Theos-Talk Archives (May 2005 Message tt00703)

May 25 2005

RE: INITIATION IS THIS A WRONG STATEMENT?


Dear Friends:


Looking at the quotation offered I find little to trouble my understanding.
Mme. Blavatsky offers us a wide range of information about ancient and
modern initiation:

		
Universal Mind and Initiation
 

"The action of the entire universe is but a detailed manifestation and
example of the action of mind on matter, governed at the highest point by
the action of the universal Mind. Between the finite human mind of the
ordinary uninitiated individual and this universal mind lie an infinite
number of gradually ascending degrees, and the higher the plane of
consciousness the nearer is the approach to the universal mind which is, as
it were, the main-spring of the whole. Although there are no hard and fast
lines in nature yet these various grades may be marked off into great main
divisions; and it is the successive attainment of these, one after the
other that is represented by the degrees of initiation. When one plane of
existence has been exhausted, there is needed, as it were, a fresh impulse
to enable us to go on higher and this it is that is supplied at the time of
initiation."	"Alpha"	Theosophist, June 1886 - [ ULT- T A & N p. 61 ]


"...every class of adept has its own bond of spiritual communion...by
bringing oneself within the influence of the Spiritual light which radiates
from one's own Logos. ... such communion is only possible between persons
whose souls derive their life and sustenance from the same divine RAY, and
that, as seven distinct rays radiate from the 'Central Spiritual Sun,' all
adepts and Dhyan Chohans are divisible into seven classes, each of which is
guided, controlled, and overshadowed by one of the seven forms or
manifestations of the divine Wisdom."
S Row quoted by HPB, SD I 574.



"... Whenever you are able to attune your consciousness to any of the seven
chords of 'Universal Consciousness,' those chords that run along the
sounding-board of Kosmos, vibrating from one Eternity to another; when you
have studied thoroughly 'the music of the Spheres," then only will you
become quite free to share your knowledge with those with whom it is safe to
do so. ... Do not give out the great Truths that are the inheritance of the
future Races, to our present generation. Do not attempt to unveil the
secret of being and non-being to those unable to see the hidden meaning of
Apollo's HEPTACHORD--the lyre of the radiant god, in each of the seven
strings of which dwelleth the Spirit, Soul and Astral body of the Kosmos,
whose shell only has now fallen into the hands of Modern Science..."
S D I 167


"...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 the 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 in his
brain only a few chords out of the whole great possible harmony...the brain
of the chela is attuned by training to the brain of the Master. His
vibrations synchronize with those of the Adept...so the chela's brain is
abnormal...the adept sees all the colors in every color and yet does not
confuse them together...the highest adepts [ have raised their vibrations so
as to have them the same as those of nature as a whole ]...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...on the astral plane every sound always
produces a color...these are invisible because not yet correlated by the
human brain so as to become visible on the earth plane....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...."
WQJ ARTICLES, Vol. I, p. 423-426.


"Through all time the wise men have lived apart from the mass. [ That the
chief body of these wise ones should be understood to dwell beyond the
fastnesses of the Himalayas...p. 70 ] And even when some temporary purpose
or object induces one of them to come into the midst of human life, his
seclusion and safety is preserved as completely as ever... they are only
known as mystics by those who have the power to recognize; the power given
by the conquering of self. Otherwise how could they exist, even for an
hour, in such a mental and psychic atmosphere as is created by the confusion
and disorder of a city ? Unless protected and made safe their own growth
would be interfered with, their work injured. And the neophyte may meet an
adept in the flesh, may live in the same house with him, and yet be unable
to recognize him, and unable to make his own voice heard by him... No voice
penetrates to his inner hearing till it has become a divine voice, a voice
which gives no utterance to the cries of self... Until a man has become, in
heart and spirit a disciple, he has no existence for those who are teachers
of disciples. And he becomes this by one method only--the surrender of his
personal humanity."	L ON P p. 74-5

