theos-l

[MASTER INDEX] [DATE INDEX] [THREAD INDEX] [SUBJECT INDEX] [AUTHOR INDEX]

[Date Prev] [Date Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next]

defining "Monad"

Oct 24, 1997 12:43 PM
by Eldon B Tucker


At 12:28 PM 10/24/97 -0400, you wrote:

>Nicole Suter wrote:

>> To All: Is there anybody here who has a proper definition for the word
>> "monade"?

I have a quick attempt at writing the theosophical definition, as I
understand it, of the Monad. This was something I wrote here in
early 1996.

-- Eldon

----

Alexis:

[I'm commenting on a note to Bee. It seems like an interesting
subject, and I'd like to toss out a few ideas that I've culled
from Theosophy.]

The Monad is the eternal part of our being. It remains in its
pristine, pure state, untouched by the evolution into matter. It
is eternal selfness (rather than Self, since it's above the
notion of "me").

Participating in the evolution through a series of existences on
the lower planes, it sends forth a ray of consciousness. (It
starts doing something that it has limited experience with, and
is limited and frustrated in self-expression in doing this thing,
which is to exist as a being on the planes of manifest
existence.)

That ray of consciousness is first an unconscious form, subject
to the forces of nature and lacking self-consciousness. That
form is called a "soul", although we could also say "body".

The urge towards self-consciousness leads to existences on lower
and lower planes, until a certain limit is reached, and the Monad
is satisfied that something is starting to happen. At that
point, the direction of evolution changes, and the downward arc
ends, replaced by the upward arc.

That point of transition happens as the first spark of
self-consciousness is awakened and the Monad has a new garmet of
consciousness, an "ego". Following the upward arc of evolution,
that spark of self-consciousness is awakened in higher and higher
bodies or souls, making an animal ego, a human ego, an higher
human ego, an spiritual ego, and an divine ego, as the Monad's
vehicles awaken on higher and higher planes.

The Monad becomes fully manifest when reaching full
self-consciousness on all the planes on which it exists, after
which it can either withdraw the ray of consciousness into
itself, and exit the evolutionary drama on our earth, or continue
in the world, as a source of hope and inspiration for others
trailing behind.

Regarding spiritual failures, there are different degrees of
failure. There is a wasted lifetime, when there are no worthy
sentiments nor notable learning experiences, nothing for the
reincarnating ego to retain and carry forward to the next life.

There are evolutionary failures. Some are dropouts from the
process, akin to someone leaving school for the remaining school
year, having therefore to start school the next year in the same
grade as before. Others are closer to someone dying, and having
to start off again as a baby, going through the entire schooling
process again. Life is not perfect, mistakes of different degree
can be made, and sometimes things simply don't work out.

A third type of failure is extremely rare, and would correspond
in this analogy to a student dying, then being reborn in a less
advanced country, therein to restart the education process in the
more primitive circumstances. In this case, we have a Monad that
fails in its attempt in evolution on our earth, on this cosmic
plane, and is attracted to a future attemt at evolution on a
planetary chain on a lower plane. (We're on the lowest plane
that we can go *on this earth*, but there are other planetary
chains with globes on yet lower planes.)

>The material world is a necessary part of the evolution and
>intensification of consciousness and awareness.

This is a very important statement. It applies, in fact, to any
plane of existence. The Monad seeks to exist "as a necessary
part of the evolution and intensification of consciousness and
awareness".

Some Monads may not be satisfied with the intensification of
consciousness that is provided by the limitations of our physical
plane, and are drawn to seek rebirth in yet lower planes. The
Brothers of the Shadow may be those Monads, seeking *submergence*
rather than *transcendence*. In our infinite, unbounded
universe, there are no limits in any direction. There are likely
as many *lower* planes as *higher* ones, and some Monads may
individually seeking their way downwards, even though they are
out of place among us, among the upward-bound class or family of
Monads that we find ourselves belonging to.


[Back to Top]


Theosophy World: Dedicated to the Theosophical Philosophy and its Practical Application