RE: [bn-study] RE: Beliefs
Jul 15, 2006 12:11 PM
by W.Dallas TenBroeck
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Dear Gordon and Friends:
In every one of us there is a duality of mental approach, and a detached
OBSERVER whose duty it is to note the differences between a self-centered
(Kama-manasic) approach and the BUDDHI-MANASIC approach which is impersonal
and therefore impartial.
THEOSOPHY teaches that at this present stage of our evolution we are all
developing the mental attitude of a deathless, eternal PERCEIVER.
Reincarnation is an accepted fact.
KARMA is understood to be the eternal impersonal and just rigid LAW of
JUSTICE that prevails everywhere and is the CAUSE of the evolutionary cycle
(and our present individual 'position.')
Opening a new study and inquiry is good. Let us see what THEOSOPHY offers:
===================================
Do you have a copy of the INDEX to the SECRET DOCTRINE ? It is most
helpful.
It is a good idea to acquire an over-view (as a preliminary, if not yet
acquired) from The OCEAN OF THEOSOPHY (200 pp), and The KEY TO THEOSOPHY
(300 pp) then approach the SECRET DOCTRINE . [Also keep detailed notes as
you go.]
If you seek to analyse it or approach it with some pre-set or prejudiced
ideas it will yield only more puzzle to your mind. It is an antique record
of FACTS and HISTORY preserved by the WISE ONES.
It helps if you are a "generalist," i.e.: one who is familiar with and
interested in anything that provides more information and knowledge
explanatory of all that surrounds us. It will be found that the study of
THEOSOPHY provides many links to bridge the "gaps," for which our scientific
researchers provide "hypotheses, and theories."
It is important to note:
The SECRET DOCTRINE is an introduction to the HISTORY of our world and
Kosmos -- so it starts with the basic ideas and developments. There are many
students in the world who study and share their findings. There is no room
for either “authority” or “notoriety.”
The SECRET DOCTRINE is NOT written as a "text-book."
This has to gradually show the underlying structure of force and energy
underlying in all cases what we think is solid and durable matter and
reality. It uses as evidence ancient history as well as contemporary
discoveries, anomalies, and modern science.
It will be found that it continues to do this for devoted students, as they
continually add to its data and include fresh evidence. A record of this
will be found in magazines such as THEOSOPHY (93rd. volume) and the
THEOSOPHICAL MOVEMENT (75th. vol.).
Here are some questions (as an instance):
1 what provides the underlying structure to any form or body patterns?
[What holds the atoms, molecules, cells and organs in their particular
cooperative arrangements ?]
2 Is there a vast PLAN that is evident in every aspect of NATURE ?
[Who or what designed it ? Who carries it out ? Is it continuing ? ]
3 Is there a reactive sensitivity (psychology) in our environment ?
[Is there evidence of planning, thought and will affecting matter and other
living things?]
4 Do ancient religions and philosophies hold information ?
[ One has to acquire a facility to grasp designations used in ancient
languages and descriptive names and events -- a form of pre-history -- myth,
legend and symbology -- the SECRET DOCTRINE employs this -- you mention
Kabala and the wisdom of the ancient Jews -- this was borrowed from still
more ancient scriptures: the Hindu Vedas. [The Jews and Semites as a
sub-race, emigrated in progressive waves from India since about 3,000 B C:
(Tchandala emigrants from India - Yadus: see Is II 433; S D I 319; II
147, 470-1 ) ]
5 Are not our scientists and investigators uncovering the plans and
arrangements that NATURE has put into place intelligently? Nature has
always placed the same patterns for us to uncover. "It got there first!"
6 What is the pattern of these ?
7 Is NATURE conscious and intelligent?
8 Where do we derive our mind and sensations from?
9 Is there somewhere a purpose and a reality ?
10 Can we discover it ?
Since most of the quotes that we will discuss come from the S D, one hopes
the following extracts from Robert Bowen's notes of personal teachings given
by H.P.B. to private pupils during the years 1888 to 1891 on how to study
SECRET DOCTRINE may be of some help.
