ii。,chap。"Basilides。"(returntotext)
48。ItwasaskedinIsisUnveiled,werenottheviewsofthePhrygianBishopMontanus,alsodeemedaHERESYbytheChurchofRome?ItisquiteextraordinarytoseehoweasilythatChurchencouragestheabuseofoneheretic,Tertullian,againstanotherheretic,Basilides,whentheabusehappenstofurtherherownobject。(returntotext)
49。DoesnotPaulhimselfspeakof"PrincipalitiesandPowersinheavenlyplaces"(Ephesiansiii。10;i。
21),andconfessesthattherebegodsmanyandLordsmany(Kurioi)?Andangels,powers(Dunameis),andPrincipalities?(SeeICorinthiansviii。5;andEpistletoRomans,viii。38。)
(returntotext)
50。Tertullian:Praescript。Itisundeniablyowingonlytoaremarkablycasuistical,sleight—of—hand—likeargumentthatJehovah,whointheKabalaissimplyaSephiroth,thethird,left—handpoweramongtheEmanations(Binah),hasbeenelevatedtothedignityoftheOneabsoluteGod。EvenintheBibleheisbutoneoftheElohim(SeeGenesis,chapteriii。v。22,"TheLordGod"makingnodifferencebetweenhimselfandothers。)(returntotext)
51。Thisishistory。Howfarthatre—writingof,andtamperingwith,theprimitivegnosticfragmentswhicharenowbecometheNewTestament,went,maybeinferredbyreading"SupernaturalReligion,"whichwentthroughovertwenty—threeeditions,ifImistakenot。Thehostofauthoritiesforitgivenbytheauthor,issimplyappalling。
ThelistoftheEnglishandGermanBiblecriticsaloneseemsendless。(returntotext)
52。ThechiefdetailsaregiveninIsisUnveiled,VolII,pp。180—183,etseq。TrulyfaithintheinfallibilityoftheChurchmustbestone—blind——oritcouldnothavefailedbeingkilledand——dying。(returntotext)
53。SeeHieronymus:DeViros,illust。cap。
3;Olshausen:"NeuenText。,"p。32。TheGreektextofMatthew’sGospelistheonlyoneusedoreverpossessedbytheChurch。(returntotext)
StudiesinOccultism,Blavatsky,"AstralBodiesorDoppelgangersAstralBodies,orDoppelgangersM。C。Greatconfusionexistsinthemindsofpeopleaboutthevariouskindsofapparitions,wraiths,ghosts,orspirits。Oughtwenottoexplainonceforallthemeaningoftheseterms?Yousaytherearevariouskindsof"doubles"whatarethey?
H。P。B。Ouroccultphilosophyteachesusthattherearethreekindsof"doubles,"tousethewordinitswidestsense。First,manhashis"double"orshadow,properlysocalled,aroundwhichthephysicalbodyofthefetus——thefutureman——isbuilt。Theimaginationofthemother,oranaccidentwhichaffectsthechild,willaffectalsotheastralbody。Theastralandthephysicalbothexistbeforethemindisdevelopedintoaction,andbeforetheAtmaawakes。Thisoccurswhenthechildissevenyearsold,andwithitcomestheresponsibilityattachingtoaconscioussentientbeing。This"double"isbornwithman,dieswithhim,andcanneverseparateitselffarfromthebodyduringlife,andthoughsurvivinghim,itdisintegrates,paripassu,withthecorpse。Itisthiswhichissometimesseenoverthegraveslikealuminousfigureofthemanthatwas,duringcertainatmosphericconditions。Fromitsphysicalaspectitis,duringlife,man’svitaldouble,andafterdeath,onlythegasesgivenofffromthedecayingbody。But,asregardsitsoriginandessence,itissomethingmore。ThisdoubleiswhatwehaveagreedtocallLinga—sarira,butwhichIwouldproposetocall,forgreaterconvenience,"Protean"or"PlasticBody。"
M。C。WhyProteanorPlastic?
H。P。B。Protean,becauseitcanassumeallforms;e。g。,the"shepherdmagicians"whompopularrumoraccuses,perhapsnotwithoutsomereason,ofbeing"were—wolves,"and"mediumsincabinets,"whoseown"PlasticBodies"playthepartofmaterializedgrandmothersand"JohnKings。"Otherwise,whytheinvariablecustomofthe"deardepartedangels"tocomeoutbutlittlefurtherthanarm’slengthfromthemedium,whetherentrancedornot?Mind,Idonotatalldenyforeigninfluencesinthiskindofphenomena。
ButIdoaffirmthatforeigninterferenceisrare,andthatthematerializedformisalwaysthatofthemedium’sAstral,orProteanbody。
M。C。Howisthisastralbodycreated?
H。P。B。Itisnotcreated;itgrows,asItoldyou,withthemanandexistsintherudimentaryconditionevenbeforethechildisborn。
M。C。Andwhataboutthesecond?
H。P。B。Thesecondisthe"Thought"body,orDreambody,rather;
knownamongOccultistsastheMayavi—rupa,or"Illusion—body。"Duringlifethisimageisthevehiclebothofthoughtandoftheanimalpassionsanddesires,drawingatoneandthesametimefromthelowestterrestrialmanas(mind)andKama,theelementofdesire。Itisdualinitspotentiality,andafterdeathformswhatiscalledintheEastBhut,orKama—rupa,butwhichisbetterknowntoTheosophistsasthe"Spook。"
M。C。Andthethird?
H。P。B。ThethirdisthetrueEgo,calledintheEastbyanamemeaning"causal—body,"butwhichinthetrans—Himalayanschoolsisalwayscalledthe"Karmicbody,"whichisthesame。ForKarma,oraction,isthecausewhichproducesincessantrebirthsor"reincarnations。"
ItisnottheMonad,norisitManasproper;butis,inaway,indissolublyconnectedwithandacompoundoftheMonadandManasinDevachan。
M。C。Thentherearethreedoubles?
H。P。B。IfyoucalltheChristianandotherTrinities"threeGods,"thentherearethreedoubles。Butintruththereisonlyoneunderthreeaspectsorphases:themostmaterialportiondisappearingwiththebody;themiddleonesurvivingbothasanindependentbuttemporaryentityinthelandofshadows;thethird,immortalthroughouttheManvantara,unlessNirvanaputsanendtoitbefore。
M。C。ButshallnotwebeaskedwhatdifferencethereisbetweentheMayaviandKama—rupa,orasyouproposetocallthemthe"Dreambody"andthe"Spook"?
