The section “Gods, Monads, and Atoms” between p. 610-634 of the first volume of “The Secret Doctrine” by H. P. Blavatsky is often described by those who seriously attempt to study that book as being one of the most complex, challenging, or difficult parts. It is no secret that the entirety of “The Secret Doctrine” is complex, challenging, and often difficult, but some parts of it are more immediately comprehensible – at least if one is already familiar with the fundamentals of the authentic Theosophical teachings as given from the Masters of Wisdom by HPB – than others.

B. P. Wadia often emphasised, such as in his book “Studies in The Secret Doctrine” and elsewhere, that “The Secret Doctrine” is meant to be difficult and challenging and that it is written in such a way as to require the earnest student of Theosophy to bring into activity higher and more intuitive aspects and faculties of the mind and intellect than they ordinarily engage and which potentially they may even have never engaged in this present lifetime. It should also be remembered that the Mahatmas or Masters known as M. and K.H. both repeatedly certified that “The Secret Doctrine” was a “triple production,” i.e. the product and work of three minds: Theirs and that of the one They called “Our Direct Agent,” HPB. Masters never hand higher knowledge neatly packaged on a plate to Their would-be disciples. Effort, perseverance, striving, devotion, patience, and humility, are prerequisites to really understanding, as opposed to merely memorising and reciting.

Nonetheless, it is only right that students of “The Secret Doctrine” endeavour to help one another and so we have numerous articles on this website designed with that aim, such as A Beginner’s Guide To Studying “The Secret Doctrine”, An Invitation to The Secret Doctrine, Understanding The Stanzas of Dzyan, Who Wrote “The Secret Doctrine?”, The Essence of The Secret Doctrine, Golden Keys to The Secret Doctrine, as well as articles on many of the main themes and subjects covered in the book, listed under the heading “THEOSOPHICAL TEACHINGS” on the Articles page.

The following are six key points to explain what the rather mysterious expression “GODS, MONADS, AND ATOMS” is actually referring to. Reading this is no substitute whatsoever for reading that part of “The Secret Doctrine” but we hope that this summary, derived from that section, may aid its clearer comprehension and significance.

1. GODS, MONADS, and ATOMS are “only a compound unit.” (p. 613)

2. In this section or chapter of “The Secret Doctrine,” the monads (plural) spoken of are elemental monads, “treated from the standpoint of their individuality, as atomic Souls, before these atoms descend into pure terrestrial form, . . . [i.e. before they reach the middle evolutionary stage of] the mineral kingdom.” (p. 619, 632)

3. These elemental monads are called “atomic souls” because they are “the Souls of the Atoms” . . . and those monadically ensouled atoms also form the “fabric” of the vestures or bodies of the Gods (Dhyanis) – hence: GODS, MONADS, ATOMS. (p. 619) GODS, MONADS, and ATOMS are inseparable. (p. 623)

4. Monads are everywhere. Everything manifested either is a monad or is “ensouled” or “animated” by a monad. Every single cell in human and other bodies has its own monad. (p. 630) The “vastest solar system” or “the tiniest atom” can thus be described as really being a monad. (p. 21)

5. The elemental monads “form collectively and unconsciously the grand Universal Mirrors of everything connected with their respective realms.” (p. 632)

6. Atoms are really thus vibrations, centres of force, elemental life-centres. Every atom is a life-atom in Theosophical terms. (p. 633)

“Gods, Monads, and Atoms” closes with these words:

“As described by Seers – those who can see the motion of the interstellar shoals, and follow them in their evolution clairvoyantly – they are dazzling, like specks of virgin snow in radiant sunlight. Their velocity is swifter than thought, quicker than any mortal physical eye could follow, and, as well as can be judged from the tremendous rapidity of their course, the motion is circular. . . . . Standing on an open plain, on a mountain summit especially, and gazing into the vast vault above and the spacial infinitudes around, the whole atmosphere seems ablaze with them, the air soaked through with these dazzling coruscations. At times, the intensity of their motion produces flashes like the Northern lights during the Aurora Borealis. The sight is so marvellous; that, as the Seer gazes into this inner world, and feels the scintillating points shoot past him, he is filled with awe at the thought of other, still greater mysteries, that lie beyond, and within, this radiant ocean. . . . .

“However imperfect and incomplete this explanation on “ Gods, Monads and Atoms,” it is hoped that some students and theosophists, at least, will feel that there may be indeed a close relation between materialistic Science, and Occultism, which is the complement and missing soul of the former.” (H. P. Blavatsky, “The Secret Doctrine” Vol. 1, p. 634)

Some of the subjects referred to above are also addressed in other articles on this site, such as Elementals and The Astral Light, The Transmigration of Life Atoms, Atoms in Esoteric Science, What Exactly Is The Monad?, Are There Parallel Lines Of Evolution Or A Single Evolutionary Chain?, and The Theosophical Perspective on Modern Science. You may also like to visit the Articles page for the complete list of over 300 articles on all aspects of Theosophy and the Theosophical Movement and make use of the search function (the magnifying glass symbol) at the top of the page.

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