Wednesday, May 4th, 1983

WISDOM'S GOLDENROD, ALAN BERKOWITZ CLASS NOTES

(TYPED)

MAY 4, 1983

PB PARAS; OVERSELF

TOPIC: PB Paras

SUBJECT: Overself

SUBSUBJECTS: Asmita, Mercurius

BOOKS READ FROM OR REFERENCED:

• Paul Brunton, Notebooks

DIAGRAMS embedded in these notes:

• FIGURE 1983 0504-1-AB. Mercury Nature related to Saturn/Jupiter in Leo/Virgo.

• FIGURE 1983 0504-2-AB. Mercury Nature as Historical Evolving Person.

TYPED AND REFORMATTED by IT 2022

NOTES:

• RETYPED HANDWRITTEN NOTES (V13). From Classnotes AB 1983 0429 to 1983 0606.PDF.

• All spelling, capitalization, and punctuation corrected, abbreviations spelled out.

1983 05/04 at Wisdom's Goldenrod

PB Paras; Overself

[Classnotes AB 1983 0504 Begin]

5/4/83 PB Overself

[FIGURE 1983 0504-2-AB. Mercury Nature as Historical Evolving Person. Facsimile scan from AB class notes.]

1) "The higher self is a paradox. It is both central and universal. The two are together." [PB, V14, 22:3.379]

2) "The Supreme Godhead is unindividualized. The World-Mind is individuated (but not personalized) into emanated Overselves. The Overself is an individual, but not a person (=the I). The ego is personal." [PB, V16, 28:1.53 & Persp., Ch. 28, # 19] [Note: (=the I) is AB addition.]

From the Supreme Godhead there arises a totality or aggregate of authentic beings = the Intellectual-Principle. From each authentic being emanates a ray = the individual 'I'.

World-Mind is a one-many.

Sup. 9 = an absolute undifferentiated intelligence.

The individual = the pure consciousness in you which manifests the universal for you = sutratma.

3)

a) "The Overself is utterly above all personality yet is not bereft of a kind of individuality." [PB, Persp., Ch. 22, #13]

(The soul never leaves the Nous, but sends a ray which descends ([underlined] is Proclus perspective).)

The Overself is an authentic being which sends forth a ray.

Other authentic beings don't send forth a ray = principle of non-manifestation.

b) "The personality is always limited and chained, the higher individuality always infinite and free." [PB, V14, 22:3.365] [Note: AB has 'changed' for 'chained' and 'unlimited' for 'infinite'.]

4) "The dictionary defines individuality as separate and distinct existence. Both the ego and the Overself have such an existence. But whereas the ego has this and nothing more, the Overself has this consciousness within the universal existence. That is why we have called it the higher individuality." [PB, V14, 22:3.394]

That is, the Mercury is consciously aware of itself as distinct within the Saturn Jupiter. The Mercury can't realize itself as the universal consciousness and still maintain its individuality. The soul (Overself) as universal consciousness has no awareness of individual consciousness. The 'I' principle within you is emanated from it.

5) Think of yourself as a point within the Overself.

6) Overself = the Father. 'I'=the principle of asmita. Christ: I and my Father are one. The Father is greater than I, but I am always with my Father.

One essence, two persons. Ontologically there is no difference between the Overself and the Intellectual-Principle.

7) V. 12 Red p. 57. [Note: A reference to Volume Red Vinyl 12, one of the PB original notebooks. See https://www.pbarchives.org/.]

The recognition of one's own principle of I-ness automatically brings out reverence and compassion for someone else's principle of I-ness.

8) "There is no reason why he should not preserve his individuality even if he should surrender it to God." [PB, V16, 25:2.217]

The principle that you get a "glimpse" of is the Mercury-asmita-ray and not the universal undifferentiated consciousness as the Overself.

[Classnotes AB 1983 0504 End]