Theosophical Philosophy and Mythology
John Rau
(transcribed from recorded tape by A.R.)
In February, John Rau was invited by the Humanities Department of Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan, to speak to philosophy and mythology students on theosophy. What follows is an edited version of the long-winded talk. The aim was to outline a detailed core theosophical philosophy and at the same time tie the talk to world mythology in a 75 minute presentation slot. This was not a paper that was prepared and read. Therefore, an effort has been made in the editing to retain the flavor of a casual talk. The speaker prepared a blackboard chart (reproduced herein on our center page) and brought with him books from which occasional passages were read aloud. (Editors)
Link to charts refered to in this article - Click Here.
Good afternoon. First, I think we should concern ourselves with the definition of the word “theosophy” and then quickly move into how this philosophy relates to your mythology studies. Theosophy is a Greek compound word: theos and sophia - divine and wisdom, thus “divine wisdom”. Some dictionaries will translate theosophy as “God wisdom”. Divine wisdom, I think, is best. Another extended definition has been handed down as “the philosophy the gods themselves study”. How does this relate to mythology? Well, there are two words that you may be familiar with: esoteric and exoteric - they are in any good English language dictionary. Esoteric is that which is sometimes said to be hidden, exoteric is what is on the surface. Quite often you will find in various teachings of a religious, philosophical nature - a common knowledge that many have heard of and it is these common teachings that we can call exoteric. Esoteric, on the other hand is what is within the teachings, behind the scene. It is a teaching sometimes harder to understand as compared to the exoteric. In mythology you read stories, and sometimes it is hard to figure out what it is that these stories mean. By analyzing these mythological stories, you can bring up to the surface - meaning and understanding. Sometimes the meaning is simple while other stories may be more complex. In theosophy (and the word goes back many centuries) - the claim is made that if one takes the time to study world mythology, world religion, history and science, and compare the results, remove what is seemingly man-made unimportant dogma from religions, the unnecessary from myths (remove the added filler) that the results will often times present themselves as similarities within various myths and religions across time and cultures world wide. Myth can take a holy teaching, devised by ancients, and carry it through time.
One of my favorite examples of this process is the expression “Holy Moly”. Aside from it’s use as an exclamation of surprise, few know what the Holy Moly is or how old it is. It is a myth out of Homer’s Odyssey. We find the warrior Ulysses on an island being given drug laced wine by a temptress who desires to gain control over him. Drug laced wine from my point of view would be dogma. Dogma is a firm teaching that people want you to believe because they think it is the only right way to think. The god Hermes brings Ulysses the herb “Moly” as an antidote against the drugged wine. Moly in the story is a mythical herb that’s hard to pull out of the ground. Esoteric thought is hard to understand. The root of the Moly is black. Black (the darkness) is often thought of as a point of wisdom. This is where the mysteries are: in the darkness, esoteric, hard to understand. The flower of the Moly is white. It is in the sunshine, easy to understand, exoteric. Holy Moly was given to Ulysses by Hermes, which is one of several names for the god Mercury, the planet Mercury. In India they call this god/planet Budha, with one “d” instead of two “d’s”. A “Buddha” with two “d’s” is what you’ve all heard of - “The Buddha”, meaning an enlightened person. Budha with one “d” is the planet Mercury (or Hermes) and it simply translates to our English word “wisdom”. Flower deliveries are often sent to those in need of healing. This Hermes is the same fellow that you see with the winged feet who delivers flowers here in Big Rapids and elsewhere. What is the name of the company? - FTD?, they deliver flowers and Hermes is their symbol. We have Hermes delivering flowers in our time and Holy Moly is a flower delivered to Homer’s ancient character Ulysses 30 centuries ago by the same god. Myths travel through time and they can conceal truths. Story tellers need not understand the esoteric nature (the embedded truth) of a myth when they sing their song, share their story. A fit vehicle for preservation.
One can view these knowledgeable adept “ancients”, the makers of the myths, as being a few thousand years old, or, as some theosophists believe, as being millions of years old. It matters not which view we take. Their selfless efforts through time have, by this way of thinking - been successful. The truths are not lost - even in language translations, if we keep an esoteric eye open. As generations change, the truths continue through myth and are maintained generation after generation by story-telling people.
Another example in symbol. You all know this one. In the Moly we had a black root and white flower. In the Yin-Yang symbol from the East, one side is black, the other white, or darkness and light, positive and negative, male and female - dual. An outside (exoteric) and an inside (esoteric). You have seen this symbol on people’s tattoos here in West Michigan. You have seen this symbol in books, movies and on television. This too is an ancient symbol/myth traveling through generations and carrying with it more than picture art. These symbol myths are thought provoking - which was the intent of the ancient artists (whoever they were).
