Can The Mahatmas Be Selfish?
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In various writings on occult subjects, it
has been stated that unselfishness is a sine qua non
for success in occultism. Or a more correct form of putting
it, would be that the development of an unselfish feeling is in
itself the primary training which brings with it "knowledge
which is power" as a necessary accessory. It is not, therefore,
"knowledge," as ordinarily understood, that the occultist
works for, but it comes to him as a matter of course, in consequence
of his having removed the veil, which screens true knowledge from
his view. The basis of knowledge exists everywhere, since the
phenomenal world furnishes or rather abounds with facts, the causes
of which have to be discovered. We see only the effects in
the phenomenal world, for each cause in that world is itself
the effect of some other cause, and so on; and, therefore,
true knowledge consists in getting at the root of all phenomena,
and thus arriving at a correct understanding of the primal
cause, the "rootless root," which is not an effect
in its turn.
To perceive anything correctly, one can use only those senses
or instruments which correspond to the nature of that object.
Hence, to comprehend the noumenal, a noumenal sense is a pre-requisite;
while the transient phenomena can be perceived by senses corresponding
to the nature of those phenomena. Occult Philosophy teaches us
that the seventh principle is the only eternal Reality, while
the rest, belonging as they do to the "world of forms"
which are non-permanent, are illusive in the sense that they are
transient. To these is limited the phenomenal world which can
be taken cognisance of by the senses corresponding to the nature
of those six principles. It will thus be clear that it is only
the seventh sense, which pertains to the noumenal world,
that can comprehend the Abstract Reality underlying all phenomena.
As this seventh principle is all-pervading, it exists potentially
in all of us; and he, who would arrive at true knowledge, has
to develop that sense in him, or rather he must remove those veils
which obscure its manifestation. All sense of personality is
limited only to these lower six principles, for the former
relates only to the "world of forms." Consequently,
true "knowledge" can be obtained only by tearing
away all the curtains of Maya raised by a sense of personality
before the impersonal Atma.
It is only in that personality that is centered selfishness,
or rather the latter creates the former and vice versa, since
they mutually act and react upon each other. For, selfishness
is that feeling which seeks after the aggrandisement of one's
own egotistic personality to the exclusion of others. If, therefore,
selfishness limits one to narrow personalities, absolute knowledge
is impossible so long as selfishness is not got rid of. So long,
however, as we are in this world of phenomena, we cannot be entirely
rid of a sense of personality, however exalted that feeling
may be in the sense that no feeling of personal aggrandisement
or ambition remains. We are, by our constitution and state of
evolution, placed in the "World of Relativity," but
as we find that impersonality and non-duality is the ultimate
end of cosmic evolution, we have to endeavor to work along with
Nature, and not place ourselves in opposition to its inherent
impulse which must ultimately assert itself. To oppose it, must
necessitate suffering, since a weaker force, in its egotism, tries
to array itself against the universal law.
All that the occultist does, is to hasten this process,
by allowing his Will to act in unison with the Cosmic Will or
the Demiurgic Mind, which can be done by successfully checking
the vain attempt of personality to assert itself in opposition
to the former. And since the MAHATMA is but
an advanced occultist, who has so far controlled his lower "self"
as to hold it more or less in complete subjection to the Cosmic
impulse, it is in the nature of things impossible for him to act
in any other but an unselfish manner. No sooner does he allow
the "personal self" to assert itself, than he ceases
to be a MAHATMA. Those, therefore, who being
still entangled in the web of the delusive sense of personality
charge the MAHATMAS with "selfishness"
in withholding "knowledge" – do not consider what they
are talking about. The Law of Cosmic evolution is ever operating
to achieve its purpose of ultimate unity and to carry the phenomenal
into the noumenal plane, and the MAHATMAS,
being en rapport with it, are assisting that purpose. They
therefore know best what knowledge is best for mankind at a particular
stage of its evolution, and none else is competent to judge of
that matter, since they alone have got to the basic knowledge
which can determine the right course and exercise proper discrimination.
For us who are yet struggling in the mire of the illusive senses
to dictate what knowledge MAHATMAS shall impart
to us and how they shall act, is like a street-boy presuming to
teach science to Prof. Huxley or politics to Mr. Gladstone. For,
it will be evident that, as soon as the least feeling of selfishness
tries to assert itself, the vision of the spiritual sense,
which is the only perception of the MAHATMA,
becomes clouded and he loses the "power" which abstract
"knowledge" alone can confer. Hence, the vigilant
watch of the "Will" we have constantly to exercise to
prevent our lower nature from coming up to the surface, which
it does in our present undeveloped state; and thus extreme activity
and not passivity is the essential condition with which the student
has to commence. First his activity is directed to check the opposing
influence of the "lower self"; and, when that is conquered,
his untrammelled Will centered in his higher (real) "self,"
continues to work most efficaciously and actively in unison with
the cosmic ideation in the "Divine Mind." |