Theos-Talk Archives (January 1994 Message tl00081)

This is by Brenda Tucker

Vol II p. 640-1 "And here, we must be allowed a last remark. No
true theosophist, from the most ignorant up to the most learned,
ought to claim infallibility for anything he may say or write upon
occult matters. The chief point is to admit that, in many a way,
in the classification of either cosmic or human principles, in
addition to mistakes in the order of evolution, and especially on
metaphysical questions, those of us who pretend to teach others
more ignorant than ourselves are all liable to err. Thus mistakes
have been made in "Isis Unveiled," in "Esoteric Buddhism," in
"Man," in "Magic: White and Black," etc., etc.; and more than one
mistake is likely to be found in the present work. This cannot be
helped. For a large or even a small work on such abstruse subjects
to be entirely exempt from error and blunder, it would have to be
written from its first to its last page by a great adept, if not
by an Avatar. Then only should we say, "This is verily a work
without sin or blemish in it!" But, so long as the artist is
imperfect, how can his work be perfect? "Endless is the search for
truth!" Let us love it and aspire to it for its own sake, and not
for the glory or benefit a minute portion of its revelation may
confer on us. For who of us can presume to have the whole truth at
his fingers' ends, even upon one minor teaching of Occultism?
     Our chief point in the present subject, however, was to show
that the Septenary doctrine, or division of the constitution of
man, was a very ancient one, and was not invented by us. This has
been successfully done, for we are supported in this, consciously
and unconsciously, by a number of ancient, mediaeval, and modern
writers. What the former said, was well said; what the latter
repeated, was generally distorted. An instance: Read the
"Pythagorean Fragments," and compare the Septenary man as given by
the Rev, G. Oliver, the learned mason, in his "Pythagorean
Triangle" (ch. on " Science of Numbers," P. I 79) -
He speaks as follows:
"The Theosophic Philosophy counted SEVEN properties (or
principles), in Man, viz.:
(1.) The divine golden Man;
(2.) The inward holy body from fire and light, like pure silver;
(3.) The elemental man;
(4.) The mercurial paradisiacal man;
(5.) The martial Soul-like man;
(6.) The passionate man of desires;
(7.) The Solar man; a witness to and inspector of the wonders of
the Universe. They had also seven fountain Spirits, or Powers of
Nature.""

I guess the lesson here is not to repeat things or be a mimic, but
to let the ancients do the teaching, or perhaps work to "become an
ancient" through your heart-felt activities.  Then you're
admissions will be infallible.

p. 153 Vol I. "Or as usually named after the manner of Esoteric
Buddhism and others: 1, Atma; 2, Buddhi (or Spiritual Soul); 3,
Manas (Human Soul); 4, Kama Rupa (Vehicle of Desires and
Passions); 5, Linga Sarira; 6, Prana; 7, Sthula Sarira"

Jerry H-E says that "the astral body has nothing to do with
emotions, but is the model from which the physical body molds
itself."  If this is so, then why does H.P.B. in The Secret
Doctrine write these statements:

p. 244-5 Vol I "The astral through Kama (desire) is ever drawing
Manas down into the sphere of material passions and desires.  But
if the better man or Manas tries to escape the fatal attraction
and turns its aspirations to Atman - Spirit - then Buddhi (Ruah)
conquers and carries Manas with it to the realm of eternal
Spirit."

p.60 Vol I "It is now in the  lap of Maya,  the Great Illusion,
and between itself and the Reality has the Astral Light, the great
Deceiver of man's limited senses, unless Knowledge through
Paramarthasatya comes to the rescue."

Footnote p.218 Vol I "for were the scale of Angelic Beings to be
placed on a parallel line with the scale of the chemical atoms of
Science from the hypothetical Helium down to Uranium they would of
course be found to differ. For these have, as correspondents on
the Astral plane, only the four lowest orders the higher three
principles in the atom, or rather molecule or chemical element,
being perceptible only to the initiated Dangma's eye. But then, if
Chemistry desired to find itself on the right path, it would have
to correct its tabular arrangement by that of the Occultists which
it may refuse to do. In Esoteric Philosophy, every physical
particle corresponds to and depends on its higher noumenon the
Being to whose essence it belongs; and above as below, the
Spiritual evolves from the Divine, the psycho-mental from the
Spiritual tainted from its lower plane by the astral the whole
animate and (seemingly) inanimate Nature evolving on parallel
lines, and drawing its attributes from above as well as from
below."

