What Is The Nature of our Spiritual Self, and How Does It Relate To Our Human Self - Part 1

by Robert Wilkinson

Since many in our world are in radical transition, I thought it may be useful to examine who we actually are compared to who we think we are across time, space, and experience. We know we are Spirits in the material world, but what is the relationship of Spirit to the body, feelings, and mind we believe we have?

I elaborated on some core principles a while ago in two articles on the subject. Rather than just link to them, I've rewritten them for your consideration, making a few edits here and there to help them read a little easier and elaborate on key concepts. And now, on with the subject!

I've had a lot of questions about the nature of human nature, i.e., what exactly is our "Spiritual Self," and how does our ego fit into the larger scheme of our evolution? While this could fill a hundred books or more (and has!), today we explore a brief overview of what's up with us on visible and invisible levels, and how we should view the various spiritual and human parts.

We are all Divine Sparks within a great Light/Lifewave of a Universal Consciousness that manifests as That which we call Spirit. Pure Spirit Itself is an aspect or element of what we call "God," or All-That-Is. Its nature, as far as we are able to describe that which is Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent, is Power, Love-Wisdom, and Intelligence in Action.

It is Nothingness, Limitlessness, and Limitless Light all in One, forever and eternal. We can only know the aspect we call "Limitless Light." Limitless Light is the larger field within which our Inner Flame is sustained. Our Inner Flame is Eternal, Its growth is infinite, and its radiance never weakens. It is whole unto Itself, and is never separate from All-That-Is.

During its evolution through various views and experiences of Self-Realization, the Eternal Divine Spark that we ARE, the "I AM THAT I AM," is pulled by its own nature to manifest in different frequencies of form. These manifestations are a function of existence within the Divine Laws of Magnetic Attraction, Synthesis, and Economy of Energy.

This is part of being an Eternal Intelligence. Welcome to human-ness, itself but one of many forms we will experience throughout Eternity. There are many more subtle frequencies where intelligent life manifests than we suspect. Even the Solar Intelligence at the center of our solar system has a Sun to which it turns for light.

Anyway, back to how we get here. We are told by the ancient and venerable source material in The Secret Doctrine, translated by HP Blavatsky, that ALL beings in this scheme of things, whether mineral, vegetable, animal, or cosmic substance, have 7 bodies, of which the physical is merely the densest. When our Eternal Self is moved to experience itself apart from All-That-Is, that Spark of Spirit that we ARE emanates and magnetizes chitta, or "Cosmic Substance," attracting to itself holographic forms of its nature both subtle and dense. We are One and yet we are also many.

The non-dual Spark we are has been called the Monad. It approximates a unique form of what I've heard termed "Our Father-Mother God in Heaven Which Is One Indivisible." We cannot know That directly, but we can know our unique experience of That.

When our Monad is moved to manifest, the emanation creates the higher subtle bodies and then the denser "lower" bodies. The frequencies of attraction move from the subtle, higher, purer forms to the denser and lower frequency forms, all of which exist simultaneously, much like a 7-toned evolving harmonic, or a 7-colored evolving vision.

The Upper Triad is composed of Atma (Spirit), Buddhi (Soul), and Manas (Pure Mind). These are mirrored holographically as a "lower Triad" of body, feelings, and ego-mind.

Atma(n) is pure Spirit, the Spark that ignites pure inspiration that is felt through the higher, subtle, refined feelings of the Soul. The Soul is the vehicle with which we experience pure Love on its own level. It is said that the Buddhic level of existence is where "Heaven," or "Devachan," exists. On Atmic and Buddhic levels there is still no experience of duality, since the pulse hasn't yet reached the Manasic level of Mind where duality exists. All duality begins in the mind.

Our Soul experiences only inspire Love. Our Soul is never confrontational and has no negative feelings. It is our higher or more subtle and refined "feeling vehicle" just as our Astral body is the more dense and unrefined feeling vehicle.

The Soul knows ONLY the highest feelings, and is never split from itself or Spirit. That's an impossibility given the nature of the human emanation, our 7 vehicles, and how we incarnate. No part of us is ever separate from anything else in the universe.

The Soul's function is to Love, its nature is Love, its expression is what we call compassion ("fellow-feeling"), connectedness, and is what infuses higher thoughts with love and united-ness. It is the vehicle of cohesive Love. There is no inner conflict on a Soul level. All conflict exists only on an egoic level, the level of duality.