H。P。B。Mostlikely,andweshallanswer,inadditiontowhathasbeensaid,thatthe"thought—power"oraspectoftheMayavior"Illusion—body,"mergesafterdeathentirelyintothecausalbodyortheconscious,thinkingEgo。Theanimalelements,orpowerofdesireofthe"Dreambody,"absorbingafterdeaththatwhichithascollected(throughitsinsatiabledesiretolive)duringlife;i。e。,alltheastralvitalityaswellasalltheimpressionsofitsmaterialactsandthoughtswhileitlivedinpossessionofthebody,formsthe"Spook"
orKama—rupa。OurTheosophistsknowwellenoughthatafterdeaththehigherManasuniteswiththeMonadandpassesintoDevachan,whilethedregsofthelowerManasoranimalmindgotoformthisSpook。Thishaslifeinit,buthardlyanyconsciousness,except,asitwere,byproxy;whenitisdrawnintothecurrentofamedium。
M。C。Isitallthatcanbesaiduponthesubject?
H。P。B。Forthepresentthisisenoughmetaphysics,Iguess。
Letusholdtothe"Double"initsearthlyphase。Whatwouldyouknow?
M。C。Everycountryintheworldbelievesmoreorlessinthe"double"ordoppelganger。Thesimplestformofthisistheappearanceofaman’sphantomthemomentafterhisdeath,orattheinstantofdeath,tohisdearestfriend。Isthisappearancethemayavi—rupa?
H。P。B。Itis;becauseproducedbythethoughtofthedyingman。
M。C。Isitunconscious?
H。P。B。Itisunconscioustotheextentthatthedyingmandoesnotgenerallydoitknowingly;norisheawarethathesoappears。Whathappensisthis。Ifhethinksveryintentlyatthemomentofdeathofthepersonheeitherisveryanxioustosee,orlovesbest,hemayappeartothatperson。Thethoughtbecomesobjective;thedouble,orshadowofaman,beingnothingbutthefaithfulreproductionofhim,likeareflectioninamirror:thatwhichthemandoes,eveninthought,thatthedoublerepeats。Thisiswhythephantomsareoftenseeninsuchcasesintheclothestheywearattheparticularmoment,andtheimagereproduceseventheexpressiononthedyingman’sface。Ifthedoubleofamanbathingwereseenitwouldseemtobeimmersedinwater;sowhenamanwhohasbeendrownedappearstohisfriend,theimagewillbeseentobedrippingwithwater。Thecausefortheapparitionmayalsobereversed;i。e。,thedyingmanmayormaynotbethinkingatalloftheparticularpersonhisimageappearsto,butitisthatpersonwhoissensitive。Orperhapshissympathyorhishatredfortheindividualwhosewraithisthusevokedisveryintensephysicallyorpsychically;andinthiscasetheapparitioniscreatedby,anddependsupontheintensityofthethought。Whatthenhappensisthis。LetuscallthedyingmanA,andhimwhoseesthedoubleB。Thelatter,owingtolove,hate,orfear,hastheimageofAsodeeplyimpressedonhispsychicmemory,thatactualmagneticattractionandrepulsionareestablishedbetweenthetwo,whetheroneknowsofitandfeelsit,ornot。WhenAdies,thesixthsenseorpsychicspiritualintelligenceoftheinnermaninBbecomescognizantofthechangeinA,andforthwithapprizesthephysicalsensesofthemanbyprojectingbeforehiseyetheformofAasitisattheinstantofthegreatchange。Thesamewhenthedyingmanlongstoseesomeone;histhoughttelegraphstohisfriend,consciouslyorunconsciouslyalongthewireofsympathy,andbecomesobjective。Thisiswhatthe"Spookical"ResearchSocietywouldpompously,butnonethelessmuddily,calltelepathicimpact。
M。C。Thisappliestothesimplestformoftheappearanceofthedouble。Whataboutcasesinwhichthedoubledoesthatwhichiscontrarytothefeelingandwishoftheman?
H。P。B。Thisisimpossible。The"Double"cannotactunlessthekey—noteofthisactionwasstruckinthebrainofthemantowhomthe"Double"belongs,bethatmanjustdead,oralive,ingoodorinbadhealth。
Ifhepausedonthethoughtasecond,longenoughtogiveitform,beforehepassedontoothermentalpictures,thisonesecondisassufficientfortheobjectivizationofhispersonalityontheastralwaves,asforyourfacetoimpressitselfonthesensitizedplateofaphotographicapparatus。NothingpreventsyourformthenbeingseizeduponbythesurroundingForces——asadryleaffallenfromatreeistakenupandcarriedawaybythewind——beingmadetocaricatureordistortyourthought。
M。C。Supposingthedoubleexpressesinactualwordsathoughtuncongenialtotheman,andexpressesit——letussaytoafriendfaraway,perhapsonanothercontinent?Ihaveknowninstancesofthisoccurring。
H。P。B。Becauseitthensohappensthatthecreatedimageistakenupandusedbya"Shell。"Justasinseance—roomswhen"images"ofthedead——whichmayperhapsbelingeringunconsciouslyinthememoryoreventheaurasofthosepresent——areseizeduponbytheElementalsorElementaryShadowsandmadeobjectivetotheaudience,andevencausedtoactatthebiddingofthestrongestofthemanydifferentwillsintheroom。Inyourcase,moreover,theremustexistaconnectinglink——atelegraphwire——betweenthetwopersons,apointofpsychicsympathy,andonthisthethoughttravelsinstantly。Ofcoursetheremustbe,ineverycase,somestrongreasonwhythatparticularthoughttakesthatdirection;itmustbeconnectedinsomewaywiththeotherperson。Otherwisesuchapparitionswouldbeofcommonanddailyoccurrence。
M。C。Thisseemsverysimple;whythendoesitonlyoccurwithexceptionalpersons?
