Theos-Talk Archives (April 2003 Message tt00095)

Sunday, April 20, 2003


Dear Greg:


Mme. Blavatsky had much to about the event of physical death which
comes to all. She said it was analogous to sleep -- a prolonged one.
it comes to us all eventually. But then, we go on from there.

The reason she gives is that sleep affords the body that is tired a
chance to recuperate its lost energy and awaken strong and ready to
continue in the present body, so long as that body is not worn out
completely.

The body wears out over the years, some faster than others, and is not
fully renewed or replenished as the days, and months and years roll
by.

But who animates the body when awake and well? Is it not the immortal
Spirit-Soul the Divine mind resident in each body -- that which gives
it its INDIVIDUALITY? We are assured that it never dies. Why is this
idea of Soul-immortality so widespread and persistent ?

So, Theosophy teaches that "death" is a prolonged sleep for the Divine
Ego -- the Real Individual. It comes as a natural process, whereby
the resting time between physical lives, is used in the 'planes of the
Mind' to review and assimilate the experiences of the life last lived,
incidents we have stored in our memories, that we have not had time in
our fleeting, fast-moving lives, to fully appreciate. So, the period
between births is a busy time for the Divine Ego, it has much to
review and to assimilate into its character for its future
incarnation.

In the meantime, those of the family who are "left alive" feel the
loss, the daily closeness of a friend, mother, father, a kindred soul,
that will be asleep for a longer time than usual. But they have not
vanished forever !

We do not worry at home if one of our family falls asleep earlier than
others, we know that they will awaken in due course and relations will
be resumed close and vital to each.

Theosophy offers the concept that the alternating of death and rebirth
is merely the same in a longer time context. The Immortal SPIRITUAL
INDIVIDUAL the Mind and its accumulated Wisdom and Compassion never is
erased. It always returns, and in the company of its loved ones, as
would be natural in those cases of great love and sympathy.

What we may have never had explained logically, yet, is that the
energizing and real INDIVIDUAL in each of us is an Immortal. This,
teaching is not isolated to Theosophy, but will be found, if one
researches, to be included in the basic teachings and records of every
great ancient religion -- from the time when religion, science and
philosophy were far more united then, in the days of the "Son of God,"
the prophet, or religious reformer who originated them, than they are
commonly now. Wisdom is one for all, it belongs to the heart and to
the intuition. The name under which some system of ethics, of
universal and impartial justice and mercy, is promulgated, or now
known, does not matter. Compassion, generosity, sagacity,
good-will -- all the virtues -- are common to all humanity, and are
the basis for spontaneous assistance to the needy at hand.

I say this because cumulative information (as in the study of various
"faiths," and religions) has the value of a certain degree of
assurance.

What Theosophy has added is the drawing together of this kind of
evidence, presenting it, and asking inquirers and students to study,
check and verify it for reasonableness. A knowledge that is
reasonable gives the assurance of consistency and coherence to the
unity provided by the key idea of soul-immortality. The "soul" does
not achieve immortality alone after physical death. the Soul as an
immortal, precedes birth and carries with it the causes of its
reincarnation. It draws from Nature the needed material to reform a
body that it can use, due to the assistance of father and mother in a
new life. We have all lived many times together, before this present
life.

This makes the idea of a universal brotherhood of immortal SPIRITS a
far more reasonable one than the idea usually advanced in many
commonly and superficially taught religious systems, that we are
somehow made by a "God," and that the course of our living is unique
and limited to a single lifetime.

Another, and important factor is that which concerns the continuous
balancing of ethical and moral causes and effects. It affords a long
base of time to receive the effects of our feelings, thoughts and
actions. It explains accidents, and lives of bliss and pleasure
sometimes interspersed with events of suffering, or of sudden elation,
or catastrophe.

We all sense the need for a logical reason for these "accidents of
fate."

Theosophy states that the whole Universe is ONE, and that every being
including humans interacts continuously with his full environment,
near and far. The great law of unity is also the law of interactive
cooperation and, as such, is always that of heart-warming love,
tenderness and compassion. So in this aspect of its operations, it is
termed justice.

Because it is educative in essence, and because it is dealing with
indestructible immortals, it has to find a way to educate them and
help them to perceive the fault of their selfish ways. It takes care
of the unrequited pain of victims, if the tyrant and wrong-doer does
not attempt to make restitution and redress for any of the suffering
they may have inflicted in this life, after the event. And since it
applies uniformly for all, it is also merciful to those who have been
wronged unjustly, or to whom "fate" has brought on crisis and
accident. In fact it eliminates "fate," and "luck" from the
vocabulary of living and substitutes for those the just return to the
source of joy or pain of the effects which their interference has
caused. The exact method of this is also explained, but as it
requires more space I will leave it aside, unless asked.

So the passing of your mother ought to be viewed, not as a loss, but
as her advancing in her own way, perhaps a little ahead of you, into
the future which all of you will share eventually and in due course of
time, For under such logic, the relation and bonds of love and
happiness with loved ones is never ruptured or entirely lost, ever.

I hope that this offers the solace of philosophy and a view of some of
the wider and deeper aspects of life -- rules and laws of brotherhood
and cooperation that unite us all.

If you are further interested I will be glad to send you more
information to consider.

Best wishes, and let our condolences be added (not as intruders, but
as true friends) to those of your family,

Best wishes,

Dallas and Valerie TenBroeck



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-----Original Message-----
From: Simon [mailto:crowstone23@yahoo.co.uk]
Sent:	Sunday, April 20, 2003 11:06 AM
To:	theos-talk@yahoogroups.com
Subject:	Theos-World HPB and Bereavement

Hello, Firstly, thanks to those members who posted in response to my
previous question. I would also like to know if HPB had anything
specific to say about bereavement and the loss of a loved one in the
family? My mother passed on on Good Friday and my family and I are
finding it a very difficult knowing that we will never see her again.
We miss her very much.

Simon




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