Remember the prototypes are in the Astral Light, which H.P.B.
calls Spirit-Matter, but we don't know how much more is there
also.  This could be a realm for future evolutionary life that we
are just beginning to discover.

p. 243 Vol I "Why not say that the astral reflects the good as
well as the bad man; man who is ever tending to the upper
triangle, or else disappears with the Quarternary."

Would H.P.B. be referring to a prototype as a Great Deceiver?  Are
good and bad present in a prototype or is it only a culmination of
the stage attained in previous manvantaras?  Granted that these
are in reference to the ASTRAL LIGHT and not to an astral body,
but let me continue to quote.

p. 59 Vol I "The idea of ABSOLUTE Unity would be broken entirely
in our conception, had we not something concrete before our eyes
to contain that Unity.... The roots, the trunk and its many
branches are three distinct objects, yet they are one tree....
This manifestation is triple in its aspects, for it requires, as
Aristotle has it, three principles for every natural body to
become objective: privation, form, and matter. Privation meant in
the mind of the great philosopher that which the Occultists call
the prototypes impressed in the Astral Light the lowest plane and
world of Anima Mundi. The union of these three principles depends
upon a fourth the LIFE which radiates from the summits of the
Unreachable, to become an universally diffused Essence on the
manifested planes of Existence."

Here is an example of someone diverging somewhat just by using an
unknown term (in today's usage): privation, and neglecting to
include the unifying fourth principle.  This is part of the
commentary on Stanza II, Sloka 4.  "Her Heart Had Not Yet Opened
For the One Ray to Enter,..."  If only people could truly
appreciate this oneness, I think their conversation, criticism and
opinion would exhibit more love and less disrespect.  There is
nothing you can do about Leadbeater being one with the
Theosophical Movement and I insist that all the disrespectful
ridicule be stopped immediately.

If the astral by itself is looked at in a three-fold regard, you
might first see it as creating, secondly see it as developing, and
third see it as being replaced.  Then only in its early stage is
it a mold - a prototype that has life breathed into it.  Picture a
balloon - you can't read the words on it until you blow air into
it.  This is the same way prana, by giving it dimension, starts
the atoms of the human form whirling and centrifugal and
centripetal forces playing to hence establish it with both matter
and form.  Now what was once a prototype - a flattened balloon -
has life, greater dimension, and can float either upward or fall
to the ground depending on the air around it.

I do remember where in places the astral was confused with the
etheric double.  This isn't so bad considering that prototypes
MIGHT expand into other planes.  Once the form is established
though, the mind begins acting upon it to an extent that you might
not even recognize the original product.  Each time the mind
creates a thought so to speak, the astral begins to gather around
it (as the thought is a prototype of sorts) and exerts a draw upon
it until the thought works out onto the material plane or
disintegrates.  This process can be harmful and so can human
creation, because this would necessarily include all the
disharmony that results from erroneous thoughts and actions and in
order for us to gain our freedom, we must keep this astral body -
or emotional body - free from any influences, outside as well as
our own, which might allow the feelings to express the negative
side of life, hate, despair, jealousy, fear, etc.  With all of the
emphasis that is placed on mental attainments, they receive second
billing to the way that the inner harmony and purity affects the
heart which thereby is able to send forth its "heart light" into
the mind, transforming the mind into a perfect one.

The only thing I could think of that might be able to replace the
activity of the astral in life is the light of buddhi, creating a
harmonious powerful feeling nature that annihilates all wrong
doing, all erroneous activity, all sinister forces in the vicinity
of the person, and when this happens - when the light of buddhi
keeps the feeling nature under control (by the attention of the
person being focused on the "I AM Presence," the higher nature, or
the Soul) buddhi illumines the mind from above and below and the
man is not only purified, but the physical vehicle receives so
much light that it just transforms into light of a certain nature
itself and then is raised into a higher octave of manifestation,
and the person becomes a newly ascended being.

p.63 Vol I "but its prototype is present in an ideal form in the
Astral Light from  Dawn  to  Night  during the Manvantaric period,
like everything else, as a matter of fact, in this objective
Universe; from man down to mite, from giant trees down to the
tiniest blades of grass.
     All this, teaches the hidden Science, is but the temporary
reflection, the shadow of the eternal ideal prototype in Divine
Thought;.....Fohat runs the Manus' (or Dhyan-Chohans') errands,
and causes the ideal prototypes to expand from within
without viz., to cross gradually, on a descending scale, all the
planes from the noumenon to the lowest phenomenon, to bloom
finally on the last into full objectivity the acme of illusion, or
the grossest matter."