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


PAGES FROM A HINDU CHELA'S DIARY

"I HAVE always felt and still feel strongly that I have already once studied
this sacred philosophy with Kunala, and that I must have been, in a previous
life, his most obedient and humble disciple. This must have been a fact, or
else how to account for the feelings created in me when I first met him,
although no special or remarkable circumstances were connected with that
event. All my hopes and plans are centred in him, and nothing in the world
can shake my confidence in him especially when several of my Brahmin
acquaintances tell me the same things without previous. consultation. *
* *
"I went to the great festival of Durga yesterday, and spent nearly the whole
day looking in the vast crowd of men, women, children and mendicants for
some of Kunala's friends, for he once told me to never be sure that they
were not near me, but I found none who seemed to answer my ideas. As I
stood by the ghaut at the river side thinking that perhaps I was left alone
to try my patience, an old and apparently very decrepit Bairagee plucked my
sleeve and said: 'Never expect to see any one, but always be ready to
answer if they speak to you; it is not wise to peer outside of yourself for
the great followers of Vasudeva: look rather within.'
"This amazed me, as I was expecting him to beg or to ask me for information.
Before my wits returned, he had with a few steps mingled with a group of
people, and in vain searched I for him: he had disappeared. But the lesson
is not lost.
"To-morrow I return to I________.
"Very wearying indeed in a bodily sense was the work of last week and
especially of last evening, and upon laying down on my mat last night after
continuing work far into the night I fell quickly sound asleep. I had been
sleeping some hour or two when with a start I awoke to find myself in
perfect solitude and only the horrid howling of the jackals in the jungle to
disturb me. The moon was brightly shining and I walked over to the window
of this European modeled house threw it open and looked out. Finding that
sleep had departed, I began again on those palm leaves. Just after I had
begun, a tap arrested my attention and I opened the door. Overjoyed was I
then to see Kunala standing there, once more unexpected.
"'Put on your turban and come with me,' he said and turned away.
"Thrusting my feet into my sandals, and catching up my turban, I hurried
after him, afraid that the master would get beyond me, and I remain
unfortunate at losing some golden opportunity.
"He walked out into the jungle and turned into an unfrequented path. The
jackals seemed to recede into the distance; now and then in the mango trees
overhead, the flying foxes rustled here and there, while I could distinctly
hear the singular creeping noise made by a startled snake as it drew itself
hurriedly away over the leaves. Fear was not in my breast for master was in
front. He at last came to a spot that seemed bare of trees, and bending
down, seemed to press his hand into the grass. I then saw that a trap door
or entrance to a stairway very curiously contrived, was there. Stairs went
down into the earth. He went down and I could but follow. The door closed
behind me, yet it was not dark. Plenty of light was there, but where it
came from I cared not then nor can I now, tell. It reminded me of our old
weird tales told us in youth of pilgrims going down to the land of the Devas
where, although no sun was seen, there was plenty of light.
"At the bottom of the stairs was a passage. Here I saw people but they did
not speak to me and appeared not to even see me although their eyes were
directed at me. Kunala said nothing but walked on to the end, where there
was a room in which were many men looking as grand as he does but two more
awful, one of whom sat at the extreme end.
*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*
[Here there is a confused mass of symbols and ciphers which I confess I
cannot decipher, and even if I had the ability to do so, I would check
myself, because I surmise that it is his own way of jotting down for his own
remembrance, what occurred in that room. Nor do I think that even a plain
reading of it would give the sense to any one but the writer himself, for
this reason, that it is quite evidently fragmentary. For instance, I find
among the rest, a sort of notation of a division of states or planes:
whether of consciousness, of animated, or of elemental life, I cannot tell;
and in each division are hieroglyphs that might stand for animals, or
denizens of the astral world, or for anything else, even for ideas only, so
I will proceed at the place of his returning.]
"Once more I got out into the passage, but never to my knowledge went up
those steps, and in a moment more was I again at my door. It was as I left