"At last we have managed to get H.P.B. to put us right on the matter of the
study of the S.D. Let me get it down while it is all fresh in mind.
Reading the S.D. page by page as one reads any other book (she says) will
only end us in confusion.
The first thing to do, even if it takes years, is to get some grasp of the
"Three Fundamental Principles" given in the Proem.
Follow that up by study of the Recapitulation -- the numbered items in the
Summing Up to Vol. I. (Part 1.).
Then take the Preliminary Notes (Vol. II.) and the Conclusion (Vol.
II.)......
She talked a good deal about the "Fundamental Principle."
She says: If one imagines that one is going to get a satisfactory picture of
the constitution of the Universe from the S.D. one will get only confusion
from its study. It is not meant to give any such final verdict on existence,
but to LEAD TOWARDS THE TRUTH. She repeated this latter expression many
times.
It is worse than useless going to those whom we imagine to be advanced
students (she said) and asking them to give us an "interpretation" of the
S.D. They cannot do it. If they try, all they give are cut and dried
exoteric renderings which do not remotely resemble the Truth. To accept such
interpretation means anchoring ourselves to fixed ideas, whereas Truth lies
beyond any ideas we can formulate or express.
Exoteric interpretations are all very well, and she does not condemn them so
long as they are taken as pointers for beginners, and are not accepted by
them as anything more.
Many persons who are in, or who will in the future be in the T.S. are of
course potentially incapable of any advance beyond the range of a common
exoteric conception.
But there are, and will be others, and for them she sets out the following
and true way of approach to the S.D.
Come to the S.D. (she says) without any hope of getting the final Truth of
existence from it, or with any idea other than seeing how far it may lead
TOWARDS the Truth. See in study a means of exercising and developing the
mind never touched by other studies.
Observe the following rules:
1. No matter what one may study in the S.D. let the mind hold fast, as the
basis of its ideation to the following ideas
(a) The FUNDAMENTAL UNITY OF ALL EXISTENCE. This unity is a thing altogether
different from the common notion of unity -- as when we say that a nation or
an army is united; or that this planet is united to that by lines of
magnetic force or the like. The teaching is not that.
It is that existence is ONE THING, not any collection of things linked
together.
Fundamentally there is ONE BEING.
This Being has two aspects, positive and negative. The positive is Spirit,
or CONSCIOUSNESS. The negative is SUBSTANCE, the subject of consciousness.
This Being is the ABSOLUTE in its primary manifestation. Being absolute
there is nothing outside it. It is ALL-BEING. It is indivisible, else it
would not be absolute.
If a portion could be separated, that remaining could not be absolute,
because there would at once arise the question of COMPARISON between it and
the separated part.
Comparison is incompatible with any idea of absoluteness. Therefore it is
clear that this fundamental One Existence, or Absolute Being must be THE
REALITY IN EVERY FORM THERE IS.
I said that though this was clear to me I did not think that many in the
Lodges would grasp it.
"Theosophy," she said, "is for those who can think, or for those who can
drive themselves to think, not mental sluggards."
....
FOUR (4) FUNDAMENTAL IDEAS Given by HPB
1
(a)The Atom, the Man, the God (she says) are each separately, as well as all
collectively, Absolute Being in their last analysis, that is their REAL
INDIVIDUALITY.
It is this idea which must be held always in the background of the mind to
form the basis for every conception that arises from study of the S.D.
The moment one lets it go (and it is most easy to do so when engaged in any
of the many intricate aspects of the Esoteric Philosophy) the idea of
SEPARATION supervenes, and the study loses its value.
2
(b) The second idea to hold fast to is that THERE IS NO DEAD MATTER. Every
last atom is alive. It cannot be otherwise since every atom is itself
fundamentally Absolute Being. Therefore there is no such thing as "spaces"
of Ether, or Akasha, or call it what you like, in which angels and
elementals disport themselves like trout in water. That's the common idea.
