Theos-Talk Archives (January 2006 Message tt00124)

1/8/2006 5:28 PM

Dear Bill:

I would think if not "incarnated" an Adept would be acting as a Nirmanakaya.

This what I have gleaned from Theosophical writings:

Nirmanakaya-- Sambhogakaya -- Dharmakaya -- Pratyekha

Trikaya, Nirvana and Nirvanees 


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

NIRMANAKAYA

 
The Nirmanakaya, is the highest stage. If renunciation (of Nirvana) is
chosen, Bodhi ( Wisdom ) is "practiced" by those who live in that vesture.
The Mahatma, the Master of Devotion (the Jains would call him a
Tirthankara) employs this nirmanakayic body for his further compassionate
work which embraces Humanity and its many individuals in particular, while
at the same time, he proceeds, working on other planes of nature, which
necessarily include harmonic relations with vast and other aspects of the
Universe, of which we are not given the details The karmic future of
individuals, of the "race," of our Earth, lies in front of his gaze, as an
"open book." His part in the grand scheme of Life is clear, as is that of
others. This enables him to employ discrimination in his actions of
assistance. He knows when cycles are due to mature, and whether the time
may be correct to initiate the action of some or another type of learning
opportunity for humanity, a race, or an individual.
 
THE MAHATMA IS A NIRMANAKAYA WHO USES A PHYSICAL BODY. This can be done in
several ways: normal birth, substitution ( as in a "borrowed body," ), and
by Kriyasakti, whereby a new body is formed, not "born of woman." The
various methods and reasons for their use have a significance known only to
them. For us to inquire into those particular reasons is curiosity.
	
Gautama the Buddha chose to remain with mankind as a Nirmanakaya,
occasionally incarnating as in the case of Sri Sankaracharya, and later as
Tson-Kha-Pa. So says HPB. ( see Glos 307-8), and Son-Kha-pa. (Glos. p.
305).


"...those Egos of great Adepts who have passed away, and are also known as
Nirmanakayas; ...for whom--since they are beyond illusion--there is no
Devachan, and who, having either voluntarily renounced it for the good of
mankind, or not yet reached Nirvana, remain invisible on earth...they are
re-born over and over again ... Who they are, "on earth"--every student of
Occult science knows..."	SD II 615


"When our great Buddha--the patron of all the adepts, the reformer and the
codifier of the occult system, reached first Nirvana on earth, he became a
Planetary Spirit, i.e.,--his spirit could at one and the same time rove the
interstellar spaces in full consciousness, and continue at will on Earth in
his original and individual body. For the divine Self had so completely
disfranchised itself from matter that it could create at will an inner
substitute for itself, and leaving it in the human form for days, weeks,
sometimes years, affect in no wise by the change either the vital principle
or the physical mind of its body...that is the highest form of adeptship man
can hope for on our planet. But it is as rare as the Buddhas themselves,
(44) the last Khobilghan who reached it being Sang-Ko-Pa of Kokonor (XIV
Century), the reformer of esoteric as well as of vulgar lamaism. Many are
those who "break through the egg shell," few who, once out are able to
exercise their Nirira namastaka fully, when out of the body. Conscious life
in Spirit is as difficult for some natures as swimming, is for some
bodies...The planetary Spirit of that kind (the Buddha like) can pass at
will into other bodies--of more or less etherealized matter, inhabiting
other regions of the Universe. There are many other grades and orders, but
there is no separate and eternally constituted order of Planetary
Spirits..." Mahat. Let. 43-4


The nature and function of the Dhyan Chohans [ Lords of Wisdom ] is
explained in SD II 233fn. They are "The divine Intelligences charged with
the supervision of Kosmos." T. Glos. p.101.


