Theos-Talk Archives (July 2004 Message tt00445)

Dear Friends:

Here is a "Weird Tale" by Mr. Judge that might help give more light."

Best wishes,

Dallas
 
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MASTERS AMONG MEN

   
HPB gives here and there a "feel" to her students of the way she reverences
the Masters or Mahatmas. Some of that "feel" has to with the fact of Them
being Elder brothers of all of ours, in the sense of being humans who have
awakened to the duty of serving Humanity as their total life, before most of
us have. 

In the process of doing this their material natures have become more and
more purified because their altruistic motives and actions have attracted to
them monads and elementals as bodies, of a subtler, and more refined nature
than is considered "normal" buy our standards.

In regards to question, certainly these great Ones ( like Jesus, Zoroaster,
the Rishis of India, and the many Buddhas and other prophets) must be
considered Masters on the basis of their teachings. In fact, Krishna, the
Avatar who heralded the commencement of the Kali Yuga (our age), 5,000
years ago, and 2,500 years later, the Buddha, Gautama Siddartha, are models
for all of those who follow in our history. Contemporary with the advent of
the Buddha were Pythagoras, Lao Tse, Confucius, Manco Capac, and other great
codifiers and reformers, who incarnated at that cyclic time in various parts
of the world.

The Mahatmas of Theosophical History are apparently and according to HPB 
part of the ancient, primeval Brotherhood whose inner nature is known but to
themselves and some of their disciples.

Let us consider another point: There is a side to all of us -- another
personality so-to-speak -- that loves everyone just because they are there
in space, not because they have a "pro" or a "con" attached to them.  

Universal love is a mysterious phenomenon, it seems not to require that one
have any special attachment or concern about the object of one's
"attention." It is an attitude whereby good is done as needed, for anyone
and to all.

Example: The sun is anything but cold and lifeless. It is not at all
"impersonal" in the way that theosophists sometimes interpret the word!!
But its expression of "love" has a kind of implacability to it, such that
its shinning may cause heat-stroke among those of us who cannot stand too
much of that unshielded glare.
 
The problem of the inner SELF (our individual "Sun" -- ATMA) seems to be
that of a "spherical love affair" if we so regard it. It is "shielded" from
our so gross physical personality and brain-mind by two principles: BUDDHI
(or acquired wisdom and experience) and MANAS (or the dual Mind, with its
many powers to act, remember, select, consider analyse, and build, etc.) We
call it dual for the reason that the motive for any mental action is
extremely important.

One aspect (called the Higher Mind, or BUDDHI-MANAS) is universal, virtuous,
generous, selfless, impersonal, compassionate and rejoices in helping
others. It therefore embraces the great harmony -- the One Law -- of
selfless thought in action - much like the universal and impersonal shining
of the sun. It has as for basis the whole panorama of ineffaceable memory of
the "good" and the "lawful" acts it performed in this and earlier
incarnations. 

The other is closely attached to our personality (our "mask" for this
incarnation), and particularly to the highest aspect of this: instinct or
Kama (the principle of emotion, desires, passions, yens and urges) which has
no basis, until that of reason borrowed or reflected from the Mind, which,
getting attracted and involved, begins to consider them. In this it is like
the "moon," in the sense that it borrows light from its inner "Sun," and
then, reflects it well or poorly, on the rest of its
personality-environment. 

This decision of our Mind -- to consider its involvement is the critical
point. There is always a momentary stasis, something we have all noticed. It
is one in which the mind decides on continuing or discontinuing the nature
of the impulse to further thought - whether it is universally beneficial, or
has the potential of being selfish and restrictive to and for the "good" of
the personality alone, with its limited knowledge and selected isolating
objectives. Of course, we ought to take a moment (or a few) to review what
our range of selection is, and determine what exactly the difference between
"god," and "bad," is -- that is to say between "virtue," and "vice" -- and
for this we have the few fundamental propositions of Theosophy to assist.

