Theos-Talk Archives (October 1995 Message tl00133)

In "The Inner Group Teachings of H.P. Blavatsky," pages 7-8, we
have an interesting passage by Blavatsky which I'm responding to.

>The white Adept is not always at first of powerful intellect. In fact,
>H.P.B. had known Adepts whose intellectual powers were originally below
>the average.

We often hear of the importance of a strong intellectual foundation.
It is possible to strongly awaken the spiritual first, with the intellect
closely following it. It is not always necessary for the spiritual and
intellectual to go at the same pace, although the spiritual should not
be outrun by the intellectual.

>It is the Adept's purity, his equal love of all, his working
>with Nature, with Karma, with his "Inner God", that gives him his power.

These things indicate a flowering spirituality, out of which all the
rest will naturally arise in our lives.

>Intellect by itself along will make the Black Magician. For intellect
>alone is accompanied with pride and selfishness: it is the intellectual
>plus the spiritual that raises man. For spirituality prevents pride and
>vanity.

We can face dangers when any part of our nature outpaces the spiritual.
It is not just with the psychic, but with the intellectual as well, that
we can become out of balance and diverted from the path.

>Metaphysics are the domain of the Higher Manas; whereas physics are that of
>Kama-Manas, which does the thinking in physical science and on material
>things.

Metaphysics involves an attempt to directly know things, using a faculty
that transcends, but depends upon, rational thought. The attempt to deal
with the laws and nature of concrete, physical things falls into science;
the dealing with higher things comes under metaphysics.

Science draws a circle and says everything inside that circle is known and
true. It considers everything outside the circle as suspect, and is
continually working on the circle's boundary to make it bigger. Metaphysics
deals with everything, both inside and outside the circle, provable and
accepted as scientific canon or not.

>Kama-Manas, like every other Principle, is of seven degrees. The
>mathematician with spirituality, however great he may be, will not reach
>metaphysics; but the metaphysician will master the highest conceptions of
>mathematics, and will apply them, without learning the latter.

This may indicate how the Mahatmas know what they do, and how they preserve
the storehouse of human knowledge and wisdom as a living tradition. It is
possible to know something in its essence, and from that understand its
behavior in the physical world. Perhaps certain occult powers are used to
apply the essential understandings to specific individuals and things, a
combination of empathy, compassion, and psychic sight. (I never said the
Adepts don't use paranormal abilities, but that doesn't make them appropriate
for people in a general sense.)

-- Eldon