"...it will be sufficient to point to the following:--	

(1) the Nirmanakaya vesture is preferred by the "Buddhas of
Compassion" to that of the Dharmakaya state, precisely because the latter
precludes him who attains it from any communication or relation with the
finite, i.e., with humanity;  

(2) it is not Buddha (Gautama, the mortal man...) who lives
ubiquitously in "three different spheres, at the same time," but Bodhi, the
universal and abstract principle of divine wisdom, symbolized in philosophy
by Adi-Buddha. It is the latter that is ubiquitous because it is the
universal essence or principle. It is Bodhi, or the spirit of Buddhaship,
which having resolved itself into its primordial homogeneous essence and
merged into it, as Brahma (the universe) merges into Parabrahm, the
Absoluteness is meant under the name of "essential Bodhi." For the
Nirvanee, or Dhyani-Buddha, must be supposed--to be that "essential Bodhi"
itself. It is the Dhyani Bodhisattvas, the primordial rays of the universal
Bodhi, who live in "reflected Bodhi" in Rupadathu, or the world of
subjective "forms;" and it is the Nirmanakayas (plural) who upon casting
their lives of "practical Bodhi," in the "enlightened" or Buddha forms,
remain voluntarily in the Kamadathu (the world of desire), whether in
objective forms on earth or in subjective states in its sphere (the 2nd
Buddhakshetra). This they do in order to watch over, protect and help
mankind." 		
[Glos 129 - Guardian Wall; Voice 74, L on P 19, 
M L 57, Q & A 160, Key 212-3, F P 75,]  


Thus, it is neither one Buddha who is meant, nor any particular Avatar of
the collective Dhyani Buddhas, but verily Adi-Bodhi--the first Logos, whose
primordial ray is Mahabuddhi, the Universal Soul, Alaya whose flame is
ubiquitous, and whose influence has a different sphere in each of the three
forms of existence, because, once again, it is Universal Being itself or the
reflex of the Absolute..."	Glos 343



PRATYEKHA BUDDHAS


HPB writes in the Voice of the Silence, p. 47 of the Pratyekha Buddha, and
of "spiritual Selfishness."  

In the Theosophical Glossary, p.261 HPB says this designation describes high
intellectual development but with no true spirituality.  

It is the result of practicing the dead-letter of the laws that lead to
spiritual development, but does not include those that come from Buddhi:
compassion, generosity, brotherhood. It is also the result of only a
partial understanding of the Law of Evolution. Such an individual has not
yet learned to visualize all Beings as the One Self, and his own
indissoluble relations with It, and with all others. He is self-centered in
his personal (kama-manasic) state of consciousness. Intellect, and personal
comprehension, are added to a strict carrying out, literally, of the rules
of psycho-mental inner development, he helps other and appears
compassionate, but in reality he is focused on his own personal "liberation"
from the wheel of rebirth and life on this Earth. He has created a barrier
which isolates him personally and does not include the fact of the unity of
all Nature.

In the Theosophical Forum, Mr. Judge has answered points that are raised by
one trying to understand this :


"...there are two methods of attaining Nirvana, one selfish and the other
unselfish, but the word selfish here would designate really unselfishness
among us. It refers to the refinement of selfishness in that a person is
working by unselfish acts to obtain that which, in the end of all analysis,
is selfish, because it is for the benefit of the person involved. But it
was never taught that a man could attain Nirvana by working for his own
selfish advantage as his motive, and he does not gain it at the expense of
anyone; therefore his selfishness in obtaining Nirvana, being at no one's
expense, is of a very different quality from what we ordinarily call
selfishness. As a matter of fat it is stated that at a certain point of
development the highly spiritualized person may in a moment pass into
Nirvana through an instantaneous personal desire to gain that state."	WQJ
-- Forum Answers, p. 73-4


It appears to be an illustration of the saying: "Everyone was out of step,
but Johnny."

HPB calls it "the lowest of the three paths to Nirvana...in which a
Yogi--'without teacher and without saving others'--by the mere force of will
and technical observance attains to a kind of nominal Buddhaship, doing no
good to anyone but working selfishly for his own salvation."  

Mr. Judge in the Forum Answers says:--

"Bad karma is that act and thought which displeases the Higher Self. Hence
all self-seeking acts and thoughts no matter how high and outwardly virtuous
they are, are bad karma, since the Higher Self desires no such acts for its
sake.

Nirvana comes to those who have risen over the delusions and have realized
the supreme unity of all; then it may be taken; but if it is taken for
oneself, leaving others in the mire of life unhelped, it becomes an enormous
selfishness which later on must result in the being having to do penance in
some other manvantara."	WQJ -- Forum Answers p. 97


If we use the knowledge HPB gives in the KEY of the nature and range of our
principles, and take into consideration the whole thrust of evolution as
expressed by Mr. Judge in the OCEAN, OF THEOSOPHY, p. 60, the "raising of
the entire mass of sentient matter to the level of "conscious god-hood," we
are told that the One Consciousness, working in us through the "embodied
soul" (kama-manas) and through the many successive personalities that Karma
provides us, is also working on this "mass" to raise it.  

