On these
experiences, William Atkinson in his book "Life beyond death" related the
following:
« The
man and woman of culture and refinement are generally inclined to smile at the
heaven-traditions of the primitive peoples,
and, perhaps, to experience a feeling of sorrow at the lowly ideals of the
barbarous and semi-barbarous
races of man as manifested by their primitive conceptions regarding the heaven-world.
But, the experienced occultist, in turn, may smile at the smug complacency of
many of those in civilized lands who speak pityingly of these lowly ideals and
conceptions, for these occultists know that these conceptions have a basis in
reality in the life of the primitive peoples on the Astral Plane.
Just as the future
condition of the individual is determined largely by the nature, character and
strength of his desires, so is his life on the Astral Plane largely determined
by his desires and ideals. The Astral Plane gives free expression to the ideals
entertained by the individual in earth-life, and,
in fact, may be spoken of as largely a reflection of those ideals. On the
Astral Plane our ideals tend toward a real manifestation. And this is true not
only of high ideals, but of the lowest as well.
This fact being
understood, it will be seen that it is a logical necessity that the astral
existence of the primitive peoples of the race shall be a reflection of the
ideals and desires held by them during the period of earth-life
— a dramatization of their desire-ideals of
their past life. In short, the Indian really finds his “happy hunting grounds,”
and the other primitive peoples their particular paradise as pictured in their
creeds and faiths. This at first, seems somewhat shocking to the person whose
ideals of “heaven” are modeled upon the realm of golden streets, where milk and
honey flows. But a little thought will show that the conception of the “golden streets”
is but a little higher in the scale than that of the “happy hunting-ground,”
for it is purely material and reflects the ideals of a race whose desires are
for glittering and costly things.
If one will but
consider the emotional and intellectual nature of the primitive person, he will
see that to surround such a soul with the environment of the cultured civilized
person would be to render him very unhappy. In fact, such a heaven would to him
seem like a hell. One has but to imagine a savage in earth life placed in a
palace with the surroundings fitted to the ideals of a person of high culture
and refinement, to realize just how miserable the savage would really be. The
same thing holds true on the Astral Plane. Nature is kind to the savage, as well
as to the cultured person, and furnishes him with the environment in which he
will feel the most at home, and in which he will find the greatest opportunity
for self-expression.
This does not mean
that on the Astral Plane there are elaborately arranged series of scenery and
surroundings fitted for the tastes of each and every kind of soul. On the
contrary, there is no such stage-setting
whatsoever. Here is the secret: There is no scenery on the Astral Plane except
that furnished by the thought-forms of
the souls inhabiting it. Each soul carries his own set of scenery with it, in
his imaginative faculties of mind. It follows, of course, that many souls of
the same general ideals and tastes inhabiting the same sub-plane,
will carry the same mental scenery with them. And, as the power of thought-transference
is manifested strongly on the Astral Plane, each soul affects the general
scenery of the others. In fact, the scenery of each sub-plane,
or division thereof, represents the composite ideals and mental images of those
inhabiting it. In earth-life,
environment largely makes the man—on the Astral Plane, man makes his own
environment, in accordance with the absolute and unvarying laws of Nature.
The Indian, during
the short period of his sojourn on the Astral Plane, finds himself surrounded
by all that makes life pleasant and harmonious for him. The clairvoyants among
the old American Indians, who were able to penetrate the lower planes of the
Astral Plane, were thoughtful when they reported the existence of “the happy
hunting grounds” of their departed brothers on “the other side.” True also were
the reports of the shadowy forms which communicated with their former brothers
on earth, to the same effect.
The heaven-world
of the Red Indian was precisely as his medicine-men
had taught him it would be. Such a soul, awakening from the soul slumber, would
find itself perfectly at home, surrounded by all that made life pleasant to it;
great forests and plains, streams and rivers, plenty of buffalo and deer to be
shot, and plenty of fish to be caught.
All these things
existed for such. But they existed only mentally. Like a very intense dream
these things appeared to such a soul — but it never realized that it was merely
a dream. “Dreams are true while they last,” as the old writings inform us. And,
as for that, the wisest of the race inform us that the phenomenal universe is
really in the nature of a Dream of the Absolute — but it is none the less real
to us. Even in earth-life, we
sometimes experience dreams so real that we suffer as keenly, or enjoy as
rapturously, in them, as if they were the only somewhat more substantial
realities of the waking state.
Those who have made a
study of the subject, inform us that among all races of men there are many
reports of clairvoyants, seers, dreamers, and communicators with departed
souls, who assert positively the existence of “heavens” in exact accordance
with the religious teachings of their tribe or race, no matter how crude and
barbarous these conceptions may appear to one of a more cultured faith.
It is very easy to
dismiss these reports either as pure inventions, or dreams of the priests. But,
closer examination Will reveal the fact that there is a striking basic unity
among them — they all agree on the fundamental points, although they differ as
to the details.
The occultist knows
that these reports are all truthful, so far as they go, and have been based on
actual physic experiences of certain members of the tribe of people. Although
they differ greatly in details, they agree in fundamentals, and are all based
on truth. A little consideration of the nature of the Astral phenomena, as we
have stated it, will explain the matter.
These primitive souls
spend a brief existence on the lower Astral Planes to which they have been
attached, and develop newer and fuller ideals and desires, which will blossom
and bear fruit in their next earth-incarnation.
Moreover, they wear-out and
outlive certain of their lower desires and ideals, and in this way, make way
for the spiritual evolution which is ever seeking to unfold on the Astral;
serves to unfold these souls a little —only a very little, it is true— but
every little is a gain.
