Theos-Talk Archives (September 1996 Message tl00069)

>Is anyone still reading VOS.  I guess the back to school karma and Virgo
>time of
>the year has more to do with practical communication than theosopy.  However, I
>still pick it up and work and reread pasages etc.
>
>The first page has the interesting injuction:  "The Mind is the Slayer of the
>Real.  Let the Disciple slay the Slayer." - HPB
>
>All that capitalization implies personification or divinity or both.  The
>thought producer is linked to the senses.  The Disciple (or the divine part of
>the student) must link with the Silent Speaker (more capitializations) in order
>to hear the Voice of the Silence.
>
>"Kill thy desires ... strangle thy sins ... kill in thyself all memory of past
>experiences." - HPB
>
>Isn't this a little violent?  This self-abuse and flagellation of the products
>of consciousness can be seen in poetic or allegorcial, yet it still seems a
>little morbid to the modern mind.  The modern view is to sit down with your
>desires and sins and have a nice chat.  They are only archetypes and like
>members of a dysfuctional family can "recover" and enter into more harmonious
>relationships.  Is this ascetism necessary?  I hate to harp on the theme of
>misguided purity, but hating your sins? Hate seems to breed hate and
>focusing on
>sins would only make them have more power, in today's lingo.   Transform the
>base into gold maybe as in the alchemical mode.  Couldn't these senses and sins
>be harnassed for some higher purpose/
>
>I think she probably has somthing more subtle in mind of course, but she does
>insist on KILL, KILL, KILL past hope of resurrection all our little human
>frailites etc.  What an order!   I can't go through with it!  I am glad I have
>seven lives to go.  (Cheshire grin:)
>
>Namaste


Dear Keith
Will all its archaic and difficulties the VOS is a great book-teacher for
ages to come as a roadmap of the Path.
Regarding "The Mind is the Slayer of the Real.  Let the Disciple slay the
Slayer,"
I simply interpreted the work "kill" as "Nirodaha" from the Yoga Sutras of
Patanjali.
He defines Yoga as Chitta Vritti Nirodaha, usually translated as
'restraining' (in VOS as 'kill')
the mental modification. The reason I went to Patanjali is because earlier
in the Voice HPB mentions the word Dharana or "concentration" (more or
less) from the 8 limbs or steps of the Yoga system.
I found Taimni (Science of Yoga) translation and commentaries very useful
on this subject.

Peace and Harmony to all,

Martin