Theos-Talk Archives (August 1998 Message tt00138)

Aug 12th 1998

On the subject of contact with the Masters

Dallas suggests:

Does anyone (including myself), seriously think that they merit the
attention of a high spiritual being such as a Master (Adept) ?

 Why should any of the Adepts have to manifest to anyone ?  Will it make any
difference at all to the situation ?  Is anyone so valuable to the
Theosophical Movement that they need to see a Master or converse with one ?
Is anyone of us able to determine if our interlocutor is or is not a "Master
?"

I ask myself these questions in all seriousness

Supposing someone were to appear, speak, write or claim to be a "Master,"
what kind of knowledge/wisdom have we developed that would enable us to
judge to attainment or position of such a respondent ?  Have we framed the
kind of questions that we would put to a Master ?  Are we in control of our
personalities ?  Are we ready to drink of such spiritual wisdom as may be
offered ?  What about the draughts of spiritual wisdom already placed before
us ?  Have we studied HPB's writings ?  Do we know what she says ?  Have we
figured out what is the difference between spiritual and mundane knowledge ?
In effect, what are we sure of and what is it we desire to learn ?  What are
our motives in desiring Adept contact ?

Suppose that the Adepts have already contacted us, would we be aware of it ?
Some Theosophical writings, like those of W. Q. Judge [ in LETTERS THAT HAVE
HELPED ME ] aver that the Adepts live on the inner planes of OUR natures.
What are those "inner planes" in our own natures that we are aware of ?
Have we found traces of communications with the Adepts there ?

Ever since HPB made the presence and actuality of the Adepts known [ ISIS II
98-105 ] there have been those who desired to receive actual proofs of their
presence and nature.  Starting with Sinnett, the desire for such connection
and the desire for the proofs of Adept existence have multiplied.  Phenomena
were multiplied.  HPB demonstrated again and again that she had adept powers
.  Did that silence the skeptics ?  Do we take the evidence of the history
as recorded by eye-witnesses to be factual or are we confirmed skeptics ?
What does it take to convince us ?

What then, do we have ?

We have as evidence the SECRET DOCTRINE, the VOICE OF THE SILENCE,  ISIS
UNVEILED, the KEY TO THEOSOPHY and hundreds of articles, letters, etc... So
much that most have not yet finished reading all those, much less actually
studying them.  How much of HPB's Theosophy do we know ?  I say this because
there are those who carp at being told that they need to study their
Theosophy from her and her alone.  If they were going to study mathematics,
or physics, or chemistry, or painting, or music, would they/we not have to
study the vocabulary and notations in current use among such experts ?  Is
Theosophy taken to be so amorphous that there are no sure sources of
information, and all is vague personal speculation ?  I say IMHO that is not
so.

What have we so far developed in our own natures that is of Adept quality ?
Where are our ambitions, desires, inclinations ?  Are they focused on
satisfying our curiosity or for attaining such knowledge as we may use to be
of true help to others ?

Do we think that if we were granted Adept powers over the invisible side of
nature that we would use them for benevolence and good ?  Or, would we use
them selfishly and for our own gain ?  Again, what is the nature of our own
motives ?

If we have not studied HPB's Theosophy, if we have liked what Annie Besant
and Leadbeater and Jinarajadasa and others have written, [among those who
claim "successorship" to HPB ] and called Theosophy, in preference to HPB we
are in a situation of a very unstable nature.  We are curious, but we do not
KNOW.  If for whatever reason we have rejected HPB, how can the Adepts who
commissioned her to work as their agent side-step around her to come direct
to us ?  In the occult realm there is a law which requires all students to
employ the channel through which they acquired their wisdom at all times.
There is no stepping around that.  So as we have our present Theosophy from
and through HPB, why would we expect the Adepts to circumvent her ?  Are we
of the opinion that HPB is "dead and
gone ?"  It is my conviction that that is the greatest error that we could
make.  We are all her "children," and although she may not be wearing the
personal garment and physiological garment that the HPB of history used,
there is no reason why she as an Adept may not be invisibly present and
active all around us ?  Are we able to sense her ?  If not why not ?  Are we
the ones who keep her at a distance?

Why should anyone, far less an ADEPT, stoop to illumine our desires or
satisfy our idle curiosity ?  They do not require followers and are least
interested in the selfish ambitions of anyone.  They do not have to prove
their existence to us.

