Theos-Talk Archives (April 2005 Message tt00105)

Apl 4 2005



Dear Estela:



There is also this which may be of help







CAN WE HELP OTHERS AFTER OUR DEATH?





Theosophy teaches that the Spiritual Ego the "Real Thinker" in each of us is

an immortal being. It is the Buddhi-Manas, the superior mind.



It is the Reincarnating Ego, and survives every "death" of its past

"personalities" and the physical bodies that it used.



With the Spiritual Ego is associated the sense of "I-ness." Also the

character, the virtues, the ability to reason logically and the desire to

seek for "causes." It desires to know why it is here, and where it is to

go, and how does it make good choices.



The temporary bodies and personalities that it uses life after life are the

result of the way in which it chose to lead its life in the past. This past

includes not only the "past lives," but also whatever we have of learning

and experience and choosing in this life right up to the preset moment.



Theosophy teaches [ see KEY TO THEOSOPHY (HPB) and the 

OCEAN OF THEOSOPHY (W. Q. Judge -- as both books teach this 

doctrine in detail -- available, on-line, through 

http://.www.blavatsky.net ) that when the body dies, its

material becomes dispersed and reabsorbed in the earth, air and water around

it.



The Personal man (consisting of selfish concepts, acts, and words) makes a

temporary form (called the Kama-Rupa, or form of desire) with the

"astral-body" -- an electro-magnetic force field of sorts. And it lives for

a short while -- a few hours to a few months or even years (depending on the

nature of our just lived lives) in that condition, and then, this temporary

form dissipates. This has been called the "Second Death." During this

period a separation of the "good" from the "bad" impulses recorded in memory

is made. The "bad" is left behind in the Kama-Rupa and the "good" is taken

by the Reincarnating Ego into the introspective state of Devachan



Both Kama-Loka and Devachan are personal states and as the subject there is

our past life, we (as the Real Spiritual Ego) are unaware of what may be

happening to our near and dear ones after the event of our death. So we

may not be aware of their condition. Our focus is made sharply on how we

have lived our last life up to the time of our physical death.



Passing now to Devachan, it is a "subjective" state and not an "objective

plane or place. There the Immortal Ego meditates on the memories of all it

had done that was lawful and good during the last life and incorporates this

into its character.



As every least good impulse is reviewed and assimilated this takes a long

time (an average of about 1500 years for us humans at the present time).

This gives us an average cycle of reincarnation of abut 15 centuries.

Obviously the exact length of time varies with each Individual. It is said

that it can be (in the case of children) very brief -- a few weeks, months

or years -- to a very long period of between 5 to 10,000 years in the case

of those who are very spiritual, and who do much good to others during their

last life.



During this period the ideation of the Devachanee continues to spread like a

beneficent influence throughout the worlds, and adds generally to the

"good." Some of this benevolence is said (like the feelings of a mother

for their children) may act (if Karma permits) as a kind of shield that

helps those of the family. But this is not done consciously. We must

remember that the Wise, and the Good do this all the time, and if we would

do good to others, it is not limited to words and deeds, but also to our

thinking; and we also can do general good in terms of influence the whole

time we are alive, as well as after death.



The good we diffuse is non specific and cannot be channeled or aimed at

specific individuals alive or dead, says Theosophy. So the "help" which the

Wise constantly radiate is like the SUN. It showers good on all. So do all

humans, whether alive or dead. A Prophet, a Reformer, or a Great Teacher

comes under Karma to a specific place and time and works with the

individuals there who need and recognize Them. 



Nothing in nature is done haphazard or by chance. Karma always operates 

in all things. It is the law of balance and compensation. Great Teachers 

come when a nation or a race

needs them and some crisis has developed. As in the case of H. P.

Blavatsky, if we study her works we will see how, over the past 125 years,

the "Manas and the Buddhi" of our race has received a change in its

orientation. We are now considering the moral as well as the ecological

effects of our civilization and in its industries and ways of doing business

and of government. We can either help or hinder this movement by our

decisions.



As an additional fact offered by Theosophy we might consider:



The Spiritual Ego (The Real Thinker within) is an immortal being. It has

always existed. The reason why it lives and uses many personalities in a

long line of reincarnations stretching back for thousands and millions of

years, is that it decided very long ago that it would sacrifice (make

sacred) its happiness, bliss and well-being for the sake of the many

life-atoms that make up all its many "personalities" and the succession of

"bodies, names, forms." that it has used.



It is like a divine star, like the Sun of our solar system, and is located

in the CORE of our being, just like the Sun is located at the center of our

system and gives life and warmth to the planets and all that lives on them.

The SUN always gives continually, and hopes, as beings come and go on the

planets that some will research, using their minds, and through that search,

become wise enough to understand its purpose, and by reflex analogy, seek

for the "Sun" that shines, hidden in their own individual center. It is

like a living symbol of life.