The true idea shows every atom of substance no matter of what plane to be in
itself a LIFE.
3
(c) The third basic idea to be held is that Man is the MICROCOSM. As he is
so, then all the Hierarchies of the Heavens exist within him.
But in truth there is neither Macrocosm nor Microcosm but ONE EXISTENCE.
Great and small are such only as viewed by a limited consciousness.
4
(d) Fourth and last basic idea to be held is that expressed in the Great
Hermetic Axiom. It really sums up and synthesizes all the others.
“As is the Inner, so is the Outer; as is the Great so is the Small; as it is
above, so it is below; there is but One Life and Law; and he that worketh it
is ONE. Nothing is Inner, nothing is Outer; nothing is Great, nothing is
Small; nothing is High, nothing is Low, in the Divine Economy. “
No matter what one takes as study in the S.D. one must correlate it with
those basic ideas." [Notes by Cmdr. R. Bowen ]
Best wishes, glad to help,
Dallas
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Here are some of the references that may help you:
SEVEN KEYS, RAYS, DHYAN CHOHANS.DOC
================================
7 RAYS
RAYS
SVARÂJ (Sk.). “The last or seventh (synthetical) ray of the seven solar
rays; the same as Brahmâ. These seven rays are the entire gamut of the seven
occult forces (or gods) of nature, as their respective names well prove.
These are: Sushumnâ (the ray which transmits sunlight to the moon);
Harikesha, Visvakarman, Visvatryarchas, Sannadhas, Sarvavasu, and Svaraj. As
each stands for one of the creative gods or Forces, it is easy to see how
important were the functions of the sun in the eyes of antiquity, and why it
was deified by the profane.’ Glos 315
SUSHUMNÂ, (Sk.). “The solar ray--the first of the seven rays. Also the
name of a spinal nerve which connects the heart with the
Brahma-randra, and plays a most important part in Yoga practices.”
THEOSOPHICAL GLOSSARY, p. 314
PRINCIPLES
7 Cosmic and Human principles S D II 596
PRINCIPLES. The Elements or original essences, the basic differentiations
upon and of which all things are built up. We use the term to denote the
seven individual and fundamental aspects of the One Universal Reality in
Kosmos and in man. Hence also the seven aspects in the manifestation in the
human being—divine, spiritual, psychic, astral, physiological and simply
physical.” Glos 262-3
DHYAN CHOHANS
There are seven chief groups of such DHYAN CHOHANS, which groups will
be found and recognised in every religion, for they are the primeval
SEVEN Rays. Humanity, occultism teaches us, is divided into seven
distinct groups and their sub-divisions, mental, spiritual, and
physical. [SD I, 573]
-------------------------------------------------
KEYS
KEY(S) in SECRET DOCTRINE
allegories & symbols have seven II 291n
geometry the fifth II 471
Hebrew physiological I 311
human, one of seven II 291n
IU gave, one turn I xxxviii
Massey used two or three II 632
Mysteries unlocked by seven II 632
new, needed for mysteries II 795
occult science a I 341
Rabbis lost II 537
Ragon on the, to symbols I 363
required for old theogony II 248
seven, must not be mixed II 517
seven, open past & future I 325
seven, taught in occultism I 155n; II 523
seven, to man's genesis I 323
seven, to meaning of swastika II 99
seven, to universal symbology I xxxviii, 310-11, 363
in Skinner's Source of Measures I 318 &n
to theogonies & Secret Doctrine II 23, 767
three of seven, only given II 517
three or four used in Secret Doctrine II 797
of wisdom found in nature II 797
to Zohar & Bible II 536-45, 590-8
ALLEGORY (IES). in SECRET DOCTRINE
allegory within an II 94
ark & seven rishis an II 139
astronomical II 380
based on reminiscence II 293
Bible, now unveiled I 315
bisexuality universal in II 125
esoteric teaching uses II 81
Fohat key to many I 673
