Theos-Talk Archives (May 2003 Message tt00046)

[PARA]Tuesday, May 06, 2003[PARA][PARA][PARA][PARA]Dear
Friends:[PARA][PARA][PARA]As we approach White Lotus Day, and
think ever more intently of the great gift we have received from
H P B and the Masters of Wisdom, we can assure ourselves of the
value of Theosophy.[PARA][PARA]Here is a "gift" made of a study
of the "Teaching of Brahman (the Higher Self within). It will be
found in The Talavakara Upanishad.[PARA][PARA]It speaks there, of
universal consciousness. Then, of the intelligence that lies at
the base of all self-willed progress. It causes thought, speech
and action.[PARA][PARA]Awakening out of the present state is
referred to as a "bursting" -- an awakening much as "satori" is
spoken of in Zen Buddhism. We become aware that the powers we
seek are not "outside" but interior, awaiting our
attention.[PARA][PARA]The range of consciousness in various
planes of existence, physical, psychic, astral, is guided by the
One Consciousness -- "brought over from previous and incalculably
distant periods of evolution."[PARA][PARA]And it speaks of the
"Guruparampara chain," of divine instructors: "highly progressed
entities from other Manvantaras" that appear, under Karma, on the
plane of instruction when needed[PARA][PARA]The psychological
being: Man, in whom nascent mental faculties are developing is
able to perceive "the truth either directly or by reflection" his
imagination keeping images together through the means of the
eternal base -- which is Brahman ( the Higher
Self).[PARA][PARA]Finally it speaks of the "causeless cause,"
expressing it as "The desire of IT..." to know the ROOT of ALL
THINGS. [Desire first arose in It which was the primal germ of
mind, and which Sages searching with their intellect, have
discovered in their heart to be the bond which connects Entity
with non-Entity." -- S D II 176, Glos, p.
171[PARA][PARA]DTB[PARA][PARA]
====================[PARA][PARA][PARA][PARA][PARA]
THE TALAVAKARA UPANISHAD[PARA][PARA][NL] THE TEACHING OF
BRAHMAN[PARA][PARA][PARA]
CHAPTER FIRST[PARA][PARA][PARA][PARA]The Master was asked by the
pupil to tell at whose wish the mind of man, when sent forth for
any act, proceeds on its errand, by whose command the first
breath goeth forth, and at whose wish the mind of man, when sent
forth for any act, proceeds on its errand, by whose command the
first breath goeth forth, and at whose wish do men utter speech.
He was also asked to tell what intelligent power directs the eye
or the ear in the performance of natural
functions.[PARA][PARA]The reply given by the Master, thus
approached by the pupil, was that in respect to the ear, the
brain, the speech of man, the breathing, and the eye, the other
organs are of themselves wholly unable to act, but are the means
whereby the real, but unseen, inner organs of sight, speech,
hearing, seeing, and breathing obtain touch with nature, make
themselves manifested, and become able to cognize outside
objects.[PARA][PARA]The perfectly trained man, one fully grounded
in philosophy, who has gained control of these organs both within
and without, and who can locate his consciousness in the inner
being, becomes really immortal when death releases him from the
connection with the body. but the ordinary man, by reason of his
being fully entrapped and deluded by the outer senses which are
always intimately connected with the inner ones, is compelled
after death to go into the Devachanic state and to return again
to earthly life where he takes up a fresh set of material organs
and sense connections.[PARA][PARA]But there is another sort of
consciousness which cannot be expounded to one who has not
himself gained an experience of it. It is beyond description in
words used on this plane. For it is different from the known,
above what we suppose to be the unknown, and not that which
people here adore as their highest conception of
being.[PARA]Know, therefore, that the basis for the operations of
the mind, of the senses, of the organs is Brahman alone. Without
that we could neither taste, smell, hear, see, nor
think.[PARA][PARA][PARA]
SECOND CHAPTER[PARA][PARA][PARA]Then to the pupil the Master
said, so as to impress it on his mind, "If thou thickest I know
the form of Brahman well, thou are not wise; but perhaps thou
newest it thyself, if so then tell me."[PARA][PARA]To this the
pupil replied that we cannot know or describe Brahman, the
substratum of all, in the ordinary manner by connecting him with
some things already known to us, but at the same time we are not
able to say that we do not know him. We feel the actuality of
Brahman, but cannot enter into a description of it as we would of
an object, by giving its known characteristics, or of a piece of
land by its metes and bounds, its quality and its vegetation.
