Theos-Talk Archives (April 2003 Message tt00186)

Wednesday, April 30, 2003

Re: Nirvana

Dear Friends:

Theosophy has some very definite concepts to offer concerning
Nirvana.


Some of these quotations may serve to discover what and why they
are so described.

Best wishes,

Dallas

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




NIRVANA



Nirvana (Sk.)	"...in the esoteric explanations it is the state
of absolute existence and absolute consciousness, into which the
Ego of a man goes, after the body dies, and occasionally, as in
the case of the Gautama Buddha and others during life."
T. Glos. p. 232


Nirvani	(Sk.)	"...an emancipated soul...It is "escape from
misery" but only from that of matter, freedom from Klesha, or
Kama, and the complete extinction of animal desires...matter...is
maya (illusion). Sakyamuni Buddha said in the last moments of
his life that "the spiritual body is immortal."...the
Bodhisattvas who prefer the Nirmanakaya to the Dharmakaya
vesture, stand higher in the popular estimation than the
Nirvanis..."	T. Glos. p. 232


"...there are two methods of attaining Nirvana, one selfish and
the other unselfish, but the word selfish here would designate
really unselfishness among us. It refers to the refinement of
selfishness in that a person is working by unselfish acts to
obtain that which, in the end of all analysis, is selfish,
because it is for the benefit of the person involved. But it was
never taught that a man could attain Nirvana by working for his
own selfish advantage as his motive, and he does not gain it at
the expense of anyone; therefore his selfishness in obtaining
Nirvana, being at no one's expense, is of a very different
quality from what we ordinarily call selfishness. As a matter of
fat it is stated that at a certain point of development the
highly spiritualized person may in a moment pass into Nirvana
through an instantaneous personal desire to gain that state."
Forum Ans. p. 73-4


[ HPB calls it ]: "the lowest" of the three paths to
Nirvana...in which a Yogi--'without teacher and without saving
others'--by the mere force of will and technical observance
attains to a kind of nominal Buddhaship, doing no good to anyone
but working selfishly for his own salvation. Theos. Glos. 261


"Bad karma is that act and thought which displeases the Higher
Self. Hence all self-seeking acts and thoughts no matter how
high and outwardly virtuous they are, are bad karma, since the
Higher Self desires no such acts for its sake.

Nirvana comes to those who have risen over the delusions and have
realized the supreme unity of all; then it may be taken; but if
it is taken for oneself, leaving others in the mire of life
unhelped, it becomes an enormous selfishness which later on must
result in the being having to do penance in some other
manvantara."	Forum Ans p. 97



[ If we use the knowledge HPB gives in the Key of the nature and
range of our principles, and take into consideration the whole
thrust of evolution as expressed by Mr. Judge in the Ocean, (p.
60), the raising of the entire mass of sentient matter to the
level of "conscious god-hood", we know that the One
Consciousness, working through the "embodied soul" (kama-manas)
in the many personalities that humanity as a class provides, is
working on this "mass" to raise it.

By this process of devotion by a host of mind-beings the mass of
"matter" is being refined, and "raised." It is we, humans, who
in our struggle to master the powers inherent in the material and
the personal, seek to impersonalize it, while assisting it to
retain its identity as incipient men. The "raising" is bringing
it to the position of refinement of its material nature, so that
its instinctual consciousness can be helped to bridge the gap
and it can become free-willed, and thus be transformed into a
unit of future humanity. [We see this repeated every
incarnation, when the child consciousness is enlivened by the
parents, teachers and surroundings, and at about seven, the Atma
is able to incarnate in the personal form through the entrance of
the Higher Manas conjoined to Buddhi. The divine Triad has
access to the personal brain-mind again.]

