RE: RE: Beliefs, Logic, Conscience
Jul 16, 2006 07:01 AM
by W.Dallas TenBroeck
7/16/2006 6:47 AM
RE: RE: Beliefs, Logic, Conscience
Friends:
DTB writes:
Why are "WE" here ? What is MIND-POWER? How did we get here ?
To me it seems none can "judge" either actions, thoughts or words of others
unless a common set of moral and ethical standards are agreed on and used.
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The Master K. H. wrote on Truth and Theosophy:
"I dread the appearance in print of our philosophy as expounded by Mr.
H[ume]. I read his three essays or chapters on God (?) cosmogony and
glimpses of the origin of things in general, and had to cross out nearly
all.
He makes of us Agnostics!! We do not believe in God because so far, we have
no proof, etc. This is preposterously ridiculous: if he publishes what I
read, I will have H.P.B. or D----- K---- deny the whole thing; as I cannot
permit our sacred philosophy to be so disfigured.
He says that people will not accept the whole truth; that unless we humour
them with a hope that there may be a 'loving Father and creator of all in
heaven' our philosophy will be rejected a priori.
In such a case the less such idiots hear of our doctrines the better for
both. If they do not want the whole truth and nothing but the truth, they
are welcome. But never will they find us--(at any rate) -- compromising
with, and pandering to public prejudices."
Mahatma Letters, Barker, 2nd ed., Letter 54, p. 304-5
-----------------------
DTB In my experience THEOSOPHY offers such a set (see below) for us to
consider. Universality, impersonality, practicability are to me
significant. This precisely the basis used by HPB in writing the SECRET
DOCTRINE -- see the PROEM in Vol. 1.
-----------------------------------
SOME BASIC [ FUNDAMENTAL ] THEOSOPHICAL CONCEPTS
1. The Universe is All. IT has no limits, either in space or in time.
It is Immortal. It is Life. We are in, and therefore a part of IT.
2. The Universe operates under cyclic Law. Law cannot be broken. It
supports universal progression. Morally It can be said to provide justice
and compassion to
all beings. Universe = Nature in toto = Deity (God)
3. Each being is a "Monad" [ATMA-BUDDHI] or a unit of Life. The
Universe is full of these. 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." In
its essence it is a "Ray" of the UNIVERSAL ONE. It is a "perpetual motion
machine" and is an immortal entity, it passes through all evolutionary
processes, acquiring intelligence and experience. It is analogous to a solar
system, or to a galaxy, and surrounds itself with other 'monads of lesser
experience' to which it acts as tutor."
4. Every being shares in the immortality of the One in its essence.
It therefore cannot be destroyed or annihilated as an essential Unit of
Life, even though its forms may be dissipated by death, etc. Life or energy
is universal, and in its diversity it continuously animates every "unit of
life." Each "Monad" is as immortal and eternal as THE WHOLE is. OUR
immortality is ONE WITH DURATION. The "strand" of our consciousness, is
ever united to the ONE SELF -- the ABSOLUTE.
5. In essence, each "part" (Unit of Life, Monad), is united through
vibrating 'electro-magnetic' links with all the others. There is ONE WHOLE;
only the 'units or Monads' seem to be temporarily separate, divided from
one-another in terms of our gross perceptions of "matter-forms." Their
unity is the basis for cooperation, expressed in brief as an imperishable,
invulnerable and inextinguishable UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD.
6. To make a physical form, each 'Monadic unit' draws together other
units of lesser experience than itself on the "Ladder of Being." In doing
that it makes itself responsible for their growth and well-being. Just as a
"teacher" makes himself responsible for all the individual progress of many
pupils. It should be noted that while the "Teacher" offers instruction
based on his experience, it is the responsibility of the "pupils" to test
and adopt it when they are satisfied as to its accuracy. We call this, in
general terms : Evolution, when viewed as a whole. .
The MIND ('Higher' or Buddhi-Manas) cannot be located anywhere but in
SPIRITUAL SPACE. It is one with ATMA and BUDDHI. It is a Divine immortal
TRIAD in every Manvantara.
7. Any "form," serves temporarily as a place for all beings of lesser
experience to acquire more experience and thus have opportunity to
"advance." Under the operation of LAW, Karma, they acquire, each in its own
way, a wider experience, a higher degree of consciousness. All those who
have not yet reached the "human-mind" state, are called non-self-conscious
"life-atoms." They are incipient men-to-be. They inform for the moment,
the elemental, mineral, vegetable and animal kingdoms, or "lower in
consciousness and experience" divisions, of Nature.
