the key to theosophy…

“Mr. Old:  It is a contradiction between the undifferentiated Atman and Buddhi.

 
Mme. Blavatsky:  It is simply that Atma is beyond the seventh plane. Buddhi is one of the planes; you understand that. Therefore, if Atma, which is beyond the seventh plane, falls on the ego through seven planes, it will fall a great deal weaker. You understand what I mean?

 
It depends on our ego to draw it immediately on itself, or to have a kind of wall between it and the other planes. This depends on the degree of assimilation. I don’t know if you understand my meaning.

 
Mr. B. Keightley:  Yes, you put it very well.

 
Mme. Blavatsky:  Well, it is extremely difficult to do so, because those who don’t understand what I mean by planes will not understand me. It has seven degrees of spirit-matter, and certainly it depends on the force or degree, the intensity with which it assimilates, and if it is too opaque, and too dull, then certainly it won’t reach it.

 
Mr. B. Keightley:  I don’t know whether you ever studied that problem, Old, the definition of liberation. There is always that rather puzzling explanation: “the soul is neither bound, nor is it ever liberated.” It is a very intricate problem, which has never been really satisfactorily explained.

 
Mme. Blavatsky:  What do you take Purusha to be on this plane? Which of the principles? To which of the principles does it belong?

 
Mr. B. Keightley:  They talk about Purusha mounting on the shoulders of Prakriti.

 
Mme. Blavatsky:  Prakriti is simply a body, and therefore the body would be a perfectly blind animal if Purusha were not there; and Purusha without the body could not manifest. Purusha emanates from Brahma, and from [   ], or from [   ], whatever school he belonged to.

 
Mr. B. Keightley:  I could show passages in which Purusha is not taken in that sense, but in the higher sense.

 
Mme. Blavatsky:  If you speak about mind, Purusha corresponds with the ego. If you take it in the universal sense, then it corresponds to the universal soul, to the Anima Mundi.”

 
H. P. Blavatsky