Theos-Talk Archives (December 2004 Message tt00447)

Dec 31 2004

Dear Friend:

Let me place some tentative answers in the text of your posting below.
Thank you,

Dallas

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


 

-----Original Message-----
From: Cass 
Sent: Thursday, December 30, 2004 4:53 PM
To: 
Subject: Re: Isis and Reincarnation


Dear Dallas

 
C
HPB: Even that takes place over and over again till the highest
condition of humanity, as known on this earth, is attained, but not
afterwards, and here is the clue to the mystery.... But once let a man be as
far perfected by successive re-incarnations as the present race will permit,
and then his next re-incarnation will be among the early growths of the next
higher world, where the earliest growths are far higher than the highest
here.

CASS: This I understand takes place when we have reached perfection. At the
end of the 7th round.

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

DTB	It may take place earlier depending on effort and acquired "merit"
See S D I 161-2

"Those who knew that a Round was preceded and followed by a long Pralaya, a
pause of rest which created an impassable gulf between two Rounds until the
time came for a renewed cycle of life, could not understand the "fallacy" of
talking about "fifth and sixth Rounders" in our Fourth Round. Gautama
Buddha, it was held, was a Sixth-Rounder, Plato and some other great
philosophers and minds, "Fifth-Rounders." 

How could it be? One Master taught and affirmed that there were such
"Fifth-Rounders" even now on Earth; and though understood to say that
mankind was yet "in the Fourth Round," in another place he seemed to say
that we were in the Fifth. To this an "apocalyptic answer" was returned by
another Teacher:-"A few drops of rain do not make a Monsoon, though they
presage it." . . . 

"No, we are not in the Fifth Round, but Fifth Round men have been coming in
for the last few thousand years." This was worse than the riddle of the
Sphinx! Students of Occultism subjected their brains to the wildest work of
speculation. For a considerable time they tried to outvie OEdipus and
reconcile the two statements. And as the Masters kept as silent as the stony
Sphinx herself, they were accused of inconsistency, "contradiction," and
"discrepancies."... the Orientalists have made a jumble of the Hindu
exoteric philosophy, and the Theosophists were now doing the same with
regard to esoteric teachings.

To this day it is evident that the latter have utterly failed to understand
the meaning of the term "Fifth and Sixth Rounders." But it is simply this: 

every "Round" brings about a new development and even an entire change in
the mental, psychic, spiritual and physical constitution of man, all these
principles evoluting on an ever ascending scale. Thence it follows that
those persons who, like Confucius and Plato, belonged psychically, mentally
and spiritually to the higher planes of evolution, were in our Fourth Round
as the average man will be in the Fifth Round, whose mankind is destined to
find itself, on this scale of Evolution, immensely higher than is our
present humanity. 

Similarly Gautama Buddha-Wisdom incarnate-was still higher and greater than
all the men we have mentioned, who are called Fifth Rounders, while Buddha
and Sankaracharya are termed Sixth Rounders, allegorically. Thence again the
concealed wisdom of the remark, pronounced at the time "evasive"-that a few
drops of rain do not make the Monsoon, though they presage it." 
 
In the S D it is hinted that the DHYANI BUDDHAS represent the highest level
of spiritual advancement mentioned. [ See S D I 48, 108, 114, 213, 267,
471-2, 571-4, II 34, ] It is possible that the "Initiator," named "GREAT
SACRIFICE" may be such an one. S D I 207-8.

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

C
HPB: We will now present a few fragments of this mysterious doctrine of
re-Incarnation--as distinct from metempsychosis--which we have from an
authority. Re-Incarnation, i.e., the appearance of the same individual--or
rather, of his astral monad--twice on the same planet is not a rule in
nature; it is an exception, like the teratological phenomenon of a
two-headed infant.  

There is a mighty difference in our Occult doctrine between an impersonal
Individuality, and an individual Personality. C.C.M. will not be
reincarnated; nor will he be in his next re-birth C.C.M., but quite a new
being, born of the thoughts and deeds of C.C.M.: his own creation, the child
and fruit of his present life, the effect of the causes he is now producing.

