Theos-Talk Archives (January 2004 Message tt00113)

HPB - Allegory


HPB - AN ALLEGORY OF MANIFESTATION


>From an old Sanskrit Manuscript:


"Toward the close of Pralaya (the intermediate period between two
"creations" or evolutions of our phenomenal universe), the great IT, the
One that rests in infinity and ever is, dropped its reflection, which
expanded in limitless Space, and felt a desire to make itself cognizable
by the creatures evolved from its shadow.  

The reflection assumed the shape of a Maharaja (great King). Devising
means for mankind to learn of his existence, the Maharaja built of the
qualities inherent in him a place, in which he concealed himself,
satisfied that people should perceive the outward form of his dwelling.
But when they looked up to the place where stood the palace, whose one
corner stretched into the right infinitude, and the other into the left
infinitude--the little men saw nothing; the palace was mistaken by them
for empty space, and being so vast remained invisible to their eyes.  

Then the Maharaja resorted to another expedient. He determined to
manifest himself to the little creatures whom he pitied -- not as a
whole but only in his parts. He destroyed the palace built by him from
his manifesting qualities, brick by brick, and began throwing the bricks
down upon the earth one after the other. Each brick was transformed
into an idol, the red ones becoming Gods and the grey ones Goddesses;
into these the Devatas and Devatis--the qualities and the attributes of
the Unseen--entered and animated them.

-----


HPB commented:


The outward form of idolatry is but a veil, concealing the one Truth
like the veil of the Saitic Goddess. [Isis I vi]  

Only that truth, being for the few, escapes the majority... Yet, while
for the great majority the space behind the veil is really
impenetrable...those endowed with the "third eye" (the eye of Siva),
discern in the Cimmerian darkness and chaos a light in whose intense
radiance all shape born of human conception disappears, leaving the
all-informing divine Principle, to be felt--not seen; sensed--never
expressed.

This allegory shows polytheism in its true light and that it rests of
the One unity, as does all the rest...The direct [ and the ] refracted
rays of one and the same Luminary. What are Brahma, Vishnu and Siva,
but the triple Ray that emanates directly form the Light of the World ?


The three Gods with their Goddesses are the three dual representations
of Purusha the Spirit, and Prakriti--matter; the six are symbolized by
Svayambhuva the self-existence, unmanifested Deity. They are only the
symbols personifying the Unseen Presence in every phenomenon of nature."

CWB 7- 272-4

Source: NOTE OF HPB ON IDOLATRY, Collected Works HPB, Vol. 7,
p. 272-4


"...founded his dwelling" shows clearly that in Kabala, as in India, the
Deity was considered as the Universe, and was not, in his origin, the
extra-cosmic God he is now."	SD I 92 fn






Dallas