What are these? Simply said:

1	The Universe is ONE. And all beings are brothers to each-other on
the immutable and ever-existent spiritual basis of ONE LIFE and ONE LAW. It
is like the Sun who bathes all, and participates in all the activities of
the multitude of diverse beings on all its may planets in the Solar system.
(The same being the case, by analogy, in other Systems as well, and the
whole being united under on grand law of cooperation, correspondence and
analogy. - Thus the Universe is united as one.) 

2.	The laws of cooperation and brotherhood are spiritual and uniting
laws. Those are described as being: fairness, equity, justice, mercy,
education for all, a stimulus to all to progress together as a great
"family," They exist and can be reviewed and analysed, as they support life
in all beings from atoms to men and from there to the utmost boundaries of
the unfathomable UNIVERSE.  

3	Evolution is a concern of intelligence and of consciousness, which,
inspite of the continual alteration of structures and substances in the
physical forms that are used by it, always unite the driving force of the
PERCEIVER forward as a unit. Thus the binding force of progress is an IDEA,
and not just a physical body. This is not so novel an idea as we can prove
it to ourselves at any time. We, and all other units of life, are in
reality a permanent "BEING of Mind and Feeling," in which memory of its past
inheres indelibly. 

In "The Voice of the Silence" we are urged to study "the voidness of the
seeming full and the fullness of the seeming void." (p. 61). Martin Luther
King Jr. in one of his discourses, called us: the "Beloved Community," and
he made it clear this included all humans. 

Mr. Judge wrote that it might be dangerous for a highly spiritually advanced
Human to get anywhere near us, as we now are -- perhaps part of this is the
problem of giving the one (if so inopportunely visited) a kind of
heat-stroke:

Theosophy teaches that the Masters of Wisdom do not act specifically with
individuals unless the karma of our world, and the occult laws of an
individual's personal development combined with the karma of a section of
humanity, requires it.

He wrote, in brief: They (Masters), are, in consequence of evolution, and
great effort continued through many lives, now at the point physically,
mentally, and spiritually where we shall be in the very far distant future.


They are said, by H.P.B., their latest messenger, to be "men, only higher
and holier than we" but they are indeed, They say, are like us: "living
men."

Some, have perhaps hastily construed that having been like us, They are able
at any time, without any resultant danger, to mix with us and "help" us.
Well, they have: They sent H P B with their Message. If we want to "see"
them then we need to study and learn what that "Message" is. That is, in the
nature of our making a proper preparation for such a personal event.  

Let us, for instance, ask: What if, tomorrow, one of these truly Wise Men
were to come near us and make himself known, what would we say? What might
we seek from Them? And, after such a meeting, what would we assume as our
responsibility for our own life's future conduct? 

In the matter of altering the nature of our constituent material and astral
bodies, we ought to carefully read the article:

THE ELIXIR OF LIFE [Five Years of Theosophy, p. 1]

This is available "on line" to read or to download at  

phxultlodge@hotmail.com

and also, herebelow, see a story on meeting the Masters:

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A WEIRD TALE

* This tale was first published in the Theosophist, in July and December,
1885-Eds.

I


THE readers of this magazine [THEOSOPHIST ] have read in its pages
narratives far more curious and taxing to belief than the one I am about to
give fragments of. The extraordinary Russian tale of the adept at the rich
man's castle when the infant assumed the appearance of an old man will not
be forgotten. 
But the present tale, while not in the writer's opinion containing any thing
extremely new, differs from many others in that I shall relate some things I
myself saw. At this time, too, the relation is not inopportune, and perhaps
some things here set down may become, for many, explanations of various
curious occurrences during the past five years in India and Europe.

To begin with, this partial story is written in accordance with a direction
received from a source which I cannot disobey and in that alone must possess
interest, because we are led to speculate why it is needed now.
Nearly all of my friends in India and Europe are aware that I have travelled
often to the northern part of the South American continent and also to
Mexico. That fact has been indeed noticed in this magazine. 