We mentioned studying ancient and modern science. Science, too, can be seen as myth and religion alongside fact. Youalready know that science changes through time. Everything changes. When I was in school, science taught me, or rather lead me to believe the exoteric teaching that outer space was a empty vacuum. I now know that there were scientists who thought differently. Today science teaches that space is not an empty vacuum, rather it is full of what we can call “plasma”. Space is full, not empty. Ancient teachings have also said that space was full. No emptiness. Today classroom science and ancient wisdom are in agreement on this issue. Both viewpoints are correct. One point of view is exoteric, a popular on the surface opinion. The other esoteric, an inner scientific, and also ancient opinion.
Science is very important. We should never ignore it. Science is a gathering of assembled facts. It is also philosophy. It is also religion. It is not a religion where you go forth and worship and pray. But, it is a religion as in “binding together” certain dogmas, opinions and facts. This binding together of philosophical opinion and fact, always prepared for change in truth and thought, is a scientific method and is in my opinion a fine way to go through life. Many theosophists view the path to truth in just such a fashion. We understand truth one way today, tomorrow or next year we alter our perceptions. Growth, change, this way of life in the East is referred to as Jnana-Yoga. The words religion and yoga, by the way, both seem to come from roots that mean to “bind together” or “to yoke”.
From all continents, these world myths oftentimes carry embedded mystery teachings. Theosophists hold an opinion that these mystery teachings originated in Mystery Schools. If you read some of the extant writings from philosophers of the historical past, occasionally you will find references to “The Mysteries”. There were exoteric mystery / myths for the public which often incorporated pageants, parades, plays and celebrations. We still have them today - note Easter, Christmas and other holy days all springing from astrological calculations. There were also esoteric mysteries for the few, of which very little is recorded. Even in our western translation of the Christian New Testament we find Jesus speaking in parables (myths) to the crowd, but to his close disciples it is said in the same testament that he teaches differently. A mystery teaching.
In the mail recently I received a book entitled THE MYSTERY SCHOOLS (1) from which I would now like to read aloud a few short excerpts from the foreword.
“ That which can be discovered by the sincere student may be likened to our knowledge of the atom. Who, for example, has ever seen the real atom? What microscope has penetrated the secret of it’s existence? Yet today we know more about the atom with its electrons than has been revealed for centuries. Although invisible to both eye and lens, scientists have detected the flash of it’s track, it’s “way of light”; through diligent and painstaking labor they have studied this way of light until, through inference and evidence, the structure of the atom and its components, its almost spiritual origin, has been revealed.
Thus with the Mysteries: as we look at the pages of history, and further into the mists of unrecorded time, we do not see the schools themselves, but through study and devotion we may glimpse the flash of their track, their way of light. From inference and spiritual testimony we can trace the pageantry of the light-bearers as they have passed from age to age, inaugurating the grand religions and philosophies of the human race. Some of these lights shine with immense glory, others with less strength, while still others are but fitful gleams of half-understood truth.
The physicist cannot point to the physical atom, yet he knows it exists as the basis, the foundation, of all matter; the student of theosophy cannot show you a Mystery school, yet he knows it exists as the heart or atomic center of the spiritual and intellectual life of the planet. Who then would dare assert the non-existence of the Mysteries, of this potent atom of esotericism, when luminous traces of spiritual power are seen scattered all over the world?”
Atoms were also considered and spoken of by ancient thinkers and writers. Here on the table is a translation of a work that could be called science and mythology: it is called SURYA SIDDHANTA (2). It comes from India. It is very old. This book was translated into English by a fellow in the 1800’s who was interested in astronomy. The title can be rendered “The Sun’s Astronomy Book”. The myth, the teaching behind the formation of the book is that the Sun, as a being, sent a portion of itself to Earth and delivered this text through a great man that Eastern Philosophy might call an Avatara, something like a Jesus, a son of the sun, a son of God. In this book atoms are mentioned as building blocks of the world, of matter. Here we read that atoms are the very small from which is built up a series of divisions that gain in size, larger, larger, larger and then eventually we arrive at something the size of a hangnail. Mystery, myth, science and truth are here blended in very old words.
Another story loaded with esoteric truth is the BHAGAVAD-GITA (3), also here on the table. The Gita is a section out of an even longer epic and is also from India. Some devout Hindus sing, read or chant the verses daily. The two central characters in the story are Krishna, a god or a god-man, and Arjuna, a man, a great warrior. The setting is a battlefield. Krishna comes to Arjuna (as Hermes came to Ulysses with the Moly) to be his helpmate and he teaches Arjuna of duty in life and in the battle in which he is about to engage himself. Here, again is duality, a god from above - or within (darkness, wisdom) and a human from below - or outside (in earth, in the light, action). The Yin and Yang.
