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Theos-World Re: More thoughts about monads, etc

Mar 09, 1999 03:28 PM
by LeonMaurer


Please forgive the duplication, but I thought this might be of interest to ALL
theosophists.  If not... Well, that's life.;-)  If so, then I hope it helps us
realize that theosophy is still a dynamic force in the world, and that the
Secret Doctrine is still a modern work of science that will live through the
next century.

In a message dated 3/4/99 8:03:39 AM, Steve Stubbs writes:

>Yes, Peter, I believe Mulaprakriti is the circle in the
>point-in-circle diagram.  Initially, it appears the point is the
>Absolute and the circle Mulaprakriti.  But it also occurs to me that
>when the mineral monad (she says there is only one) forms, causing
>Mulaprakriti to pass from the undifferentiated to the differentiated
>state, then the same diagram at least presents itself to our
>consciousness.  In this case the mineral monad is a point and the
>surrounding Mulaprakriti seems to be suggested by the circle.
>
>There are some things about all this which I am unable to fathom. For
>example, are there innumerable human monads or only seven?  There seem
>to be indications of both.  If the innumerable human monads represent
>a further differentiation from the original seven, that explains the
>problem, but then we have to ask whether these innumerable monads are
>really monads, or whether they are "souls" (manases).
>
>Another, if anyone has any thoughts on this: she says that one of the
>pralayas leaves the astral photographs undisturbed, while the physical
>reality disappears.  The maha pralayas apparently dissolve EVERYTHING.
> This seems to suggest that as we proceed from minor to maha pralayas
>we ascend the scale of seven kosmic principles.  If Mulaprakriti is to
>be understood as co-eternal and co-existent with The Absolute, then it
>would appear Mulaprakriti is not dissolved out of existence, but
>merely returned to an undifferentiated (non-atomic) state.  If this is
>so, though, how can there be motion, which we are told persists even
>during pralaya?  Also, if this means the monads cease to exist as
>discrete entities within the field of Mulaprakriti, how can we explain
>the teaching that the karma of these monads continues?  One solution
>of course is that some of these teachings relate to something less
>than the maha-pralaya.  If that is the case (and I think it is an
>unsatisfactory solution since we would have to assume an error in
>editing the SD to make this case) then the problem goes away.
>
>These are weaknesses in my thought experiment, which I was aware of
>when I posted it.  I fully expected it to be challenged, and rightly
>so, since I have not been able to come up with one which is 100%
>satisfactory.
>
>It should also be said that HPB seemed to believe the maha-pralaya is
>a MYSTERY which we cannot, ex hypothesi, hope to penetrate.  It may
>be, then, that at this level we are not intended to understand.

Maybe we could think of it this way?

HPB said that motion never ceases, and that even the Absolute can be
considered as "abstract motion."  If so, and if it's motion alone that carries
experiential information (in the form of holographic interference patterns,
perhaps), then, no matter what pralaya we talk about, the mother/father field
that gave it birth would still exists, and we can assume that the experiential
information tied up in its initial motion (akashic energy) also continues to
exist throughout that pralaya.  

Since there are a series of descending and ascending pralayas prior to the
maha pralaya, and since each pralaya can be considered as "a temporary retreat
from manifestation" or a "returning to the Absolute," we might also consider,
then, (according to the philosopher Mac Truong) that "the absolute is relative
and the relative is absolute."  This conforms with HPB's statement that the
idea of "eternity" is also relative...  (There is no paradox, since the total
time of any manvantara can be considered eternity from our point of view...
Just as any self existent perfection beyond the possibility of measurement or
perception on any level of our consciousness can be considered as absolute.)  

The Absolute, then, would be "relative" depending on our point of view, since
it would always be outside any "space" we would be considering it from.  While
relativity would be "absolute" in the sense that all observers would always be
at the immovable center of everything else--since, they are always at the
common, "non local" zero-point which observes everything from within
outward...  Just as we observe the outer world from the zero-(laya) point
within our own heads.  

