Theos-Talk Archives (August 2004 Message tt00737)

Aug 31 2004

For a reference to the 7 Rays, please see 

SECRET DOCTRINE Vol. I pp 570 -575, 604, II 611, 

(see quote below)

Best wishes,

Dallas

-----------------------------------
>From the SECRET DOCTRINE 

"The monad—a truly "indivisible thing," as defined by Good, who did not give
it the sense we now do—is here rendered as the Atma in conjunction with
Buddhi and the higher Manas. 

This trinity is one and eternal, the latter being absorbed in the former at
the termination of all conditioned and illusive life. 

The monad, then, can be traced through the course of its pilgrimage and its
changes of transitory vehicles only from the incipient stage of the
manifested Universe. 

In Pralaya, or the intermediate period between two manvantaras, it loses its
name, as it loses it when the real ONE self of man merges into Brahm in
cases of high Samadhi (the Turiya state) or final Nirvana; "when the
disciple" in the words of Sankara, "having attained that primeval
consciousness, absolute bliss, of which the nature is truth, which is
without form and action, abandons this illusive body that has been assumed
by the atma just as an actor (abandons) the dress (put on)." 

For Buddhi (the Anandamaya sheath) is but a mirror which reflects absolute
bliss; and, moreover, that reflection itself is yet not free from ignorance,
and is not the Supreme Spirit, being subject to conditions, being a
spiritual modification of Prakriti, and an effect; 

Atma alone is the one real and eternal substratum of all—the essence and
absolute knowledge—the Kshetragna. † It is called in the Esoteric philosophy
"the One Witness," and, while it rests in Devachan, is referred to as "the
Three Witnesses to Karma." 

Atma (our seventh principle) being identical with the universal Spirit, and
man being one with it in his essence, what is then the Monad proper? 

It is that homogeneous spark which radiates in millions of rays from the
primeval "Seven;"—of which seven further on. It is the EMANATING spark from
the UNCREATED Ray—a mystery. 

In the esoteric, and even exoteric Buddhism of the North, Adi Buddha (Chogi
dangpoi sangye), the One unknown, without beginning or end, identical with
Parabrahm and Ain-Soph, emits a bright ray from its darkness. 

This is the Logos (the first), or Vajradhara, the Supreme Buddha (also
called Dorjechang). As the Lord of all Mysteries he cannot manifest, but
sends into the world of manifestation his heart—the "diamond heart,"
Vajrasattva (Dorjesempa). 

This is the second logos of creation, from whom emanate the seven (in the
exoteric blind the five) Dhyani Buddhas, called the Anupadaka, "the
parentless." 

These Buddhas are the primeval monads from the world of incorporeal being,
the Arupa world, wherein the Intelligences (on that plane only) have neither
shape nor name, in the exoteric system, but have their distinct seven names
in esoteric philosophy. 

These Dhyani Buddhas emanate, or create from themselves, by virtue of
Dhyana, celestial Selves—the super-human Bodhisattvas. These incarnating at
the beginning of every human cycle on earth as mortal men, become
occasionally, owing to their personal merit, Bodhisattvas among the Sons of
Humanity, after which they may re-appear as Manushi (human) Buddhas. 

The Anupadaka (or Dhyani-Buddhas) are thus identical with the Brahminical
Manasaputra, "mind-born sons"—whether of Brahma or either of the other two
Trimurtian Hypostases, hence identical also with the Rishis and Prajapatis. 

Thus, a passage is found in Anugita, which, read esoterically, shows
plainly, though under another imagery, the same idea and system. It says:
"Whatever entities there are in this world, moveable or immoveable, they are
the very first to be dissolved (at pralaya); and next the developments
produced from the elements (from which the visible Universe is fashioned);
and, after these developments (evolved entities), all the elements. Such is
the upperward gradation among entities. Gods, Men, Gandharvas, Pisachas,
Asuras, Rakshasas, all have been created by Svabhava (Prakriti, or plastic
nature), not by actions, nor by a cause"—i.e., not by any physical cause. 
"These Brahmanas (the Rishi Prajapati?), the creators of the world, are born
here (on earth) again and again. Whatever is produced from them is dissolved
in due time in those very five great elements (the five, or rather seven,
Dhyani Buddhas, also called "Elements" of Mankind), like billows in the
ocean. 