Myths often deal with pain and suffering because it is easy for people to understand. You could create a story about getting up and going to work or school in the morning, which I will admit is also sometimes pain and suffering, but most listeners would not take the time required to relate to the story. A dull story does not travel easily through time.
There was for a short time in the 4th century an Emperor of the Roman Empire by the name of Julian. He was a Neo-Platonist (“New” Platonist) and a great battlefield General. He was also a follower of the Mithraic Mystery School. The translator of the Loeb Editions of Julian’s writings (4), C. W. Wright, says that this Emperor “regarded the myths as allegories to be interpreted by the philosopher and theosophist. They are riddles to be solved and the paradoxical element in them is designed to turn our minds to the hidden truth”. Julian himself says, when addressing Cynic Philosophers that “myths are like toys which help children through teething”. Scholars who have studied his life and career find that he, like others who also were involved in Mystery Schools, left in his writings very little concerning what was taught in secret. Care and protection was always of prime importance in the protocol of those involved in esoteric teachings. Just as only a few centuries ago here in America and Europe, the people of Julian’s time had to take care to avoid for themselves and their associates persecution, or even execution for heresy. A lack of tolerance for serious truth seekers has indeed been a problem proven by history. An example of this persecution found in Christian history is the burning at the stake of the English translators of our Judeo-Christian Bible by those in the Church who felt that the common people should not read the words for themselves.
Theosophy is an old way of thinking. There are, however, modern theosophists. The modern movement was jump started again in the mid to late 19th century by Madame H. P. Blavatsky, a Russian, and one of the founders of the Society of which I am a member. The theosophical movement does not really stop and start but unfolds from the past into the future as truth in evolution. The modern movement claims to be reviving the work of Ammonius Saccas, a Platonist philosopher of the 3rd century. He apparently did not write books, but you can find his influence in the work of his student Plotinus. Ammonius Saccas and others of his time used the term “theosophy” - divine wisdom. It is said Ammonius Saccas desired to gather together teachings and people from the various world religions and philosophies into Alexandria (a port city in northern Africa through which people of different cultures traveled via Eastern and Western trade routes). It is also said that the aim was to organize and prepare a philosophical harvest from these gathered beliefs and ideas, and thus unfold a truth that we are all indeed brothers under our various cloaks of dogma, faith, and culture - thus, unfold a Universal Brotherhood. The work was then (and still is now) an effort not only to seek out the so-called “truth” of our being by analyzing our different “bindings and yokes” of beliefs, but also to ease the conflicts we humans impose on each other regularly in the form of war. An anti-war movement from the inside out. Like all action, war is born first in our thoughts, then applied in our world. The core of all theosophical thought and effort is indeed the truth - of Universal Brotherhood, of Peace.
Now, theosophically, the concept of “Universal Brotherhood” is not just about us human beings. A theosophist is not exclusive of other kingdoms of life as part of his definition. We are brothers not only with our other human selves - but also with solar systems, divinities, suns, planets, animals, plants and the elemental kingdoms in invisible and atomic and sub-atomic worlds. We are brothers with every living “thing”. Every “thing” we can conceive of, has the breath of life. Everything is alive and evolving.
Now, as you can see, I have brought a chart with me. I have also placed on the blackboard some theosophical keywords. (A) Evolution, (B) Swabhava, (C) Hierarchies, (D) Karma or Action, and (E) Reimbodiment or Reincarnation.
Let us start with “Evolution”. Most of the time when we encounter the term evolution we think of science and what we have been taught in our western culture through inference, on television or in school. Science has delivered to us many facts. Who can deny some of their truths? We evolve. The world evolves. We change. There is no one way to view evolution however. Not yet. Many scientists, some more than others, today are altering their thoughts concerning this subject and modifying their theories within the so-called Darwinian model. I have come to prefer a view of the evolutionary process as an unfoldment from within, or above (I call it vertical) combined with the contemporary scientific view (I think of it as linear). My viewpoint is, of course, always open for alteration and change. The vertical and linear work together through time, at least this is the way I see it. Other theosophists may view the subject quite differently.
It seems to me that no one can deny that humans and other beings are evolving through time. If we focus our minds, and pay attention to our lives, we can see ourselves evolve. Here in America we are all, as a unit, becoming Americans. Our bodies are not the collective Europeans or Native Americans or Africans or Asians that our ancestor’s bodies were in the past. We, as a unit, are in a process of becoming - thus, the bodies are evolving. It is said in theosophy that evolution is a process of unfoldment into the outer material life of a stored up “essence” within. This “essence” is a flexible ever changing blueprint of a “beness” which we already are. Thus, a certain species of a frog becomes a frog, not a snake. An oak tree becomes an oak tree, not a grape vine. A human becomes a human, not a wild beast. In this philosophy we become as individuals that which we have already packed up and stored for ourselves - our personal essence, in a sort of metaphysical traveling suitcase (our individual seed). This seed, this essence, was prepared by ourselves through our actions and evolutions in past worlds and built out of our past lives, efforts, previous deeds, urges, desires and experiences. We can use a Sanskrit word to name this “essence”. The word is Swabhava.