>From a scientific point of view, awareness, then, could be considered a
fundamental attribute of the zero-point... With consciousness (memory, mind)
being the characteristic of the inner fields adjacent to the positive pole of
the surrounding primal "mother" field... While matter (form, mass) would be
the characteristic of fields adjacent to its negative pole.  This illustrates
how everything in the universe could have latent consciousness... Only waiting
to be experienced in varying degrees--as nature slowly evolves the complex
bioneurological forms necessary to act as intermediary image "transducers"
between the various levels of the material fields and the consciousness
fields.  This biological evolution could be carried out through the medium of
holographic *morphogenetic fields* (that are linked resonantly to each other
through the non-local zero-point) as described by Rupert Sheldrake in his
book, _A New Science of Life_

Accordingly, since the motionless zero-point center of any field can carry no
information, and since all surrounding energetic vibrational patterns carrying
information must eventually run down at the end of "parabrahm's life," it
would appear that the final mahapralaya would have its memory wiped clean
(from the point of view of its previous mahamanvantara).  But, since
everything always starts from zero... And between zero and one there must
always be infinite divisions--who are we to say what information patterns can
be retained through Brahma's after death states--let alone Parabrahm's?  Maybe
the old teachers were wise to say we shouldn't speculate too deeply on the
nature of the absolute--which must contain both the ultimate simplicity and
the infinite complexity which are beyond the understanding of finite mind.  

Cantor's mathematics or set theory speculates that there can be an infinite
set of infinities... And, post quantum cosmological physicists speak of
multidimensional universes held together by "strings" in the form of "bubbles"
and "membranes"--linked by quantum fields and governed by indeterminacy, etc.,
etc. 

So, I think we should leave such mind boggling ideas about "pralayas", or what
came before the first primal emanations, to confound the mathematicians and
the post-quantum physicists.  (As theosophists, it's good to know that both
science and mathematics might eventually verify the existence of these sub-
quantum fields and thus confirm all theosophical ideas.)  But, in any event, I
don't think it will be too long before HPB will be totally
vindicated--especially since science is now up against a brick wall trying to
explain conscious experience by empirical methods.  It won't be long before
they give up and accept some form of holographic field theory that is now
beginning to come into the mainstream.  All such theories (including my 
<A HREF="http://www.tellworld.com/Astro.Biological.Coenergetics/";>ABC</A>
theory) have been presaged in the SD--as was all the new post classical
scientific theories that have developed since Einstein first intuited E=mc^2
from the SD.  
< 
<A HREF="http://users.aol.com/unIwldarts/uniworld.artisans.guild/einstein.html
">http://users.aol.com/unIwldarts/uniworld.artisans.guild/einstein.html</A> >

But, as theosophists, we certainly can speculate on the nature of
manifestation between pralayas.  

The first step is to understand how the energy carrying all the information of
previous manvantaric experience, absorbed during the pralaya, emanates out of
the relative Absolute at the beginning of each new manvantara.

One way to visualize this, is to imagine a 3-dimensional sphere containing 7
layers, "shells," or inner spheres of descending frequency orders of
energy--ranging from the almost infinitely fast spiritual vibrations
(consciousness) at the positive pole to the slowest material vibrations
(matter) at the negative pole...  With each such "field" forming a 3-cycle
endless triple field loop spinning around a "ZERO-POINT" (which is
everywhere).  Thus, this Zero-point (or "laya-point"), having complete
stillness or non-motion in itself, would represent pure *inertia* or "tamas".
The initially pure fields of eternal harmonious spin-motion around it would
represent "sattva".  And, the intelligent "electrical" energy carried by these
endlessly spinning fields would be one of the fundamental natures of
FOHAT--representing the *active* basis of force, or "rajas".  A corresponding
analogy can be seen in the spherical magnetic lines of force endlessly
circulating (in and out of its two opposite poles) through and around the
Earth.  This pattern could also be pictured as circulating in and through any
bar magnet and represents the perfect balance of attractive and repulsive
forces related to any similar fields--including the analogous fields
constituting each of the seven fold natures of man, those of the "Builders" or
Dhyan Chohans, as well as those of the entire cosmos itself.

We can imagine that this "zero-point" around which these fields spin is
dimensionless, motionless, takes up no space, and is everywhere.  Therefore,
each such hyperdimensional spherical field would appear, when expanded, as if
it were spinning around its own zero-point--which, in turn, would *appear* to
be separated from other zero-points within an apparently measurable distance
in space.  (Could that be related to the "illusion" of Maya, or separation,
spoken of by the Vedantans?)

