Theos-Talk Archives (May 1998 Message tt00395)

Darren -

Initiation ceremonies are meant to declare an individual's admission into a
group.  It might be as mundane as a receiving membership packet and hearing
your name announced as a new member.  It can be an elaborate ritual with
feasting, sacrifice, and calling down the orisha to mount the initiate, as
in Santeria.  Like Dallas says, there is a whole range of experiences out
there for the indiscriminate thrill-seeker.

But these are just ceremonies.  True initiation is when you have really
passed into a new awareness and state of being.  A person can live with a
spiritual group, perform required acts, sponge off the energy without
really transforming themselves.  The initiation occurs on an inner level
when the transformed person is ready for the next journey.  The public
ceremony actually only hearlds the start of the testing phase where the
candidate announces their intent to proceed.

I think for many of us, we don't really realize when initiation occurred
until after the transformation is complete:  we "wake" one day, realize we
are no longer the same person as before, recognize a painful period of
testing that had been endured, and maybe then see the event that initiated
the whole sequence.

I also think that much of this work is done astrally and via dreams--those
lucid dreams where you work with others; those dreams where you return
night after night to rennovate the same house;  the shamanic dreams of
becoming animals that teach and transform.

Just some thoughts.
Pam
pgiese@snd.softfarm.com

"Blessed are the cracked, for they shall let in the light..."

> From: "Darren Porter" <dport@ozemail.com.au>
> Date: Wednesday, May 20, 1998 8:52 PM
> Subject: Re: Theosophical Doctrines (HPB)
>
>
> >Dallas,
> >
> >But what does initaion actually involve? How does one experience
> "the
> >Mysteries (in) the passage from mortal life into finite death, a
> nd
> >(t)he experience of the disembodied Spirit and Soul in the world
> >of subjectivity."
> >Surely without initiation the deepest theosophical concepts must
> remain a
> >mystery? Does the ES offer initiation? Would it be legal under
> US drug laws?
> >
> >At 04:47 AM 5/20/98 -0700, you wrote:
> >>May 20th 1998
> >>
> >>INITIATION  --  is defined on p. 156 of THE THEOSOPHICAL
> GLOSSARY
> >>by HPB in part as follows:
> >>
> >>"From the same root as the Latin "initia," which means the
> basic
> >>or first principles of any Science.  The practice of initiation
> >>or admission into the sacred Mysteries, taught by the
> Hierophants
> >>and learned priests of the Temples, is one of the most ancient
> >>customs.  This was practiced in every old national religion.
> In
> >>Europe it was abolished with the fall of the last pagan temple.
> >>There exists at present but one kind of initiation known to the
> >>public, namely that into the Masonic rites.  Masonry, however,
> >>has no more secrets to give out or conceal.  In the palmy days
> of
> >>old, the Mysteries according to the greatest Greek and Roman
> >>philosophers, were the most sacred of all solemnities as well
> as
> >>the most beneficent, and greatly promoted virtue.  The
> Mysteries
> >>represented the passage from mortal life into finite death, and
> >>the experiences of the disembodied Spirit and Soul in the world
> >>of subjectivity."
> >>
> >>More references on this can be found in the GLOSSARY pp 154,
> 311,
> >>SD I  109, 326 ;  SD II  229-30 308 378 380 415 462 494 499
> 555-9
> >>564-5;
> >>Modern Panarion :  p. 42 (to be made);  ISIS I  555-6 ;   II
> 319
> >>364-5 564-5
> >>See also:  SUFISM,  T. Glos. p. 311;
> >>
> >>I hope this proves of some help.            Dallas.
> >>
> >>From: "Darren Porter" <dport@ozemail.com.au>
> >>Date: Tuesday, May 19, 1998 7:45 PM
> >>Subject: Re: Theosophical Doctrines (HPB)
> >>
> >>
> >>>>Dallas writes:
> >>>>
> >>>>                    HPB said to be initiated into "Tibetan
> >>>>Buddhism."
> >>>
> >>>How do you define Initiation?
> >>>
> >>>Does the TS have initiation?