it, and on the table I found the palm leaves as I dropped them, except that
beside them was a note in Kunala's hand, which read:
"'Nilakant - strive not yet to think too deeply on those things you have
just seen. Let the lessons sink deep into your heart, and they will have
their own fruition. To-morrow I will see you'. * * *
"What a very great blessing is mine to have had Kunala's company for so many
days even as we went to _________. Very rarely however he said a few words
of encouragement and good advice as to how I should go on. He seems to
leave me as to that to pick my own way. This is right, I think, because
otherwise one would never get any individual strength or power of
discrimination. Happy were those moments, when alone at midnight, we then
had conversation. How true I then found the words of the Agroushada
Parakshai to be:
"'Listen while the Sudra sleeps like the dog under his hut, while the Vaysa
dreams of the treasures that he is hoarding up, while the Rajah sleeps among
his women. This is the moment when just men, who are not under the dominion
of their flesh, commence the study of the sciences." 
"The midnight hour must have powers of a peculiar nature. And I learned
yesterday from glancing into an Englishman's book, that even those semi
barbarians speak of that time as 'the witching hour,' and it is told me that
among them 'witching' means to have magic power. * * * *
"We stopped at the Rest House in B________ yesterday evening, but found it
occupied and so we remained in the porch for the night. But once more I was
to be blessed by another visit with Kunala to some of his friends whom I
revere and who will I hope bless me too.
"When every one had quieted down he told me to go with him to the sea which
was not far away. We walked for about three quarters of an hour by the
seashore, and then entered as if into the sea. At first a slight fear came
into me, but I saw that a path seemed to be there, although water was all
around us. He in front and I following, we went for about seven minutes,
when we came to a small island; on it was a building and on top of that a
triangular light. From the sea shore, the island would seem like an
isolated spot covered all over by green bushes. There is only one entrance
to go inside. And no one can find it out unless the occupant wishes the
seeker to find the way. On the island we had to go round about for some
space before we came in front of the actual building. There is a little
garden in front and there was sitting another friend of Kunala with the same
expression of the eyes as he has. I also recognized him as one of those who
was in the room underground. Kunala seated himself and I stood before them.
We stayed an hour and saw a portion of the place. How very pleasant it is!
And inside he has a small room where he leaves his body when he himself
moves about in other places. What a charming spot, and what a delightful
smell of roses and various sorts of flowers! How I should wish to visit
that place often. But I cannot indulge in such idle dreams, nor in that
sort of covetousness. The master of the place put his blessing hand upon my
head, and we went away back to the Rest House and to the morrow full of
struggles and of encounters with men who do not see the light, nor hear the
great voice of the future; who are bound up in sorrow because they are
firmly attached to objects of sense. But all are my brothers and I must go
on trying to do the master's work which is only in fact the work of the Real
Self which is All and in All."
"I HAVE been going over that message I received just after returning from
the underground room, about not thinking yet too deeply upon what I saw
there, but to let the lessons sink deep into my heart. Can it be true -
must it not indeed be true - that we have periods in our development when
rest must be taken for the physical brain in order to give it time as a much
less comprehensive machine than these English college professors say it is,
to assimilate what it has received, while at the same time the real brain -
as we might say, the spiritual brain - is carrying on as busily as ever all
the trains of thought cut off from the head. Of course this is contrary to
this modern science we hear so much about now as about to be introduced into
all Asia, but it is perfectly consistent for me.
"To reconsider the situation: I went with Kunala to this underground place,
and there saw and heard most instructive and solemn things. I return to my
room, and begin to puzzle over them all, to revolve and re-revolve them in
my mind, with a view to clearing all up and finding out what all may mean.
But I am interrupted by a note from Kunala directing me to stop this
puzzling, and to let all I saw sink deep into my heart. Every word of his I
