Theos-Talk Archives (February 2001 Message tt00107)

Dear Peter,
Thanks for your email and expanded quotes from the VOS.
I want to tell you I respect very much your opinion and have saved lots of your
comments (emails) for future pondering, as I have saved millions of Dallas'
email for the same reason. He is great source of quotes from HPB and Judge.

But when Dallas states that because the Secret Doctrine only mentions
'once" . and he concludes. . "therefore' . . . well, those words, put in
that way don't not sound right to me . . . as it sounds perfect to you,
because we both have different minds, and maybe unconscious agendas.

In my opinion when we feel strongly on a given point (like on the practice of
Siddhis, or their attainment) we stop short in quoting and become selective to
show the moral point of our view. And even though it is true we should not play
with fire, we must learn about the Siddhis and with all the virtues at hand, do
practice (the first practice being to restrain them in our meditations), and
do not keep the knowledge at the theory level.

You do not learn to meditate by reading or not reading about it. You will not
gain any spiritual power -Higher Siddhis - just by reading or not reading about
it. You will not gain any enlightenment by memorizing quotes of how to get
there., or on its nature. We must be theosophist in spiritual action or we will
become 'quoters' or quote machines with the associated fallacy that if I know
it by heart I am that as Ken Wilber points out in some of his books. Or worst,
we use other's quotes instead of our own direct experience to explain
something.

Then to justify what I wrote:
When there is more info coming from HPB we should provide it and then a warning
if we think we can be judges of others ethical life. Otherwise we are selective
and cultist, which lead to superstition, and that in my own humble opinion is
cultist and period.

======================================

A more interesting point is what do we understand by the quote of the VOS:
"Gain Siddhis for thy future birth."

And my opinion is that the explanation is found in the purpose of the Third
Object of the TS:
Quote from the Key:

"What we have to do is to seek to obtain knowledge of all the laws of nature
and to diffuse it. To encourage the study of those laws least understood by
modern people, the so-called Occult Sciences, based on the true knowledge of
nature , instead of, as at present, on superstitious beliefs based on blind
faith and authority." (Key III).
In order to do that we must have a philosophic touch for things which is "a
disposition to investigate for the purpose of eliciting truth, and reducing it
to practice." (A. Wilder , note on The Eleusinian and Bacchic Mysteries, Pag.
19)

By "blind faith and authority" can we include ourselves that finds HPB the
TRUTH and AUTHORITY in ALL, and if she only mentions something once, we'll pass
verdict of "warning, warning, warning" HPB only mentions it once . . . Isn't
it "cultist or superstitious" going against HPB owns warning in the above
quote?






Peter Merriott wrote:

> Martin wrote:
>
> > Also Dallas said about the Powers (Siddhis):
> > "Theosophy draws the attention of all students to SPIRITUAL PURITY
> > and not to the attainment of "Powers, . . ."
> >
> > But the Voice of the Silence says:
> >
> > "Follow the wheel of life; follow the wheel of duty to race and kin, to
> > friend and foe, and close thy mind to pleasures as to pain.
> > Exhaust the law of Karmic retribution. Gain Siddhis for thy future birth.
> >
> > Lets not be superstitious nor fearful about it. Let be prudent,
> > courageous and wise.
>
> The passage you qoute from actually supports Dal's view. The INSTRUCTIONS
> in Voice of the Silence are exactly about purifying our lower nature,
> destroying the sense of seperateness between ourselves and others, centering
> our consciousness in the HIGHER NATURE, developing Compassion and becoming a
> co-worker for the enlightenment of all Humanity. All of this is our duty to
> race and kin, friend and foe. It is this which earns the aspirant Siddhis
> for his/her future birth.
>
> I dont get any sense that Dallas is being cultish or superstitious in his
> comments. I do get the sense he is being prudent. As the Voice of the
> Silence says
>
> "THESE instructions are for those ignorant of the dangers of the lower IDDHI
> (1)."
>
> Footnote =========
> (1). The Pali word Iddhi, is the synonym of the Sanskrit Siddhis, or psychic
> faculties, the abnormal powers in man. There are two kinds of Siddhis. One
> group which embraces the lower, coarse, psychic and mental energies; the
> other is one which exacts the highest training of Spiritual powers. Says
> Krishna in Shrimad Bhagavat: --
> "He who is engaged in the performance of yoga, who has subdued his senses
> and who has concentrated his mind in me (Krishna), such yogis all the
> Siddhis stand ready to serve."
> =========
>
> So, purify and control the lower nature, centre our consciousness in the
> DIVINE SELF, and THEN the Siddhis will stand ready to serve.
>
> ...Peter