THE SPACE
As always in all our texts, the “he” is to be understood in the same way as a “she”.
We choose to introduce the topic with a definition of Maya:
Maya is the phase-out model of the evolution of the physical with astral and mental bonds to which the “masses” are attached.
The beauty of the earthly-physical Maya, in which one should not lose oneself, can, however, in individual cases create a visual comparison to higher existences. In Agni Yoga, Mahatma M. gives one of the rare descriptions: “On her flights to the distant worlds, Urusvati (H. Roerich) sensed their differences. It may sound strange that despite their unified foundation, there are so many differences, even in manifestations that seem similar to earthly conditions. The inner atmosphere of those worlds is marvellous. The colours may occasionally be reminiscent of earthly colours, but their substance is completely different. The colours of the seas on earth cannot be compared with the depth and transparency of the waters of the subtle world. The atmosphere of the subtle world resembles a rainbow, but its subtle colours are quite different from the colours of rainbows on earth. The fish can fly, and their colouring has no equal to the fish on earth. Similarly, the most precious feathers of earthly birds cannot be compared with the plumage of the subtle world. Humans are similar to earth-dwellers, but surprise us with the subtlety of their facial features and body tissue. Their voices are reminiscent of the finest singing on earth, but the meaning is quite different. Such differences, which take some getting used to, impress the human consciousness. Blessed are those who are ready to accept the multiplicity of worlds while in their gross physical body. Do not think that such acceptance is easy. One must be spiritually experienced in order to accept reality. The word ‘accept’ points to the very essence of evolution. There are also cultured and educated people who cannot understand the many and varied worlds and therefore have no access to the subtle world. Subtle feelings can never be forced.
Whoever rejects the idea of the subtle world prepares a miserable abode for himself. One must cultivate a great expansion of conceptions and ideas, for without them one cannot hope to make flights in the subtle body. A fearful subtle body will be frightened and remain motionless even if it has managed to leave the physical body. It is not easy to enter the subtle world fearlessly and observe and study it calmly. The masses in the subtle world are as unusual as the living beings in the distant worlds. Luminous matter is different from earthly matter, but even with all the infinite differences, one must hold on to the idea of unity. Our place is one and yet multi-faceted.“
The physical in the earthly is no longer a principle. Yet the masses persist in it and continue to cling to it. Detachment from it in consciousness, despite the need to continue to deal with it practically in everyday life, is a difficult balancing act in an incarnation. Inner detachment can only be achieved through extensive study of the basics of spiritual science (regardless of what it is called) and through the heart’s characteristic of (not arrogant) compassion for all people with their needs and worries as well as their errors and mistakes.
The contents given here are to be understood as a supplement to the well-known theosophical literature. No, no master or guru has given or dictated instructions here. What is presented has been taken by the authors from the subtle mental reservoir of esoteric science, among other sources, and has been put into written form to the best of our knowledge. As always in spiritual science, this does not claim to be the final truth, but it is the best possible representation.
When a theosophist, occultist, esotericist or, in other words, a disciple penetrates into the ethereal spheres, feeling and thinking, his progress depends on the success of an ever stronger inner group integration. (This refers to a group that is not dependent on culture, family or nation). The fear many well-educated people have of such integration is the possible loss of the individuality they have gained. This fear prevents them from consciously taking this step. We assure you that this fear is unfounded, but this path is closed to narcissistic egos that do not want to fit into a rhythm. If the rhythm of subtle activity is like a heartbeat, the one who is on this path will correspond to this rhythm and his work done for the subtle community will still have an individual flavour. This individual flavour was the reason why the door opened for him on this path. However, he will refrain from chaoticising the rhythm through hecticness or sluggishness. The trials of the disciple on the spiritual path have to do, among other things, with this fundamental quality of being able to absorb a spiritual rhythm.
It is a perpetual drama for the spiritual Hierarchy that millions of people, who can be called scientists of all kinds, suffer precisely from this fear and this error of egoism and thus fail, incarnation after incarnation, to set foot over the threshold to walk the path of the spirit.
We also write the following content for this group. Every profession learnt involves science and creates education. The concept of science has been interpreted too narrowly and too egocentrically in the past.