So why did HPB come and present Theosophy to the world on behalf of the
Adepts?  Is it not because humankind as a whole needs the information and
the logic that it offers ?  Are we to think that this event is not one of
the most important in the history of the world -- I mean the diffusion in a
concentrated manner of the knowledge and wisdom of occultism and the
Esoteric Philosophy ?  If this has been called a Transition Age, then the
question is from where to where ?  Is the Theosophical Movement no also part
of that change, and is this not an opportunity for wisdom to be reintroduced
?  Are we not HPB's heirs ?  Do we not therefore carry some of the
responsibility for its continuity and retransmission ?

Does not Theosophy, when grasped, eliminate dogmatism, priestcraft,
authoritative interpretations, and place us firmly on our own thinking
"feet," and make us see that we are responsible for our natures and for our
own Karma.

It speaks of Unity because of the Spiritual essence in which we and
everything else uniformly bathe.  It is inescapable and unites us all into a
vast interlocking and cooperative brotherhood.  If we deny this, we deny our
potential growth and the value of the knowledge that we have already
acquired.  Brotherhood is that quality when in application, that permits no
irresponsible advantage taking of the weaker and the ignorant.  It induces
compassion and succor -- assistance to all who need and desire it.

It speaks of universal Law and admits on no deviations or exceptions.  It is
a moral law and operates on the basis of our secret motives.  In fact there
are no secrets in Nature.  [ see SD I 104-5, 93-96 ]  We may not like this
as a key fact, but it operates in Nature, nevertheless.

It speaks of Universal evolution and indicates that humanity is at the
balance point between Spirit and matter and represents that Intelligent
link, which in its innumerable degrees, PERCEIVES all contrasts and is able
to resolve them with logical reasonableness in a fashion that is impartial
and of value to all beings involved.  The Perceiver is always apart from and
unaffected by his "perceptions."

Finally that each of us has a conscious "Ray" of the Universal Spirit
resident within and this serves us as a tutor if and when we (as personal
beings) desire instruction.  It is on this inner, or "spiritual" plane that
the Adepts are UNIVERSALLY alive.  They penetrate into every point of
consciousness and are immediately aware of our needs and attainments.  And
we do not know these facts as part of our own conscious mental action until
such time as we spiritualize our natures by becoming entirely harmless to
all nature and every being in it.

When the pupil is ready, it is said that the "Guru" will appear.  If we
reject the concept that we are interiorly divine in essence, and that the
"god" of each of us is our Higher Self, what could any Adept do to bring us
to a change in opinion ?  It is we who keep the Adepts at a distance.  Not
the reverse.  I again ask myself:  What is the value of anyone of us to the
great Theosophical Movement ?

I notice that many seem to have only a vague idea of what constitutes
messages or writings from Adepts.  Or, if some are advanced, how to
distinguish them from trashy statements.  Is not the proof of their value
interior to the writing or message?  Have we the ability to distinguish
value from trash ?  If we doubt our capacities, then how do we sharpen and
improve them ?  Why not assiduously actually study what HPB has given us to
learn from ?  If we are repelled by HPB's writings, ought we not to examine
the reason for such repulsion in us ?

These are some of the ideas that flash through my mind as a result of
reading a number of postings in the past 25 days that I have been inactive.

By contacting Theosophy we have by our own Karma, returned to a condition
and situation which reflects OPPORTUNITY.  How do we make use of it ?  That
is for each of us to determine.  The use of free will and the direction we
give to the rest of our lives from here on is the real test of the student
and the devotee.

These are offered as my very humble opinions and are subject to your review
and consideration.  If there are questions I will be glad to answer.

Best wishes to all,

Dallas

> Date: Tuesday, August 11, 1998 8:07 PM
> From: "M K Ramadoss" <ramadoss@eden.com>
> Subject: Re: Adepts are Maya

>Most will agree with you.
>
>mkr
>At 10:47 AM 8/12/1998 +0900, you wrote:
>>In my own experience I have never encountered another being on any plane
>>other than the physical one we inhabit now.
>>
>>
>>Master D
>>
>>At 05:34 PM 8/11/98 -0400, you wrote:
>>>>
>>>>The question of whether - and if so, how - the Adepts can be approached
>>>>today is one of the most serious issues facing the organizational T.S.
>>>today.
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>They can be approached on the astral or mental planes, but not
>>>physically, IMHO. Today, books often serve as gurus. I think the
>>>current official position in the TSs is that that we should try to
>>>approach our own inner Adept (divine spark within, etc) rather
>>>than try to find any external Teacher.
>>>
>>>Jerry S.
>
>
>
>