Theos-Talk Archives (September 2004 Message tt00006)

Aug 31 2004

Dear Friend:

Mind is indeed a problem.  

We are a mind.  

We also as a spiritual being can guide our "mind."  

To the Spiritual Man the Mind is only a tool. 

THEOSOPHY splits Mind into two distinct portions:

1	The Lower Mind (usually allied and involved in fancy, passions,
desires, emotions (called Kama) and very selfish) It is said to be that
aspect of "mind" that is involved in the daily affairs of the Personality.
It is very much attached to our emotions and desires. It lures us away to
selfish and isolationist considerations. It is considered, when unchecked,
to be dangerous to man's well being, as the end-result of its conclusions
are often self-destructive and not completely thought out as to potential
results.

2	The Higher Mind (this is said to be firmly allied t the Spirit of
Man -- Atma-Buddhi - or embodied WISDOM -- this is also viewed as the "God"
resident in each human being). The qualities of this mind are philosophy,
wisdom and altruism. It always has universal and impersonal views, concepts
and ideas, and is forever idealistic. These it keeps in view. It looks on
our personality and our Lower Mind as a child that is struggling to mature.
It knows Karma works everywhere, and tries to advise the Lower Mind to make
choices that will benefit it in the long run. This Higher Mind is the being
that meditates. Buddhi means" Universal Wisdom." It is also the basis for
consistent morality and ethical practices. Man is viewed as an immortal
pilgrim and everyone else is also the same. 

Let me offer some quotations that might help.

Dallas

-----------------------------------
 
 
Our main problem is knowing which "self" is thinking and talking. Let me
see if I can le the original text do the explaining:
  
The VOICE OF THE SILENCE says "The Self of Matter and the SELF of SPIRIT
can never meet. One of the twain must disappear. There is no place for
both." Voice, p. 13
  
"Feel thyself abiding in all things, all things in SELF." P. 54
  
Apparently there is the ALL SELF (ATMAN).
 
Then, there is
 
1 The Lower (brain-)mind (Kama-Manas), and
 
2 The Higher (Wise) Mind (Buddhi-Manas).
 
The thread of "antaskarana" unites these two and the communications see to
be frequent depending on the desire of the Lower Mind to become pure in
motive and follow docilely the behests of the Buddhi-Manas.
 
Look again at the "Voice" p. 27.
 
"Saith the pupil:
 
O Teacher, what shall I do to reach to Wisdom?
 
O Wise one, what, to gain perfection?
 
Search for the Paths. But, O Lanoo, be of clean heart before thou startest
on thy journey. Before thou takest thy first step learn to discern the real
from the false, the ever-fleeting from the everlasting. Learn above all to
separate Head-learning from Soul-Wisdom, the "Eye" from the "Heart"
doctrine..
 
The seeds of Wisdom cannot sprout and grow in airless space. To live and
reap experience the mind needs breadth and depth and points to draw it
towards the Diamond Soul. 
 
(1) Seek not those points in Maya's realm; but soar beyond illusions, search
the eternal and the changeless SAT, 
 
(2) mistrusting fancy's false suggestions.
 
For mind is like a mirror; it gathers dust while it reflects. 
 
(3) It needs the gentle breezes of Soul-Wisdom to brush away the dust of
our illusions. Seek, O Beginner, to blend thy Mind and Soul.
 
Shun ignorance, and likewise shun illusion. Avert thy face from world
deceptions; mistrust thy senses, they are false. But within thy body - the
shrine of thy sensations-seek in the Impersonal for the "eternal man" (1);
and having sought him out, look inward: thou art Buddha. (2)
 
Shun praise, O Devotee. Praise leads to self-delusion. Thy body is not self,
thy SELF is in itself without a body, and either praise or blame affects it
not..
 
False learning is rejected by the Wise, and scattered to the Winds by the
good Law. Its wheel revolves for all, the humble and the proud. The
"Doctrine of the Eye" (3) is for the crowd, the "Doctrine of the Heart," for
the elect. The first repeat in pride: "Behold, I know," the last, they who
in humbleness have garnered, low confess, "thus have I heard". (1)
 
"Great Sifter" is the name of the "Heart Doctrine," O disciple. 
 
The wheel of the good Law moves swiftly on. It grinds by night and day. The
worthless husks it drives from out the golden grain, the refuse from the
flour. The hand of Karma guides the wheel; the revolutions mark the beatings
of the Karmic heart. 
 
True knowledge is the flour, false learning is the husk. If thou would'st
eat the bread of Wisdom, thy flour thou hast to knead with Amrita's (2)
clear waters. But if thou kneadest husks with Maya's dew, thou canst create
but food for the black doves of death, the birds of birth, decay and
sorrow.. 
 
If thou art taught that sin is born of action and bliss of absolute
inaction, then tell them that they err. Non-permanence of human action;
deliverance of mind from thraldom by the cessation of sin and faults, are
not for "Deva Egos." (3) Thus saith the "Doctrine of the Heart." 
 
The Dharma of the "Eye" is the embodiment of the external, and the
non-existing. 
 
The Dharma of the "Heart" is the embodiment of Bodhi, (4) the Permanent and
Everlasting." Voice 27-31.
 
An important point that is made here is (to me): the MORAL EVOLUTION of
man's mind is crucial. The fact that Karma always attaches itself to
choice, and we, as immortals, implies we always receive exactly what we
generate in terms of "good" and "evil."  
 
The old song: "there's no hiding place down there," mirrors this concept.
So we might as well be brotherly and do good always - or we eventually pay
for error and selfishness in pain and sorrow. No "escape." No "pardon." No
"forgiveness." No "secret" place where "God [Just Karma] will not discover
our hidden vices, and demand payment and restitution to our victims.
 
============================

-----Original Message-----
From: Morten 
Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2004 6:56 AM
To: 
Subject: Re: ORIGINAL TEACHINGS


Hallo Dallas and all,

My views are:

I think if one reads Blavatsky texts carefully, one will find, that she uses
the word "mind" as covering all levels of knowledge, but also the word
"mind" as if it is belonging only to the lower Manas or even to Manas a
such.

To try to make this more clear I write the following - thoughts:

What I have learnt is, that the ability to mentally visualize something
which is not perceived by the senses at the same time, that this is the
check point charlie so to speak between higher and lower manas. The Soul
contact sort of takes place. But it is only a wague contact.
Others are saying it is formless thinking, which is the check point.

When one has learned the ability to think and even ponder on more than one
object and issue at the same time, which are not perceived by the senses at
the time of doing it. Then we are talking about the higher manas are at
work.

(For instance one can ponder or meditate on the sexless compassionate God
within ones partner, while calculating the taxes which are due. God is often
perceived as a bright "Light" by the beginners.)

These levels of thinking are - when going upwards - slowly becoming a kind
of thinking, which are - formless in nature. One could call it abstract
formless thinking, almost like an advanced biocomputer with build-in
compassion. Well only almost.

And as far as I understand it, the level of Buddhi in each Seeker has many
different sublevels and even areas.

Some Seekers uses the higher Manas a lot with almost no Buddhi and others
has a lot of Buddhi and very little Manas capability.

And there are a lot of variations in between.

Buddhi is difficult to describe since we are talking about a level of
consciousness, which normally enables the Seeker to perceive the world using
extra sensory perception. The one who tastes know goes the saying.
This level also contains knowledge or rather wisdom about reincarnation
cycles, precognitive vision and other issues, which the beginner aught not
yet to try use his or her precious time with.

So far my knowledge.
I might be in error, but then let me know.

All suffering is due to justice and all in accordance with God's
cosmological law.

CUT