Contact - The Theosophical Society in Queensland · Brisbane Theosophical Society p 5 CONTACT...

Contact

The members' newsletter of the Brisbane Theosophical Society

2015 Issue 1 January – April

Standing Buddha statue at the Tokyo National Museum. One of the earliest known representations of the Buddha, 1st–2nd century CE.

Brisbane Theosophical Society p 2 CONTACT Magazine 2015 -1

Brisbane Theosophical Society 355 Wickham Terrace, Brisbane (opp. top of Albert St) Tel: (07) 3839 1453 (library times) Fax: (07) 3831 3692 Web: http://www.theosophyqld.org.au Email: [email protected]

BOOKSHOP & LIBRARY: (Closed on Public Holidays)

Monday and Wednesday …….……………..10.30 am to 2.30 pm Friday……………… 1.00 pm to 4.00 pm & 6.30 pm to 7.25 pm Saturday ……….…………………..…………..9.00 am to 12 noon

Closed 12 Dec 2014 to 2 Feb 2015.

During the closure period the library will be opened from 10:30 to 12:30 on Mondays 22, 29 Dec, and 5, 12, 19 January.

The programme of Lodge meetings is enclosed and is also placed on the Lodge website which will always be the most up-to-date source of information.

The Theosophical Society has no official statements of belief. It encourages members to seek the truth by various avenues, but always subject to respect for others. All views expressed in these pages are entirely those of the authors – not of the Society.

PRESIDENT’S RAVINGS

Well-known Theosophist, Geoffrey Hodson, wrote (in The Hidden Wisdom in the Holy Bible, 1993, pp32,33);

Throughout the ages there have been aspiring men and women who have sought to solve the mysteries of life and death. There have also been illumined men and women who, having solved those mysteries, have given their solutions to certain carefully selected disciples... [This knowledge] in the East is called Brahma Vidya, the wisdom of Brahma, the Supreme Deity. Greek philosophers of the Neoplatonic schools, notably Ammonius Saccus and his disciples, referred to this knowledge as Theosophia, Divine Wisdom. It was also known as ‘gnosis,’ meaning directly perceived spiritual knowledge .... In English it is known as Theosophy, the Ancient Wisdom, the Ageless Wisdom and the Wisdom Religion.

So we see that what we call “theosophy” is universal. It is a Wisdom that is found in all traditions, East and West, whether they be Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Sufi, Jewish (Kabbalah), Hermetic, Native American, Aboriginal, Taoist, or many others. As one of our leaflets points out, “Theosophy is the spiritual heritage of all humanity which has been in existence from ancient times, and may be thought of as the essence of the great religions and philosophies of the world.”

In the 20th Century, some wonderful writings were discovered in the Middle East that threw much light on Wisdom teachings in the Western traditions. These were, of course, the Nag Hamadi scrolls (1945) and the Dead Sea Scrolls (1947). When these are added to other scholarly studies of earlier times (including those of Theosophist G R S Mead see for example Echoes from the Gnosis, TPH, 2006), we find that the Wisdom Tradition was, and is, very much alive in the West. As students of “comparative religion, philosophy and science,” Theosophists should not neglect to study these sources. They are also helpful in that they throw a very different light onto Christianity than the simplistic, exoteric view espoused by almost all Churches today.

However, when the Theosophical Society was founded in 1875, this Ancient Wisdom was perhaps most obvious and complete in Eastern religions. Our Founders therefore focussed particularly on Buddhism in bringing this knowledge to the West. They became Buddhists themselves and, particularly, Colonel Olcott played a large part in the revival of Buddhism in Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Japan and Burma. This will be the focus of the 2015 School of Theosophy at Springbrook in April. In this Contact, we have included articles on aspects of Hinduism and Buddhism.

Wishing you all a very fulfilling and happy 2015, and I look forward to many of you taking part in our program for the year.

In this issue...

President’s Ravings - Brian Harding ........................ 2

Brisbane Lodge News .............................................. 3

HPB’s Isis Unveiled - Lynette Muller ........................ 5

Buddhism & the Practice of the Presence of God - Noel Bertelle ...................................................... 6

Sadhana: art of spiritual practice - Brian Harding ... 8

The Dalai Lama on Green Living ............................. 9

Dimensions of Consciousness - Dora Kunz ........... 10

Zen, Tao & Chinese gardens - Judith Jeffrey ....... 13

TOS News .............................................................. 15

Happiness is not something ready-made.

It comes from your own actions.

— Dalai Lama XIV


BRISBANE LODGE NEWS

Brisbane Theosophical Society Executive Committee for 2015

President: Brian Harding

Vice Presidents: Phillipa Rooke, John Harris

Secretary: Phoebe Williams

Treasurer: Patricia Ossenberg

Committee: Christine Gwin, Robyn Rizzo, Geoff Harrod, Dianne Manning

Sub-Committees for 2015

Library: Patricia, Phillipa, Phoebe, Robyn

Bookshop: Brian, Patricia, Phoebe

TOS representative: Geoff

Finance: Brian, John, Patricia, Phillipa, Phoebe

Program: Brian, Phillipa, Phoebe

Property & Equipment: Phillipa, Dianne, John

Publicity: Dianne, Christine, Robyn

Program Listing

The Lodge program is in the form of a 3-fold A4 sheet as a pocket sized leaflet like the various Theosophical Society brochures. The weekly groups are included in sequential context between the Friday night meetings, so that it is clearer what is on and when. The programme is enclosed with this newsletter. It can also be seen on the website, and the pocket document version can be downloaded as an Acrobat PDF file. If your printer can print double sided, set it to do so with landscape orientation and to flip on the left side.

TS Classics CD

Many people have appreciated the CD of searchable TS classic literature that was compiled by the Philippines TS. But if you have upgraded your PC recently you are very likely to have found the CD no longer works. The search programme within the CD system will not work on Windows-7 64 bit or on Windows-8. It does work on Windows-7 32-bit, but most new computers sold since Windows-7 was introduced have been supplied with the 64-bit version of Windows pre-loaded.

Recently the Philippines TS people have produced an updated version of the CD system that will run on 64-bit. If any of you are in need of an update to be able to use your TS CLASSICS CD on a 64-bit computer, please contact me and I can provide a software patch to upgrade it. This applies of course only to people who have previously bought the CD. New purchases from here on will be the upgraded version.

Geoff Harrod [email protected] Tel: 07 3378 8534

Upcoming Event

Silent Meditation Retreat

Friday evening 27 March to Sunday afternoon 29 March

Presented by the Brisbane Theosophical Society at the Theosophical Education and Retreat Centre, 2184 Springbrook Road, Springbrook, Qld 4213.

We invite you to join us in the tranquillity of this lovely bushland setting, for a weekend of meditation. Whether you are a beginner or a long-term practitioner, this retreat offers the opportunity to experience the beneficial effects of meditation, in the company of like-minded people. With gentle guidance from our facilitator, Rod Bucknell, you will learn how to make meditation an integral part of your life. To facilitate your practice, silence will be observed from first thing Saturday until after lunch on Sunday. You will have a private room, and all meals are vegetarian.

Registration forms will be available in the Lodge Library or downloadable from the Brisbane TS website, http://www.theosophyqld.org.au

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.theosophyqld.org.au/brisb_lodge.htm


Library News

Brisbane Lodge Members-only Library and Reference Library

The Members-only Library and the Reference Library are great resources for TS members looking for deeper theosophical insights. They are upstairs and hold a fine collection of old and new books. These collections are available for the use of members during library opening hours. Ask for the key at the Reception Desk, for access to these collections. They contain some very old and rare books.

OPAC on-line Theosophical Libraries index

The project to index all the libraries of the TS in Australia on the National Libraries on-line system, OPAC, is now nearly complete. If you find a wanted book is in another Lodge library, it can be obtained on loan for members. To access the on-line index, go to the National TS website http://www.austheos.org.au You will find it on the drop down menus.