We are given an inestimable opportunity to voluntarily work in this vast
cooperative endeavor.  

This is one of the reasons why the free-willed "man-stage" of evolution is
essential. As a class we are in the position of being confronted, sooner or
later, with the choice of becoming voluntary assistants in this work, or of
terminating our association with it for a while--of becoming Nirvanees.

This process of devoted work to be done by a host of mind-beings (including
ourselves) using the great mass of "living-matter" is the way in which it is
being refined, and "raised." It is we, humans, who in our struggle to
master the causal powers inherent in our nature, work to impersonalize the
personality (our Kama-Manas), while assisting it to advance in its own way.
As self-conscious beings, our task is to assist all departments of nature in
this vast progression. [ As an example we may look at our own physical
bodies made up of many kinds of cells and structures, and see the wonderful
whole, welded into a conscious mass by the Master Intelligence that we call
"ourselves," and in this: "we live and have our being."]

The "raising" is the assisting of all the many beings, in and around us, to
a position of greater refinement, so that "instinctual consciousness" can be
assisted to bridge the gap to true wisdom. In India the group named the
Jains are seen to carry this ancient ideal into practice on the physical
plane: they seek to avoid harming (killing) any form in which intelligence
dwells. On the planes of passion and thought, a similar process is to be
carried out, whereby controlling both these faculties we avoid harming the
skandaic elementals by impressing them with our selfish and evil passionate
thoughts. They (the Jains) use an interesting definition, saying that all
"life-atoms, monads - are matter" And that means is "Karma." Thus they link
the universal life-atoms (monads) which pervade the Universe at any and
all levels of existence, to a need, a duty and a responsibility due to them
by every and all Spiritual EGOS {Buddhi-Manas} that are on their pilgrimage
to "eternal Peace." We may say that in every human being there resides at
base such a potential Mahatma. We sometimes come across this idea expressed
as: "the Master within." 

The responsibility of being human implies free-will, and each one of these
minute beings is potentially a unit of the humanity of the future. { We can
witness this repeated in every incarnation, when the consciousness of a
child is enlivened by its parents, teachers and circumstances. At about age
seven, the Atma is able to incarnate in the personal form through the
entrance of the Higher Manas conjoined to Buddhi. The divine Triad has
access to the next in the series of personal brain-mind beings that Karmic
progress has again provided. In effect, the One Consciousness becomes again
the guide and friend, as Krishna is for Arjuna. }

Considering, what the selfish anchorite, the Pratyekha Buddha does, we may
understand that he focuses his energy on his personally, aiming to retire
from the world of action into one supposed to be the inaction of bliss, and
of non-involvement. He visualizes and creates for himself as a person, a
cocoon wherein time is made to stand still, a temporary "Nirvana." He
intensely desires (a kamic act) to remove himself from awareness of any
sensations of pain, pleasure or other involvement in the process of
evolution and of the impact of dealing with its many beings. 

In the Forum Answers, p. 120, Mr. Judge answers a question based on a
statement made on p. 28 of the Epitome of Theosophy: 

"When an Adept has reached a certain very high point in his evolution he
may, by a mere wish, become what the Hindus call a "Deva"--or lesser god.
If he does this, then, although he will enjoy the bliss and power of that
state for a vast length of time, he will not at the next Pralaya partake of
the conscious life "in the bosom of the Father," but has to pass down into
matter at the next new "creation," performing certain functions that could
not now be made clear, and has to come up again through the elemental world;
but this fate is not like that of the Black Magician who falls into Avitchi.
And again between the two he can choose the middle state and become a
Nirmanakaya--one who gives up the bliss of Nirvana and remains in conscious
existence outside of his body after its death; in order to help Humanity.
This is the greatest sacrifice he can do for mankind." Epitome, p.
28

	

Again in the Theosophical Forum he states :

"The whole matter is a reference to a very obscure doctrine, but little
known, that if the Adept voluntarily takes the delights, pleasures and
powers referred to, he is compelled, after millions of years of enjoyment,
to reenter objective nature at the elemental stage. That is plainly
related."  
Forum Answers p. 120


