Theos-Talk Archives (April 2003 Message tt00167)

Tuesday, April 29, 2003

Dear Katinka:

If one uses the Mind, then WE are THE USER, and WE are the
Superior, and employ our Mind as a tool. Are we not that "Ray"
from the ONE SELF resident within ?

We often confound the Mind with the OWNER OF THE MIND, don't we?

The "DIRECTOR OF THE MIND" in us, is what ?

In terms of the 7 "principles" of Man and Nature is it not
BUDDHI-MANAS ? The embodied mind, used in the "here and now" by
all of us, is KAMA-MANAS (desire-mind) ?

As such, then, the KAMA-MANAS or the embodied desire-mind, that
we use all the time when we are awake, and about doing our waking
state affairs, is only a reflection of the superior Mind
capacities into and upon our word, and on our plane of desires,
emotions as well as physical and astral forms. Hence we can have
several "mind-scenarios" at work and remembered.

Is not the WILL the positive agent of the mind that transforms
thought and planning into decisive (or indecisive -- if the will
is vague and flickering) actions and words? Does not the WILL
impress the memory for things, plans, viewed actions, etc... to
be registered there?

Let me add here a portion of a recent posting -- similar study

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

There is in each of us an integrity: Is it not the "Ray" of the
universal Spiritual SELF?

We sometimes call it "our MIND." But, as our mind can be placed
on a selected subject, and used as WE direct it, it is the WE or
the REAL HUMAN BEING -- the IMMORTAL Self that is that INTEGRITY.
It is the REINCARNATOR.

Theosophy addresses that.

Let us consider what this may mean. What does INDEPENDENCE OF
SELF mean?

WE, the moment WE think, are confronted with two futures --
(there are many more and they can be developed as we give
attention to them and construct them -- at that time the Mind is
"creator.") resulting from choices we can make:

1. of Independence, (basing ourselves on universal and
impersonal moral/ethical truths; We can live and work according
to universal and impersonal verities -- treating all with
sympathy, but choosing our own course of life. It is an
independence we all have, but do not always exhibit to others. As
we may, with tact, or deceit, show them only that which they are
accustomed to accept from us as our "attitude." If we do that we
are playing a role, and we are -- neither honest with our true
SELF, nor are we totally honest with them.. It is a kind of
hypocrisy.)

2. of Dependence, (whereby -- as shown above -- we agree to
bend some of our integrity to conform with the accepted views of
those in our environment (family, co-workers, friends, etc...).
Usually this has something to do with religion, politics, and
social, racial, international, etc., attitudes, and we can
include: time we might spend on amusement, pleasant
interactions, etc... Dependence is "passivity."

It often is submission without thinking. We can allow this to
happen. And of course we eventually pay the consequences. But,
do we learn from those consequences (accidents ?). All
"politics" is man-made -- hence fallible. All one needs to do is
to carry out to a conclusion some of the proposals suggested or
used. They are ultimately unfair and self-defeating. Test them.

Test all ready-made propositions. Test Theosophy, and its logic
most carefully.


A MORAL SENSE -- VIRTUES? VICES ?

The difference between the two is the impersonal "MORAL" sense --
a cognizance of our built-in appreciation and use of the
touchstone of impersonal and impartial VIRTUE.

We ought to have a list of these [Virtues and Vices] if our
memory fails. We ought to take time to consider a choice before
jumping into any new position rashly. If we are rash, we are
allowing old habits to rule us, instead of our ruling the old
habits and analysing them, so as to adopt the acting now
criteria, for the best possible future consequences. We have here
to adopt the idea that we live in a Universe of Law -- that
cannot be bent, broken or escaped from. It is all-pervasive, and
watches everything that everybody thinks, feels, says, and does.
No exceptions. No "escape-hatch." WE are that LAW -- KARMA.
All beings and the entire Universe are a part of it. We are a
part of the WHOLE. The "Whole" is also a part of us.

In effect, in the scenario above, we have a mental tribunal at
which the two antagonists plead their case before the impartial,
immortal "Ray" of the HIGHEST SELF that resides within. appealed
to, it is the one that convenes such a "court."

The true "WE" in us is that HIGHER SELF.

