Theos-Talk Archives (December 2001 Message tt00076)

Thursday, December 06, 2001

Dear Gopi:

I think Theosophy might answer as follows:

If one knows he is doing evil, he has a modicum of "good" in him.
Contrast is always needed for evaluation. There is always the
MIND that is neutral and PERCEIVES both sides of all questions
and doubts. But we have to keep it free of bias so it can do
this. But we always come back to asking who is this "WE ?" Who
in us is able to take decisions? How are they to be balanced and
evaluated? Why is decision making sometimes so hard ?

What are the factors we have to arraign at the "bar" of our own
Court of Judgment inside? Is it made any easier if we are aware
of IDEALS, of VIRTUES, of hopes for the application of norms and
optimums? Are any of those defined? Are they always personal,
and selfish, or are there superior norms and optimums which are
universal and which everyone accepts with enthusiasm -- usually,
so long as it is "someone else?"

No one (in my opinion) unless he is a Mahatma (and "Keval Gnani")
is capable of knowing the nature of the consciousness in any
other individual. The very fact that Nature has not denied to a
man incarnation implies there is Karma to be worked out, for him
or her, and there is still the MONAD inherent in him. So it does
not matter what we think of a "Hitler."

To characterize a person either with strong approval or strong
hate is to in some way created threads of karmic attachment to
that Ego. Do we want to be attached to tyrants or to saints ?
How do Karma, reincarnation, immortality and virtue apply in such
cases?

There is in each of us a "caged tiger." It is our duty as
sensitive and creative "Gods" with the power of the Mind and the
determination to become "perfect," to subdue, control and alter
the selfish direction of the "tiger" within.

Ask yourself why the Divine Monad (Atma-Buddhi) would ever
incarnate in an environment like this. Does any one think
dealing moment to moment with the machinations, and false values
of Kama-manas is a pleasure ?

In a striking manner she has gone so far as to cal our EARTH a
"hell." [ see S D I 407; S D II 98, 234, 237fn, 243, 246 ]

Apparently it is the duty of the divine Ego (Monad) to incarnate
in these dire circumstances as an act of sacrifice and duty -- to
help to raise "matter" including the "Hitlers," the
Genghis-Khans," and the "Jack the Ripper" types by example, to
change themselves. If one reads the "Jataka Tales" concerning
the earlier incarnations of the "Buddha," one realises that the
thread that runs through all of those is a dedication to
non-violence.

Recently in the life of Gandhiji we had such an example -- one
that brought to fruition (as predicted by the Mahatmas to Mr.
Sinnett some 50 years earlier) the political freedom of India.
He encouraged through swadesh and swaraj the masses of India,
regardless of creed or caste to do this as a unit, as a mass on
the basis of common-sense virtue and equity.

The abstract virtue of self-determination and the freedom of the
Soul were advanced as standards, so that every individual could
make its own decisions -- and when agreed on as universally
correct, they were asserted by a mass of voluntary and
non-resisting SELF-SACRIFICING victims. Do we each have such
courage ? Are we prepared to surrender our life and our virtue
to resist tyranny?

The servants of the tyrants are those to be first moved, and when
they have a change of heart they may cease to support a
tyranny -- and the general good of a section of humanity is
raised. Who epitomizes and embodies such high ideals in India
today ? Who will perpetuate the Gandhian SPIRIT ? It is
important to realise that every public horror and iniquitous law
has to be supported by a mass of thoughtless individuals, whose
adherence is the result of either "tamas" inertia, or wrongfully
directed "rajas" (emotional activity and support). It is only
when "Sattva" -- mental purity and spirituality balances the
other two that sanity and the possibility of true progression for
the "many" is possible. Theosophy is in the world to try and
interject the use and application of "Sattva."

We have enough trouble with our own lower nature -- if we mediate
on our views and attitudes as such. Problem is: we really
don't believe that divinity and spirituality ought to be the NORM
for us all.

Why does vice and depravity and terrorism and tyranny have such
attraction for so many here ? Why does "vice" have its
attractions? Why do we hide our peccadilloes?

Of course no one can ever answer these questions in regard to
others. We can only investigate and answer them to ourselves --
and then decide what WE WILL DO FOR THE FUTURE.

best wishes,

Dallas

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



-----Original Message-----
From: G--i C---i
Sent: Tuesday, December 04, 2001 10:44 PM
To:
Subject: Re: What is Theosophy? What about a depraved monster in
human form?


Dear Dallas,

I am of the opinion that Hitler did not kow he was evil. His
conditioning
was that he convinced himself that he was totally correct, even
though in
our judgement he is evil. If he was not so completely convinced
that he
was complectely correct he would not have written Mein Kampf, or
the good
Christians would not have run the ships of slaves or the good
Americans
and Spanish would not have killed off the Native Americans. It is
easy
for us to pass judgement on them but can I see the evil in me?

That is what I am asking. Perhaps Theosophy has very clean cut
answer.
But I do not see it that clearly. May be I will see it as clearly
as you
do after some more time. But for right now I think even General
Dyer that
ordered firing in the Bag in Amritsar totally justified himself.
It is
only people like Gandhi and Jesus that can carry their cross can
see and
wake me up to see evil in me clearly.

Gopi
On Tue, 4 Dec 2001 11:52:52 -0800 dalval14@earthlink.net writes:
> Tuesday, December 04, 2001
>
> Dear Gopi:
>
> As I read and understand Theosophy, evil is the deliberate
> breaking of the LAWS OF NATURE. Whereas good is cooperating
with
> nature.
>
> Man is assumed to contain a full set of the Universal
Principles
> (individualised in him) Hence he is always aware of the LAWS
OF
> NATURE through Buddhi -- the VOICE OF CONSCIENCE.
>
> If Gandhi resorted to deliberate fasting because others refused
> to listen to their VOICE OF THE SILENCE OF CONSCIENCE ( or if
> Christ allowed his BODY to be crucified) it is because he
wanted
> individuals to awaken to the universal fact that WE ALL KNOW
THE
> DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EVIL AND GOOD, but because of the present
> overpowering influence of EVIL it is difficult for most of us
to
> determine to be GOOD. We would have to revolutionize our
lives,
> if we determined to live like Gandhi, or Christ lived. Could
we,
> without great practice, and enormous WILL-POWER do this ?
>
cut