H。P。B。Becausetheplasticpoweroftheimaginationismuchstrongerinsomepersonsthaninothers。Themindisdualinitspotentiality:
itisphysicalandmetaphysical。ThehigherpartofthemindisconnectedwiththespiritualsoulorBuddhi,thelowerwiththeanimalsoul,theKamaprinciple。Therearepersonswhoneverthinkwiththehigherfacultiesoftheirmindsatall;thosewhodosoaretheminorityandarethus,inaway,beyond,ifnotabove,theaverageofhumankind。Thesewillthinkevenuponordinarymattersonthathigherplane。Theidiosyncrasyofthepersondeterminesinwhich"principle"ofthemindthethinkingisdone,asalsothefacultiesofaprecedinglife,andsometimestheheredityofthephysical。Thisiswhyitissoverydifficultforamaterialist——themetaphysicalportionofwhosebrainisalmostatrophied——toraisehimself,orforonewhoisnaturallyspiritually—mindedtodescendtothelevelofthematter—of—factvulgarthought。Optimismandpessimismdependonitalsoinagreatmeasure。
M。C。Butthehabitofthinkinginthehighermindcanbedeveloped——elsetherewouldbenohopeforpersonswhowishtoaltertheirlivesandraisethemselves?Andthatthisispossiblemustbetrue,ortherewouldbenohopefortheworld。
H。P。B。Certainlyitcanbedeveloped,butonlywithgreatdifficulty,afirmdetermination,andthroughmuchself—sacrifice。Butitiscomparativelyeasyforthosewhoarebornwiththegift。Whyisitthatonepersonseespoetryinacabbageorapigwithherlittleones,whileanotherwillperceiveintheloftiestthingsonlytheirlowestandmostmaterialaspect,willlaughatthe"musicofthespheres,"andridiculethemostsublimeconceptionsandphilosophies?Thisdifferencedependssimplyontheinnatepowerofthemindtothinkonthehigheroronthelowerplane,withtheastral(inthesensegiventothewordbySt。Martin),orwiththephysicalbrain。Greatintellectualpowersareoftennoproofof,butareimpedimentstospiritualandrightconceptions;witnessmostofthegreatmenofscience。
Wemustratherpitythanblamethem。
M。C。Buthowisitthatthepersonwhothinksonthehigherplaneproducesmoreperfectandmorepotentialimagesandobjectiveformsbyhisthought?
H。P。B。Notnecessarilythat"person"alone,butallthosewhoaregenerallysensitives。Thepersonwhoisendowedwiththisfacultyofthinkingabouteventhemosttriflingthingsfromthehigherplaneofthoughthas,byvirtueofthatgiftwhichhepossesses,aplasticpowerofformation,sotosay,inhisveryimagination。Whateversuchapersonmaythinkabout,histhoughtwillbesofarmoreintensethanthethoughtofanordinaryperson,thatbythisveryintensityitobtainsthepowerofcreation。Sciencehasestablishedthefactthatthoughtisanenergy。Thisenergyinitsactiondisturbstheatomsoftheastralatmospherearoundus。Ialreadytoldyou;theraysofthoughthavethesamepotentialityforproducingformsintheastralatmosphereasthesunrayshavewithregardtoalens。
Everythoughtsoevolvedwithenergyfromthebrain,creates,nolensvolensashape。
M。C。Isthatshapeabsolutelyunconscious?
H。P。B。Perfectlyunconsciousunlessitisthecreationofanadept,whohasapreconceivedobjectingivingitconsciousness,orratherinsendingalongwithitenoughofhiswillandintelligencetocauseittoappearconscious。Thisoughttomakeusmorecautiousaboutourthoughts。
Butthewidedistinctionthatobtainsbetweentheadeptinthismatterandtheordinarymanmustbeborneinmind。TheadeptmayathiswillusehisMayavi—rupa,buttheordinarymandoesnot,exceptinveryrarecases。ItiscalledMayavi—rupabecauseitisaformofillusioncreatedforuseintheparticularinstance,andithasquiteenoughoftheadept’smindinittoaccomplishitspurpose。Theordinarymanmerelycreatesathought—image,whosepropertiesandpowersareatthetimewhollyunknowntohim。
M。C。Thenonemaysaythattheformofanadeptappearingatadistancefromhisbody,asforinstanceRamLalinMr。Isaacs,issimplyanimage?
H。P。B。Exactly。Itisawalkingthought。
M。C。Inwhichcaseanadeptcanappearinseveralplacesalmostsimultaneously。
H。P。B。Hecan。JustasApolloniusofTyana,whowasseenintwoplacesatonce,whilehisbodywasatRome。Butitmustbeunderstoodthatnotallofeventheastraladeptispresentineachappearance。
M。C。Thenitisverynecessaryforapersonofanyamountofimaginationandpsychicpowerstoattendtotheirthoughts?
H。P。B。Certainly,foreachthoughthasashapewhichborrowstheappearanceofthemanengagedintheactionofwhichhethought。Otherwisehowcanclairvoyantsseeinyouraurayourpastandpresent?Whattheyseeisapassingpanoramaofyourselfrepresentedinsuccessiveactionsbyyourthoughts。Youaskedmeifwearepunishedforourthoughts。Notforall,forsomearestill—born;butfortheothers,thosewhichwecall"silent"butpotentialthoughtsyes。Takeanextremecase,suchasthatofapersonwhoissowickedastowishthedeathofanother。Unlesstheevil—wisherisaDugpa,ahighadeptinblackmagic,inwhichcaseKarmaisdelayed,suchawishonlycomesbacktoroost。
M。C。Butsupposingtheevil—wishertohaveaverystrongwill,withoutbeingadugpa,couldthedeathoftheotherbeaccomplished?
H。P。B。Onlyifthemaliciouspersonhastheevileye,whichsimplymeanspossessingenormousplasticpowerofimaginationworkinginvoluntarily,andthusturnedunconsciouslytobaduses。Forwhatisthepowerofthe"evileye"?Simplyagreatplasticpowerofthought,sogreatastoproduceacurrentimpregnatedwiththepotentialityofeverykindofmisfortuneandaccident,whichinoculates,orattachesitselftoanypersonwhocomeswithinit。Ajettatore(onewiththeevileye)neednotbeevenimaginative,orhaveevilintentionsorwishes。Hemaybesimplyapersonwhoisnaturallyfondofwitnessingorreadingaboutsensationalscenes,suchasmurder,executions,accidents,etc。,etc。Hemaybenoteventhinkingofanyoftheseatthemomenthiseyemeetshisfuturevictim。Butthecurrentshavebeenproducedandexistinhisvisualrayreadytospringintoactivitytheinstanttheyfindsuitablesoil,likeaseedfallenbythewayandreadytosproutatthefirstopportunity。
M。C。Buthowaboutthethoughtsyoucall"silent"?Dosuchwishesorthoughtscomehometoroost?
H。P。B。Theydo;justasaballwhichfailstopenetrateanobjectreboundsuponthethrower。Thishappenseventosomedugpasorsorcererswhoarenotstrongenough,ordonotcomplywiththerules——
foreventheyhaverulestheyhavetoabideby——butnotwiththosewhoareregular,fullydeveloped"blackmagicians";forsuchhavethepowertoaccomplishwhattheywish。
M。C。Whenyouspeakofrulesitmakesmewanttowindupthistalkbyaskingyouwhateverybodywantstoknowwhotakesanyinterestinoccultism。Whatisaprincipalorimportantsuggestionforthosewhohavethesepowersandwishtocontrolthemrightly——infacttoenteroccultism?