New additions to the Brisbane Lodge Library

Ulysses .............................................................................. James Joyce Astro-therapy ..................................................................... Gregory Szanto Growing up with Bach Flower Remedies ........................... Judy Howard Condensed Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna ............................. ‘M’ Teach Only Love ................................................................ Gerald Jampolsky The Dimensions of Paradise .............................................. John Michell Alchemy: An Illustrated A to Z ............................................ Diana Fernando The Wisdom of St John ..................................................... Bo Yin Ra Time Travel ........................................................................ J H Brennan Strange Story of the Quantum ........................................... Baucsh Hoffmann Bach Flower Remedies Q & A ........................................... John Ramsell What We May Be ............................................................... Piero Ferruci The Next Development in Man .......................................... L Whyte The Stone Puzzle of Rosslyn Chapel ................................ Philip Coppins The Sphinx Mystery ........................................................... Robert & Olivia Temple The Essene Teachings of Zarathustra ............................... Edmond B Szekely The Chakras & Esoteric Healing ........................................ Zachary Lansdowne Rules for Spiritual Initiation ................................................ Zachary Lansdowne The New America: The New World .................................... H G Wells The Seed of Race .............................................................. Sir John Woodroffe The History of Philosophy .................................................. Clement C J Webb Jung & The Lost Gospels .................................................. Stephan Hoeller The Gnostic Jung & The Seven Sermons to the Dead ...... Stephan Hoeller Prescriptions for Happiness ............................................... Ken Keys Man’s Search for Certainty ................................................ Don Stevens Life’s Long Journey ............................................................ Kenneth Walker Star Begotten ..................................................................... H G Wells World of William Clissold ................................................... H G Wells The King Who Was a King .................................................. H G Wells Men Like Gods .................................................................... H G Wells Mr Blettsworthy on Rampole Island ................................... H G Wells Pneumatology of matter ..................................................... David Gunn The Science Myth .............................................................. Dominique Chu The Practical Qabalah ....................................................... Charles Fielding Secret Doctrine of the Rosicrucians ................................... Magus Incognito The Essene Gospel of Peace Book 3 ................................. Edmond Bordeaux Szekel The Essene Gospel of Peace Book 4 ................................ Edmond Bordeaux Szekel Introduction to Buddhist Philosophy & Meditation .............. B W Finster Conversations with God Books 1,2,3 .................................. Neale Donald Walsch Emotions, Stress & Health ................................................. Alex J Zautra The Art of Happiness ......................................................... Dalai Lama Dalai’s Book of Wisdom ..................................................... Dalai Lama An Initiate’s Book of Pathworkings (Astral Travel) .............. Dolores Ashcroft Nowide The Keys to the Temple ..................................................... David Furlong Ancient Lives ..................................................................... John Romer Modern Psychotherapies ................................................... S Jones & R Butmar The Secret Doctrine Wurzburg Manuscript ........................ H P Blavatsky The Doctor Alone Can’t Cure You ..................................... R Alexandra The Science of The Science of Becoming Oneself ............ H Saraydarian Threefold Method of Understanding the Seven Rays ......... Kurt Abrah The Word According to Eve ............................................... Cullen Murphy Everybody’s Guide to Natural Cure .................................... Harry Benjamin Toward a Psychology of Awakening .................................. John Welwood

http://www.austheos.org.au/


An Insight into HBP's Isis Unveiled by Lynette Muller

Helena Petrovna Blavatsky's first major work, Isis Unveiled, was published in 1877. This book has, since its publication, become acknowledged as a classical text of modern Theosophical Thought. Originally entitled The Veil of Isis, it was renamed because this title had previously been used for an 1861 Rosicrucian work by W.W.

Reade.

Isis Unveiled is divided into two volumes. Volume One "Science" provides opportunities for the expansion upon the third object of the Theosophical Society: “to investigate unexplained laws of Nature and the powers latent in the human being”. There are discussions on occult science, the hidden and unknown forces of nature, exploring such subjects as forces, elementals, psychic phenomena, and the Inner and Outer aspects of humanity. Volume Two "Theology" focuses on the second object of the TS: to encourage the study of Comparative Religion, Philosophy and Science. This volume discusses the similarity of Christian scripture to Eastern religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Zoroastrianism.

Published in The Theosophist, April, 1886, as a reprint from an earlier article by HPB named "Occult or Exact Science" she has written that:

"About ten years ago, when Isis Unveiled was being written, the most important points the work aimed at was the demonstration of the following: (a) the reality of the Occult in nature; (b) the thorough knowledge of, and familiarity with, all such occult domains amongst 'certain men' and their mastery therein; (c) there is hardly an art or science known in our age, that the Vedas have not mentioned; and (d) that hundreds of things, especially mysteries of nature – in abcondito as the alchemists called it – were

known to the Aryas of the pre-Mahabharatan period, which are unknown to us, the modern sages of the 19th century".

As shown by HPB when she wrote, in the preface of Volume One "Science", Isis Unveiled is "a plea for the recognition of the Hermetic Philosophy, the anciently universal Wisdom Religion, as the only possible key to the Absolute in science and theology".

Isis Unveiled also provides a review of the ancient philosophical systems and traditions like Platonic Philosophy which can be seen as a link between eastern and western thought; the priceless value of ancient sacred works; the achievements of Neo-Platonists, magic as a divine science, and interpretation of certain ancient myths and allegories.

Since the original publication of Isis Unveiled in 1877, many controversies have centred on this book, mainly because of the

unfamiliarity of the text. It is worth noting that HPB's work only supplies its readers with hints and sketches of the philosophy to which it relates rather than methodical expositions. These hints, however, were addressed to the intuition of the reader. This can be shown by a quotation of HPB's printed in The Theosophist, November 1882, when she wrote that: "In Isis the explanations of a hundred mysteries lie but half buried ......only waiting for the application of intelligence guided by a little Occult knowledge to come out into the light of day".

In "My Books" published in Lucifer, May 1891, as an article, "She Being Dead Yet Speaketh", HPB stated that, all its literary defects notwithstanding, "Isis Unveiled contains a mass of original and never hitherto divulged information on occult subjects".

HPB's combination of original insights, backed by scholarly and scientific sources, accomplished a major declaration of ancient and modern occult thought in the face of materialist science. "Everything that happens is the result of law – eternal, immutable, ever active". This is shown in the ten fundamental propositions of Oriental Philosophy given by HPB toward the close of Volume Two “Theology” and are considered by many readers to contain the essence of the entire text of Isis Unveiled.

References:

Isis Unveiled, HPB 1877 Edition. Volumes One and Two.

The Theosophist, November, 1882 and April, 1886.

Lucifer, May 1891, “She Being Dead Yet Speaketh”

Isis Unveiled, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isis_Unveiled

A Concluding Notice:

A new "Isis Advanced Study Course” is being offered to members of the Theosophical Society on the 2nd and 4th Thursday from February to November at 11.00am to 12.30pm.

Introductory Courses, The Key to Theosophy Study Group and Other Groups are open to everyone. Please refer to the Regular Groups page on the Brisbane Theosophical Society's Programme.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isis_Unveiled


BUDDHISM

and the Practice of the Presence of God A talk given by the late Noel Bertelle at a Liberal Catholic Church retreat in 2009

Buddhism is most assuredly an appropriate subject for a Christian Retreat; I say that in case you are wondering about the choice. It is appropriate because it is becoming increasingly apparent that many nurtured in a Christian environment are becoming dissatisfied with the modern practice of Christianity and are searching within the Buddhist philosophy for practical answers to their problems. Why? Because they think they are unable to source from within their own environment suitable answers to the questions they have about their lives and how to live them in a meaningful manner.

And so it is extremely important that leaders and teachers within the Christian community gain sufficient understanding of the Buddhist philosophy, not only to comprehend the reasons for its growth and its universal attraction, but to be able to supply sensible comment about its beliefs and to relate and to compare, as necessary, those teachings with the many complimentary teachings inherent in the Christian religion. It is also vital that they are able to do this without complicating the explanations with theological information which is not designed to be clearly understood in this day and age, and then adding further confusion with any possibly narrow interpretations of Christianity’s basic truths.

“Do no evil, only do good and purify the mind”. These

words are attributed to the Lord Buddha, yet it is equally an expression one would expect to hear from the Lord Jesus as goodness, like many other virtues, is at the heart of every great belief system, clearly indicating the great and wonderful similarities within all great philosophies and religions. But note, the word ‘religion’ in regard to Buddhism may not be entirely appropriate as many scholars do not consider it a religion but a philosophy. A philosophy coordinated by a code of morality and behaviour directing its practitioners towards a path of action that is both physically and mentally attuned. Its aim is to end the cycle of re-birth and re-death and therefore the extinction of suffering.