regard with respect, and consider to hold a meaning, being never used by him
with carelessness. So when he says, to let it sink into my 'heart,' in the
very same sentence where he refers to my thinking part - the mind - why he
must mean to separate my heart from my mind and to give to the heart a
larger and greater power.
"Well, I obeyed the injunction, made myself, as far as I could, forget what
I saw and what puzzled me and thought of other things. Presently, after a
few days while one afternoon thinking over an episode related in the Vishnu
Purana, I happened to look up at an old house I was passing and stopped to
examine a curious device on the porch; as I did this it seemed as if either
the device, or the house, or the circumstance itself, small as it was,
opened up at once several avenues of thought about the underground room,
made them all clear, showed me the conclusion as vividly as a well
demonstrated and fully illustrated proposition, to my intense delight.
Now could I perceive with plainness, that those few days which seemed
perhaps wasted because withdrawn from contemplation of that scene and its
lessons, had been with great advantage used by the spiritual man in
unraveling the tangled skein, while the much praised brain had remained in
idleness. All at once the flash came and with it knowledge. But I must
not depend upon these flashes, I must give the brain and its governor, the
material to work with. * * * * * *    
"Last night just as I was about to go to rest, the voice of Kunala called me
from outside and there I went at once. Looking steadily at me he said: 'we
want to see you,' and as he spoke he gradually changed, or disappeared, or
was absorbed, into the form of another man with awe-inspiring face and eyes,
whose form apparently rose up from the material of Kunala's body. At the
same moment two others stood there also, dressed in the Tibetan costume; and
one of them went into my room from which I had emerged. After saluting them
reverently, and not knowing their object, I said to the greatest,
"'Have you any orders to give?'
"'If there are any they will be told to you without being asked,' he
replied, 'stand still where you are.'
"Then he began to look at me fixedly. I felt a very pleasant sensation as
if I was getting out of my body. I cannot tell now what time passed between
that and what I am now to put down here. But I saw I was in a peculiar
place. It was the upper end of __________ at the foot of the _________
range. Here was a place where there were only two houses just opposite to
each other, and no other sign of habitation; from one of these came out the
old faquir I saw at the Durga festival, but how changed, and yet the same:
then so old, so repulsive; now so young, so glorious, so beautiful. He
smiled upon me benignly and said:
"'Never expect to see any one, but always be ready to answer if they speak
to you; it is not wise to peer outside of yourself for the great followers
of Vasudeva: look rather within.'
"The very words of the poor faquir!
"He then directed me to follow him.
"After going a short distance, of about half a mile or so, we came to a
natural subterranean passage which is under the _________ range. The path
is very dangerous; the River ____________ flows underneath in all the fury
of pent up waters, and a natural causeway exists upon which you may pass;
only one person at a time can go there and one false step seals the fate of
the traveller. Besides this causeway, there are several valleys to be
crossed. After walking a considerable distance through this subterranean
passage we came into an open plain in L________K. There stands a large
massive building thousands of years old. In front of it is a huge Egyptian
Tau. The building rests on seven big pillars each in the form of a pyramid.
The entrance gate has a large triangular arch, and inside are various
apartments. The building is so large that I think it can easily contain
twenty thousand people. Some of the rooms were shown to me.
"This must be the central place for all those belonging to the __________
class, to go for initiation and stay the requisite period.
"Then we entered the great hall with my guide in front. He was youthful in
form but in his eyes was the glance of ages. * * The grandeur and
serenity of this place strikes the heart with awe. In the centre was what
we would call an altar, but it must only be the place where focuses all the
power, the intention, the knowledge and the influence of the assembly. For
the seat, or place, or throne, occupied by the chief _________ the highest
__________ has around it an indescribable glory, consisting of an effulgence
which seemed to radiate from the one who occupied it. The surroundings of
the throne were not gorgeous, nor was the spot itself in any way decorated -
all the added magnificence was due altogether to the aura which emanated
