Introduction and links to related topics Soul - Soul Generally, the manifesting vehicle or garment in which an ego clothes itself. First in serial order is the monad, on whatever plane and of whatever class; its vehicle or carrier is its efflux, the ego; which in its turn clothes itself in its own vital garment which is soul. Cosmically, therefore, soul is the vehicle or upadhi of spirit.
As the monad creates for its manifestation successive vehicles, soul in its widest sense includes all these, even the physical body; but it is usually used in an aggregative sense to designate the intermediate nature, excluding the monad on the one hand and the physical body on the other. Such division produces the triad of spirit, soul, body, where soul is the vehicle of spirit, and body is the vehicle of soul and spirit.
The soul is evolved by experiences on different planes. In itself it is merely a vehicle; but, informed by the monad, through the latter''s ego, it is a living conscious entity. The broad meaning is particularized with qualifying adjectives such as animal soul, human soul, etc. Saying that every living thing -- animal, vegetable, or mineral -- has a soul, refers to the intermediate nature of the being, of which its physical body is the vehicle. Souls, like bodies, are aggregates of innumerable subordinate lives or life-atoms of various orders. Equivalent to the Greek psyche and the Hebrew nephesh.
Soul - The illusion of separation from spirit. It should be understood that the spirit is that which seeks manifestation and appears as a soul/body. The soul is that which characterizes, shapes, informs, moves and operates the material flesh and action it its unique expression. Without the soul, the body is no more than an automaton or zombie without meaning or purpose. Without the body, the soul is a wraith and an unfinished blueprint -- electricity without a plug. The Psyche is that entire part of the soul that ranges from all the depths of the Unconscious as its roots merge with the physical body all the way up to Consciousness itself, which is the intended goal of the spirit, like the fruit or blossom of a plant. That ultimate product, consciousness, is what the Greeks called the nous and which we translate, somewhat innacurately, as "the mind". But theosophically and alchemically speaking, Mind is much larger. It is the field encompassing both being and non-being, in which the spirit dwells, a continuum or sphere of containment for the All (that is, unaccessable "omiscience"). In short, the spirit seeks to know itself by means of the soul''s use of the body as a tool to create consciousness. When, however, the soul identifies too strongly with the body, it soon becomes corrupt, turning into a mere slave of the flesh and the spirit is checkmated and imprisoned.
Soulless Beings - Soulless Beings Men and women who are still connected, but usually quite unconsciously, with the monad, the spiritual essence within them, but not self-consciously so; they live very largely in the brain-mind and in the fields of sensuous consciousness.
"We elbow soulless men in the streets at every turn," wrote Blavatsky. This does not mean that those people have no soul, but that the spiritual part of these human beings is unable to manifest itself through the unawakened brain-mind and feelings.
They are animate humans with an animate working brain-mind, but otherwise soulless in the sense that the soul is insufficiently expressive. This is what Pythagoras meant when he spoke of the living dead, or the spiritually useless portion of mankind. They live in the ordinary mind and in the body, thinking only of and in these small and restricted spheres of consciousness. Such "soulless" people are very numerous. Soulless beings are not to be confused with lost souls.
Soul Sleep - The teaching that when a person dies his soul ceases to exist. On the final judgment day he is brought back to life and judged. This is not a heresy, only an error of interpretation.
The Bible is not specific on the condition of the person between death and resurrection. However, there are scriptures that strongly suggest man''s continued self-awareness and continued existence after death (Luke 16:19-31; 2 Cor. 5:1-10; Phil. 1:21-23).
Animal Soul - Animal Soul. See KAMA-MANAS, KAMA-RUPA, PRINCIPLES
Nucleus Of The Soul - See: atman, impersonal being, soul.
Spiritual Soul - Spiritual Soul Buddhi; in man, typically the immortal individual monad. The first vehicle of the atmic monadic ray is the spiritual ego, a copy in miniature of the monad, individualized throughout manvantaric evolution. The second vehicle is the spiritual soul, the bearer, veil, or carrier of the spiritual ego.
Old Soul - one who has reincarnated many times and is more spiritually mature than most people. (NAD)
Divine Soul - Divine Soul The vehicle or garment of the divine ego, which in its turn is the field or vehicle of the divine monad -- terms referring to the human monadic centers. As the inner god corresponds to the divine monad and the inner buddha to the divine ego, so the divine soul may be said to be the expression of the buddha in manifestation on earth.
Individual Soul - A term used to describe the soul''s nature as a unique entity, emanated by God Siva (the Primal Soul), as a being which is evolving and not yet one with God. See: atman, essence, kosha, Parameshvara, soul.
Human Soul - Human Soul The clothing or ray of the human ego; it is the egoic center in manas, under the influence of both buddhi and the kamic nature.
We may speak of a threefold human soul -- buddhi-manas or the spiritual soul, manas or the human soul, and kama-manas or the animal soul, each the expression of its own ego. Each ego is the expression of its monad. The characteristic of the human soul is duality, affording the field for the interaction of spiritual and lower forces.
Thread Soul - Thread Soul. The same as Sutratma (q.v.).
Universal Soul - See God
Cosmic Soul - Purusha or Parameshvara. Primal Soul. The Universal Being; Personal God. See: Parameshvara, Primal Soul, purusha, Siva.
Cycle Of Soul-mind Progression - Theory: every eighteen years, seven months and a few days there occurs a particular relationship between a person''s soul-mind and the etheric world; beginning at the age of 18/19 and then following at the ages of 37/38, 55/56, 74/75
Immature Soul - See: atman, evolution of the soul, soul.
Free Soul - The human soul may advance toward a state of complete freedom. The advancement effort should begin during earth life. The essence of awareness, different from earth''s realization, becomes evident following one''s expansion of readiness for unfoldment of meaning at the next higher level
Merger Of The Soul - See: evolution of the soul, vishvagrasa.
|