Buddhism sits comfortably with other belief systems and it has existed in harmony with most of them over many years. Among the main reasons we may include that it harbours no sense of exclusivity (from a Buddhist stand-point one can claim to be a Buddhist Christian, for instance). It has no hard and fast doctrines to protect and therefore forced to fight over, as any differences of opinion can be addressed without force, with clarity and through discourse.

To understand Buddhism it is important to be aware that the Buddha refrained from any speculation to do with theological concepts and claims. His teachings were concerned with a very clear goal i.e. the elimination of delusion and the associated attachment to the ego which tends to fuel passions, desires and cravings and so become the cause of human suffering.

He taught that the final goal of Enlightenment can be achieved in this life, as this life is not a state of continued existence as some still believe in relation to Heaven and Hell. And that Nirvana is here and now and is not a state of extinction as frequently and mistakenly taught in the West. The literal meaning of Nirvana is ‘to blow out’ and it implies a state in which the fires of illusion are extinguished resulting in

release from suffering into a state of Transcendental Freedom and Eternal Bliss – a state beyond finite comprehension.

A few words about the Buddha would be in order at this point: the word Buddha means ‘Enlightened or Awakened One’. Buddha Shakyamuni refers to the Buddha by his clan name the Shakya, and muni meaning saint or sage. His original name was Siddharta (goal achieved), Gautama his family name. He was born at full moon in Lumbini in the month of May around 563 B. C. He lived a life of protected luxury in his father’s palace and married Yashodara his cousin; they had a son, Rahula.

At the age of 29 he takes his first trip outside the protected palace environment and observes the Four Signs: age, sickness, death and a mendicant monk, these experiences lead him to the Great Renunciation. He then leaves home and family and becomes an ascetic, he seeks the advice of Brahmin teachers, studies for six years, undergoes austerities and self-mortification and after rejecting these extremes, travels on to a site near the Hindu city of Gaya in Bihar and sits beneath the assattha tree (ficus religiosa), (now called the Bodhi or Enlightenment tree. He meditates, encounters Mara and the forces of evil, combats them, sees his past existences, passes through all stages of Samadhi, realises the Four Noble Truths and then attains Enlightenment at age 35 on a full moon night of May 528 B. C; at a place called Bodh Gaya.

The Buddha took 49 days to decide whether or not to teach what he had discovered. Obviously he chose to share that great wisdom which had come to him through perseverance and a profound desire to help those who suffer. And so a new philosophy or way of understanding was released into the world.

Buddhism grew and at some time between 200 B.C and 200 A. D, cleavage in the two great and largest schools occurred. What was then the Hinayana School is referred to today in a less prejudicial way as Theravada, meaning the ‘Way of the Elders’, rather than the ‘lesser vehicle’ as it had been described. Theravada tends to emphasise the necessity of renouncing the world and pursuing the oath of self-conquest, irrespective of what others may do. Its spiritual ideal is symbolised by the Arahat, the individual who has overcome desires and is therefore free from the circle of birth and death, gaining the peace and joy of Nirvana and setting an example to others by showing the way to the spiritual goal.

The other major school is called the Mahayana, meaning the ‘Greater Vehicle of Salvation’. Using their Master as an example they also give up worldly possessions and desires (not just for the sake of their own peace but in pity for all those who are suffering) in order to find the truth that may save all humanity. Thereafter they will devote the rest of their lives to sharing the way to the enduring happiness, showing a sense of compassionate oneness with others, so demonstrating they are not caught up in the web of self-seeking and have achieved true spiritual perfection.

The Bodhisattva, the Mahayana ideal, is defined as one who has transcended the state concerned only with personal salvation; they will not rest until leading all to the same goal.


After Enlightenment they remain in the world devoting their compassionate skill to the aid of others. One might say they are in the “Practice of the Presence of God”.

Buddhism leads to a way of life filled with tolerance and compassion. Its goal is the realisation of Nirvana. Its teaching is both subtle and paradoxical. To the unwary it is not therefore easy to understand, possibly why so many accept transparent explanations about its doctrines and beliefs at their surface value rather than delving deeper to find the hidden truths which, one could observe, are also veiled in other belief systems.

The Buddha’s first public sermon was called ‘The Setting in Motion of the Wheel of Truth’, and so started the oral tradition of the transmission of the Dharma (teaching) which forms the basis of Buddhist philosophy. First are the Four Noble Truths, the Truth of the Origin of Suffering; humanity’s desire

and its wanting, greed, grasping, clinging and attachment to things and to self and the influence of sensuality, craving and attachment to existence and non-existence. He taught that once one recognises this it is possible then to follow a path leading to emancipation from suffering and hence end the cycle of re-birth.

This leads to the way of cessation of suffering and to the realisation of Nirvana or the truth of the Path through the Noble Eight-Fold Path with its eight categories: Right Understanding, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration. The Eight Fold Path is also referred to as the Middle Way and may be described as the path of the pilgrim who upon leaving home, follows neither the way of self-indulgence nor the extremes of self-mortification or excessive asceticism.

I have selected three questions that are frequently asked and provided what I trust will be satisfactory, or at least thought-provoking, answers. Let us address them briefly;

Q. Can there be said to be an idea of God in Buddhism?

A. This is often a difficult question to address as frequently

the one asking may not know, or have thought through from their own spiritual base, what they really mean by the word “God”. Until one has taken the time and made the effort to sit quietly and without recourse to preconceived ideas, sought the answer to this inevitable and important question in their own life then, unless the mind is strong enough to rebel against the barriers of conditioning and automatic reflexes that inevitably occur, there can be no real revelation, merely a hasty retreat to a mundane, comfortable and sometimes rather childish understanding sourced from the past. To seek an answer to this weighty question it must be sought in one’s heart. It may then be that the asking of such a question will have little purpose as the Practice of the Presence of God in one’s life can reveal all that it is necessary for one to know about God.

Q. What does the Buddhist doctrine of Annata (no soul) imply?

A. The Buddha denied the existence of the soul as a

metaphysical substance. As life is a stream of becoming, being and dissolution, the concept of permanency cannot be reserved for the soul. Individuality cannot be established independently with component elements which are subject to the laws of Samsara (birth and death). Nothing that is composite endures and as a man or a woman is a composite identity there can be no immortal, unchanging soul. As we learn to understand that the soul changes from moment to moment and that as it is growing, learning and expanding it is therefore evolving, we will recognise that effectively no two minutes of time can be the same for it. It cannot be immortal as immortality makes no allowance for change. If a thing evolves it changes and the part that is changing is not

therefore immortal. The Buddha did however admit to the Self as a focus of the path of action in a practical sense. To support his no-soul doctrine he proposed the teaching of the Five Skandhas (aggregates or components of human existence);

1. Matter – name and form. 2. Sensations or feelings – subject to change through mind

and sense organs. 3. Perceptions or ideations – including emotions and

attitudes. 4. Mental formations – volitional and judgemental aspects. 5. Consciousness – awareness of the process and totality;

always changing.

Q. What is meant by Nirvana?

A. In the popular Mahayana Heart Sutra you may have

noticed the expression ‘nothing to attain’ receives prominence. Nirvana is in that category as it cannot be attained; it is in fact in the realm of ‘no thing-ness’. Even though paradoxically (because personality is made up of elements that simply pass away and do not endure) one’s personality may attain Nirvana, it should be noted that such realisation will be found only in the world of Maya (illusion). For instance, if we, even though doing so sincerely, seek the highest Wisdom, then we are still within the realm of consciousness. To realise Nirvana one has to pass beyond consciousness; a point well worth considerable contemplation and not to be put aside as one’s very life can be greatly influenced by the result.

Here is I believe, a helpful key which may assist our understanding. It is from the Parinirvana Sutra. It brings out the basic Mahayana teaching on Self as contrasted with the self, and on the cosmic application of Anatta.

It is only when all outward appearances are gone there is left that one principal of life which exists independently of all external phenomena. It is the fire which burns in the eternal light, when the fuel is expended and the flame is extinguished; for that fire is neither in the flame nor in the fuel, nor yet inside either of the two, but above, beneath, and everywhere.

