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The
South
of Heaven
Webpages
Devachan
is a state ( not a place) that one attains after death
and
before the next life. The concept is often
mistaken for Heaven.
But
there’s no need be disappointed, Devachan is still something
to look forward to. Get some idea of what to
expect with
The
South of Heaven
Guide
to
Theosophy & Devachan
Devachan
By
Katherine Tingley
First published 1909
With the
disappearance of the kama principle, the radiant glories
of the heavenly world open on the purified soul, now freed from the taint of
everything that held it from the realization of the Christos,
the true Vine, of which it is but one branch. As a tree puts forth twigs and
leaves, withdrawing into itself by degrees the virtue it has gained through the
existence of the leaves, now mere skeletons, so the higher has withdrawn all
that was useful, noble, and of good report from the terrestrial. The state of
Devachan has now been fully entered upon, the final state preceding the next
plunge or rebirth into earth-life for further development.
To get an
approximate idea of Devachan, the highest state between earthly incarnations,
we must not allow ourselves to dwell too much on form.
No doubt it is
difficult for our brain-minds to separate the idea of conscious existence from
definite form of some kind; probably the easiest way to open the intuitive
faculty in this direction is to meditate on -- and then act out -- such
attributes of the divine nature as justice, mercy, love, and compassion. These
are as actual as anything else we contact, for they
are changeless and everlasting; but they are formless and they cannot be laid
out on the dissecting-table or analyzed with spectroscopes.
They are the
eternal verities shining behind the veil of illusion created by the spirit of
the universe to manifest them.
It is
impossible to put these high and sacred matters into words to be understood by
the brain-mind in its ordinary condition, for the mind partakes too much of the
nature of matter itself to do more than grasp faint glimpses of what is meant
by spirit. The caricatures the laboring minds of men have drawn in their futile
efforts to explain the meaning of spirituality have disgusted many thoughtful
seekers who were just turning towards the light, and have sent them back to
materialism as a lesser evil than superstition.
Attempting to
explain spiritual consciousness to one who has no glimmering of intuition is
like discussing the colors of the rainbow with a blind man. But theosophy does
not leave anyone without hope.
It teaches
that if even the least effort is made to break away from the clogging things of
personal selfishness, a little spiritual knowledge will come, and that if the
struggle is continued without slackening, the light will get brighter until the
full daylight of what is called in the East nirvana, and in the Christian
mysticism the Beatific Vision, will flood the soul. The heat of aspiration
transmutes the lead of the lower nature to the gold. Spiritual fire begins to
flame the instant a high aspiration is entertained.
But Devachan
is not this state of perfect knowledge and wisdom; it is a high and exquisitely
refined condition, but even in its purity the soul is bound to a certain extent
by illusion. Although Devachan is nearer the one reality than the physical
plane, it is not that divine region where all things are plain to the view of
the illuminated seer and are known in their real essence. We have not yet
gained our freedom, for the life cycle of humanity is only partially completed
and ages must elapse before perfect liberation is achieved by the race as a
whole.
In the
theosophical teaching of Devachan an entirely new conception of life after
death has been offered to the Western world.
A dismal
materialism has woefully misunderstood the meaning of our environment; it can
see nothing but that nature is "red in tooth and claw," and thinks
that with the disappearance of the brain, annihilation is the end of
consciousness; while the vague and inconsistent ideas of heaven and hell of the
ecclesiastics, or the Summerland of the Spiritists,
are the only alternatives. No wonder there is so much negation and rejection of
all but what pertains to the life of the senses; no wonder that the highest
ideal of large masses of the people is that 'honesty is the best policy.'
But theosophy
shows that between the extremes of denial and credulity the truth is to be
looked for. Neither will human intelligence sink into the abyss of nothingness,
its existence having been to no purpose; nor will the narrow brain-mind of Mr.
A. or Mrs. B. drag on a wearisome career in eternity cramped by the limitations
of personality as we know them.
Once we
realize that the real man is a part of the Oversoul;
is immortal in past and future; that he has to understand the various planes of
existence in this illimitable universe by embodiment in forms of differing
degrees of materiality; that for the inner man there is no alarming shock at
death flinging him into painfully new conditions -- once we grasp these sublime
conditions we shall comprehend the mercy of the higher law in a new way. The
theosophist rejoices in the knowledge that Devachan is at least a partial
release from the bonds of personality, a perfect rest for the soul after the
strife of earth-life, when it assimilates the worthiest experiences of the past
and gains strength for the next battle.
