Theos-Talk Archives (June 1998 Message tt00030)

Paul writes:
>It therefore seems to me advisable to seek groups in which the
>senses of belonging are not so intertwined.  Where being welcome,
>at home, and among friends does not require conformity to a belief
>system or behavioral code.  This is an ideal type, not
>perfectly manifested in any concrete example.  But the ideal is
>one that the TS Founders clearly held, and one to which the
>various Theosophical groups give lip service.

I've been meaning to reply to the post from Lmhem111 re: the Pope's New Age
Letter because of what I've been reading in the SD, but I think I'll just
put a short response here instead of go to all of that work when it isn't
needed.

I'm reading Section XVIII, Volume II, p.475-505 and I was completely struck
(again) by Blavatsky's work regarding our concept of good and evil.  I
think the 5 central Christian beliefs as listed:

1) The existence of a Creator
2) The reality of prayer to God, a meeting of two persons, etc. ... not
mere self-discovery.
3) The reality of human sin and the need of a Redeemer
4) The significance of suffering and death
5) The necessity of love and of work, not mere thought, to change the world.

are WONDERFUL.

If we look at our condition, we RARELY see ourselves as creators, but HPB
did and even says Man IS the Third Logos.  Perhaps the expected disdain for
new age relates to the beginning students who regularly are ENTICED by the
six teachings:

1) The world as one whole.
2) Energy animates the world in a fashion to God.
3) Spiritual Entities intercept man's attempts to contact the furthest
reaches of himself.

4) Man exerts control over his future.
5) Perennial wisdom is one teaching behind all religions
6) Spiritual Masters can enlighten us.

We do love these ideas, and are attracted to simple concepts that exalt us
and give us self esteem.

I'm sorry to repeat myself here, but I have had a complete transformation
since I began studying theosophy 20 years ago.  I know this seems
repetitive, but I see myself as the Evil in the duality of Good and Evil.
This is not a continuous event, because due to my understanding of the
Seven Races, I was the Good side of the coin on the descent into matter,
Races 1-3.  I can understand HPB NOW totally different than I did before
(and something whispers to me that this may also be totally different than
anyone else here currently).  Anyway, the first five beliefs are really
RIGHT ON to me.

1) The existence of a Creator

Elohim create man as each race, differently, so creation is going on all
the time.  We are collectively residing within the body of the Elohim.  We
are our Creators, but not totally.  They manifest a better man through our
cooperation with them.

2) The reality of prayer to God, a meeting of two persons, etc. ... not
mere self-discovery.

I'm so impressed that God can and does take human form.  Kumaras, Dhyanis,
Planetary Spirits becoming embodied occasionally in a human form is OUT OF
SIGHT.

3) The reality of human sin and the need of a Redeemer.

Since I am a newly-perceived evil being, I'm trying to get used to the
idea, how to phrase it, how to treat myself, and how to help others
(including good beings) treat me.  I can't accept allowing evil to exist in
this world, so I'm all for methods of preventing evil, including allowing
"good" beings, adepts, free reign in my body, mind, and feeling world, as
well as putting them into direct contact with the other material states on
earth.


4) The significance of suffering and death

For this, refer to p. 484.  HPB says, "Worse than all, they [the Fall,
Atonment, and Crucifixion] led it [Western Humanity] to believe in the
dogma of the evil spirit distinct from the spirit of all good, whereas the
former lives in all matter and pre-eminently in man. Finally it created the
God-slandering dogma of Hell and eternal perdition; it spread a thick film
between the higher intuitions of man and divine verities; and, most
pernicious result of all, it made people remain ignorant of the fact that
there were no fiends, no dark demons in the Universe before man's own
appearance on this, and probably on other earths."

This to me, means that even though we consider ourselves to be the evil
side of the coin in races 5, 6, and 7, we should continue with the thought
of oneness because the spirit of God resides with us, in us, and through
us.  We are not alone. We have adepts and their streams of enlightening
energy pouring through us and strengthening us.  It is like cutting man in
two at the waist and feeling as if we are everything below the waist, and
yet, it is the upper portion of our being which directs, radiates, loves,
carries on most of life's functions.  I'm so grateful they are here.  I
just want to praise, thank, and love them for everything they do.

The reason I went into this concept is so that we can accept ourselves as
the evil force in the world. When we do this, we resign ourselves to 1)
assistance, 2) a need for suffering, 3) methods of fair exchange between
the two.

On p. 484 again, HPB writes, "The philosophy of that law in Nature, which
implants in man as well as in every beast a passionate, inherent, and
instinctive desire for freedom and self-guidance, pertains to psychology
and cannot be touched on now."  This is something we achieve when we take a
material form, but also something we feel when we ascend into the spiritual
world, because in both conditions we are either immensely hampered (by
dinosaurs) or immensely helped (by adepts.)  HPB then phrases in a similar,
but less definite manner, that this same "feeling" can be found and
dissected in "higher Intelligences," the adepts, the next kingdom.  She
quotes Milton's PARADISE LOST:

"Here we may reign secure; and in my choice
To reign is worth ambition, though in Hell:
Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav'n."

She says, "Better be man, the crown of terrestrial production and king over
its opus operatum, than be lost among the will-less spiritual Hosts in
Heaven."

5) The necessity of love and of work, not mere thought, to change the world.

So what is my point to Paul?  It is that the "binding" and "joining" in
Religion is the joining of the good with the evil (man) and by doing this
we are 1) preventing wrong, 2) permitting a glimpse into higher life, 3)
you name it.  If you feel comfortable being with friends (who are
inherently evil) think how much better you will feel being with Good Beings
- the next kingdom of nature descending through and into our world.

Any comments?

Brenda