Theos-Talk Archives (November 2002 Message tt00234)

--- In theos-talk@y..., <dalval14@e...> wrote:
> Nov 11 2002
> 
> Dear Friends:
> 
> AVALOKITESHWARA in the THEOSOPHICAL GLOSSARY is as follows:

Thanks for the quote. The phrase "on-looker" is strngly reminiscent 
of the way Purusha (Person_ is described in the Upanishads, Purusha 
in this context being a Sanskrit designation for the Higher Self. 
This "on-looking" is an experience many yogis have from time to time 
in which they experience themselves as having a dual consciousness, 
one mortal and the other completely detached and unaffected by 
worldly events. I had this experience at the age of 38 when very 
ill. In addition to a feverish and elirious "me" therewas suddenly 
another which was completely lucid and altogether unconcerned about 
what appeared to be my impending demise. This other "me" told the 
mortal "me" that it had been around for millions and millions of 
years before I was born and would be around for millions and millions 
of years after I died. My apparently impending death did not concern 
it in the slightest, since it was "on-looking" but completely 
detached from worldly affairs. I had obligations to fulfill in this 
world and pointed that fact out, whereupon my fever broke and I 
returned to normal health, albeit utterly drained of strength. All 
of us have an "on-looker" within us, but this dual consciousness 
phenomenon tends to appear during health crises. If I remember 
correctly, Neff quoted an incident in her book in which Blavatsky 
reported a similar (but not identical) experience as have numerous 
others. There is also a description in THE TRANSACTIONS OF THE 
BLAVATSKY LODGE which as I recall unfortunately tends to give the 
erroneous impression that this "on-looker" looks upon the world with 
considerable anxiety but is unable to overrule the mortal self, 
although responsible for its karma. To think that it has any anxiety 
at all would be a misinterpretation of the text.