One very warm day in July, 1881, I was stand ing at the vestibule of the
Church of St. Theresa in the City of Caracas, Venezuela. This town was
settled by the Spaniards who invaded Peru and Mexico and contains a
Spanish-speaking people. A great crowd of people were at the door, and just
then a procession emerged, with a small boy running ahead and clapping a
loud clapper to frighten away the devil. As I noticed this, a voice in
English said to me, 

"Curious that they have preserved that singular ancient custom." Turning, I
saw a remarkable-looking old man who smiled peculiarly and said, "Come with
me and have a talk." I complied, and he soon led me to a house which I had
often noticed, over the door being a curious old Spanish tablet devoting the
place to the patronage of St. Joseph and Mary. 

On his invitation I entered and at once saw that here was not an ordinary
Caracas house. Instead of lazy, dirty Venezuelan servants, there were only
clean Hindoos such as I had often seen in the neighboring English Island of
Trinidad; in the place of the disagree able fumes of garlic and other things
usual in the town, there hung in the air the delightful perfumes known only
to the Easterners. So I at once concluded that I had come across a
delightful adventure.

Seating ourselves in a room hung with tapestry and cooled by waving punkahs
that had evidently not been long put up, we engaged in conversation. I tried
to find out who this man was, but he evaded me. Although he would not admit
or deny knowledge of the Theosophical Society or of Madame Blavatsky or of
the Mahatmas, he constantly made such references that I was sure he knew all
about them and had approached me at the church designedly. After quite a
long talk, during which I saw he was watching me and felt the influence of
his eye, he said that he had liberty to explain a little as we had become
sufficiently acquainted. 
It was not pleasure nor profit that called him there, but duty alone. I
referred to the subterranean passages said to exist in Peru full of
treasure, and then he said the story was true and his presence there
connected with it. Those passages extended up from Peru as far as Caracas
where we then were. In Peru they were hidden and obstructed beyond man's
power to get them; but in this place the entrances were not as well guarded,
although in 1812 an awful earthquake had leveled much of the town. The
Venezuelans were rapacious, and these men in India who knew the secret had
sent him there to prevent any one finding the entrances. At certain seasons
only there were possibilities of discovery; the seasons over he could depart
in security, as until the period came again no one could find the openings
without the consent and help of the adepts. 

Just then a curious bell sound broke on the air and he begged me to remain
until he returned, as he was called, and then left the room. I waited a long
time, filled with speculations, and as it was getting late and past dinner
hour, I was about to leave. Just as I did so, a Hindoo servant quickly
entered and stood in front of the only door. As he stood there, I heard a
voice say as through a long pipe: "Stir not yet." 

Reseating myself, I saw that on the wall, where I had not before noticed it,
hung a curious broad silver plate brightly shining. The hour of the day had
come when the sun's light struck this plate and I saw that on it were
figures which I could not decipher. Accidentally looking at the opposite
wall, I saw that the plate threw a reflection there upon a surface evidently
prepared for that purpose and there was reproduced the whole surface of the
plate. 

It was a diagram with compass, sign and curious marks. I went closer to
examine, but just at that moment the sun dipped behind the houses and the
figures were lost. All I could make out was that the letters looked like
exaggerated Tamil or Telugu-perhaps Zend. 

Another faint bell sounded and the old man returned. He apologized, saying
that he had been far away, but that we would meet again. I asked where, and
he said "In London." Promising to return, I hurried away. Next day I could
not find him at all and discovered that there were two houses devoted to
Joseph and Mary, and I could not tell which I had seen him in. But in each I
found Spaniards, Spanish servants and Spanish smells.

In 1884 I went to London, and had forgotten the adventure. One day I
strolled into an old alley to examine the old Roman wall in the Strand which
is said to be 2,000 years old. As I entered and gazed at the work, I
perceived a man of foreign aspect there who looked at me as I entered. I
felt as if he knew me or that I had met him, but was utterly unable to be
sure. His eyes did not seem to belong to his body and his appearance was at
once startling and attractive. He spoke to the attendant, but his voice did
not help me. Then the attendant went out and he, approaching me, said:

"Have you forgotten the house of Joseph and Mary?"