Not only is each such commonly derived 3-dimensional field spinning around its
own zero-point (HPB calls them "laya points" since they always retain their
own individual identity)--but, each polarized sub field is always part of a
pair of fields that touch their "mother" or surrounding field at its outer
"zero-points" (which are the center points of even larger mother fields, etc.
Thus all fields are energetically linked to each other through the chain of
zero points at both their center and their circumference--with one pole of
every spherical field being positive and the other negative.  These polarities
are simply based on the direction of motion of the field lines of force as
they enter and leave their spherical forms.  This accounts for the
characteristic of like poles repelling and unlike poles attracting. (See "
<A HREF="http://members.aol.com/uniwldarts/uniworld.artisans.guild/chakrafield
.html">chakrafield diagram</A>" at the web site shown below.) 

Since there is no way to imagine this structure when completely compressed
into the Absolute zero-point--as that is a non-dimensional "emptiness" having
no being, (although still a "beness") and existing outside of our highest
spiritual consciousness--we can pick it up, however, at the first "moment"
after initial expansion or awakening.   For our present manvantara, scientists
(seeing only the last and material evolution) would call this, "the first
"moment" of inflation (Hubble Time) after the big bang".  Cosmologists would
call it "the 'basin' of the time cone."  Patanjali might call it the "ultimate
division of time."  I would say, it's the time it takes the initial pralayic
spin-energy to radially move from the primal zero-point to complete the first
3 cycle spherical field of consciousness (or spiritual) energy.  This might be
considered as the time it would take to complete the first manifest form.
Pythagorus would say "the Universe geometrizes" from that moment on.  

Interestingly, the 6 directions of space emanating from any initial zero-point
would confirm this.  The primary geometric form superscribed on its 3 center
crossed polar axes, (Up-Down, N-S, E-W) and inscribed within the first
emanated spherical field--would be the six-pointed "diamond" or octahedron.
Thus, the "diamond heart" (the shape if the carbon and the silicon crystal) is
the geometrical root of all subsequent form, and carries within it, as does
the "triune sphere," every symbol of fundamental truth used by every religion
and mystical teaching since the beginning of TIME.  It not only contains the
entire root of Euclidean and Pythagorean geometry--point, line, triangle,
cube, tetrahedron, octahedron, icosahedron, dodecahedron, etc., but also the
root of all later non Euclidean geometries related to 3-dimensional space, and
the multi-(or hyper-)dimensional spaces within and around it.

All these spherical fields within fields ("wheels within wheels" as the
Ancient Brahmin Masters might say) are very difficult to imagine--as our minds
are only trained to visualize in two dimensions... Therefore, as a study aid,
I have made a simplified cross sectional diagram of this multidimensional
spherical energy flow--along with theosophically correlative labels--which
enables us to visualize the following characteristics: (See the "chakrafield
diagram" at: 
<A HREF="http://members.aol.com/uniwldarts/uniworld.artisans.guild/chakrafield
.html">http://members.aol.com/uniwldarts/uniworld.artisans.guild/chakrafield.h
tml</A> )

1) How all flows of energy in each successive hyper-field or sub-field,
originates or emanates out of primal spin around (and passing through) what is
essentially the same primal zero point. 

2) How the "lines of force" of all spin energies, from the most subtle
consciousness fields to the most gross material fields follow an endlessly
repetitive path around and through each field in a manner identical to every
other field.  
 
3) How each successive field frequency order grows out of the initial mother
sphere of spinning lines of energetic force--which can contain or encompass
(based in its fundamental cyclic nature governed by both stillness and motion)
all the holographic image interference patterns describing the entire
universal evolution previously experienced by all the latent zero point
individualities of every potential being.

4) How the process of evolutionary growth is self replicating ad
infinitum--through the interpenetration of all fields through their zero-
points--and how this energy flow might symbolically reflect itself in the
structure and code of the DNA molecule. ("As above, so below")

5) How each sub-field radiating out of its mother/father field's zero-point
center reflects its own zero-point center which is an exact mirror image of
the primal zero-point center. 

6) How the fundamental laws of cycles and periodicity are maintained by the
endless flow of the initially expanded, inflated or emanated lines of spinning
energies ("spinergies"). 

