Theosophy Basics II : The Psychological Key To Man

[Guest guest]

Greetings:

 

In this article, Shri Martin Euser explains the different aspects of the

thinking faculty of human mind with its attributes. The discussions are

centered around the fundamental Vedantic question: Who am I?

 

The essay contains four sections and this posting will describe the

section 1: The Composite Constitution of Man.

 

Once again, let me express my sincere thanks to Shri Martin Euser for

his permission to post this essay to the Advaitin List.

 

Ram Chandran

Burke, VA

 

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Theosophy Basics II : The Psychological Key To Man: Theosophy By Martin

Euser (euser)

 

This article will be dedicated to a thorough analysis of the thinking

faculty of man. It will also include some practical, safe, exercises for

analyzing your own stream of thoughts. On the whole, it will be seen to

provide the psychological master-key to spiritual growth for the

individual as well as the collective, because it provides a testable

model of facts of life. By applying the practical methods given,

everybody can recognize or verify the stated ideas about man, life and

cosmos.

 

Philosophers in the West have spent much time thinking about many

topics. Rarely, however, did they analyze thinking itself. Now,

obviously, it is a most remarkable fact that we as humans can reflect

upon ourselves, ask ethical questions and make conscious decisions about

our acts. So, it would seem only natural that we would ask ourselves the

question: 'What is the thinking faculty?' or: 'How does this faculty

work and what are its attributes or aspects?'. The fact is, that we

rarely do so. Theosophy explains why this is so, by stating that we are

so to speak only beginners regarding the use of the thinking faculty.

This will become apparent later on in this article.

 

For clarity I will divide this article in five sections:

 

Section 1: The composite constitution of man. A grand scheme of what man

essentially is. Section 2: The seven aspects of thinking according to

Theosophy. A brief description of these aspects is provided. Section 3:

Thoughts and the process of thinking. This section and the next two

contain the psychological key for changing your life. Section 4:

Controlling the flow of thoughts. Changing the thought-pattern. Section

5: Socratic thinking: a question of mentality. What is lacking in our

world?

 

Section 1. The composite constitution of man.

 

The purpose of this section is to present in shorthand a 'model' of man,

which can greatly enlarge our understanding about the relationship

between 'us' and the Universe. If we get a feeling for this, it is

easier to grasp what follows in the next sections, because 'what is

above, is below' (the Hermetic axiom).

 

Theosophy presents a kind of spiritual-material model of man. Matter, in

Theosophy, is viewed as crystallized spirit and spirit as rarefied

matter. Spirit and matter are ultimately states (manifestations) of One

Principle that is the One Life-force. Science recognizes the fact that

matter and force are convertible into one another. The perennial wisdom

adds that this fact also applies to the psychic and spiritual realm. Old

forms of thought can be dissolved and the frozen energy can be liberated

and used in new forms. More on this topic in a later section.

 

The model below is sometimes called: the egg-scheme. See figure.

 

The circles within the egg-scheme symbolize so-called 'monads': sparks

of the universal life-force. These are pure spirit. The monads act as

foci or knots for the stream of consciousness, that flows from the

Supreme Spirit or Logos (the "Word") at the top of our hierarchy (= most

spiritual level in our hierarchy) down to the 'grosser' states of

consciousness-matter.

 

We all have a ray of the Supreme Spirit in us, and this provides a way

to find the path within, a way to place one's consciousness in more

subtle states of matter within our hierarchy (sphere of life). See lit

#1, where the topic of the Supreme Spirit or Supreme Self or Silent

Watcher is treated in the context of the egg-scheme, the seven jewels of

wisdom, and, initiations.

 

Let me add here, that all this stuff has nothing to do with escaping

reality, since the spiritual planes or spheres are already present in us

here and now and it is only a matter of recognition of this fact that

will help us to open our mind to these spheres, influences, within

ourselves and learn to give expression to these energies!