The above passage may appear puzzling or contradictory, but as stated earlier the Mahayana teachings are both subtle and paradoxical and so at times difficult to understand. And often to one’s further consternation, it may be just as puzzling to find that due to the various blends of Buddhism, one may be told by many a devout Buddhist, should one ask a question about God or the soul, that they do not exist; but do remember that the Buddha did not say so, it is very much a later interpretation of his teaching caused primarily by humanity’s emotional needs, because when it came to issues concerning religion or philosophy he simply maintained a ‘noble silence’ (a wise man, indeed).

Finally, I do believe it is very important to understand as much as possible about the very practical Buddhist philosophy because, no matter what one’s belief system may be, there will always be elements that stretch from it to help at times of need, and truths which emerge to help with one’s spiritual search. To that end it may help to liken the teachings to a raft, to use them to get across the river (Samsara), but not take the raft apart and analyse and intellectualise it as it does not matter what the raft is made of as long as the final goal is reached.

The following words from the Dhammapada seem to be a good summary; He who by righteousness abandons the evil ways of life shines in this world like the moon which has escaped from the clouds.

Is that not the Practice of the Presence of God?


Sadhana - the Art of Spiritual Practice Some review notes by Brian Harding on an article by David Cooper in Quest, Spring 1994 p24.

The author, David Cooper, starts off by pointing out that most members of the human race are still spiritually asleep, in spite of the almost unlimited availability of source teachings.

“Although we can readily discover in the local library references to almost all of the wisdom teachings regarding spiritual sleepiness, few of us are awake. Thus, according to most teachers, the knowledge of the truth is not enough, and awakening can be accomplished only through personal direct experience. Nobody else can awaken us, we can only awaken ourselves.

“Well, we have heard this before...” and he goes on to say that many people are only too keen to seek ways of awaking from their sleep, but they still seem to make little progress. Many, many people, who have been practising some form of meditation or other religious discipline, sometimes for years, never feel they are really getting anywhere - “they still get upset in traffic jams, their relationships are still difficult, life is still a struggle.”

Then Cooper makes an important point, one that I have heard quite often in Church, for example, without it ever being clearly explained to me what I can do about it. He writes:

“As long as we segment our lives into periods for spiritual practice and those for everything else, we are doomed to perpetuate dualistic thinking which by its nature is self-defeating. Meditation may begin and end with the sound of a bell, but our spiritual practice must transcend bells. Simply put, life itself is our sadhana.

“Whenever we have dualistic thinking, our frame of reference is insidiously altered. When I believe I am engaged in a spiritual practice, I introduce a small voice which says, ‘Now I am doing my practice.’ ... as soon as I end my practice, I stop making an effort ... and quickly settle into an habitual, rote, thoroughly conditioned state of mind.”

“... spiritual awareness is the product of a lifestyle rather than of a segmented practice ... traffic jams, relationships, and everything else we encounter in our moment-to-moment consciousness is an opportunity for practice.”

Talking of teachers and gurus, Cooper writes: “... every event we encounter, every stimulus that enters our senses, every thought that arises in our minds is a message from our perfect teacher - the one we spend so much time looking for. The ideal guru is an ever-present reality. We need not wait for anyone to arrive, we need not travel in search of a master, the perfect teacher is here, in this instant ... “

“Each moment in which we notice what is happening to our mind-body, our immediate environment, our reaction to stimuli, or our general state of being, we are in the awakening process; each moment we are not noticing, we are asleep.”

Cooper quotes Krishnamurti: What are you waiting for? Don’t wait for anything, don’t fall into the trap of systems and beliefs, just be aware.

He then talks of method vs no-method, guru vs no-guru and asks: “What then is a method or practice of spiritual development that is no method or practice? What is a teacher/helper that is no teacher/helper? This is the koan given to us by our guru.”

In a useful digression, he reminds the reader of another trap. “The trap is the perpetuation of the idea that there is a final state of pure enlightenment and total wakefulness, that these

are attainable goals. That is to say, the myth and misunderstanding that enlightenment is a thing or a place - a noun - when in fact it is a process - a verb. Awakening is an ongoing, infinite process ... Thus when we discuss ‘the path of the awakened ones’, the emphasis must be on ‘path’ - that is, the process ...”

Trungpa Rinpoche’s definition of the bodhisattva is a very encouraging one, it seems to me. Cooper gives it: “He or she who is brave enough to walk on the path of the bodhi ... That is not to say that the bodhisattva must already be fully awake; but he or she is willing to walk the path of the awakened ones.”

I recall Ken Wilber describing the Dharmakaya (level 7) as “the asymptotic limit of consciousness”. And that fits in with what Cooper says. An asymptote, for the non-mathematicians who might one day read this, is a curve that approaches an axis - or straight line - but never actually reaches or touches it. So Wilber is saying that consciousness will never actually reach a finite “end” - it will be forever approaching it.

Cooper, in another quote from Rinpoche, says: “Interestingly, although the bodhisattva has taken a vow not to attain enlightenment ... he always lives life thoroughly and fully, and the result is that before he realizes where he is, he has attained enlightenment. But his unwillingness to attain enlightenment continues, strangely enough, even after he has reached Buddhahood.”

Quoting Ramana Maharshi, Cooper writes that “progress is measured by the degree of removal of the obstacles to understand that the Self is always realized.”

This fits with my understanding - we do not have to achieve Self-realisation, or Christhood, or Godhead. We already are divine, we already are those things (“Know ye not that ye are gods?”). Our task is to remove the dross, the egotism, the selfishness, that hides our divinity. We have to cut away the tangle of ivy that has obscured the window of our souls and let the light in (an image that came to me so clearly one night in a dream back in the 70s).

Now comes the crux of the article. Cooper actually gives guidance as to how to proceed. He says: “The path of the bodhisattva is designed to enhance the removal of these obstacles. It consists of six virtues called paramitas. ... The

six virtues are:

Dana (giving in all forms), sila (morality/discipline), kshanti (patience), virya (energy/interest), dhyana (meditation/awareness), and prajna (supreme wisdom).”

The paramitas

• Dana: is not charity. It is letting go of I/me selfishness; it

is unconditional generosity, selflessness, generosity of spirit, giving whatever we can - time, money, possessions - without self-consciousness or self-obsessed thinking

• Sila: relates to the cosmic principles of justice, the laws of karma; the recognition that every thought, feeling or action reverberates throughout the universe; the immediate consciousness of personal responsibility in every breath


(not limited to the laws of morality constructed by individual traditions)

• Kshanti: comes from realising that everything is constantly in flux, nothing is permanent; so if we try to hold on to things we like, or reject things we do not like, we will soon be disappointed. It means equanimity, not being disturbed, knowing that “This too will pass”; the wisdom of insecurity

• Virya: knowing that each moment offers something new; looking at everything as if were for the first time, with the eye of our inner child; probing the depths and meanings of even the simplest events; with this heightened interest/energy, nothing is boring

• Dhyana: literal meaning is “awareness” (not so much meditation in the lotus position); being awake to life situations as they are; being aware of the continuity of meditation with generosity, morality, patience and interest/energy; heightened awareness in which all the paramitas are integrated. In this situation, all the paramitas “overflow into each other,” ending in the ocean

of

• Prajna: supreme wisdom; the discriminating knowledge that sees everything, providing the fuel which ... empowers all of the paramitas.

How do we develop a continuity practice?

“The solution is not a simple ‘ten-point program’ ... not something we can easily grasp with our logical, empirical thought process, for it dwells in a timeless, spaceless realm that defies description. Which brings us back to our koan: What is a method or practice ... that is no method or practice; what is a teacher that is no teacher?

“The commitment of the bodhisattva, the willingness to walk the path of the enlightened ones, is a continuity experience transcending formal methods of practice. Every act of a bodhisattva comes from the heart of wisdom, prajna, the sixth paramita, where the other five paramitas meet, and where - as the Sufis would say - teacher, teaching, and the one taught are the same.”

Krishnamurti: “What are you waiting for?”

“Don’t talk about a practice, don’t dream about a month’s retreat in the mountains, don’t fantasize about when you will have time. Do it! Doing is the necessary requisite for ‘knowing’. We cannot ‘get it’ by thinking.

“So the answer to how to wake up is as simple as the statement ‘begin now’, and as difficult as restructuring our entire way of being.

