Theos-Talk Archives (April 1998 Message tt00463)

April 23rd: from Dallas

Dear Alan: Re: Books

My whole life has been in the book field - as bookseller,
printer, publisher, editor, etc... So I've either a lot of "food"
for Kamaloka or Devachan, depending on contents and thought. I
keep on reading and thinking. I choose from a large range those
ideas which seem to me reasonable and illustrative.

You are right, I also think. Each has to evaluate matters
entirely on his own. That is the Big "Question." We cannot take
any "authority" and wave it around as though it was the "be all,
and end all." The final authority is always ourselves. I like
quoting HPB because I find that she is so succinct in expressing
propositions and ideas. also she always seems to be way ahead of
us all, and I pant, trying to keep up within sight of Her.

I guess that is what the purpose of human life and mind
development is--I mean that we graduate from being self-contained
to becoming Universal-Self-contained. Or is that too much of an
idea ? Where are we going ? And, if one life is insufficient,
then who not multiple lives, in which present effort is built
upon ? What urges us forward anyway, when so many are satisfied
with "amusement," or "resting ?"

The message of Theosophy brought by HPB is one of the starting
points for this time, in my esteem, and she serves to bring to a
focus a multitude of important views, conclusions, and
experimental theories and data that were being investigated in
her time.

I have often imagined here as a Librarian, who was asked to give
a group of intelligent students a synopsis of the wisdom which
has so far accumulated in the development of our planet, and
Cosmos. where would one start ?

First, perhaps, as in ISIS UNVEILED (in 1877), there would be a
drawing together of relevant material from many parts of the
lore, mythology, traditions, philosophies and religions and
sciences of the past of our civilization -- and showing their
correspondences and potential future.

As the similarities emerged the idea that there might be a
world-wide unifying basis of knowledge and experience begins to
emerge.

Inquiring into those details the antiquity of certain records
 India, China, Tibet, Egypt, Scandinavia, Mayan, etc...) was
offered .

Some of the ideas that were common as to evolution, as to the
existence of the human Soul and Spirit emerged. The idea that
there were laws and Nature's law ruled everything and all
situations emerges. The significance of fairness and justice for
all. Pre-existence, reincarnation, potential goals such as
"perfection," were shown to be present in the speculations of
philosophers and prophets. Sciences were shown to have existed
and the rules and departments for scientific research were
analyzed . This then included human psychology and the idea of
intelligence, consciousness and sensitivity -- departments of
"Feeling," and "thinking," as conjoint functions of human living
emerge.

Further inquiries in ISIS lead to the exposition of Esoteric
Cosmogony and Anthropogony then emerge. and much of the old
systems are sketched in as much detail as could be given or
understood.

This brought on the writing of THE SECRET DOCTRINE in 1888.
And all this seeking and presentation was rewritten now in a
different vein as "propositions," so as not to appear to impose
anything on those who had already ideas concerning those
departments of learning.

It was inevitable that confrontations between the ancient records
and modern speculations and theories would emerge. So theosophy
was shown as not agreeing entirely with modern hypotheses but
suggested that those would have to be revised to the facts which
its record of history showed were true !

This inevitably demanded that Theosophy be presented as a working
philosophy which integrated all these observations.

She indicated that in some ways all those were "repeats." they
had been investigated aeons before, the records she said still
exist in secret libraries. But for the public, the many
obliterations of successive civilizations had caused the loss of
most if not all of those records -- and only tradition, myth and
vague memories remained. She predicted the unearthing of ancient
manuscripts that would cause the revision of
concepts in both religions and sciences. Some of which we have
seen in the past 100 years. And to this, add that she gave
rather extensive and precise details as to the nature of the
closest "invisible" plane to us - the electro-magnetic Astral
Light, which, she said recorded every moral aspect resulting from
the motives of human feeling, thought and action. Nothing could
be "hidden" from the ever open eye of Nature, which sees and
records everything as individual Karma. This universal
sensitivity was inherent in every aspect of "matter," since each
atom, molecule, cell or other construct, was by definition an
"immortal being," on its evolutionary path to eventually, over
aeons of time, destined to become the energizing center of a
human consciousness -- in some remote and future Manvantara. The
concept of Brotherhood was thus extended to include everything in
the manifested Universe and in our World in particular.

The reason I like to speak of Theosophy and refer to it and to
those original writers, is that they set up the basis (which to
me has proved sound so far) from which so many things can be
viewed -- also they do not demand any adherence or 'blind' and
unquestioning acceptance of what is offered.

We are always asked to think out things for ourselves, and it is
admittedly hard for all of us to impose such a discipline on
ourselves. We want to become wise in a hurry ? The question is:
how does one get a Ph.D degree without adequate preparation ? No
one can pay for it, or go for a series of "yoga" classes, etc...
or try to develop "channeling abilities" or sit for "automatic
writing," etc., etc. and acquire any degree of true mastery over
those very real but totally unrecorded processes of development
in our present civilization. The original T S had as one of its
Objects: the investigation ( not the practice ) of these things.

Being a very free person in mind and speech, I like the fact that
that freedom is offered, explained, and I am left free myself.
If I write as I do on various subjects, it is because I feel
that freedom may be useful to others too. I would call that a
part of general brotherhood.

In another posting: "Belief" is mentioned:

1. It is either blind and uproven, or
2. it is enlightened by individual trial and proving.

No one ever convinced another of anything. Their acceptance, or
rejection depends on the amount of effort that any one puts into
considering it.

I came across an interesting quote in "Reader's Digest for May
'98

"There are two ways to slide easily through life: to believe
everything or to doubt everything. Both ways save us from
thinking." - A Korzybski

Now, isn't that something ? But it apparently not the way of the
theosophist.

 all the best and thanks Dallas.

>From: "Dr A M Bain" <guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk>
>Date: Wednesday, April 22, 1998 6:29 PM
>Subject: Re:Krisnamurti and nihilism

>W. Dallas TenBroeck <dalval@nwc.net> writes
>>April 22nd 1998
>
> SNIP