from Him sitting there. And over his head I thought I saw as I stood there,
three golden triangles in the air above - Yes, they were there and seemed to
glow with an unearthly brilliance that betokened their inspired origin. But
neither they nor the light pervading the place, were produced by any
mechanical means. As I looked about me I saw that others had a triangle,
some two, and all with that peculiar brilliant light."
[Here again occurs a mass of symbols. It is apparent that just at this spot
he desires to jot down the points of the initiation which he wished to
remember. And I have to admit that I am not competent to elucidate their
meaning. That must be left to our intuitions and possibly future experience
in our own case.]
* * * * * * * * * *
* * *
"14th day of the new moon. The events of the night in the hall of
initiation gave me much concern. Was it a dream? Am I self-deluded? Can
it be that I imagined all this? Such were the unworthy questions which flew
behind each other across my mind for days after. Kunala does not refer to
the subject and I cannot put the question. Nor will I. I am determined,
that, come what will, the solution must be reached by me, or given me
voluntarily."
"Of what use to me will all the teachings and all the symbols be, if I
cannot rise to that plane of penetrating knowledge, by which I shall myself,
by myself, be able to solve this riddle, and know to discriminate the true
from the false and the illusory? If I am unable to cut asunder these
questioning doubts, these bonds of ignorance, it is proof that not yet have
I risen to the plane situated above these doubts. * * *
Last night after all day chasing through my mental sky, these swift
destroyers of stability - mental birds of passage - I lay down upon the bed,
and as I did so, into my hearing fell these words:
"'Anxiety is the foe of knowledge; like unto a veil it falls down before the
soul's eye; entertain it, and the veil only thicker grows; cast it out, and
the sun of truth may dissipate the cloudy veil.'
"Admitting that truth; I determined to prohibit all anxiety. Well I knew
that the prohibition issued from the depths of my heart, for that was
master's voice, and confidence in his wisdom, the self commanding nature of
the words themselves, compelled me to complete reliance on the instruction.
No sooner was the resolution formed, than down upon my face fell something
which I seized at once in my hand. Lighting a lamp, before me was a note in
the well known writing. Opening it, I read:
"'Nilakant. It was no dream. All was real, and more, that by your waking
consciousness could not be retained, happened there. Reflect upon it all as
reality, and from the slightest circumstance draw whatever lesson, whatever
amount of knowledge you can. Never forget that your spiritual progress goes
on quite often to yourself unknown. Two out of many hindrances to memory
are anxiety and selfishness. Anxiety is a barrier constructed - out of
harsh and bitter materials. Selfishness is a fiery darkness that will, burn
up the memory's matrix. Bring then, to bear upon this other memory of
yours, the peaceful stillness of contentment and the vivifying rain of
benevolence.'" 
[I leave out here, as well as in other places, mere notes of journeys and
various small matters, very probably of no interest.]
"In last month's passage across the hills near V______, I was irresistibly
drawn to examine a deserted building, which I at first took for a grain
holder, or something like that. It was of stone, square, with no openings,
no windows, no door. From what could be seen outside, it might have been
the ruins of a strong, stone foundation for some old building, gateway or
tower. Kunala stood not far off and looked over it, and later on he asked
me, for my ideas about the place. All I could say, was, that although it
seemed to be solid, I was thinking that perhaps it might be hollow.
"'Yes,' said he, 'it is hollow. It is one of the places once made by Yogees
to go into deep trance in. If used by a chela (a disciple) his teacher kept
watch over it so that no one might intrude. But when an adept wants to use
it for laying his body away in while he travels about in his real, though
perhaps to some unseen, form, other means of protection were often taken
which were just as secure as the presence of the teacher of the disciple.'
'Well,' I said, 'it must be that just now no one's body is inside there.'
"'Do not reach that conclusion nor the other either. It may be occupied and
it may not.'
"Then we journeyed on, while he told me of the benevolence of not only
Brahmin Yogees, but also of Buddhist. No differences can be observed by the
true disciple in any other disciple who is perhaps of a different faith.
All pursue truth. Roads differ but the goal of all remains alike."