“... In all traditions, this path [of awakening] becomes a life-style, sufficient in itself. Each day, this awareness will help us strive for more selfless generosity, it will keep us aware more often of the implications of our acts (especially as they involve others), it will remind us more frequently when we are anxious or bored that this is but a passing phase, it will bring the curiosity of our inner child to see things with a fresh eye, and it will constantly remind us that death is never more than an instant away.”

On the path of the enlightened ones, “... we never wait for the time when we will awaken, but we accept each opportunity that life offers - right now - to engage life with as much awareness as we can muster ... Thus we will continously open, like the mythical lotus whose inner petals rest at the centre of all essence having the translucent, pristine, and profound clarity of constant, iridescent wakefulness.”

The Dalai Lama on Green Living and the Environment

Just as we should cultivate more gentle and peaceful relations with our fellow human beings, we should also extend that same kind of attitude towards the natural environment. Morally speaking, we should be concerned for our whole environment.

This, however, is not just a question of morality or ethics, but also a question of our own survival. For this generation and for future generations, the environment is very important. If we exploit the environment in extreme ways, we may receive some benefit today, but in the long run, we will suffer, as will our future generations. When the environment changes, the climatic condition also changes. When the climate

changes dramatically, the economy and many other things change. Our physical health will be greatly affected. Again, conservation is not merely a question of morality, but a question of our own survival.

From the book ‘Live in a Better Way: Reflections on Truth, Love, and Happiness‘ by H.H. the Dalai Lama.

More inspiration

Dalai Lama Quotes on Happiness - http://www.myspiritualquotes.com/dalai-lama-quotes-happiness/

Dalai Lama on Self Discipline and Ethics - http://www.myspiritualquotes.com/dalai-lama-self-discipline-ethics/

Dalai Lama on taking responsibility - http://www.myspiritualquotes.com/dalai-lama-taking-responsibility/

Dalai Lama on Love and Kindness - http://www.myspiritualquotes.com/dalai-lama-love/

Best Dalai Lama Biography: Kundun by Mary Craig, Great Spiritual Books http://www.greatspiritualbooks.com/2014/dalai-lama-biography-kundun/

Find more spiritual quotes: http://www.myspiritualquotes.com/dalai-lama-green-living-environment/

http://www.myspiritualquotes.com/dalai-lama-green-living-environment/


DIMENSIONS OF CONSCIOUSNESS By Dora van Gelder Kunz

Modern-day mystic, occultist and clairvoyant. She died in America in 1999

This article is a chapter from her book: ‘The Personal Aura’. It is provided by the Theosophical Society in America

The life of even the most ordinary person, which may seem very uneventful, is actually full of experiences on many levels. While we are focused on the daily business of living, we are at the same time involved in a whole complex of interactions between physical processes, feelings and thoughts. Though we may not pay much attention to these interactions, they constantly influence our behavior, as well as our sense of well-being.

What I try to do in this book is share with you something of my perception and appreciation of the hidden dimensions of consciousness within us, and in so doing, make you more aware of these aspects of your own life, and of your ability to effect conscious changes in yourself.

My focus is principally upon our feelings, for the aura—the luminous cloud of color surrounding each of us—is the personal emotional field. But our feelings are part of the larger whole we call a human being, and therefore they are inseparable from everything else that goes on within us. The interactions between mind, emotions and physical energies are so rapid and so constant that they blur these differentiations, and so we usually only notice them when they break down. Therefore, in order to understand the nature of the emotions and the role they play, we have to see them from the perspective of the whole person—and this includes not only the body, mind and feelings, but also still higher dimensions of consciousness.

Higher Dimensions of Consciousness

Theosophical, Indian and other literature has identified the nature of these higher states, and given them various names. While I always recommend that people study this literature for themselves and make their own judgments, for present purposes I will simply offer my own descriptions and use my own terms, which I hope to make as simple and clear as possible.

For many reasons, I prefer to think of the different states of consciousness not as “planes,” as they have been called in earlier descriptions, but as dimensions, or fields. Both these words suggest the possibility of movement within an open, dynamic space, and also of an almost infinite expansion into higher reaches of consciousness. Both imply the existence of a greater whole of which the various dimensions or fields are aspects, and within which they constantly interact. In speaking about the human energy fields, I always try to emphasize that everything — including ourselves—exists in terms of this greater whole, which is the universe itself. All the dimensions of consciousness are present everywhere, in everything, even if only in a rudimentary state.

Consciousness

Consciousness takes many forms, and its ranges extend far beyond what we ordinarily think of as the conscious mind. The various states go all the way from primitive body awareness at one extreme to the highest reaches of spiritual insight at the other. Thus they form a hierarchical system, in that the energies associated with the various states of

consciousness become increasingly refined as they move into the higher dimensions. But this does not mean that any one of these states is negligible, or less important than the rest. If we try to see all of the dimensions in terms of the whole of which they are a part, we see that each one has a unique part to play within the total spectrum of consciousness.

Lama Govinda has explained this very well: “The consciousness of a higher dimension consists in the coordinated and simultaneous perception of several systems of relationship or directions of movement in a wider, more comprehensive unity, without destroying the individual characteristics of the integrated lower dimensions. The reality of a lower dimension is therefore not annihilated by a higher one, but only . . . put into another perspective of values.”

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In the same sense, when I speak of “higher dimensions” or “higher levels” I am not trying to make value judgments, but merely describing the “systems of relationship” which Lama mentions above. Indeed, value judgments are inappropriate when we are trying to understand the nature of the different dimensions of consciousness. It is more to the point to study their functions and characteristics, and become aware of their special contributions—as well as their limitations—in terms of that far greater reality which is the whole of human nature.

Looked at in this way, states of consciousness are actual conditions which are different from one another but not separate—either from each other or from the body itself. The

subtle fields co-exist within the same space, and influence each other. Their distinctiveness lies in the fact that each has its own unique type of energy and rate of vibration. This makes it possible for the various fields to exert their special effects and at the same time interpenetrate and interact with the other fields without interference.

It is difficult to find an exact analogy to this phenomenon in terms of ordinary experience. Perhaps the whole effect is achieved in somewhat the same way that the unique sound of a musical chord is created by combining different tones, each of which can be distinguished by a trained ear. The experience of listening to music is the best analogy I can think of, because the differences between the subtle fields are essentially harmonic in nature. Each dimension of consciousness has its range of frequencies, and plays a particular part in the total orchestration of a human being.

Radiant Energies

Not being a scientist, I can only suggest how it may be possible to perceive the subtle fields. We know that sound and light are forms of radiant energy which have different wavelengths, and that many phenomena beyond our sense perception, such as ultraviolet light, become accessible to us only when we have the instruments to detect them. To me, the higher dimensions are forms of radiant energy related to light. Just as sunlight can be broken up into the spectrum we


see as a rainbow, so these higher energies reveal themselves through their characteristic colors. It is these that I perceive. Therefore, clairvoyance may be an instrument which makes some otherwise invisible wavelengths and frequencies come within the range of perception.

When questions about clairvoyance arise, one of the greatest stumbling blocks for most people lies in the fact that the ability to see subtler dimensions seems to be limited to a few people. While I am unable to account for this, I want to point out that until modern times it was impossible to see viruses, or distinguish ultrasonic waves, or examine genetic material. All these things existed before there were instruments which made it possible to observe them, and it may well be that in the future the mechanism of clairvoyance will be investigated and understood. As of now, I can only say that I achieve my clairvoyance by a shift of visual focus. It is under my control, and I use it only when I choose to do so. I use the word “visual” to describe the process because it is a kind of seeing, but the actual eyes are not involved. It is more a focusing of attention. I use my clairvoyance primarily in my work, and my ordinary vision is just like that of anybody else.

To me, vitality, feeling and thinking are forms of energy. Although most of us do not think of them in this way, a number of scientists whom I have consulted say it is legitimate to use the word “energy” in connection with the emotions, since energy means “the capacity of acting or producing an effect.” We accept physical fields like gravitation as “real,” because although we never see them we experience their effects directly. At the moment, due to our lack of more information, the nature of the subtle fields can only be assumed from the ways in which they affect us. I always try to emphasize that feelings are not just subjective psychological states; they have real physical consequences, and influence our health in many ways. I speak from personal experience, for this is an area in which I have been observing and working all my life.