Considering, then what the selfish anchorite, the Pratyekha
Buddha does, he bends all his energy to retire from the world of
action into one of inaction, of rest, of non-involvement. He
visualizes and creates for himself as a person, a cocoon of
time, a "Nirvana." He intensely desires (a kamic act) to remove
himself from awareness of any sensations of pain, pleasure or
other involvement in the process of earthly evolution and its
many beings. ]


"When an Adept has reached a certain very high point in his
evolution he may, by a mere wish, become what the Hindus call a
"Deva"--or lesser god. If he does this, then, although he will
enjoy the bliss and power of that state for a vast length of
time, he will not at the next Pralaya partake of the conscious
life "in the bosom of the Father," but has to pass down into
matter at the next new "creation," performing certain functions
that could not now be made clear, and has to come up again
through the elemental world; but this fate is not like that of
the Black Magician who falls into Avitchi. And again between the
two he can choose the middle state and become a Nirmanakaya--one
who gives up the bliss of Nirvana and remains in conscious
existence outside of his body after its death; in order to help
Humanity. This is the greatest sacrifice he can do for mankind."
Epitome 28


"The whole matter is a reference to a very obscure doctrine, but
little known, that if the Adept voluntarily takes the delights,
pleasures and powers referred to, he is compelled, after millions
of years of enjoyment, to re-enter objective nature at the
elemental stage. That is plainly related." THEOSOPHICAL FORUM,
Answers by WQJ p. 120


[ One might say that this is encouraged in the sayings attributed
to Shankara-Acharya, in his "Crest Jewel of Wisdom." There one
finds a constant emphasis on liberating ones' consciousness from
the bonds of passion, so that "freedom" may be secured.

Some devotees seize upon the concept of "freedom" and decide
that they will consider that all actions that bind one through
karma to rebirth are to be shunned. They lose sight of the
higher virtues of cooperation, generosity, compassion enshrined
in the practice of brotherhood.

It is no wonder that Brotherhood is called: The One Esoteric
Truth. If one meditates on this, all else unfolds and the right
proportion and use of powers and choice in physical plane events
becomes clear.

To return to the Pratyekha, or "Passi Buddha." He races on, in
increasing personal isolation, developing in his
misinterpretation of the goal of evolution a desire for this
temporary state. So strong does he exercise his will, that he
forges for himself barriers to contact with other beings,
including the Mahatmas, from whom he also isolates himself. He
estranges himself from a full understanding and use of all the
doctrines of Theosophy and chooses only those that suit him
personally.

Temporarily, the great law of evolution acting under the power of
that concentrated force of desire, provides him with a "resting
place" --on of the Nirvana--where he waits until those who were
his contemporaries, which he had out-distanced for a while, reach
his level of consciousness, will and ability, which might be
called the perfection of the Kama-Manasic state and plane of
consciousness. Nature has, however higher duties and planes of
work, and these must be satisfied in the great economy of
manifestation. The price for such rest and isolation has to be
paid.

If we recall what is stated in the Notes on the Bhagavad Gita,
pp. 98-99, it is the "One Consciousness which pierces up and down
through all the seven states or planes of Being, and serves to
uphold the memory...of each state's experience." This "One
Consciousness is one and not many, nor different from other
consciousnesses. It is not the waking consciousness or sleeping
consciousness, or any other but consciousness itself." It
derives from, and is the active aspect of the Atma, the Ray of
the Central Spiritual Sun that unites all beings. It is the "Law
of Laws--Compassion absolute."

For the Pratyekha Buddha this isolated "Nirvanic" condition is
selfish, and therefore it is brought to an end by the great Law;
which, being compassionate, gives such an entity another chance
to progress to the true goal.

All memory in the memory of humanity, of a Pratyekha Buddha is
said to be obliterated, since such an one ceases from its duty of
assisting and participating in evolution. - DTB]


"...that which propels towards, and forces evolution, i.e.,
compels the growth and development of Man towards perfection, is
(a) the monad, or that which acts in it unconsciously through a
force inherent in itself; and (b) the lower astral body or the
personal self. The former...that force [which]...owing to its
identity with the all-force...inherent in the Monad, it is
all-potent on the Arupa or formless plane...So with the Atman:
unless the higher Self or ego gravitates towards its Sun--the
Monad--the lower Ego, or personal Self, will have the upper hand
in every case. For it is this Ego, with its fierce Selfishness
and animal desire to live a Senseless life (Tanha), which is "the
maker of the tabernacle,"...In short, Spirituality is on its
ascending arc, and the animal or physical impedes it from
steadily progressing on the path of its evolution only when the
selfishness of the personality has so strongly infected the real
inner man with its lethal virus, that the upward attraction has
lost all its power on the thinking reasonable man."	SD II
109-110


