A GRAIN OF SALT
by Lyn M. Contresceri

The taste of a grain of salt… Bitter? Sweet? To truly taste bitter or sweet, we must first be able to taste salty. For without salt, neither bitter nor sweet is enhanced enough for us to be startled in their intensity. Salt is to our sense of taste as awareness of being is to our mind.

A simple molecule is formed by the joining of two atomic structures - sodium and chlorine. A crystal is formed when many of these are joined together and clinging, but within it is buried the essence of the universe. From the larger crystal, to the barely measurable workings of the elements, all the journey of mans' consciousness is paralleled and revealed. We can enter into that grain of salt through the mind and the gift of imagination, into the very depths of its structure.

Pour salt upon a table and isolate just one crystal. Look quietly at that crystal and imagine the structure of it. See the many molecules of sodium chloride clinging together, forming a small and fragile diamond. Move beyond the crystal and see into the molecular structure itself. Look deeply into your mind and see the linking of one atom of sodium to one atom of chlorine. Release the link of the intertwining orbits of electrons and see each of the elements separately: first one, then the other. See beyond the nucleus, beyond neutron and proton, beyond neutrino, ever inward to the ultimate and the smallest component of the manifested atom, into the presence of quarks and beyond: ever smaller, ever more infinitesimal.

This interdependence of quark to neutrino, neutrino to neutron, neutron to nucleus, nucleus to atom, atom to molecule, molecule to manifest crystal, is like that of mans' own journey of consciousness. As in the manifestation of a grain of salt, we move through our consciousness and inward toward our true selves, joining with the Absolute that formed that same grain of salt.

Moving into and beyond the innermost of the being of a grain of salt, we journey along our own pathway, our journey within the Universe. We can move into the thought of that grain of salt, into the very reaches of its manifestation, its being. In the process of this concentrated examination we release our everyday cares, our worldly needs, our own selves, and quiet our minds. Locked into mindful examination we move from the illusion of reality to the true reality of being. In so doing, we achieve oneness with universal brotherhood and consciousness.

"Love is the cement of the universe." This was one of the keynotes of G. De Purucker's thinking. The statement was used on occasion in his editorials in The Theosophical Forum magazine and in his book Questions We All Ask. (I always thought G. De P. could have used a more poetic word than "cement", but I can't think of a better descriptive word!)

Love and the Manifestation of the Cosmos

Love is at the very foundation of the universe. For example, in the Orphic mysteries of ancient Greece, Eros - not "erotic", but divine love, the energy of cosmic attraction - proceeds from the very beginning, from the first logos level of manifestation. Love is a product of the World Egg which proceeds from Father Aether (the essence of spirit) and Mother Chaos (the potentiality of matter). Another way of expressing it:

"The underlying spark of love… (forms) the essence of the "First-Born" (Protogonos) out of the homogenous essence of eternal Harmony and Light." [H. P. Blavatsky, Collected Writings 12:49]

This is the primal love or primordial desire (Eros or kama deva), the impulse which arose in the boundless All. Referring to the impulse for the emanation of the Universe, "Desire (or Love) first arose in It, which was the primal germ of mind." [Secret Doctrine, 2:578-9, citing the Rig Veda]. So we could regard love as a primal instinct, not only in human beings, but also in the very fabric of the universe.

Primordial, Universal Energy

Furthermore, love is a force, an energy. Indeed, the energy of love is something fundamental or primordial in itself.

"Compassion (or Love) is no attribute. It is the LAW of Laws - eternal Harmony, Alaya's SELF; a shoreless universal essence, the light of everlasting Right, and fitness of all things, the law of love eternal." [The Voice of the Silence, pp 69-70, (orig. ed.)]

H. P. B. further remarks on Alaya:

"Alaya, the "World-Soul", the essence of which is Love, i.e., homogeneous Sympathy, which is Harmony, or the "Music of the Spheres." [H. P. Blavatsky, Collected Writings 12:55]

Cosmic Love is Reflected in Each of Us

That cosmic, divine, primordial energy or essence called love is reflected in every being. It is transcendent, yet also immanent at the core of each of us. "As above, so below." Concerning the love we're familiar with, H .P. B. writes that love and other emotions:

"are all modifications of the magnetic atmosphere which is developed in us and constantly emanates from us. Love is one of the most variable (of human feelings), and therefore aspects of it are numberless. Spiritual love, that of a mother for her child, of an artist for some particular art, love as pure friendship, are purely magnetic manifestations of sympathy in congenial natures. The magnetism of pure love is the originator of every created thing. In its ordinary sense, love between the sexes is electricity, and he (Father Kircher, from a book published in 1643) calls it amor febris speciei, the fever of species. There are two kinds of magnetic attraction: sympathy and fascination; the one holy and natural, the other evil and unnatural." [H. P. Blavatsky, Isis Unveiled 1:210]

TIC Talk

Letters, Opinions, Books, Calendar…

A New Discussion Series

With completion of reading, discussion and digestion of "The Ocean of Theosophy" by William Q. Judge, preceded by a year of Gene and Ingrid Landers' diligent tutelage in fundamentals, our fledgling study group is ready for graduation. Several TIC members have expressed desire to dissertate on specific topics of theosophical interest. Aspirants will be given opportunity to lead the Wednesday evening discussion based on presentation of material they have prepared. Brian Hitchcock started the series on May 14 with "Was Jesus a Buddhist?" History and relationships of eastern and western religions provided the basis for discussion. The remainder of the starting lineup is listed below:

May 28 Comparison of Space-time and Spirituality - Don Higgins

June 4 Stillness of The Mind - Fred Gude

June 11 Evolution As a Way to Cosmic Consciousness - John Hopkins

June 18 The Game: Learning the Rules of Life - Bill Ocheltree

June 25 Serving Through Meditation - David Brown

July 2 Mind and The Reality - Sarah Hunt

People who believe in reincarnation and lovers of Shakespeare share a common complaint about one-act plays. Both groups contend that such a format does not allow sufficient time for character development, or "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players…" - Brian Hitchcock

Many Opinions, One Purpose
by David Brown

I have enjoyed attending Theosophy in Claremont since it began in the fall of 1995. The atmosphere is special, thanks to the able and subtle leadership of Gene and Ingrid Landers, and to the sincerity and maturity of those who attend.

A session normally involves some reading from a basic theosophical text followed by lively debate. We all seem confident each member is best served following his or her own sense of what is true, while benefiting from the wealth of diverse perspectives that are offered enthusiastically. We have the common purpose of exploring the great questions of life and pursuing wisdom.