But the Sun we see, is not the TRUE SUN which lives in the CENTER of the

physical, visible sun. If we could see it unshielded, we could not live in

these bodies, so the Real Sun covers itself with a veil, like a vase of

golden light. The ancient Hindus had a verse expressing this called the

"Gayatri."



The responsibility of improving our own Personal natures is essentially

ours. No gift, or prayer or petition can improve another. Each has to

decide to change for themselves.



What does Theosophy do? It offers an integrated view of the Universe, of

our solar system, of our Earth and of ourselves. This is called UNIVERSAL

BROTHERHOOD.



It holds the position that every life-atom, whether it is enclosed in

mineral, plant, animal or a human form has a spiritual center and there it

is at unity with the SPIRITUAL WHOLE and the ONE UNIVERSAL SELF. For an

immense period of years these immortals (called also Monads) experience all

the phenomena of evolution, and continually they grow in intelligence, and

eventually become humans (Minds) with the responsibility of making free

choices.



The "forms" of various kinds on the evolutionary spiral ladder, demonstrate

the development of consciousness and intelligence from a general state into

a progressively more focused and powerful INDIVIDUAL. Self-consciousness is

attained in the human form, and then it goes further as it develops for

itself, by study, experiment and search, UNIVERSAL SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS.



Eventually in the human stage MIND is developed and with that the FREEDOM to

Choose. This is because with Mind, the power to observe the workings of

nature (visible and invisible) develops. It equivalent in our analogy to

the "golden Vase of light" that the true Sun creates so as to protect and

nurture living creatures everywhere. It stands between the physical (form,

matter) and the SPIRITUAL FIRE of TRUTH.



The energies that create a form, are natural indeed, but they lack the

"fire" of SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS. The Mind has three broad stages: 1 as a

pupil, 2. as a thinker, 3. as a Seer of all Wisdom. Mankind is in the

position of being between stages 1 and 2. It recognizes the 3rd position of

the Wise. In seeking to become Wise it studies Nature.



Nature already contains all. Nature runs always by law. Nature is

impersonal, just, kind, life-supportive, and sensitive to the needs of every

one of its smallest components, as to those of its greatest.



Mankind being of the stage of opening elf-consciousness is impelled to

discover what his environment holds for him and what his powers are.



Theosophy is like a blue-print which opens some of the areas of research for

individual tracing and verification. Thus the question you ask leads to a

review of the doctrines of Theosophy and to a practical evaluation of them

in our own minds before we employ them for experimentation.



There is of course far more to this, and no doubt there will be more

questions and contributions on this important subject.







Best wishes,





Dallas



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



-----Original Message-----
From: Estela Carson 
Sent: Sunday, April 03, 2005 
To: 
Subject: Personality and the reincarnating Soul



Dear L.R.

Excuse the delay in answering you, much work and few hours to accomplish it
all. Your question is very interesting and a lot of theosophical literature
is available to answer your question in great detail. One of the best books
on the issue of reincarnation, what it is, what is the process, is the book
by Geoffrey Farthing "Exploring the Great Beyond".

Technically, when the person dies, its soul takes up to itself the good
characteristics of the live just lived, to hone and polish and add to its
individuality. When the soul reincarnates, those tendencies and proclivities
that it acquired in past lives is put on again, as one puts on a warm coat
before venturing out the door. Those tendencies and proclivities are
assimilated to our higher self during that period between lives. A more
buddhist interpretation is that they (these tendencies which are called
skandas in buddhism) lay in dormant until the reincarnating soul attracts
them after birth. 

What is personality and what is individuality? That is the crux of the
spiritual path. After many incarnations the soul begins to distinguish the
one from the other, and thereby begins to align itself to a particular Ray. 

Personality is like that old warm coat that the soul puts on when it
reincarnates. It is something the soul is accustomed to and it feels right.
Through many lives, the soul acquires a set of tendencies and habits that it
modulates, adding and eliminating as it passes through various life
circumstances, learning and improving until it comes to a point in its
journey when it begins to reduce personality in favor of individuality. 

Personality is outward driven, individuality is an inward pull. Personality
concerns itself with what others think, and the pecking order of a society.
Individuality concerns itself with self-improvement, and stands as servant
to all it meets. 

Occultism has a teaching in this regard that might seem a little odd at
first. That teaching is that as we grow spiritually, the personality
decreases and the individuality increases. Presumably what that statement
means is that as we progress we identify ourselves more with the whole and
less with the personality. 

Hope this helps a little, 

Best wishes, and see ya online
Estela Carson

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

At 06:36 AM 3/29/2005 -0800, you wrote:



Thanks Estela for this concise explanation. I wonder if you could recap for
us something about "personality" vis-a-vis reincarnation. As you say, we are
not man or woman, European or Indian, but a soul using an instrument to
fulfill a great plan. What happens then, to our "personality" when we pass
on and in due course reincarnate? Thanks and best wishes, L.R.

CUT



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