CASS: HPB talking about the "astral monad" or the "same personality"
re-incarnating on the same planet. As the personality the lower,
disintegrates at death.

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

DTB	"PERSONALITY" to me implies the conjoined 4 lower "principles"
[physical body, astral body, prana, kama] This is animated by the lower
aspect of Manas called "Kama-Manas" or, the "lower Mind / Manas."  

"INDIVIDUALITY" is made up of the Higher aspect of Manas, plus Buddhi and
Atma. ATMA-BUDDHI is the ETERNAL MONAD, and Manas is the link to the
PERSONALITY in every incarnation.  

"Important:" There is no change of "planet" until all the karma connected
with our Earth is exhausted. No aimless, or desire-propelled "wanderings."

Manas, acting as a "bridge" between the ONE CONSCIOUSNESS (of the MONAD) is
necessarily dual, one part (the Higher) being Buddhi-Manas, and the other
(the Lower) being Kama-Manas. It is Kama-Manas that is active in all of us
in the waking condition of life, and in it we make our free, voluntary
choices. The exercise of this independence causes us to rise or descend the
ladder of being. The Intuitive quality and faculty of our Buddhi-Manas is
always our friend and guide to making superior moral and virtuous decisions.
Its importance is amplified by active, (not passive) meditation. In such a
case, it is always ACTIVE, and, is a lawful, a will-desire aimed at
achieving the optimum impersonal and universally acceptable decision for any
situation.  
[ That is how I understand it. ]

If the body is destroyed, or dies, all the skandhas are held in the ASTRAL
BODY for a time proportionate to the "karma" of that person / monad. [There
are a number of these, I can send some quotes illustrating these if
desired.] 

Then, as in the case of natural death, after the higher and meritorious
aspects of memory inherent in the life just lived are sifted and moved to
Devachan with the Monad, the astral corpse of the personality having no
further support is allowed to disintegrate on the astral plane. 
 
The only cases where a "Personality / w. same ASTRAL Body " may reincarnate
is when a child or young person who has not generated any causes that would
require a Devachan dies or is killed. But this is rare. Some are on
record.

When the whole human "dies" -- i.e.: the body can no longer support
organized life, the whole INDIVIDUALITY and PERSONALITY together go through
the normal after-death procedure. The PERSONALITY is disintegrated, and on
the reincarnation of the INDIVIDUALITY (under Karma) a fresh PERSONALITY is
assembled for its use (under its Karma) by Nature and the instrumentality
of the parents.  

This has occurred thousands of times for each of us in the course of our
evolution. Now, thanks to THEOSOPHY we are being given a vision of the
inner workings of these great interlocking and always cooperative universal
Laws. 

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

 
C
Having enjoyed a time of bliss, proportionate to his deserts, the new
personal Ego gets re-incarnated into a personality when the remembrance of
his previous Egoship, of course, fades out, and he can "communicate" no
longer with his fellowmen on the planet he has left forever, as the
individual he was there known to be. 

CASS: ON THE PLANET HE HAS LEFT FOREVER. This is where my quandary is, if
we are only 3000 years in Devachan, say I die tomorrow, do I reincarnate on
Venus?

Will my karma attract those around me to Venus also? I am using Venus as a
label for a place I know not where.

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

DTB	First, the devachanic period is not fixed in terms of our time, but
depends (in terms of time) on our Karma and the merit we may have acquired
during any one life. Devachan is a period of assimilation and reflection.
HPB says up to 10 centuries, but places the average [The KEY TO THEOSOPHY.
Pp. 132, 145, 170, 191-2] at 15.

Since our place of work is here on Earth and our Karma acting as LAW, binds
us to that, so, there are no spatial, desire-motivated, or casual wanderings
!" That would be inexplicable under Law.

It is here on earth where (under joint and common Karma) we all meet and
work again and strive to improve our natures.  

[This is where Sinnett got confused, and tried to materialize it -- setting
the physical planets Mars and Mercury as pats of the Earth's program -- but
Karma does not allow such things -- but in the S D HPB sets it straight. 

