Theos-Talk Archives (December 2004 Message tt00315)

Dec 22 2004

Dear Friend: 

Re: Transfusions and reincarnation

I fully understand,  

The VOICE OF THE SILENCE says: Pp. 75-6

"But stay, Disciple . . . Yet, one word. 

Canst thou destroy divine COMPASSION? 

Compassion is no attribute. It is the LAW of LAWS-eternal Harmony, Alaya's
SELF; a shoreless universal essence, the light of everlasting Right, and
fitness of all things, the law of love eternal.

The more thou dost become at one with it, thy being melted in its BEING, the
more thy Soul unites with that which IS, the more thou wilt become
COMPASSION ABSOLUTE. 

Such is the Arya Path, Path of the Buddhas of perfection."


As I have tried to say:  

THEOSOPHY provides us with information about the laws and rules and
relations of things in our world and universe, chiefly along the causes of
the physical situations we are in or those into which we may place
ourselves. This means for us a gradual study of, and familiarization with,
the electro-magnetic and moral energies that underlie the "life-atoms,"
Monads, and "little lives" we use and attract, and then diffuse again.  

Nature has her own way of doing this. 

Modern medicine and surgery with a view to sustaining "life" regardless of
its usefulness to the Soul within, sometime exaggerates its tasks of life
sustaining work. How can that urge be understood and used to the advantage
not only of the individual concerned, but of all?

Edgar Caycee was one who had insights into this -- which the average
individual lacks. But his type of insights are not readily available for
use.

But THEOSOPHY does not dictate to anyone how to apply that knowledge.

For instance, if you look through the JATAKA TALES that relate to the
earlier incarnations of Gautama Buddha, you will find enormous evidence of
the self-application of compassion and self-sacrifice. These are examples
of merit and inspiration. [see below]

They illustrate the attitude a donor ought to use. They do not enforce
anything but reason it out, or offer explanations from a deeper level of
knowledge..

Not everything is a danger. But the decisions we make create through our
motives either benefit or endanger -- ourselves, and, or others.  

It is not solely for ourselves that warnings are to be considered, but also
as to what we may transmit to others. Who of us can say we have lived so
pure a life that the material we donate will not harm them?  

Also consider that the method of providing the gift is by a forceful
invasion of another's body -- injection or by surgery -- The other body has
no normal way of refusing or rejecting the gift. Suppressants of various
kinds may be used to ease the curative aspect of such gifts until our bodies
are made to accept them.

But, as you say, (and I am also aware of them) there are more subtle effects
that are observed. Those are also important. These can impact our psyche
and our minds. Sometimes for good and sometimes the reverse.

This is an insoluble dilemma at least as regards applications to others.
Each has to decide for themselves.

Best wishes,

Dallas

P S Example of Jataka tale:



The Angry Broom


In ancient times when Brahmadatta ruled in Benares the kingdom's
influence extended to Chidambaram where stands an ancient and famous temple,
said to have been dedicated, when first opened by the Devas, the Raja-Rishis
of ancient times who never die, and who watch over the works and fate of
mankind.

Attached to this temple is a school for students of Brahmanic lore.
One year, then, long ago, as the month of flowers named Margashirsha and
called March today, began on the day of the full moon, Ramachandra who had
just had his seventh birthday, walked happily with his mother and father to
visit the Chief Instructor at the nearby school of that ancient fane. He
was looking forward to joining a new class that was to be formed, and
following in the footsteps of his elder brother who had already gone to the
school some three years earlier.  

Ramachandra, called Rama for short, looked on this as an adventure,
and hoped that he too would be able to learn for himself the lore and wisdom
of his ancestors. He had been born in a Brahmin family and was acquainted
with some of the marvelous sweeps of nature study his parents and older
brother spoke of. This had led his active imagination and inquiring mind
into a more careful observing of Nature's creatures and ways all around him.
He wanted to learn all he could of the wisdom that was to be offered there.


He was accepted, and as he lived nearby, he was asked to come early
every day to work, and to study with others, who were boarders.  

Starting the next morning very early in the day, his teacher gave
him a broom made of twigs, and told him that his first responsibility was to
daily sweep out the courtyard of the school and temple.  

Rama set to work willingly. But his broom gave him trouble. No
sooner had he made a pile of dust and twigs blown in on the wind, than the
broom, with a willful and capricious mind of its won, flicked the neat pile
away and the scattered all he had assembled into the pile. Everything would
have to be swept up again, and, strangely, this happened again and again.
Rama had never seen anything like that.

In despair, an hour later, Rama went to his teacher and told him of
this problem broom: how, in spite of his care and gentle treatment, it
persisted in destroying his work.

The Instructor, looking into the inner nature of the broom to
discover what could be the cause of this peculiar happening, found his mind
viewing a picture of its past. He saw the twigs of the broom, not as a
broom but as a bush. And he saw how, daily, a careless herds-boy had passed
by it, and how he struck the bush needlessly and wantonly with his stick as
he drove his cattle to water. The bush had acquired the impulsive and
careless nature of this wanton thoughtlessness as its own memory. And, in
that process, it also built up resentment in its own dim way at the needless
abuse it was made to endure. It was as though the life-atoms and
selfishness of that long-ago, negligent boy had scattered, had been soaked
up by the bush and now resided in it.  

Now, the bush, made into a broom, allowed that resentment and anger
so built up in its twigs to react with anyone that tried to use it. Rama
tried to use it to tidy up the court, and its nature made it unwieldy and
caused that scattering.

The Teacher, called Rama to his side and taking the boom in hand he
asked if the boy desired to teach eventually. Rama answered: "Yes."
"Then," said his Instructor, "what would you do to handle someone who
resented your teaching ?" "I would try harder to help him," answered Rama.

"Go now, with your broom, and treat it as a difficult pupil, and see
if you can help it to learn the lesson needed." And the teacher handed the
broom back to Rama.

Rama went back to his work, and at last succeeded in cleaning the
court. It took many days of patient and careful work with that broom to
secure from it a change. Rama never gave up his gentle but firm attempts.
Gradually the brook became friendly an docile as Rama worked patiently with
it, coaxing it to behave.

A month went by and one morning, the Teacher seeing Rama, early and
cheerfully at his usual morning task of sweeping the courtyard, asked him
about his broom. "Master," replied Rama. "this broom has learned well, and
it now does its work willingly and, we have become good friends."  

The Master smiled, another student had passed the first of many
tests before him.


==========================================
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Perry 
Sent: Monday, December 20, 2004 6:36 PM
To: 
Subject: Re: [bn-study] help needed Transfusions and reincarnation



Dear Dallas and All,

If `Compassion is the Law of Laws' then surely this can be act of
compassion which will have its own karmic effects based on motive as
you've said.

I have seen programs on people who have received organ donations and
then have taken on some of the attributes of that person so what you
say is defiantly not without merit and worthy of serious consideration.
(there was an excellent program on Discovery channel on this)

However for me I feel the act of giving of oneself for the sake of
another is a selfless and compassionate act.

While the taking of blood or an organ may have a `negative' effect on
us to a greater or lesser degree I cant believe that the underling
skandas we've acquired over perhaps hundreds of lifetimes will be
totally over run by the life saving organ or especially blood transfusion.

If we all of a sudden get a taste for rap music or MacDonald's, well
so be it I am still the same person underneath.

And have been given an extra opportunity to work though karma and
hopefully be of service to others in some way.

If we only look at a negative then that's all we'll see.

Regards

Perry