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Meditating on The Secret Doctrineby Pablo SenderPublished in The Theosophist Volume 127.10 page 372 In an earlier article (May 2006), we considered the importance of a meditative study of universals and also the Three Fundamental Propositions of The Secret Doctrine (SD) as a broad guideline for spiritual practice. Here we will focus on the meditative process, using the First Proposition and Stanza I of the First Volume of the SD as the foundation. HPB said that the seven Stanzas of Dzyan in this volume are an abstract formula which can be applied to the manifestation of the Universe.[1] Considering that the First Fundamental Proposition is a summary of these Stanzas, and keeping in mind the hermetic axiom ‘as above, so below’, we will take this Proposition as a formula for the manifestation of the mind, and then we will apply it to the meditative process. Finally, we will examine some important hints given in the First Stanza as to the original nature of Mind. But we have to realize that these teachings tend to move the mind towards a reality beyond concepts. Thus, the problem the student faces initially is the difficulty of understanding, at least at the intellectual level, the statements related to transcendental or essential realities, which can hardly be conveyed in words. Consequently, to start with, we will try to clarify briefly the main concepts expressed in the First Proposition. The process of manifestation This Proposition establishes that, whether the Cosmos is manifested or not, there is an Absolute Reality called Parabrahman, the Rootless Root. This Reality is Omnipresent, Eternal, Immutable, and has no attributes. Indeed, Parabrahman is not a Being but the ‘Be-ness’, that which makes possible the existence of beings. But although the Absolute does not have qualities, we can say It has two aspects, as described in the Proem: This ‘Be-ness’ is symbolized in the Secret Doctrine under two aspects. On the one hand, absolute abstract Space, representing bare subjectivity, the one thing which no human mind can either exclude from any conception, or conceive of by itself. On the other, absolute abstract Motion representing Unconditioned Consciousness.[2]Absolute abstract Space is called Mulaprakti, the Precosmic Root-Substance, which is coeternal with Parabrahman. HPB says that its only ______________ Dr. Pablo Sender is a young Theosophist from Argentina who actively propagates the Theosophical view of life among the young. He is currently working at Adyar as Assistant Archives Officer. — The Theosophist, Volume 127.10, Page 373 — representation in this plane is Space — a very illuminating concept from a psycho-spiritual point of view, as we saw in the article mentioned above. But also from a metaphysical viewpoint it brings an important understanding, because the Absolute, like space, is neither affected nor modified by conditioned (manifested) things: ‘In the all-pervading space there exist clouds, stars, planets, dust-storms, and so on, but it [space] is not touched by any of them’ says a Vedântic scripture.[3] However, this representation is necessarily limited to describing absolute abstract Space, because it is not an empty space, as we may imagine: It is ‘neither a “limitless void”, nor a “conditioned fullness”, but both’.[4] This abstract feminine principle, Mulaprakriti, will give origin to the objective side of the manifested Cosmos, that is to say, all the different states of matter (planes) and the vehicles of consciousness (bodies). Its symbol is a white circle:  .
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