The Spectrum of Consciousness

Regarded as energies, feelings and thoughts are related to one another in a way that is analogous to the relationship between sound and light. At one end of the spectrum of consciousness lies the field most closely related to the physical body. It is known as the etheric, and its characteristic form of energy is what is called prana in Indian thought—that

is, life energy or vitality. All living things are nourished and sustained by this energy. In diagnosing illness, the color and radiance of an individual’s pranic flow are important indicators to me of the state of health. The reason why the emotions have such an impact upon our health is because the etheric is very closely linked with the emotional field; there is a constant interplay between the two types of energy.

Incidentally, this is the most difficult field to study clairvoyantly, because it is the most complex. The etheric is really the prototype of the physical body, and it replicates the complexities of our bodily processes. In looking for traces of disease, therefore, one must take note of variations in color, texture, degree and type of motion, and many other factors within the etheric. In the practice of healing techniques such as Therapeutic Touch, we work primarily to discover and remove impediments in the flow of etheric energy, while always thinking of the person as a whole. A discussion of the etheric and its functions is not appropriate here, but those readers who would like a fuller description might be interested in a book which I wrote with Dr. Shafica Karagulla, called The Chakras and the Human Energy Fields.

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Next in order of subtlety of material and speed of motion comes the astral or emotional field, whose characteristic form of energy is feeling, followed by the mental, whose energy is thought or thinking. Beyond lie the intuitional field and still subtler levels. These dimensions are increasingly finer in

texture, lighter, faster moving, and have higher rates of vibration. They are more powerful, because they are able to transform coarser energies into finer. They are more open to spiritual influences, and they are also more enduring, since they are less affected by the storms and stresses of physical life.

As I mentioned, our tendency is to think of things that are “higher” as being “better,” but this is not necessarily the case with the relationship between mind and feeling. On the level of daily activity, these two faculties ordinarily work closely together. As soon as we feel something we rationalize that feeling, and place it in the context of our experience, so that our emotions and thoughts are constantly interacting.

The Mind

The mind can influence the emotions very powerfully, because it is that part of us which can distance itself from our feelings and observe their effects: “I feel happy; I feel angry.” Thus the mind can give more objectivity to our emotions by pointing out the direction in which they are leading us, and by so doing, produce order and coherence in our lives. But the mind can also become warped and exert an egotistic, negative and harmful effect upon the emotional life. It can justify our prejudices and pervert the truth, thus becoming, as H. P. Blavatsky put it, “the slayer of the real.”

Yet the mind’s influence is essential for personal integration and balance, as well as for guidance. It is the mind that sets goals, plans strategies, formulates problems and works them out step by step. Reason offers guidance, gives shape and coherence to our wandering thoughts, permits self-criticism. All these are the positive uses of the mind in daily life.

There is also a level of the mind which is engaged with abstract thinking, such as mathematics, philosophy or science, and this does not affect the emotions directly to the same extent. However, mathematicians and scientists would not pursue their profession unless it aroused their interest, which is needed to engage emotional drive, focus attention and kindle enthusiasm for an abstract enterprise. Some people have a real passion for ideas and can become totally absorbed in them; such interest is far from being merely academic. In this case, emotional and mental energies are working fully together, which is one of the signs of personal integration.

But there is all too often a gap, a lack of synchronism, between the reason which tries to understand a situation and the feelings which make us act. Often people do not heed the information so offered, but directly act out what their feelings dictate at the moment. Then our emotional drives can lead us into behavior which does not accord with our intention, or even with our experience. In such a case we say that a person is impulsive—even, perhaps, to the extent of being out of control. Such splits in the psyche show up visibly in the personal aura of an individual. The mental field can be open to the intuition as well as being clear and well focused, but the individual may not be well-balanced at the emotional level. When this happens, there may be a fertility of ideas without the ability to follow through and put them into practice.

There are many such kinds of dysfunction between the fields. However, except in the very ill or disabled, the emotional and mental fields always work together quite closely, for thinking is as a matter of course accompanied by some degree of feeling. It may be interest or boredom, like, dislike or indifference, but even when repressed, there is always an emotional component in our thought.

The Intuition

Our feelings for nature or for beauty or for world peace are also emotions, but of a different kind. They go beyond the purely personal, and are linked with that aspect of ourselves


which we call the intuition. This is a level of consciousness which is beyond the mind, or lies deeper within us, and it gives us insights which reach beyond our knowledge. Many people have had a sudden experience of unity with nature—or with the spiritual component of the world—so strongly that for the moment it dissolved all the barriers that separate us from one another. Such a unitive experience transcends both mind and emotion, suffusing them with higher-level energies so powerful that the result can be an entirely new perspective on life.

In a different case, insight—seeing the whole of a relationship or the truth of an idea—is also an aspect of the intuitive field, for it is both more sudden and more direct than our usual cause-and-effect thinking. It is this that makes it possible for us to see new truths in old situations, to find creative solutions to intractable problems and to make sudden, quantum jumps in understanding.

The Experience of Time

There is another point to note about the subtle fields that seems to indicate that they really are dimensions of space. The experience of time is different in these higher dimensions. I do not understand how or why this should be so, except that we all know that time is relative to motion. Since the dynamics of the subtler fields are different from those of the physical world, time values on these levels are much more flexible. Past and present, as we know them, lose much of their distinctiveness and become part of one time continuum. Both are represented to some extent in the here and now of the emotional and mental fields. This is why it is possible to discover traces of the distant past in a person’s aura, and to forecast tendencies which may develop in the future. The way this time factor becomes part of the individual human psyche will be touched upon in describing the auras of babies and children.

Although we may be unaware of the different states of consciousness and energy within us, we make use of them as easily as the air we breathe, for they are part of the natural world. But what makes it possible for us to draw upon all these energies without being conscious of them? What is the principle of integration which coordinates and unifies all the physical, vital, emotional and mental dimensions within us?

The Timeless Self

I believe that this integrating factor is what I like to call the “timeless self”—a principle of being which provides continuity during life, and persists after death. This is a concept which occurs mainly in Hinduism (where it is linked to reincarnation), although it is kin to the soul as described in Christianity. However it be defined, from my point of view that self is a reflection of the ultimate aspect of being. It is rooted in a timeless spiritual reality which transcends and embraces all the dimensions of consciousness.

As will be shown in the aura pictures, especially those of children, everyone is born with a link to this spiritual reality, whether or not this link is ever consciously realized during life. The self (which should not be confused with the ego or egotism) is the thread which not only connects us to reality, but also gives ultimate shape, meaning and value to our experience. It is the power of the timeless self within us that makes it possible for human beings to overcome the greatest obstacles. Even severely handicapped people can draw upon

this inner strength. By so doing, they can develop their own creativity and find it possible to make a contribution—not physically, perhaps, but on the level of human relations.

I have a dear friend who illustrates this point in a remarkable way. As an infant she contracted polio, which left her extremely disabled. She is confined to a wheelchair, has lost the use of her left arm, and is neurologically impaired in a variety of ways. In spite of all this, she has never been without the confidence that she would be able to function in the world.

Although her health is always precarious, her courage and her creative potential have made it possible for her to overcome many of the obstacles to a full life. She was able to study painting and develop her artistic gifts to the extent that she has been capable of earning her own living, at least partially. Although she is in constant pain, she never complains and is always interested in the lives of other people. As a consequence, she has dozens of friends. The realization that she is able to make a contribution to others in spite of all her difficulties has sustained her spirit throughout her life.

This story illustrates a point I shall be emphasizing in different ways throughout this book. With determination, and the self-confidence it inspires, we can draw upon an almost limitless potential of higher energies within us, giving us the ability to achieve goals which might seem far beyond our capacities.

The Effects of Karma

Lastly, there is the question of personal idiosyncrasy. We are all born with a basic emotional pattern, or with the possibility of developing certain emotional qualities, as I shall try to show in discussing the auras of children. In this connection, it is impossible to ignore the question of karma (the effects of past action), which sets the boundary conditions of human life. These conditions are not cast in concrete, because karma can work itself out in many ways and on many different levels. Nevertheless, it establishes certain predispositions which a person will have to cope with during life, and these are clearly represented at the level of the emotions.

