Theos-Talk Archives (August 2001 Message tt00105)

--- In theos-talk@y..., "Frank Reitemeyer" <ringding@b...> wrote:
> Now I would like to hear what you think about the 
> "messenger question" and the "Tibetan connection". Is 
> there any? And what about the many tibetan monks now 
> in the West? Is that to be regarded as a separate task, 
> nothing to do with the theosophical work?

sherab:
Indeed! First, yes, I did read the article by G.deP. May/June 1989 
you referenced before and yes, this use of "link" is curious. In the 
absolute sense it could be a reference to the central theme of all 
his teaching admonishing his students to continue the practice of the 
precepts of the Path of Compassion. In the relative sense I think the 
following quote from that article will point out that the "succession 
of teachers" is NOT an exclusive claim of any Theosophic Society.

"... First, then, the fact of the esoteric succession of teachers in 
the Theosophical Society, Headquarters Point Loma, from H.P.B. to the 
present time, does not imply that such a succession of teachers could 
not exist in any other esoteric or quasi-esoteric body or 
Theosophical Society. There is nothing whatsoever that is exclusive 
about the fact. Succession, in the sense used, is simply a statement 
of a natural fact, that when the call is sufficiently strong, and the 
hearts and minds of the members of the T.S. are sufficiently loyal to 
our Masters and their teachings to make the call sufficiently strong, 
then the teachers will be ready when their times come in the serial 
order or succession. If degeneracy should at any time set in, or 
the 'link' with the Lodge be at any time broken, it is extremely 
doubtful, indeed highly improbable, that the serial succession of 
occult teachers will in such case continue without interruption. This 
is the essential part of the matter..." G.deP.

Much can be said about this statement but essentially he is affirming 
that there is a metaphysical dynamic at work between the sincere 
student and the teacher that in practice the application and 
proficiency and the reaching of the student when the intention is 
based in the compelling desire to benefit all beings through 
compassion calls forth a teacher or teachers. In the relative sense 
of this the teacher is the student's support until the student can 
manage the material masterfully. This does not mean that the student 
then discards the teacher, certainly not, because there is a truly 
devotional aspect between the student and the gracious teacher. 
Something quite evident between HPB and her devoted Theosophical 
Societies and Lodges.

The important point here is that it is required that the student 
distinguish between the teaching and the teacher. As the 19th century 
Tibetan master Mipham Rinpoche points out in his "Precious Lamp of 
Certainty",
- Rely on the teaching, not on the teacher.
- Rely on the meaning, not on the words of the teaching.
- Rely on the definitive meaning of the teaching, not on its 
provisional meaning.
- Rely on Wisdom mind, not on dualistic mind.
(this can be found in John Pettit's recent translations and 
commentary on Mipham Rinpoche's works, published recently by Wisdom 
Publications out of Boston I think."

Do these words not echo the teachings of HPB on down through G.deP.? 
There is ultimately a collapse of this subject object display of 
student and teacher as being separate into the nondual cognition that 
they are one and the same.

Now I am going to make a suggestion about the "Tibetan Connection" 
that may rile some theosophical scholars and I am sorry that I am not 
a scholar and cannot specifically defend this so I ask that the 
gentle readers hear and consider with intuition and rational 
judgement.

There is a phrophecy from the school of the ancient ones, the Nyingma 
that trace their lineage directly back to Padmasambhava that goes 
something like this, "when the iron bird flies then the teachings 
will move to the land of the red man." That is this time and as such, 
has indeed been precipitated by the brutal invasion of the Chinese 
into Tibet. As you know these teachings of Gautama the historical 
Buddha were scrupulously translated into a written language designed 
especially to convey their precious treasure for future generations. 
But not only were the teachings translated into written texts they 
were put into practice as a living tradition and the keys were only 
passed on from mouth to ear from the Master to maybe one or two of 
his chosen disciples. It is the Master's goal to pass on the 
perfected teaching. But, Padmasambhava also saw that as times would 
change so would the needs of the people's of those times and so some 
teachings were hidden only to be revealed at the time they are needed 
and to whom in order that these precious treasures meant to guide all 
beings to freedom not die out. In the last 50 years the Tibetans have 
been carefully salvaging what they have preserved for over 1200 years 
carrying out of the Himalaya and to the west these teachings. And I 
might add there is very careful translation work underway to insure 
that the precise meaning is translated into the western languages. As 
you might imagine, the teachings have also brought teachers too.

