Theos-Talk Archives (November 1998 Message tt00223)

Rudy:
>Why do you think we have the beautiful
>motto:  "There is no religion higher than Truth" around the seal of the
>Theosophical Society?
>Because, rather than any interpretation of any scripture, or belief,
>only Truth matters.
>I'm going to bring up an example:  We have some discussions about a
>former leader of the TS (Leadbeater, or Judge, or HPB, it doesn't
>matter who it is) some of us are are defending him/her, others are
>accusing the person of wrong doings.  Of course, if we know how
>oppinionated we all can be, we won't reach to a compromise.  We won't
>agree on anything!

Maybe this will seem like a distinction without a difference, but here
goes.  I agree that there are truths beyond our present awareness and that
those truths are more important and "truer" than our own interpretation.
But we can only know our truth, our interpretation.  So the question to me
is not -- only Truth matters because we cannot know it and therefore let
us get along in our shared ignorance -- but let us get along in spite of
our contrary truths and understanding.  In other words we can know Truth
fully as an individual, but it will be a distinct, partial, self-centered
truth.  Only when self evaporates will a greater truth be revealed and
even then it is limited.  HPB wrote (SD?) that even the greatest of the
Dhyanis lack full understanding of the First Principle, Parabrahm.

>But if we treat our beliefs the right way: as beliefs, and we regard
>Truth as higher than anything else, as it really is (after all Truth is
>what IS, not what we think it is).  It doesn't matter what we believe,
>if we both regard Truth as the highest.  If we condition our beliefs to
>Truth.
>Am I clear?  Please let me know, because this is of the most
>importance.

It does matter a great deal what we believe or know or have confidence
in, because our mind or awareness or consciousness *is* (at this stage
anyway) what & who we are.  If we consider ourselves fixed in ignorance of
reality, then it is only a short step to that old delusion of original
sin.

--
<> Nicholas Weeks <> am455@lafn.org <> Los Angeles
  When hearing, pondering and practicing the Dharma, one's aim should be
  first of all to subdue one's own mind.   Gyelwa Ensapa