Today we have become used to the idea that we are born with certain genetic patterns that determine our physical make-up and also govern our mental processes and emotional responses. This is true to a certain extent, but our knowledge of the genes does not yet encompass the ways in which mental and emotional characteristics are formed, or how they will develop. Medicine is finding ways to change genetic patterns and perhaps eliminate hereditary defects, but will such changes make people more humane, kinder, more compassionate? Most of us accept the fact that illness affects our mental and emotional states, but not that the reverse is also true.

Human beings have far greater depths within them than one might suppose. As I remarked at the beginning of this chapter, the subtle dimensions of consciousness are in many ways more powerful than our physical attributes. We all have access to these inner resources. They are not reserved for the few, the privileged or the especially gifted, for they are part of our human heritage. Even when they remain an untapped resource, they are there, always available if we have the will and the motivation to use them.

References

1 Lama Anagarika Govinda, Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism, E. P. Dutton, N.Y. 1960, p.218.

2 Shafica Karagulla and Dora Kunz, Theosophical Publishing House, The Chakras and the Human Energy Fields, Wheaton, Ill. 1989.


ZEN, TAOISM & FENG SHUI

portrayed in Chinese Gardens

by Judith Jeffrey

There is no doubt that some of the most beautiful gardens and house designs in the world are based on the principles of Zen and Chinese landscaping. Having studied the philosophy of Taoism for a long time and written a version of The I Ching (a book of wisdom in oracle format), I am able to recognize Taoist symbolism, but I am not a landscaper, nor an expert. However, Zen/Buddhist monks and Taoist gardeners have spent lifetimes learning how to manifest this beauty, both in gardens and within their own nature. This article will show examples from the Chinese Gardens at Darling Harbour in Sydney.

Taoism is a unique branch of the Ageless or Perennial Wisdom behind all philosophies. The Founder is said to be the legendry Emperor/Great Sage, Fu Hsi. of approx. 2,800 B.C.E. It suggests ways to attain harmony with the natural order of the world and the Oneness of all Life. Later exponents of Taoism were the Great Sage Lao Tsu, in 600 B.C.E and then his disciple Chuang Tsu in 300 B.C.E. The word Tsu means old, but young sage (wisdom and simplicity).

In Zen/Chen gardens, concepts like — the earth for stability — mountains for stillness — and water for humility— are represented by rocks, hillocks, pools, etc. The foundation-stone of Feng Shui and Zen landscaping, as well as the I Ching oracle is this Mandala of Wholeness. It shows the Eight Trigrams (or three line symbols). The top three line symbol is called Heaven - its complementary opposite at the bottom is Earth. While Fire and Water are opposite each other in the middle. Then there is Thunder and Wood. Also the complementary

symbols of the Mountain and the Lake. They stand for various human qualities, that have parallels in Nature. For example the highest virtue is said to be humility, represented by the trigram of Water, as it seeks the lowest level, yet flows like the Tao.

This arrangement is also attributed to the illumined Emperor Fu His (the Father of Taoism), who furthermore, is thought to be the founder of acupuncture. It is called the Inner World Arrangement and signifies that we can combine our Yang masculine and Yin feminine qualities — (also Thinking and Feeling or head and heart; Fire and Water). Likewise the introverted and the more-extroverted aspects of our personality (Mountain and Lake), as well as Intuition and our Sensate attention to detail (Thunder and Wood/Wind).

Feng Shui literally means Wind and Water and this mandala is used as a template for house building and landscaping. There are many superstitions and dogmas around Feng Shui, but the basis idea is very simple. It merely represents a place for everything - a time for everything - a state of wholeness in one’s environment — which in turn has an effect on one’s mind. This is why a house full of clutter is negative

Feng Shui. The Ten Thousand Things of Creation are meant to be mostly on the outside not the inside.

The practical manifestation of Taoist and I Ching symbols in a Zen or Chen garden, can be used as a focus of contemplation and inspiration. The Sydney gardens were planned by Australian and Chinese designers and built by people from the province of Guangdong and the Darling Harbour Authority. The work and materials were a gift for Australia's Bi-Centenary from the city of Guangzhou - a sister city of Sydney. It is one of the few Chinese Gardens of this size outside mainland China and thus is a very special place indeed. Thousands of people express their gratitude for this gift every single day by their delight in just being there. As you view these images, you may like to consider how you could introduce some of these concepts into your garden.

With Zen gardens it is very important to have colours, flowers and native trees that harmonize with your locality — called flowing with the Tao of your environment. Garden Guru Don Burke advises choosing a colour theme and staying with it for dramatic effect. Our garden has mostly the pink and burgundy of Cordylines contrasting with green.

Taoism may have seemed theoretical, irrelevant or outdated to some - until recently. Yet it is inevitable that a growing awareness of ecological degradation will lead to a world-wide adoption of a more-Taoist view of life.

One entertaining book on this philosophy is: "Taoism, The Road to Immortality" by John Blofeld. In it, Blofeld recounts how he was fooled by humorous Taoist priests into studying how to make a Pill of Immortality, until he worked out for himself that it is transformation.

Taoism and Buddhism often merge to become Chen or Zen. Their most important precepts are simplicity and humility. This is illustrated in the image of an enlightened being, depicted


as a child — the child Buddha. Here the opposites of wisdom and simplicity are combined, which is the keynote for Hexagram No. 25 in The I Ching.

The beauty of Taoism spread into Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore and then the world-over. Balinese gardens have similar themes. Many Australian houses use the principle of harmony between the inside and the outside. Gardens in Japan are more austere and controlled, some of the trees are shaped and clipped all the time, yet they are just as beautiful.

On the left is a carved granite Yin/Yang symbol - part of the floor of the Round Pavilion in the Sydney gardens..

The circle represents the wholeness of The Great Tao or The Web of the Universe. Within it, we have two coequal halves, e.g. Matter/Spirit, Form/Consciousness, Contraction/Expansion. Each half contains aspects of the other, symbolized by the dots. It is only the particular balance of these energies that is unique on all levels of creation. Therefore Spirit and Matter are merely like water and ice.

When walking through these areas, some of the paths are very rough and you have to be mindful or aware in the here and now (the qualities of the Trigram of Thunder). There are many different types of paths, some rough, some smooth - as in life. In The I Ching, rocks represent grounded-ness, inner strength, and stability. When this energy is in excess, it refers to a stifling of growth, passivity or depression.

At no part of such gardens can you see the whole extent of them. Just like our journey through life, it is unpredictable and surprising, as with the Trigram of Thunder. Taoists say that the Universal Law of Balance is shown in very ordinary things, like walking along a path. So too, we are ceaselessly adjusting and stabilizing as we follow our greater Path towards greater maturity.

Zen gardens ideally have a balance of light and shade. Some of the walls have intricate patterns or windows to open up further vistas. Thus a feeling of stability and airiness, the near and the far, are brought together. This window is called Cracked Ice, the image for I Ching Hexagram No. 64 - Before The End. The image is of a fox who has to cross over a frozen river, i.e. make a tense changeover. We receive that text when we need to stay on course no matter how stressful a time of transition.

This rock is like the archetypal Lock Ness in the Lake. It is a universal symbol for what is in the depths of the subconscious, symbolized as deep water. The pool is called the Lake of Brightness, on which the Dragon seems to be floating. Hence we have an allusion to both solidity and movement when there are ripples on the lake. Water is a most important symbol in Taoism, e.g. the ocean is used as a metaphor for The Oneness of Life - called The Great Tao.

Raked gravel is often used to represent the ocean shore or waves. It is said that we are all immersed in an Ocean of Light which permeates every atom of our being. Another Taoist teaching is that - All Life is immersed in the Tao, like fish in water.

Water also represents the flow of Life. Thus the word Tao has many meanings, not just the Way. For it suggests being true to

ourselves and flowing with the reality of what is. For example, that which is meant for us [like a relationship] flows to us, as easily as a river flowing to the sea.

Lao Tsu wrote in Verse 8 of the Tao te Ching:

The highest good is like water. Water gives life to the ten thousand things and does not strive. It flows in places men reject - and so is like the Tao.

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In the I Ching oracle, the trigram of Water symbolizes the mysterious, the subconscious, awa-reness of true feelings and being able to flow with adversity. In its deepest aspect it is Compassion. When this deeply subjective energy in excess, it stands for those times we feel overwhelmed and confused. Hence it is a time to communicate anxiety.