Let us repeat the clarification of the term maya: When the development of the physical is considered to be completed by the spiritual entity, which is our planetary Logos (also called God), and he has now been focussing on the “higher” adjacent subtle aspect for some time, the “lived out” aspect is no longer a principle and becomes maya. The human units that continue to cling to the purely physical are subject to the illusion about their future place in evolution.
The universe and its firmament, which we see and perceive with our physical senses, is the image of a much more extensive universe. Image means that in what can be seen and explored there are objects (planets, fixed stars) whose existence is without life. They show us how little significance the earthly-physical still has in the more comprehensive life. The planet Venus, for example, is humanly uninhabited in this universe assigned to the physical earth, but in its more subtle state it is very much inhabited, albeit from an inner point of view. For this we have to detach ourselves from the physical universe in feeling and thought and use senses that were previously dormant. In the earthly universe we see its uninhabited governor.
So let us speak of the earthly universe, whose future is finite. We see the planets and fixed stars as uninhabited governors, but their existence shows us that qualitatively more highly developed forms of life can be found in other universes. Esotericists will speak of a different level.
There are very few references in the teachings to the character and structure of the earthly universe. “Out there in the spiritual-mental world, we are removed from the earth; we are, so to speak, outside the stars, looking at the stars from behind, looking back at the starry world. We are not standing on the ground of the earth, we are in the world thoughts and in the world forces. We live in the atmosphere that we have created for ourselves, spiritually and mentally, as I have described. We look back to the stars, do not see the stars shining, but see the hierarchies, the spiritual beings, which only have their image in the physical stars.” R. Steiner GA 209
With this description, R. Steiner presents us with a mental task that we can only solve if we can detach ourselves from the constants of physical physics, as the name suggests.
If the earthly-physical universe can be seen from the outside, it is limited. Its shape is spherical, analogous to the shapes of the planets. Its interior contains the placeholders of life forms in the firmament, which are colonised with life in every other higher developed universe.
Since the starting point is the observation from the earth, we make do with the assumption of a subtle etheric that permeates the physical firmament. It increasingly minimises physical objects in space that move beyond the area of the earthly, including the moon, and slows them down in their movement. In this way, the limitedness of the earthly universe becomes conceivable from within, in the sense of “as if”. This process requires more than one-dimensional thinking and can be achieved, for example, by practising the circle-dot meditation task on a daily basis.
In the morning, let a point become a circle (imagine it as a process) and in the evening, let the circle become a point processually. It should be practised for several years and it will transform your thinking in many ways.
In modern psychology, dealing with variable constants (a paradox) in the imagination (visualisation) has long been established, and it also borrows from Zen Buddhism, which shows how apparent paradoxes of the physical to the subtle world can be resolved. The thought process described above could be created in modern digital form in a video. The effect would be nice, but not productive for the viewer’s thinking, as the creative element of the will would remain uninvolved and thus no truly transformative result of consciousness would emerge. Incidentally, this description is also a gentle criticism of the many videos and moving images, countless numbers of which are offered on the internet, even by well-meaning theosophists. The creative process of change can only take place within a person and not on screens or monitors. For this creative thinking, please refer to the blog text “Movement” on this website and Waymark 11, both of which are appended to this text at the end.
We state: The earthly physical universe is a limited, spherical structure of relative size viewed from the outside, which can leave our emotional and mental apparatus (sleep, meditation). It contains all elements of the universal universe, in this case, since no equivalent life exists on the substitutes, (almost) exclusively humanly uninhabited objects.
Since the question is sure to arise, here is the answer: Yes, there are closed areas of a lower level (8th sphere) in this earthly universe. There is no need to take a closer look at these darkest areas.
The subtle universe that follows the physical is shown as follows:
In Genesis of the Old Testament we find the text, “And God (the planetary Logos) separated the waters of the earth from the waters above the earth.”