8. When the level of self-consciousness (mind, manas, man, soul) is
achieved by any of the "lives," it proceeds further, as a human being,
through the process of reincarnation, using many successive physical bodies.
All live in the same framework law, progression and mutual support. The
whole evolutionary scheme is a vast brotherhood. In the man-mind
condition/stage, progress is by trial/error, and thus the awareness or
attentive faculty is developed as the individual studies the operation of
universal laws operating in and around him.
9. Like the Universe, "Man is seven-fold in constitution:
1. Spirit - ATMA, (a "Ray" of the Universal Divine.)
2. Discrimination-Intuition-Conscience-Ethics and Morals
- BUDDHI, ( memory of experiences)
3. Thinking, Intellection, Reason,
- Mind - MANAS, (choice & free will
4. Emotion, Sensation, Selfishness -
- KAMA, ( desire, passion )
5. Vitality, Life-energy, magnetism -
- PRANA, JIVA (vitality, life-force)
6. Electro-magnetic model form -
-- ASTRAL BODY, (electro-magnetic form
-- this forms the underlying structure for all
organs)
7. PHYSICAL BODY. (Known to us by our senses.)
10. The Universe, Man, and all other beings go through an evolutionary
cycle which is seven-fold, covering an immense time, during which each being
passes through every one of the seven phases that this seven-fold scheme
provides, so that each may secure the highest degree of perfection by its
own experiences and voluntary decisions. All progress is by self-effort. [
Very much as in our educational system.]
11. The self-conscious man, in which Manas (mind) or
self-consciousness is the active principle, makes decisions. Motive
actuates Karma. If the decisions are universally-based, 'good' and progress
for the unit, and the whole accrues rapidly. Should decisions be
self-focused, as opposed to the general good, 'evil' results. Karma thus
actuated, teaches the unit through disciplining circumstances what the ideal
decisions ought to be. Thus evolution proceeds. All karmic events are the
direct result of the choices that are individually made.
12. Graduates from this "School-of-Life" face the choice or
responsibility of becoming, in their turn, "teachers." That is, of actively
assisting in the process of diffusing and explaining this universal process.
They are superior men. [ Similar to the Professors in our Universities.]
13. These are designated Sages, Wise Men, Adepts, Masters-of-Wisdom,
Arhats, Bodhisattvas, Buddhas, Dhyan Chohans, Tathagatas, Prophets, etc... [
In history we name Jesus, Gautama the Buddha, Krishna, Pythagoras, Lao Tse,
Plato, Shankaracharya, Apollonius of Tyana, and many
others.] they all came as reformers, and if their original teachings are
compared it will be found that they all taught the same universal, impartial
metaphysical doctrines and practical true ethics based on UNIVERSAL LAW.
14. The process of securing experience by mankind is
called reincarnation. The "Life-atom" that is self-
conscious, or the Real Man, uses a physical body which is
assembled, as above described for it to live in. In this
life process it not only advances (or recedes) depending on
its choices, but at the same time serves to assist and
elevate by its example the whole mass of "life-atoms" for
which it has specific karmic responsibilities.
At death the man-consciousness passes first into a
state called Kama-Loka, where a separation between the
moral, and the immoral occurs. A 2nd "death" occurs in a
short while and the immoral side of one's nature is allowed
to disintegrate gradually in the astral plane of Kama-Loka.
15. The higher, immortal Ego, the MORAL SIDE of our being,
passes into a state called Devachan, which has three stages
1st the rupa-loka, where the consciousness of the Ego is
occupied with the aspirational and noble feelings, thoughts
and actions of the last personal life. This process of
assimilation being over, the MIND-EGO enters a spiritual
plane where, united with the "Ray" of the Universal Spirit,
it is quasi-omniscient. This 2nd stage is called the
arupa-loka [formless stage]. In that condition it is able
to review the life last lived within the perspective of all
previous lives, and thus trace the line of its Karma. The
3rd stage is one of preparation for a new incarnation, and
it begins to draw to itself those personal elements
(skandhas) which will be used to make up its new
personality.