In your own home, a water feature, a large bowl of water with a plant, or a small pool with fish can be a joyful energizing influence via Feng Shui. The way that energy flows (or does not flow) around your home or garden in a free way, is also symbolized by the flow of water.

The opposite yet complementary trigram to Water is Fire. There are many allusions to fire in the Chinese Gardens, including the Red Boat Pavilion. The symbols for Fire are the Sun, Lightning, The Firebird and The Eye. The I Ching trigram of Fire stands for truth, clarity, creative vision, even illumination. When this energy is excessive it can become intellectual pride, tunnel-vision, or burn-out. In Verse 58, Lao Tsu said:

The Sage is sharp but not cutting, Pointed but not piercing, Straightforward, but not unrestrained, Brilliant, but not blinding. In the pursuit of learning, every day something is acquired. In the pursuit of Tao, every day something is dropped.

2


The highpoint of a Zen Garden represents the Trigram of Mountain. (In your own garden at home the Mountain can be a miniature.) The traditional symbols for Mountain are - The Wise Old Man or Elder, a Temple on a Hill or a large structure. The many skyscrapers built around the Sydney Gardens could also represent The Mountain. In The I Ching it stands for the qualities of tranquillity, contemplation, temperance, or a Doorway to new understanding. When this energy is in a state of imbalance, it can signify isolation, austerity, repression and a seeking for perfection, rather than wholeness. A wooden tower on a hill (Trigrams of Wood and Mountain) is the image for No. 20 -The Overview, which one receives when not seeing the larger picture.

The complementary opposite to the trigram of the Mountain is the Lake, which stands for the joy of living, extroversion, abundance, sharing and co-operation. Yet in excess, the Lake energies can lead to self-indulgence, hedonism and a lack of appropriate boundaries.

When I see this beautiful lake I think of the Taoist saying: The still mind of the Sage is like a mirror of Heaven and Earth.

One of the main ways that Taoism is active in today’s world, is through environmental movements. We are starting to catch up with a Taoist truth, held for more than 5,000 years, that: the Great Tao is as an Unbroken Seamless Web of Being, in which every part is linked and mutually dependent. Through such an awareness of Unity, life can be seen as an interrelationship - in which nothing could be classified as non-spiritual, non-sacred, separate, or unimportant. The Taoist Sage Chuang Tsu wrote: The Sage looks to the Unity to which

we all belong and cannot perceive how we can suffer loss. That is because Great Sages are operating from a Unitive level of consciousness or higher mind, to which we can also aspire.

The trigram of Thunder - The Sudden or Direct is represented in gardens by sudden Spring growth, types of pathways and Bamboo (the swift-growing) compared to gradual organic processes of the opposite Trigram of Wood. Thunder stands for that which call us to attention, making us awake in the Eternal Now. When this energy is in excess, is manifests as recklessness, sensationalism, cynicism (rather than humour). If you want to grow Bamboo at your place, it is wise to plant the clumping variety only, in large pots.

The complementary opposite trigram is Wind/Wood which stands for all that is Gradual. Its symbol is the Willow tree. With its leaves gently swaying in the breeze, it captures the feeling of both wind and wood. It

signifies patience, gentleness, restraint, subtlety, intuition and penetrating beneath the surface of things. When in excess, these energies result in indecisiveness, secrecy, and ineffectiveness. This is a Verse by Lao Tsu about Wood -

The gentle and yielding is the disciple of life. ...The hard and strong will fail. The soft and weak will overcome.

3

It is exactly what the Master Jesus was referring to when he said that the meek would inherit the earth. Their teachings are almost the same.

This is the Moon Gate. The Moon is associated with the trigram of Water, while the Sun is linked to Fire. In Taoist alchemy, the union of the Sun and The Moon, produces the Elixir of Immortality - the transforming power of the Self. The Circle stands for the Eternal and the square for the earth, as in I Ching coins and also in Tibetan mandalas.

I hope that this article has given you a finer appreciation of what Zen or Chen gardens contain and that you will look at them with new eyes. They are a wonderful example of Humanity and Nature working together to bring joy and peace to all who visit them. You too can introduce some of these elements into your surroundings and most of all, understand how greater balance and harmony on the outside can become part of your inner being.

References:

1. Tao te Ching translated by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English Verse (part

of Verse 8) 2. Tao te Ching, Gia-Fu Feng. Part of Verses 58 and 48. 3. Tao te Ching, Gia-Fu Feng. Part of Verse 76.


T.O.S. news Brisbane Theosophical Order of Service, 355 Wickham Terrace, Brisbane Q 4000 Phone: (07) 3839 1453 FAX: (07) 3831 3692 Email: [email protected] President: Geoff Harrod Vice-President: Dianne Manning

Annual General Meeting Report

The Annual General Meeting was held on Saturday 6 December, 2014. The office bearers for 2015 are: President: Geoff Harrod Vice-President: Dianne Manning Secretary: Janet Harding Treasurer: Carolyn Harrod. Geoff Harrod is the TOS Representative to the Brisbane Theosophical Society Committee.

TOS members work as volunteers in a number of areas, choosing ones of particular interest to them, such as community service, education, healing, animal welfare and environment.

In addition, the group chooses several projects to support each year with donations and voluntary work. For information, talk to one of the committee or visit www.theosophyqld.org.au

Meetings in 2015

All interested people are invited to attend the planning meetings which are held quarterly from 10.00 to 11:30 am in the T.S. rooms. Meeting dates in 2015 are: Saturday 7 March Saturday 6 June Saturday 5 September and Saturday 5 December (AGM).

Invitation to participate in our Healing Group

Our Healing Meditation Group meets in the upstairs room of the TS at 9:30 am on the first Saturday of every month:

Saturdays 7 February, 7 March, 4 April, 2 May, 6 June, 7 July, 1 August, 5 September, 3 October, 7 November, 5 December 2015

The healing meditation takes 30 minutes and is based on a meditation developed by renowned author and clairvoyant, Geoffrey Hodson.

All interested people are invited to join us. Since the meditation starts at 9:30 am, please arrive by 9:25 am.

Thanks for supporting our ‘Mobility for Life’ Art Exhibition

Our Brisbane TOS group held its second Art Show on 6 and 7 Sep 2014. The first Art Show, two years ago, had been a great success and this one proved to be also. One of our members, Karen Cipresi, is an artist and has lots of contacts in the artist community, so it was wonderful to have her to organise the promotion of the event and look after dealing with the exhibitors properly, and to supervise hanging the pictures. Thirty-six artists exhibited paintings, and other artworks. The Exhibition name ‘Mobility for Life’ denotes the project that the proceeds go to.

The show was run on the two days of the weekend, in the Theosophical Society’s heritage building. The basement was also used, for various shops and a garden café. One of the TS/TOS members, Krystyna Soler, did a busy trade in drawing portraits of people. A well-known artist, Regina Dolan, gave a demonstration of her oil painting technique. Another illustrated

talk was given on the second day by Sophie Munns about her Artist-in-Residence project, ‘Homage to the seed’.

The Art Exhibition brought in nearly $3,500, after deducting the artists’ share of the sales of their works. The shop sales and refreshments were very profitable and Krystyna donated her time and expertise in portrait painting.

The proceeds of the exhibition will be used for the Mobility Aids Project run by the TOS in the Assam and Arunachal regions of Northern India. With the low cost of making the various mobility aids in India – hand-operated tricycles, wheelchairs and so on – that money will provide a great many aids to needy people.

The joys of volunteering

TOS members around the world give their time and energy as volunteers in many different ways. They organise and manage projects and provide their professional expertise free of charge. They plan and contribute to fundraising activities and widen the circle of action through working harmoniously with others and focusing on service with ‘no strings attached’.

According to Volunteering Australia, Australians donate 713 million hours of time annually, with a desire to make a difference and a sense of purpose providing inspiration. Researchers tell us that volunteering increases our personal satisfaction with life, willingness to trust others and level of community engagement. Helping others releases the ‘happy’ chemicals, endorphins, and reduces our levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. In short, it makes us happy.

For theosophists, service is part of our spiritual practice; one of the three pillars of theosophy – study, meditation and service. We strive to serve, to give of ourselves unconditionally. And we know from experience that action which flows naturally from our inner awareness of the oneness of all life, brings joy.

It is one of the beautiful compensations of life, that no person can sincerely help another without helping himself.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

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