Theos-Talk Archives (December 1996 Message tt00071)

It seems like a good time of year to go back to basics.  I think
any serious student of Theosophy would agree that HPB was the
Messenger, that Theosophy as we find it in her work was the
message, and that she was helped by the Masters.  The important
thing to us as students is the message.  She presented that
message in a way that may discourage some enquirers, i.e., it is
not easily grasped.  Indeed, as pointed out in Eldon's last,

> The intent may well be to keep throwing us off a bit, to keep us
> from getting too smug in thinking that we've finally got 'the
> complete picture', to keep us rethinking our ideas from scratch
> and maintaining a healthy fluidity in our thoughts.

This is not an easy study and some turn to student work (all
other than HPB) in an attempt to shed light on a difficult
philosophy.  However, student work is just that: it needs to be
constantly compared to HPB's Theosophy if we are seeking Truth.
Nicholas Weeks' Four Point Plan is a wonderful outline for one
wandering through student work.  And I don't doubt that certain
student work speaks to an individual.  It's true, and since we
are at different levels of understanding, we have different
intellectual/spiritual needs.  But we need to be grounded in
HPB's Theosophy first and foremost, in this student's opinion.

HPB writes in the Introductory to The Secret Doctrine:

> the Secret Doctrine is not a treatise, or a series of vague
> theories, but contains all that can be given out to the world in
> this century.  (xxxviii)

It is this work, The Secret Doctrine, that needs to be
assimilated.  And she writes in several places in the SD that it
pertains to our solar system only.  Apparently it is the
conditions relating to this solar system that we need to learn at
this time.  Regarding extending beyond our solar system HPB
writes (SD II,701):

> For even great adepts (those initiated of course), trained seers
> though they are, can claim thorough acquaintance with the nature
> and appearance of planets and their inhabitants belonging to our
> solar system only.  They *know* that almost all the planetary
> worlds are inhabited, but can have access to - even in spirit -
> only those of our system; and they are also aware how difficult
> it is, *even for them*, to put themselves into full rapport even
> with the planes of consciousness *within* our system, but
> differing from the states of consciousness possible on this
> globe; i.e., on the three planes of the chain of spheres beyond
> our earth.  Such knowledge and intercourse are possible to them
> because they have learned how to penetrate to planes of
> consciousness which are closed to the perceptions of ordinary
> men; but were they to communicate their knowledge, the world
> would be no wiser, because it lacks that experience of other
> forms of perception which alone could enable them to grasp what
> was told them.

The SD was published in 1888, so it cannot be considered a book
for the 19th century.  We don't need to look beyond this book for
another Messenger: the Message is the Messenger.

Blessings to all.