Theos-Talk Archives (February 2005 Message tt00789)

Feb 25 2005


Re: Music and Song and Poetry -- an application in THEOSOPHY
SCHOOL


Perhaps this might be of interest




MUSIC - DANCE - DRAMA

Music used at Theosophy School


It is known from history that the ancient Egyptians used "sacred" music in
their temples for the helping and cure of persons who had nervous and
psychic disturbances. Music is known to be a part of the curriculum of
Pythagoras' School. Pythagoras correlated music to mathematics and also to
the movements of the celestial bodies. The ratios and movements he referred
to as the "Music of the Spheres." In India music was used in antiquity to
effect cures. At ULT meetings it is observed that music is not used. In
fact the only meeting where it is used is at Theosophy School.  

In the U.L.T., Theosophy School was introduced from the early years of its
beginnings to remind children of those propositions and ideas which they
knew of in former lives. It has included music because it helps to evoke
from within each hearer the rhythm of the heart-quality of universal
Brotherhood, based on the fundamental, all-inclusive UNITY of the Universe,
the One LIFE, or Deity.  

Children are reminded that they are immortals. They are Spiritual souls
that have reincarnated to follow up on the work they began in earlier lives.
The rule of law, Karma and Cycles works here and all that one is the result
of past choices and training.  

The main subjects for discussion and thinking-out are thus: the propositions
that universal law is the active agent of all evolution, and serves to unite
all beings together into a brotherly whole; cycles, and the process of
reincarnation whereby the awareness of the immortality of man's
consciousness grows.  

Other U.L.T. meetings are study classes using text-books of Theosophy, and
exploring the main tenets of doctrine by panels, discussion groups and
public lectures. Being mainly an intellectual exposition of the
fundamentals of Theosophical methods of observation and thinking, it has not
been thought appropriate to use music or singing as part of those chiefly
adult programs. ULT does not intend to imitate the Churches or to induce
individuals who might be psychically drawn to music to join for the sake of
increasing numbers. It is the ideas and the philosophy of life that really
counts and this has to be approached intellectually and intuitionally, not
emotionally.

H.P.B. on p. 544, Vol. I of Isis Unveiled speaks of Egyptian musical
practice and later (p. 618-620) she avers that the ancient Hindus were their
teachers, and that the science of sounds was well known in archaic India.
Some remnants of that science are still extant.  

We will find in The Secret Doctrine ( Vol. II, pp. 366, 529 ) that music
was taught to mankind by its Divine Kings and Instructors at the beginning
of human evolution on our Earth. Those Divine Instructors taught using
correspondence and analogy. Dealing with the new "class of mankind in its
infancy, at the time of the "lighting up of Manas," and desiring to implant
certain great truths (Unity, Immortality, Progress by self-effort, Karma,
Reincarnation),in the consciousness of men, They presented great images
which the masses could understand. Such was the one of the great
Manifesting Trinity, one aspect of which was a being such as Siva, who was
represented dancing the Universe into manifestation, using sound, rhythm,
sacred gestures and drama.  

Orpheus-Arjuna, who traveled far and wide establishing centers where music,
myth and the philosophy and science of the Perennial Wisdom would be taught
was one of the more recent examples of the perpetuation of these ideas.
Thoth, Hermes, Osiris, Enoch, all Solar deities in various systems to whom
is attributed the original enlightenment of vast segments of humanity. All
of these taught and used chants and sacred music that stirred soul memories
in those who listened. But the transmission of these chants and melodies
has been lost in the course of time.

To this day in India a poet must also be a composer of the musical melody
and rhythms that are to be used by anyone repeating his works. Indian
classical music, in its original use, was determined to be not only an art
but a science. The effect of sound, when used was always considered by the
poet who composed melody, rhythm and words. The Bhagavad Gita for instance
was composed as a poem and sung originally by the Vyasa (the Wise). Its
rhythms, harmonies, and intuitions are still found resident in the original
Sanskrit verses, some of which have been modified by their brahmanical
preservers to conceal their real value. So, too, were the Vedas and many of
the Upanishads put into verse and sound.


