Theos-Talk Archives (June 2006 Message tt00116)

6/5/2006 8:17 AM

Dear Carlos :

May I break in, and offer for consideration ?



REFLECTIONS ON MONADIC EVOLUTION

		      and

         THE VALUE OF THEOSOPHY



"Why are we here," is a good question.  

But it ought to be supplemented by another:

"How did we get to be here?"

Theosophy says that we are at core spiritual beings.  We are immortals who
entered into this world on a rescue mission.  We are all here to help others
who do not yet know they are wise and spiritual and have to be shown how to
discover that in themselves.

In fact each of us is a case in point.  We find ourselves in or surrounded
by difficulties, pain, sorrow, and also see joyous and pleasant moments.  We
wonder how to get rid of the hurt and increase the happiness.  This can be
resolved into another question:  "How do we get out of here?"

And if we do not get a reasonable answer we feel imposed on by injustice.
Are we to blame man-made "law" or shall we blame "Nature" for failing to
protect us?

Theosophy makes a situation report to us:

As said, one its principal tenets is: all forms and beings, all humans, and
this includes ourselves,  -- we, all, from the imperishable atom on up to
the largest and most complex of forms, we are compounds of the  "immortals."


It is also posited that consciousness, intelligence, memory and the creative
mind are the primary faculties (whether potentially, actually or innate) of
these undying entities. So it is held that our consciousness or individual
awareness does not "die."  [For example, we all go to sleep and then wake up
and we find a continuing being  --   ourselves, again. ]  It is the
Spiritual Self that we are which continually energizes and keeps alive this
continuity through the unconsciousness we call "sleep."]

We find ourselves constantly changing, mortal bodies.  That is our personal,
our  physical nature, and we keep that alive with several things that come
and stay, or go, and pass through our bodies.  [ For example, we all breathe
air, drink water, and eat.  We all work, play and rest. ]  Eventually the
body grows old, tired and is unable to heal and renew itself.  It dies.  But
Theosophy states very positively that the Real Person within, is immortal
and does not die.  It comes back in a new body under a universal law called
"reincarnation."  It is this consciousness of continuity that is the real
immortal, not the bodily form.

Another variable are find is in our moods and feelings.  [For example. we
divide how we "feel" into two categories:  things we like and others that we
dislike.]   To some extent we are able to control and change how we feel,
and at other times we are overwhelmed by their power.

A third factor we now realize is the Mind (or some call it the Soul).  We do
not "have a Soul."  We are the SOUL.  And yet we also know that we can
change our minds.  Do we have two minds?  In a way, yes.  

We have the "spiritual Mind" that is immortal, and, we have its reflection
in the body which we call our "embodied mind."  

We notice that the embodied mind is most closely allied to our "feelings."
Sometimes it has the power to control the feelings, sometimes the feelings
and desires (or passions) overthrow the mind's control, and we hear of
crimes committed.  [ The Laws of all countries recognize the fact that the
Human Mind is supposed to be able to control an individual's desires,
passions and feelings and hold them under a discipline that makes us "equal
before the law."  If a crime is detected, then the local Law holds the
person (including the inner Self) responsible and liable. We also know that
this may abused, and that hypocrisy, dissimulation and dishonesty is
prevalent. ]
  
Theosophy states most positively that are Spiritual Beings who have
"descended voluntarily into matter."  We, as Spiritually advanced Monads,
did this by choice many ages back, so that we could show by example and by
precept the existence of the "spiritual realm." This enables us to assist
our "younger brothers" who are also "monads," but who still lack the
experience we have had.  The mission we took up was to help them  by advice
(as from a tutor) to become consciously spiritual as we are yet today. In
this we cannot usurp the right to self-development which is an integral part
of every aspect of personal growth and of every stage of spiritual power
that the embodied personal mind can achieve. 

So we took on their problems, as advisors, and in the process we also lost
some of our spiritual powers.  Together now, we are struggling to become
entirely spiritual and in the process assisting monads all through Nature to
improve.  In a way it is like the fire-fighters who plunge into a burning
building seeking to extinguish the flames and also rescue, if any one is
there who needs our help.

Looking at the matter in a deeper way, we might add:

One of the main ideas that THEOSOPHY presents is that it is not derived from
any of the religious philosophies of antiquity.  It claims, both as a record
of actual history, and, as a logical philosophy, to be the most ancient
system of all. It says that each "religion," and each philosophy and science
of our era have been derived from the records and doctrines of perennial
Theosophy.