We can look at it this way: (referring to the diagram)

Imagine or visualize that the primal outer shell of spinning energies,
containing 6 inner shells of geometrically (but not energetically) identical
spinergies, represents the manifested universe in its seven aspects or
principles.  When the universe goes into pralaya each of these seven layers
collapse into their zero-point--sacrificing all their metric spatial
dimensions--but not losing any angular momentum or vectorial energy.  The
resulting *condition* of absolute harmony is represented solely as "abstract
spin" on an infinite number of rotational axes around a stationary zero-point
of no dimensional characteristic.    

Since the previous expanded spin-energy-created dimensional fields of
vibrations were capable of being modulated with image information (in the form
of holographic interference patterns), these patterns would also still remain
in the "seven layers" of the "relatively absolute" zero-point spinergy after
collapse into pralaya.  In scientific terms related to our material sphere,
this would be analogous to the invisible compressed electromagnetic energy
circulating within the circumference surrounding a black hole"... Or, in
theosophical cosmological terms, it could be described as "the eternal parent
wrapped in her seven invisible robes..." (see: Book of Dzyan, stanza 1)

Each layer (robe, or field frequency order) then, would experience it's own
pralaya. And, after all successive layers have resolved themselves into
harmonious wholes and gone to their individual pralayas, the entire
mother/father containment field would collapse into its mahapralaya... All,
occurring in the exact reverse order of the initial inflation into sequential
minor manvantaras and their ultimate mahamanvantara.  

Remember, however, that Brahma has cycles of days, months, years and
lifetimes, even as we do--and that each of these great cycles can be
considered to pass through both a series of progressively longer manvantaras
and pralayas and ultimate mahapralayas, etc.  But, how can we know how many
lifetimes Brahma has before its "Universe" goes into its maha-mahapralaya?
Can there EVER be an end--or beginning--if the Universe can be considered as
ETERNAL in ANY of its relatively absolute and absolutely relative states?
According to this picture of how primal energy cycles work, and based on the
Master's teaching that abstract motion never ceases, "emptiness must always
lead to "fullness"--and vice versa.

Therefore, any meditation and visualization on the formation of these
"coadunate but not consubstantial" fields and their relationships to each
other can proceed to any degree of complexity or be reduced to any simplicity
desired.  (But, I would take HPB's advice and not try to go beyond the
planetary solar system level when considering pralayas or manvantaras.)

The rest of such considerations about the origin and evolution of these fields
and their correlations, correspondences and relationships to consciousness,
mind and matter may be deduced by scientifically minded theosophists through
further meditation.  It may also help to refer to my preliminary notes at:  
<A HREF="http://www.tellworld.com/Astro.Biological.Coenergetics/";>http://www.t
ellworld.com/Astro.Biological.Coenergetics/</A>

That's how I see the Secret Doctrine correlated with a new postmodern and post
quantum scientific paradigm... One, that is entirely consistent with all
previous expressions of classical, modern and postmodern physics.  Not only
does this graphical-energy concept of field generation and organization help
explain the nature and evolution of monads, unity of all in all, rounds,
globes, races, pralayas and manvantaras, the seven principles of man and the
universe--and verifies by analogy and correspondence the principles and
operation of the fundamental laws of nature--but it also shows us the
interconnections and interdependence of the various "coenergetic" fields and
their non-local linkages with the zero-point centers of "awareness" (and of
"Will") that enables us to better understand the "psychical powers latent in
man," along with our abilities to achieve alternate states of consciousness. 

When Science will someday acknowledge that this self-replicating, globular,
coenergetic field structure is the fundamental framework of the universe, as
well of the cause of its evolution, those who follow scientists as their gurus
will begin to accept the teachings of HPB--and her life's work may finally be
vindicated.

As an attempt to include in the "synthesis of science, religion and
philosophy" a valid (imaginable) alternative scientific paradigm that links
ancient science with both the classical science (referred to by HPB) and the
modern science that has evolved since Einstein's E-mc^2--I hope I've presented
these "food for thought" ideas clearly enough so as not to confuse too many
beginning or intermediate students of the Secret Doctrine.

I would be interested in any comments or suggestions, and all questions would
be welcome. 

Best wishes,

Leon
leonmaurer@aol.com

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