Theos-Talk Archives (March 2002 Message tt00380)

03/21/2002 3:05 AM

Dear Doss:


Glad you approve.


Yes it is time for all "good men and women" who are able (no
matter how little they may rate their knowledge) to come to the
aid of THEOSOPHY, of the GREAT MASTERS, and of H P B, Olcott and
Judge who were their "Messengers"

We, their humble followers, need to devote what time and effort
we can to continued active and published support. What little we
are sure of ought to be made plain, so others may be inspired to
do their own research.

We need to support one another and insofar as we do not
personally have found "proof" for various doctrines and tenets of
the SANATANA DHARMA -- the WISDOM RELIGION or THEOSOPHY, we ought
at least to raise our difficulties and ask -- others who may have
arrived at solutions will help and offer their work and outlook.

I want at this time, and as an example of what I mean by
individual contributions, to offer again for close reading a
contribution offered to us a few hours ago by "Tony"

------------------	copy	--------------------

The 2nd object of the Theosophical Society is:

"To promote the study of Aryan and other Eastern literatures,
religions,
philosophies and sciences, and to demonstrate their importance to
humanity.
(1890).

Nothing about comparative religion there, although it is often
quoted as
being there.

The present degradation runs thus: "To encourage the study of
comparative religion, philosophy and science.(1896)

To use Larry's terminology, which tradition is this?

After H.P.B. died this 2nd object got altered - when the
influence of the
Masters and H.P.B. became weakened - as did so much else, and the
general
degradation of the core Theosophical writings set in.

It is interesting to observe how some have felt the need to make
these
alterations, and others have criticised the original writings as
being too
Victorian, and so many other things. The Truth is, the original
writings
are magical, and it is to this fluence that pervades the
writings, that the
*student* is drawn. They are Initiate writings for the benefit
of mankind.

To turn to the table of Comparative religions. . .what is the
purpose of
this table? One purpose may be to demonstrate the Unity, which
is at the
source of all religions/deceptions/illusions, through the Age Old
Wisdom of
the 7 principles. Up until the last quarter of the 1800s, these
had been
kept secret. When "Isis Unveiled" was written in 1877, they
were still
secret or hidden. Man had become so immersed in matter, that it
became no
longer a danger to give them out. Would he even be able to
detect that
there is a mystic fluence that underlies them?

In "The Key to Theosophy," a table appears at the bottom of page
91 giving
the 4 lower principles, the lower quaternary. This is where most
of us
live, move and have our being, and is what much of mankind is
only aware of.
Forever changing, but in another way, not really changing very
much at all.
But when we are able to turn that page over //// there we have
before us a
Kosmos. A second table (or is it the same table) at the top of
page 92:
The Upper Imperishable Triad, at the top of the page. That from
where
Theosophy flows. I remember thinking, why have the table
running over the
two pages, so that we have to keep turning backwards and
forwards. What an
inconvenience!

The Wisdom language is Sanskrit, and thus we know the 7
principles by that
nomenclature. Sanskrit helps in awakening the inner Spiritual
Man. So how
are we to use this table of comparative religions CeeKaye? Once
we begin to
turn to the Upper Imperishable Triad, the comparative
religions/deceptions/
the bad habits, become of less and less significance. This can
be a trap,
in that they are still there until we eradicate them. They don't
just melt
away?

When we say that the Wisdom Language is Sanskrit, this is not
suggesting
that we all rush out and learn Sanskrit, but rather, to be
observant of the
Sanskrit words we are given. To strengthen (awaken) those words
by using
them and giving them life, and by acknowledging the life and
fluence that
pervades them. This is different to learning the language as
such. The
table in "The Key to Theosophy" is in 3 columns: Sanskrit Terms;
Exoteric
Meaning; & Explanatory.

Is it worth considering having the principles running from the
Sthula-Sarira
to Atma as the first *column,* as is the theosophical tradition,
rather than
the top *row*? Why is it the theosophical tradition to have
them that way
round, and not have Atma at the top, as number 1, rather than
number 7?

What is of paramount importance, is understanding the 7
principles
themselves in Theosophy. No easy thing. Are we able to relate
them to how
we go about our daily lives? How they can guide us in our
understanding of
what happens when we die. To help us understand what is going on
in
channeling, and to help us see below the surface.