Every poem In India was to be sung, and be used at a specific time of the
day, and on set days in the week, the month, or season of the year; and if
presented at other times, the mystic power drawn to a focus by those who
could use the chant with wisdom, and who knew the right conjunctions of
Nature would not be operative. It was also well known that the power
resident in sound varied from hour to hour, and from day to day. A melody
or song appropriate to the dawn was jarring if heard at sun-set, or noon.
Another poem, composed for use in the hot torrid days of summer would be
inappropriate in winter, or in the season of the rains, and so on. But the
science of healing conditions of nervous disturbance or exhaustion, using
curative and soothing melodies, and the properties of specific instrumental
sounds in music are largely forgotten in these days.

Anyone at all sensitive to rhythm, can determine when a hypnotic beat is
being employed, one that induces languor, compliance and sleep. Other
rhythms enervate and excite the emotional nature, while others soothe and
restore calm. Rhythm is closely associated with dance, the movement of the
hands, feet and body having vibratory impact on certain sympathetic nervous
and other centers in the body and the brain of individuals. Even if one is
only listening, he is insensibly affected by that which impacts on his ears
and his sensitive skin.  
 

Dramas, such as the Mahabharata, or the Ramayana, were often couched in
sacred verse, with firm directions on the way and time at which they were to
be presented, so as to evoke from the audience memories of their past
experiences in earlier lives. In addition these were designed to remain as
available memory of wise decisions, to inspire the choice of the individual
when an inspiring example was needed, and to assist in making choices in the
daily life of members of the audience.

Students of Theosophy are therefore warned to be on their guard against
subtle influences emanating or conveyed through music which may lead to
passivity, or separation of their active mental control from their
personality.

Such are some of the gateways leading to the psychic and the astral realms.


Mantrams are "sacred sounds" embodied in words and including rhythm, tone
and direction of thought or will. Unless their power is adequately
understood, they should be avoided.  

Mudras or "sacred gestures" with hands and bodily positioning are of similar
influence over the life currents working through the astral body in the
physical body, and have a close relation to drama, plays and comedy. If
sound can bewitch the ear and listening brain, then the subtle shift of
gesture that accompanies words have a similar effect through the eye. In
the West such influence is generally unknown, and largely derided, but in
the East it is well known how powerful are the forces behind and within
these scientific arts used in public demonstrations of ancient myths and
historical events.


Also:



“The occult septenary scheme in nature with all its modifications produces
multiple effects, and no mere clairvoyant is able to see the truth that
underlies the simplest instance of clairvoyant perception. If a man moves
from one chair to another, immediately hundreds of possibilities arise for
the clairvoyant eye, and he alone who is a highly trained and philosophical
seer -- an Adept, in short -- can combine them all so as to arrive at true
clear-perception. In the simple act described almost all the centres of
force in the moving being go into operation, and each one produces its own
peculiar effect in the astral light. 

At once the motion made and thoughts aroused elicit their own sound, color,
motion in ether, amount of etheric light, symbolic picture, disturbance of
elemental forces, and so on through the great catalogue. Did but one wink
his eye, the same effects follow in due order. And the seer can perceive but
that which attunes itself to his own development and personal peculiarities,
all limited in force and degree.”
SHALL WE TEACH CLAIRVOYANCE?	WQJ Articles I 353



“Q. - The differences found in human brains and natures must, then, have
their root in differences of vibration?

H.P.B. - Most assuredly so.


Q. - Speaking of mankind as a whole, is it true that all have one key or
rate of vibration to which they respond?

H.P.B. - Human beings in general are like so many keys on the piano, each
having its own sound, and the combination of which produces other sounds in
endless variety. Like inanimate nature they have a key-note from which all
the varieties of character and constitution proceed by endless changes.
Remember what was said in Isis Unveiled at p. 16, Vol. I, "The Universe is
the combination of a thousand elements, and yet the expression of a single
spirit, - a chaos to the sense (physical), a cosmos to the reason" (manas).


Q. - So far this applies generally to nature. Does it explain the difference
between the adept and ordinary people?

H.P.B. - Yes. This difference is that an adept may be compared to that one
key which contains all the keys in the great harmony of nature. He has the
synthesis of all keys in his thoughts, whereas ordinary man has the same key
as a basis, but only acts and thinks on one or a few changes of this great
key, producing with his brain only a few chords out of the whole great
possible harmony.


Q. - Has this something to do with the fact that a disciple may hear the
voice of his master through the astral spaces, while another man cannot hear
or communicate with the adepts?