In the occult sense, physical evolution is followed by that of the emotions, the astral and the lower mental. It is described as a predominantly watery substance, but only visible visually with more subtle senses. The earthly-planetary emotional world has its own universe with a corresponding firmament of solar and cosmic objects, which show corresponding life when they correspond to the degree of the earthly astral and lower mental, and furthermore uninhabited representatives of even more subtle solar and cosmic objects. According to the Tibetan master D.K., this universe is vast. It is only possible to find one’s way through it if there is sufficient knowledge about its character and the powers of thought are used to wander (fly) through it purposefully. The exclusively mystical experience of this stage harbours many dangers. The coming new earthly planet will offer the human monads a corporeal body consisting of the condensed astral substance.
Life at this level is thus enveloped in condensed astral matter. Groups of human souls are active here and each group is understood from a higher point of view as a single entity. Only the soul that has studied the principles of the esoteric in physical incarnation and has assimilated them into its being as knowledge reaches this state. Without this knowledge, ignorant souls spend the time between incarnations in spiritual sleep. Before a further incarnation, they are awakened and supplied with feelings and mental impulses that prepare them for the expected further incarnation. The current planetary excess of procreations of new bodies is dramatic in this context, as so many souls are drawn into incarnation without preparation, almost violently. This is a key point of the current chaos in the world. Unprepared souls orientate themselves on their past and tend to re-produce seemingly overcome mistakes. The current ignorance of many young people towards dark fascism is the result of this development or regression.
On the subtle water (sea) of this level there are islands of condensed substance of various sizes. Souls who have the necessary spirituality work in communities on them. Some of these groups have the status of an ashram with a master of the spiritual at the centre. The battle between good and evil in relation to the required planetary development also takes place here, but with other “weapons”. Reference has already been made earlier in this text to the question of the constitution of these groups/communities/ashrams.
If this universe with firmament were viewed spatially from the outside, it would correspond to an elongated oval, which in the upper sphere contains a further group of islands, the base of which is built on air ether. The image of a flying carpet can help to visualise this. On these islands (there are few of them) are those souls whose higher thinking has reached a quality which enables them to co-operate responsibly in the spiritual projects of the Hierarchy. The groups here again show more individual characteristics of the group members. Nevertheless, from a spiritual perspective, each of these groups is an entity.
The perception of the firmament on both “island groups” is different and this confirms the basic truth that I see what corresponds to my level of development (spiritually). The islands on airy mental substance allow an insight into even more inhabited stellar objects.
At this level at the latest, voluntary flights to other stellar objects of the same quality are possible, in mental substance and with full consciousness. However, the karmic bond to the common group always leads back to the starting point. It is clear that other laws and dimensions exist here for which there is no designation. The next progression from this universe is connected with deep occult secrets and sacrifice and cannot be described further here.
In order to give the reader/student something descriptive, we quote Mahatma M. from the books of Agni Yoga: 10.4.25 Diary: “How do you imagine the universe?” – say: “Like a drop of water”.
The next higher universe is conquered by beings after the 4th initiation. It also has its own firmament, which it shares with the other higher levels. The fiery Buddhic is the habitat for the living spirit of the human monad. Each entity has a
fixed place here, which is associated with tasks on a pan-planetary level. In addition, there is a “free” area of spiritual research work.
The soul as a concept and reality is merged with the higher spiritual. The mastery that develops here still contains references to the earthly universe and to the fate of the planet in all its aspects. This remains until another spirit soul brings the necessary development and has made the sacrifice to take its place.
When we speak of the Spiritual Hierarchy, the Ashrams of the Masters, this is where their most advanced members reside. The groups on this level form at their core the respective substance for the three main planetary subtle centres. The head centre, Shamballa, is the most exalted in this universe in relation to the planetary Logos itself.
When a disciple from one of the Ashrams enables his Master to wander on, a decision takes place which confronts the Bodhisattva (Master), who becomes the Buddha, with the question of whether he wants to remain active for the planetary Logos down to the astral or concentrate entirely on the high sphere he has reached. Blavatsky describes this choice in her explanations in the Secret Doctrine and calls the spiritual being that retains a remnant in the astral in order to continue to be active in the earthly realm a Nirmanakaya. This remainder is the unlimited compassion as outlined in the next section.
The universes described here must be understood to be interpenetratingly in the same “place”. Without this thought format, evolving understanding and knowledge is not attainable. This requires an unwavering compassion for the entire planetary evolution as the basis for progress: a compassion that includes the destruction of obsolete forms.