H。P。B。Thefirstandmostimportantstepinoccultismistolearnhowtoadaptyourthoughtsandideastoyourplasticpotency。
M。C。Whyisthissoimportant?
H。P。B。BecauseotherwiseyouarecreatingthingsbywhichyoumaybemakingbadKarma。Nooneshouldgointooccultismoreventouchitbeforeheisperfectlyacquaintedwithhisownpowers,andthatheknowshowtocommensurateitwithhisactions。AndthishecandoonlybydeeplystudyingthephilosophyofOccultismbeforeenteringuponthepracticaltraining。Otherwise,assureasfate——HEWILLFALLINTOBLACKMAGIC。
StudiesinOccultismbyBlavatsky:ConstitutionoftheInnerManConstitutionoftheInnerManOfcourseitismostdifficult,and,asyousay,"puzzling"tounderstandcorrectlyanddistinguishbetweenthevariousaspects,calledbyusthe"principles"oftherealEGO。ItisthemoresoasthereexistsanotabledifferenceinthenumberingofthoseprinciplesbyvariousEasternschools,thoughatthebottomthereisthesameidenticalsubstratumofteachinginallofthem。
X。AreyouthinkingoftheVedantins?Theydivideourseven"principles"
intofiveonly,Ibelieve?
M。Theydo;butthoughIwouldnotpresumetodisputethepointwithalearnedVedantin,Imayyetstateasmyprivateopinionthattheyhaveanobviousreasonforit。WiththemitisonlythatcompoundspiritualaggregatewhichconsistsofvariousmentalaspectsthatiscalledManatall,thephysicalbodybeingintheirviewsomethingbeneathcontempt,andmerelyanillusion。NoristheVedantatheonlyphilosophytoreckoninthismanner。Lao—TzeinhisTao—te—King,mentionsonlyfiveprinciples,becausehe,liketheVedantins,omitstoincludetwoprinciples,namely,thespirit(Atma)andthephysicalbody,thelatterofwhich,moreover,hecalls"thecadaver。"ThenthereistheTarakaRajaYogaSchool。
Itsteachingrecognizesonlythree"principles"infact;butthen,inreality,theirSthulopadhi,orthephysicalbodyinitsjagrataorwakingconsciousstate,theirSukshmopadki,thesamebodyinsvapnaorthedreamingstate,andtheirKaranopadhior"causalbody,"
orthatwhichpassesfromoneincarnationtoanother,arealldualintheiraspects,andthusmakesix。AddtothisAtma,theimpersonaldivineprincipleortheimmortalelementinMan,undistinguishedfromtheUniversalSpirit,andyouhavethesameseven,again,asintheesotericdivision。(1)
X。ThenitseemsalmostthesameasthedivisionmadebymysticChristians:body,soul,andspirit?
M。Justthesame。Wecouldeasilymakeofthebodythevehicleofthe"vitalDouble";ofthelatterthevehicleofLifeorPrana;ofKama—rupaor(animal)soul,thevehicleofthehigherandthelowermind,andmakeofthissixprinciples,crowningthewholewiththeoneimmortalspirit。InOccultism,everyqualificativechangeinthestateofourconsciousnessgivestomananewaspect,andifitprevailsandbecomespartofthelivingandactingEGO,itmustbe(andis)givenaspecialname,todistinguishthemaninthatparticularstatefromthemanheiswhenheplaceshimselfinanotherstate。
X。Itisjustthatwhichissodifficulttounderstand。
M。Itseemstomeveryeasy,onthecontrary,oncethatyouhaveseizedthemainidea,i。e。,thatmanactsonthis,oranotherplaneofconsciousness,instrictaccordancewithhismentalandspiritualcondition。
Butsuchisthematerialismoftheagethatthemoreweexplain,thelesspeopleseemcapableofunderstandingwhatwesay。Dividetheterrestrialbeingcalledmanintothreechiefaspects,ifyoulike;but,unlessyoumakeofhimapureanimal,youcannotdoless。Takehisobjectivebody;thefeelingprincipleinhim——whichisonlyalittlehigherthantheinstinctualelementintheanimal——orthevitalelementarysoul;andthatwhichplaceshimsoimmeasurablybeyondandhigherthantheanimal——i。e。,hisreasoningsoulor"spirit。"Well,ifwetakethesethreegroupsorrepresentativeentities,andsubdividethem,accordingtotheoccultteaching,whatdoweget?
FirstofallSpirit(inthesenseoftheAbsolute,andthereforeinvisibleALL)orAtma。Asthiscanneitherbelocatednorconditionedinphilosophy,beingsimplythatwhichis,inEternity,andastheALLcannotbeabsentfromeventhetiniestgeometricalormathematicalpointoftheuniverseofmatterorsubstance,itoughtnottobecalled,intruth,a"human"
principleatall。Rather,andatbest,itisthatpointinmetaphysicalSpacewhichthehumanMonadanditsvehicleman,occupyfortheperiodofeverylife。Nowthatpointisasimaginaryasmanhimself,andinrealityisanillusion,amaya;butthenforourselvesasforotherpersonalEgos,wearearealityduringthatfitofillusioncalledlife,andwehavetotakeourselvesintoaccount——inourownfancyatanyrate,ifnooneelsedoes。Tomakeitmoreconceivabletothehumanintellect,whenfirstattemptingthestudyofOccultism,andtosolvetheABCofthemysteryofman,Occultismcallsittheseventhprinciple,thesynthesisofthesix,andgivesitforvehicletheSpiritualSoul,Buddhi。Nowthelatterconcealsamystery,whichisnevergiventoanyonewiththeexceptionofirrevocablypledgedchelas,thoseatanyrate,whocanbesafelytrusted。Ofcoursetherewouldbelessconfusion,coulditonlybetold;but,asthisisdirectlyconcernedwiththepowerofprojectingone’sdoubleconsciouslyandatwill,andasthisgiftlikethe"ringofGyges"mightproveveryfataltomenatlargeandtothepossessorofthatfacultyinparticular,itiscarefullyguarded。Alonetheadepts,whohavebeentriedandcanneverbefoundwanting,havethekeyofthemysteryfullydivulgedtothem……Letusavoidsideissues,however,andholdtothe"principles。"ThisdivinesoulorBuddhi,then,istheVehicleoftheSpirit。Inconjunction,thesetwoareone,impersonal,andwithoutanyattributes(onthisplane,ofcourse),andmaketwospiritual"principles。"
IfwepassontotheHumanSoul(manas,themens)everyonewillagreethattheintelligenceofmanisdualtosaytheleast:
e。g。,thehigh—mindedmancanhardlybecomelow—minded;theveryintellectualandspiritual—mindedmanisseparatedbyanabyssfromtheobtuse,dullandmaterial,ifnotanimal—mindedman。Whythenshouldnotthesemenberepresentedbytwo"principles"ortwoaspectsrather?Everymanhasthesetwoprinciplesinhim,onemoreactivethantheother,andinrarecases,oneoftheseisentirelystuntedinitsgrowth:sotosayparalyzedbythestrengthandpredominanceoftheotheraspect,duringthelifeofman。These,then,arewhatwecallthetwoprinciplesoraspectsofManas,thehigherandthelower;theformer,thehigherManas,orthethinking,consciousEGOgravitatingtowardtheSpiritualSoul(Buddhi);