Prototypes are eternal, but it also states that prototypes cross
the planes until they reach the lowest.  An astral prototype would
exist as such until it could make its way into lower matter.

p. 56-7 Vol I "This explains the sentence  The Mother had not yet
swollen  the form being usually sacrificed to the inner or root
idea in Archaic symbology.
     The Lotus, or Padma, is, moreover, a very ancient and
favourite simile for the Kosmos itself, and also for man. The
popular reasons given are, firstly, the fact just mentioned, that
the Lotus-seed contains within itself a perfect miniature of the
future plant, which typifies the fact that the spiritual
prototypes of all things exist in the immaterial world before
those things become materialised on Earth. Secondly, the fact that
the Lotus plant grows up through the water, having its root in the
Ilus, or mud, and spreading its flower in the air above. The Lotus
thus typifies the life of man and also that of the Kosmos; for the
Secret Doctrine teaches that the elements of both are the same,
and that both are developing in the same direction. The root of
the Lotus sunk in the mud represents material life, the stalk
passing up through the water typifies existence in the astral
world, and the flower floating on the water and opening to the sky
is emblematical of spiritual being."

I haven't read thoroughly all of the discussions between Jerry H-E
and Arvind, because they give me a great pain, but I have seen
where Arvind very purposefully lists the planes, and would like to
compliment him for knowing that if there is a plane, there must be
a body that responds to that plane.  Isn't this written somewhere?


p. 93 Vol I "This Sloka gives again a brief analysis of the
Hierarchies of the Dhyan Chohans, called Devas (gods) in India, or
the conscious intelligent powers in Nature. To this Hierarchy
correspond the actual types into which humanity may be divided;
for humanity, as a whole, is in reality a materialized though as
yet imperfect expression thereof. The  army of the Voice  is a
term closely connected with the mystery of Sound and Speech, as an
effect and corollary of the cause Divine Thought. As beautifully
expressed by P. Christian, the learned author of  The History of
Magic  and of  L'Homme Rouge des Tuileries,  the word spoken by,
as well as the name of, every individual largely determine his
future fate. Why? Because
            When our Soul (mind) creates or evokes a
     thought, the representative sign of that thought is
     self-engraved upon the astral fluid, which is the
     receptacle and, so to say, the mirror of all the
     manifestations of being.""

p. 124 Vol I "The two main theories of science re the relations
between Mind and Matter are Monism and Materialism. These two
cover the whole ground of negative psychology with the exception
of the quasi-occult views of the pantheistic German schools.
Footnote p. 124 Not of course in the sense of the German
Materialist Moleschott, who assures us that "Thought is the
movement of matter," a statement of almost unequalled absurdity.
Mental states and bodily states are utterly contrasted as such.
But that does not affect the position that every thought, in
addition to its physical accompaniment (brain-change), exhibits an
objective though to us supersensuously objective aspect on the
astral plane. (See "The Occult World," pp. 89, go.)"

The two foregoing quotes are references for the activity of the
astral energy in response to thought, which I spoke about earlier.

p. 166-7 Vol I "If he (meaning the objector) would perceive even
the dim silhouette of one of such 'planets' on the higher planes,
he has to first throw off even the thin clouds of the astral
matter that stands between him and the next plane .."
     It becomes patent why we could not perceive, even with the
help of the best earthly telescopes, that which is outside our
world of matter. Those alone, whom we call adepts, who know how to
direct their mental vision and to transfer their
consciousness physical and psychic both to other planes of being,
are able to speak with authority on such subjects."

p.218 Vol I "for were the scale of Angelic Beings to be placed on
a parallel line with the scale of the chemical atoms of
Science from the hypothetical Helium down to Uranium they would of
course be found to differ. For these have, as correspondents on
the Astral plane, only the four lowest orders the higher three
principles in the atom, or rather molecule or chemical element,
being perceptible only to the initiated Dangma's eye. But then, if
Chemistry desired to find itself on the right path, it would have
to correct its tabular arrangement by that of the Occultists which
it may refuse to do. In Esoteric Philosophy, every physical
particle corresponds to and depends on its higher noumenon the
Being to whose essence it belongs; and above as below, the
Spiritual evolves from the Divine, the psycho-mental from the
Spiritual tainted from its lower plane by the astral the whole
animate and (seemingly) inanimate Nature evolving on parallel
lines, and drawing its attributes from above as well as from
below."

