Theos-Talk Archives (September 1994 Message tl00108)

This is by Eldon Tucker

---- Concerning The Dark Brotherhood, Etc.

Jerry Schueler:

       I'm willing to keep an open mind on the topic until
we further explore it, and I can read and think more
about it myself. It is not a topic that I've given much
thought to in the past. I may even dig up a few quotes
in a subsequent posting on the topic.

Regarding the Left-Hand Path:

       Your description of the term "Left-Hand Path" as
coming from tantricism may be most accurate in terms of
its origin, as a reference to the practice of sexual
magic with a physical partner. I don't think this is how
the term is used in theosophical literature. The early
theosophical writers had to coin their own terminology,
borrowing from what they had at hand. Some of their
terms could have been better chosen, like "races". The
terms were sometimes given *new* meanings. It would be
misleading to read theosophical books and apply popular
meanings to the terms, when it is clear by their usage
that they refer to something different.
       The theosophical terms are used to refer to more-
than-one thing, and it is necessary to understand the
context of writing in order to pick out the proper
meaning. This is both because of a lack of a rich
language to draw upon for terms, as well as a way to
veil esoteric truths from all but those with the eyes to
see what is there. When we read a book, we don't
understand its contents until we know the meanings
intended for the words used.
       Here's an example that I've come across. Following
is a quote showing the usage of "Left-Hand Path" in a
different sense than sexual magic:
       "Of course we cannot crush out of our being the
sense of selfhood, nor is that desirable; but in the
lowest aspect it takes upon itself the forms of all
selfishness, until the being of the man who follows the
'left-hand path', as they call it, or the path
downwards, ends in what the early Christians--
stealing from the Greeks--called Tartarus, the place of
disintegration." (G. de Purucker, Fundamentals, 1st ed,
p. 32)

Regarding Lost Souls

       We all have days that are a total waste, where
nothing was accomplished at all. There is the
possibility of lifetimes like this too. But when we
speak of accomplishing nothing at all, it means that the
higher principles were entirely dormant in that
lifetime, that there was not the slightest essence or
aroma of the higher to be extracted from the dross of
personal existence.
       The experience of the lifetime was real. It
happened. It exists in eternity. But in terms of the
process of evolution, and in terms of the purpose of
existence, nothing was gained. The life was spent
entirely centered in the personality, with every higher
sentiment excluded. There was nothing of value to
retain from the life. From the standpoint of the higher,
spiritual nature, it was a time where he "blacked out,"
and there are no memories to retain.

Pratyeka-Buddhas

       They have not gone against the order of things.
Their link with their higher natures has not been
broken. Like the rest of us, they have been impelled to
evolve into matter in the search of the Treasure of
Self-Consciousness. Along the way, though, they've
become "tired", and want out for a while. By prematurely
attaining Nirvana, before completing their human
evolution, they have postponed their final, true
liberation, which results from the completion of
material evolution. They will have to resume their human
evolution, either when humanity catches up with them,
perhaps in the Sixth Round, or in the next "school year"
(Planetary Manvantara).
       I see two balancing forces in life. First might be
called Divine Tanha, the primordial urge to seek
material existence in order to acquire further Self-
Consciousness. The second involves the seeking of
liberation from material existence, the desire to return
to the perfection and peace that resides in the core of
our being. The first is the energy that drives our
personal *evolution.* The second the energy driving our
personal *involution.*
       The dynamic tension between these two forces allows
us to function appropriately in life, be we manifest and
active in the world, or unmanifest and in the inactivity
of a personal Liberation from outer life. For the
Pratyeka-Buddhas, the sense of Divine Tanha has
weakened, and a craving for a premature Liberation or
Nirvana is engendered. Eventually the proper balance of
the two forces is reestablished, and the Pratyeka-Buddha
resumes his evolution in the Human Kingdom.
       In the ultimate sense, the Nirvanic state is as
"not real" as material existence. They are both cyclic
experiences. You cannot have a sense of liberation
without a contrasting sense of something to be
liberated from. The ultimate Reality is to be found in
yet a higher consciousness than the Nirvanic, one that
is untouched by the changing nature of our
experiences from moment-to-moment in time, one that
transcends the duality of manifest and unmanifest life.
       I'd use "not important" rather than "not real" to
describe the Pratyeka-Buddha's feelings about other
sentient beings in material worlds, still suffering. The
feeling might be more like "this activity is not worth
bothering with" because of an intense longing for the
other activity, for Nirvanic bliss.
       When we speak of a Bodhisattva postponing his
Nirvana, and staying behind to help sentient beings
achieve their liberation, we need to carefully think
about what it means.
       A Monad has projected itself, a Ray of its
consciousness, into a material world for the purpose of
acquiring additional Self-Consciousness. It is there
engaged in that task. That effort is self-initiated, and
not done for him from outside, not done for him by
others.
       We are not trying to hurry and get everyone back
into Nirvana as quickly as possible, as though our
manifest existence were a transitory evil that must be
overcome for the commencement of real life! There is a
purpose for life, and we must get to work to accomplish
it. Fulfilling our purpose in life represents the
highest good for ourselves and others.
       We have taken on material existence in order to
acquire a special type of consciousness. Our experiences
in life allow us to "harvest" this consciousness. Let's
not rush out of the Autumnal fields, leaving the crops
behind, unharvested, in order to more-quickly relax at
home, in front of a warm fireplace.
       Now how does the Bodhisattva fit in with all this?
He can't "harvest" new consciousness for us. But in
continuing to live, in continuing to exist, his "karmic
web" affects all of us. He provides for us the
opportunity to interact with someone experienced in the
harvest, someone successful with his spiritual
involution, someone who knows the sublime value of
raising our consciousness deep within and bridging the
deepest sleep of all, the transition from Being into
Non-Being, from manifest into unmanifest. Although we
cannot do things for other people, we affect them by our
interactions with them, and by our very existence. To
enter Nirvana means we stop animating our "karmic web"
and our unique contribution to the world is no longer
felt, for a time, until we come into existence again and
animate it again.

Dark Brotherhood vs White Brotherhood

       Before we discuss this much, I'd like to ask a few
questions.
       How deeply-rooted do you consider this duality?
Would it be all the way to the WB rooted in Parabrahman,
and the DB in Mulaprakriti, with a dualistic Boundless
All, one side good and the other evil? (I find it hard
to agree with such a fundamental dualism.)
       Do you see the WB as having sway over subplanes 1
to 4, and the DB over subplanes 4 to 7? Do you consider
only Globe D as the place of overlapping influence?
       Do you consider DB as the *effect* on us of the WB
of a lower world, or as a truly evil hierarchy? Where
would I go to read more about the equal and opposing
status of the DB?
       I'd like to hear what you have to say, and read a
bit more, before writing a lot on the subject.

Relative Status of Black Magicians, and Regarding the
Nature of Good and Evil Spirituality

       Will discuss in a later message.