Theos-Talk Archives (January 2002 Message tt00278)

Dear Gerald,

Please forgive the delay. I have been out of town. I think this quote 
is mine, and perhaps I could clarify my meaning a bit. Theosophy is 
not a belief system, because it does not teach us to simply 
"believe" what we are told. It teaches us to investigate what we are 
told. Wisdom comes from experience. We can believe whatever we 
like, but if we take one of the basic principles of theosophical 
teaching, the unity of all life, for instance, and devote our attention 
to discovering how it manifests in our experience and observation, 
we might come to the point where we "know" it to be a reality. We 
will have gone beyond simple belief, into the realm of making a 
connection between our lower understanding and our higher 
knowing. When we do this sincerely, we also begin to be motivated 
to behave in the light of what we have discovered, and we manifest 
that essential unity in our daily lives. We do not need to convince 
others of what we "believe," because we realize that they too are on 
the path to true knowledge, and that they too are searching for the 
level of "knowing" that which is true. We recognize others who have 
found their own inner connection with universal truth by their 
behavior. No amount of arguing over belief systems will bring the 
student to true knowledge or wisdom. Those who have made some 
inner connections, as one can, if guided by the instructions from 
the ancient teachings, radiate their knowledge by their thoughts, 
words, and deeds in their daily lives, and thereby provide examples 
to those around them, of what those truths are really about. No one 
on earth is perfect in this, since we are all evolving together, but it 
is possible to learn from each other, not what to believe, but how to 
approach knowing.

Adelasie

On 9 Jan 02, at 8:15, Gerald Schueler wrote:

> <<<eternal universal truth. I don't see theosophy as a belief system
> at all, nor do I see others say that it is. >>>
> 
> Anyone who thinks that Theosophy is eternal universal truth first has
> to define Theosophy. We have, so far, not been able to do that,
> Dallas's quotes notwithstanding. 
> 
> Please let me be the first to say (actually I have already said it)
> that Theosophy is indeed a belief system. So is every religion and
> philosophy on this earth. All we can ever hope to know and validate by
> experience and observation is our own belief system. I am not really
> downgrading Theosophy here, but rather I am showing the vital
> importance of belief systems in how we experience and react to every
> day life.
> 
> Jerry S.
> -- 
> 
> 
>