The book The SECRET DOCTRINE offers us a survey of two vast subjects: --

1.	The origin of Worlds, galaxies and Universe, and the origin of Man
as a thinking being.  

2.	It claims that (using the words of the ancient Sage Patanjali) :
"The Universe comes into existence for the sole purpose of the evolution of
the thinking man of Monad."

Here are some extracts which explain this further:


"If one considers that the entire MANIFESTATION is made up of imperishable
(immortal) MONADS  and, each one is a compound that cannot be separated of
SPIRIT/MATTER, then it is possible to consider another deduction:
INTELLIGENCE is a mark of the individual progress of each MONAD as it wends
its eternal journey through the experiences that MANIFESTATION gives.  Every
least "atom" is intelligent, and that intelligence is ever-growing as it
lives through experience in all the many successive planes of nature.  "The
SECRET DOCTRINE teaches the progressive development of everything, worlds,
as well as atoms;  and this stupendous development has neither conceivable
beginning not imaginable end."  	SD I p. 43


It looks on the whole of evolution and manifestation as embodied awareness,
or "consciousness."  it claims that every being from the basic  "life-atom
(Monad)" just issued fresh from the "monadic essence," on up to the wisest
of Sages, form a single united body of spiritual LIFE.  Thus the existence
of an eternal and ever-existent Spiritual College of the "Wise" exists and
is in operation.

Life is embodied Intelligence.  Intelligence is always growing and
progressing.  Experience leaves an indelible impress of the memory of all
events, thoughts and words; and that is the basis for every stage and level
of individual increment and growth.  The Experiencer within each being and
each human self, is also the Perceiver and the Witness of all changes and
events it has experienced in this life and in all past lives.  

It, as the "Observer,"  is the constant and unchangeable center of
immortality in the unit Monad.  This Monad is held to be an "Eternal
Pilgrim."  It is brother and companion to all other Monads.  Hence,
Theosophy holds that Universal Brotherhood is a fact in nature.

The whole of manifestation reflects in its many kinds of form and mind that
all Monads unite at various levels of consciousness, but basically thee is
only ONE CONSCIOUSNESS and its many aspects.  And, it holds that none of its
Units ever "dies." or is erased.  Each one is an immortal.

CONSCIOUSNESS is the PERCEPTIVE power which it, the Real Man, uses to
experience on the 7 planes of Nature -- using the 7 "principles" of its
nature as a basis for making this contact, and it stores the memory of those
experiences.  "Mind is the name given to the sum of the states of
Consciousness grouped under Thought, Will and Feeling."  (SD I 38) ...
"Whatever plane our consciousness may be acting in, both we and the things
belonging to that plane, are for the time being, our only realities...the
upward progress of the Ego is a series of progressive awakenings..."  (SD I
40)


But that MEMORY is not always available to the Mind (Lower-Manas, or the
embodied mind), that we use every day while awake, and yet, as it is
embodied in our personalities, we believe that it and ourselves are one. The
fact that "We" are other than the Mind, makes the progress we seek (in the
here and now) a process of purifying our mind-nature of the psychic
impressions we have imposed on it and on the living matter  (monads of
lesser experience) that we have drawn together to make up our physical
bodies.  

The "path" of this purification of the mind directs us to recommend that all
our efforts be focused on the application of virtue:  that which is
honorable, fair, true, and the most honest method of living with and dealing
with other beings, whether those be men or other aggregates of intelligence
that we might call stones, plants, animals or men.  

In other words, in the process of self-purification, it is suggested that we
voluntarily order our lives so as to harmonize with nature to the best
possible extent.  Obviously, for our personal consciousness (arising out of
the personal focus of a physical form, and now placed in coadunition with a
Mind) it seems to be a great discipline.  The "conflict" in the psychic
nature is intense. (SD II 79-80, 93-4)


The MONAD (in itself) is unaffected.  But it draws SKANDHAS (or Monads of
lesser experience around it and to it)  They "hook up to it."  They choose
it to be the center of their progress.  They form the highest and best
vehicle for it to begin to manifest as an individual CONSCIOUSNESS on the
physical and psychic planes of manifestation -- of which, there are 7 (both
in Nature and in Man).  "The Monads are the Souls of the Atoms, both are the
fabric in which the Chohans (Dhyanis, gods) clothe themselves when a form is
needed." SD  I  619.


