Theos-Talk Archives (March 1998 Message tt00137)

Mar 17th 1998

Dear Sigtryggur:

Do you have, or can you obtain from the library, a copy of Mme.
Blavatsky's KEY TO THEOSOPHY ?

On the subject of practical Theosophy you will find there many ideas
and directions of practical action for a sincere theosophist.  The
whole half of the book from p. 227 on is devoted to every aspect of
this.

Additionally in her small book THE VOICE OF THE SILENCE, you will
find innumerable statements that relate to the path of life and
discipline which a devotee ought to consider and adopt as far as it
is possible for them to do so.

If you cannot get these, let me know and I will be glad to send them
to you.

			Best wishes,		Dallas  -  dalval@nwc.net

----------
| From: "Sigtryggur Omar Jonsson" <sigtryggur@isholf.is>
| Subject: The test of life
| Date: Saturday, March 14, 1998 1:24 PM
|
| I have said:  "Criticism is a highly destructive tool in the hands
of the
| majority"”  There I was referring to it in the negative sense.  In
the
| positive sense a similar idea can be stated in the concept of
Testing.  In
| everything there is a need for testing.  We must test our thoughts
our
| convictions or believes.  We are constantly going through tests,
small and
| great, by our inner centre of being.  The results of those tests
make up
| our qualities or what we are.  Success means that the energy
generated is
| in some measure fit for use by that inner centre of being, failure
means
| that nothing useful was created. Failure can be changed into
victory if the
| man realises his mistake, perhaps from the consequences he has to
face, and
| changes his ways.  He learns from his mistakes, and that seems to
be the
| most common method.  By foresight and a conscious use of testing
the man
| can avoid many mistakes, and all their consequences, and thereby
proceed
| faster.
|
| Ones life as a whole is the greatest of the tests.  At the end of
this
| incarnation one has to evaluate all the positive and negative
factors, and
| the balancing of the scales indicate the gain or loss of a whole
lifetime.
|
| The ability to learn from mistakes indicates the power to progress.
 That
| ability involves humility, the flexibility to change or adapt,
which
| promotes growth.  In growth is life but the true death lies in
immobility,
| in inflexible and set ways - the greatest enemy of progress and
evolution.
| The tendency to stagnation is promoted by the grip of the past,
which binds
| man with strong ties to that which is known and familiar.  A
courage is
| needed to face the future and free oneself from preconceived ideas.
 To be
| free from the past, ones own past as well as the past history and
ideas,
| does not mean that one should forget about them, but to learn their
true
| value and then be able to go on and discover new ways and new
ideas.
|
| One should constantly have in mind the unending path, knowing that
the
| place one is at now, which may be beautiful or cold and windy, is
not for a
| long stay, but just a passing sight on the long road to distant and
unknown
| destination.  In other words, it is imperative to keep open the
windows to
| greater knowledge, to greater wisdom and keener perception.
Courage and
| daring is needed to keep these ways open and welcome the new
guests.
|
| The temptation is great to whirl up the dust of the past, and many
succumb
| to that unworthy activity.  Nothing pleases more those who fight
against
| the good of mankind than to see one after another fall into that
trap and
| waste their precious energy battling against windmills.  Such a
waste is
| sad to watch!  Our precious treasure should be used wisely and
guarded from
| all improper influences.  Discrimination is needed.
|
| Remember, our duty is to the progress of humanity, not to old forms
which
| once were useful, but have now been made useless.  All forms must
be
| discarded if they crystallise and imprison the inner life.  That
life must
| be let free to grow and expand in new forms that fit better, until
that new
| form also becomes a prison.  Such is the law of growth and
evolution.
|
| Sigtryggur.
|
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