Emanation in daily life
Herman C. Vermeulen – The Netherlands
‘Emanation’ is a Latin compound meaning ‘the flowing out’ of what is within. Each embodying being emanates a characteristic ‘sphere’, a ‘force field’ to which lesser developed beings are attracted, thus forming his(its, one’s) body. In this force field, the lesser developed beings find the appropriate habitat to develop themselves. An example is the planetary being Earth, creating an appropriate environment for all the other beings of our planet, including ourselves. This concept of emanation is a very fundamental idea in The Secret Doctrine of Madame Blavatsky, and in the philosophy of Plato, the Neo-Platonist Plotinus and his teacher Ammonius Saccas. Below some practical examples of emanation are given.
There is a very interesting phenomenon in nature, which biologists call a biotope. A biotope is an area with uniform living conditions (a marsh or moorland) in which certain plants and animals can thrive, because they are in harmony with their environment. It is their natural habitat or growth environment.
If we give this some thought, the concept becomes broader and more dynamic. If we create the right circumstances, the corresponding animal or plant appears naturally. There is clearly a mutual attraction between different types of beings, creating living conditions for one another. However, there is a critical boundary. For example, if we create a square meter of biotope, we will probably not attract one single being, because the minimal condition, in this case the minimum size, is not met.
This example of mutual attraction and cooperation is an aspect or part of the concept of ‘emanation.’ The biotopes in nature clearly illustrate that beings in equal or even different phases of development not only have a stimulating influence on one another, but also create a necessary cooperation. This cooperation provides them with the mutual opportunity to gain experience and work on inner growth. This once again proves that growth or development is not possible alone: that it is an illusion to think we are separate from one another.
If we consider this observation and the corresponding ideas from a fundamental standpoint, then we can say that, lesser developed beings are able to attract more highly developed beings, although they cannot demand cooperation. How do you attract higher beings, such as great spiritual teachers? By being open to them; being a qualified spiritual biotope; developing corresponding spiritual qualities within your own sphere. This is how you can form connections and strengthen existing bonds. Developing spiritual qualities means: to be these in the core of your being. False pretenses or wrong motives do not work. Are we really capable of making our character more spiritual? Of course we can, because every being has endless capabilities within itself. Every form of good education is based on this principle. It creates an environment/atmosphere that evokes ones higher characteristics. Not by rules and regulations or memorizing facts, but by showing someone the way to his own conscience (wisdom from past incarnations).
In a good learning environment there is always a dynamic balance between providing space and stimulation. In a sense it is easier if someone tells us exactly what to do, rather than being told which goal we need to achieve and what the important factors are. In the latter case we have to use our own inner abilities to fulfill the ideal – thereby taking responsibility for the consequences.
You can find these same principles of cooperation in the human birth process. Let us take the reproductive cells as an example. Our reproductive cells are incarnations of universal stem cells that belong to other persons, at least most of them are not our own. Because we have built up karmic relationships with these cells, they incarnate in our body, even though they do not belong to our own cells. Why doesn’t our body reject these reproductive cells, while other foreign cells are forcefully rejected? Why does our body protect them, and is even actively stimulating their growth?
From a biological standpoint, the mother protects the mature egg against her own immune responses by wrapping the egg in a firm layer of cells. She is able to allow her own cells to play a protective role for the benefit of foreign cells, in this case the universal, reproductive cells.
What kind of (spiritual) sphere or biotope is created between parent and reincarnating human, so that the mother is able to play host for the cell-beings of the reincarnating human? It is a dynamic cooperation with two sides: on the one hand providing space to other beings, on the other hand ‘challenging’ them to use the possibilities for growth themselves. The mother’s body protects the embryo against rejection (we do not yet know exactly how this works). At the same time it appears that the vitality of the embryo has to be strong enough to develop into a healthy baby within the influential sphere of the mother. Compare this with a comet that is finding its place within a solar system. The comet needs to find its balance between its own characteristics and the dominating characteristics in that system, between its own powers and the powers in that system.
These aspects of the universal teaching of emanation provide a picture of a ‘dynamic spiritual biotope’: the attraction of beings who explore the given possibilities themselves. We can find many examples of this in nature as well as in our daily lives. For example: do we play a protective role for people being attracted to our culture, our ‘biotope’? In our society you can clearly see comparable processes taking place that can be solved with compassion – by living for the whole and not for yourself alone.
