Theos-Talk Archives (August 1997 Message tt00051)

Glad to hear from you "RAMADOSS" -- while age, in this
incarnation, may have given us some flexibility, like all true
students, we are what any student can make of oursleves by our
particular focus, interest and subsequent discipline. All such
refinement is a personal endeavor. Are you familiar with the
TRANSACTIONS OF THE BLAVATSKY LODGE ? After HPB published the
Secret Doctrine in 1888, a number of students around her,
including professors like Crooks, etc., desired more details, and
accordingly they met week after week (and they had a court
stenographer to record the actual proceedings). HPB then used
those reports to further elaborate the explanations in the
written word, and as a result in the issues of LUCIFER of 1890-91
a series under this title was published. It is now put up in
book form by several publishers, including the THEOSOPHY
COMPMANY, Los Angeles (the version I use). There between pp 66
and 76 HPB gives intersting details about the nature of our inner
consciousness.

I also encountered in Mr. Judge's NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA,
pp. 99-101, the following:

> Our consciousness is one and not many, nor different from other
> consciousnesses. It is not waking consciousness or sleeping
> consciousness, or any other but consciousness itself...
>
> ...the one consciousness pierces up and down through all the
> states or planes of Being, and serves to uphold the
> memory--whether complete or incomplete--of each state's
> experiences...
>
> ...the one consciousness of each person is the Witness or
> Spectator of the actions and expereinces of every state we are in
> or pass through. It therefore follows that the waking
> consciousness of the mind is not separate consciousness...
>
> ...the way to the ultimate goal must be entered. To take the
> first step raises the possibility of success...
>
> ...the first step is giving up bad assoications, and securing a
> love of wisdom...the scond is joining good company, listening,
> practicing...the third is strengthening the first two, developing
> confidence and faith and continuing in it. Whosoever dies thus,
> lays the foundation for ascent to adeptship, or true wisdom.

I think that our, or any era in time, has little to do with the
desire to know. Where there is a will, there is a way. But I
have found no easy path to esoteric or occult, or even to
self-knowledge.

I would add that most of what can be learned (in my esteem) about
the doctrines and metaphysics of THEOSOPHY lie in HPB's writings,
her books and articles. As I have studied them over the years it
is more an more pressed on my consciousness that we are dealing
with a coherent whole, and that we are in fact dealing with a
synopsis, of the great record kept by the ancient Lodge. I have
found this referred to in SD I 272-3, and elsewhere, as for
instance in ISIS II 95-105. Both references make for very
intersting reading and reflection.

I find it somewhat comforting to see that I/we are not swimming
alone in a shorelesss sea at midnight, and are running out of
energy and hope. It is comforting to me to find that I am able
to access the work of earlier seekers for wisdom and students of
the perennial philosophy. I am glad to try to review their work,
and see if their findings are still valid. The little experience
that I have in this body has added to some aspects of that
research, and being quite sure of Egoic immortality, I am content
with the idea that when this body ceases, in the futur,the actual
work done will be resumed. It would be quite pointless to work
so hard and get so little for it.

If reincarnation is a fact, then, as EGOS, we have all been
"back" in many previous ages and times, (and look forward to
continued usefullness and a continuity of our search), and have
adapted to ancient and different languages, cultures and
situations. By this I mean that those are the outward clothing
only of the TRUE AND IMMORTAL EGO within each of us. That does
not change, but serfes as the RECORDER of all our experiences in
so many personalities past and also, of many more to come.

That this HIGHER EGO (some use the designation: HIGHER SELF --
ATMA-BUDDHI ) is innate is easily cheked by quietly seeking for
IT and appealing to IT. There can be no reservations -- as an
example if you are familiar with Edward Bellamy's essay TO WHOM
THIS MAY COME, the reflections made there by one who is NOT a
mind-reader, when placed in an environment of compassionate
mind-readers (but voiceless people) are most appropriate [ The
current issue of THEOSOPHY magazine is in the process of
reprinting this marvelous essay of Bellamy.]

But enough -- we need not make a party of two or more, only that
we can share what we have learned with others who might
profit from that.

Allow me one more comment: "Theosophical Organizations" as HPB
put it succinctly, are forms or bodies where individualstudents
can come together to enlage their views of what Theosophical
principles are, and how they may be applied. No T.Organization,
according to her had any right to try to mold the thinking, or
direct the study of any of its "members." Therefore the "Leaders"
of such T. Organizations had only one duty: to serve as
colorless sustainers and maintainers of a free forum at which all
could be invited to come and share in a common feast: the earch
for knowledge and wisdom. The submission to a "leader" has
implied the danger of NOT employing one's own free-will, and
developing one's independent discrimination. If we are
IMMORTALS, then, resident in each one of us is an IMMORTAL who
retains a memory of all experience [see HPB KEY TO THEOSOPHY p.
107] that is the esence of each personality. Of course we owe
reverence and gratitude to allwho have served us by opening our
eyes to perennial truth, but not to the extent of allowing
ourselves to be led or channeled in areas where we have to exert
our own independent will and decision making faculty.

[If you are interested in HPB's vies concerning the difference
between Theosophy, and the "Theosophical Societies" then read
again her articles:

 WHAT IS THEOSOPHY ? Theosophist, Vol 1 # 1
 WHAT ARE THE THEOSOPHISTS? -- idem. -
 WHY I DO NOT RETURN TO INDIA, Theosophist July 1929
 A PUZZLE FROM ADYAR, Lucifer Vol. 4, p. 506

These have been reprinted in pamphlets and are available from
THEOSPHY COMPANY, Los Angeles.]

Best wishes to you and all Dallas