The different universes we have outlined are part of a larger entity, thus confirming the phrase given by the Tibetan master: “Space is an entity”.
To the current conclusion of this article:
A quote by Mahatma M. from June 1932 definitely applies to the current world situation in some respects:
14 June 1932 It is impossible to regard the state of the world as normal, but the Atlanteans were similarly blind to everything that was already conspicuous. They went even further and imposed the death penalty on anyone who pointed out obvious abuses. Of course, this measure only hastened the downfall.
END
Movement (on the website in the blog)
These are the times when special movements are possible. Thus he moves mentally in flight through the gate known to him and then looks from the outside at the spherical shape visible to him, which from the inside, however, is experienced by the human being as opaque and reflective.
With his thinking hands, from which tongues of fire radiate, and his strong-willed gaze, he succeeds in compressing the spherical shape to a viewing size without this having any effect on the inner life.
He now studies the three dimensions of the inner life, for which there are three ways of seeing. He realises with regret that the vast majority of people cannot even see the middle dimension, although this development is long overdue. Their eyes are still attached to the construct called the sky and they lack an awareness of the relativity of size in relation to distance. The physical body enforces the limitation that they are unable to move freely in the three possible dimensions. The luminous grains, which man calls stars and which unfold their relative size in the spiritual approach of the emotional will detached from the body, are not recognised as mere representatives, so it remains as before to look at them with the physical gaze and not to recognise it. From a higher point of view, they are a layer of images of the greater cosmos. When someone asked him some time ago whether the sky could fall on his head, he asked back: Which sky? He once again realised the suffering associated with this limitation of consciousness for humans and would continue to try to change this state even after his renewed immersion. In this way, more people could board the ships of the middle dimension in their dreams, which would take them to the islands of progress. There, in physical sleep, learning takes place under better conditions and with faster mental development. Some more could then also succeed in flying into the third dimension of fiery light, through which the gateway he used when he went out floating could be reached.
He realises that his blink of an eye outside the sphere corresponds in time to thousands of years of human life in the habitat of the earthly sphere and that he will again be subject to the physical law of time when he dives back in. This does not bother him, as he can change his perspective at will. He knows the day of Brahma and its relativity.
He looks around and sees the other inhabited spheres of the system, whose uninhabitable images are known in the earthly sphere. He hears the sounds and melodies in the cosmic rhythm of the system and sends his thoughts to those who, like him, fulfil their tasks. He is sure and aware of his group outside and inside the earthly sphere. Without the full awareness of the groups of like-minded human friends, the general and earthly possibilities for action given to him and his earthly and supernatural sisters and brothers would be very limited. No one in the groups loses their individual identity, but everyone knows how limited they are without the group. Their path and their task have a beginning and an end, where another path opens up when their discipleship has grown spiritually. The timing of the possible migration to a higher group chakra is not synchronised with the temporal in the earthly realm.
He takes a scrutinising, serious look at the sphere of the system that harbours the dark ones and whose henchmen on earth try to subjugate the earthly for a long physical time for good.
He loves his supernatural group and together they contemplate the systemic firmament. They see the grains of relative size, analogous to those in the earthly firmament, inviting them to take flight on fiery wings of thought. He wonders, for he is an eternal questioner, when they will pass through the gate into the next universe and the successors will be ready, for the path is known to the group. But then everyone in the group turns back to the sphere that is familiar to them. With a loving, stern look, his thinking hands open the sphere enough for him to re-enter. He awakens in human form after three hours of earthly sleep to continue his voluntary life in the first dimension, to rest and move about in the second dimension during the night hours and, if conditions permit, to receive further spiritual nourishment in the third dimension. A human between humans.
On the way to the centre of being, consuming the illusions on a burning ground, forming the arrow-shaped thought towards the goal, plunging into the sea of flames of light, shedding, renouncing, renewing higher, in mystery, condensing the spiritual gain of many lives, enveloping with the silver-blue robe of protection, rising to the surface of the sea of flame, gliding as a ship whose sails are filled with the tone of the sounds of the spheres, dividing the stream of descending time, arriving at the shores of return, offering the grown grain of the spirit, beholding in the crossing of the gate the white towers of the WE, the I of being.