These great elements are in every way beyond the elements that make up the
world (the gross elements). And he who is released even from these five
elements (the tanmatras) * goes to the highest goal." "The Lord Prajapati
(Brahma) created all this by the mind only," i.e., by Dhyana, or abstract
meditation and mystic powers like the Dhyani Buddhas (vide supra). Evidently
then, these "Brahmanas" are identical with the Bodhisattvas (the
terrestrial) of the heavenly Dhyani Buddhas. 

Both, as primordial, intelligent "Elements," become the creators or the
emanators of the monads destined to become human in that cycle; after which
they evolve themselves, or, so to say, expand into their own selves as
Bodhisattvas or Brahmanas, in heaven and earth, to become at last simple men
--"the creators of the world are born here, on earth again and again"—truly.
In the Northern Buddhist system, or the popular exoteric religion, it is
taught that every Buddha, while preaching the good law on earth, manifests
himself simultaneously in three worlds: in the formless, as Dhyani Buddha,
in the World of forms, as a Bodhisattva, and in the world of desire, the
lowest (or our world) as a man. 

Esoterically the teaching differs: The divine, purely Adi-Buddhic monad
manifests as the universal Buddhi (the Maha-buddhi or Mahat in Hindu
philosophies) the spiritual, omniscient and omnipotent root of divine
intelligence, the highest anima mundi or the Logos. 

	
THE SEVEN

This descends "like a flame spreading from the eternal Fire, immoveable,
without increase or decrease, ever the same to the end" of the cycle of
existence, and becomes universal life on the Mundane Plane. From this Plane
of conscious Life shoot out, like seven fiery tongues, the Sons of Light
(the logoi of Life); then the Dhyani-Buddhas of contemplation: the concrete
forms of their formless Fathers—the Seven Sons of Light, still themselves,
to whom may be applied the Brahmanical mystic phrase: "Thou art
'THAT'—Brahm." 

It is from these Dhyani-Buddhas that emanate their chhayas (Shadows) the
Bodhisattvas of the celestial realms, the prototypes of the
super-terrestrial Bodhisattvas, and of the terrestrial Buddhas, and finally
of men. The "Seven Sons of Light" are also called "Stars." 


INDIVIDUAL STAR

The star under which a human Entity is born, says the Occult teaching, will
remain for ever its star, throughout the whole cycle of its incarnations in
one Manvantara. But this is not his astrological star. The latter is
concerned and connected with the personality, the former with the
INDIVIDUALITY. 

The "Angel" of that Star, or the Dhyani-Buddha will be either the guiding or
simply the presiding "Angel," so to say, in every new rebirth of the monad,
which is part of his own essence, though his vehicle, man, may remain for
ever ignorant of this fact. The adepts have each their Dhyani-Buddha, their
elder "twin Soul," and they know it, calling it "Father-Soul," and
"Father-Fire." 


INITIATION

It is only at the last and supreme initiation, however, that they learn it
when placed face to face with the bright "Image." How much has Bulwer Lytton
known of this mystic fact when describing, in one of his highest
inspirational moods, Zanoni face to face with his Augoeides? 

The Logos, or both the unmanifested and the manifested WORD, is called by
the Hindus, Iswara, "the Lord," though the Occultists give it another name.
Iswara, say the Vedantins, is the highest consciousness in nature. 

"This highest consciousness," answer the Occultists, "is only a synthetic
unit in the world of the manifested Logos—or on the plane of illusion; for
it is the sum total of Dhyan-Chohanic consciousnesses." 

"Oh, wise man, remove the conception that not-Spirit is Spirit," says
Sankaracharya. 

Atma is not-Spirit in its final Parabrahmic state, Iswara or Logos is
Spirit; or, as Occultism explains, it is a compound unity of manifested
living Spirits, the parent-source and nursery of all the mundane and
terrestrial monads, plus their divine reflection, which emanate from, and
return into, the Logos, each in the culmination of its time. 


SEVEN AT SOURCE AND AMONG MANKIND

There are seven chief groups of such Dhyan Chohans, which groups will be
found and recognised in every religion, for they are the primeval SEVEN
Rays. 