In a moment I knew the expression that looked out through those windows of
the soul, but still this was not the same man. Determined to give him no
satisfaction I simply said, "No," and waited.

"Did you succeed in making out the reflection from the silver plate on the
wall?" Here was complete identification of place but not of person.

"Well I said, "I saw your eyes in Caracas but not your body." 

He then laughed and said, "I forgot that. I am the same man, but I have
borrowed this body for the present and must indeed use it for some time, but
I find it pretty hard work to control it. It is not quite to my liking. The
expression of my eyes of course you knew, but I lost sight of the fact that
you looked at the body with ordinary eyes."

Once more I accompanied him to his residence and, when not thinking of his
person but only listening with the soul, I forgot the change. Yet it was
ever present, and he kindly gave me an account of some things connected with
himself, of absorbing interest. He began in this way.

"I was allowing myself to deceive myself, forgetting the Bagavat Gita where
it tells us, that a man is his soul's friend and his soul's enemy, in that
retreat in Northern India where I had spent many years. But the chance again
arose to retrieve the loss incurred by that and I was given the choice of
assuming this body. "At this point again I heard the signal bell and he
again left me. When he returned, he resumed the story.

If I can soon again get the opportunity, I will describe that scene, but for
the present must here take a halt. 


II

There are many who cannot believe that I have been prevented from writing
the whole of this tale at once, and they have smiled when they read that I
would continue it "if allowed." But all who know me well will feel that
there is some truth in my statement. It may interest those who can read
between the lines to know that I attempted several times to finish the tale
so as to send it all in one batch to the magazine, but always found that at
the point where the first chapter ends my eyes would blur, or the notes
ready for the work became simply nonsense, or some other difficulty
intervened, so that I was never until now able to get any further with it
than the last installment. 

It is quite evident to me that it will not be finished, although I know
quite well what it is that I have to say. This part must therefore be the
last, as in trying to reach a conclusion much time is wasted in fighting
against whatever it is that desires to prevent my going into full details.
In order then to be able to get out even so much as this, I am compelled to
omit many incidents which would perhaps be interesting to several persons:
but I shall try to remember particularly and relate what things of a
philosophical nature were repeated to me.

As I sat there waiting for the host to come back, I felt the moral influence
of another mind, like a cool breeze blowing from a mountain. It was the mind
of one who arrived at least at that point where he desired no other thing
than that which Karma may bring, and, even as that influence crept over me,
I began to hear a voice speaking as it were through a pipe the end of which
was In my head, but which stretched an immense distance into space making
the voice sound faint and far off. It said:

"The man whose passions enter his heart as waters run into the unswelling
passive ocean obtaineth happiness; not he who lusteth in his lusts. The man
who having abandoned the lusts of the flesh worketh without inordinate
desires, unassuming, and free from pride, obtaineth happiness. This is
divine dependence. A man being possessed of this confidence in the Supreme
goeth not astray: even at the hour of death should he attain it he shall mix
with the incorporeal nature of Brahm. He who enjoyeth the Amreeta that is
left of his offerings obtaineth the eternal spirit of Brahm the Supreme."
[BHAGAVAD GITA ]

The atmosphere of the room seemed to give the memory great retentive power,
and when on returning to my room that night I fell upon those sentences in
the Bhagavad Gita I knew that they had come to me from a place or person for
whom I should have respect.

Occupied with such thoughts I did not notice that my host had returned, and,
looking up, was somewhat startled to see him sitting at the other side of
the apartment reading a book. The English clothes were gone, and a white
Indian dhoti covered him, and I could see that he wore round his body the
Brahmanical cord. For some reason or other, he had hanging from a chain
around his neck an ornament, which, if it was not Rosicrucian, was certainly
ancient.
Then I noticed another change. There seemed to have come in with him, though
not by the door, other visitors which were not human. At first I could not
see them, though I was aware of their presence, and after a few moments I
knew that whatever they were they rushed hither and thither about the room
as if without purpose. As yet they had no form. 

