The Theosophical Forum – June 1947

AT HOME IN THE UNIVERSE — Alexandra McLean

Everyone is rooted in the common fountain of Cosmic Life — Intelligence — Substance.
    — G. de Purucker

What and Where is our real home? Preceding the seven stanzas on Cosmic Evolution from the secret book of Dzyan, as set forth by H. P. B. in The Secret Doctrine, we find a wondrous poem. It is too long to quote in full, but the answer to What and Where, seems to be

"Gazing into eternity . . .
Ere the foundations of the earth were laid,
Thou wert. And when the subterranean flame
Shall burst its prison and devour the frame . . .
Thou shalt be still as Thou wert before
And knew no change, when time shall be no more.
Oh! endless thought, divine Eternity."

And then H. P. B. points out that "The word 'Eternity,' as understood in Christian theology has no meaning to the Asiatic ear, except in its application to the One existence." (S. D. p. 35) And to this One existence we all belong. Our Home, in its infinite aspect is the Boundless. But she also points out — "The reader has to bear in mind that the Stanzas given treat only of the Cosmogony of our own planetary System. . . . The secret teachings with regard to the Evolution of the Universal Kosmos cannot be given. . . . Moreover the Teachers say openly that not even the highest Dhyani-Chohans have ever penetrated the mysteries beyond those boundaries that separate the milliards of Solar systems from the 'Central Sun,' as it is called." (S. D. p. 13)

However, we are also taught "As above, so below." And the Talmud offers, "If you would know the invisible, open wide thine eye upon the visible." Therefore, looking upon the visible, we know that our planet is part of our Solar System and that the Solar System is a part of our Great Galaxy, which in turn is a part of something much greater (about which it were foolish at this time to speculate). Nevertheless, of "That Greatness" we are a part and the glory of the concept leaves us wordless.

From the vastness of this truth, which is like looking through a great telescope, we turn our attention to the minute concepts of our immediate homes which is indeed a microscopic view. But it is here, in our present environment, we must start the process of alchemization, changing self to Self. Gradually — moment by moment, day by day, year by year, life by life unfolding 'That' which we are. Growing by sharing, expanding by giving, unifying, by love and compassion for All.

There is a current phrase with which we are all familiar, "One World." It seems worthy of deep and sincere effort on the part of all students of the Ancient Wisdom to help bring this ideal into actuality. How are we to do it? The ten 'Paramitas' or glorious virtues of right living, point the way. They are as ten golden links in a chain of Truth and if we add the 'Seven Jewels of Wisdom' (the seven basic operative laws) we indeed have a magic talisman, the means to self-directed evolution and harmonious expression to all.

Every great Sage and Teacher, from earliest times to the present day founder and leaders of our own Theosophical Society, have stressed the idea of Unity. They have taught us the 'oneness' of all the brotherhood that is a fact of Nature. They have shown by word and deed that cooperation, compassion, overcoming evil with good is the only efficacious — the true way.

In the small book, Golden Precepts of Esotericism the very heart beat of Divine Love is felt and the Voice of Wisdom speaks through the kindly and sincere efforts of Dr. de Purucker, who offers us gems from the archaic teachings. Consider this (p. 11): "Man is an inseparable part of the Universe in which he lives, moves and has his being. There is no separation whatsoever between his roots and the roots of the Universe, there is no distance between them. The same Universal Life flows through all things that are. The same stream of Consciousness which flows in the mighty whole of the Universe, flows therefore through man, an inseparable portion of the Universe. . . ."

Is this not a sublime thought, worthy of becoming a living part, an activating unit in our consciousness? And if we accept this as Truth, what wonders open to us! We begin to feel a brotherhood with every living, evolving entity. We see beyond-within the myriad forms of Nature, the beauty, the harmony, the glory of Life. Grass, flowers, trees — seem growing in our very hearts. Our breath mingles with the breeze, the fragrance of the rose becomes a part of us. A great and constant change merges and blends throughout All.

We have each in our own way and in varying degrees, experienced these moments of soul-expansion. Perhaps on a mountain top above the timber line, we have communed with the Stars. Silently, in reverence — we have looked upward, lost all sense of our tiny self and entered a vaster world. "Something" entered our hearts, mingled with our awareness and surely "Something" went from our hearts in gratitude and blended with the 'Heart of the Stars.'

Perhaps the ocean or the desert in their vastness have conveyed to us a feeling of rhythm, power, silence, mystery, and for a time, the sense of personal smallness was lost. We became in consciousness a 'conscious' part of their magnificence.

It may be some tiny, so-called weed, or wild-flower, has by its delicacy and minute perfection led us into a feeling of almost adoration — as we contemplated and thought of its cycle of involution-evolution, of its expression of beauty (it also — rooted in the Universe!).

Now this being so — each of us then finds it easier to feel we truly are brother with our fellow men, irrespective of race, color, creed. Humanity is One, the "Manas" element of our Earth Planet.

 Life is the great mystery, an eternal expression of the Boundless. But our life is the expression of this Great Life through us, an evolving entity; and by every thought, word and deed, we are either helping or hindering the harmonious expression, not only of ourself but of a larger unit (and also of billions of smaller units). We make ourselves significant in the unfoldment of higher forms of life expression as we align ourselves with the basic truth of the Unity of All and consciously cooperate for the glory of all. We should be alert, no matter where we are — alert to the truth of Brotherhood and act it, express it, by word and deed.

We know that every being and every race has its own destiny to unfold, but each part is necessary, a part of the Great Whole. St. Paul in writing to the Corinthians gave these words. "For the body is not one member, but many. . . . If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? . . . And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. . . That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care for one another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honored, all the members rejoice with it." Is this not analogous to the human family, are not all human beings in truth members of one body, which we call Humanity? It is obvious, we know it — but we do not act as if we knew it.

The heart essence, the inmost of each, is an unseparated part of the Universe. Our Home is the Universe and we can not be lost from it. As the Psalmist sang in the ecstasy of his knowledge of the all-pervading presence of God — "Whither shall I go from thy spirit, Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea: even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me."

What stupendous possibilities unfold in our consciousness as we realize our home is not our body, our town, nation, race — not even our planet — but the "Universe." All of us, each one, an unseparated part of it, evolving, unfolding our innate Divinity and at the same time helping our younger brothers to progress and unfold their Divinity.

"One World" surely! A world in which "Charity and immortal love" are more than a rule of conduct; where they are the natural and spontaneous outpouring of all hearts toward all because each "urgently desires to become a center of benevolent radiance." One World, whose humanity sings its blended harmony in perfect accord with all the other "worlds" in our great Universe. One — with no schism.

Again referring to Golden Precepts (p. 90) "The Great Heresy and the only real heresy is the idea that anything is separate, distinct, different essentially, from other things. That is wandering from natural fact and law, for Nature is nothing but co-ordination, co-operation, mutual helpfulness; and the rule of fundamental unity is perfectly universal: everything in the universe lives for everything else. It is the sense of separateness that is the cause and root of all evil."

"At Home in the Universe" — because we have identified ourselves with the Divinity that is the reality of all.



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