The Rising Cycle

The Aquarian Theosophist Volume III, No. 4 February 17, 2003 e-mail address: [email protected] Archive: http://teosofia.com/AT.html 74` arranges the universe, in conjunction with From Caveman to Zeus! O blessed journey, beautiful visions, and true dreams!" We will consider a little Contemplative later why the philosopher who has made progress in his love of wisdom does indeed Tim Addey "nearly govern and arrange the universe." A paper presented to the Millennium To return, however, to the Cave of Trust Conference — 1999 the Republic in which Socrates describes "Revealing the Sacred" prisoners chained to a bench in such a way Grove House, Sellindge, Kent, U. K. as to limit their sight to the wall furthest from the cave's entrance. On this wall ap- One of the best known passages in pear a procession of shadows caused by a Plato's writings is that of ‘Plato's Cave’ at series of objects being carried along a the beginning of the seventh book of the walled path behind the prisoners and which Republic [VII, 514a ff.]: but its profundi- lies between them and a fire. The objects ties are worth exploring again because, it — artificial representations — are numer- provides a key to the philosophic life, ous and of many different species of which is also the happy and creative life. things. Since the prisoners have known nothing but the procession of flickering We must begin by reclaiming the shadows they know no greater reality and word `philosophy' since it has been belit- cleverest amongst them are able to make tled by misuse in the west over many cen- the most erudite analysis of these shadows: turies, so that for most seekers of living many win prizes for the remarkable ability spiritual truths and beauties the word to predict which shadow will follow means nothing more than a series of arid which. arguments on semantic issues. But when Pythagoras first introduced philosophy to From this strange prison one man es- the Greek language it denoted nobility and capes, and turning to explore what has lain a greatness of aspiration to which many behind him during his imprisonment, sees great men and women have gladly given first the procession of actual objects, then their lives. The word, of course, means the fire: this is enough to cause him con- `love of wisdom' and because wisdom is a siderable confusion and some hurt to his Goddess, it denotes the love of the mortal eyes, and perhaps he would have sat down for the immortal. It led Maximus Tyrius to again had it not been that someone took write [dis. vi; TTS vol. VI, p. 71.] these hold of him and forced him beyond the fire delightful words in praise of true philosophy and its destiny: "But to what shall I TABLE OF CONTENTS compare the spectacles of a philosopher? To a clear dream by Zeus, circularly borne From Caveman to Contemplative 1 along in all directions; in which, indeed, Sufism — II 8 The Global Village 23 the body does not move, but the soul trav- Point out the Way — XXVII 26 els round the whole earth, from earth as- The Coffee Klatch 27 cends to heaven, passes over every sea, Dnyaneshvari — XXVII 29 flies through every region of the air, runs Correspondence 30 in conjunction with the sun, revolves with In the Mentality Kitchen 31 the moon, is carried round with the choir The Dual Manas 31 of the other stars, and nearly governs and The Aquarian Theosophist, Vol. III, #4 February 17, 2003 Page 2 into the light of day, beyond the cave. us in relatively clear language the meta- Here he saw living objects — the originals physical pattern which is implicit within of which the procession in the cave had the writings of Plato and his immediate been copies. Due to the enfeebled nature followers. It is this metaphysical scheme of his eyes, unable to endure bright lights which we must have if we are to follow after a lifetime in the darkness of a cave, every step of Socrates' escaping prisoner. he must first accustom his sight by a grad- Briefly, the scheme of the universe can be ual series of increasingly bright objects: at analyzed, according to Proclus, into six first he can only look at shadows, then at conditions or orders of being [note 1]: images of things reflected in water, and finally the real things. Once he has a clear Firstly unconditioned being, or "au- vision of the upper world his last task is to thentic reality" an eternal and therefore look to the heavens themselves, to see ce- immutable world of pure causes. This lestial lights, more beautiful than the things world is derived from and ruled by the of the earth. Once again this is to be ac- intelligible Gods. complished by degrees: at first he can be- Secondly being conditioned or hold only the heavens at night when the clothed in life, again eternal but especially light of the stars dance their perfect characterised by a dynamic quality which rhythms, but finally, as his eyes adapt, he ‘pushes,’ as it were, stable being into a is able to look upon the sun and is able to procession of archetypal ideas. Derived recognise the truth that it is this single daz- from and ruled by the intelligible- zling object which is the source and gover- intellectual Gods. nor of all things. Thirdly being and life conditioned The former prisoner returns to the or clothed in intellect; this, too, is eternal cave to tell his wonderful news to his erst- and carries the causal and dynamic quali- while companions, but such is the condi- ties of the first two worlds further out- tion of his eyes, now used to the full light wards: its own particular characteristic is of the sun, that the darkness of the cave creativity and ordered thought. Derived makes him stumble and appear the most from and ruled by the Intellectual Gods. benighted of fools: the chained prisoners at best laugh at him and at worst become Because of this characteristic creativ- enraged at his ravings, promising that if ity three further worlds, or conditions of they are able to loosen their chains a little being are projected by the powers of the they will kill the madman. intellectual world: the fourth world is that of being-life-intellect conditioned or Now to many this allegory delivers a clothed in the individuating actions of soul. simple message: that our present condition The world of soul, while at its highest is one of shadowy unreality, and that the touching triune world of being-life- enlightened life awaits us if we are able to intellect, is the first projected order, and its free ourselves from our chains and find our quality of activity necessarily involves way to the upper world. This is certainly some contact with the processions of time. an important part of Plato's message to his (Plotinus defines time, by the way, as the readers, but a part only. If we only read ‘measure’ of the soul's activity.) Derived Plato himself it is easy to miss the rest of from and ruled by the Supermundane the message; it is the great philosopher- Gods. mystics of late antiquity who give us the key to the allegory's subtlety. The fifth condition is that of being- life-intellect acted upon by soul and given Proclus, perhaps the last great flow- the conditioning and clothing of the appe- ering of western antiquity's wisdom, gives tencies, laws and forms of nature; this The Aquarian Theosophist, Vol. III, #4 February 17, 2003 Page 3 world is central to the projected or mani- — they are as close to nothingness as it is fested cosmos, and, therefore, its leading possible for discernable things to be: we characteristic is that of generative dyna- will see as we rise with our prisoner how mism. Derived from and ruled by the Lib- these shadows are the final result of a se- erated Gods. ries of different levels of reality. While the prisoners look at the wall with its dancing The sixth and final condition of be- shadows they are almost entirely ignorant, ing is the world of matter: or more prop- and are not able to see themselves, so that erly matter upon which the five previous the terrible ignorance which is self- worlds' causes are impressed, so that be- ignorance is their lot: this is the state of ing-life-intellect-soul-nature is clothed in each of us when our perception is only of matter. Derived from and ruled by the materiality. Mundane Gods. Now when the prisoner first turns You will see that at each succeeding around he sees the statues, furniture and lower level the simplicity of the higher other objects which are being carried along become more and more complex, until in the walled path: these are the representa- the material or mundane order everything tions of higher things. The forms in na- is a complex entity wrapped in many lay- ture, which continually give rise to actual ers and is, therefore, difficult to under- physical lives and things, are distant ech- stand. oes of the archetypal ideas of the second order (that of Life). They are in continual But Proclus also says [note 2] that movement and still have a high degree of one thing, and one thing only, is higher illusiveness about them — Plato says this than Being Itself — and that is Unity. So walled path is like the "hedges in the stage above these six orders is a super-order of of mountebanks on which they exhibit Unity and Unities, which we may call the their wonderful tricks." order of God, and the Gods.

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