 

In order to manifest themselves, these monads need to make use of a dual

pair of organized consciousness-matter. This dual pair is split up in

the egg-scheme at the left-hand side (vehicular aspect = 'soul', carrier

of consciousness) and at the right-hand side (Ego or center of

consciousness).

 

Each ego in this scheme expresses the evolved faculties of the

corresponding ego-emanating monad. The divine ego expresses far more

faculties than the personal ego. Likewise, we as persons have evolved

more qualities of consciousness than the animal monad, which forms a

necessary part of our constitution. We need it and, of course, our body

in order to express ourselves in this world. The arrows pointing to the

various monadic centers indicate the fact that these centers have

developed self-consciousness. The animal soul has not yet done that. It

follows blindly the impulses and suggestions given to it by the

personality.

 

 

 

World of Archetypes

----------|--------

(Several planes/spheres) | <--------/ / / / Supreme

Spirit (Logos)

----------|----------/ | -----| |

-------------

| / | | |

Vehicular aspect | / | | |

Consciousness

of Life | / | | | aspect of

Life

( | ) / | | |

( | )/ | | |

( *|* / ) | | |

( * | * ) | | |

( * | * ) | | |

Divine (-----------------------) | | | Divine

Ego

Soul ( * | * / | |

( * | * / ) | |

( *|* / ) | |

( | / ) | |

( %|% / ) | |

( % | % <--/ ) | |

Spiritual (-) / |

Spiritual Ego

Soul ( % | % ) / |

( %|% / |

( | /) |

( +|+ <-----------/ ) /

Higher (------------ +-|-+ -------------) / Human

ego

Human Soul ( +|+ ) /

(individual ego)

( | ) / "I

am"

( -|- <----------------/

Human Soul (--------- - | - ----------) Personal

ego =

( -|- )

Reincarnating ego.

( | ) "I am I"

(personality)

Animal Soul (--------#|#---------)

( #|# ) Animal

ego

( | )

( | )

Physical Soul (-----X------) Body

Model-body, ( | )

body ( | )

\|/

 

 

 

 

One's personal consciousness is centered in one's personal ego. The

following table shows in a nutshell some of the developed qualities of

consciousness of the diverse monads. See also lit. (1,2)

 

Divine Monad: Inspiration, Unity-consciousness; Together with the

spiritual monad: our inner god or Higher Self. The range of

consciousness of this monad is said to encompass all the planes (inner

and outer) of our galaxy, the Milky Way. Sanskrit corresponding name:

atma(n).

 

Spiritual monad: Enlightenment-principle (understanding, intuition;

Sanskrit term: buddhi). Also known as the (holy) Guardian Angel. Range

of consciousness: entire solar system.This monad is the vehicle for the

divine monad. It partakes in the heavenly world and to some extent in

the world or sphere of the human being. It seems to warn us in times of

danger, but its voice is not easily heard because we are not used to

listen to the voice within, totally absorbed as we are by affairs of the

world. These two monads are part of the spiritual line of evolution of a

human being.

 

(Higher) human monad: vitality, emotion, desire; also higher aspects of

thinking, and part of the understanding faculty. The parent of the

personal monad. Range of consciousness: all the planes pertaining to the

earth (far more than the physical earth alone).

 

The higher human ego and the higher human soul together can be called a

'son of Mind', in Sanskrit: manasaputra (manas is mind, putra means

son), because of the fact that this being has developed noetic mind

(higher manas) to a large degree. This being is the one that enkindled

the human thinking faculty by projecting a ray of its manas (some of its

fiery essence) into the embryonic thinking organ of the human being,

generations ago. Keep in mind that the Element of Fire is something

quite different from ordinary, terrestrial fire, though in that fire

there is the subtle essence of Fire at work.

