Theos-Talk Archives (April 2005 Message tt00045)

"WHEN a member of the Theosophical Society finds himself upon the 
astral plane after having permanently laid aside his physical body, 
it will be well for him to begin by taking stock, as it were-- by 
seeing what is his position, what is the life before him, and how he 
can make the best use of it . He will do wisely to consult on these 
matters some friend who has had wider experience than himself, and in 
practice this is what dead members almost always do. Remember that 
when the member enters upon the astral plane after death he is not 
making his first appearance there. Usually he has already done much 
work there during the sleep of the physical body, and is therefore on 
familiar ground. As a general rule his first instinct is to make 
straight for our beloved President, which is probably quite the 
wisest thing for him to do, as there is no one better qualified to 
give him sound advice. So many possibilities open out in astral life 
that one cannot lay down any general rule, though a man cannot go far 
wrong who tries to make himself useful to those around him. There are 
plentiful opportunities for learning, as well as for work, and the 
new-comer will have to decide how he can best apportion his time 
between them. 
2. 
The astral world will not be altered for the convenience of members 
of the Theosophical Society, any more than the physical world is, and 
they, like every one else, will have to encounter what happens to be 
there. If a drunken man is walking along a certain road, those who 
happen to pass along that road will meet him, whether they are 
members or not, and the astral plane does not, in this respect, 
differ from the physical. The members, being instructed in regard to 
the rules governing life on astral plane, ought to know better than 
the uninstructed how to deal with such unpleasant beings as happen to 
come in their way, but they are just as likely as any one else to 
meet them. They have, however, probably met such beings many times 
while functioning upon the astral plane during life, and there is no 
more reason to be afraid of them than before; indeed, meeting them 
then upon their own level, it will be far easier to come to an 
understanding with them and to give them such help as they are able 
to receive. "

http://www.anandgholap.net/Inner_Life_Vol_II-CWL.htm