[PARA][PARA]The knowing of it at last, its full realization, is a
species of awakening out of the present state, and then the
knowledge bursts upon us. By the real Self we gain and keep
strength in the interior nature, and by knowledge we become able
to destroy the bonds of material reincarnation, thus attaining
conscious immortality. And by knowing this, one has discovered
the true aim of life. If this is not understood while a man is
existing here on earth in a body, then he will be compelled to
reincarnate until he does comprehend it. But the wise, who have
directed their thoughts to all things, and have at last come to
recognize the real Self within themselves, are possessors of
conscious immortality and pass unfettered out of this life never
to return.[PARA][PARA][PARA]
THIRD CHAPTER[PARA][PARA][PARA]The elemental spirits [Devas] of
all grades that work in nature on every plane, in air, water,
earth, and fire in all their correlations and combinations, were
evolved from lower and less conscious states through aeons of
effort by the highest mind. This was a constant struggle between
the informing power of the mind and the heavy non-conscious
material base which alone existed before what we now call matter
had been differentiated from primordial cosmic substance. It was
in ages long passed away, while the elemental model of all
material things was under construction. Without the informing
power, which was itself brought over from previous and
incalculably distant periods of evolution, the elemental spirits
would not have come into existence, as they had no power of their
own to stir the depths of cosmic matter. Hence their evolution is
called the "Victory of Brahman."[PARA][PARA]They were evolved on
many planes, each in a different degree (2), and among them were
the higher order related to fire, air, and nascent mind. These
being the highest were in possession of a consciousness peculiar
to their own plane of existence and were destined to become the
conscious human beings of the future. But it seemed to them that
they had themselves obtained the victory over cosmic substance
and brought about their own evolution.[PARA][PARA]And in order to
raise these cosmic spirits by gentle steps to a higher state of
development, the highly progressed entities from other
Manvantaras appeared to then on their own plane and in their own
spheres of consciousness, but were not comprehended. Then the
ruling spirits of fire were unable to burn, and those of air
unable to move, a straw that was created before them. Next,
Indra, representing the nascent power of mind and imagination,
advanced toward those who came to teach, but instead of them
perceived only the primordial root and basis of matter(3). For
spirit as distinguished from matter cannot be perceived. It is
from spirit-the eternal purusha-that matter is emanated, and
together they form the two phases of the one Absolute and
Unknowable.[PARA][PARA][PARA]
FOURTH CHAPTER[PARA][PARA][PARA]The elemental spirits had to fall
down into material existence, suffer in its toils, and at last by
experience gain further development through evolution.
[PARA][PARA]But the principles of fire and air, and the thinking
man, are nearest to Brahman in the eternal scheme of nature's
evolution.[PARA][PARA]And as Brahman flashed forth only to at
once disappear from the sight of the gods, so in like manner a
knowledge of the elemental spirits in this manvantara is
evanescent and fitful. And in respect to the psychological being
called Man, he perceives the truth either directly or by
reflection. [PARA][PARA]When he has perceived it by reflection,
his imagination keeps the images together through the means of
the eternal base which is Brahman itself. After repeated
experiences of these reflections of truth he is at last able to
look directly on it, and then he many become consciously
immortal. [PARA][PARA]A name of Brahman is expressed by the words
"The desire of it," and by that name it may be pondered upon. He
who has discovered what the true aim of life is should meditate
upon it and make all his desires bend to it. And as he progresses
toward a knowledge of it, so all beings are insensibly impelled
to aid him in the search, because there exists in all the desire
to know the root of all things.[PARA][PARA]Thus you have been
told the teaching of Brahman. It stands upon penance, restraint
of self, and sacrifice; the Holy books are its limbs and the True
is it abode. He who comprehends in their entirety and subtle
connection these teachings, and has shaken off all evil, has
become conscious of the endless, unconquerable world of spiritual
knowledge. -- W Q J[PARA][PARA][PARA]Path, September,
1892[PARA][PARA]Footnote:[PARA](1) In the original this is called
Khanda instead of Chapter.[NL](2) They are called devas or gods
in the original.[NL](3) In the Sanskrit this is called
Mulaprakriti.[PARA][PARA][PARA]