To be brief, we call the Monad, when it is in the mineral stage the
"Mineral-Monad."  When it is in the animal stage of its evolution, we call
it the "Animal-Monad."  And when it finally reaches the Human stage, we call
it the "Human-Monad."  When the purely human is transcended we might call
the Monad, one that has returned to its primitive Divine state -- the Dhyan
Chohan.  It has attained Universal Self-consciousness.  It lives with,
understands fully, and works with Karma.  It therefore can choose to return
to the limited conditions provided by the "Lighting up of Manas" and inspire
a developing MONAD to achieve its perfection, to awaken its own universal
self-consciousness.

If one considers the scope of Theosophical doctrines we can see that this
can be applied everywhere -- providing we use the concept that everything is
a Monad, and that each is constantly engaged as a developing pupil of the
great Law.  Karma is a process that is enormously sensitive, and  it
operates at all times and on all beings to adjust any disturbance and
restore harmony.  

Some basic ideas offered by Theosophy are:

"It is on the right comprehension of the primeval Evolution of Spirit-Matter
and its real essence that the student has to depend for the further
elucidation in his mind of the Occult Cosmogony, and for the only sure clue
which can guide his subsequent studies. "	-- Secret Doctrine Vol I
page 277. 


"It is the Spiritual evolution of the inner, immortal man that forms the
fundamental tenet in the Occult Sciences...the student has to believe 

a)  in the ONE Universal Life, independent of matter...and, 

b)  in the individual intelligences that animate the various manifestations
of this Principle."	-- SD  I  634


"The ONE LIFE is closely related to the One Law, which governs the World of
Being--KARMA...  action," or rather "an effect-producing cause."... in its
far-reaching moral effects.  It is the unerring LAW of RETRIBUTION."...
eternal and immutable..."   -- SD  I  634


"...man is a free agent during his stay on earth.  He cannot escape his
ruling Destiny...which from birth to death every man is weaving thread by
thread around himself;  and this destiny is guided either by the heavenly
voice of the invisible prototype outside of us, or by the evil genius of our
more intimate astral, or inner man."	--  SD   I  639


"Bad" karma is the effect of any choice that has selfish motives inherent in
it. The Monadic being that created the disharmony has to be brought (by
Nature using Karmic law) to "teach himself" or "to become a volunteer for
the good."  All the situations he is placed in are framed so as to awaken
his questioning intelligence, to make him reflect on his advantages and
limitations, and finally to ask:  Why am I here?  What can I to do?  Where
should I be going?  "Is there a final GOAL?"

This leads the thoughtful man out of any blind following of leaders in
religion, philosophy, politics or science into deciding what he should study
and accept as his own guiding principles.  The closer that those are to
universal morality and ethics, the more perfect will he make his living.

We could say that Theosophy is a record of the HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE in
terms of universal experience.  It is like a great wall.  We can not "bite"
it.  It shows us the "reality" we are looking for.  Now we have to find out
how it works, and what is that final objective of manifested existence.  How
does our MONAD reunite with the universal MONAD in which it all beings are
dwelling, perhaps unconsciously for aeons of time?  "The whole past of our
globe is nothing but an unfolding present."  --   SD  I  639.


If one looks closely at religion and politics one soon finds that they deal
with temporary things, and limited objectives.  Theosophy as a fund of
actual data from the past (a record), and a body of history is unassailable.
It is a record of the observations of facts, events, results of events down
the ages -- so the cycles of effect that follow causes and thus are Laws,
become apparent.  When the complexity of the Universe and Nature is apparent
to us, and as our perceptions and intelligence grow we will grasp the fact
that we are the ones who drive that.  We are the immortal CHOOSERS.

The differences of our many starting points in life and education in this
present incarnation, do not matter, we find that all conflict arises only
over DIFFERENCES of outlook.  Once that we all are looking at the same
thing, on a voluntary basis, all conflicts disappear and we see each other's
view-points as well as our own.

Similarity can never to be identity.  That is impossible.   Hence logically,
there are no "leaders," and no "authorities."  Our true leader and authority
(for our own selves) is the Divine MONAD within  (ATMA-BUDDHI), also called:
THE HIGHER SELF.  And our MONAD is no different form any other MONAD.
["Every monad reflects every other.  Every monad is a living mirror of the
Universe within its own sphere."  -- SD  I  631.]   