* * * "Repeated three times: 'Time ripens and dissolves all
beings in the great self, but he who knows into what time itself is
dissolved, he is the knower of the Veda.'
"What is to be understood, not only by this, but also by its being three
times repeated?
"There were three shrines there. Over the door was a picture which I saw a
moment, and which for a moment seemed to blaze out with light like fire.
Fixed upon my mind its outlines grew, then disappeared, when I had passed
the threshold. Inside, again its image came before my eyes. Seeming to
allure me, it faded out, and then again returned. It remained impressed
upon me, seemed imbued with life and intention to present itself for my own
criticism. When I began to analyze it, it would fade, and then when I was
fearful of not doing my duty or of being disrespectful to those beings, it
returned as if to demand attention. Its description:
"A human heart that has at its centre a small spark - the spark - expands
and the heart disappears - while a deep pulsation seems to pass through me.
At once identity is confused, I grasp at myself; and again the heart
reappears with the spark increased to a large fiery space. Once more that
deep movement; then sounds (7) ; they fade. All this in a picture? Yes!
for in that picture there is life; there might be intelligence. It is
similar to that picture I saw in Tibet on my first journey, where the living
moon rises and passes across the view. Where was I? No, not afterwards!
It was in the hall. Again that all pervading sound. It seems to bear me
like a river. Then it ceased, - a soundless sound. Then once more the
picture; here is Pranava. But between the heart and the Pranava is a mighty
bow with arrows ready, and tightly strung for use. Next is a shrine, with
the Pranava over it, shut fast, no key and no keyhole. On its sides emblems
of human passions. The door of the shrine opens and I think within I will
see the truth. No! another door? a shrine again. It opens too and then
another, brightly flashing is seen there. Like the heart, it makes itself
one with me. Irresistible desire to approach it comes within me, and it
absorbs the whole picture.
"'Break through the shrine of Brahman; use the doctrine of the teacher.'" 
[There is no connection here of this exhortation with any person, and very
probably it is something that was said either by himself, in soliloquy, or
by some voice or person to him.
I must end here, as I find great rents and spaces in the notes. He must
have ceased to put down further, the saw or did in his real inner life, and
you will very surely agree, that if he had progressed by that time to what
the last portions would indicate, he could not set down his reflections
thereon, or any memorandum of facts. We, however, can never tell what was
his reason. He might have been told not to do so, or might have lacked the
opportunity.
There was much all through these pages that related to his daily family
life, not interesting to you; records of conversations; worldly affairs;
items of money and regarding appointments, journeys and meetings with
friends. But they show of course that he was all this time living through
his set work with men, and often harassed by care as well as comforted by
his family and regardful of them. All of that I left out, because I
supposed that while it would probably interest you, yet I was left with
discretion to give only what seemed to relate to the period marked at its
beginning, by his meetings with M_______, and at the end by this last
remarkable scene, the details of which we can only imagine. And likewise
were of necessity omitted very much that is sufficiently unintelligible in
its symbolism to be secure from revelation. Honestly have I tried to unlock
the doors of the ciphers, for no prohibition came with their possession, but
all that I could refine from its enfolding obscurity is given to you.
As he would say, let us salute each other and the last shrine of Brahman;
Om, hari, Om![[ [	[ TRANSLATED.]


This account gives an idea of the sweep of study initiates g through. All
aspects of the mind and thinking need to be experienced and controlled.  

Contrast is only one of them. Taken as an example of polarity and reality
the whole panorama of motive has to be envisaged and brought to bear on any
decision.

The initiate can do this the "chela" studies this.

Best wishes,


Dallas

===================================
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Anand Gholap
Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2005 12:07 PM
To: 
Subject: wrong statement

Here is Blavatsky's wrong statement.

". . . Contrast alone can enable us to appreciate things at their
right value; and unless a judge compares notes and hears both sides
he can hardly come to a correct decision." 

Theosophist, Volume II, July, 1881, p. 218;