 

This event in human prehistory has brought a strange condition to bear

on the human race. The Prometheus myth of the ancient Greeks is

reminiscent of this event. He stole the sacred Fire from the Gods at the

Olympus, gave it to humanity and was severely punished for this. This is

a clever parable that is full of hidden meanings! You will have to study

it thoroughly, together with the theosophical teachings, in order to

extract the carefully veiled meanings. A few symbols explained: (see

also further on in this section about the higher human monad for

explanations of terms)

 

-the sacred fire: the faculty and power of thinking, of the nature of

Fire

 

-Epimetheus, his 'stupid' brother: the infant humanity, with its

thinking faculty in an unevolved state

 

-Prometheus: symbol for the inner Manasaputra

 

-Prometheus being chained to a rock: the manasaputra is karmically

connected to the earth sphere, though working in its own sphere, of

course. It is an intermediary between the Gods and the human kingdom. In

a sense, it is the crucified Christ between the criminals on the cross

next to him (Calvary). The one criminal that says to Christ that he will

be with him in Paradise is the one that recognises his Father in Heaven

(the Manasaputra is a Christos, baptized with the spiritual light of the

spiritual monad) as his parent monad and intermediary to the divine

spheres of being. Plenty of symbolism here, especially since the

crucifixion story is a literalization of the event of Fourth-degree

initiation, symbolized in the form of drama-play in the Ancient

Mystery-Schools of Greece, according to Theosophy. But I can't go into

that further here. Interested readers are refered to Gottfried de

Purucker's booklet about the Four Sacred Seasons (online at : TUP

online) and his booklet ~Clothed with the Sun~

 

-Prometheus' liver being picked out by an eagle (this gets really

esoteric): the liver has to do with the passions, the eagle with the

activated, thinking faculty, active in the Element of Air (the element

of communication in alchemichal symbolism). Thus, the symbolism

expressed here, has to do with the transformation of the passions

(kama-manas or desire-thinking) to spiritualized forms of expression

(buddhi-manas or enlightened thinking) or, in other words, the evolving

of noetic mind, not cortical intellect which is but its servant (beware

of arrogance, cynicism and scepticism - the characteristics of

one-dimensionally evolved intellect).

 

In case you wonder why it is Prometheus' liver that is being picked out

instead of his brother Epimetheus: I think that, in a sense, Epimetheus

has changed his character, since he shares a bit of the Fire of

Prometheus. So, in a sense, Epimetheus may now be called a Prometheus on

his own. My guess is that this Prometheus (chained to the rock) may be

the changed Epimetheus, the 'manasaputrized' Epimetheus. Keep in mind

that there is often a change of role to play by mythical figures in

ancient myths. In another sense, the Manasaputra ("Prometheus") may be

said to suffer from his connection with the particular human being in

which he has projected a part of his consciousness, since the human

being, the personality, is so immersed in gross passions in the psychic

world. Something of this might affect this being of Light.

 

- the Prometheus myth is a symble for the second line of evolution of

the human being: the evolution of the manas (the thinking faculty)

Greek myths are very hard to understand, but I have provided a few clues

here for you to ponder about.

 

Think about this and you may begin to understand the reality of this

event. After all, there is a great mystery in that the human being can

think (and be self-conscious), a thing that cannot be said of an animal.

A wide gap exists between the animal and the human being (although their

physical bodies have many features in common). No biologist will ever be

able to explain this fact of self-consciousness along a materialistic

line of thinking. The Neo-Darwinian theory of evolution is incorrect in

many respects as is known by all true spiritual teachers since they know

that evolution starts by the impulse of spirit given unto matter. The

beings of spirit and matter work together in order for the first to get

experience in the relatively denser worlds of matter and the latter for

being gradually spiritualized or etherialized (see theosophy-basics part

1 and lit. 10 where you can also find some biological facts that to my

knowledge are in flat contradiction to current mainstream

evolution-theories).

 

Noetic mind is a state of mind far above cortical thinking and it is

transpersonal, of course. It can be equated with the Christos-energy,

the 'Father in heaven', a lofty state of consciousness, characterized by

impersonal love. I added the label 'Radiant Mind-stuff' as a descriptor

for the higher human soul, because to us ordinary human beings this

level or state of mind is seen as luminous (when one happens to see, or

temporarily be united with, one's higher soul - this last event being an

example of epiphany: result of exertions for the well-being of the human

race ), due to the fact that the Manasaputra has developed buddhi:

spiritual discrimination, love, empathy, etc., to a considerable degree.