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

C
After numberless re-incarnations, and on numerous planets and in various
spheres, a time will come, at the end of the Maha-Yug or great cycle, when
each individuality will have become so spiritualised that, before its final
absorption into the One All, its series of past personal existences will
marshal themselves before him in a retrospective order like the many days of
some one period of a man's existence.

CASS: We get to see the whole picture, every life, every personality,
because we have achieved perfection, and then I take it we have a choice to
either remain as part of human chain, or we can be assimilated into Nirvana
for eternity (perfect bliss) or we can choose to become a lower god of
another planetary system?

What are your ideas?


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

DTB Subba Row in an early article in THEOSOPHIST implies there is such a
vast review -- when we will have acquired the equanimity and steadfastness
of nature to withstand some of the things we may have done in past
personalities. [Have you read HPB's -- KARMIC VISIONS ? -- It gives an
illustration of this.] 

I can well see how the phrasing in the early days of the correspondence with
Sinnett, just after ISIS UNVEILED was published, as to : ..numberless
re-incarnations, and on numerous planets and in various spheres, a time will
come, at the end of the Maha-Yug or great cycle, when each individuality
will have become so spiritualised ..." -- it is this that was corrected
later and made clearer. 

My quotes are always from the "original texts." In some cases, I believe,
later editors took the liberty of altering the original texts in their new
editions of some of the books and articles, to read differently from the way
in which HPB had originally phrased them. 

This always has to be checked out as it adds to confusion.  

In dealing with differences between S D and the MAHATMA LETTERS there are
explanatory articles published that handle these matters, and they are
reprinted in the Blavatsky: COLLECTED WORKS volumes.

There are quite a few articles dealing with the Mars / Mercury confusion and
if you wish I can give you their location, or quote them in full to you.

-----------------------

The final question as to whether (when and if we attain to Buddhaship) we
remain to help mankind, or retire for "bliss and rest" in Nirvana, is asked
and answered at the end of The VOICE OF THE SILENCE [pp. 74-8, also the
footnote on p. 47 is important as to PRATYEKHA BUDDHAS -- I quote it below.


" Self-doomed to live through future Kalpas, unthanked and unperceived by
man; wedged as a stone with countless other stones which form the "Guardian
Wall", (2) such is thy future if the seventh gate thou passest. Built by the
hands of many Masters of Compassion, raised by their tortures, by their
blood cemented, it shields mankind, since man is man, protecting it from
further and far greater misery and sorrow.

Withal man sees it not, will not perceive it, nor will he heed the word of
Wisdom . . . for he knows it not.

But thou hast heard it, thou knowest all, O thou of eager guileless Soul. .
. . and thou must choose. Then hearken yet again.

On Sowan's Path, O Srotapatti, thou art secure. Aye, on that Marga, where
nought but

============================
Footnotes

(2) The "Guardian Wall" or the "Wall of Protection." It is taught that the
accumulated efforts of long generations of Yogis, Saints and Adepts,
especially of the Nirmanakayas-have created, so to say, a wall of protection
around mankind, which wall shields mankind invisibly from still worse evils.

-----------------------------------------

75

darkness meets the weary pilgrim, where torn by thorns the hands drip blood,
the feet are cut by sharp unyielding flints, and Mara wields his strongest
arms-there lies a great reward immediately beyond.
 
Calm and unmoved the Pilgrim glideth up the stream that to Nirvana leads. He
knoweth that the more his feet will bleed, the whiter will himself be
washed. He knoweth well that after seven short and fleeting births Nirvana
will be his
. . .

Such is the Dhyana Path, the haven of the Yogi, the blessed goal that
Srotapattis crave.

Not so when he hath crossed and won the Aryahata Path. (1) . . . . . . .

There Klesha is destroyed for ever, Tanha's roots (3) torn out. 

But stay, Disciple . . . Yet, one word. Canst thou destroy divine
COMPASSION? Compassion is no attribute. It is the LAW


------------------------------------------------

76

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. (1)

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

Withal, what mean the sacred scrolls which make thee say?

"OM! I believe it is not all the Arhats that get of the Nirvanic Path the
sweet fruition."

