Theos-Talk Archives (August 2008 Message tt00197)

Lovely. Your post is great, and it shows precisely that this forum IS
(or can be) a great place to go deeply into things.

What I meant was that sometimes the real meaning of things lies on the
surface, though your post shows that perhaps in this case I was wrong :)

Katinka
--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "robert_b_macd"
<robert.b.macdonald@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Brian,
> 
> I think Katinka is right in the sense that this forum is not the best
> for going too deeply into matters.  My experience with Study Groups is
> that you have to have the right mix of people and they all have to be
> focused on the goal of creating, in a sense, one group mind.  The
> Study Group is a tool that incorporates people of various experience,
> some with deeper insight and others less so, to practically
> demonstrate the process of building the antahkarana between the lower
> and higher minds.  As the group mulls over a particular passage,
> usually those with less experience will start the journey off as that
> is the stage of the journey they are at, the beginning.  Others will
> pick up on what they say rephrasing it so that the matter can
> successfully be taken to deeper levels.  There is a beauty and harmony
> to this process when done correctly as the group works to go ever more
> deeply into the passage.  Often where you end up is quite surprising
> given the more literal interpretation of a particular passage.  This
> process allows everyone in the group to practically experience the
> journey of the Spiritually Seeking Mind as it strives to make the
> Lower Mind more like the Higher Mind -- to build the antahkarana.
> 
> When we look at The Voice of the Silence, this is also what we are
> striving for, but the stakes have been raised.  We are being warned
> right off the bat about the lower siddhi.  The mind is what it thinks
> about.  If your goal is to reach the voice of the silence, then you
> had better be ready to maintain your focus.  Peering into the Astral,
> astral traveling and the like are all addictive paths to destruction.
>  How can they be otherwise?  Your focus is to make the Lower one with
> the Higher and you do this by always taking the next step along the
> Path.  The Paramitas are the keys to taking you safely along the path,
> for once you have mastered these, you have mastered Self and made it
> one with SELF.  The higher siddhi are then at your disposal to help
> you work on behalf of Nature.
> 
> A good analogy might be that the lower siddhi are like the
> distractions in a nightclub.  A bomb disposal expert working in such
> an environment has to remain entirely focused on disarming the bomb. 
> If he is distracted by what is going on around him, if he is having
> the occasional drink as he works, etc. he is going to make a mistake
> that will blow up himself and the nightclub.
> 
> Knowing how to exercise the powers of Nature takes a morally
> incorruptible person, if you are still dealing with the lower siddhi,
> you are far from incorruptible.
> 
> These are some thoughts I might consider when looking at that passage.
> 
> Bruce
> 
> 
> --- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "Katinka Hesselink" <mail@> wrote:
> >
> > I think you are looking too deeply here. She's just saying: be aware
> > of the dangers of the lower siddhi (why she uses pali here I can't
> > fathom) & read the rest of this booklet.
> > 
> > Katinka Hesselink
> > --- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "butchie122" <brianparry@> wrote:
> > >
> > > Greetings,  I am a new member of the group who became interested in 
> > > the site following the recent international election postings -
some 
> > > of which I thought were hilarious.  I am a long time TS member
of the 
> > > Australian Section & the Melbourne Lodge.  With a wide range of 
> > > interest in most matters theosophical I have a particular
interest on 
> > > the first two of the Stanzas of Dzyan, advaita vedanta & the
Voice of 
> > > the Silence.
> > > 
> > > I would be interested to see a discussion from anyone who actually 
> > > does what HPB said we should do with The Voice of The
Silence,ie, use 
> > > it daily.  By way of starting such a discussion we could focus
on the 
> > > first verse; 'these instructions are for those ignorant of the
dngers 
> > > of the lower iddhi'. 
> > > 
> > > Most commentators, John Allego being the latest, are careful to 
> > > explain these iddhis & the dangers, but if that is all there is
to it 
> > > then the rest of the book can be ignored.  The focus in the first 
> > > verse is on our ignorance.  We can know ABOUT the danger by
analysis 
> > > but knowing the dangers is quite a different matter. Our daily
use of 
> > > the book begins with our awareness of our ignorance.  In this
context 
> > > awareness of ignorance is a positive quality. Any comments will be 
> > > welcome
> > >
> >
>