What is a seed-thought ?

 One of my friends questioned me: What is a seed-thought ? This post attempts to throw some light with example, on the concept of a seed-thought.

Here is how we define it: "A seed-thought is simply a thought-form or a phrase or symbolic words which conceal a fundamental truth and acts as a seed that sprouts in a contemplative meditation (meditation with a seed) revealing that truth."

A Seed-thought being a (thought-)form, we need to look also the broader concept of "form as a symbol", of which a seed-thought is just an example.

Earlier we tabulated so many example of trinities. "Purpose - Idea - Form" is one such trinity of symbol. What this means is that every symbol has three interpretations - as a from it is an expression of some underlying idea. This idea has behind it, in its turn, a deeper underlying purpose. These three interpretations of a symbol can be summarized as:

1. Exoteric interpretation:  Based on its objective utility and upon the nature of the form. 

2. Subjective interpretation:  Revealing the idea lying behind the objective manifestation.

3. Esoteric interpretation: That innermost purpose lying further behind the veiled idea.

 

A profound example that immediately comes to my mind is the mystic poem "Savitri" which Sri Aurobindo terms as "Legend of the past that is a Symbol of the future." It starts with Canto: The Symbol Dawn which is both diurnal (a particular dawn in the life of Satyavan and Savitri) as well as aeonic (denoting the idea of manvantara beginning after a pralaya). The rising and setting of the Sun symbolises manifestation and obscuration as H. P. Blavatsky writes in her The Secret Doctrine unveiling the symbolic book : "The Book of Dzyan/Dhyan".

In its outermost exoteric interpretation, Symbolic "Savitri" is considered just an old upanishadic poem narrating the conjugal love-story of Satyavan and Savitri. In it's subjective interpretation, there is the idea of Avatarhood of Savitri who saves Satyavan symbolically denoting the soul of humanity. Whereas esoteric interpretation points to the mystic purpose of a symbolic World-Saviour (Christ/Kalki/Bodhisattva/the head of the second-ray department of planetary hierarchy) who comes in every age to deliver judgment and establish the law. It is mystically symbolic of the Buddha, Zoroaster, Shri Krishna, the Christ, and others. In the dawn of our age, Djwal Khul says (what Savitri symbolizes) "will be the collective mission of a group of world Saviours, not as Christs, but all knowers of God in some degree, who supplement each other's efforts, reinforce each other's message, and constitute an organism through which the spiritual energy and principle of spiritual life can make their presence felt in the world. In man's achievement and spiritualization is the hope of the world."

Another example of a seed-thought are the rules given by Djwal Khul to the applicants for discipleship in book Initiations, Human and Solar: Say Rule 3 - "Triple the call must be, and long it takes to sound it forth. Let the disciple sound the cry across the desert, over the sea, and through the fires which separate him from the veiled and hidden door."

Here the symbol desert refers to the physical plane life, while the sea refers to restless waters of the emotional life, and fires refers to thoughts on mental plane. Thus these symbols refer to the lower three bodies of human constitution which are separated from the indwelling divinity of the soul veiled by a hidden door.

Thus meditation with seed or seed-thought is the method whereby a man reaches the unveiled self of purpose and idea by the process of rejecting form after form.

From the book "A treatise on cosmic fire" we quote a few pertaining lines on symbols:

1. Symbols are intended for:—

a. The little evolved. They teach great truths in simple form.

b. The bulk of humanity. They preserve truth intact and embody cosmic facts.

c. The pupils of the Masters. They develop intuition.

2. Symbolic books in the Master's archives used for instruction. These books are interpreted:—

a. By their colour.

b. By their position, i.e. above, on and beneath a line.

c. By their connection with each other.

d. By their key. One page may be read four ways:—

1. From above downwards...involution.

2. From beneath upwards...evolution.

3. Right to left...greater cycles, etc.

4. Left to right...lesser cycles.

3. The three keys:—

1. Cosmic interpretation. The symbols standing for cosmic facts. i.e., Darkness. Light. The cross. The triangle.

2. Systemic interpretation. Dealing with evolution of system and all therein.

3. Human interpretation. Dealing with man himself. The cross of humanity. Seven-branched candlestick.

4. Four kinds of symbols:—

1. Symbols of extraneous objects physical...plane things.

2. Symbols of emotional nature...astral plane things; pictures.

3. Numerical symbolism...Lower mental. Man used himself to count by.

4. Geometrical symbolism...abstract symbolism, higher mental.

To conclude: All forms are simply symbols of an innermost or deeper spiritual reality. They are symbols of an indwelling life, and it is through meditation (with seed) that we arrive at the life aspect. Esoterically reading them involves the development of the faculty of seeing the life aspect which the outer form veils and hides. This applies equally to a human form as to any other form in nature; since all these forms veil a divine thought, idea, or truth and are the tangible manifestation of a divine concept. He who sees all forms as symbols of reality is well on the way to touching the unveiled Self. He arrives at a knowledge of truth and is no longer taken in by the illusory aspects of the form.