Theos-Talk Archives (January 1999 Message tt00183)

Hi Alan,

Peter wrote
 <snip>
> ...Likewise the teachings of theosophy can
> act as a plumb line by which the teachings of others and my own small
> insights may be gauged.  And within all this each of us most
> develop his/her own intuition.<<

Alan replied:
>
> Isn't this the same as accepting HPB words as god-sent and literal as the
> Christians do the bible? What about change, progress, progressive
> revelation, adding things she might have missed or not wrote about.
>
> I do agree, I think, that having a solid foundation (maybe through
> theosophy) prepares one to venture out and examine other ideas.

That's a valid concern Alan.  It is so important that we don't accept HPB's
words (or anyone's) literally and on blind faith.  Especially so when in the
Occult World things are never as they seem on the surface.  I think if we
can approach this work as sincere students of the Inner Life then there is
at least the chance that we can catch ourselves when we do so.  When I speak
of using those teachings as a "plumb line" this statement comes out of 30
years of studying the Theosophy and other traditions rather than on blind
faith.

I guess it is the same as any form of study /research.  We could never
regard ourselves as being a genuine student / researcher of (say) psychology
or physics if all we did was accept at face value and without question what
other researchers and leading exponents had to say.  We need to develop our
own understanding and be willing to test propositions along with making a
sincere attempt to understand the teachings as given.  However, as we
progress we do begin to discern that there are certain sources of
information and insight that invariably carry the hallmark of truth.  We
thereby learn to trust them as worthy of our deepest consideration and use
them as a reference point in our endeavours.

I like your question about progress, change etc.  I am sure that there is a
great deal that HPB and her Teachers withheld.  But with regards to what was
given out I can only say that in all my years of study and research I have
not found anything that touches the depths that the Secret Doctrine, Mahatma
Letters and so on touches upon.  When I think of the three fundamental
propositions in the Proem of the SD and the teachings underpinning the rest
of that monumental work I have yet to see anything that has 'improved' on
these.  At the same time I have found many writings from a variety of
sources that have helped me to a better understanding of the underlying Laws
and principles expounded in the teachings of Theosophy.

What about you, Alan?  How do you answer your own questions?

Best wishes

Peter