"OM! I believe that the Nirvana-Dharma is entered not by all the Buddhas".
(2)

==============================
Footnotes

(1) This "compassion" must not be regarded in the same light as "God, the
divine love" of the Theists. 

Compassion stands here as an abstract, impersonal law whose nature, being
absolute Harmony, is thrown into confusion by discord, suffering and sin.

------------------------------------

77

"Yea; on the Arya Path thou art no more Srotapatti, thou art a Bodhisattva.
(1) The stream is cross'd. 'Tis true thou hast a right to Dharmakaya
vesture; but Sambogakaya is greater than a Nirvanee, and greater still is a
Nirmanakaya-the Buddha of Compassion. (2)

================================
Footnotes

(1) A Bodhisattva is, in the hierarchy, less than a "perfect Buddha." In the
exoteric parlance these two are very much confused. Yet the innate and right
popular perception, owing to that self-sacrifice, has placed a Bodhisattva
higher in its reverence than a Buddha.

(2) This same popular reverence calls "Buddhas of Compassion" those
Bodhisattvas who, having reached the rank of an Arhat (i.e., having
completed the fourth or seventh Path), refuse to pass into the Nirvanic
state or "don the Dharmakaya robe and cross to the other shore," as it would
then become beyond their power to assist men even so little as Karma
permits. They prefer to remain invisibly (in Spirit, so to speak) in the
world, and contribute toward man's salvation by influencing them to follow
the Good Law, i.e., lead them on the Path of Righteousness. It is part of
the exoteric Northern Buddhism to honour all such great characters as
Saints, and to offer even prayers to them, as the Greeks and Catholics do to
their Saints and Patrons; on the other hand, the esoteric teachings
countenance no such thing. There is a great difference between the two
teachings. The exoteric layman hardly knows the real meaning of the word
Nirmanakaya-hence the confusion and inadequate explanations of the
Orientalists. For example Schlagintweit believes that Nirmanakaya-body,
means the physical form assumed by the Buddhas when they incarnate on
earth-"the least sublime of their earthly encumbrances" (vide Buddhism in
Tibet)-and he proceeds to give an entirely false view on the subject. The
real teaching is, however, this:

The three Buddhic bodies or forms are styled

1. Nirmanakaya.

2. Sambhogakaya.

3. Dharmakaya.

The first is that ethereal form which one would assume when leaving his
physical he would appear in his astral body-having in addition all the
knowledge of an Adept. The Bodhisattva develops it in himself as he proceeds
on the Path. Having reached the goal and refused its fruition, he remains on
Earth, as an Adept; and when he dies, instead of going into Nirvana, he
remains in that glorious body he has woven for himself, invisible to
uninitiated mankind, to watch over and protect it.

Sambhogakaya is the same, but with the additional lustre of "three
perfections," one of which is entire obliteration of all earthly concerns.

The Dharmakaya body is that of a complete Buddha, i.e., no body at all, but
an ideal breath: Consciousness merged in the Universal Consciousness, or
Soul devoid of every attribute. Once a Dharmakaya, an Adept or Buddha leaves
behind every possible relation with, or thought for this earth. 

----------------------------------------
Voice, p. 47 footnote

(1) PRATYEKA BUDDHAS are those Bodhisattvas who strive after and often reach
the Dharmakaya robe after a series of lives. 

Caring nothing for the woes of mankind or to help it, but only for their own
bliss, they enter Nirvana and- disappear from the sight and the hearts of
men. 

In Northern Buddhism a "Pratyeka Buddha" is a synonym of spiritual
Selfishness.

----------------------------------------

Thus, to be enabled to help humanity, an Adept who has won the right to
Nirvana, "renounces the Dharmakaya body" in mystic parlance; keeps, of the
Sambhogakaya, only the great and complete knowledge, and remains in his
Nirmanakaya body. 

The Esoteric School teaches that Gautama Buddha with several of his Arhats
is such a Nirmanakaya, higher than whom, on account of the great
renunciation and sacrifice to mankind there is none known.
-----------------------------------

78

Now bend thy head and listen well, O Bodhisattva-Compassion speaks and
saith: "Can there be bliss when all that lives must suffer? Shalt thou be
saved and hear the whole world cry?"