One might say that this is encouraged in the sayings attributed to
Sankara-Acharya, in his "Crest Jewel of Wisdom." There one finds a constant
emphasis on liberating ones' consciousness from the bonds of passion, so
that "freedom" may be secured. It would be significant to ask "What is the
Principle, or the nature of that Being which has "consciousness" as an
attribute;" next: "What are the bonds of "Passion," and how are they
different from "Thought;" and: "What would this "freedom" be--"freedom"
from what, and for how long ? And if that is time-limited, what ensues ?
Can we ever be totally free ? "

Some devotees seize upon the concept of "freedom," and decide that they will
consider that all actions that bind one through karma to rebirth are to be
shunned. They lose sight of the higher virtues of cooperation, generosity,
assistance to others who "know less than ourselves." Those virtues which
are enshrined in the practice of brotherhood.  

Brotherhood is named: "The One Esoteric Truth." If one meditates on this,
all else unfolds, and the right proportion and use of powers and choice on
physical plane events becomes clear. All such choices must be preceded by a
deliberate and careful moral, and mental purification of our motive. To
impersonalize it and universalize it is paramount.

To return to the Pratyekha, or "Passi Buddha." He goes on, in increasing
personal isolation, developing in his misinterpretation of the goal of
evolution a desire for this long but temporary Nirvanic state. So strong is
he in the exercise of his will, that he erects around himself barriers to
further contact with other beings, including the Mahatmas. He estranges
himself from a full understanding and a complete use of all the doctrines of
universal "Theosophy," and chooses from among them, only those that suit him
personally. In effect he makes of his being a "nish-karma," or a
karma-less being for a very long time--as he enters an Individualized state,
a limited Nirvana the duration of which is commensurate with the level of
"merit" he develops.

Temporarily, the great law of evolution, acting under the concentrated force
of a spiritual desire, provides him with a "resting place"--on one of the
seven planes of Nirvana--where he waits until those who were his
contemporaries, which he had out-distanced for a while, reach his level of
consciousness, will and ability, which might be called the perfection of the
Kama-Manasic state and plane of consciousness.  

Nature has, higher duties and planes of work, and these must be satisfied in
the great economy of manifestation. The price for such a limited horizon of
rest and isolation has to be paid.

In the Notes on the Bhagavad Gita, pp. pp. 98-99, It is called the "One
Consciousness which pierces up and down through all the seven states or
planes of Being, and serves to uphold the memory...of each state's
experience." This "One Consciousness is one and not many, nor different
from other consciousnesses. It is not the waking consciousness or sleeping
consciousness, or any other but consciousness itself." It derives from, and
is the active aspect of the Atma, the Ray of the Central Spiritual Sun that
unites all beings. It is the "Law of Laws--Compassion absolute."

For the Pratyekha Buddha, this isolated "Nirvanic" condition is
self-centered, or selfish, and therefore it is brought to an end by the
great Law; which, being compassionate, gives such an entity another chance
to progress on to the true goal.  

At the opposite pole of conscious endeavor, we are told that there are those
who choose to oppose the work of evolution, who make of themselves isolated
and antagonistic, perverse centers of consciousness, rooted in the isolation
of matter and selfish passion. These face the annihilation of the
personality as a conscious base. That selfishly directed personality
acquires great knowledge, and misapplies, or misdirects it. It enters a
state named Avitchi.  

The Monad severs itself from that series of personalities, and under the
great law, it is again recirculated through the evolutionary process. The
Monad is immortal. It provides for a fresh assemblage of intelligence a
focus for a new focus for the development of the mama-manasic intelligence
we call the personality. The ascent from the bottom of experience begins
again. It is the personal consciousness and memories that are
"annihilated," obliterated in that case. Similarly, all memory in the
memory of humanity, of a Pratyekha Buddha is said to be obliterated, since
such an one ceases from its duty of assisting and participating in
evolution.


