Theos-Talk Archives (November 2004 Message tt00185)

Nov 14 2004

Dear Tom:

Your exposition has much that is compelling in it. However may I offer you
to consider (an compare) the main theosophical teachings concerning
evolution as a whole?

"Why are we here," is a good question.  

But it ought to be supplemented by another:

"How did we get to be here?"

Theosophy says that we are at core "spiritual beings." Now what does that
imply? We are a vast host of immortals who entered into this world on a
rescue mission. We are all here to help others who do not yet know they are
wise and spiritual and have to be shown how to discover that in themselves.

In fact each of us is a case in point. We find ourselves in or surrounded
by difficulties, pain, sorrow, and also see joyous and pleasant moments. We
wonder how to get rid of the hurt and increase the happiness. This can be
resolved into another question: "How do we get out of here?"

And if we do not get a reasonable answer we feel imposed on by injustice.
Are we to blame man-made "law," or shall we blame "Nature" for failing to
protect us?

Theosophy makes a situation report to us:

As said, we may make the assumption, says Theosophy, that we are
"immortals." We use bodies after bodies. But, for what purpose? 

So our consciousness and or awareness does not "die" [For example, we all
go to sleep and then wake up being ourselves again.] It is the Spiritual
Self that we are, which keeps the continuity through the unconsciousness we
call "sleep" (or a coma, or a period when we are anaesthetized).

We find ourselves in mortal and constantly changing bodies. That is our
physical nature; and, we keep that alive with several things that pass
through our bodies. [ For example, we all breathe air, drink water, and
eat. We all work, play and rest in sheltering environments. ]  

Eventually the body grows old, tired and is unable to heal and renew itself.
It dies. But Theosophy states very positively that the Real person within,
is immortal and does not die. It comes back in a new body under a universal
law called "reincarnation."

Another variable is found in our moods and feelings. [For example. we
divide how we "feel" into two categories: things we like and others that we
dislike.] To some extent we are able to control and change how we feel,
and at other times we are overwhelmed by their power.

A third factor we can realize and consider is the Mind (or some call it the
Soul). We do not "have a Soul." Theosophy says: We are the SOUL. And yet
we also know that we can change our minds. Do we have two minds? In a way?
yes.  

We have the "spiritual Mind" that is immortal, and, we have its reflection
in the body which we call our "embodied (or brain) mind." We notice that
the mind is closely allied to our "feelings." 

Sometimes it has the power to control the feelings, sometimes the feelings
and desires (or passions) overthrow the mind's control, and we hear of
crimes committed. [The Laws of all countries recognize the fact that the
Human Mind is supposed to be able to control the desires, passions and
feelings and hold them under a discipline that makes us "equal before the
law." If a crime is detected, then the local Law holds the person
responsible and liable. We also know that this is abused, and dishonesty is
prevalent. ]
  
Such being the case, Theosophy says we are spiritual beings who have
"descended voluntarily into matter." We did this by choice many ages back
so that we could assist our "younger brothers" who are also "mind monads"
but lack the experience we have had. The mission we took up was to help
them to become consciously spiritual as we are.

So we took on their problems (as tutors, not as enforcers) and in the
process we lost some of our spiritual powers. Together now, we are
struggling to become entirely spiritual, and in the process to assist all
Nature to improve. In a way it is like the fire-fighters who plunge into a
burning building seeking to extinguish the flames and also to discover if
any one is there who needs their rescuing help.

Looking at the matter in a deeper way, we might add:

One of the main ideas that THEOSOPHY PRESENTS is that it is not derived from
any of the religious philosophies of antiquity.  

It claims to be the most ancient system of all. It states and restates what
are the laws and processes of Nature (the Universe) and gives meaning to the
evolutionary processes that involve everyone. It says that each of those
"religions" and each of the philosophies and sciences of our era have been
derived from ancient and immemorial Theosophy.

The book The SECRET DOCTRINE, written by Mme. Blavatsky, offers us a survey
of two vast subjects: --

1.	The origin of Worlds, galaxies and Universe, and the origin of Man
as a thinking being.  

2.	It claims that (using the words of the ancient Sage Patanjali) :
"The Universe comes into existence for the sole purpose of the evolution of
the thinking man or Monad."

Here are some extracts which explain this further:


"If one considers that the entire MANIFESTATION is made up of imperishable
(immortal) MONADS and, each one is a compound that cannot be separated of
SPIRIT/MATTER, then it is possible to consider another deduction:
INTELLIGENCE is a mark of the individual progress of each MONAD as it wends
its eternal journey through the experiences that MANIFESTATION gives. Every
least "atom" is intelligent, and that intelligence is ever-growing as it
lives through experience in all the many successive planes of nature. "The
SECRET DOCTRINE teaches the progressive development of everything, worlds,
as well as atoms; and this stupendous development has neither conceivable
beginning not imaginable end." (SECRET DOCTRINE I 43)

"It looks on the whole of evolution and manifestation as embodied awareness,
or "consciousness." it claims that every being from the "life-atom (Monad)"
on up to the wisest of Sages form a single united body of spiritual LIFE.  

Life is embodied Intelligence. Intelligence is always growing. Experience
leaves an indelible impress of memory and that is the basis for those
increments and growth. The Experiencer is also the Perceiver and the
Witness of changes and events.  

It, as the "Observer," is the constant and unchangeable center of the
immortality of the unit Monad. This Monad is held to be an "Eternal
Pilgrim." It is brother and companion to all other Monads. Hence,
Theosophy holds that Universal Brotherhood is a fact in nature.