Now we come to the concept of Hierarchies. There is a hierarchy here at Ferris State University. You have a President, Vice Presidents and other tags and labels working down, or up. There are hierarchies in organized religions, businesses and governments. This is a natural unfoldment, an order, a natural way for beings to proceed. It is nature’s way. In theosophical philosophy there are hierarchical unfoldments during the manifestations of worlds and beings. There are worlds within worlds, beings within beings. There are gods (and I do mean gods plural, not one God) of greater and lesser degree. There are gods in advance of man and there are god-like beings that are less than man. If you pause here and think this statement over, a resulting thought of gods above and below man is that, logically, man then must also be at least god-like in his “beness” if not actually a god himself. We say that man is indeed an incarnate god spark. This spark also exists in that essence that is working through the animal and vegetable kingdoms. Everything is god-like in essence. Everything is evolving as sparks of divinity through various kingdoms within Hierarchies.
Next we have Karma and Reimbodiment, or Reincarnation if you prefer. Karma is an operation of cause and effect. The translation of the Sanskrit word Karma is “action”. Our actions continuously affect our Swabhava and when we leave a current life, or daily situation, we take our karmically altered Swabhava blueprint with us. This Swabhava we will use to cast a future life. Technically the word reimbodiment applies to the rebirth of beings such as the Earth or the Sun, for example, as these beings are not composed of flesh. The word reincarnation means to take on a new body of flesh. When our bodies burn out because our life energy has become too strong, or a cycle has run it’s course, we discard the current body and eventually rebuild a new one either of flesh (as in the case with humans) or of another substance applicable to the evolving entity when the time arrives to experience rebirth.
Theosophical philosophy gives our Earth the status of a living being. The Earth has a life and a soul of it’s own. We human beings, along with the other kingdoms of nature (the other god-sparks working through various bodies or souls in evolution) are a composite part of the hierarchical scheme of our earth, as the earth is also a composite part of our solar system (which is also a living being of a type) which is part of yet another greater being, and so on into infinity. Nature is hierarchical.
With these keywords held in our thoughts we can now take a look at our chart. Please remember that this chart is composed of symbols that we use for presentation and that these symbols do not represent cut in stone facts or dogmas. We are attempting here to discuss and think out a system of esoteric and non-corporeal philosophy, and we are doing so with the exoteric corporeal brain stuff stored inside our skulls. Truth transcends mind and therefore truth is impossible to express perfectly in symbol or word. Symbols and words are steps toward truth and necessary guides - but the symbols and words used are not the truth itself. Again, truth transcends mind.
On the left side of our chart is a diagram of what modern Theosophists call a “planetary chain”. This symbol of a linked chain, or linked worlds, is also found elsewhere outside of modern theosophical books and charts. It is found in Hebrew mysticism called Kabbalah. Also, in Homer’s ILIAD (5), book 8, that you have likely encountered in your classes here, we read these words of Jove (Zeus or Jupiter); “Hang me a golden chain from heaven, and lay hold of it all you, gods and goddesses together - tug as you will, you will not drag Jove the supreme counselor from heaven to earth; but were I to pull at it myself I should draw you up with the earth and sea into the bargain, then I would bind the chain about some pinnacle of Olympus and leave you all dangling in the mid firmament.” He also speaks thus; “I will hurl him down into dark Tartartus...” (under the earth) “...where the gates are iron and the floor bronze, as far beneath Hades as heaven is high above the earth...”. Here in words from Homer, we find a symbol of hierarchical steps similar to this lecture hall we are here gathered in today. I am down here in the pit and some of you are up there on top of this classroom world. Another classical mythological reference to our linked worlds is found in Hesiod’s THEOGONY (6), 720-25, thus; “a bronze anvil falling from the sky would travel nine days and nights to reach the earth on the tenth day and a bronze anvil falling from the earth would need nine days and nights to reach Tartaros on the tenth day.” Tartartus / Tartaros is the lowest world, or hell with many steps, or days in between.
Here is a book from ancient Egypt, actually these are translated fragments, THE DIVINE PYMANDER OF HERMES (7), or Mercury, the wing footed messenger god of wisdom again. Here we read “Having all Power, he considered the Operations or Workmanship’s of the Seven”. (Seven creators. Here on our modern theosophical chart we see seven globes). A few fragments later we read the phrase “Seven Governors”. (The globes are alive, they are insouled, hierarchical and governed).
