Theos-Talk Archives (November 2001 Message tt00173)

In a message dated 11/10/01 9:11:17 PM, gschueler@earthlink.net writes:

><<<BRIGITTE:By the time the theosophical doctrines expounded in the Mahatma 
>Letters, the references to ancient India had become so central to theosophy 
as to
>motivate Alfred Sinnet to choose to name the new doctrine Esoteric Buddhism.
>Blavatsky herself was hardly overjoyed by Sinnet's equation, calling his
>book 'an excellent work with a very unfortunat title.>>>
>
>JERRY: Here I have to agree with Blavatsky. Sinnet's book should have been
>titled Exoteric Buddhism. There is, in point of fact, little to no 
esotericism
>in it. Where are the 4 Nobel truths? Where is vajrayana or tantricism?
>Where is the meaning of mandalas and mantras revealed?

You've got it backwards. There's no "exoteric" teachings of Buddh(a)ism in 
Sinnet's work. Blavatsky meant that he should have entitled it "Esoteric 
Budhi(wisdom)ism" -- which has no relationship to the exoteric (outward) 
teachings and practices of Buddh(a)ism such as vajrayana, tantra, mudras, 
mandalas, and the four noble truths as taught exoterically to disciples of 
Gautama the Buddha in order to attain personal enlightenment. Budhiism, as 
expounded by Sinnet (and HPB) is directed toward the attainment of the 
fundamental INNER wisdom -- that is necessary in order to expedite the 
attainment of enlightenment without resort to extensive and time consuming 
OUTER exoteric practices that attempt to bring the spirit down to the 
physical rather than the reverse. 

If one fully understands the fundamental principles, along with the esoteric 
teachings of cosmogenesis and anthropogenesis as expounded in theosophy and 
intuitively grasped by its discerning students (who may or may not be 
Buddhists by personal choice, lineage, etc.) -- all of the (exoteric) 
teachings of the four noble truths (and its eight fold path) are perfectly 
evident as only one path among others such as Patanjali;s Rajah Yoga, the 
VOS' Heart Doctrine Yoga, etc., which are, possibly just as effective, if not 
better in raising one's consciousness to the highest spiritual level... 
Possibly in one lifetime -- depending on the basic nature of the individual 
student, his/her lineage and past karma. Didn't the Buddha say that 
enlightenment can be obtained in seven Lives, years, months, weeks, days, 
hours, minutes, or seven instants?

LHM