The radiance of buddhi (the spiritual soul) makes the mind radiant

because of its union with buddhi. This union is designated as:

buddhi-manas and is a state of enlightenment (a goal of the natural

order process, but not the end of spiritual evolution or unfoldment). I

added the label 'solar ancestor of the human being' as a descriptor for

this ego because it is the ancestor of the human being (the manasaputra

was a human being - not necessarily with a body as we have now - in a

previous cycle of development and the human being was then an animal

forming part of the constitution of the manasaputra that was a human

being then). The adjective 'solar' pertains to the fact that the

manasaputra has evolved the spirit (the element of buddhi) in

combination with manas. Briefly: spirit is associated with the

(spiritual) sun, psyche is associated with the moon in esoteric

philosophy, alchemy, etc. The moon reflects the light of the sun

(derives its light from the sun) and this reflective quality is

characteristic of the psyche (which is integrated in the earth's astral

light - this light itself being a reflection of the light of the Logos).

 

Personal, or lower human Monad Developed aspects: vitality [prana],

emotion, desire [kama],lower aspects of thought [lower manas]. This is

the monad that reincarnates. The personality is like a mask that is put

on during an incarnation. It is not the personality that reincarnates

but the 'personal' monad that sends out a ray, forming a new vehicle in

the composite stream of life-energy-substance-consciousness. It is the

parent of the animal monad as the higher human monad is the parent of

the lower human monad. I added the description : 'higher part of psyche'

at this position in the eggscheme because aspects as cortical thinking

and aspirations are usually attributed to the (higher) psyche by

philosophers like Plato, Pythagoras and also Vitvan. The personality, or

little ego, thinks: I am I, separated from others. The Manasaputra on

the contrary knows: I am (that I am), unique, yet an integral part of

the whole that is the Supreme Self. The Manasaputra shares some of the

psychological characteristics with his ray or emanation (the lower human

monad). It shares to some extent in the karma of his emanation, so when

his child-monad in incarnation suffers, it suffers too. A mystery

indeed, but easier to understand when you draw the analogy with a child

and its parents on the physical plane.

 

Animal monad: Vitality, Emotion, Desire Part of the third line of

evolution of the human being: physical/emotional/desire-mind The soul

(kind of psycho-electromagnetic 'field') which is associated with this

monad is called: the vital-astral soul. This is the field or state of

being in which our consciousness is active most of the time. I labelled

this soul 'the lower (aspect of the) psyche'. A further clarification is

this: this soul or field of awareness is centered in the lower chakras,

beneath the diaphragm. Typically under the influence of the phase of the

life-force that is called the libido - the drive for sex, etc. Part of

the process of spiritualizing lies in bringing (part of) the life-energy

(the libido) to the higher centers (chakras) by focussing on

spiritual-creative work. Don't force this too much - strike the golden

mean as Pythagoras is said to have advised. Freud talked about the

'sublimation of the libido', which phrase expresses the same idea. Keep

in mind, however, that we need the impulse of our desires in order to

evolute. We can't do without emotions or desires, but as is often stated

in our literature, use the energy of emotion, desire, thinking, etc., in

a constructive way.

 

The development of consciousness by the spiritual seeker and worker will

bring him/her ultimately into contact with the 'baptizing fire [or

light]' of the Christos, the inner manasaputra, which will open a new

field of awareness ('noetic or spiritual octaves of consciousness').

Some interesting information concerning the development of consciousness

can be found in the article 'The elixir of life' (in ~Five years of

theosophy~, Theosophy Company - see also subsequent article in this

book) and Willian Quan Judge's booklet ~culture of concentration~. See

also the reference to Vitvan below. This 'baptizing' (better: an

absorption of spiritual energy-light) must or will be followed by an

integration-process of this energy in the sphere of action on this

earth, in order to bring more light to one's fellow beings. Cooperation

for establishing a healthier world becomes a strong urge after this

baptism (a kind of initiation). In this regard I can add that no

extra-terrestrial or master, etc. can or will save humanity from its

follies. We ourselves have to clean our house! How else will we learn

the necessary lesson of compassion, love, cooperation and respect for

nature and one's fellow brother/sister?