andthelatter,oritsinstinctualprincipleattractedtoKama,theseatofanimaldesiresandpassionsinman。Thus,wehavefour"principles"
justified;thelastthreebeing(1)the"Double"whichwehaveagreedtocallProtean,orPlasticSoul;thevehicleof(2)thelifeprinciple;and(3)thephysicalbody。OfcoursenoPhysiologistorBiologistwillaccepttheseprinciples,norcanhemakeheadortailofthem。Andthisiswhy,perhaps,noneofthemunderstandtothisdayeitherthefunctionsofthespleen,thephysicalvehicleoftheProteanDouble,orthoseofacertainorganontherightsideofman,theseatoftheabovementioneddesires,noryetdoesheknowanythingofthepinealgland,whichhedescribesasahornyglandwithalittlesandinit,andwhichistheverykeytothehighestanddivinestconsciousnessinman——hisomniscient,spiritualandallembracingmind。Thisseeminglyuselessappendageisthependulumwhich,oncetheclock—workoftheinnermaniswoundup,carriesthespiritualvisionoftheEGOtothehighestplanesofperception,wherethehorizonopenbeforeitbecomesalmostinfinite……
X。Butthescientificmaterialistsassertthatafterthedeathofmannothingremains;thatthehumanbodysimplydisintegratesintoitscomponentelements,andthatwhatwecallsoulismerelyatemporaryself—consciousnessproducedasaby—productoforganicaction,whichwillevaporatelikesteam。
Isnottheirsastrangestateofmind?
M。Notstrangeatall,thatIsee。Iftheysaythatself—consciousnessceaseswiththebody,thenintheircasetheysimplyutteranunconsciousprophecy。Foroncethattheyarefirmlyconvincedofwhattheyassert,noconsciousafterlifeispossibleforthem。
X。Butifhumanself—consciousnesssurvivesdeathasarule,whyshouldtherebeexceptions?
M。Inthefundamentallawsofthespiritualworldwhichareimmutable,noexceptionispossible。Buttherearerulesforthosewhosee,andrulesforthosewhoprefertoremainblind。
X。Quiteso,Iunderstand。Itisanaberrationofablindman,whodeniestheexistenceofthesunbecausehedoesnotseeit。Butafterdeathhisspiritualeyeswillcertainlycompelhimtosee。
M。Theywillnotcompelhim,norwillheseeanything。Havingpersistentlydeniedanafter—lifeduringthislife,hewillbeunabletosenseit。Hisspiritualsenseshavingbeenstunted,theycannotdevelopafterdeath,andhewillremainblind。Byinsistingthathemustseeit,youevidentlymeanonethingandIanother。YouspeakofthespiritfromtheSpirit,ortheflamefromtheFlame——ofAtmainshort——andyouconfuseitwiththehumansoul——Manas……Youdonotunderstandme,letmetrytomakeitclear。Thewholegistofyourquestionistoknowwhether,inthecaseofadownrightmaterialist,thecompletelossofself—consciousnessandself—perceptionafterdeathispossible?Isn’titso?Isay:Itispossible。Because,believingfirmlyinourEsotericDoctrine,whichreferstothepost—mortemperiod,ortheintervalbetweentwolivesorbirthsasmerelyatransitorystate,Isay:——Whetherthatintervalbetweentwoactsoftheillusionarydramaoflifelastsoneyearoramillion,thatpost—mortemstatemay,withoutanybreachofthefundamentallaw,provetobejustthesamestateasthatofamanwhoisinadeadswoon。
X。Butsinceyouhavejustsaidthatthefundamentallawsoftheafter—deathstateadmitofnoexceptions,howcanthisbe?
M。NordoIsaynowthattheyadmitofexceptions。Butthespirituallawofcontinuityappliesonlytothingswhicharetrulyreal。ToonewhohasreadandunderstoodMandukyaUpanishadandVedanta—Sara,allthisbecomesveryclear。Iwillsaymore:itissufficienttounderstandwhatwemeanbyBuddhiandthedualityofManastohaveaveryclearperceptionwhythematerialistmaynothaveaself—conscioussurvivalafterdeath:
becauseManas,initsloweraspect,istheseatoftheterrestrialmind,and,therefore,cangiveonlythatperceptionoftheUniversewhichisbasedontheevidenceofthatmind,andnotonourspiritualvision。ItissaidinourEsotericschoolthatbetweenBuddhiandManas,orIsvaraandPrajnsa(2),thereisinrealitynomoredifferencethanbetweenaforestanditstrees,alakeanditswaters,justasMandukyateaches。Oneorhundredsoftreesdeadfromlossofvitality,oruprooted,areyetincapableofpreventingtheforestfrombeingstillaforest。Thedestructionorpost—mortemdeathofonepersonalitydroppedoutofthelongseries,willnotcausethesmallestchangeintheSpiritualEgo,anditwilleverremainthesameEGO。
Only,insteadofexperiencingDevachanitwillhavetoimmediatelyreincarnate。
X。ButasIunderstandit,Ego—Buddhirepresentsinthissimiletheforestandthepersonalmindsthetrees。AndifBuddhiisimmortal,howcanthatwhichissimilartoit,i。e。,Manas—taijasi(3),loseentirelyitsconsciousnesstillthedayofitsnewincarnation?I
cannotunderstandit。
M。Youcannot,becauseyouwillmixupanabstractrepresentationofthewholewithitscasualchangesofform;andbecauseyouconfuseManas—taijasi,theBuddhi—lithumansoul,withthelatter,animalized。
RememberthatifitcanbesaidofBuddhithatitisunconditionallyimmortal,thesamecannotbesaidofManas,stilllessoftaijasi,whichisanattribute。Nopost—mortemconsciousnessorManastaijasi,canexistapartfromBuddhi,thedivinesoul,becausethefirst(Manas)is,initsloweraspect,aqualificativeattributeoftheterrestrialpersonality,andthesecond(taijasi)isidenticalwiththefirst,andthatitisthesameManasonlywiththelightofBuddhireflectedonit。Initsturn,Buddhiwouldremainonlyanimpersonalspiritwithoutthiselementwhichitborrowsfromthehumansoul,whichconditionsandmakesofit,inthisillusiveUniverse,asitweresomethingseparatefromtheuniversalsoulforthewholeperiodofthecycleofincarnation。
SayratherthatBuddhi—Manascanneitherdienorloseitscompoundself—consciousnessinEternity,northerecollectionofitspreviousincarnationsinwhichthetwo——i。e。,thespiritualandthehumansoul,hadbeencloselylinkedtogether。Butitisnotsointhecaseofamaterialist,whosehumansoulnotonlyreceivesnothingfromthedivinesoul,butevenrefusestorecognizeitsexistence。Youcanhardlyapplythisaxiomtotheattributesandqualificationsofthehumansoul;foritwouldbelikesayingthatbecauseyourdivinesoulisimmortal,thereforethebloomonyourcheekmustalsobeimmortal;whereasthisbloom,liketaijasi,orspiritualradiance,issimplyatransitoryphenomenon。
X。DoIunderstandyoutosaythatwemustnotmixinourmindsthenoumenonwiththephenomenon,thecausewithitseffect?
