Theos-Talk Archives (January 2002 Message tt00121)

Tuesday, January 08, 2002

Re: a SINGLE MORAL CODE FOR ALL.

Dear Ian:

This may be one of the most difficult ideas to offer: That
words only serve as vehicles for IDEAS.

Our present times and civilization seem to have lost sight of the
“brotherhood” aspect of life and the many layered support systems
that give us this body we live in -- all working so harmoniously
in spite of our genera interference. This ought to give pause
for thought.

At present we shy away from the words ”morals and ethics” because
the churches have abused them. They have offered no reasonable
explanations. Science does not concern itself with that.
Politics violates all moral codes. and in many cases business
does so as well. It gets down to asking : Who is trustworthy?
Are there any AUTHORITIES who are honest ?

We have no concept of “immortality.” Impossible we say -- when
the body dies the happenstance of consciousness and the evidence
of any intelligence vanish. But there is ample evidence to show
that there is a survival of consciousness after physical death.

I wonder if you have had an opportunity of going through the 200
pages of the OCEAN OF THEOSOPHY OF THEOSOPHY in your busy life
and acquaint yourself, at least superficially with the key
doctrines of Theosophy ? It could be of help to us both. You
will find there reasoned arguments showing how some of the gaps
of psychology are already bridged.

I have said this before: NATURE (meaning our Universe, world,
body) is a vast sensitive and interactive cooperative. All the
laws Science has discovered were ALREADY THERE instituted by
Nature. There i no special virtue or uniqueness to discovery of
what is already there -- there is however acclaim for the effort
any one puts in to discovering and proving and then demonstrating
their presence and working.

Look at what you write: What, precisely is the REALITY with
which Buddhism concerns itself? Is it matter? is it SPIRIT
(whatever that may be). Is it soul, or mind, or thought? Is it
the way we “feel” about things? Are we immortals undergoing
training in spiritual things by repeated incarnations? Or is
that nonsense? If we are ephemera that live a brief life -- what
is the sum-value of it by the time it ends? Is living and
idealism and virtue totally worthless? Why do thieves pretend to
be honest? Why do liars pretend to be truthful? Maybe the word
“spiritual” needs more careful defining. Where do our concepts
of virtue, of honesty, sincerity, charity and generosity arise?
(And where do vicious concepts arise? What is their end and
final product?)

As far as I have been able to discover there is not a single
science or discipline in academic or practical studies and work
which has not been set up, and managed by NATURE. How “she” does
it all is a wonder.

I don’t like to accept ready-made descriptions. I want to know
the CAUSE. Why are they there? what underlies motion, force,
power, mind, electricity, heat, gravity, the :qualities” that
distinguish one “element” (or any compound) from another. Yes we
have described these ,and we have generated many theories. But
they are make-shifts -- they describe what NATURE HAS ALREADY PUT
IN PLACE.

Now remains the why and the how.

Is there underlying all physical objects a force field on which
the atomic and molecular components arrange themselves? How was
this set up? Is it persistent? Are atoms immortal whirly force
points? How did they come to be that way? Who directs them (if
there is a “Who?”). And so on.

As a student of science and philosophy and as an editor of
scientific material I have been asking myself these questions for
years and getting a few answers. I found Theosophical philosophy
filled a number of gaps -- as does Buddhism, and other
religious, scientific and philosophical statements of discovery
which have now moved into the “doctrine” stage.

Meditation to me is merely a very concentrated deep and logical
thinking, one in which all factors are drawn together, and the
end result as an entity is sought. Why do things interact or
refuse to interact? Why does cooperation seem always to
eventually overpower competition.

We all know instinctively the difference between virtue and vice.
Basically it is a matter of honesty, whether we are in the
witness stand, and the public glare of arc-lights -- or whether
we operate behind closed doors. I do not subscribe to the
concept that our lives are a never-ending fight to hide our
misdeeds. And that all the evil actions one can do are to be
condoned because of misplaced “patriotism,” religious belief,” or
a desire to be “rich and famous.” Those motives always seemed to
be very temporary, and do not seem to attach themselves to those
truly great MEN and WOMEN whose names and works echo down the
ages as standards of excellence.

What have we, personally, here and now done, or will do that will
give us such a eminence ?

According to all the “founders” of great religions and
philosophies the MORAL LIFE was the primary objective they
selected you adhere to. For that alone they have been respected
and honored. Why should we do anything less?

As to those who are vicious and yet as you say appear to be
successful in meditation -- I would answer that the riddle of
mankind’s evolution is that he is precisely in the middle of the
whole scheme. In Mankind you witness in each of us a DIVINE
SPIRITUAL BEING, which has incarnated into a MATERIAL
ENVIRONMENT, in order to assist the developing aspirations to
secure a knowledge of TRUTH, by the intelligent (mind-) entity
which has drawn all that material together. It has acquired MIND
just as each of us have in our families, as when we were infants
soaking of information at an enormous rate. Yet our
individuality always has an intuitive knowledge of the difference
between the true and the false. Where do our characters and our
talents (or their lack) come from? Heredity (physical) alone ?
Not reasonable. There is another explanation. [Why not go to
http://www.blavatsky.net and download the OCEAN OF THEOSOPHY by
Mr. W. Q. Judge (only 200 pages) and find out what the tenets of
theosophical philosophy are ? I think it is worthwhile and with
your bright mind you will be able, soon, to see if there is
anything worthwhile there. I think the book will do better than
I can in showing how integrated this ”report” on our world and on
“ourselves” is. ]

Sorry -- I’m just blowing off steam.

But see if any of these things has merit.

best wishes,

Dal

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



-----Original Message-----
From: IH
Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2002 3:42 AM
To:
Subject: Re: A SINGLE ESOTERICISM - 0f the GREAT LODGE of ADEPTS


In a message dated 08/01/02 01:32:58 GMT Standard Time,
dalval14@earthlink.net writes:




As far as I can see, if the line of "teachings" about the laws
and operations of Nature is a description of a single existing
moral / ethical system, the changes in language and nomenclature
are unimportant.


This is not the case. Buddhism is only such at a very basic level
to help students calm their minds.


The whole point of Buddhism isn't to create or adhere to a moral
code, but to gain personal direct experience of reality ourselves
so that we don't have to rely on the words of another to tell us
the true condition of reality.


Moral issues are important to a degree, yes, inasmuch as they are
*sometimes* a psycho-physical pre-requisite for meditating, but
it's certainly not the core of Buddhism, meditation is.



I say here 'sometimes' as many people meditate succesfully who
eat meat, lie, cheat, etc. It isn't a hard and fast rule that to
be a successful meditator we have to be morally pure, it just
helps if we are.

Kind regards,


Ian ---



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