The Soul does not recognize duality, as its nature is the pure undiluted experience of Love. The Soul can feel the sorrow of humanity as well as the suffering of sentient beings, but experiences only compassion arising from strength of heart and an unending experience of Love.

The next denser subtle body is the Higher Mind, which naturally finds its complement in the lower mind, or ego-mind. The Higher Mind is where our Higher Self exists, that part of us which has noble ideas and ideals it believes are the highest and best manifestations of our human self. Our Higher Self is receptive to, and seeks to express in various mentally constructed forms of, our Soul's compassion and Love infused and inspired by Atman.

Ego mind, on the other hand, is the shadow of the Higher Mind. Ego mind is separative and judgmental through the processes of sequence and selection comparisons. Ego mind is heavily influenced by the desire mind, which exists at the densest levels of the lower mental plane.

When our Monad attracts the substance of our Higher and lower Minds, duality is created in us. Pure Godhead knows no duality, but we experience duality as a result of our incarnated mind experiencing substantial reality.

There are many more things to explore along these lines, but for now please reflect on what I've written. Part 2 will explore how our Higher Triad relates to our ego, personality, and the other parts of our human experience.

© Copyright 2009 Robert Wilkinson

Comments

[Alice]

Food for thought. I've written my comments on my
blog.

[AceStar]

Wonderful my friend :)
The Soul's function is to Love, its nature is Love, its expression is what we call compassion (All you said)

Love & Light :)

[shanita]

robert, as always your posts are perfectly timed. these profound thoughts on spirit, evolution and raising up the frequency to a higher octave have been much in my thoughts these days.
appropriately, all of these challenges and changes and huge upheaval are our call to task now.
sending you blessings from the rainy northern california coast.

[Alexandra Moga]

I've been reading your blog for a few months and it, you, have been a constant source of knowledge and inspiration.
Thank you for this!

[Sue Moon]

I just posted a piece on Love and Folly on my blog and here you publish it just so eloquently. I love being in tune and riding the waves where we are all in sync. Thank you for being such a brave and honest leader.

[wendy]

So perfectly written Robert!!! Thank you for the reminder!!
There is this funny crab that sticks tons of stuff to it's own body for cover, it's very enjoyable to watch these little creatures. I always think of them when I remind mySelf that I do not need all of the "stuff" stuck on me, like egotistical conceptions, opinions, judgements, ect..ect.....
"I AM" said the crab(6/27)heeeheehee, without the "stuff" .

The only way out is within!!

luv for you,
Wendy

[Robert]

Hi Alice - Very nice blog. Thanks for the credit.

Hi AceStar - Have been pondering what you wrote me a week ago, and am intrigued by the possibilities. Will let everyone know when it happens.

Hi Shanita - Yes, I try to go with what Spirit dictates. Sometimes I have to compose something new, other times I get to rewrite something posted a while ago. Thanks for the wishes for the rain. Down here, the more the merrier!

Hi Alexandra - Thanks for checking in. Glad I can be an inspiration!

Hi Sue Moon - Sure. I figured that this material warranted a new look, since in fact we are Eternal Beings having human experiences.

Hi Wendy - Cancer must learn not to clutch, and when to release. A thing to remember - they are the resource of Gemini, the view of Taurus, the grounding of Aries, the play of Pisces, the work of Aquarius, the exteriorization of Capricorn, the attractive power of Sagittarius, the truth of Scorpio, the flowering of Libra, the ambition of Virgo, and the motive of Leo. Enjoy exploring the possibilities!

[Isabel]

Dear Robert, in our study group we decided to read these two articles together (this one and number 2) and found that it was quite interesting to look at the seven Planes of Awareness through this lens. It does indeed bring new ideias and fuller understanding to look at theosophical teachings through a different perspective, quite refreshing.

Thanks for briging Blavatsky again, it is always quite inspiring.

Namasté,

Isabel

[Robert]

Hi Isabel - The greatest challenge of our times is to be able to translate the Eternal Wisdom into forms relevant to our times. If Theosophy is the sum total of the Wisdom of the Ages, compiled of the highest Truths of every culture, then there must be some way that it applies to ever changing personal, social, and global patterns. The Wisdom is the Essence that infuses the forms. Now if only we could get our so-called "leaders" to listen and apply some things.....

[Isabel]

Exactly! In our study group this is exactly what we are trying to deal with : on the one hand, the Dharma of making known Eternal Truths and a Wisdom which may uphold and truly help people in these times of crisis - on the other hand, the need to protect these Truths from being misinterpreted ou misused...

Big hug,

Isabel