In this connection HPB in The Secret Doctrine says : 

" [ the power ] which propels towards, and forces evolution, i.e., compels
the growth and development of Man towards perfection, is (a) the monad, or
that which acts in it unconsciously through a force inherent in itself; and
(b) the lower astral body or the personal self. The former...	
that force [which]...owing to its identity with the all-force...inherent in
the Monad, it is all-potent on the Arupa or formless plane...So with the
Atman: unless the higher Self or ego gravitates towards its Sun--the
Monad--the lower Ego, or personal Self, will have the upper hand in every
case. For it is this Ego, with its fierce Selfishness and animal desire to
live a Senseless life (Tanha), which is "the maker of the tabernacle,"...In
short, Spirituality is on its ascending arc, and the animal or physical
impedes it from steadily progressing on the path of its evolution only when
the selfishness of the personality has so strongly infected the real inner
man with its lethal virus, that the upward attraction has lost all its power
on the thinking reasonable man."	S D II
109-110


As an illustration, we could consider a band of pilgrims who are climbing a
sacred mountain together. One spurts ahead, then, finding a niche, sits.
When the rest arrive, they go on together. The one who raced ahead to sit
and wait in isolation, has lost the intervening growth that accrued to the
others through their exchange of ideas, mutual assistance, and friendship.  

He has to acquire those, and they include compassion and a perception of the
duty owed to the skandhas. He has to learn that any progress, requires the
sharing of all learning acquired. This understanding comes from developing
Buddhic heart qualities. It is a recognition of the continuous debt that
wisdom developed from within confers on its recipients. This is represented
as sacrifice of the 'self' for the selves of all other beings.

In India the Brahmins often adopt the attitude that they desire to isolate
themselves from contact with others of a "lower caste." because they
conceive that spiritual life demands such an isolation from physical
proximity. They forget that the true insulation of the spiritual life is an
inner attitude, it pertains to the mind. Buddha is said, while living in
the world, He sent out wide and sweeping currents of force for good that
enveloped all who surrounded him. And further, such is their power, they
have carried his peaceful influence forward for over 2,500 years to all
those who contact his words and ideas.  

Krishna, an Avatar, who came at the commencement of the Kali-Yuga offered
the Bhagavad Gita as a spiritual reformative to the rituals and rote of
Brahmanical practice. Krishna an "avatar" incarnated, although a Sage, in a
kshatriya body and was brought up as a sudra. Kali Yuga was the fresh cycle
that would influence the world. It was one in which ancient practices would
become confused. He stands as an example of the spiritual person, to whom
external caste means nothing. His influence will pervade the rest of that
vast period of time. The true devotee, aspiring to approach the Rishis, the
Wise Ones of Old, welcomes living in the world where he can help anyone who
needs such spiritual perception as he may have secured. 

The achievement of "head learning," with a lack of "soul Wisdom," limits any
personal development to the level of Kama-Manas. If this is carried to its
highest level isolation of the personality results in the Pratyekha Buddha.
The qualities named Dana-charity, Shila-harmony and Kshanti-peacefulness
need development. The 'lower mind' has to become the 'human mind.' And then
with the power of Viraga, "indifference to pleasure as to pain, illusion
conquered, truth alone perceived." From this 4th or balance virtue are
developed the qualities of the Adept: Viraga, dauntless and well directed
energy, leading to the work of a spiritual mind, and represented in the next
series of Paramitas: Viraga, Dhyana, and Prajna. [see Voice, p. 52]

In compassion we may see wise action inspired and directed by Higher Manas,
Buddhi and Atman. The embodied mind realizes that it is entirely
responsible for the qualities impressed by the power of choice on the
skandhas that provide it with the vestures of its personality. Assisting
and educating them is a part of our karmic task. They will always be our
associates.

The power of the law of conjoint evolution in all spheres and levels,
includes all beings without exception, therefore any selfish attempt at
isolation can only be temporary. In the case of the Pratyekha, the delay
caused by selfish choice affects the merit he had acquired intellectually,
using his lower manasic reasoning. 

The elements of the personality, the "life-atoms" clothe the "Pilgrim," with
those vestures that provide not only the path but the place of our
pilgrimage. The "life-atoms" that cluster karmically about it, cause the
kind of incarnation which represents the stage at which he abandoned them.
There the interrupted work starts again to assist and be assisted by all
those that he had delayed by indulging in the "sin of separateness."  

More references: M L 114, SD I 371 329-30; II 79-80 109-10 233fn;  
Key 113-4; Forum Answers, pp. 73-4, 97-8, 120;  
Epitome, p. 28; Glossary 261. 345, 231, 232;  
Aryan Path, Vol. I, p. 656.