M。Idosayso,andrepeatthat,limitedtoManasorthehumansoulalone,theradianceofTaijasiitselfbecomesamerequestionoftime;
becausebothimmortalityandconsciousnessafterdeathbecomefortheterrestrialpersonalityofmansimplyconditionedattributes,astheydependentirelyonconditionsandbeliefscreatedbythehumansoulitselfduringthelifeofitsbody。Karmaactsincessantly:wereapinourafter—lifeonlythefruitofthatwhichwehaveourselvessown,orrathercreatedinourterrestrialexistence。
X。ButifmyEgocan,afterthedestructionofmybody,becomeplungedinastateofentireunconsciousness,thenwherecanbethepunishmentforthesinsofmypastlife?
M。OurphilosophyteachesthatKarmicpunishmentreachestheEgoonlyinitsnextincarnation。Afterdeathitreceivesonlytherewardfortheunmeritedsufferingsenduredduringitsjustpastexistence。(4)
Thewholepunishmentafterdeath,evenforthematerialist,consiststhereforeintheabsenceofanyrewardandtheutterlossoftheconsciousnessofone’sblissandrest。Karma——isthechildoftheterrestrialEgo,thefruitoftheactionsofthetreewhichistheobjectivepersonalityvisibletoall,asmuchasthefruitofallthethoughtsandevenmotivesofthespiritual"I";butKarmaisalsothetendermother,whohealsthewoundsinflictedbyherduringtheprecedinglife,beforeshewillbegintotorturethisEgobyinflictinguponhimnewones。Ifitmaybesaidthatthereisnotamentalorphysicalsufferinginthelifeofamortal,whichisnotthefruitandconsequenceofsomesininthis,oraprecedingexistenceontheotherhand,sincehedoesnotpreservetheslightestrecollectionofitinhisactuallifeandfeelshimselfnotdeservingofsuchpunishment,butbelievessincerelyhesuffersfornoguiltofhisown,thisaloneisquitesufficienttoentitlethehumansoultothefullestconsolation,restandblissinhispost—mortemexistence。Deathcomestoourspiritualselveseverasadelivererandfriend。Forthematerialist,who,notwithstandinghismaterialism,wasnotabadman,theintervalbetweenthetwoliveswillbeliketheunbrokenandplacidsleepofachild;eitherentirelydreamless,orwithpicturesofwhichhewillhavenodefiniteperception。Forthebelieveritwillbeadreamasvividaslifeandfullofrealisticblissandvisions。Asforthebadandcruelman,whethermaterialistorotherwise,hewillbeimmediatelyrebornandsufferhishellonearth。
ToenterAvichiisanexceptionalandrareoccurrence。
X。AsfarasIremember,theperiodicalincarnationsofSutratma(5)
arelikenedinsomeUpanishadtothelifeofamortalwhichoscillatesperiodicallybetweensleepandwaking。Thisdoesnotseemtomeveryclear,andIwilltellyouwhy。Forthemanwhoawakes,anotherdaycommences,butthatmanisthesameinsoulandbodyashewasthedaybefore;whereasateverynewincarnationafullchangetakesplacenotonlyinhisexternalenvelope,sexandpersonality,buteveninhismentalandpsychiccapacities。
Thusthesimiledoesnotseemtomequitecorrect。Themanwhoarisesfromsleepremembersquiteclearlywhathehasdoneyesterday,thedaybefore,andevenmonthsandyearsago。Butnoneofushastheslightestrecollectionofaprecedinglifeoranyfactoreventconcerningit……ImayforgetinthemorningwhatIhavedreamedduringthenight,stillIknowthatIhavesleptandhavethecertaintythatIlivedduringsleep;butwhatrecollectionhaveIofmypastincarnation?Howdoyoureconcilethis?
M。Yetsomepeopledorecollecttheirpastincarnations。ThisiswhattheArhatscallSamma—Sambuddha——ortheknowledgeofthewholeseriesofone’spastincarnations。
X。ButweordinarymortalswhohavenotreachedSamma—Sambuddha,howcanwebeexpectedtorealizethissimile?
M。Bystudyingitandtryingtounderstandmorecorrectlythecharacteristicsofthethreestatesofsleep。Sleepisageneralandimmutablelawformanasforbeast,buttherearedifferentkindsofsleepandstillmoredifferentdreamsandvisions。
X。Justso。Butthistakesusfromoursubject。Letusreturntothematerialist,who,whilenotdenyingdreams,whichhecouldhardlydo,yetdeniesimmortalityingeneralandthesurvivalofhisownindividualityespecially。
M。Andthematerialistisrightforonce,atleast;sinceforonewhohasnoinnerperceptionandfaith,thereisnoimmortalitypossible。
Inordertoliveintheworldtocomeaconsciouslife,onehastobelievefirstofallinthatlifeduringone’sterrestrialexistence。OnthesetwoaphorismsoftheSecretScienceallthephilosophyaboutthepost—mortemconsciousnessandtheimmortalityofthesoulisbuilt。TheEgoreceivesalwaysaccordingtoitsdeserts。Afterthedissolutionofthebody,therecommencesforiteitheraperiodoffullclearconsciousness,astateofchaoticdreams,oranutterlydreamlesssleepindistinguishablefromannihilation;
andthesearethethreestatesofconsciousness。Ourphysiologistsfindthecauseofdreamsandvisionsinanunconsciouspreparationforthemduringthewakinghours;whycannotthesamebeadmittedforthepost—mortemdreams?Irepeatit,deathissleep。Afterdeathbegins,beforethespiritualeyesofthesoul,aperformanceaccordingtoaprogramlearnedandveryoftencomposedunconsciouslybyourselves;thepracticalcarryingoutofcorrectbeliefsorofillusionswhichhavebeencreatedbyourselves。AMethodistwillbeaMethodist,aMussulmanaMussulmanofcourse,justforatime——inaperfectfool’sparadiseofeachman’screationandmaking。Thesearethepost—mortemfruitsofthetreeoflife。
Naturally,ourbelieforunbeliefinthefactofconsciousimmortalityisunabletoinfluencetheunconditionedrealityofthefactitself,oncethatitexists;butthebelieforunbeliefinthatimmortality,asthecontinuationorannihilationofseparateentitiescannotfailtogivecolortothatfactinitsapplicationtoeachoftheseentities。Nowdoyoubegintounderstandit?