[ In India the Brahmins often adopt the attitude that they desire
to isolate themselves from contact with others of a "lower
caste." because they conceive that spiritual life demands such an
isolation from physical proximity. They forget that the true
insulation of the spiritual life is an inner attitude, it
pertains to the mind, and although, as the Buddha did when living
in the world, He could send out wide and sweeping currents of
force for good that enveloped all who surrounded him and further
have carried their influence forward for over 2,500 years to
those who contact his words and ideas. The true devotee, the
chela of the Wise Ones welcomes living in the world where he can
help those who need it.

The achievement of "head learning," with a lack of "soul Wisdom,"
limits development to Kama-Manas. If this is carried to its
highest level isolation of the personality results in becoming a
Pratyekha. The qualities named Dana-charity, Shila-harmony and
Kshanti-peacefulness need development. The 'lower mind' has to
become the 'human mind.' And then with the power of Virya, well
directed energy, rise to the spiritual mind, a level of practice
represented by the next series of Paramitas, Viraga, Dhyana, and
Prajna which are said to represent the flowering in the Adept of
the first series of three that are for the Chela to develop in
the first instance. These are the safe basis for spiritual
motivation.

Compassion is action which mirrors Higher Manas, Buddhi and Atman
(or "Soul-Wisdom"). The embodied mind he has to realize that it
is eternally responsible for those skandhas that provide it with
the vestures of its personalities. Assisting and educating them
is a part of the karmic task. They will always be our
associates.

The power of the law of conjoint evolution in all spheres and
levels, includes all beings without exception, therefore any
selfish isolation can only be temporary. In the case of the
Pratyekha, the delay caused by selfish choice affects the merit
he had acquired intellectually, through his brain-mind. --DTB]



Returning Nirvanees


[See Damodar, p.70-72, by S. Eek DKM on this ]


In The Secret Doctrine, II pp. 79-80 "returning Nirvanees" are
spoken of. This is an important quotation.

Also see:

M L 114, SD I 371 329-30; II 79-80 109-10 233fn; KEY 113-4;
Forum Answers, pp. 73-4, 97-8, 120; Epitome, p. 28;
Glossary 261. 345, 231, 232; Aryan Path, Vol. I, p. 656;

S D xxi	Nirvana	- does not mean annihilation.
SD I xix, 266, II 79, Glos. 232, 165,
Thy Mag 6-p. 111, Is II 116-7, 320, 286
Voice 75, Trans 13, SD II 79, 615,
WQJ Art I p. 9,



Causes for Evolution


"...that which propels towards, and forces evolution, i.e.,
compels the growth and development of Man towards perfection, is
(a) the monad, or that which acts in it unconsciously through a
force inherent in itself; and (b) the lower astral body or the
personal self. The former...that force [which]...owing to its
identity with the all-force...inherent in the Monad, it is
all-potent on the Arupa or formless plane...So with the Atman:
unless the higher Self or ego gravitates towards its Sun--the
Monad--the lower Ego, or personal Self, will have the upper hand
in every case. For it is this Ego, with its fierce Selfishness
and animal desire to live a Senseless life (Tanha), which is "the
maker of the tabernacle,"...In short, Spirituality is on its
ascending arc, and the animal or physical impedes it from
steadily progressing on the path of its evolution only when the
selfishness of the personality has so strongly infected the real
inner man with its lethal virus, that the upward attraction has
lost all its power on the thinking reasonable man."
SD II 109-110



Perfection


"Perfection is an ever-receding goal; "we can always approach
the light, but we may never touch the flame," because it is our
very Self, the Perceiver and Knower within. The Self is neither
perfect nor imperfect for it includes all perceptions; there
could be no knowledge of any degree of perfection or
imperfections unless the perceiver could see both an distinguish
between them."	A to Q, 14