foolishly called fables II 103
Garuda origin of other II 564-5
of initiation & adeptship II 380
interpretation of I 310; II 94n, 384, 765
of Noahs, Vaivasvatas, etc II 314
Puranas are history & I 520; II 253, 323
record of real events II 235
reject, based on creeds II 194
seven, 10, 21
rishis, munis, etc II 259n
of Soma & Tara II 498-9
symbolism &, in Mysteries II 124
wisdom preserved in I 307, 466; II 235, 410
years of patriarchs are II 426
zodiacal, historical II 353
ANALOGY (IES). in SECRET DOCTRINE
in chemistry I 218n; II 627
betw cosmos & man I 173, 177, 206, 227n, 606; II 29n
fr cosmos to smallest globe II 66
dhyani-chohans & II 700n
false I 472
guided ancient philosophers II 616
guide to occult teachings I 173
images on various planes II 268
law in nature I 604; II 153, 699
limitations of I 150
logic of, & giants II 154n
betw man & manvantara I 263n
pralaya known by I 116n
principles, rounds, races II 254n, 257, 684-5
scientific corroborations I 585-6n
seven rounds & seven-month embryo II 257
seven turns of key of I 150-1
SEVEN(S). in SECRET DOCTRINE
adopted on this plane II 312n
ages of man II 117, 312n
in Anugita II 637-8
Apollo patron of II 772n
astral phenomena & II 627
became eight (ogdoad) II 358n
Bible, prominent in I 387; II 4
in Book of the Dead (Egy) I 674
born fr upper triangle II 574
bright Sravah or Amshaspends II 516
chemical elements governed by II 627-8
in Christian dogmas I 310-11
churches, Sodalian Mysteries II 633
circles II 80
classes of pitris II 77, 89, 91-2
colors fr one ray II 492
columns, rectores around tree II 293
creations I 21, 217, 445-60; II 53n, 612, 624
cross, circle & oldest symbols II 582
crucifixion, esoteric meanings of II 560-1
dialects of Mystery language I 310
dvipas & planetary chain II 320
earths, heavens, seas I 447-8
elements, cosmic I 137, 140, 347, 460 II 596
elements of man (Gnostic) II 604-5, 632
every scripture has, aspects II 496
eyes of the Lord II 22, 626
feminine number of generation II 581-2
-fold division secret I xxxv
forces, powers, planets II 602 &n
forms, colors, sounds, taste & II 622
forty-nine &, fires II 363
forty-nine &, in Sanskrit texts II 611
found in all religions II 34-7
four lower, three higher II 92, 581-2, 598
generative number w Hebrews I 114
Gnostic vowels of St John II 565
governors of dhyani-chohans I 601
Greek, fr Hindus II 408
-headed serpent of space I 342
heart, skin plexuses & II 92
heavens, dhyanis of II 273
heavens, vowels (Gnostic) II 563
Hebrew word for week II 624n
hosts build world II 489
initiators linked w II 529
keys I 310, 318, 325; II 291n, 335, 471, 538, 632-3
keys to meaning of swastika II 99
keys to symbol language II 471, 538, 584, 765
kings, rishis I 376
Laycock on cycles of II 622-3 &n
letters of Jehovah's name I 335
Logos, -voweled sign I 79
magic number II 629-30
manifested universe II 626
master of the Moon II 601
modes of interpretation I 374
not confined to any nation II 603
number of divine mysteries I 36
number of present manvantara II 590
occult virtues of, (Hippocrates) II 312n
pass fr India to Christians II 612
Philo on I 407
planes, keys, sciences II 335
planetary spirits II 318n
point, triangle, quaternary became II 612
powers of, & cycles I 36
powers of nature, angels of II 273
powers of the Logos II 359
primeval gods II 514
principles, states of matter II 29, 92, 491, 631-2
properties of nature (Boehme) II 595
in Puranas, Esoteric Buddhism I 348
Qabbalah (Myer) re various I 347-8
races, continents II 1-12, 77, 91
real scale of natures I 656n
regents of Pymander of elohim II 488
root nature-number present cycle I 460; II 621
sacred in every nation I 114
sacred islands II 326
senses & seven hotris (Anugita) I 87, 96
sins, virtues, sacraments I 310-11
-skinned, space called I 9
son of seventh son II 213
sons of Priyavrata II 320