X。IthinkIdo。Thematerialist,disbelievingineverythingthatcannotbeproventohimbyhisfivesensesorbyscientificreasoning,andrejectingeveryspiritualmanifestation,acceptslifeastheonlyconsciousexistence。Therefore,accordingtotheirbeliefssowillitbeuntothem。
TheywilllosetheirpersonalEgo,andwillplungeintoadreamlesssleepuntilanewawakening。Isitso?
M。Almostso。Remembertheuniversalesotericteachingofthetwokindsofconsciousexistence:theterrestrialandthespiritual。Thelattermustbeconsideredrealfromtheveryfactthatitistheregionoftheeternal,changeless,immortalcauseofall;whereastheincarnatingEgodressesitselfupinnewgarmentsentirelydifferentfromthoseofitspreviousincarnations,andinwhichallexceptitsspiritualprototypeisdoomedtoachangesoradicalastoleavenotracebehind。
X。Stop!……CantheconsciousnessofmyterrestrialEgosperishnotonlyforatime,liketheconsciousnessofthematerialist,butinanycasesoentirelyastoleavenotracebehind?
M。Accordingtotheteaching,itmustsoperishandinitsfulness,allexceptthatprinciplewhich,havinguniteditselfwiththeMonad,hastherebybecomeapurelyspiritualandindestructibleessence,onewithitintheEternity。Butinthecaseofanoutandoutmaterialist,inwhosepersonal"I"noBuddhihaseverreflecteditself,howcanthelattercarryawayintotheinfinitudesoneparticleofthatterrestrialpersonality?
Yourspiritual"I"isimmortal;butfromyourpresentSelfitcancarryawayintoafter—lifebutthatwhichhasbecomeworthyofimmortality,namely,thearomaaloneoftheflowerthathasbeenmownbydeath。
X。Well,andtheflower,theterrestrial"I"?
M。Theflower,asallpastandfutureflowerswhichblossomedanddied,andwillblossomagainonthemotherbough,theSutratma,allchildrenofonerootorBuddhi,willreturntodust。Yourpresent"I,"asyouyourselfknow,isnotthebodynowsittingbeforeme,noryetisitwhatIwouldcallManas—Sutratma——butSutratma—Buddhi。
X。Butthisdoesnotexplaintomeatall,whyyoucalllifeafterdeathimmortal,infinite,andreal,andtheterrestriallifeasimplephantomorillusion;sinceeventhatpost—mortemlifehaslimits,howevermuchwidertheymaybethanthoseofterrestriallife。
M。Nodoubt。ThespiritualEgoofmanmovesinEternitylikeapendulumbetweenthehoursoflifeanddeath。Butifthesehoursmarkingtheperiodsofterrestrialandspirituallifearelimitedintheirduration,andiftheverynumberofsuchstagesinEternitybetweensleepandawakening,illusionandreality,hasitsbeginninganditsend,ontheotherhandthespiritual"Pilgrim"iseternal。Thereforearethehoursofhispost—mortemlife——when,disembodiedhestandsfacetofacewithtruthandnotthemiragesofhistransitoryearthlyexistencesduringtheperiodofthatpilgrimagewhichwecall"thecycleofrebirths"——theonlyrealityinourconception。Suchintervals,theirlimitationnotwithstanding,donotpreventtheEgo,whileeverperfectingitself,tobefollowingundeviatingly,thoughgraduallyandslowly,thepathtoitslasttransformation,whenthatEgohavingreacheditsgoalbecomesthedivineALL。Theseintervalsandstageshelptowardsthisfinalresultinsteadofhinderingit;andwithoutsuchlimitedintervalsthedivineEgocouldneverreachitsultimategoal。ThisEgoistheactoranditsnumerousandvariousincarnationsthepartsitplays。Shallyoucallthesepartswiththeircostumestheindividualityoftheactorhimself?Likethatactor,theEgoisforcedtoplayduringtheCycleofNecessityuptotheverythresholdofPara—nirvanamanypartssuchasmaybeunpleasanttoit。Butasthebeecollectsitshoneyfromeveryflower,leavingtherestasfoodfortheearthlyworms,sodoesourspiritualindividuality,whetherwecallitSutratmaorEgo。ItcollectsfromeveryterrestrialpersonalityintowhichKarmaforcesittoincarnate,thenectaraloneoftheSpiritualqualitiesandself—consciousness,andunitingalltheseintoonewholeitemergesfromitschrysalisastheglorifiedDhyaniChohan。Somuchtheworseforthoseterrestrialpersonalitiesfromwhichitcouldcollectnothing。Suchpersonalitiescannotassuredlyoutliveconsciouslytheirterrestrialexistence。
X。Thusthenitseems,thatfortheterrestrialpersonality,immortalityisstillconditional。Isthenimmortalityitselfnotunconditional?
M。Notatall。Butitcannottouchthenon—existent。ForallthatwhichexistsasSAT,everaspiringSAT,immortalityandEternityareabsolute。Matteristheoppositepoleofspiritandyetthetwoareone。Theessenceofallthis,i。e。,Spirit,ForceandMatter,orthethreeinone,isasendlessasitisbeginningless;buttheformacquiredbythetripleunityduringincarnations,theexternality,iscertainlyonlytheillusionofourpersonalconceptions。Thereforedowecalltheafter—lifealoneareality,whilerelegatingtheterrestriallife,itsterrestrialpersonalityincluded,tothephantomrealmofillusion。
X。Butwhyinsuchacasenotcallsleepthereality,andwakingtheillusion,insteadofthereverse?