In classical Hindu mythology there is talk of seven, sevens and more sevens. Sometimes these seven worlds are seen in a different way and are transformed into three, a trinity of worlds. This is true in the east and west. Trinity here. Trinity there. There are also esoteric thinking Christians with their sevens and threes, some scholarly in their work, some mystical, some both. If you look into it, you will see this truth.
Another myth we should look into, from the northern land of Finland, is THE KALEVALA (8), There is a copy on the table here. I, however, will read to you my preferred translation found in Blavatsky’s SECRET DOCTRINE (9). “In primeval times, a maiden / Beauteous Daughter of the Ether / Passed for ages her existence / In the great Expanse of Heaven, / Seven hundred years she wandered, / Seven hundred years she laboured, / Ere her first born was delivered. / Ere a beauteous duck descending, / Hastens toward the water-mother...” (In our Biblical Genesis and other creation myths we have “waters” employed as a descriptive term. Also, in other world creation stories we find worlds represented as “eggs” - seeds - Swabhava). “...Lightly on the knee she settles, / Finds a nesting place befitting, / Where to lay her eggs in safety, / Lays her eggs within at pleasure, / Six the golden eggs she lays them, / Then a Seventh, an egg of iron...”
Here, this afternoon in a short time together we read in ancient myths of descending Grecian steps to gates of iron, Egyptian worlds of seven, a Finish seventh world/egg of iron, and in our modern theosophical globes here on our chart we see at the bottom of our chain a globe we call “globe D” (our Earth) that we can postulate for ourselves philosophically and scientifically a correlation to “the iron” world in our search for truth. A Theosophist can choose to study religions, myths and sciences in an effort to unfold an “idea of truth”. A map of truth if you like. This momentary truth is, as said before, open to new thoughts and ideas, applying these ideas as we choose to our individual mental models while discarding those which we find unworkable as independent thinkers. A slogan adopted from Hindustan by Theosophists is that “there is no religion higher than truth”. One takes from the teachings only that which one is prepared to swallow.
On our chart we see a philosophical system of globes identified with the letters A through G. We think of these globes as living beings. Their life spans could be thought of in terms of millions and billions of our human years as we record time. The globes, these worlds, like ourselves, are born, they live their life, they pass away and in time, they are reborn. The process repeats itself again and again and again. The life that becomes a world globe evolves into grander and greater spheres and planes through this process, as do we eventually. We humans as individual god sparks have been involved in this cycle of life with our Earth through many manifested reimbodiments. The Earth, the mother of our bodies, has been in a similar relationship with our solar system in which the sun is both brain and heart. The solar system, too, experiences birth, life and a passing out into higher realms and eventually will return with companion life waves including planets and humanities. This again is hierarchical.
Back to our planetary chain. So, from an exoteric point of view (that is - on the surface), previous to the apparent birth of our globe chain - there appears to be empty space - a seeming nothingness. Remember that our physical eyes can perceive only a relative set of vibrations within a given spectrum - science will verify that. So, in space, on a so-called higher vibration or plane, there is a “flutter” - a movement. A birth is in progress similar to a seed in a mother’s womb. Vast time passes. Eventually globe “A” descends and becomes manifest. This, on a plane still higher than ours, therefore, still invisible now to our lower plane eyes, yet we say it is there. Imagine now three elemental kingdoms or life waves, also invisible and in some way related, I am sure, to current scientific teachings and theories concerning atomic and sub-atomic worlds. In European myths the elementals are given various names that you may recall as Gnomes, Fairies, Salamanders and Sylphs. In other cultures they are given other names. Now, globe “A” became manifest due to the activities of these three elemental kingdoms, which, when they finished their work on “A” moved down a plane (or vibration) and started their karmic work of building globe “B”. As these Elementals move downward into greater materiality they are followed by other kingdoms we can call Mineral, Vegetable, Beast and eventually - Human. Each kingdom follows the other in the building up of these worlds in the ranks of various waves of life due to their hierarchical status through evolution at the point of passing out of the material life of the previous Earth Globe Chain. All the kingdoms are parts of the whole. All are god sparks, or as the old saying goes - “chips off the old block”. Everything is alive and evolving. This process continues and the chain of worlds is built. Each visible planet we know of in our exoteric solar system has a chain of it’s own just as we see on our chart.
It is said that there are seven earths on four planes (with three planes above the seven). We see only the globe we are on now, “D”. It is said that over vast periods of time and ages we travel (or evolve) through these seven worlds and embodiments seven times and that we are just over half way through our total current planetary experience and therefore in our so-called 4th round. A round is a completion of travel and experience through the seven worlds “A through G” once.
