Theos-Talk Archives (August 1996 Message tl00370)

In response to Paul K.'s message:

Of course not all of the theosophical writings on 'undifferentiated
consciuousness' are mythology. Those written by enlightened authors are
useful as, yes, symbols--the famous fingers pointing at the moon. We are
repeatedly told why it's useful to study this material although it's
beyond the grasp of the ordinary mind; let me summarize it here:

1. True occult symbols have meaning on three levels: objective,
subjective, and spiritual. Meditation on such symbols may
result in significant insights depending on the readiness of the
meditator. Some of the most startling samples may be found in Tantra. For
example, the well known tantrik symbol of male and female
deities in copulation may be interpreted as a physical event (which is a
basis of numerous commercial books on "yoga of sex"), or an
interplay of polar energies both in microcosm and macrocosm, or else the
union of wisdom (void) and compassion (or 'means') leading to the
realization of the void-nature of all things.

2. Cosmos has a built-in, intricate system of analogies and
correspondences, so the correct way of studying those as manifested on
lower planes may reveal a  lot about the spirit. For example, cosmically,
all spiritual planes (the higher mental, and higher) are nothing else
than cosmic ethereal planes corresponding to familiar prana etc., and
this idea may reveal something even about 'undifferentiated consciousness.'

3. The path to adeptship is a long enterprise spanning over many
incarnations, and some time on the
path may be saved by studying occult teachings and trying to correlate
them (which is different from conceptualizing them) long before we
are able to really understand the full meaning of those teachings. But of
course for such a study only reliable texts written by adepts (directly
or indirectly) are suitable; all other material is absolutely useless.