Theos-Talk Archives (May 2003 Message tt00050)

05/06/2003 4:51 PM

Dear Friends:

I repeat this as the original came in mangled -- sorry for that,
don't know what happened.

Dallas

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-----Original Message-----

From: Dallas TenBroeck [mailto:dalval14@earthlink.net]
Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2003 11:15 AM
To: AA-Dal
Subject: Theos-World Re: "The DESIRE of IT....


Tuesday, May 06, 2003

Dear Friends:

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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).

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; T. Glos, p. 171

Brahma the Preserver of all speaks herein: Compare these
statements to certain other statement in the BHAGAVAD GITA.

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


THE TALAVAKARA UPANISHAD


THE TEACHING OF BRAHMAN



CHAPTER FIRST

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.


SECOND CHAPTER



Then to the pupil the Master said, so as to impress it on his
mind, "If thou thinkest I know the form of Brahman well, thou are
not wise; but perhaps thou knewest it thyself, if so then tell
me."

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.

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.


THIRD CHAPTER


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."

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.

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.


FORTH CHAPTER


The elemental spirits had to fall down into material existence,
suffer in its toils, and at last by experience gain further
development through evolution.

But the principles of fire and air, and the thinking man, are
nearest to Brahman in the eternal scheme of nature's evolution.

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.

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.

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.

Thus you have been told the teaching of Brahman. It stands upon
penance, restraint
of [the lower] 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

PATH, September, 1892

Footnotes

(1) In the original this is called Khanda instead of Chapter.
(2) They are called devas or gods in the original.
(3) In the Sanskrit this is called Mulaprakriti.