Also to aid us in understanding what Universal Brotherhood is?
What caste,
race, colour (color:) or creed symbolise, and what, to form the
nucleus
means, and to aid us in understanding Man, or manas.
They effect our whole outlook on life, As we turn the page, we
also have
to lift our head..."Lift thy head, oh Lanoo." When we look up
at the
planets, and think how beautiful they look, let us remember we
are just
seeing the physical bodies of those planets. Maybe, completely
unaware of
the 6 other principles. Where do we look to see the 7 sacred
planets of the
Ancients?

What all this is in part saying, is why work with religions, when
Theosophy,
the source of them all, is where our attention could be focused?
The
Secret Doctrine is often seen to be a book about science,
religion and
philosophy. The actual title begins: "The Secret Doctrine: the
synthesis of
. . . What does that mean?
Truth, Oneness, & Space?

"Lift thy head, oh Lanoo; dost thou see one, or countless lights
above thee,
burning in the dark midnight sky?"

Tony

----------------------------------------------

This is the kind of exchange and assistance that I think will
help all of us.

I believe this also ought to be published to other groups for the
individual consideration of their participants.

We all have so much we can learn from others benevolence.

Many thanks, again, and best wishes,

Dallas

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

-----Original Message-----
From: ramadoss@gbronline.com [mailto:ramadoss@gbronline.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 20, 2002 2:52 PM
To: Theosophy Study List
Subject: Re: Theos-World RE: CORRECTIONS ACCCURACY NEEDED

Dallas:

Well said.

Many many organizations and movements have come and gone. Most
survived
only for a short time. Just the fact that after more than a
century,
Theosophy and HPB and her writings are in print and are discussed
here,
simply shows, at least to me, the fundamental strength of
theosophy.

Personally speaking, while many of the details HPB discussed and
wrote
about, are not yet confirmed by me from personal knowledge or
experience,
they yet form a sound and comprehensive hypothesis to hold on to
until such
time another comprehensive 'hypothesis' comes up or I am able to
personally
verify or disprove what theosophy has presented to the modern
world.

There is yet another very important fact that is relevant. HPB,
Olcott,
Judge and other pioneers have sacrificed the prime of their life
for a
'forlorn' cause they believed in and today, we are all the
beneficiaries of
the sacrifices made by them. Now we can sit in the comfort of a
arm/armless-chair and access all of them at the touch of a button
on the
computer.

When I look into myself and consider whatever little sacrifice I
have
personally made to theosophy, I feel very very humbled indeed.

This is where I come from and I would have not continued my
interest in
theosophy for many years but for the above viewpoint.

my .02, and others mileage may vary, as they say.

mkr

PS:
1. Theosophical Society also discovered Krishnamurti and today
through his
writings and speeches, many are affected and it seems a massive,
but slow
transformation is taking place worldwide.

2. I am also taking the liberty of posting on theos-l for the
benefit of
those who may not be subscribed here.
=================================
At 01:08 PM 3/20/02 -0800, you wrote:
Wednesday, March 20, 2002

Dear Friends:

Please allow me to offer some corrections of fact.
Again, an abysmal (if not a childish) ignorance of THEOSOPHY, and
its modern representation as history through the THEOSOPHICAL
SOCIETY is offered for us marvel at. It is harmonious with a
long string of misrepresentations and confusing, unreferenced,
one-sided views offered at random in recent postings. One is
again made aware of the partisanship and biases published
irresponsibly that have assailed the intelligence and knowledge
of members of our discussion-group.

