Theos-Talk Archives (March 2005 Message tt00092)

> From: Anand Gholap [mailto:AnandGholap@AnandGholap.org]
> Sent: Saturday, March 05, 2005 10:40 AM
> To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Theos-World Path of Occultism (AnandGholap.Net - Online
Theosophy)
> 
> 
> [ www.AnandGholap.net - Online Books on Theosophy ]
> 
> " Sometimes this realisation of the worthlessness of earth and heaven is
> at first but a flash in consciousness, and the external worlds reassert
> their empire and the glamour of their illusive joys again laps the soul
> into content. Some lives even may pass, full of noble work and unselfish
> achievement, of pure thoughts and lofty deeds, ere this realisation of the
> emptiness of all that is phenomenal becomes the permanent attitude of the
> soul.

The idea that our existence in the external world is worthless and empty is,
I think, incorrect. A search for deeper meaning to life results in awakening
that sense of meaning and wonder; it does not come from going somewhere
else, from a retreat into subjectivity or life on some other plane.

> 659. But sooner
> or later the soul once and for ever breaks with earth and heaven as
> incompetent to satisfy his needs, and this definite turning away from the
> transitory, this definite will to reach the eternal, is the gateway to the
> probationary Path. The soul steps off the highway of evolution to breast
> the steeper climb up the mountain side, resolute to escape from the
> bondage of earthly and heavenly lives, and to reach the freedom of the
> upper air.

Life on earth is not like our being held in chains, from which we must break
free. Our existence on any plane is transitory; that is both its limitation
and its value. Evolution is achieved not by our escape and seeking realms
that are more free; it is won by the opposite effort. We bring down and
integrate into our external life the higher wonders.

> 
> 660. The work
> which has to be accomplished by the man who enters on the probationary
> Path is entirely mental and moral; he has to bring himself up to the point
> at which he will fit to "meet his Master face to face": but he very words
> "his Master" need explanation. There are certain great Beings belonging to
> our race who have completed Their human evolution, and to whom allusion
> has already been made as constituting a Brotherhood, and as guiding and
> forwarding the development of the race.

We enter probation as soon as we question the status quo of life and start
to think and live differently. But the profound aspect of that difference is
the change within us. We may still work at the same job, drive kids to
school, and wash dishes much as we did before. The difference is in our
newly awakened consciousness, an added depth of awareness, with *something
more* to the experience, much like a color-blind person, always seeing
things in shades of gray, would feel if he or she were now able to see in
color.

> 661. These Great
> Ones, the Masters, voluntarily incarnate in human bodies on order to form
> the connecting link between human and superhuman beings, and They permit
> those who fulfil certain conditions to become Their disciples, with the
> object of hastening their evolution and thus qualifying themselves to
> enter the great Brotherhood, and to assist in its glorious and beneficent
> work for man. "

We all work at things that bring the greatest light into the world. It's
different with each of us. One may help others avoid physical suffering. A
second person may contribute unique art and beauty to the world. A third may
bring happiness and peace to dying people and their families. A fourth may
struggle through life, learning lessons so difficult that he or she does not
have time to be outwardly creative and make a noticeable impression on
others. We all do what we can, and only we can judge for ourselves if what
we do is true to ourselves.

I don't think we hasten our evolution or anything else for its own sake. We
do what is right, and if that means we have intense periods in life and
undergo trials, we experience them. If it means we lead a quiet life without
making a big impression on the world, then we do that. Evolution is not some
grueling task put before us that we try to get over with as fast as
possible. It's merely a term descriptive of our process of self-unfoldment.
And that self-unfoldment progresses by itself, at its own natural rate.
Generally speaking, we all participate in the glorious and beneficent work
for humanity.

Do we hurry up or slow down with our evolution? Each of us has to judge as
to if he or she is in the right place in life, or needs to bring about
little changes, bigger changes, or dramatically huge changes in life in
order to be at that point in life that our inner nature recognizes as our
best place. As a guide to finding direction to that place in life, we
cultivate an inner awareness of that part of us that values things, that
says to us what is good or bad, true to our nature or false to it, right to
do in the world or something we should not be doing.

Eldon