Theos-Talk Archives (August 2000 Message tt00004)

Frank,

Thanks for your comments below.  In this email I will
address just one comment of yours:


I wrote:

> > The quote:
> > > "Dolpopa apparently teaches the first
fundamental
> proposition
> > > of The Secret Doctrine, and Tsong-kha-pa
> apparently
> > > refutes it"
> 
> > are the words of David Reigle in his book
> BLAVATSKY'S
> > SECRET BOOKS.  They are NOT mine.  It is David
> > Reigle's opinion that Tsong-kha-pa refuted the 1st
> > Fundamental proposition as given in HPB's Secret
> > Doctrine. 


Frank, you wrote in reply:

> If this is so, then David is surely wrong. For me
> there is no difference between Tsongkhapa and SD.


Frank, whatever you may think of David Reigle's
research, here is what another researcher says about
the issue under discussion.  I quote BELOW his letter
to me which he has given me permission to quote on
these forums.  The letter is from Rich Taylor:


Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2000 11:51:10 EDT 
Subject: The Gelugpa Tradition and THE SECRET DOCTRINE
on the Absolute  
 
Daniel,

Thanks for your comments -- they have jumped started
my dissertation work after too-long a hiatus.

You are right about Tsong Kha Pa. (And of course, your
source Reigle is right about him.) It is a serious
problem, and you can quote me on it. 
The Gelugs-Pas are ASBOLUTELY DEAD-SET against any
absolute, of ANY  kind. Emptiness is the highest
principle -- not a pleroma-emptiness like 
the Gnostics, but an emptiness even empty of
emptiness. They are serious about this.

It is a deconstructive position, not a positive
assertion. I will find quotes to this effect. The
Gelugs will oppose ANY positive assertion, 
just as Nagarjuna (their hero) did, and HPB makes
plenty of them. 

Reigle continues to assert that "secret" books of
Tsong Kha Pa will vindicate HPB's adoration of him
while contradicting his public and well-known
teachings. But this is a faith statement. The
situation as it stands is that HPB is closer to
Jonang-pas than any other known school of Buddhism,
and directly opposed (in principle) to the Madhyamaka
position of the Yellow Hats.

I'll have more on this in a few weeks.

Rich
------------------

So Frank, here is another Blavatsky student who has
studied Tsong-kha-pa and has come to a conclusion that
confirms Reigle's.  Rich promises to provide some
documentation and I will pass that along when he gives
it to me.

Yes, Frank, I will call David Reigle and read him what
you say in your public email about him and Hank T.  I
don't know if he will want to respond.

Daniel

















=====
Daniel H. Caldwell
DanielhCaldwell@yahoo.com
Blavatsky Archives Online
http://sites.netscape.net/dhcblainfo/

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