Theos-Talk Archives (April 2003 Message tt00165)

Hi Leon,

I am amazed at how sure you seem of yourself here. I have tried to 
read up (today) on all the messages in this thread and it seems to me 
you equate awareness with thought and then conclude that thought is 
never still. 

Well, for me thought is still, sometimes. Sometimes it is still, 
sometimes it is a murmer, sometimes I get lost in streams of thought 
and awareness is totally gone, though there is thinking. All the 
theories in the world won't change that experiential fact. Wether my 
awareness is at that moment focussed on buddhi or manas or whatever, 
I don't know. But thought is still, sometimes. 

Then again: never two thoughts at a time? I have read somewhere that 
one of the aims of occultism is to be able to be conscious of various 
things at the same time. Yes, I found the quote, from the Inner Group 
Teachings:
>> Inner Group, p. 64
Then the transference of a sensation passing from any organ to the 
consciousness is almost simultaneous, if your attention is fixed on 
it; but if any noise distracts your attention, then it will take a 
fraction more of a second before it reaches your consciousness. The 
occultist should train himself to receive and transmit, along the 
line of the seven scales of his consciousness, every impression - or 
impressions - simultaneously. He who reduces the intervals of 
physical time the most has made the most progress. >>
http://www.katinkahesselink.net/mahatmas.htm

Stillness of the mind is something the classical theosophical 
literature doesn't talk about much. Which is why I asked you for a 
reference to where Judge does talk about it. I am asking again. This 
question is highly relevant as it touches on how we can include the 
insights from Jiddu Krishnamurti and Zen Buddhism into our personal 
theosophies. 

I agree that thinking should be controlled. But I don't see how 
stillness in the mind would be a problem in controlling the mind. 
When you write about seedless contemplation - doesn't that mean 
contemplation without an object to contemplate on? Which is a 
description of an empty mind, IMO. For me formless "thought" implies 
thoughtlessness (in an intelligent way, paradoxically). Every thought 
is a thing, a form. 

Katinka
--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, leonmaurer@a... wrote:
> 
> In a message dated 04/18/03 10:28:21 AM, mail@k... writes:
> 
> >> As WQJ said, in "Letters That Have Helped Me," we must never 
stop 
> >> thinking... Even in the deepest meditation. 
> >
> >Could you quote a bit more precisely? This is mind staggering to 
me. 
> >I mean, I do believe that thought is necessary, but to never stop 
> >thinking... That is like saying the body should never sit still. 
> >
> >Katinka
> 
> The comparison is invalid... Since the body (even of the Buddha) 
can never 
> "sit still"... As everything in it is in constant motion. 
Including the mind 
> -- as a coenergetic and, thus, material field (or subtle body) of 
> consciousness surrounding our zero-point center of awareness. The 
latter is 
> the only aspect of universal reality which remains forever still -- 
as the 
> receptor, detector, and comparator of all motion or action... And, 
although 
> its position in 3D physical space can be changed, it always 
maintains its 
> fixed position relative to Absolute space... Since, it IS coadunate 
with the 
> "laya-point" or "center" of Absolute space itself -- which is 
everywhere.
> 
> The mind, as an ever changing field of consciousness, that is one 
of the 
> seven fold aspects of our nature, and is an integral part of every 
eternal 
> triune Monad -- has only one function. And, that is "thought" -- 
as both the 
> instrument and the guidance of our awareness and will. Whenever we 
are 
> awake, and consciously aware of ourselves and its relationship to 
our 
> environment, the mind is filled with a single thought of one sort 
or another 
> from one moment to the next (and can never be empty). These 
thoughts can be 
> either conscious (attended), or unconscious (unattended). Thus the 
mind, so 
> filled with thoughts, must never be allowed to go off on its own 
and create 
> thoughts that we are unaware of and which might unconsciously or 
consciously 
> govern our physical actions against the will of our spiritual self. 
> 
> The idea put forth by Judge (with reference to the Yoga Aphorisms 
of 
> Patanjali) was that such thoughts must always be under our 
control... So that 
> they not only would not run away wildly and distract our attention 
with 
> fantasy and dangerous ideas (not in accord with nature) that could 
lead to 
> harmful action... But also, that such "wrong thoughts" should be 
replaced 
> with positive or "right thoughts" that relate directly to the 
conscious 
> control of all our activities... Whether in mind when thinking, or 
of body 
> when acting, or reacting in accord with our will or intent 
> 
> This practice of consciously controlled thought (that is always 
within our 
> scope of awareness) -- if engaged in continuously -- prevents evil 
or wrong 
> thoughts from entering our memory, and thereby governing our 
unconscious or 
> impulsive actions or reactions, or feeding our prejudices and 
biases. 
> 
> Thus, individual freedom of self, or "enlightenment" and self 
determination, 
> requires constant attention to and conscious control of all our 
thoughts -- 
> including the thought of emptiness ("0") or the "ultimate division 
of time." 
> (The Zen koan of the "Ten Bulls" allegorically pictures and 
explains this 
> process of attaining mastery of one's mind.) See:
> http://www.cs.sfu.ca/people/ResearchStaff/jamie/personal/10_Bulls/
> Title_Page.html
> Patanjali's Yoga Aphorisms, gives us the practical application of 
this 
> process. As, the Voice of the silence metaphorically describes the 
different 
> stages of our development along the path.
> 
> This practice is the only way that one can achieve "perfection in 
the 
> performance of action" (The nature of an Adept) -- even when in the 
deepest 
> meditation while thinking about the true reality of 
either "something" (with 
> a seed) or "nothing" (without a seed). Remember, to be thinking of 
nothing, 
> or "emptiness," does not mean to "still our thoughts." Because 
directed 
> thinking is a willed action, thinking of nothing is essentially no 
different 
> from thinking of something. Their only difference, catagorically, 
is that 
> one is "full" of forms and the other is "empty" of form. Thus, 
thinking 
> always requires thoughts, and thoughts always require willful and 
mindful 
> attention... That is, if one is to be fully in control of oneself 
or, as the 
> Buddha said of himself, become "One who is perpetually awake." 
> 
> Ordinarily, the only time we usually have no capability of 
consciously willed 
> thinking, is when we are in deep sleep or dead. However, this 
applies solely 
> to those who are not yet fully enlightened and, thereby, not yet of 
the 
> nature of an Adept... Who, it is said, is never asleep, but is 
always awake 
> in the higher (Buddhi) mind -- even when the body sleeps -- or 
after death. 
> 
> Therefore, to arrive at such a state of total wakefulness requires 
one to be 
> always aware of what one is thinking, and, concurrently, what one 
is doing as 
> a result of such thinking. This is the essence of free will. Thus, 
one must 
> never stop thought. Meaning, to be "eternally vigilant" (as the 
eternal 
> "witness") both within and without -- as the Buddha, WQJ, and HPB 
(as well as 
> myself and some others :-) advise. 
> 
> This practice, if engaged in diligently, will eventually open our 
mind to our 
> constant attention -- so that, when we are dreaming or in deep 
sleep, we will 
> still be consciously (lucidly) aware of its actions. And thus, 
able to 
> intentionally change our thoughts and our self determined actions, 
at will, 
> on any plane of consciousness we focus our attention on. This 
expansion of 
> our awareness results in the ultimate alignment or centering of all 
our inner 
> natures (that is the goal of enlightenment) -- and makes us "The 
master of 
> our fate" (or karma). It is also the condition of the state of 
pure 
> creativity -- since all of natures hidden (or occult) secrets, and 
subtle 
> harmonies, are thus opened for inspection and reflection. 
> 
> LHM