Theos-Talk Archives (October 2001 Message tt00197)

Which came first ? Faith or trust?
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<<<<<<<What I wonder also is how this is (from the perspective of the
history of ideas and the underlying message, that is the inner attitude
that creates) works out with theosophy , where the emphasis is "not
so much" on one source, or a God , but more on an elusive
group of beings called Masters , and one has to "wait" till one is ready,
and "they" contact you?
Thank you,
Brigitte>>>

I will answer this in a way that others will possibly object to. But I see
our situation as human beings as been completely reliant on faith for
everything and anything - faith in others, faith in our senses, faith in our
intellect, faith in our logic and reason, faith in intuition, faith in our
spiritual experiences, and so on. I see this as our fundamental human
condition. "Knowledge" and especially "reality" is simply a consensus-based
faith. In the case of the Theosophical "core teachings" one must have faith
in those who first propounded them, who put them together from their own
experiences and cultural outlooks, and who passed them on to us through
Blavatsky. One must also have faith that Blavatsky passed them onto us
correctly. As just one example, look at sex and the strong emphasis given on
its abstinance. Blavatsky was taught that sexual celibacy is "necessary" for
any real spiritual Path. This idea is in total disagreement with many other
spiritual Teachers (including Buddhist Tantricism or Vajrayana), and with my
own experiences. Therefore, I do not see this as a "core teaching" but
rather as a cultural issue in that celibacy possibly helps one at the
beginning stages of the Path, but is not at all essential. This is just one
example of a "linage" teaching that may or may not exist in other equally
valid linages.

As far as "contact" is concerned, most is done esoterically through dreams
and meditations rather than through direct physical contact. Inner "contact"
with Masters is going on all the time - when we are mentally ready/prepared,
their ideas will pour into our minds (of course, we pretty much have to take
this on faith ...).

Jerry S.