As David Reigle points out in his investigations calling attention to 
HPB's reference to the "The Svabhavikas, or philosophers of the 
oldest school of Buddhism (which still exits in Nepaul), speculate 
only upon the active condition of the "Essence," which they call 
Svabhavat, and deem it foolish to theorise upon the abstract 
and "unknowable" power in its passive condition." in Isis Unveiled. 
David goes on to ask who and where are these Nepalese Svabhavikas 
from? and then the historians fail to see the obvious which is that 
they are none other the Nyingma. The Nyingma do appear in certain 
regions of Nepal even today. But more importantly look at what the 
Nyingma school teaches. It is none other than what HPB and the others 
in succesion were talking about. Svabhavikas is, I think, HPB's 
cynical mannerism of characterizing the teachers of the Nyingma 
tradition she encountered. And yes they do teach a doctrine of the 
Svabhavikakaya, it can be found in the Dzogchen teachings.

So, do I think there is a "Tibetan connection" to the Theosophical 
teachings of HPB and G.de P.? Yes, without a doubt. The teachings of 
HPB and G.de P. carry an unmistakable imprint of Tibetan Buddhism and 
Buddhism in general. To enter the path is the unmistakable vow of 
refuge, the "Voice of the Silence" is the way of the Bodhisattva, the 
Mahayana, the teachings of the Perfection of Wisdom, Nagarjuna and so 
on. I think HPB turned over much fallow ground in the West and 
planted many of the seeds to start students, to awaken them, to start 
a perplexity in their minds which only the ideas that the migration 
of the wisdom teachings from the east arriving here now would fulfill 
or satisfy. You might say that this good karma is ripening. The world 
never needed this more desparately than it does now. 

Personally, the Thesophical teachings have lead me directly into the 
teachings of these Tibetan schools. The teachings contain the natural 
progression of what HPB and G.de P. could only hint at. I can't say 
more except that any theosophical student will be well rewarded to 
open their eyes and look at what these Tibetan masters are revealing 
to us here in the west.

Frank:
> the messenger of 1975, who obviously did not appear in 
> theosophical ranks. If so, why? Could it be that no one 
> of the competing theosophical groups today (ULT, Pasadena,
> Adyar) is true to the initial mission?

Sherab:
Your reference to a "messenger of 1975" here is one that I am not 
certain of. (Maybe you could elaborate on this messenger?) Since, I 
cannot answer directly to your first question it is indirectly 
answered above I think, but I would like to point out that 
the "initial mission", the first step, is to serve mankind or as the 
Buddhist would put it, "to attain enlightenment for the benefit of 
all sentient beings" which is the ultimate way to serve mankind. 
Boddhicitta is the result of the manifestation of compassion in the 
student, it is the recognition of the suffering that all sentient 
beings are bearing and caught up in. The question is if you recognize 
it in yourself and in others what are you going to do about it? Now, 
as far as I know or care these theosophical groups you mention 
competing do still serve this initial mission but I also think that 
the concept of the "Lodge" is just that, a concept, and as we should 
all know conceptual consciousness is inevitably defiled cognition and 
has to be eventually cast aside because all concepts form veils or 
obscurations that keeps us from the real truth of reality. I refer 
once again to the skandhas.

Frank:
> And if so, how can it be changed? Every group has its 
> "received truths" and every true Theosophist wo shakes 
> the tree a little bit seems to be in danger of being 
> persecuted. I wonder sometimes, whether HPB would be 
> welcomed in the recent theosophical circles. I doubt 
> it, she would be kicked out.

Sherab:
I would not ever want to diminish the valient work of so many devoted 
theosophists that have beared the burden of the torch for lifetimes 
by flippantly suggesting that these groups have outlived their time. 
Sometimes the river runs above ground in the light of day for all to 
drink from and at other times it runs underground only to resurface 
again somewhere else, even flooding and changing course from time to 
time. Its waters nourish, there is growth, fruit ripens, and in time 
the tree grows old and fails. It doesn't mean that the seed has also 
died or that the seed can't take up growth in new fertile ground 
elsewhere. What should be recognized about this phenomena is that it 
is empty, the appearance is dependant on dependant phenomena so we 
should know that its existence is not as it appears.

Frank:
> Can the tibetean monks help the Theosophists to overcome 
> their coma? Or is it better to watch and let the theosophical
> groups die out, morally, intellectual, spiritual and hope, 
> the higher ones then launch a new movement?

Sherab:
What makes you think that 'tibetan monks' are other than 
Theosophists? Perhaps it would revitalize some of these groups to 
start to sample what is arriving in the west on the heels of HPB and 
look at the similarities and differences. It won't be easy and care 
should be exercised. There is no shortage of charlatans these days. 
It is really up to each individual to walk through the door, nobody 
can carry another through it. Yes, I think there are helping hands 
reaching down to us all over the place but are we reaching up? There 
is a wildly wonderful set of notions about evolution right here, 
right now, awaiting to be seen by those who would just look. It is 
like the person who is in a dark room shining a flashlight around 
trying to see where the light is coming from by looking at what is 
being illuminated.

OK, so now I say good bye.
May the light of wisdom dispell the darkness of ignorance.