W. Q. Judge
puts the case tersely:
Nature,
always kind, leads us soon again to heaven for a rest, for the flowering of the
best or highest in our natures.
In Devachan,
the imagination, one of the highest faculties we have, is given full play. This
godlike creative power, the inspiration of the artist, musician, or inventor,
has for its materials experiences of the past life, memories of antecedent
states, unknown to the brain-mind of the previous incarnation, as well as
knowledge of things entirely veiled from us by the limitations of the senses.
Who knows what
creations of poetry or of invention have not been worked out in Devachan, which
afterwards seemed to shoot into the brain of the personality in his next
incarnation? The following arrangement will help the student to understand
something of the changes produced by the journey through the portals of death.
This classification is not set forth as the authoritative teaching of
theosophy, but is the writer's deduction from the little that the Teachers have
given out about the changes of consciousness after death.
MORTAL MAN IN
TERRESTRIAL LIFE:
The Feeling
of 'I-am-I' and no other, self-consciousness, permeating the whole man, but
mainly centered in the lower manas and the
brain-mind.
Imagination,
weak in most cases; great geniuses being possible exceptions.
Reason
strong, the principal faculty in action; uses the brain and is mainly
stimulated from the outside; rare flashes come from a higher source for it to
work out.
The Emotions
of the passional nature, usually physically dominated
and self-centered.
Lower animal
desires, and intense desire for sensuous existence (suicides are
seeking happier conditions -- not extinction).
Brain-memory
of events of the present incarnation: materials for reasoning and, in a small
degree, for the imagination to use.
MAN AFTER
DEATH:
The same
Feeling of 'I-am-I,' but at first chiefly concentrated in the lower kama-manasic passional
principles; afterwards centered in the higher manas
and illuminated by buddhi after the second death when
the withdrawal into the Devachanic state takes place.
LATER, IN
DEVACHAN:
Imagination
strong and active -- the principal faculty working.
Reason in
abeyance as a rule; when it is active, it uses internal or subjective stimuli
from higher planes.
The higher
unselfish emotions and heart feelings.
Tanha, the desire for sensuous life, latent in
Devachan at first, but grows steadily stronger as the karmic time for
reincarnation approaches, and the forces keeping the soul in the Devachanic
state are becoming exhausted.
Memory of the
permanently valuable spiritual thoughts and deeds: materials for the
imagination to work with.
THE
PRINCIPLES
IN LIFE: The
whole of the seven principles.
AFTER DEATH:
The astral body for a short time; the lower manas
entangled with the passional nature, forming kama-rupa; afterwards the higher or reincarnating ego
united with the spiritual part of the lower manas and
illuminated by the overshadowing light of buddhi and atma; the skandhas or seeds of
the actions performed in the past life, ready to be vivified under favoring
circumstances in the next life.
Find out more about
Theosophy
with these links
links
The
Cardiff Theosophical Society Website
The National Wales Theosophy Website
Theosophy Cardiff’s Instant Guide to Theosophy
Theosophy Cardiff’s Gallery of Great Theosophists
Dave’s Streetwise Theosophy Boards
The Theosophy Website that welcomes
absolute beginners
Independent Theosophy Blog
If you run a Theosophy Group
you
can use this as an introductory handout.
One liners and quick explanations
About aspects of Theosophy
The
Voice of the Silence Website
An Independent Theosophical Republic
Links to Free Online Theosophy
Study Resources; Courses,
Writings,
The main criteria
for the inclusion of
links on this site is
that they have some
relationship (however
tenuous) to Theosophy
and are lightweight,
amusing or entertaining.
Topics include
Quantum Theory and Socks,
Dick
Dastardly and Legendary Blues Singers.
An
entertaining introduction to Theosophy
This is for
everybody not just people in Wales
It’s all “water
under the bridge” but everything you do
makes an imprint on
the Space-Time Continuum.