Now thou hast heard that which was said.

Thou shalt attain the seventh step and cross the gate of final knowledge but
only to wed woe-if thou would'st be Tathagata, follow upon thy predecessor's
steps, remain unselfish till the endless end.

Thou art enlightened-Choose thy way.

*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*
-------------------------------------------------

79

Behold, the mellow light that floods the Eastern sky. In signs of praise
both heaven and earth unite. And from the four-fold manifested Powers a
chant of love ariseth, both from the flaming Fire and flowing Water, and
from sweet-smelling Earth and rushing Wind.

Hark! . . . from the deep unfathomable vortex of that golden light in which
the Victor bathes, ALL NATURE'S wordless voice in thousand tones ariseth to
proclaim:

JOY UNTO YE, O MEN OF MYALBA. (1)

A PILGRIM HATH RETURNED BACK "FROM THE OTHER SHORE."

A NEW ARHAN (2) IS BORN. . . .

Peace to all beings. (3)

===========================================
 
DTB There is an implication that "Nirvanees" are forced by Karmic Law to
return to reincarnate after a very long "rest."

See this: [S D II 79-80 ]

"The Barhishad, though possessed of creative fire, were devoid of the higher
MAHAT-mic element. Being on a level with the lower principles - those which
precede gross objective matter - they could only give birth to the outer
man, or rather to the model of the physical, the astral man. Thus, though we
see them intrusted with the task by Brahma (the collective Mahat or
Universal Divine Mind), the "Mystery of Creation" is repeated on Earth, only
in an inverted sense, as in a mirror. 

It is those who are unable to create the spiritual immortal man, who project
the senseless model (the Astral) of the physical Being; and, as will be
seen, it was those who would not multiply, who sacrificed themselves to the
good and salvation of Spiritual Humanity. 

For, to complete the septenary man, to add to his three lower principles and
cement them with the spiritual Monad - which could never dwell in such a
form otherwise than in an absolutely latent state - two connecting
principles are needed: Manas and Kama. 

This requires a living Spiritual Fire of the middle principle from the fifth
and third states of Pleroma. But this fire is the possession of the
Triangles, not of the (perfect) Cubes, which symbolize the Angelic Beings:*
the former having from the first creation got hold of it and being said to
have appropriated it for themselves, as in the allegory of Prometheus. 

These are the active, and therefore - in Heaven - no longer "pure" Beings.
They have become the independent and free Intelligences, shown in every
Theogony as fighting for that independence and freedom, and hence - in the
ordinary sense - "rebellious to the divine passive law." 

These are then those "Flames" (the Agnishwatta) who, as shown in Sloka 13,
"remain behind" instead of going along with the others to create men on
Earth. But the true esoteric meaning is that most of them were destined to
incarnate as the Egos of the forthcoming crop of Mankind. 

The human Ego is neither Atman nor Buddhi, but the higher Manas: the
intellectual fruition and the efflorescence of the intellectual
self-conscious Egotism - in the higher spiritual sense. The ancient works
refer to it as Karana Sarira on the plane of Sutratma, which is the golden
thread on which, like beads, the various personalities of this higher Ego
are strung. 


RETURNING NIRVANEES

If the reader were told, as in the semi-esoteric allegories, that these
Beings were returning Nirvanees, from preceding Maha-Manvantaras - ages of
incalculable duration which have rolled away in the Eternity, a still more
incalculable time ago - he would hardly understand the text correctly; while
some Vedantins might say: "This is not so; the Nirvanee can never return";
which is true during the Manvantara he belongs to, and erroneous where
Eternity is concerned. 

For it is said in the Sacred Slokas: 

"The thread of radiance which is imperishable and dissolves only in Nirvana,
re-emerges from it in its integrity on the day when the Great Law calls all
things back into action. . . ." S D II 79-80


=========================================
Cass


I hope this proves to be of help

Best wishes,

Dallas