This higher sight could discern the planets as well as the
noumenon of the elements, it sounds to me.

p. 266-7 Vol I "(b) The "Watchers" reign over man during the whole
period of Satya Yuga and the smaller subsequent yugas, down to the
beginning of the Third Root Race; after which it is the
Patriarchs, Heroes, and the Manes (see Egyptian Dynasties
enumerated by the priests to Solon), the incarnated Dhyanis of a
lower order, up to King Menes and the human kings of other
nations; all were recorded carefully. In the views of symbologists
this Mythopaeic Age is of course only regarded as a fairy tale.
But since traditions and even Chronicles of such dynasties of
divine Kings of gods reigning over men followed by dynasties of
Heroes or Giants exist in the annals of every nation, it is
difficult to understand how all the peoples under the sun, some of
whom are separated by vast oceans and belong to different
hemispheres, such as the ancient Peruvians and Mexicans, as well
as the Chaldeans, could have worked out the same "fairy tales" in
the same order of events. However, as the Secret Doctrine teaches
history which, for being esoteric and traditional, is none the
less more reliable than profane history we are as entitled to our
beliefs as anyone else, whether religionist or sceptic. And that
Doctrine says that the Dhyani-Buddhas of the two higher groups,
namely, the "Watchers" or the "Architects," furnished the many and
various races with divine kings and leaders. It is the latter who
taught humanity their arts and sciences, and the former who
revealed to the incarnated Monads that had just shaken off their
vehicles of the lower Kingdoms and who had, therefore, lost every
recollection of their divine origin the great spiritual truths of
the transcendental worlds. (See Book II., " Divine Dynasties.")"

p. 224-5 Vol I. "In our present all-material Fifth Race, the
earthly Spirit of the Fourth is still strong in us; but we are
approaching the time when the pendulum of evolution will direct
its swing decidedly upwards, bringing Humanity back on a parallel
line with the primitive third Root-Race in Spirituality. During
its childhood, mankind was composed wholly of that Angelic Host,
who were the indwelling Spirits that animated the monstrous and
gigantic tabernacles of clay of the Fourth Race built by (as they
are now also) and composed of countless myriads of lives. This
sentence will be explained later on in the present Commentary. The
"tabernacles" have improved in texture and symmetry of form,
growing and developing with the globe that bore them; but the
physical improvement took place at the expense of the spiritual
inner man and nature. The three middle principles in earth and man
became with every race more material; the Soul stepping back to
make room for the physical intellect; the essence of elements
becoming the material and composite elements now known."

Does this mean that we are again to expect the participation of
the Dhyanis in our government and arts and sciences for a time
until we again come under the eye of the "Watchers?"  According to
the parallel Fourth Round, Root-Race Chart on p. 300 Vol II, the
first half of the fifth race is on the ascending (spiral arc)
cycle which is the same level as halfway through the first R.R. or
between the first and second R.R. and similarly as that root race
was devoid of intellect, so is our fifth R.R. devoid of spirit
being as it was replaced by the intellect.

p. 294-5 Vol I "But let us compare with the commentary just cited
the words of Hermes, the " thrice great ":
     "This creation of Life by the Sun is as continuous as
     his light; nothing arrests or limits it. Around him,
     like an army of Satellites, are innumerable choirs of
     genii. These dwell in the neighbourhood of the
     Immortals, and thence watch over human things. They
     fulfil the will of the gods (Karma) by means of
     storms, tempests, transitions of fire and earthquakes;
     likewise by famines and wars, for the punishment of
     impiety.... It is the sun who preserves and nourishes
     all creatures; and even as the Ideal World which
     environs the sensible world fills this last with the
     plenitude and universal variety of forms, so also the
     Sun, enfolding all in his light, accomplishes
     everywhere the birth and development of creatures.
     Under his orders is the choir of Genii, or rather the
     choirs, for there are many and diverse, and their
     number corresponds to that of the stars. Every star
     has its genii, good and evil by nature, or rather by
     their operation, for operation is the essence of the
     genii...." (This seems like support for Eldon's claim
     that beings are created by their actions.) "All these
     Genii preside over mundane affairs*, they shake and
     overthrow the constitution of States and of
     individuals; they imprint their likeness on our Souls,
     they are present in our nerves, our marrow, our veins,
     our arteries, and our very brain-substance.... At the
     moment when each of us receives life and being, he is
     taken in charge by the genii (Elementals) who preside
     over births, and who are classed beneath the astral
     powers (Superhuman astral Spirits.) Perpetually they
     change, not always identical, but revolving in
     circles. They permeate by the body two parts of the
     Soul, that it may receive from each the impress of his
     own energy." (Could this be the astral - prototypal
     past soul and the mental - conceptualizing present
     effects or soul?) "But the reasonable part of the Soul
     is not subject to the genii; it is designed for the
     reception of (the) God, who enlightens it with a sunny
     ray. Those who are thus illumined are few in number,
     and from them the genii abstain: for neither genii nor
     Gods have any power in the presence of a single ray of
     God. But all other men, both soul and body, are
     directed by genii, to whom they cleave, and whose
     operations they affect.... The genii have then the
     control of mundane things and our bodies serve them as
     instruments."
p. 294 Vol I footnote *And "Gods" or Dhyanis, too, not only the
genii or "guided Forces." (H.P.B.)