Now, the Hindus have a very elaborate time scale system as to the age of our Earth and Solar System. As to the correctness of their system, little today can be said one way or the other - but we should say that we Theosophists use the system so that we may speak of these subjects and have a mathematical base we can all share, and that many of us believe the scale to be “close” to the truth. We do not have time to enter into their extended calculations today, but to give you an idea of their system we can say today that we are in what is known as Kali Yuga, which translates as “hard age” or “dark age”. This Kali Yuga, is a repetitive age, as all the cycles are, and is relatively short. We have been in this evolutionary cycle for 5000 or so years and we have still nearly 430,000 years left before us. It is also said that in these “hard” ages, we, all of us, evolve in a quickened fashion. It is expected that we will all experience many incarnations in Kali Yuga before we enter yet another “age” in our collective destiny.
So, here on globe “D”, on our Earth, after the Elementals, follows a Mineral Kingdom, followed by the plants or a Vegetable Kingdom, followed also by a Beast Kingdom, or those beings that most of us call animals. After our animal brothers come us Humans in a Kingdom of our own. We are more advanced than the beasts because our swabhava has “unfolded” into a state of humanity after passing through a beast nature in previous existence’s in other worlds. There is no end to the evolution through the various hierarchical schemes of nature. Eternal duration is the idea. We change and evolve in duration again and again, time after time, endlessly. No “something from nothing” beginning. No end. Just change. We create ourselves one life to the next through our individual actions, reactions and thoughts. It has been said in Hebrew Kabbalistic literature: “First a stone, then a plant, then an animal, then a man”. After the Human Kingdom there are Kingdoms of beings in advance of us who also evolve through the worlds. There are many names for them in the mythologies of the world. In theosophy we call them Dhyan Chohans. Some tag to them the generic name “Angels”. They are of a different vibrational nature. We seldom see them, if ever. It is probably wise not to dwell on their activities because such efforts can lead to much silliness if we start chasing angels. There are however, a great many very interesting studies and philosophies concerning these “gods” scattered throughout world mythological, religious and theosophical works.
Throughout the evolutions in the hierarchies of the life wave kingdoms, all beings (or rather the “sparks” that work through the beings) progress. Eventually the life sparks acting through the Vegetable and Beast kingdoms will enter the Human Kingdom and become as we are now, or at least something similar. You have all seen the deer cross the roads here in West Michigan. They are in no way as self conscious as we are. They are admittedly conscious - but not to our degree. We are all brothers, we humans, animals and plants. We are all on a similar journey. As the sparks working through the kingdoms below us have a destiny to unfold into humanity, so also do we, as stated in theosophical philosophy, have a destiny beyond our humanity as we know it. Theosophists make the bold statement that after countless reincarnations as individual god-sparks working through the Human Kingdom, we will, with effort, enter into higher spheres and become as gods. When we come to an understanding that there is no separateness or emptiness anywhere; that all matter is alive and in hierarchical evolution, a Universal Brotherhood - we start an upward and inward journey toward the gods and their wisdom.
The planetary chain comes into manifestation. The earth is built. We follow along and our bodies are built with it and from it, thus we are part of this earth. We were part of the living earth when it had a previous existence in a different planetary life. So also were the divinities with us that are now acting here as animals, plants and minerals. We are a hierarchical family of enduring god sparks moving along together. This way of viewing endless life leads naturally to a form of ethics that includes all beings human as well as those above and below us. That person sitting next to you is you at the god spark level. We are all united. When we view the high ethical implications of an enduring universal brotherhood, a brotherhood that exists here and now, not later in a future world to come, a brotherhood that has existed in past lives and will exist in future lives, we come again to the important concept of Karma and Reincarnation and the workings of the same.
If you go to a Sanskrit dictionary you will see that the word karma simply means “action”. Action creates causes followed by effects. If I take coins out of my pocket and toss them into the air they are all going to hit the floor. I have affected the karma of those coins. Cause and Effect is easy to understand. Most of us think of the term karma as something negative. Bad karma. Karma is neither bad nor good, it is simply karma - action. Most Theosophists accept the concept of reincarnation alongside karma. Along with these two concepts is the logical conclusion that we work out our karmic repercussions in life on earth, not after the death of our body. We carry our seeds with us from life to life. The interim between manifested life is rest, sleep and/or bliss. When I go through life making the mistakes as well as the good choices that we all make, then I will reap the harvest of my actions either before my life in this body is completed, or, I will carry the seeds over into the next incarnation to work out in a new life, a new personality. Karma is why we are all so very different from each other. We have been acting out the rules of cause and effect for millions of years. We are all creating our own future lives with every breath, thought and action we take today. This is not a law of punishment or reward. It is simply action, cause and effect. Simple law, complex results.
