Theos-Talk Archives (December 1993 Message tl00052)

Arvind:

<)Are Globes and Planes the same thing? >

I am not as familiar with the idea of globes as Jerry S. is, but it is
my understanding that the globes are not the planes. A plane is said
to be "a condition of nature". My understanding of globes is that they
represent the evolutionary stages of life in this Solar System. The
planes are more "universal" then than the globes, which are particular
to the evolutionary chain of the solar system, i.e. the solor logos.

<Cosmic Physical Plane (which means that there are six other Cosmic
planes, about which we know practically nothing).  >

Read "Far Journeys" by Robert Monroe (DoubleDay Books) to get some
sense of whats going on out in the cosmic planes. Its not that the
cosmic planes are inaccessible to us humans, its more that, because of
our belief systems, we limit our perceptions, and thus are unaware of,
not only the local planes (i.e. the seven planes, which make the
cosmic physplane), but of the goings on of the cosmic planes.

One of the problems with theosophical teachings is that they cast a
mystique about the cosmic planes (and even the higher planes of our
local 7 planes) that somehow you have to be a buddha or something to
understand these cosmic or higher planes. This just isn't true.  We
operate on *all* the planes simultaneously and its just a matter of
learning to recognize this.

<Do we exist simultaneously on all these planes of the solar system
simultaneously in the sense that there are counterparts of our
'consciouness' on other planes even though we are normally not aware
of them when functioning on the first plane (counting from the bottom
i.e. physical plane or Globe D)? Or is it that we can 'partake' in the
goings-on at these various planes when we on purpose tune ourselves
into them (e.g. during sleep or perhaps meditation)? >

Yes to both of your questions. See, our physical consciousness is but
a subset of a greater consciousness. Other consciousness here in the
physplane are also linked into the same greater consciousness that you
are. These consciousness could be thought of as your physical
counterparts. As well, there are many, many facets of your
consciousness that never express themselves in the physplane but only
manifest on the higher planes. These you may sometimes encounter in
your dreams.

What you have to realize is that your normal waking consciousness is
only the smallest tip of a vast iceburg of consciousness. As a matter
of fact, your very consciousness touches all other consciousness in
all of infinity. If you probed deep enough into your psyche, you
could, for example, find me very, very deep inside yourself. And vice
versa, you are very, very deep inside of me. There is no simple
pattern to the interrelationships of consciousness. There are as many
types of patterns of interrelationship of consciousness as there are
conscious beings.  The key to discovering the truth of these
statements lies in having a very flexible mind.

<Our soul or ego is supposed to have an independent existence, on its
own plane while we are living the normal waking daily life ... my
understanding that the ego is effectively destroyed at the 4th
initiation when one becomes an Arhat, enabling direct contact between
the personality and the Monad when in incarnation.>

Your soul, or Ego (the capitol E is important here) is exactly this
greater consciousness I speak of above. It operates under terms and
conditions we cannot easily understand from our vantage point as human
beings. I can only warn you to be wary when you talk of your soul, for
you are a small part of it. it is much greater than you, Arvind the
human. Arvind the human can expand his consciousness and touch other
parts of the soul that Arvind is but an outgrowth of. In this case,
both Arvind and the soul change. Both gain a deeper appreciation of
their relationship.

Now, you must be careful when saying that "the ego is destroyed". You
must define what you mean by ego. If you are refering to your physical
personality, to Arvind the human, then you must realize that this
personality is an organ of the physical body and an outgrowth of that
body. Your personality/ego will fade soon after your death. However,
your personality is only a mere "persona", a mask assumed by the soul.
And again, this soul operates in terms very difficult for us humans to
understand. The soul is a myriad humans simultaneously, both incarnate
and discarnate, and all the relationships between these humans, and
all the things these humans interact with.

If you are healthy and balanced, you will not try to get rid of your
ego, for this is like cutting off your hand. Your ego in physical life
is a functional part of your anatomy as a physical creature. What is
necessary is to understand just *what* your ego is, and what is its
function. With this knowlege you can then have a healthy and balanced
ego.

All this talk of "destroying the ego" in actuality refers to a process
of *opening* up your ego, your personality, opening it up to the myriad
of interrelationships of consciousness that provide the, most often
invisible, substrate for your existence. It is a process of opening,
not destroying. The only thing you need to destroy are delusions and
bad ideas, bad ideas about yourself and the world and how you fit into
the world (using the word "world" in the very most broadest sense).

<My question really is the age old one: who am I,>

And the answer to this question is: everything!  Ultimately, Arvind,
behind that body, and behind that mind of yours is the whole rest of
everything. And you are intimately tied to it ALL. And in this ALL,
what you are is a unique and particular viewpoint of the ALL within
itself.

You must realize, reality has an infinity of levels. And somehow, you
touch all these levels.  When you really open up to the essence that
underlies your existence as Arvind, you will realize that all the
ideas like Theosophy, or any religion, or any particular philosophy,
none of these ideas can capture but an infintesmal sliver of what you
REALLY are.  These ideas are but guide posts to point out directions
in which your being unfolds. Each is true to an extent, but each is
false when you take that view to be the only view. Again, the magic
trick here is to be OPEN, especially to be open to your own inner
expereinces, your thoughts, your daydreams, the ideas that pass
through your mind, be aware of what goes on around you, what you feel,
hear and see. And do not make the mistake of trying to fit your
experince into preconcieved notions. All of your expereinces are
motifs in the symphony of your unique existence. And as you probe
deeper and become aware of more and more in your being, you will
very naturally come to understand the nature of your existence.

Again, the trick is: be open.

Best to you,
Don