Theos-Talk Archives (September 1999 Message tl00202)

The following is a good example of how words
can fool and misdirect.  In the MLs, page 404
of my old version, KH writes:

"The book of Khiu-te teaches us that space is
infinity itself. It is formless, immutable
and absolute."

The equation space=infinite is diametrically
opposed to Einstein's Theory of Relativity,
which is admittedly still a theory albeit a
fairly universally accepted one.

According to Relativity, space, time, and
matter (form) all come into existence together
and are meaningless as separate things. Time
goes faster near dense matter and matter bends
space (and light) around.  Space, as understood
in modern science is not infinite (it was with
the old steady state theory, but not with the
commonly accepted Big Bang theory). Our
universe is not infinite, but spherical and
expanding outward like a blown-up balloon.

But "space" has other connotations. In theosophy
we talk about cosmic planes so that perhaps there
is an astral time and space on the astral plane,
and so on for each plane.  If KH was referring to
space as it is on the spiritual plane, then the
above quote would seem quite proper. Blavastky
usually capitalized it as Space to designate
this difference.

In most occult literature there is talk of a
demarcation line between nonduality and duality.
Zen, for example, calls this where the One becomes
the Many. Under this line we have manifestation
and this is usually thought to include space
and time (Blavatsky uses Motion for time). It
is also the beginning of our 7-plane solar system.
Space and time within manifestation are neither
infinite nor eternal and have no meaning at all
without form. Sometimes we read about "duration"
where this word is defined as time ticking on
forever. It is only relatively true; relative
to the human mind and our spacetime continuum,
the space and time of the spiritual plane seem
to go on forever. But space and time don't really
work that way. According to most mystics, above
the demarcation line, there is no time or space
or form at all. They only come into existence
below the line, where they are neither infinite
nor eternal but only for so long as one
mahamanvantara.

So we have to be careful when we read things
like space=infinity or time=duration, and try to
read between the lines.

Just some food for thought.

Jerry S.