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



In the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna declares to Arjuna the origin of the
doctrines of that "song:" the Bhagavad Gita or, Yoga - our unity with
devotion.  

The several technical names given above are degrees of Adeptship, and
indicate progress along the path of spiritual Perfection.

Krishna, the most ancient Sage, speaks of the Lodge of holy Yogis who having
mastered all the rules, laws and operations of Nature in our Universe and
world, remain in contact with humanity so as to educate it in these facts
and thus preserve a living knowledge of the spiritual basis for all
manifestation and its operations. [ example: see S D I 207-8, 570-575]
	

In chapter 4, verse 1, Krishna says: -- 

"This exhaustless doctrine of Yoga, I formerly taught unto Vivaswat (the
Central Divine Sun, the first manifestation of divine wisdom at the
beginning of evolution); Vivaswat communicated it to Manu (a generic title
for the reigning spirit of the sensuous universe; the present one being
Vivaswata Manu); and Manu made it known unto Ikshwaku (the founder of the
Indian solar--Suryavansa dynasty); and being thus transmitted from one unto
another it was studied by the Raja Rishees (the Royal Sages, teachers of the
Brahmins); until at length in the course of time the mighty art was lost, O
harasser of thy foes! It is even the same exhaustless, secret eternal
doctrine I have this day communicated unto thee because thou art my devotee
and my friend." Gita, p. 30


"Krishna then explains that reincarnation is a fact in Nature, and is the
Path of experience which leads to the Goal of perfection for all mankind.  

All beings, starting as the "life-atoms" (or "monads") and including
men/minds, are immortals and are evolving in intelligence towards a
"realization" that the whole Universe operates under immutable Law, and is
One WHOLE. This implies a perception of the nature of Law--Karma before any
choosing or acting is done.

Krishna, the manifested Logos, corresponds to the Atma--Higher Self in man
[the "Ray" from the Spiritual Sun]. It is immortal and eternal.  

Mankind, in general, finds itself mid-way in evolution. It bridges the gap,
uniting the Spiritual and the material streams of evolution into the
essential, third stream, that of his own free-willed Self-consciousness.
And this is a special provision in Nature because it serves to mirror into
his awakened Brain-min (Lower Manas) the infinite capacity for
understanding directly derived from his internal "God," the
Atma-Buddhi-Manasic Monad -- the "Ray" of the Real Self innate to him. For
this reason he "makes" Karma; and, he hastens or retards his own evolution,
by his free-willed choices, as a personal being, progressing towards
"Perfection."

Perfection is a mental and a moral condition, where the free-willed mind,
perceiving the equality and brotherhood of all beings, has chosen to
discipline itself to be brotherly, and therefore harmless to all the rest of
Nature's beings.  

It acts unselfishly, and perceiving the universal action of Karma, it is
merciful and compassionate to all. Such an "awakened" man, harmonizes and
equilibrizes all the powers and forces of Nature, which he sees are within
himself as everywhere else. And he deliberately and consciously makes of
the 'army' of the "skandhas" he has drawn together, a "permanent Astral"--a
Manvantaric Body for use on the several "planes," and "spheres" of
evolutionary life.	[ see HPB Art, III 265 ]


"Perfection" is relative to "imperfection;" the ideal of perfection is held
and worked toward because it is potential in us as in every other being. It
is in a way a limited goal, as it is a goal we construct with the embodied
mind so as to help raise it to a more universal position. When attained to,
it will disclose further "perfections" to be striven for.  

"Perfection is an ever-receding goal; "we can always approach the light,
but we may never touch the flame," because it is our very Self, the
Perceiver and Knower within. The Self is neither perfect nor imperfect for
it includes all perceptions; there could be no knowledge of any degree of
perfection or imperfections unless the perceiver could see both an
distinguish between them."	A to Q, 14  


I hope this might help.


Best wishes, 

Dallas
 
======================================

-----Original Message-----
From: Bill 
Sent: Sunday, January 08, 2006 3:30 PM
To: 
Subject: Re: Henry Olcott's Testimony about the Master Morya


< not all Masters are incarnated.>

This is my experience as well.
I would describe meeting a master as a meaningful inner experience 
regardless of the outer circumstances.

peace,

bill