Theos-Talk Archives (September 2012 Message tt00012)

Dear friends,

I have a doubt concerning the presentation of the text written by Plutarch in HPB's "The Key to Theosophy".

In page 97 she writes:

THEOSOPHIST. Because your translators, their great learning notwithstanding, have made of the philosophers, the Greeks especially, misty instead of mystic writers. Take as an instance Plutarch, and read what he says of "the principles" of man. That which he describes was accepted literally and attributed to metaphysical superstition and ignorance. Let me give you an illustration in point: "Man," says Plutarch, "is compound; and they are mistaken who think him to be compounded of two parts only. For they imagine that the understanding (brain intellect) is a part of the soul (the upper Triad), but they err in this no less than those who make the soul to be a part of the body, i.e. those who make of the Triad part of the corruptible mortal quaternary. For the understanding (nous) as far exceeds the soul, as the soul is better and diviner than the body. Now this composition of the soul (psyche) with the understanding (nous) makes reason; and with the body (or thumos, the animal soul) passion; of which the one is the beginning or principle of pleasure and pain, and the other of virtue and vice. Of these three parts conjoined and compacted together, the earth has given the body, the moon the soul, and the sun the understanding to the generation of man."

My question is why does she call the "soul", the upper triad? 
In the version Daniel brought us "soul" is psyche, which I believe can be described as kama-manas.

Since this Greek words (nous, psyche, etc..) can have different interpretations (just check the Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary) is this a case of double meaning?

PB

--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "Daniel" <danielhcaldwell@...> wrote:
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Plutarch on the fate of  the three-fold 
> human being [body (soma), soul or mind (psyche) and spirit (nous)] 
> after physical death.
> 
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Man is compound [soma, psyche & nous]; and they are mistaken who
> think him to be compounded of two parts only. 
> 
> For they imagine that the understanding [nous] is a part of the soul
> [psyche], but they err in this no less than those who make the soul
> [psyche] to be a part of the body [soma].
> 
> For the understanding [nous] as far exceeds the soul [psyche], as the
> soul [psyche] is better and diviner than the body [soma]. 
> 
> Now this composition of the soul [psyche] with the understanding
> [nous] makes reason; and [the composition of psyche] with the body
> [soma] [makes] passion [thumos].
> 
> Of these three parts [soma, psyche & nous] conjoined and compacted
> together, the earth has given the body [soma], the moon [has given]
> the soul [psyche], and the SUN [has given]the understanding [nous] 
> to the generation [creation] of man.
> 
> Now of the [two] deaths we die, the one [the first death, the
> physical death] makes man two [psyche & nous] [instead] of three 
> and the other [the second death in hades ] [makes] one [nous]
> [instead] of two. 
> 
> The former [the first death] is in the region of Demeter [earth].
> 
> As for the other [second] death, it is in the moon or region of
> Persephone [hades].
> 
> This [first death] suddenly and with violence plucks the soul
> [psyche]   from the body [soma]; but Persephone mildly and in a long
> time disjoins the understanding [nous] from the soul [psyche]..
> 
> For this reason she is called Monogenes, only begotten, or rather
> begetting one alone; for the better part of man [nous] becomes alone
> [one] when it [nous] is separated [in Hades from psyche] by her. 
> 
> Now both the one [first death] and the other [second death] happens
> thus according to nature. 
> 
> It is ordained by Fate  that every soul [psyche], whether with or
> without understanding [nous] , when gone out of the body [soma],
> should wander for a time, though not all for the same [time], in the 
> region [of hades] lying between the earth and moon .
> 
> For those that have been unjust and dissolute suffer then [in hades]
> the punishment due to their offences; but the good and virtuous are
> there [in hades] detained till they are purified, and have, by
> expiation, purged out of them all the infections they might have
> contracted from the contagion of the body [soma], living in the
> mildest part of the air, called the Meadows of Hades, where they must
> remain for a certain prefixed and appointed time. 
> 
> And then, as if they were returning from a wandering pilgrimage or
> long exile into their [home] country, they have a taste of joy, such
> as they principally receive who are initiated into Sacred Mysteries, 
> mixed with admiration, and each one's proper and peculiar hope.
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Abridged, edited and adapted from HPB's Isis Unveiled and The Key to
> Theosophy.
> 
> Compare:  http://blavatskyarchives.com/mon/monwwdie.htm
> 
> Daniel
> http://hpb.cc
>