Humanity, occultism teaches us, is divided into seven distinct groups and
their sub-divisions, mental, spiritual, and physical.* 

The monad, then, viewed as ONE, is above the seventh principle (in Kosmos
and man), and as a triad, it is the direct radiant progeny of the said
compound UNIT, not the breath (and special creation out of nihil) of "God,"
as that unit is called; for such an idea is quite unphilosophical, and
degrades Deity, dragging it down to a finite, attributive condition. As well
expressed by the translator of the "Crest-Jewel of Wisdom"—though Iswara is
"God" "unchanged in the profoundest depths of pralayas and in the intensest
activity of the manvantaras" . . ., still "beyond (him) is 
 
---------------Footnote----------------------------
* Hence the seven chief planets, the spheres of the indwelling seven
spirits, under each of which is born one of the human groups which is guided
and influenced thereby. There are only seven planets (specially connected
with earth), and twelve houses, but the possible combinations of their
aspects are countless. As each planet can stand to each of the others in
twelve different aspects, their combinations must, therefore, be almost
infinite; as infinite, in fact, as the spiritual, psychic, mental, and
physical capacities in the numberless varieties of the genus homo, each of
which varieties is born under one of the seven planets and one of the said
countless planetary combinations. See Theosophist, for August, 1886. 
------------------------------------------------

'ATMA,' round whose pavilion is the darkness of eternal MAYA." * The
"triads" born under the same Parent-planet, or rather the radiations of one
and the same Planetary Spirit (Dhyani Buddha) are, in all their after lives
and rebirths, sister, or "TWIN-SOULS," on this Earth. † 

This was known to every high Initiate in every age and in every country: "I
and my Father are one," said Jesus (John x. 30). ‡ When He is made to say,
elsewhere (xx. 17): "I ascend to my Father and your Father," it meant that
which has just been stated. It was simply to show that the group of his
disciples and followers attracted to Him belonged to the same Dhyani Buddha,
"Star," or "Father," again of the same planetary realm and division as He
did. It is the knowledge of this occult doctrine that found expression in
the review of "The Idyll of the White Lotus," when Mr. T. Subba Row wrote: 

"Every Buddha meets at his last initiation all the great adepts who reached
Buddhahood during the preceding ages . . . every class of adepts has its own
bond of spiritual communion which knits them together. . . . . The only
possible and effectual way of entering into such brotherhood . . . . is by
bringing oneself within the influence of the Spiritual light which radiates
from one's own Logos. I may further point out here . . . . that such
communion is only possible between persons whose souls derive their life and
sustenance from the same divine RAY, and that, as seven distinct rays
radiate from the 'Central Spiritual Sun,' all adepts and Dhyan Chohans are
divisible into seven classes, each of which is guided, controlled, and
overshadowed by one of the seven forms or manifestations of the divine
Wisdom." ("Theosophist," Aug., 1886.) " S D I 570 -574
 

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

-----Original Message-----
From: MKR 
Sent: Sunday, August 29, 2004 11:26 AM
To: 
Subject: Theosophy

While it is a fact that the world owes much of the modern theosophy through
the works of HPB, there were other individuals who were in direct touch with
the Masters.

Here are some examples.

Saint Ramalingam of South India was telling his disciples much before 1875 
that representatives of the Adepts from Himalayas will be preaching 
Universal Brotherhood and he was specific that the representatives will 
come from US and Russia.

There are several letters received by many individuals directly from the 
Adepts; some in Indian language(s). Some of them have been published.

Another case in point was the information about Seven Rays (which was later
published) which Ernest Wood directly received even though he was not
specific about the specific source. While he chose not to identify the 
source in his writings, I suspect he may have given some indication in 
personal conversations at the time he received the information.

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

DTB See S D I 570-5
======================

In the light of the above, it is quite possible that even after HPB and 
even today there may be individuals who are in contact with the Adepts even
though those in contact may not be willing to disclose or may be prevented
from disclosing it by the requirements of the Adepts.

Another aspect of the Wisdom of the Ages is that there are many which 
cannot be put writing or communicated. It may be recalled that in one of 
the letters from the Mahatmas, it was commented that were it be possible to 
communicate in writing, then all it needs is to write a book like a grammer.

So it appears that our best course is to suspend our judgements until we 
are internally ready to come to our own conclusion.

mkr