
She refers of intuition, not as a comprehension but as
a perception of Atman. So really I doubt someone can
start trading the inner path knowing what is going to
be behind every gate he or she opens. Perception not
meaning full awareness and comprehension of atma’s
nature.

Leon: That comprehension arises the moment of
intuition -- which is the "direct perception of
ideas." But, yes, the journey is long and arduous --
since one must overcome the ignorance one has about
each level of one's inner fields of consciousness,
step by step -- not to mention overcoming the karmic
residues on each of those levels. 

The pathless path is to make each stage a leap of
intuition -- at which time that stage becomes fully
comprehensible... And, thereby, that stage of
ignorance is overcome -- so as to advance to the next
stage. 

The difficulty is (before awakening the intuition) not
getting sidetracked by too much reasoning or
speculations that sees all those thousand paths, and
consequently becomes confused and frozen in place. 

The process (for those avowed theosophists wishing to
achieve enlightenment and in order to activate the
intuition) is, first, the concentrated study of
metaphysics as given in the SD. And then (or
simultaneously) -- the meditation on what has been
studied. The Voice of the Silence as well as the
aphorisms of Patanjali, that aid in such meditation,
are useless for 
those avowed students -- without the knowledge of the
Secret Doctrine -- 
which in those Rajah yoga practices is always implied
as their underlying basis. 
Thus, the first step on each level, is overcoming the
ignorance of what that level actually is, and how it
relates to both one's inner and outer nature. 
And, the ultimate practice of any avowed Chela
intending to become an enlightened Adept -- includes
all the seven yoga's that underlie in the Rajah yoga.

Erica: No doubts the Raja Yoga and the Yoga sutra of
Patanjali are of great importance, but they are
meaningless unless practiced by someone that have
already acquired the comprehension mentioned by H.P.B.
in the Voice of the Silence.

“He who would hear the voice of Nada (2), "the
Soundless Sound," and comprehend it...

If not the whole Indian would be enlightened right
now, with their yoga practices and meditations, don’t
you agree friend. 

Any methodology seems to work and have real value only
after a certain stage and this stage seems to be
necessarily to face, but deeply:

“The enemies which rise within the body,
Hard to be overcome--the evil passions--
Should manfully be fought; who conquers these Is equal
to the conqueror of worlds. (xi, 32.)”


Leon Yes, But that inner path cannot be achieved fully
and effectively (as a newly initiated student) without
first overcoming one's ignorance of the metaphysical
truths that underlie that path. 
However, for one who in this life is already prepared
(from past lives) to make the "leaps" of intuition,
that awakens knowledge previously gained, the inner
path can be much facilitated. 
HPB taught that theosophy is a synthesis of science,
religion and philosophy. So, the inner (religious)
path is only one-third of 
the way to full enlightenment.

Erica: There is no way to overcome ignorance without
to conquer the self, and to face inner battles. 

Leon: That's why only the intuition of those who are
ready can surmount these insufficiencies. But the
first step of removing ignorance can come about by
comprehending the fundamental truths taught in the
Secret Doctrine. 

Once students or chelas self determinatively decide to
do this, and 
thus, finds out the truth for themselves, they have in
a sense, begun freeing themselves from their lower
self. 

Also, there is no real learning without dedicating
oneself to such study. 
And, once started, that study leads to meditation --
which, in turn, leads to 
the awakening of one's intuition, and then -- to full
comprehension of what one has learned. Nobody said
this is easy. :-) 

Actually, there's no "killing" out of the self -- but
just not allowing oneself to be governed by its
ignorance... Since, when one's is "awakened" to the
higher self -- one still needs to use the so "tamed"
and self-controlled lower nature in the everyday
activities of one's ordinary life. 

Erica: Someone can’t have even a glimpse of the truth
except have already started the great Battle with
Mara. 

Actually some of the most wise persons I ever meet
they haven’t ever read a book. If we speak about truth
it’s in a level that logic, can’t reach, no rational
process can grasp, no book can transmit.

Most the time results in intellectual learning and
theoretical defence of point of views,
crystallization. Don’t forget on the second hall,
Learning, H.P.B mentions about the snakes hidden on
the flowers.

Leon How can one overcome ignorance without first
learning and gaining wisdom in that order (or all at
once)? 
I like to think of the pathless path, 
as being all paths, taken together, simultaneously. 
How can any portion of 
the path stand alone? How can any of our inner levels
of consciousness stand alone?


Erica: I wonder about it also. Maybe because ignorance
is based on the absence of self-knowledge. 
Every step also I believe is followed by a degree of
knowledge and wisdom. But, only the serious and deep
approach can give such results.

Leon That's right. The problem is that they left out
one leg of their three legged stool. So, they end up
preaching instead of teaching. 
Apropos, Moses couldn't have spoken to God until he
had passed through all the initiations of his Hermetic
teachings and alchemical practices as a Prince of
Egypt, and studied all of nature while he wandered in
the desert for forty years. And, then, in reality, he
merely heard and spoke with the Voice in the
Silence... His own Higher Self which is the Self of
the all wise and knowledgeable Universal soul.