It is the uncertain lower mind-self that (sensing danger) asks
for its consideration. But also, recall that all the facts have
to be clearly placed before this Spiritual Judge if one expect a
clear universal, and unprejudiced answer. In presenting them,
often their fallacies are uncovered. Honesty has to rule all the
time.

Note that in adopting "2 " we are in fact abridging, modifying
and distorting "1" to some extent -- since "1" can never be
totally overlooked or trashed, it always survives and speaks to
us (even when suppressed) as the murmurings of the "Voice of
Conscience." [VOICE OF BUDDHI-MANAS]

"Passivity" is a form of resistance from our adopted habits, now
built into THAT ASPECT OF Kama-Manas we call our character, which
by inertia resist changes, or present desired changes and
"improvements." If we see the need for these changes -- to be
truly OURSELVES -- then the mask of habit we are in our
personality (or Lower embodied Mind) resists this change.

Once we recognize its presence and its resistance we are "ahead
of the game" -- if our aim is to become Spiritually Wise and
Exact. This is not "out-guessing." We have, from our present
position as "embodied Minds," to make absolutely sure that there
is an impersonal, ideal and spiritual way of doing things, and
then make our personalities do that. If there is any element of
selfishness, or of personal gain in any proposed choice or
decision, to that extent it will turn out "wrong" in the long
run. The reason for that is: no "form of any kind of substance
or matter" can ever represent the WHOLE exactly. There is the
ONE ONLY ONE that is the ABSOLUTE background to all. This is the
EVER-UNKNOWN. Intellectually we can grasp this idea. We do so
because we are an integral part of IT.

The "spiritual" is always "for the long run--eternity." The
"personal" is for some short-term amusement or pleasure of this
personality.

The "spiritual" considers itself as a necessary part of the whole
environment, the "personal" considers only its self. And it
hopes the repercussions of choices made within that limit, will
be small and perhaps that it can evade them. If you look within
and at the interplay that goes on, so quickly in our own lower
Mind and psyche (desire nature), you will see this working.

"Attention" is a faculty we need to encourage as it wakes up
areas of the mind that we have permitted to become dormant. One
of these is the sharp and keen moral sense. It also serves to
control the "psyche" by exposing its motives to the active Mind
of the chooser (You) -- so that you can secure a better preview
of the potential future. Is it truly to our (and the psyche's)
long-term benefit? Not "concerted" but "CONCENTRATED" attention
was recommended. It takes an effort of the WILL to keep the Mind
focused [see PATANJALI'S YOGA SUTRAS].


ACCIDENT

You are right( as I see it) in a Universe of true compensatory
LAW, there are no accidents. Everything is KARMA -- the ONE LAW
in action. It is KARMA that brings about the manifestations of
the Universe. It is an integral aspect of the ABSOLUTE.

When manifestation begins and emerges from the great sleep of the
UNIVERSE, the law awakes the UNIVERSAL MIND. In it are stored
all the plans and memories of the past series of evolutions.
Those are made to unfold, and a new birth of the Kosmos begins.
It is similar to reincarnation for humans.

In fact the use of the word "accident" (like "luck" and "chance")
ought to go -- it was created by those who desire that you and I,
members of mankind, NOT THINK about their true situation: as
immortals in a universe of progressive education where the object
is to be become ALL WISE. [If you would like to see how much a
change would come over our world and its selfish values, try for
a moment to visualize our world running under the exact
applications that Jesus indicated: as in the SERMON ON THE
MOUNT. If we all did that then we cold indeed call ourselves
"Christians." As we do not, then what are we? Pretenders?
Hypocrites? We pretend to be moral, and act immoral -- and that
is accepted!

Every time a human mind escapes from the bond of imposed
ignorance, to that extent the repressive elements that desire to
make men's mind their un-thinking slaves lose one of their
victims. Ask yourself how often in early education have children
been asked NOT TO THINK but to obey BLINDLY, because I TELL YOU ?
Is that fair to an immortal, a growing intellect? Does
independent, logical, brotherly thinking get taught that way ?

By the way, everything here has to be most carefully thought over
by you to see if is really helpful. I can only tell you of my
own experience and thinking, and that is not "universal."

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


I hope this may prove of help,

Best wishes,

Dallas

=======================
-----Original Message-----
From: Katinka
Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2003 2:28 AM
To:
Subject: Re: Stilling the Mind and Concentration

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.

CUT