Theos-Talk Archives (November 1995 Message tl00165)

RJI:

>And indeed perhaps the only difference between fiction and
>non-fiction is that at least the author of the former stays
>awake as partial lies are sent forth into the world.

The important point here is that it's quite possible for a
writer to mix personal opinions and speculations with what
the writer knows and produce an unconscious mix of fact and
fiction. This is especially likely in writing about Theosophy
where a clear understanding of the philosophy is difficult.

We face a even-more difficult task of making out what is said
when we're dealing with esoteric teachings that are only
partically presented to us. Something is held back; other things
are given us under blinds or veils. The intent here I think
is to not attempt to state the deeper truths in plain language
but to place the student in the proper state of readiness where
the idea spontaneously arises in the student's mind.

This is a practice of something like jnana yoga and the
intent is to train theosophical students to originate their
understanding of the Esoteric Philosophy *from within* where
the books and external training provides assistence and a form
of "reality check" against what one comes up with. The goal is
to awaken the student's Inner Teacher which is really a new
activity of mind.

>And furthermore perhaps unless one keeps alive the ability to
>fictionalize even oneself there is no hope that anyone
>including oneself will ever become an Adept. . . .

I wouldn't use the word "fictionalize" but would agree that
there's an important truth in what you say here. We are ever-creating
ourselves. The person of this moment is the totality of all that
has been. What we were 100 years ago *does not exist*; it only
carries forward as karmic content and changes effected in us at
that time.

We can *change our past* when we change that part of us that
carries the effects of that past. In doing so we are rewriting
ourselves at this moment. It is not really fictionalizing the
past because there is no past. Rather we are modifiying ourselves.
There is a part in us which carries the effects of a past event;
we can change that part of us and *to us* the past has changed.

In doing this though we've changed the past *for us* and not
for the other people that we had interacted with. If 20000 years
ago someone killed us we can change ourselves today so that the
event of being killed is not the same and therefore *for us*
the past has changed. The person that killed us though remains
unchanged regarding that "past event" until or unless we interact
with that person.

Between us and our killer we have the totality of our shared
past stored in our karma with that person. The karma is not a
fixed quantity of reward/punishment but is rather a living
connectedness a living dynamic relationship that we have with
the other person.

By interacting with others we can change both our personal
and our shared past with them. We change it by changing ourselves
and changing the content of our relationship with them our
shared karma.

The past per se is an illusion except as it is recognized as
living content of our consciousness. Apart from us in life and
from that content it has no existence.

We can say then that we "fictionalize" ourselves or rewrite
our past. And this happens when we *change* ourselves in the
present including that part of ourselves that carries the past.
So let's get our those writing pens and get to work. There's
much room for improvement in ourselves and in our relationships
with others!

-- Eldon