We do exhibit a great degree of intelligence and have corresponding great
responsibilities.  Using the process of introspection and observation of our
own natures, thoughts and acts, we gradually become conscious of their
power, and then it is that we notice the conflict that arises between the
"necessary" and the "pleasant" (to the personality -- which cannot see with
the "instinct" alone, the inevitable suffering that indulging the "pleasant"
entails).  Alone the awakened Mind can see this potential and guard against
it.  It is a power we have that is superior to our feelings and desires.

In practical life one finds that all systems and methods embody
inefficiencies.  This is a saving grace.  There should never be any
imposition of "personal efficiency" on others.  Each has to create their
own.  In the meantime in cooperation with others we learn to tolerate the
inefficiencies of others, and work in and around them.  What do we need to
find and use for the study of Theosophy ? -- Ideally we need the "original
teachings."  Additionally we need to find a forum in which we can join with
others to discuss the philosophy and its applications. 


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

THEOSOPHY offers some more technical information:


	THEOSOPHY and ADWAITEE  PHILOSOPHY



That is one of the differences between THEOSOPHY and the Adwaitees.

There are others too. And in the SECRET DOCTRINE, HPB shows them  SD I 54-6,
8, 233, 370fn, 522, 636,  II 597fn 598

One has to mull over these and put them together.  Let me try and state it
this way:



	MONADS


The MONAD [atma-buddhi-manas] is IMMORTAL and has no
traceable "beginning" and no conceivable "end."  We [the
ESSENTIAL WE] are such a MONAD and IT is in the "human
stage of its experience."  

This to me means we have covered
ourselves with "flesh," or, with billions of inexperienced
MONADS that emanate from the MONADIC ESSENCE
[ SD  I  619 ] and these are our "skandhas" and with them we
incur karma (as a result of free-willed choices) 
and will continue to do that till they, in their turn, are all
transformed into individual self-conscious MONADS and begin 
their CONSCIOUS pilgrimage, each in its own way, but forever
linked to us [ see SD I 572-3 ].

We (as embodied minds - Kama-Manas) are digging our way out
of the illusion of thinking we are a material form, and
mind as an illusion, into the realization that we are MINDS
primarily (and certainly not a bundle of emotions and
desires - Kama -- although wee are linked to desire-Kama), 
and that those are not going to be obliterated, ever.  [In no just 
or possible way can Jesus (the ancient Sage and "Son of God,")  
be supposed to shoulder our chosen sins and immoralities.  
That such an injustice has ever occurred, no one has proved.]

The MIND (Higher Manas) cannot be located anywhere but in
SPIRITUAL SPACE.  It is one with ATMA (spirit and purity) 
and BUDDHI (wisdom and the ability to discriminate between 
good and evil).

The Advaitees and the Visishtadwaitees among the Vedantins
all argue from various points of view that are enmeshed in
material concepts -- seeking to refine it to its ultimate
tenacity.  They seek to approach the idea of Spirit while
they are still enmeshed in material concepts.  Theosophy
gives the opposite approach:  that of a Spiritual Being that
stoops (?) to assist the consciousness that evolving matter
focuses in its highest exponent:  Kama - desire and
instinct.  [S D   II  167]

The 2nd Vol. of the S D cannot be understood unless we see
this aspect runs concurrent with the material effort to
rise.  This duality (Spirit -- Matter) is a false
evaluation, since it is only the INDEPENDENT MIND that is
able to make an evaluation.  That is able to see the
difference between the two.  It equilibrates them.

So all three aspects: are cooperators and essentials.  But
without MIND there is no growth, and no progress.  On one
hand you will have the tamasic "inane beatitude of pure
spirit" [SD II 103] and on the other there is the inertia
(tamas) of inert matter.  Mind gives the "push."  And it
always has -- it is rajas -- so you have the Brahmins of old
seeking their "wisdom" symbolically, from the
"RAJA-RISHEES". [B G  Ch. 4, v. 2]

THEOSOPHY cuts across those arguments (of the Vedantins) and
says that immortality is IMMORTALITY.  It is ONE WITH
DURATION.  The "strand" of our consciousness, is always
united with the ONE SELF -- the ABSOLUTENESS.

Therefore we can say " I am Brahma."  To understand and
explain it is another thing.  Only Theosophy helps us to do
this.

If we are now worried about being separate, or being
forcibly non-essed by some mystical "reuniting" with the
Supreme Spirit, when supposedly, all things collapse at the
time if a MAHAPRALAYA, then, how is it that we are
detached and unique in consciousness right now ?  Where did
WE acquire our self-awareness -- as consciousnesses ?