The Dhyanis are able to operate through the man consciously or
unconsciously.

                          ASTRAL LIGHT

p. 254 Vol I Continuation of Footnote from p. 253 "All the above
is as practical as it is correct, save one error, which we will
explain in the text further on. Eliphas Levi commits a great
blunder in always identifying the Astral Light with what we call
Akasa. What it really is will be given in Part II. of Vol. II."

p.74 Vol I "The Astral Light, or the Ether, of the ancient pagans
(for the name of Astral Light is quite modern) is Spirit-Matter.
Beginning with the pure spiritual plane, it becomes grosser as it
descends until it becomes the Maya or the tempting and deceitful
serpent on our plane."

p. 196 Vol I "The Astral Light or Anima Mundi is dual and
bisexual. The (ideal) male part of it is purely divine and
spiritual, it is the Wisdom, it is Spirit or Purusha; while the
female portion (the Spiritus of the Nazarenes) is tainted, in one
sense, with matter, is indeed matter, and therefore is evil
already. It is the life-principle of every living creature, and
furnishes the astral soul, the fluidic PERISPRIT, to men, animals,
fowls of the air, and everything living. Animals have only the
latent germ of the highest immortal soul in them .."

p.73 Vol I "Jehovah esoterically (as Elohim) is also the Serpent
or Dragon that tempted Eve, and the  Dragon  is an old glyph for
Astral Light  (Primordial Principle),  which is the Wisdom of
Chaos. "

p.282 Vol I "Therefore our human forms have existed in the
Eternity as astral or ethereal prototypes; according to which
models, the Spiritual Beings (or Gods) whose duty it was to bring
them into objective being and terrestrial Life, evolved the
protoplasmic forms of the future Egos from their OWN essence.
After which, when this human Upadhi, or basic mould was ready, the
natural terrestrial Forces began to work on those supersensuous
moulds which contained, besides their own, the elements of all the
past vegetable and future animal forms of this globe in them.
Therefore, man's outward shell passed through every vegetable and
animal body before it assumed the human shape."

Two summarizing points:  First, wouldn't there be a three-fold
purpose for an astral plane?  The only function that you have
mentioned is the function of the astral in the physical evolution.
What about its importance in the other two areas, monadic
evolution and idea evolution.  Second, it is difficult for me to
comprehend that there is a PLANE of manifestation called the
astral, for which we still haven't developed a useful vehicle.  If
there isn't a particular astral body now, if feelings and emotions
and passions are found to exist within the realm of the mental
plane, then I could assume that there is a definite task ahead of
us to develop such a body and the senses to go with it.

Footnote, p. 157 Vol II "It must be noted that, though the astral
and physical planes of matter ran parallel with one another even
in the earliest geological ages, yet they were not in the same
phases of manifestation in which they are NOW.  The Earth did not
reach its present grade of density till 18,000,000 years ago.
Since then both the physical and astral planes have become
grosser."

p. 175 Vol II "Now the evolution of the external form or body
round the astral is produced by the terrestrial forces, just as in
the case of the lower kingdoms; but the evolution of the internal
or real MAN is purely spiritual. It is now no more a passage of
the impersonal Monad through many and various forms of
matter endowed at best with instinct and consciousness on quite a
different plane as in the case of external evolution, but a
journey of the " pilgrim-soul " through various states of not only
matter but Self-consciousness and self-perception, or of
perception from apperception. (See " Gods, Monads and Atoms.")."