A selection of
articles on Reincarnation
Provided in
response to the large number
of enquiries we
receive on this subject
No
Aardvarks were harmed in the
Within the British Isles, the
Adyar Theosophical Society
Bangor*Basingstoke*Billericay*Birmingham*Blackburn*Bolton*Bournemouth
Bradford*Bristol*Camberley*Cardiff*Chester*Conwy*Coventry*Dundee*Edinburgh
Folkstone*Glasgow*Grimsby*Inverness*Isle
of Man*Lancaster*Leeds*Leicester
Letchworth*London*Manchester*Merseyside*Middlesborough*Newcastle upon Tyne
North
Devon*Northampton*Northern Ireland*Norwich*Nottingham
Perth*Republic of Ireland*Sidmouth*Southport*Sussex*Swansea*Torbay
Tunbridge Wells*Wallasey*Warrington*Wembley*Winchester*Worthing
The Spiritual Home of Urban Theosophy
The Earth Base for Evolutionary Theosophy
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Tekels Park to be Sold to a Developer
Concerns are raised about the fate of the wildlife as
The Spiritual Retreat, Tekels Park in Camberley,
Surrey, England is to be sold to a developer
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A B C D EFG H IJ KL M N OP QR S T UV WXYZ
Complete Theosophical Glossary
in Plain Text Format
1.22MB
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What Theosophy Is From the Absolute to Man
The Formation of a Solar System The Evolution of Life
The Constitution of Man After Death Reincarnation
The Purpose of Life The Planetary Chains
The Result of Theosophical Study
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Preface to the American Edition Introduction
Occultism and its Adepts The Theosophical Society
First Occult Experiences Teachings of Occult Philosophy
Later Occult Phenomena Appendix
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Preface
Theosophy and the Masters General Principles
The Earth Chain Body and Astral Body Kama – Desire
Manas Of
Reincarnation Reincarnation Continued
Karma Kama Loka
Devachan
Cycles
Arguments Supporting Reincarnation
Differentiation Of Species Missing Links
Psychic Laws, Forces, and Phenomena
Psychic Phenomena and Spiritualism
________________________________
Quick Explanations with Links to More
Detailed Info
What is Theosophy ? Theosophy Defined (More Detail)
Three Fundamental Propositions Key Concepts of Theosophy
Cosmogenesis
Anthropogenesis
Root Races
Karma
Ascended Masters After Death States
Reincarnation
The Seven Principles of Man Helena Petrovna Blavatsky
Colonel Henry Steel Olcott William Quan Judge
The Start of the Theosophical Society Theosophical Society Presidents
History of the Theosophical Society Glossaries of Theosophical Terms
History of the Theosophical Society in Wales
The Three Objectives of the Theosophical Society
Explanation of the Theosophical Society Emblem
Karma Fundamental Principles Laws: Natural and Man-Made The Law of Laws
The Eternal Now
Succession
Causation The Laws of Nature A Lesson of The Law
Karma Does Not Crush Apply This Law
Man in The Three Worlds Understand The Truth
Man and His Surroundings The Three Fates The Pair of Triplets Thought, The Builder
Practical Meditation Will and Desire
The Mastery of Desire Two Other Points
The Third Thread Perfect Justice
Our Environment
Our Kith and Kin Our Nation
The Light for a Good Man Knowledge of Law The Opposing Schools
The More Modern View Self-Examination Out of the Past
Old Friendships
We Grow By Giving Collective Karma Family Karma
National Karma
India’s Karma
National Disasters
We can learn something from these guys
(The universe exists for a while and then sort of
doesn’t)
Outline of the Creation Process
There is no Dead Matter in the Universe
The Divine Spark in Everything
The 10 rungs on the Ladder of Life
The Sevenfold Constitution of Man
Yes, we all operate at 7 levels
(or shouldn’t be)
(You do take some things with you but sadly not your
money)
(The Energy Driving the Universe)
We haven’t always looked like this
Try these if you are looking
for a
local
Theosophy Group or Centre
UK Listing of Theosophical Groups
Results & Voting Figures for the
____________________
Your Own Theosophy
Group Starts Here
A Guide to
starting your own
Theosophy Group
These are
suggestions and pointers for forming
your own independent
Theosophy Group and
not instructions on
how to form a branch of a
larger Theosophical Organisation.
The subject of
affiliation to a larger body is
covered but as affiliation
may mean compromise
and nobody owns Theosophy
anyway, we leave
that decision entirely up to you
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General pages
about Wales, Welsh History
and The History of
Theosophy in Wales
Wales is a
Principality within the United Kingdom and has an eastern
border with England. The
land area is just over 8,000 square miles.
Snowdon in North Wales is
the highest mountain at 3,650 feet.
The coastline is
almost 750 miles long. The population of Wales
as at the 2001 census is 2,946,200.
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