Why are WE undergoing ( as the ONE CONSCIOUSNESS embodied in
our ROOT-CORE ) the experience of going through
differentiation and illusion -- if it is not to enable us to
perceive this false situation, and although we will continue
to exist and live IN it, we will not be OF it.  [ See SD I
54:  "The idea that things can cease to exist and still BE,
is a fundamental one in Eastern psychology. ]  WE can cease
to exist as a FORM, but not cease as a MIND or a SPIRITUAL
SOUL.  So why should the SPIRITUAL SOUL (Buddhi-Manas) cease
to BE simply because the "form" of the MANVANTARA disappears ?
[BUDDHI is "Primordial matter."]

WE are always baffled by the idea of size and the idea of
time, because we relate those indefinites to our present
condition and material limitations.  The atom is small enough.  The
UNIVERSE that the Hubble telescope "sees," is large enough.  We
are insignificant.  And yet, WE ARE MID-WAY IN EVOLUTION ALL
THE TIME AT ANY TIME.  Our EARTH is insignificant in Space.
So why are we (so insignificant and in a place that is of
little importance) endowed with PERCEPTION and CONSCIOUSNESS?
So that we may learn that those limits are the 
illusions, and they are not important;  but, the fact that we
can think and dissolve those illusions is terribly
important to our future progress.

Why do we have the capacity to reach to the "infinite ?"

In my mind it is only because we are, right now,  one with
the INFINITE, the ABSOLUTE, the ONE SPIRIT, and all the 7
PRINCIPLES, whether we conceptualize their limits to
ourselves or to Nature. If we were not linked to THAT, to
SAT, to the AUM, we could not even be interested in these
ideas and seek to understand them.  If it were not TIME for
us to get out of the limits that such great thinkers as the
Advaitees and the Visishtadwaitees have, we would not be
looking at the S D and Theosophy at all.

So we have the opportunity to seize, in this incarnation, a
distinct advance towards the goal of Raja-Yoga which is an
omnipresent and omnipotent consciousness; and that is because
we are in fact omniscient -- we interpenetrate each other
right now, and only formulate limits for the benefit of such
inexperienced MONADS as might be able to evolve into their
self-consciousness by being involved in our struggles. as
the Monad, the most advanced, and that is on the threshold of
ITS conscious universality.  I know this will probably sound
like nonsense.

Do you think that the interval of Devachan will obliterate
or resolve and assimilate these ideas during the interval
between our approaching rebirth and now ?   We are
"obliterated" as to form, between incarnations, but it is the
EGO-SUM that causes rebirth under the impetus of KARMA.  Do
you think KARMA stops at a MAHAPRALAYA ?  [ see S D  I  p. 27,
verse 8 -- What is the "opened EYE of the DANGMA (the WISE)" ?

Our whole existence, and the power of THEOSOPHY is such that
we are compelled to think and to draw all evidence into a
position where we can see these inter-relations and derive
accurate conclusions form them.   See SD I 56 --
"consciousness implies limitations and qualifications;
something to be conscious of and someone to be conscious of
it.  But, ABSOLUTE CONSCIOUSNESS contains the cognizer, the
thing cognized and the cognition, all three in itself and
all three ONE."    [  "SIZE," "LOCATION" AND "TIME" HAVE
NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS. ]

"Many are those among the spiritual entities who have
incarnated bodily in man since the beginning of his
appearance and who, for all that, still exist as
independently as they did before, in the infinitudes of
Space . . . (read the next para too)  SD I 233 bottom.
This is what gives me hope and certainty.  See the
magnificent example of such Sacrifice as depicted in SD I
207-8 and 210..."That divine man dwelt in his animal--though
externally human--form...."

Intellectual gymnastics are fine but they are not the be-all
and end-all of our living.  We have to be able to balance at
one and the same time our limitations with our potentials.
This makes us truly free and then we can apprehend what HPB
is driving at in her small article ISIS UNVEILED AND THE 
VISISHTADWAITA  -  HPB Articles III 264 
[BLAVATSKY:  Collected Works (TPH), Vol. 7, p. 50 ]  
there she declares the immortality of the Monad and its 
continuity in further Manvantaras.


Best wishes,

Dallas

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

-----Original Message-----
From: Carlos Paterson
Sent: Sunday, June 04, 2006 8:48 AM
To: 
Subject: Re: The monad is like a seed....hidden potentiality to be
manifested


     Is the MONADA eternal?