Blavatsky Blogger
Taking Theosophical
ideas
into the 21st
century
The Law of Periodicity
(AKA.
Periodic Recurrence / Alternation)
Posted
H P Blavatsky states that what she termed the Law of Periodicity is one of the basic laws governing
existence. It states that for every period of activity there is a corresponding
equal period of rest. This period of rest is followed by another span of
activity.
The Law of Periodicity stresses the need
for Constant Renewal. Without this renewal forces would exhaust themselves
(Burn-out) Through this process of Constant Renewal
everything is evolving on an eternally ascending spiral. Repeated manifestation
without progress is pointless
The operation of this law is observable
in the nature of night & day , the flow and ebb of
tides, waking and sleeping etc. At
a more esoteric level the manifestation (Manvantara)
and subsequent non-manifestation (Pralaya) of a
universe, a planetary system or a planet. Physical science has observed periodicity in all departments of
nature.
Our universe is one in a great cosmic
chain of universes just as today is one day in a person’s life. Nothing can be
considered in isolation from what has gone before or from what follows after.
The universe itself is an organic living
whole and everything in it expresses life. When discussing the universe
Theosophists are usually speaking the totality of the cosmic process. space in the esoteric sense is dimensionless. The ultimate
units of life are defined as Monads.
Manvantara
This is literally the period between two
Manus. Manus are the entities which appear collectively first at the beginning
of a manifestation and from which everything is derived or born. .
Pralaya
This means literally a melting away and
can be best translated as a state of latency.
When a universe goes into Pralaya at the end of a Manvantara
it does not cease to exist but still exists in potential.
Evolution
(meaning in Theosophy)
To Theosophists, Evolution is the
progressive development of everything (even atoms) this includes spiritual progress as well as material, physical
and intellectual. Reincarnation is part of the evolutionary process. The whole
of nature shows a progressive march for a higher life.
Evolution
and Involution (The Principle of the Shadowy Arc)
Evolution does not simply involve moving
progressively upwards as if following the line on the graph of a successful
sales department. It is also unlike moving through school in which students
tend to move up through the school at the same speed and stay in the same
groups or classes.
In fact Evolution (of both spirit &
matter) involves first a descending arc. Spirit must descend into matter and
clothe itself in it. On the downward arc matter eclipses spirit more and more
until it is shadowed (The Shadowy Arc). Matter is evolving to a greater extent
than spirit during this descent.
Eventually the spirit reaches the lowest
point on the arc of descent and begins to rise out of matter. In this ascending
arc spirit evolves to the greater extent. Ultimately spirit separates itself
from matter and the cycle is repeated again after a period of rest.
Evolution and Involution operate together, one is not possible without the other. Matter and
Spirit are parts of the same whole and both must evolve.
A human incarnation is a descent into
matter in which the spiritual part of man acquires a human body to gain
physical experience. Humans can be described as spiritual beings who have physical experiences but when in incarnation it is
easy to regard it as the other way round.
In human evolution our level of
consciousness gives us a level of choice or self determination which means we
can accelerate or impede our evolution both individually and as a whole.
______________________
The Blavatsky Blogger
Taking Theosophical
ideas
into the 21st
century
__________________________
Postings
to this Website reflect
the views of The Blavatsky Blogger.
Please
don’t go looking for anyone else.