Study Resource with Links to
More Stuff
________________________________________
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
William
Quan Judge
A LETTER to
the editor from
The complaint
in this letter is that when one goes to Devachan much time is lost away from
earth life, where otherwise unselfish work for others might be continued by
instantly returning to it after death.
The reason
given is that Devachan is an illusion, while the so-called illusions of earthly
existence are in such a sense real that they are preferable to those of
Devachan. In illustration of this, the supposed case is given of a parent in
Devachan imagining that the beloved child is also there, when, in fact, the
child not yet physically dead remains on earth perhaps in misery or leading a
life of vice. This is the root of the objection - the supposed illusionary
character of Devachan as compared to earth-life.
Now these
feelings are always due to the thirst for life in the form which presently is
most known to us, - that is, in a physical body. We cannot argue Devachan away
any more than we can the necessity of incarnation upon this earth; the one is
as philosophically necessary as is the other.
A very easy
way out of the difficulty - which arises almost wholly from our feelings -
would be to calmly accept the law as it stands, being willing to take whatever
may be our fate, whether that be in Devachan or in this earth-life. Our likes
and dislikes can have no effect on the course of nature, but they may have an
effect on ourselves which will be far from beneficial. For the dwelling upon
pleasure or the constant desire to fly from "pain not yet come" will
inevitably create Karmic causes which we would wish to avoid.
But perhaps
there are some considerations on the subject of Devachan which may be of use.
In the first place, I have never believed that the period given by Mr. Sinnett
in Esoteric Buddhism of fifteen hundred years for the stay in that state was a
fixed fact in nature. It might be fifteen minutes as well as fifteen hundred
years. But it is quite likely that for the majority of those who so constantly
wish for a release and for an enjoyment of heaven, the period would be more
than fifteen hundred years.
Indeed, the
Hindu Scriptures give many special ceremonies for the attainment of heaven, or
the regions of Indra, which is Devachan; and those
ceremonies or practices are said to cause a stay in Indraloka
"for years of infinite number."
The first
question, however, must be "What is the cause for passing into
Devachan?" Some have said that it is good Karma or good acts that take us
and keep us there, but this is a very incomplete reply. Of course, in the sense
that it is happiness to go into that state, it may be called good Karma.
But it does
not follow that the man whose life is good, passed in constant unselfish work
for others without repining, and free from desire to have somewhere his reward,
will go to Devachan. Yet his Karma must be good; it must act on him, however,
in other lives, for the earth-life is the place where such Karma has its
operation.
But if at the
same time that he is thus working for others he wishes for release or for some
place or time when and where he may have rest, then, of course, he must go to
Devachan for a period which will be in proportion to the intensity of those
desires.
Again, it
should not be forgotten that the soul must have some rest. Were it, before
becoming bright as the diamond, hard as adamant, and strong as steel, to go on
working, working through earth-life after earth-life without a break between,
it must at last succumb to the strain and come to nothing. Nature therefore has
provided for it a place of rest - in Devachan; and that we should thankfully
accept if it falls to our lot.
But does
Devachan suffer in the comparison made between it and this life on earth? To me
it seems not. Human life is as great an illusion as any.
To the sage Ribhu, Vishnu said it was the longest-lived reign of fancy.
To say that it is a terrible thing to think of a mother in Devachan enjoying
its bliss while the child is suffering on earth, is to prefer one illusion over
another, to hug a philosophical error to the breast. Both states are out of the
true, while the Ego, who is the real witness, sees the lower personality
struggling with these phantoms while it, whether the body be living or its
other parts be in Devachan, enjoys eternal felicity. It sits on high unmoved,
immovable. The great verse in the Isa-Upanishad
settles this matter for me in these words: "What room is there for sorrow
and what for doubt in him who knows that all spiritual beings are the same in
kind, though differing in degree." Therefore if I believe this, I must
also know that, no matter whether I and my best beloved are in Devachan or on
earth, they and I must forever partake of the highest development attained by
the greatest of sages, for, as they and I are spiritual beings, we must have
communion forever on the higher planes of our being.
Then, again,
the fact seems to be lost sight of that each night we go into a sort of
Devachan - the dream state or sleep without dream. The loving mother, no matter
how unfortunate or evil her child, must sleep, and in that state she may have
dreams of her loved ones around her in just the very condition of mind and body
she would have them enjoy. If Devachan be objectionable, why not also rebel
against our necessary sleep which acts on our physical frame to give it rest,
as Devachan does upon our more ethereal parts?
Lying
unnoticed at the foot of this matter is the question of time. It goes to the
very root of the objection, for the aversion to the stay in Devachan is based
upon the conception of a period of time. This period - given or supposed as
1,500 years - is another great illusion which can be easily proved to be so.
What we call time, measured by our seconds and minutes and hours, is not
necessarily actual time itself. It is not the ultimate precedence and
succession of moments in the abstract. For us it depends on and flows from the
revolutions of our solar orb, and even with that standard it can be shown that
we do not apprehend it correctly. We speak of seconds, but those are such as
our watchmakers give us in the watch. They might be made longer or shorter.
They are
arrived at through a division of a diurnal solar revolution, the observation of
which not necessarily mathematically accurate. If we lived on Mercury - where
we must believe intelligent beings live - our conception of time would be
different. From our childhood's experience we know that even in this life our
appreciation of the passage of time rises and falls, for in early youth the 12
months from one Christmas to another seemed very, very long, while now they
pass all too quickly. And from watching the mental processes in dreams we know
that, in the space of time taken for a bell to drop from the table to the
floor, one may dream through a whole lifetime, with all the incidents of each
day and hour packed into such a limited period. Who can tell but that in a
Devachanic state of three months the person may go through experiences that
seem to cover thousands of years?
If so, why
not say for him - since time as we know it is an illusion - that he was in
Devachan for those thousands?
Devachan,
however, is not a meaningless or useless state. In it we are rested; that part
of us which could not bloom under the chilling skies of earth-life bursts forth
into flower and goes back with us to another life stronger and more a part of
our nature than before; our strength is revived for another journey between
deaths.
Why shall we
repine that nature kindly aids us in the interminable struggle; why thus ever
keep the mind revolving about this petty personality and its good or evil
fortune?
Willian Quan Judge
Path,
September, 1890
The
South of Heaven
Guide
to
Theosophy
& Devachan
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
_____________________
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
____________________
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
___________________________
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
_____________________
Preface to the American Edition Introduction
Occultism and its Adepts The Theosophical Society
First Occult Experiences Teachings of Occult Philosophy
Later Occult Phenomena Appendix
______________________________
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
________________________
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.
___________________________
into categories and
presented according to relevance of website.
Maxxhits.com - FREE
Search Engine Submission
Click here to submit your URL to over 8000 search engines,
directories and links pages Free. Boost your website's traffic fast!!!
Search Engine
Submission Service