"In those bodies all the forces belonging to man, and these mean
the very highest expression of the great forces of nature,
constantly play, and must have corresponding effect upon anyone
who may come in Their direct range. With such a conception of
the nature of Their bodies, we may be able to dimly perceive to
what a pitch of power and glory Their inner natures have been
raised. If we thus dimly grasp the nature of Masters we may be
able to reverence Them in our hearts, and to endeavor to draw
near to Them in our innermost being...Masters are facts in
Nature, facts however which our highest ideals will not fully
encompass...Let us therefore endow Them with the highest we can
conceive of, try to assimilate that "highest" within ourselves,
endeavor to draw near to Them in our hearts, and thus form for
ourselves that line of communication which They have said They
are always ready to help establish; and let us keep that ideal
as a sacred thing in the repository of our hearts..."	A to Q, p.
27-8


"Now bend thy head and listen well, O Bodhisattva--Compassion
speaks and saith: "Can there be bliss when all that lives must
suffer? Shalt thou be saved and hear the whole world cry ?

Now thou hast heard that which was said.

Thou shalt attain the seventh step and cross the gate of final
knowledge, but only to wed woe--if thou would'st be Tathagata,
follow upon thy predecessor's steps, remain unselfish till the
endless end.

Thou art enlightened--choose thy way..."	Voice, p. 78


"...The stream is cross'd. 'Tis true thou hast a right to
Dharmakaya vesture; but Sambhogakaya is greater than a Nirvanee,
and greater still is a Nirmanakaya--the Buddha of Compassion."
Voice, p.77


"Yea, he is mighty. The living power made free in him, that
power which is Himself, can raise the tabernacle of illusion high
above the Gods, above great Brahm and Indra. Now he shall surely
reach his great reward !"	Voice, p. 71


And a further question is asked:


"Shall he not use the gifts which it confers for his own rest and
bliss, his well-earn'd weal and glory--he, the subduer of the
Great Delusion ?" Voice, p.71


[ The Bodhisattva, who perceives this, but has adopted the ideal
of service as his method, resolves to remain in the Nirmanakaya
vesture and retains the full knowledge of that state in which he
could have donned the Sambhogakaya sheath.
(see HPB Art. I, p. 452 fn., T. Glos. p. 343)


The Dharmakaya, the third vesture, represents the final stage of
the Trikaya [Glos. p. 338-9] and the Trisharna [Glos. p.343]. It
is "essential Bodhi"--wisdom, and excludes the entity, if
accepted and donned, from further relations with the present
stream of evolving mankind. It is said that a "mere wish"
achieves this. ]


"...it will be sufficient to point to the following:--(1) the
Nirmanakaya vesture is preferred by the "Buddhas of Compassion"
to that of the Dharmakaya state, precisely because the latter
precludes him who attains it from any communication or relation
with the finite, i.e., with humanity; (2) it is not Buddha
(Gautama, the mortal man...) who lives ubiquitously in "three
different spheres, at the same time," but Bodhi, the universal
and abstract principle of divine wisdom, symbolized in philosophy
by Adi-Buddha. It is the latter that is ubiquitous because it is
the universal essence or principle. It is Bodhi, or the spirit
of Buddhaship, which having resolved itself into its primordial
homogeneous essence and merged into it, as Brahma (the universe)
merges into Parabrahm, the Absoluteness is meant under the name
of "essential Bodhi." For the Nirvanee, or Dhyani-Buddha, must
be supposed--to be that "essential Bodhi" itself. It is the
Dhyani Bodhisattvas, the primordial rays of the universal Bodhi,
who live in "reflected Bodhi" in Rupadathu, or the world of
subjective "forms;" and it is the Nirmanakayas (plural) who upon
casting their lives of "practical Bodhi," in the "enlightened" or
Buddha forms, remain voluntarily in the Kamadathu (the world of
desire), whether in objective forms on earth or in subjective
states in its sphere (the 2nd Buddhakshetra). This they do in
order to watch over, protect and help mankind." [Glos 129 -
Guardian Wall; Voice 74, L on P 19,	M L 57, Q & A 160, Key
212-3, F P 75,]