The whole of manifestation reflects in its many minds of unite (monads)
various levels of consciousness. And, fundamentally it holds that none of
its Units ever "dies." or is erased. Each one is an immortal.

CONSCIOUSNESS is the PERCEPTIVE power which it, the Real Man, uses to
experience on the 7 planes of Nature -- using the 7 "principles" of its
nature as a basis for making this contact, and it stores the memory of those
experiences. "Mind is the name given to the sum of the states of
Consciousness grouped under Thought, Will and Feeling." (SD I 38) ...
"Whatever plane our consciousness may be acting in, both we and the things
belonging to that plane, are for the time being, our only realities...the
upward progress of the Ego is a series of progressive awakenings..." (SD I
40)


"But that MEMORY is not always available to the Mind (Lower-Manas, or the
embodied mind), that we use every day while awake, and yet, as it is
embodied in our personalities, we believe that it and ourselves are one. The
fact that "We" are other than the Mind, makes the progress we seek (in the
here and now) a process of purifying our mind-nature of the psychic
impressions we have imposed on it and on the living matter (monads of
lesser experience) that we have drawn together to make up our physical
bodies.  

The "path" of this purification of the mind directs us to recommend that all
our efforts be focused on the application of virtue: that which is
honorable, fair, true, and the most honest method of living with and dealing
with other beings, whether those be men or other aggregates of intelligence
that we might call stones, plants, animals or men.  

In other words, in the process of self-purification, it is suggested that we
voluntarily order our lives so as to harmonize with nature to the best
possible extent. Obviously, for our personal consciousness (arising out of
the personal focus of a physical form, and now placed in coadunition with a
Mind) it seems to be a great discipline. The "conflict" in the psychic
nature is intense." (SD II 79-80, 93-4)

Some basic ideas offered by Theosophy are:

"It is on the right comprehension of the primeval Evolution of Spirit-Matter
and its real essence that the student has to depend for the further
elucidation in his mind of the Occult Cosmogony, and for the only sure clue
which can guide his subsequent studies. "	-- Secret Doctrine Vol I
page 277. 


"It is the Spiritual evolution of the inner, immortal man that forms the
fundamental tenet in the Occult Sciences...the student has to believe 

a) in the ONE Universal Life, independent of matter...and, 

b) in the individual intelligences that animate the various manifestations
of this Principle."	-- SD I 634


"The ONE LIFE is closely related to the One Law, which governs the World of
Being--KARMA... action," or rather "an effect-producing cause."... in its
far-reaching moral effects. It is the unerring LAW of RETRIBUTION."...
eternal and immutable..." -- SD I 634


"...man is a free agent during his stay on earth. He cannot escape his
ruling Destiny...which from birth to death every man is weaving thread by
thread around himself; and this destiny is guided either by the heavenly
voice of the invisible prototype outside of us, or by the evil genius of our
more intimate astral, or inner man."	-- SD I 639


"Bad" karma is the effect of any choice that has selfish motives inherent in
it. The Monadic being that created the disharmony has to be brought (by
Nature using Karmic law) to "teach himself" or "to become a volunteer for
the good." All the situations he is placed in are framed so as to awaken
his questioning intelligence, to make him reflect on his advantages and
limitations, and finally to ask: Why am I here? What can I to do? Where
should I be going? "Is there a final GOAL?"

This leads the thoughtful man out of any blind following of leaders in
religion, philosophy, politics or science into deciding what he should study
and accept as his own guiding principles. The closer that those are to
universal morality and ethics, the more perfect will he make his living.

We could say that Theosophy is a record of the HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE in
terms of universal experience. It is like a great wall. We can not "bite"
it. It shows us the "reality" we are looking for. Now we have to find out
how it works, and what is that final objective of manifested existence. How
does our MONAD reunite with the universal MONAD in which it all beings are
dwelling, perhaps unconsciously for aeons of time? "The whole past of our
globe is nothing but an unfolding present."
-- SD I 639.



To sum up: We do exhibit a great degree of intelligence and have
corresponding great responsibilities. Using the process of introspection
and observation of our own natures, thoughts and acts, we gradually become
conscious of their power, and then it is that we notice the conflict that
arises between the "necessary" and the "pleasant" (to the personality --
which cannot see with the "instinct" alone, the inevitable suffering that
indulging the "pleasant" entails). Alone the awakened Mind can see this
potential and guard against it. It is a power we have that is superior to
our feelings and desires.

In practical life one finds that all systems and methods embody
inefficiencies. This is a saving grace. There should never be any
imposition of "personal efficiency" on others. Each has to create their
own. In the meantime in cooperation with others we learn to tolerate the
inefficiencies of others, and work in and around them. What do we need to
find and use for the study of Theosophy ? -- Ideally we need the "original
teachings." Additionally we need to find a forum in which we can join with
others to discuss the philosophy and its applications. 

Best wishes,

Dallas

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

-----Original Message-----
From: Tom M 
Sent: Saturday, November 13, 2004 9:28 PM
To: 
Subject: Re: asking for help


As there is much already written on Creation in the
universal sense (I am not implying this universe is
all there is), I won't go into great detail by
explaining that nothing comes from nothing. There are
no random acts of chance or luck. If we stop to think
about it, we can all come to an understanding of cause
and effect. Whether we think of a Big Bang theory, God
speaking the words of creation ,Ptah fashioning the
Egg of the World, etc., it really doesn't matter
because the fact is, we can see cause and effect. Why
is this important? Well, because this is one of the
laws of creation and nature. It is only possible to
Control the elements by using the laws that govern
them. To use, manipulate, and benefit from the tools
readily available to us all, we should first
understand them. 


CUT