We travel as a human life wave through the globes of our earth chain and we do so in different bodies built for us, built by us - through countless reimbodiments. We, as individuals descend into our material world in a fashion similar to the descent and building of the globes we have been discussing. As above, so below. With the globe chains formed, it is said that as a human life wave, we have evolved into “round 4” out of a projection of 7 rounds total. Somewhat less than halfway through our divine formation of this earth (which would be 3 1/2 rounds, or 1/2 of 7), we humans encountered, on globe “D”, the tip, or the lower portions of our “higher” mind. This event occurred millions of years ago. We woke up. Our higher mind descended into us. We became aware of the journey, the path. We remembered. We realized we were more than higher animals. From this point on we became, as individuals, consciously aware of our actions, our karma - and therefore, we became able to guide ourselves through effort in various creative directions and endeavors. Language, the arts, engineering, spiritual and mental development, business, government or some other unfoldment of mind and applied thought became important segments of our world. This event is symbolized by the myth of Eve in the Garden of Eden encountering the fruit of knowledge and wisdom offered by the serpent. Serpents in myth often represent knowledge and wisdom.
Turning back to our chart we see seven individual principles. The wordings chosen for these principles are all taken from the Sanskrit language. At the top we see Atman, the supreme. Atman is the Self, it is selfhood. It is not the ego self we usually think of ourselves to be. Rather, it is the Self that we all are. At Atman, we are joined together, all of us. Next we see below Atman the principle Buddhi, a spiritual consciousness. Buddhi is the vehicle of Atman. Atman has somehow sent a spark, a ray, a thought out of itself and formed the vehicle Buddhi through which to work in it’s descent into matter. The vehicle of Buddhi is Manas, the mind, and is also a result of that same spark of Atman only now become Manas on a lower plane. Manas has a higher and lower nature. We all know the lower mind, as it is this tool that we use to drive us through our day to day existence. After Manas, we see Kama or the desire principle. This Kama, this desire principle, is a neutral force. We, as thinkers and governors of ourselves decide the direction of our desires and their resulting actions of cause and effect. After Kama, we see Prana. We can translate Prana as “before breath” or “life principle”. Prana delivers the glue of earthly life and animation. (In the East one will find many types of “prana” mentioned in yogic texts. We use it here as a generic term). Next we see Linga Sarira, a model, pattern or “marked” body. This is the model from which our physical body is grown. Another name for this principle is “Astral Body” (star stuff body). In Shaivist Hinduism, the followers of Shiva sometimes use a stone cut or naturally formed to resemble the shape of our solar system as a symbol of worship and ceremony. I often think of the Linga Sarira in a similar oval form. We are, by occult philosophy, a universe in miniature. The last and lowest principle is our physical body and is thought of as an excreted gross body. Gross is Sthula and Sarira translates “body”, thus Sthula Sarira. These principles can be thought of as above or within us. They are not really like the steps on a ladder - but because we are communicating with minds of matter - we have to communicate these ideas in material terms and symbols. One can visualize them in any way one likes. We are thought of in this theosophy as “composite” beings with multiple souls and egos.
An interesting point about the Sanskrit word sarira (body) is the ancient definition of a body “that is easily dissolved”. Some have interpreted this ancient definition to mean “full of holes”. Science today is teaching that the building block parts of the atoms of which our bodies are composed are relatively more empty than they are full. We are, as bodies, essentially etheric. Our physical world is mostly so-called empty space.
Again, the truth of universal brotherhood, our oneness of being, our interconnectedness with each other, the kingdoms below and above us, with earth and solar system, must be held in mind when considering these ideas that lead to true ethics. Without this concept, philosophy and theosophy are simply intellectual exercises.
Ethically, if we are indeed all one being, if the universe (the one-song) did break itself up into pieces to understand, expand and experience itself in time, space and matter, then; as pointed out in many ancient teachings including the story in the New Testament; whatever we do to any “other” we do to the “one” and to our Self. Eventually as the earth evolves back to it’s origin, all live waves will re-enter a godhead that the Buddhists call a state of Nirvana, the Christians and followers of Mohammed - Heaven or Paradise, the Hindus Moksha - or bliss. Theosophists use the term Pralaya for this period between manifested worlds. Like us, the earth and solar system also have a sleep and rest cycle.
At this vibration of materiality in which we are currently “involved”, the teaching concerning the death of the body and our lower principles is this. Nothing is stagnant, nothing is fixed, we are growing, we are evolving and, at a certain point, our gross body (sthula sarira) can no longer keep up with the life force streaming through us and it is forced to drop off. We, or rather our intensified life energy from above (or within) burns out the physical body. The body dies and returns to the earth. The Prana dissipates quickly, it returns I suppose to the sun and the stars from which it came. The linga sarira or astral body (our model body), combined with the lower portions of the Kama (desire) and lower mind (manas), join together and enter an invisible atmosphere of the earth, sometimes referred to as the astral plane or Kama Loka (desire-place). Sometimes people see glimpses of these cast off kama-informed astral bodies. We call them ghosts. This “spook” remainder contains the lower remains (lower desires and knowledge) of the previous personality, and will, like the physical body, eventually break down and dissolve away and into the building blocks of our earth. Sarira (easily dissolved).
