Theos-Talk Archives (March 2001 Message tt00052)

March 5, 2001

Dear Daniel:

I did not label everything written on THEOSOPHY as
"Pseudo-Theosophy" merely because it was written after the death
of H.P.B. That was not my meaning.

I meant that: to claim something was THEOSOPHY and then, for a
researcher to find inaccuracies, on verification with what H.P.B.
wrote, -- that the meaning was different, changed, distorted,
opposed, etc... THAT WAS PSEUDO-THEOSOPHY (to me).

If it was presented as a student's opinion, or a personal
speculation (as I do, knowing full well my potential faults and
inability to exactly express things) then it remains safely that:
A Student's Notes and Guesses. And those ought to be treated
with caution, and glean from them what benefit one may.

As I see it, the whole trend of Theosophy is to make the inner
workings of Nature clearer to us. The importance of thought,
feeling and action is emphasized -- as those are the avenues by
which we all advance. We are shown how there are at least 7
great divisions of Nature (and Humankind) which separate the
"pole" of SPIRIT from its opposite "pole:" MATTER. Karma, the
rule of the Universe -- Law envelops all events and entities.
The distant goal of "PERFECTION" was within the eventual reach of
the humblest of organisms-- the "Life's building block," the
Universe-filling army of the MONADS.

One may call THEOSOPHY a report on the HISTORY of our World and
Universe, and the cause for our existence -- our evolution
leading from the universal world of pure Spirit to the murky
depths of material limitations, forms, shapes, illusions,
confusions and ignorance. Man is viewed as a MIND, as a
potential GOD; and not as some slinking beast crawling out of
its den to raven on surrounding prey in what may be considered
its "territory."

But essentially we always and ever learn from each other and
encourage one another to further excellence. I have always found
H.P.B.'s THE VOICE OF THE SILENCE to be a most valuable key to
surveying the potential of our evolution.

Best wishes,

Dallas

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




-----Original Message-----
From: Blavatsky Archives [mailto:info@blavatskyarchives.com]
Sent: Monday, February 26, 2001 9:46 AM
To: study@blavatsky.net
Subject: [bn-study] Blavatsky, Theosophy, and Pseudo-Theosophy:
Some Reflections


Dallas wrote:

>Yes there are differences between ORIGINAL THEOSOPHY and
>Pseudo-theosophy which has arisen AFTER THE DEATH OF H.P.B.
>The problem is to distinguish between the two.


Daniel comments:

As far as I know, H.P. Blavatsky was the
first person in modern times to claim contact
with the Theosophical Adepts, especially the Masters Morya and
Koot Hoomi. She claimed that in her writings
she was giving out the teachings of the Adept
Brotherhood.

Whether one is inclined to believe her
claims or not, whether one ultimately comes to accept
or reject what she wrote about, we do have available
HPB's major books, more than 1000 of her articles, hundreds of
her personal letters to correspondents, more than a hundred
Mahatma letters received during HPB's lifetime,
and voluminous historical accounts of people who meet and knew
HPB and her Teachers. Some of these latter accounts I
have compiled in my book ESOTERIC WORLD OF MADAME BLAVATSKY.

Here is a link to what HPB/Mahatma writings are online:
http://blavatskyarchives.com/hpbwritings.htm

I've spent more than 30 years trying to collect all of this
primary source material [it has been quite a challenge!!] and
also trying
to
understand BOTH the historical side of HPB's life as well as the
teachings
found in her writings and in the letters of her Teachers [an even
greater
challenge!!!!].

Whether one should label HPB's teachings as ORIGINAL THEOSOPHY
and
everything written by many other Theosophical writers after her
death as
PSEUDO-THEOSOPHY, I will leave for others to debate. What I do
know is that in HPB's writings and in the letters of the Mahatmas
we have enough material for several lifetimes of study and
meditation.
Who of us can claim to have read all of this above mentioned
material and
to
have understood all of it? I think I've read all of it but I
certainly
don't understand it all!

I've always encouraged interested students, inquirers, etc. to
carefully
read and study all of this original material. I don't ask anyone
to believe
or disbelieve what is written but simply to try to gain
UNDERSTANDING of
what is being conveyed in all this material from the pens of HPB
and the
Mahatmas. It
seems to me that far too many people don't take the time and
effort to try
to understand what HPB is attempting to convey in her many
writings. Far
too often we interject our own thoughts & understanding on to the
subject.
Nothing is wrong with that approach but I prefer to try to
ascertain FIRST
OF ALL what HPB's and the Mahatmas' views are on these many
subjects. This
can be a challenge in itself but it can be done. In other words,
do I
really understand what HPB and the Mahatmas are trying to convey
in their
writings? I try to always keep in mind that I usually have only
a partial
understanding of any given subject. I try my best to give HPB the
lectern
and allow her to speak. My initial goal is always to try to
"listen" to
her, to try to understand her view, her take on the subject. I'm
not saying
she is always right or anything like that. I don't believe she
was infallible.
But I do believe she was very knowledgeable. I'm simply saying
I try to
understand HER views, HER points, HER theories, etc. on the many
theosophical
subjects. The same with the letters of the Masters.

And I always try to keep in mind the following words of HPB:

"Every reader will inevitably judge the statements made from the
stand-point
of his own knowledge, experience, and consciousness, based on
what he has
already learnt."

How limited is our OWN knowledge, experience and consciousness?
I try to
keep my own limitations upper most in my mind as I try to grapple
with all
of this.

In a later post I will give my reflections on what has been
claimed and
written about Theosophy after HPB's death.

Daniel

---------------------------------------
Daniel H. Caldwell
info@blavatskyarchives.com
---------------------------------------
BLAVATSKY ARCHIVES
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---------------------------------------
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http://blavatskyarchives.com/esotericworld.htm
This new book contains a unique collection of
rare reminiscences of H.P. Blavatsky's life.
---------------------------------------
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---------------------------------------
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