H.P.B. - This is because the brain of a chela is attuned by training to the
brain of the Master. His vibrations synchronize with those of the Adept, and
the untrained brain is not so attuned. So the chela's brain is abnormal,
looking at it from the standpoint of ordinary life, while that of the
ordinary man is normal for worldly purposes. The latter person may be
compared to those who are color-blind.


Q. - How am I to understand this?

H.P.B. - What is considered normal from the view of the physician is
considered abnormal from the view of occultism, and vice versâ. The
difference between a color-blind signal man who mistakes the lamps and the
adept who sees is that the one takes one color for another, while the adept
sees all the colors in every color and yet does not confuse them together.


Q. - Has the adept, then, raised his vibrations so as to have them the same
as those of nature as a whole?

H.P.B. - Yes; the highest adepts. But there are other adepts who, while
vastly in advance of all men, are still unable to vibrate to such a degree.


Q. - Can the adept produce at his will a vibration which will change one
color to another?

H.P.B. - He can produce a sound which will alter a color. It is the sound
which produces the color, and not the other or opposite. By correlating the
vibrations of a sound in the proper way a new color is made.


Q. - Is it true that on the astral plane every sound always produces a
color?

H.P.B. - Yes; but these are invisible because not yet correlated by the
human brain so as to become visible on the earth plane. Read Galton, who
gives experiments with colors and sounds as seen by psychics and sensitives,
showing that many sensitive people always see a color for every sound. The
color-blind man has coming to him the same vibrations as will show red, but
not being able to sense these he alters the amount, so to say, and then sees
a color corresponding to the vibrations he can perceive out of the whole
quantity. His astral senses may see the true color, but the physical eye has
its own vibrations, and these, being on the outer plane, overcome the others
for the time, and the astral man is compelled to report to the brain that it
saw correctly. For in each case the outer stimulus is sent to the inner man,
who then is forced, as it were, to accept the message and to confirm it for
the time so far as it goes. But there are cases where the inner man is able
to even then overcome the outer defect and to make the brain see the
difference. In many cases of lunacy the confusion among the vibrations of
all kinds is so enormous that there is not correlation between the inner and
the outer man, and we have then a case of aberration. But even in some of
these unfortunate cases the person inside is all the time aware that he is
not insane but cannot make himself be understood. Thus often persons are
driven really insane by wrong treatment.”
OCCULT VIBRATIONS W Q J Articles I 424-5



Best wishes,

Dallas

=========
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Steven 
Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2005 6:32 AM
To: 
Subject: Music of the 60's



The other night I was watching a video whose focus was the music 
of the 60's, and it occurred to me that so much of the enthusiasm 
and genuine concern for freedom of the mind (so blatantly proposed in 
that music), which was so present then during the Vietnam War era, 
has gone out of our "sails" these days. One of the trade marks of the 
songs, poetry and philosophical writings of that day was non-
violence. In fact, because there was such a resurgence of non-violent 
literature, mostly coming from India and Tibet, it seems as if the 
Western Peace Movement of the 60's was our rendition of Eastern 
thought. I know that many Lodges of Theosophy had their origins 
either during or soon after.

In rebuttal, one might point out that there is much made out of the 
idea of "Democracy" these days and the need to implement it where it 
is missing in other cultures. And, because of 9/11, we are so intent 
on seeing that "Democracy" is implemented, that, unfortunately and 
what militates against the very concept of freedom, is that we will 
kill in the name of it.

I'd like to open a discussion regarding all of this, with the 
intent of weighing the effects of Theosophy, but also looking for the 
meaning of this change from the 60's to this Millennium. Part of this 
concern is motivated by the number of variously expressed thoughts in 
the literature about this time being a "Transition Period" for all of 
us on this globe. What does that mean? Is it present upon the world 
scene?

The philosophy of Theosophy, as presented to us through the 
Mahatmas and its few messengers, has had a powerful effect, but those 
effects can be seen from different points of view. One is that: when 
an individual seriously attempts to internalize these ideals, the 
result can be unforseen psychological upheavals, as parts of our 
internal nature are revealed for what they are, having been exposed 
to what HPB called "The Beacon Light of the Unknown". Can this be 
writ large? 

Just one thought.

Steve