Now, the higher desires (kama) and the higher mind (manas) and all that is of “good nature” is harvested from the previous life by our Buddhi principle (our spiritual nature and vehicle of Atman) like an aroma from a rose. This aroma is joined together into what we can call a reincarnating ego between physical life experiences. Here in the bosom of buddhi and our higher manas we experience our own mini heaven world created by our expectations gained in the previous life. Theosophists call this state of mind Devachan. It translates “happy place”. Everything there is positive, peaceful and restful.
So, at death, our sevenfold composite nature goes to pieces. Our different composite souls enter into their proper places and kingdoms. Our reincarnating ego mentally lives out positive expectations until the time comes when the thirst for earth life regains a hold on it. At that time of thirst, our harvested egoic center re-enters, it re-descends into our earth, it attracts the necessary karmic elements needed to become reborn in a new body, bringing our evolved swabhavic natures with us to continue our work here in earth. We are attracted to an appropriate womb and family circumstance, the prana and kama return, and a new life, a new and different personality is created.
Our individuality is the ever changing, ever evolving life essence destined to become godlike in the future. By this theosophy, this divine wisdom, the personality is a fleeting page out of a vast book of life. There is no abiding principle in the personality or lower man by this way of thought. That which continues to exist is ever changing through evolution. The deeds of the incarnated personality/body are food for our true Self, the individuality. In mythology it is said we are food for the gods. If we look back on our lives we can see that we are not even today the same “individuals” we were just a few years ago. As above, so below. We evolve , we change. Thank goodness.
The teachings that theosophical systems have to offer, are essentially very simple. It is the details that are at times complex. One however, does not have to understand the philosophical details to realize that striving to lead ethical lives can only lead to eventual positive results on the path of our life’s journey. Theosophy teaches that our journey and the karmic events we encounter are self generated. Theosophy offers hope. As we look into our personal future plans, whether those plans be getting through college, getting on with the duties of family life, our jobs and careers, or what have you, we will encounter choices. Some advice we can find in that great myth from the east, THE BHAGAVAD-GITA (3), is, in paraphrase, thus: the trick to the daily fight is to remain as selfless and unattached to the results of our actions as we can, while striving to be ethical in worldy action; realizing, that all events placed before us are self created duties to be lived through. We are never inactive. We spin our own webs. We are indeed created by our Self produced actions.
It is said there are only 36 dramatic situations. The mythological process continues today and you will see the old myths repeated in modern novels, movies and on television. Within the great myths of the world we find embodied at least some portion of ancient wisdom and truth fit for humanity. These myths are part of the process we god sparked egos use for carrying truth, the divine wisdom we call theosophy, through manifested life.
(1) THE MYSTERY SCHOOLS - Grace F. Knoche, 2nd & Revised Edition, 1999, Theosophical University Press, Pasadena. (2) SURYA SIDDHANTA - A Text-Book of Indian Astronomy, 1860, reprint Wizards Bookshelf, San Diego, 1978. (3) THE BHAGAVAD-GITA, Recension by William Quan Judge, Theosophical University Press, Pasadena, 1978. (4) THE WORKS OF THE EMPEROR JULIAN , 3 vols. Loeb Classical Library, originally published 1913 & 1923 - reprinted 1993, 1996, 1998 - Harvard University Press, Cambridge. (5) ILIAD OF HOMER & THE ODYSSEY, rendered into English by Samuel Butler, Great Books of the Western World - Encylopaedia Britannica, Chicago. (6) Hesiod - THEOGONY / WORKS & DAYS / SHIELD, translated by Apostolos N. Athanassakis, 2nd printing 1986, John Hopkins University Press. (7) DIVINE PYMANDER OF HERMES, Translated by Dr. Everard. 1650, reprinted 1884, reprinted by Wizards Bookshelf, San Diego, 1973. (8) THE KALEVALA, An Epic Poem After Oral Tradition, Elias Lonnrot, translated from the Finnish by Keith Bosley, 1989, Oxford University Press, New York, reprinted 1990 as a World Classics paperback. (9) THE SECRET DOCTRINE, H. P. Blavatsky, 1888, 2 Vols., Centennial Edition, 1988, Theosophical University Press, Pasadena.
(Additional Editorial Note: Recommended reading on the subject matter in this article - FUNDAMENTALS OF THE ESOTERIC PHILOSOPHY, G. de Purucker, 2nd and Revised Edition, 1979, Theosophical University Press, Pasadena.)