Theos-Talk Archives (June 2001 Message tt00023)

Monday, June 04, 2001

Dear Friends:

Let us try and consider what Theosophy has to say about
fundamental ideas in practical daily life, and the possibility of
our investigating and verifying their accuracy. Using the
dictionary to make sure we understand the range and meaning of
words is an important first step:

CONSCIOUS (--NESS) -- the Dictionary says its roots are: ALONG
WITH and TO KNOW. Or to gain knowledge along with others - and
exchange information. But there is more: Back to the Dictionary
which offers:

Additionally, it means SHARING KNOWLEDGE; AWARENESS;
SENSITIVITY to INWARD STATE or OUTWARD FACTS; a CONSCIOUS UNIT;
SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS; MENTALLY AWAKE or ACTIVE; CRITICAL
AWARENESS; INTENTIONAL.

It does not state what the CONSCIOUS UNIT is.

It seems to always imply INTENTION and AWARENESS.

This AWARENESS may be directed inward or outward. It may be
critical, or only fact-gathering. It is a mental function. It
requires the WAKING STATE for us to direct it. It does not state
who or what "WE" are who use it and can direct it. It does not
describe what other "states" may be, but recognizes by
implication they exist. It does say that the Mind can be
directed by the REAL SELF (the "WE") within. "WE" uses and
controls the Mind. How do we get to know more about the "WE" in
each of us ?

Patanjali in his YOGA SUTRAS, indicates that "the Universe exists
for the Soul's experience and emancipation." (Pat, pp. 25, 26.)
He also indicates that the Soul, when in a body, is conjoined
with "the organ of thought."

We must assume (using the definitions given by H.P.B. in the KEY
TO THEOSOPHY) that by "Soul" the Higher Manas - BUDDHI-MANAS is
meant.

The "organ of thought" in the body would then be its reflection,
or, the Lower Manas - KAMA-MANAS. From that Lower-Manas (the
embodied brain-mind) arises misconception, errors of
discrimination and choice in action, and Patanjali observes that
these bring about future pain (through KARMIC reaction to our
choosing). (Pat. p. 21-2.)

As to the constitution of the manifested Universe, Patanjali
states it is compounded of "purity, action and rest" ( or as
expressed in the BHAGAVAD GITA it is Sattva, Rajas and Tamas )
The indication in both books is that the Soul (Higher Manas) "is
the PERCEIVER; is vision itself pure and simple; and looks
directly upon ideas." (Pat. p. 26)

In THE SECRET DOCTRINE, H.P.B. quotes from an occult Commentary
( S.D. I 289) : "There is not one finger's breadth (ANGULA) of
void Space in the whole Boundless (Universe)..."

Later on (S.D. I 632) she gives an expansion to this concept
where she speaks of three distinct "Hosts" ( "Gods," "Monads,"
and "Atoms") writing, she asks :

"Whence the substance that clothes them-the apparent organism
they evolve around their centers? The Formless Radiations,
existing in the harmony of Universal Will, and being what we term
the collective or the aggregate of cosmic Will on the plane of
the subjective Universe, unite together an infinitude of
monads-each the mirror of its own Universe-and thus
individualizes for the time being an independent mind omniscient
and universal; and by the same process of magnetic aggregation
they create for themselves objective visible bodies, out of the
interstellar atoms...." S.D. I 632-3

The Monad is not only a duad (SPIRIT / PRIMORDIAL MATTER) or
Atma-Buddhi conjoined, but associated with it is the MIND.
Consider that the Mind stands as the ONE CONSCIOUSNESS (wit its
roots in the ABSOLUTE) and which is eternally midway between
these two primordial Monadic poles, and is the impartial and
impersonal WITNESS (Perceiver)
Of all changes. Thus the MONAD is triune.

Consciousness or awareness and contemplation on any selected
subject is innate to it.

An old commentary quoted in NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA pp. 98-100
says in part:

"...the One Consciousness...as differentiated in man is his
Higher Self [Atma] ...Our consciousness is one and not many, nor
different from other consciousnesses. It is not waking
consciousness or sleeping consciousness, or any other but
consciousness itself. ... The One Consciousness of each person
is the witness or spectator of the actins and experiences of
every state we are in or pass through. It therefore follows that
the waking consciousness of the mind is not separate
consciousness.

The one consciousness pierces up and down through all the states
or planes of Being, and serves to uphold the memory-whether
complete or incomplete-of each state's experiences. '''

Then observing the practical side of this knowledge the
commentator observes:

"The way to salvation must be entered. To take the first step
raises the possibility of success...The first step is giving up
bad associations and getting a longing for a knowledge of [the
Supreme TRUTH]; the second is joining god company. listening to
their teachings and practicing them; the third is strengthening
the first two attainments, having faith, and continuing in
it...."
GITA NOTES pp. 98 - 100

Best wishes

DTB

==============================

-----Original Message-----
From: Jerome Wheeler [mailto:ultinla@juno.com]
Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2001 3:45 PM
To: sd@blavatsky.net
Subject: [bn-sd] What is Consciousness?

=================
"Time is only an illusion produced by the succession of our
states of
consciousness as we travel through eternal duration, and it does
not
exist where no consciousness exists in which the illusion can be
produced; but "lies asleep." (I, 37)
=================

If this is so, then the next question would be "What causes the
succession of our states of consciousness?"

Unless we come to grips with this second question we will, get
stuck in
the dogmatic position of, "Just do your duty and everything will
work out
ok." Everyone is silent on the problem of cycles: both
scientists and
theosophists alike.

A pioneering scientist who denies the reality of time becomes
very silent
about our "changing states of consciousness." In fact, it is
usually
admitted that they don't know what consciousness is. Barbour
does that
in his book, The end of time.

What does the group think consciousness is?? These "changing
states"
don't fall like topsy from the clouds, and it looks as if they
are quite
peculiar to each self-conscious unit.

---

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