Theos-Talk Archives (October 1996 Message tl00135)

At 04:31 PM 08/10/96 -0400, you wrote:
>
>On Tue, 8 Oct 1996, Robert Word wrote:
>
>> The power of the Spoken Word, and the power of Thought, are aspects of
>> experience more intensely within the purvue of those who have received
>> degrees and training in the eastern  system, the western system, or any
>> valid trainings system or tradition; the profane normally do not
>> experience these levels in an intense way.
>>
>> But as we practice in a controlled way, and create by thought or speech,
>> then how can we fully follow artistic or literary interests in a
>> completely free fashion.  This is a way of expressing the difficulty,
>> and we must take account of Maxim's statements regarding karma.  But one
>> possible approach may be to rely on the great provenance of the universe
>> itself, leading to the all good.  There are, of course, in some
>> traditions, certain potent practices which are intended to benefit all
>> sentient beings.
>
>Robert,
>
>The source of the problem here is the word "controlled." Controlled by
>what--one's own desires? the mind? or the higher self?
>
>For someone controlled by his/her higher self there is nothing like
>creating "in a completely free fashion." His/her freedom is freedom from
>desires, mental patterns, ignorance, and illusion. As regards the sources
>of artistic inspiration, his/her task (or duty) is to make contact with
>the spiritual planes and to bring glimpses of spiritual
>beauty down to the earth to help merge Spirit and Matter in general and
>induce catharsis in listeners/viewers in particular. (Catharsis: the
>purging of an audience's emotions through a work of art.--The Random
>House Dictionary.) To this end, the artist may need to go through some
>preparation like purification of the heart and the mind, maybe some
>fasting, isolation from the chaotic impressions of the outer world, some
>meditation (concentrated thinking about the seed idea of the future
>artwork).
>
>This is a standard view based on Plato's and Plotinus' ideas, and also
>the way having followed (more or less) by such people as Beethoven,
>Wagner, Nicholas Roerich, and so forth.
>
>Maxim
>
The understanding I have gained is that we are all rather lowly evolved
beings as yet and so our freedom consists of following or not following the
Laws of the Universe. If we chose not to, then Karma throws bricks at us
until we stop and look closer at our situation and which Laws we might be
flouting. The continual sending of HPB's etc is to try to convince the lower
personality to serve the higher without the fear of loosing itself.
Individuality remains but vibrates at a higher level and so gains access and
understanding of more of the Laws. We don't loose the lower aspects but draw
them up to a higher aspect of ourselves as we evolve. Once we have elevated
our desire nature to a level of non-attachment then the desire nature we
once had is no longer there because it has been purified and incorporated
into the place we have now arrived at.
 I would venture to suggest that words become more powerful as we evolve
ourselves and even now the power of words spoken carelessly can hurt another
person deeply even if they were not intended to do so.  Words are sounds and
carry vibrations just as music, singing, in fact all our senses ultimately
pick up energy frequencies and the brain etc converts them into sounds,
sight, touch etc. When I read a post on here it seems to get converted into
mental thoughts or images in my mind which I then react to according to my
own predilictions. So I can hurt myself from what is said by someone else
even if that person did not intend that to happen. It is said that
Krishnamurti was able to impart understanding to his audience by the power
of his words and afterwards people sort of forgot what they had understood
before. The use of invocations in so many rites of various belief systems,
suggests that words said in the right order and pitch cause changes in
matter as required by the participants. The motto of adepts - do, dare, and
be silent seems suggestive of the power they wield at their stage of
development.
Bee Brown
Member Theosophy NZ, TI.

Success is getting what you want.
Happiness is liking what you get.