16. Nature of Consciousness--Monad--Man's Evolutionary Rounds
"...Man (physically) is a compound of all the kingdoms, and spiritually--his
individuality is no worse for being shut up within the casing of an ant than
it is for being inside a king. It is not the outward or physical shape that
dishonors and pollutes the five principles--but the mental perversity.
Then it is but at his fourth round when arrived at the full possession of
his Kama-energy and is completely matured, that man becomes fully
responsible, as at the sixth he may become a Buddha and at the seventh
before the Pralaya--a "Dhyan Chohan."...
He starts downward as a simply spiritual entity--an unconscious seventh
principle (a Parabrahm in contradistinction to Para-parabrahm)--with the
germs of the other six principles lying latent and dormant in him...(76) [
follows a description of stages of differentiation, round by round, a kind
of 'gestation' process ]...
Volition and consciousness are at the same time self-determining and
determined by causes, and the volitions of man, his intelligence and
consciousness will awake but when his (77) fourth principle Kama is matured
and completed by its (seriatim) contact with the Kamas or energizing forces
of all the forms man has passed through in his previous three rounds.
The present mankind is at its fourth round (...as a genus...)...so the
individual entities in them are unconsciously to themselves performing their
local earthly sevenfold cycles--hence the vast difference in the degrees of
their intelligence, energy and so on.
Now every individuality will be followed on its ascending arc by the Law of
retribution--Karma and death accordingly.
The perfect man or the entity which reaches full perfection, (each of his
seven principles being matured) will not be reborn here. His local
terrestrial cycle is completed...(The incomplete entities have to be reborn
or reincarnated)...
On their fifth round after a partial Nirvana when the zenith of the grand
cycle is reached, they will be held responsible henceforth in their descents
from sphere to sphere, as they will have to appear on this earth as a still
more perfect and intellectual race.
This downward course has not begun but will soon...The above is the rule.
The Buddhas and Avatars form the exception as verily we have yet some
Avatars left to us on earth." M L (Barker), p. 75-77
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Best wishes,
Dallas
=========================================
-----Original Message-----
From: Steven Levey [mailto:levey_steven@hotmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, July 15, 2006 11:27 AM
To:
Subject: RE: Beliefs
Dear Gordon
I think you make a good point, and in doing so, you reveal what I think
is the genuine difficulty of detecting Truth for what it is, in the midst of
the illusion the ego is happiest in.
This Path has been called the "Razor's Edge" for good reason. It is
precisely because the Middle Way, although detectable is very difficult to
walk, that we self chosen recipients of
theosophical thought have our manasic work cut out for us, but is also
precisely why that theosophical thought is given out from time to time.
It is this therapeutic and metaphysical ideology the mind (which is us)
needs to
give it "Breadth, and depth and Points, to show it towards the Diamond Soul"
(HPB says in The Voice of the Silence").
Steve
=============================================
-----Original Message-----
From: Gordon Wood
Sent: Friday, July 14, 2006 6:16 PM
To: 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.
Because we humans with a mind we have been blessed, or maybe cursed, with
the power of choice. We tend to exercise this power with one of two primary
focuses;
1) that which is supportive of self oriented belief systems or self
security, or
2) that which is supportive of continued progress of all through the content
of
consciousness in general.
True there are some who say they are indifferent and have no beliefs but it
seems believing in the indifference as a way of life is a belief of its own.
When our focus is akin to the first primary focus we seem to be stuck and
that
is generally because we are afraid to venture outside of the security box we
have defined for ourselves or to far from the post that has us tethered as
some
might say it. It appears that when we are able to understand life is about a
journey
and not about building or reinforcing bigger and better self centered
security
systems we will begin to realize that every person is at a different point
in the journey.
Therefore every person seems to be where they need to be for
the moment and every perception of so called reality is just as valid as any
other.
It would be invalid behavior for one to criticize or ridicule the
belief of another that does not agree with the current belief of self. After
all, all beliefs, or illusions if you will, about reality seem to originate
from some selected content of consciousness and there is only one, yet an
infinite suite of content to choose from.
This thought process seems to ring true for me but I was wondering how
others felt about this topic?
Is it reality possible to divorce oneself from all psychological or so
called
improvable beliefs or is this even a worthy task? Wouldn't this be like the
ego committing suicide?
I don't know why but the idea of suppressing desire or the idea of
indifference
doesn't seem to work for me. Wouldn't this be like not having a reason to be
here as a living, learning and teaching entity?
G
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