Individuality

The term "individuality" derives from the Latin "individuus," meaning "indivisible" or "undivided." It emerged in English usage around the 17th century to denote uniqueness and distinct existence, differentiating it from the more general concept of a "person."

One of the names given in Thtus()|»hy and i)rlultisni to the Human Higher Ego. We make a distinction between the immortal and divine P^go, and the mortal human Ego which perishes. The latter, or "|)ersonality " (i)ersoiuil Ego) survives the dead body only for a time in the Kama Loka ; the Individuality prevails for ever. Indra fN/,-.y. The god of tile FinnaiMi-nt. tlif King of the sidereal gods. A Vedic Deity. Indrani (SLj. The female aspect of Indra. . Indriya or I)(lni Sanifanui (SkJ. The control of the senses m Yoga practice. These are the ten external agents; the five senses which are used for pci'ception are called J iKind-indrij/ii, and the five used for action — Karma-iiiflriija. Pancha-indriiia, means literally and in its occult sense "the five roots producing life" (eternal). With the Buddhists, it is the five positive agents producing five supernal qualities.

Blavatsky’s definition of "Individuality" offers a potent lens through which to examine the perennial human quest for selfhood, particularly in contrast to the fleeting nature of personal identity. She draws a sharp line between the immortal, divine Ego and the mortal human Ego, a distinction that resonates across numerous spiritual traditions. Mircea Eliade, in his studies of archaic religions, frequently highlighted humanity's deep-seated need to connect with an eternal, cosmic order, a desire that finds expression in the concept of an enduring spiritual essence. This "Individuality," as Blavatsky posits it, is not the sum of our memories, our social roles, or our psychological quirks, but rather the unassailable spark of divinity within.

The personality, on the other hand, is the construct that survives death only in the lower astral realms, the Kama Loka. This is akin to the Buddhist understanding of the skandhas, the five aggregates that constitute the illusion of a permanent self, which, upon death, disintegrate, leaving behind only the karmic imprints. Carl Jung’s work on the Self and the individuation process also touches upon this, though from a psychological perspective. For Jung, individuation is the process of becoming a whole, integrated individual, but even he acknowledged a deeper, archetypal Self that transcends personal experience. The challenge, then, for the modern seeker, is to cultivate an awareness of this enduring "Individuality" while living fully within the ephemeral realm of personality. It requires a form of spiritual discernment, an internal alchemy that transmutes the dross of transient desires into the gold of eternal being. This is not about rejecting the world or one's life, but about recognizing the divine within the mundane, the eternal within the temporal. The practice, therefore, involves a turning inward, a conscious effort to distinguish the voice of the immortal Ego from the clamor of the mortal one.

RELATED_TERMS: Atman, Brahman, Ego, Self, Soul, Consciousness, Immortality, Spirit