Moreover, as the
Astral Life (and usually the earth-life) of
the savage is comparatively brief, these souls really make considerable
progress in a given space of time — they may live a hundred earth-lives,
and the corresponding Astral Life, while a more highly developed soul is earning
its spiritual rest on the higher Astral planes. Compensation and equity is
found here, as elsewhere, in the life-processes.
One of the great
gains of the savage soul on the Astral Plane is that of the development of
comradeship and fellow-feeling.
This is caused by the reunion of the soul with its friends of earth-life,
and the joy felt thereat. Moreover, the animosities of earth-life
are softened by the nature of the life on the Astral, for with a bounteous
supply of all that the savage soul craves, there is far less opportunity for
jealousy and rivalry than on earth. And, accordingly, hate is stilled, and
comradeship and elementary friendship (the buddings of universal love) are
encouraged.
Each trip to the
Astral Plane burns out a little more of the lower nature, and awakens a little
more of the higher — otherwise, there would be no progress for the race in
repeated lives. Each soul, no matter how undeveloped it may be, learns a little
more of that feeling of unity and oneness, each time it is relieved of the
stress of the physical body. So that, we may see, that even in these crude
“heavens” of the primitive peoples, there is the opportunity and the certainty
of progress. Happiness begets Love, and the soul responds to the stimulus.
The primitive soul
abides but a short time on the Astral Plane to which it is attached. It soon
wears out its limited opportunity for expression (although to the soul itself,
eternities seem to have been passed). It soon feels the drowsiness of the
sleep, which precedes rebirth overtaking it, and falling into a state of coma,
it awaits the attraction of Karma which shortly leads it into a new body, to
again study the lessons of life, and to live and out‑live that which it finds within itself.
The attraction of
earth-life is strong in such a soul, and the
law of attraction soon draws it back to the scenes of earth. There is no
injustice or harshness in this — each soul gets that which it most desires, and
that for which it most craves. The Law of Compensation is in full force here,
as elsewhere, and eternal Justice reigns. “All is well,” even with such lowly
souls — and they are all on the path! »
(Chapter
9)
OBSERVATION
It seems to me that
to wrote this chapter, William Atkinson relied on the letter that Master
Kuthumi send to Mr. Sinnett, and where the master explained the following:
« A mother from a savage tribe is
not less happy than a mother from a regal palace, with her lost child in her
arms; and although as actual Egos, children prematurely dying before the
perfection of their septenary Entity do not find their way to Devachan, yet all
the same, the mother's loving fancy finds her children there, without one missing
that her heart yearns for.
Say — it is but a dream, but after all what is objective
life itself but a panorama of vivid unrealities?
The pleasure realized by a Red Indian in his "happy
hunting grounds" in that Land of Dreams is not less intense than the
ecstasy felt by a connoisseur
who passes æons in the wrapt delight of listening to divine Symphonies by
imaginary angelic choirs and orchestras. As it is no fault of the former, if
born a "savage" with an instinct to kill — though it caused the death
of many an innocent animal — why, if with it all, he was a loving father, son,
husband, why should he not also enjoy his
share of reward?
The case would be quite different if the same cruel acts
had been done by an educated and civilized person, from a mere love of sport.
The savage in being reborn would simply take a low place in the scale, by
reason of his imperfect moral development; while the Karma of the other would
be tainted with moral delinquency. [Still, if the "civilized hunter"
did any good, he will also have their Devachan, but when he returns to Earthe
in a new reincarnation, Karma will charge his kills. »
(CM 16,
p.103)
I cannot tell you how
William Atkinson had access to this letter, may be he have been at some
seminary of the Theosophical Society, or may be he read Jerome Anderson's book "Reincarnation, Study of the Human Soul" where this letter is transcribed.
Unfortunately, Atkinson
did not understand Master Kuthumi explanation, because in his book Atkinson
constantly affirms that the devachanic dream is experienced in the astral, when
several times Master Kuthumi specified that Devachan is part of the divine
world.
For example, at the
beginning of this letter, the master wrote:
« The Devachan, or land of
"Sukhavati," is allegorically described by our Lord Buddha himself.
What he said may be found in the Shan-mun-yi-tung.
Says Tathagata:
"Many thousand myriads of systems of worlds beyond
this [ours] there is a region of Bliss called Sukhavati . . . This region is encircled
within seven
rows of railings, seven
rows of vast curtains, seven rows of waving trees; this holy abode
of Arahats is governed by the Tathagatas [the Dhyan Chohans, that is, the divine intelligences that direct the Universe]
and is possessed by the Bodhisatwas.
It hath seven
precious lakes in the midst of which flow crystaline waters having 'seven and one'
properties, or distinctive qualities [the 7 principles emanating from the One]. This, O Sariputra, is the Devachan.
Its divine Udambara flower casts a root in the shadow of every earth,
and blossoms for all those who reach it. Those born in the blessed region are
truly felicitous: there are no more griefs or sorrows in that cycle for them. .
. . Myriads of spirits [lha] resort there for rest and then return to their own regions.
Again, O, Sariputra, in that land of joy many who are born in it are Avaivartyas [which are the men who have become divine]." »
(CM 16,
p.100)
And also William
Atkinson makes the mistake of believing that after death, primitive humans only
reach the lower sub-planes, while civilized humans reach the higher sub-planes.
But that is not true, since Master Kuthumi clearly explained in his letter that
both access to Devachan, and the difference lies in what they will experience
during their devachanic dream, since this will depend on the interests each of
them had during their earthly lives.
And this is one more
example that shows that while William Atkinson relied to some extent on what
Master Kuthumi taught, unfortunately he misunderstood the explanations that the
master gave and distorted them a lot when he put them in his book.
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