 

Physical Soul: The physical soul consists of the model-body (a

template), also called 'linga-sharira' in Sanskrit. Sharira means

envelope or body; Linga can be translated as 'model' and has also a

connotation of creative energy. It is the carrier of the pranas or vital

forces that express themselves in the physical body through the chakras.

It is also the formative cause of the physical body (sthula-sharira) and

it contains the astral senses, the necessary intermediaries between the

outer senses and the mind. These astral senses are also involved with

telepathy, clairvoyance, etc.

 

Important Sanskrit names in the egg-scheme are:

 

kama: desire (a neutral force, which can be used in a selfish or

selfless way - see the section on the seven aspects of thinking)

 

prana: vital energy

 

manas: faculty of thinking; in the personality it is mixed with desire

(kama) and typically active in the chasing to fulfill 'dream pictures'

of possessions, position, power, 'romantic' relationships, etc., etc.

which are all soap-bubbles of course, bound to vanish into thin air

sooner or later.

 

buddhi: spiritual soul. Light-substance (not ordinary light, which is

but a modification of the primordial Light)

 

atma(n): universal spirit. Also: the divine monad, a ray of the supreme

Self.

 

The connection between the Human Monad and the Personal Monad will

become clearer in sections 2,3 and 4.

 

Note that we have in the recesses of our constitution a divine core that

is sometimes called: our 'Higher Self' (=Inner God). This makes the

notion of theurgy in the Gnostic literature a bit more understandable.

Iamblichus ("De Mysteriis") writes interesting stuff about this. The

working of the Divine in man (= theurgy) is possible,

 

just because there is a Divine element in man's constitution

 

This requires a highly pure and selfless life as will be easily

understood.

 

Our responsibilities towards the animal ego and the body are great but

are completely unknown to our world. Yet, we can imagine that we have a

great influence on this ego within our constitution whether we think

negatively or positively. This influence is 'stamped' into the fabric of

consciousness of the animal ego. Further elaboration of this and kindred

subjects can be found in lit. 1,2, and 7,8,9.

 

Deeper study of this scheme and related ones will reveal many facts,

like the connection of the more evolved monads with the seven sacred

planets, the solar system and Milky Way.

 

Gnostics speak of the Aeons (Angels, Archangels,etc.), Kabbalists of the

(Sephirotic) tree of life, Indian Purana's of the Prajapati's. These are

all names for the same hierarchical emanations from the One Principle

and are all involved in the formation of our Cosmos. Remember, the third

jewel of wisdom is concerned with hierarchies (see my first article) or

emanations.

 

Also, the subject of cycles (second jewel) is heavily involved with the

relations between the several monads in our constitution (and yes, so

are the other jewels!). See lit.6 and the following paragraph.

 

If one progresses in consciousness by one's own [and collective] effort,

then one will transform oneself from being a personal soul-ego-monad to

a real human soul-ego-monad, taking along the animal ego towards the

stage of personal ego! This example shows the karmic interconnectedness

of the monads. See lit. (1,2) for further development of these thoughts.

The student of the Kabbalah may be able to map the tree of life on the

egg-scheme. Vitvan has given an interesting interpretation of the tree

of life (see URL further on in this article) which also closely matches

the ideas expressed in the egg-scheme.

 

We will not concern ourselves further with these often very metaphysical

(though important) subjects and confine ourselves to something more

tangible: our personality (= lower human ego) and its relation to the

(higher) human ego.

 

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discussion, etc. is freely allowed. The same applies for my first

article on theosophy: Visit the Website for more information on sources

& links: http://www.euronet.nl/users/euser/theo2.htm

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