Leon: Only after one reaches the highest level, can
they turn around and speak directly using the proper
words to answer anyone's questions at any level of
their understanding. 
That's why, the entire Secret Doctrine takes so many
millions of words on thousands of pages to explain to
everyone at every level. And, why so "many are called
but so few are chosen."

Erica: Few are those that can start the most hard
path, and still fewer are those that are on the path
and can stand it... 

[Leon] Yes, That's why I see the SD and the other
writings of HPB primarily as tools for the widespread
self training of Adepts. Such open training was
necessary at this time of the history of the
Theosophical Movement... Since, the world's population
had grown so large and so steeped in materialism --
that the few adepts that could only be trained in the
monasteries of 
the past age would no longer be sufficient to keep
their proportional numbers high enough to be effective
as teachers and guides in this new age. 

As we approach the inevitable collapse of this
civilization, More and more of those newly trained
adepts would be necessary to complete the work of the
Movement. Imagine how far theosophy, and its
teachings of karma and reincarnation have reached into
the minds of the present mankind since HPB's time, and
how many adepts might have been initiated through its
teachings alone. 

Even if only a few out of each thousands of students
who have turned to theosophy had passed the seventh
initiation -- that would account for a lot of adepts
in the world today -- working quietly and waiting for
their moment of need when our present materialistic
civilization fails and falls into chaos. Who's to help
guide those unenlightened ones who become lost when
their world is pulled out from under them? Who's to
teach the ever coming 6th sub racers who's heritage
that new rising civilization will be?

Erica: I agree with you, but don’t forget the so
called new age movement is replete of minds that
become more confused and the so called channelling
that become fashion, and everybody, believes to be in
contact with the masters. Poor souls immersed in a
even worst chain of illusion.

But dear friend you are very optimist, I mean seventh
initiation, if one, only one soul inspired by the
Theosophical movement have reached this initiation
level will be a great achievement, but what we are
doing now is speculation. 

Erica: Weeping he wondered through unknown lands.
Crossing the terrific gates of human egoism, he saw
the secrets of the dark land
It was a land of grief and fear, nourished by tears
>From where love was banished and a smile never was
seen (…)

Leon: That's a clear allegorical study of the
difficulties in facing one's own inner nature and
feeling the karma of one's past egotistical actions as
one makes the climb through the seven layers of ones
inner nature. 
But that facing of the "dweller on the threshold" and
"crossing the abyss" is 
the last stage of one's path to enlightenment. 
Once those actions are realized and one experiences
their causes and suffers their effects, can renounce
them in the heart, and accepts forgiveness for those
past sins -- they become transcended, and allow one to
advance to the pure land of blissful enlightenment. 



Erica: The only problem is that, there is no
fundamental reality! Only models that are turned a
part during an inner journey.
It seems without this comprehension every try is going
to be without success. There is a point into the human
quest that words would not be enough to express what
might be to give an infant step on those virgin lands
of the inner self. 

Leon: That's true for the run of the mill theosophists
who are satisfied to learn that they are eternal,
follow the path of altruism, and spend their good life
resting on that belief.
Erica: On an inner journey there is no patterns and
models to be followed. Once for the traveller is
stepping in one unknown land, how would be possible to
have models for that? 

Leon: But, for the prospective Adept, that is an
entirely different story. They need the words and the
models so that they can picture in their mind what is
real and what is not real. 
How else might they be effective magicians in this
physical world when the time comes 
for them to act as agents of the Masters in the work
of the great plan for the salvation of humanity in the
face of its current growth toward its inevitable 
fall? 
Erica: About the Adept I really don’t know, there are
rules to be followed based on nature’s law and the
Karmic Laws. This stage is after a long path, which I
am sure very few have thread. 
But remember the patterns and models we have got
necessarily have to be turned a part, otherwise how
can someone ‘reborn on the lands of the perfect ones?’
Even the dead symbolism applied in so many religions
and rituals makes reference for the inner patterns and
models that have to be broken. 
Also Jesus, remember what he said: “the kingdom of
heaven belongs for the children” I don’t remember
exactly the reference. The point is a child is not
polluted with series of concepts, models, ideals and
ideas, so this seems the best stage to start a real
process of learning.

Leon: And, how many might there be already working in
the physical world around us -- whether as teachers,
or as guides, or just waiting for their opportunities
in whatever position they are in?
The fundamental reality is all that together -- this
physical world, the spiritual world, and all the
worlds in between -- in a great metaphysical unity. 
Could we comprehend that absolute triple unity without
the millions of words and pictures laid down by HPB
and the Masters?

Erica: Of course the teachings are important and
relevant, and they inspire and actually we are
discussing about them right now. 
The level I am speaking it’s more advanced than simply
to read and have some inspiration, is for those who
are starting or within an inner journey…

Best Wishes,

Erica Letzerich






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