This absorbed me again so that I said nothing, and my host was also silent.
In a few more moments these rushing visitors had taken from the atmosphere
enough material to enable them to become partly visible. Now and then they
made a ripple in the air as if they disturbed the medium in which they moved
about, just as the fin of a fish troubles the surface of the water. I began
to think of the elemental shapes we read of in Bulwer Lytton's Zanoni, and
which have been illustrated in Henry Kunrath's curious book on the Cabala of
the Hebrews.

"Well," said my strange friend, "do you see them? You need have no fear, as
they are harmless. They do not see you, excepting one that appears to know
you. I was called out so as to try if it were possible for you to see them,
and am glad that you do."

"And the one that knows me," said I. "Can you identify it in any way?"

"Well," said he, "let us call it he. He seems to have seen you- been
impressed with your image just as a photograph is on a plate- somewhere or
other, and I also see that he is connected with you by a name. Yes, it is
_______."

And then he mentioned the name of an alleged elemental or nature spirit
which at one time, some years ago, was heard of in New York.

"He is looking at you now, and seems to be seeking something. What did you
have or make once that he knew of?"

I then recollected a certain picture, a copy of an Egyptian papyrus of the
Hall of Two Truths, showing the trial of the Dead, and so replied,
regretting that I had not got it with me to show my friend. But even as I
said that, I saw the very picture lying upon the table. Where it came from I
do not know, as I had no recollection of bringing it with me. However, I
asked no questions and waited, as my host was looking intently at the space
above my head.

"Ah, that is what he was looking for, and he seems to be quite pleased," he
said, as if I could hear and see just as he did. I knew he referred to the
elemental.

In another moment my attention was riveted on the picture. Its surface
bobbed up and down as if waves ran over it, and crackling sounds rose from
every part. They grew louder and the motion ceased, while from a certain
point arose a thin whitish vapor that wavered unsteadily to and fro.
Meanwhile the strange visitors I have mentioned seemed to rush about more in
the vicinity of the paper, while now and again one of them took what looked
like a flying leap from one end of the room to the other with a queer faint
boom of a metallic character following his rapid motion.

Here I must draw the veil unwillingly. Let me violate the unities and the
frame of this tale by just putting down a few sentences, leaving it to the
imagination to draw inferences.  

"Those strange delineations of form? Quite easily. They were seen by the
seeresses in the temple. It is quite true that elementals have no form as
such. . . . But there are undoubtedly types, and [those] Egyptians were not
the men to do anything unscientifically.

There is an occult reason why, although without form, these particular
shapes were assumed. And having been once assumed and seen thus by the seer,
they always repeated that form to those persons. So the representative of
the astral light, or of wisdom, or of the recording angel, is yellow in
color, very tall, with a long bill like a stork. Or the one who takes the
weight of the soul is always seen with a jackal's head. No, there is no
prohibition against telling the occult reason. It is merely this: were it
told, only one in a thousand hearers would see any meaning or reason in it.
. . . Let your mind reflect also upon the peculiarity that all the judges
sitting above there have heads alike, while in color they differ, each one
having a feather, the emblem of truth, on his head.

No, it is not Hindu, and yet it is the same. They used to say, and I think
you may find it in one of their books, that 'everything is in the Supreme
soul, and the Supreme soul in everything.' So the great truth is one, while
it can be seen in a thousand different ways. 

We [Egyptians] took a certain view and made every symbol consistent and of a
class consonant with our view. . . . And just as the Hindus are accused of
being idolaters because they have represented Krishna with eight arms
standing on the great elephant, we, who did not picture an eight-armed
divinity, are charged with having worshipped jackals, cats and birds. 

"Yes, it is a pity, but the sand that buries Egypt has not been able to
smother the great voice of that Sphinx, the esoteric doctrine. But not
through us except in some such manner as this, now and then. In India the
light burns, and in a living people still resides the key-." Just then the
bobbing of the picture began again and the same whitish column wavered over
it. The faint boom of the airy elementals re-commenced, and again claimed my
attention, and then the picture was still.