sound, color & II 627-9
spheres of action II 621n
Spirits of the Presence I 312
spring, summer & II 583
states of consciousness I 96
three, four, ten & II 564
triad emanates the I 427
truths, four only given in fourth round I 42
various, -fold symbols II 529-30, 612-18, 637-41, 771-2n
virgin men (kumara) II 281
vowels & forty-nine powers I 410-11; II 564
SYMBOL(S). in SECRET DOCTRINE
ancient, adopted by Christians I 402-3
ancient use of I 466
Church Fathers disfigured II 98, 481-2
Confucian, & esoteric I 440-1
cosmic, astrological, religious I 229, 241
of cosmogenesis I 4-5
cruciform, of Dii Termini II 542
emblems &, compared I 305-6
esoteric meanings of I 443-5
exoteric, & creeds II 194
Fohat key to many I 673
heirloom fr Atlantis II 431
Hindu & Chaldean II 383
history contained in I 267; II 437
initiates' knowledge of II 439
Jews killed spirituality of II 459n
levels of I 407
many-faceted diamond I 305
many meanings to every II 359
Massey on importance of I 303-5
most, archaic I 320-1
occult II 335
Ophidian II 355
origin of, older than Egypt II 630 &n
phallicism reigns supreme in II 273
Pythagorean I 618-19
rationale of II 81
religion & esoteric hist in I 272-3, 307
Renan ignorant of pagan II 457
revelation of the godlike, (Carlyle) I 303
serpent a divine, not evil II 505
seven meanings to every I 363; II 22n, 335, 357, 538, 547, 584, 765
sources of error in I 119
of symbols II 547n
Talmudic Jews profaned II 471
of third race,of forth race II 30
universal language II 469
years of Patriarchs are II 426
SYMBOLOGY, SYMBOLISM. in SECRET DOCTRINE
Bible, Indian, Chaldean, Egyptian I 320-5
Christian fr Hebrew, Hebrew fr Chaldean II 354
discussed I 303-9
fourth stage of, & generation I 36
Hebrew-Egyptian I 308-9, 364n
Hindu I 667
history of world found in II 438
interpretation of II 335
kabbalistic II 457
of marriage ceremony I 614-15n
of Meru & Patala II 357
Mosaic, became crude under Ezra I 319
Mystery language or I 309; II 124
& origin of evil II 274
of Pentateuch & New Testament I 115n
power of occult I 272
representing abstractions I 615
seven departments of I 305
seven keys to universal I xxxviii, 310-11, 363; II 335
spirit & value of II 469
of temple curtain I 125
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Dallas
Dallas
-----Original Message-----
From: Gordon Wood
Sent: Friday, July 14, 2006 3:16 PM
To:
Subject: RE: BELIEFS
A new question since I sense we have beaten up the origin of evil enough...
It appears the purpose of life is about progressing through the content of
consciousness towards the ultimate state of pure consciousness. One could
say a state of pure consciousness is a state of total awareness without
attachment and therefore void of beliefs. The unfortunate thing is that we
occasionally or maybe it is always get stuck because we find a certain
collection of consciousness content to be pleasing or supportive of our
belief systems. When this happens we become judgmental in that we believe
certain content to be supportive and reinforcing while other content is
believed to be threatening and non supportive. The fact seems to be all so
called perceptions of reality originate from the same one and only total
content of consciousness. Therefore it seems one perception of reality is
just as valid as any other, or should we say just as invalid. A specific
perception seems to be merely an indicator of awareness of the total content
of consciousness. This seems to suggest that every person has a different
perspective or belief about reality even if it is only at a micro level. I
would suggest this is true of Theosophists as much as it is with
Religionists except that Theosophists seem to have logical beliefs rather
than blind faith belief of Religionists.
snip
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