M。Becauseweuseanexpressionmadetofacilitatethegraspingofthesubject,andfromthestandpointofterrestrialconceptions,itisaverycorrectone。
X。Nevertheless,Icannotunderstand。Ifthelifetocomeisbasedonjusticeandthemeritedretributionforallourterrestrialsuffering,how,inthecaseofmaterialistsmanyofwhomareideallyhonestandcharitablemen,shouldthereremainoftheirpersonalitynothingbuttherefuseofafadedflower!
M。Nooneeversaidsuchathing。Nomaterialist,ifagoodman,howeverunbelieving,candieforeverinthefulnessofhisspiritualindividuality。
Whatwassaidis,thattheconsciousnessofonelifecandisappeareitherfullyorpartially;inthecaseofathoroughmaterialist,novestigeofthatpersonalitywhichdisbelievedremainsintheseriesoflives。
X。ButisthisnotannihilationtotheEgo?
M。Certainlynot。Onecansleepadeadsleepduringalongrailwayjourney,missoneorseveralstationswithouttheslightestrecollectionorconsciousnessofit,awakeatanotherstationandcontinuethejourneyrecollectingotherhaltingplaces,tilltheendofthatjourney,whenthegoalisreached。Threekindsofsleepwerementionedtoyou:thedreamless,thechaotic,andtheonesoreal,thattothesleepingmanhisdreamsbecomefullrealities。Ifyoubelieveinthelatterwhycan’tyoubelieveintheformer?Accordingtowhatonehasbelievedinandexpectedafterdeath,suchisthestateonewillhave。Hewhoexpectednolifetocomewillhaveanabsoluteblankamountingtoannihilationintheintervalbetweenthetworebirths。Thisisjustthecarryingoutoftheprogramwespokeof,andwhichiscreatedbythematerialisthimself。Buttherearevariouskindsofmaterialists,asyousay。AselfishwickedEgoist,onewhonevershedatearforanyonebuthimself,thusaddingentireindifferencetothewholeworldtohisunbelief,mustdropatthethresholdofdeathhispersonalityforever。Thispersonalityhavingnotendrilsofsympathyfortheworldaround,andhencenothingtohookontothestringoftheSutratma,everyconnectionbetweenthetwoisbrokenwiththelastbreath。TherebeingnoDevachanforsuchamaterialist,theSutratmawillreincarnatealmostimmediately。Butthosematerialistswhoerredinnothingbuttheirdisbelief,willoversleepbutonestation。Moreover,thetimewillcomewhentheex—materialistwillperceivehimselfintheEternityandperhapsrepentthathelostevenoneday,orstation,fromthelifeeternal。
X。Still,woulditnotbemorecorrecttosaythatdeathisbirthintoanewlife,orareturnoncemoretothethresholdofeternity?
M。Youmayifyoulike。Onlyrememberthatbirthsdiffer,andthattherearebirthsof"still—born"beings,whicharefailures。Moreover,withyourfixedWesternideasaboutmateriallife,thewords"living"and"being"arequiteinapplicabletothepuresubjectivestateofpost—mortemexistence。Itisjustbecauseofsuchideas——saveinafewphilosopherswhoarenotreadbythemanyandwhothemselvesaretooconfusedtopresentadistinctpictureofit——thatallyourconceptionsoflifeanddeathhavefinallybecomesonarrow。Ontheonehand,theyhaveledtocrassmaterialism,andontheother,tothestillmorematerialconceptionoftheotherlifewhichtheSpiritualistshaveformulatedintheirSummerland。
Therethesoulsofmeneat,drink,andmarry,andliveinaParadisequiteassensualasthatofMohammed,butevenlessphilosophical。NoraretheaverageconceptionsoftheuneducatedChristiansanybetter,butarestillmorematerial,ifpossible。WhatbetweentruncatedAngels,brasstrumpets,goldenharps,streetsinparadisaicalcitiespavedwithjewels,andhell—fires,itseemslikeasceneataChristmaspantomime。Itisbecauseofthesenarrowconceptionsthatyoufindsuchdifficultyinunderstanding。And,itisalsojustbecausethelifeofthedisembodiedsoul,whilepossessingallthevividnessofreality,asincertaindreams,isdevoidofeverygrosslyobjectiveformofterrestriallife,thattheEasternphilosophershavecompareditwithvisionsduringsleep。
FOOTNOTES:
1。SeeTheSecretDoctrineforaclearerexplanation。
(returntotext)
2。Isvaraisthecollectiveconsciousnessofthemanifesteddeity,Brahma,i。e。,thecollectiveconsciousnessoftheHostofDhyaniChohans;andPrajnaistheirindividualwisdom。(returntotext)
3。TaijasimeanstheradiantinconsequenceoftheunionwithBuddhiofManas,thehuman,illuminatedbytheradianceofthedivinesoul。ThereforeManas—taijasimaybedescribedasradiantmind;thehumanreasonlitbythelightofthespirit;andBuddhi—Manasistherepresentationofthedivineplusthehumanintellectandself—consciousness。
(returntotext)
4。SomeTheosophistshavetakenexceptiontothisphrase,butthewordsarethoseoftheMasters,andthemeaningattachedtotheword"unmerited"isthatgivenabove。IntheT。P。S。pamphletNo。6aphrase,criticizedsubsequentlyinLucifer,wasused,whichwasintendedtoconveythesameidea。Inform,howeveritwasawkwardandopentothecriticismdirectedagainstit;buttheessentialideawasthatmenoftensufferfromtheeffectsoftheactionsdonebyothers,effectswhichthusdonotstrictlybelongtotheirownKarma,buttothatofotherpeople——andforthesesufferingstheyofcoursedeservecompensation。IfitistruetosaythatnothingthathappenstouscanbeanythingelsethanKarma——orthedirectorindirecteffectofacause——itwouldbeagreaterrortothinkthateveryevilorgoodwhichbefallsusisdueonlytoourownpersonalKarma。(Videfurtheron。)(returntotext)
5。OurimmortalandreincarnatingprincipleinconjunctionwiththeManasicrecollectionsoftheprecedinglivesiscalledSutratma,whichmeansliterallytheThread—Soul;becauselikethepearlsonathreadsoisthelongseriesofhumanlivesstrungtogetheronthatonethread。
Manasmustbecometaijasi,theradiant,beforeitcanhangontheSutratmaasapearlonitsthread,andsohavefullandabsoluteperceptionofitselfintheEternity。Assaidbefore,toocloseassociationwiththeterrestrialmindofthehumansoulalonecausesthisradiancetobeentirelylost。(returntotext)