Continuously, for the last several months, we have witnessed the
demonstration of a surprising ignorance of THEOSOPHY as a
philosophy, and of the development in history through the
THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. Item after item has been raised, and as
they have been raised a number of those who know THEOSOPHY and
its history have systematically refuted unfounded, unreferenced,
and gratuitous caricatures offered to us, supposedly, as valid
criticism. That it continues at all shows lack of shame, or an
ulterior motive which is yet to be defined, if it can be, or
dares to be so disclosed.
1. ESOTERIC BUDDHISM was published by Sinnett in 1883. FACT
2. The SECRET DOCTRINE was published in 1888, 5 years later. FACT
The SECRET DOCTRINE was a project that was first undertaken as a
re-write of ISIS UNVEILED -- but it was seen that that had to be
abandoned, and an entirely new book needed to be issued because
of the interest aroused by ISIS UNVEILED and Sinnett's two books
(published in 1883 and 1885). These latter quoted from the
correspondence with the Adepts, and showed that there was
available with them, a continuous record of pre-history that
needed to be exposed as a logical alternative to the many
theories Science was evolving. Accordingly, The SECRET DOCTRINE
was divided into the historical report on 1. Cosmogenesis: the
evolution of the physical Universe out of the Spiritual and Ideal
UNIVERSE; and 2. Anthropogenesis, the evolution of Man, as a
physical FORM preparing itself for the embodiment of a Mind that
was derived from the Divine MONAD (ATMA-BUDDHI-MANAS) that is
central to the Spiritual core of everyone.
3. H P Blavatsky has made it repeatedly clear that Theosophy is
no pastiche, and not a collage.
4. In ISIS UNVEILED she displays a knowledge of the way in which
Theosophy was employed and diffused in several of the ancient
religious and philosophical systems of antiquity. She also shows
traces of its presence from the time of Christ up to the modern
days in which she wrote (1877).
5. The claim, that THEOSOPHY is the WISDOM OF THE AGES; and that
it has been sustained, preserved, investigated and made available
in the past is shown to have been a fact, by appealing to the
records, fragmentary or complete, of antiquity, and to the
similarity of religious moral and ethical tenets in present day
religions.
6. The unity of knowledge, and the common basis for human
interaction is shown to be very ancient and is also invariable as
well as universal.
7. The magazine THEOSOPHIST was commenced in Bombay in 1879, and
was designed to consider, discuss, answer, and add to the
information that was first made available through ISIS UNVEILED.
8. Arising from the perusal of ISIS UNVEILED by Mr. A. P.
Sinnett, correspondence was initiated between him, Mr. A. O.
Hume, and members of the FIRST SECTION: the Adepts, the Elder
Brothers of Humanity -- also called the Masters of Wisdom.
9. From this correspondence arose the books that Sinnett
published: ESOTERIC BUDDHISM (1883) and THE OCCULT WORLD (1885).
10. Whatever may be the personal evaluation of a critic, one may
well wonder at the capacity of a mind such as H. P. Blavatsky's,
which was able to encompass and unite this mass of information
into the 1500 pages of that 2 volume book ISIS UNVEILED. If we
have not at least read through it with attention we suffer from a
lack of that basic need: -- the universal basis of facts and a
knowledge of the practices that make of humanity an ever-learning
and united FAMILY of immortals -- all aimed at eventually
achieving a perfection of wisdom -- their birthright -- proofs of
which are made plain in Theosophy beginning with those first
offered for consideration in ISIS UNVEILED
11. It was in 1875 that the THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY was mooted and
then started (BLAVATSKY: Collected Works (TPH) Vol. I) The
sequence of meetings was Sept 7, Sept. 8, Sept. 13, Oct. 16th,
and Oct 30th. On Nov 17th 1875 that inaugural meeting of the
THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY took place. Col. Olcott delivered an
address.
12. The 7 principles of Man and the psychological bridge that
united the SPIRIT on one hand and the physical FORM on the other
(in man and nature), were discussed in the pages of THEOSOPHIST
by the Vedantin Subba Row and others, before being discussed and
explained in The SECRET DOCTRINE ( Vol. I pp 157, 200, II
596 ) No serious difficulties have ever been found with those
descriptions of the faculties and powers of the human being,
13. I recently posted:
Similarly the 7-fold divisions as given in SECRET DOCTRINE I p.
157 and also II 596 were first offered many years earlier in
the THEOSOPHIST. Also see FIVE YEARS OF THEOSOPHY pp. 92, 123.
THEOSOPHIST Vol. 9, p 417-9; Vol. 5, pp 225.
The KEY TO THEOSOPHY (HPB) also gives over 100 pages to tracing
the 7-fold constitution though antiquity and placing a reasoned
system in front of us for our use."
14. Emma H Britten discontinued her Founding membership in the
THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.
15. Only three of the original Founders remained affiliated with
it until their death: Col. Olcott, Mme. Blavatsky, and Mr. Wm.
Q. Judge.


If one desires reliable details on modern Theosophical History
they will be found in
The THEOSOPHICAL MOVEMENT (1875-1925)
published by Cunningham Press, LOS ANGELES (1951), and available
trough the Theosophy Company, 245 W. 33rd St., LOS ANGELES, 9007;
or through the bookshop at http://www.blavatsky.net

Best wishes,
Dallas

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