I may say that the whole of the conversation has not been given. It is not
necessary that it should be. My host had maintained perfect silence all the
while, and seemed to await my voice, so I said:

"What could have induced you to leave those peaceful places where true
progress may be gained?"

"Well," he replied, "very likely they were peaceful, and quite truly
progress was possible, but you do not appreciate the dangers also. You have
read Zanoni, and perhaps have an exaggerated idea of the horrible Dweller of
the Threshold, making of her a real person or thing. But the reality is much
worse. When you get into what you have called 'the peaceful places,' this
power becomes tenfold stronger than it is found to be on the plane in which
we now live in London."

"Why, I supposed that there, free from the cankering anxieties of modern
life, the neophyte sailed happily on through plain seas to the shores of the
fortunate isles."

"Far from that. On that plane it is found that, although from the spiritual
sun there falls upon us the benign influence of those great sages who,
entering paranirvana, throw off their accumulated goodness for our benefit,
the evil influence that is focussed by the dark side of the moon falls as
well, and with its power undiminished. The little temptations and
difficulties of your life are as nothing compared to that struggle, for then
it is realized that the self is the enemy of the self, as well as its
friend." [BHAGAVAD GITA ]

"But," said I, "was the fault committed a great one, that it should condemn
you to this task?"

"No, not great as you term it. But quite great enough; and in consequence I
had to take my choice. In Caracas you saw me as an illusion of a certain
character. There I did what was required, the illusion being perfect except
as to the eyes. Now you see another illusion, and yet at the same time a
reality such as is connoted by that word when used by modern scientists. It
is a body that lives and will die. The Karma is hard perhaps, but I grumble
not. But is it not an illusion in every sense, when you know that although
this body speaks and thinks, still I, the speaker, am not visible to you?"

These words are not mine. If some of them seem meaningless or queer to many
readers, do not blame the writer. There are those who can understand. There
are yet others who have latent thoughts that need but these words to call
them into life. I can not give any greater detail than the above as to
himself, because he had reasons for preventing me, although he might perhaps
himself tell more to another.

One curious thing of interest he said, which will furnish some with food for
thought. It was when I referred to the use of the body he had, so to say,
borrowed, that he said:

"Don't you know that many experiments are possible in that way, and that
some students are taught peculiarly? I have stood aside from this earthly
tabernacle many a time to let in those who, notwithstanding that they
operated the machine well enough and made quite a respectable use of it, did
not know what they did. They were, if you like, dreaming. While here, in
this body, they were essentially it, for the time, speaking its words,
thinking its thoughts, and not able to control it. Not desiring to in fact,
because they were completely identified with it. When they waked up in their
own apartments either a singular dream whispered a fragmentary song through
their brain, or they retained no remembrances whatever of it. In such a case
the body, being really master, might do or say that which I would not-or the
occupier, temporarily strong, might say out of real recollection things
having relation only to that life of which his hearers would have no
knowledge."

Just then some clock struck. The atmosphere seemed to clear itself. A
strange and yet not unfamiliar perfume floated through the room, and my host
said, "Yes, I will show you a verse some one tells me to show you."

He walked over to the table, took up a queer little book printed in
Sanscrit, yellow with age and seeming to have been much used. Opening it he
read:

"This supreme Spirit and incorruptible Being, even when it is in the body,
neither acteth, nor is it affected, because its nature is with out beginning
and without quality. As the all-moving Akas, or ether, from the minuteness
of its parts, passeth everywhere unaffected, even so the omnipresent spirit
remaineth in the body unaffected. As a single sun illumines the whole world,
even so doth the spirit enlighten every body. They who, with the eye of
wisdom, perceive the body and the spirit to be thus distinct, and that there
is a final release from the animal nature, go to the Supreme." [ BHAGAVAD
GITA ]
 
W.Q.J.
==========================================
This includes ideas and phrases from a number of writers and is not solely
my own. Dallas.