Theos-Talk Archives (August 2002 Message tt00166)

Aug 17 2002

Re Making 'theosophy practical.'

Dear Friend:

Thank the philosophy of Theosophy, as we all do. It has
useful and reasonable answers. It explains and demands no
"reward." It inspires one to learn valuable and permanent
things that help in one's living. But it never imposes.
Like a dear and close friend it only suggests, and leaves
the adoption and subsequent discipline to one's self
decisions.

The Key-note is not ZERO but UNITY. It is ALL IN ALL. And
this includes an awareness of this fact.

In Metaphysics it is expressed in one way as the ONE
emanating from the ZERO which is ALL. It is a change of
state from the SPIRITUAL and PURE to the differentiated and
confused (some say "impure," but that is not entirely
true.). The ABSOLUTENESS ( 0 ) always includes any and all
manifestations -- IT is the ETERNAL BACKGROUND. As an image
one might choose "SPACE" -- always there, inescapable.
Common to all. Unimpressible, and continually PERFECT. But
let me proceed.

There are no totally UNKNOWNS. Always the ONE CONSCIOUSNESS
of the SPIRIT (THE HIGHER SELF - ATMAN) prevails and never
sleeps or stops.

The "Personal" (this life so-far) consciousness is limited
by its present (this life) memories, and from those, the
potential of limited imagination arises. But everyone has a
sense of incompleteness -- a sense or an intuition of a Self
within which has a far greater horizon of reference than the
"self" of this life -- who is so limited. This makes for
the "TWO SELVES IN MAN." 1. The UNIVERSAL AND IMMORTAL
HIGHER SELF, and 2. the Lower self or, KAMA-MANAS (the mind
wrapped up in selfish desires.).

We cannot yet escape the enveloping arms of the latter (the
Lower Self.) But we sense there is a way out. We can always
appeal to our HIGHER SELF (ATMA) which is interior (not a
personal outside "god") to us. It is universal and hence we
are IT in COMMON. Brothers though we do not yet know and
understand that fact.

Philosophy., logic and common sense answer YES to that.

And they further indicate that there is a neglected aspect
of man's being which the "Lower Self" does not like to dwell
on: the sense of Law Universal, and of Karma personal to
every one of us. Some call it morality and some ethics, but
rarely is the clear difference between virtue and vice
explained or made clear.

Theosophy states that since LAW is universal, impersonal,
and tends always, to adjust disharmony and make of discords
harmonies, the difference between virtue and vice is either
an adherence to that Law, or a deliberate (conscious or
unconscious) breaking of those Laws. We thus create our own
Karma, good or bad, all the time. Who wants to crate bad
karma ?

Philosophically, NATURE (which is the embodied DEITY) cannot
function in its omnipresence and omniscience without LAW.
Such laws are compelling, as they support the cooperative
aspect of all life. The cell for the body, the man for his
country, the race for MANKIND, and the EARTH for the Solar
System -- and ultimately for the Galaxy. All., all are
interrelated. Hence Brotherhood is deemed to be the key to
right livelihood.

No goal is immediately reached. Every decision is preceded
by errors and mistakes. Habits are set up (in the past and
now) which serve to confuse and distract. But once clarity
is seized, the gentle reform process can begin, one step at
a time. So while working to purify ones' self in regard to
future decisions, the past has to be stopped as a matter of
consideration. The reason for that is that it cannot be
undone. But what can be learned from it is to avoid any
repetition of error. That is the fist step. Dwelling on
past memories reinforces them subtly.

The Buddha, 2600 years ago, expressed it simply: "Cease
from wrong-doing. Do good.. That is the WAY."

We have to remember at every step, we are spiritual beings,
immortals. Every one without exception is on the path to
Truth realization and Truth application. You will find in
the VOICE OF THE SILENCE (H P B) "Look not behind or thou
art lost." Any improvement starts now and is continued by
sincere persevering effort in the right direction. In the
BHAGAVAD GITA Sri Krishna (over 5,000 years ago) continually
repeats: "Perform thy duty at all times, but do not
calculate (or care) for the results." "The duty of another
is full of danger."

All fears come from ignorance. Such fears center mainly
around: "What will others think of me ?" This need not
concern us, as we do not owe any explanations. Also, the
path of the devotee is not one of outward display, of
drawing attention to new and strange behaviour. or of
running around as one bemused and confused. It is one of
quiet duty, and of benevolence. Always generosity, care for
others and helping them whenever possible. Not a big deal,
but a mighty change of attitude for some. This erodes
selfishness and isolation, We can then rejoin the human
race.

As to timeliness -- we are all the slaves of time. Some are
ignorant of this fact, and some know it well. Our lives
progress but we need not set "goals" definitely.
Improvement is a better and more inclusive term. Hence the
word "service" is used to indicate the "path" of the true
devotee -- and we are all such, each on their own PATH TO
TRUTH. It is the service of others that counts in the end.
Cooperation and generosity. And this has to be persisted in
life after life.

Time is not a factor, as it comes and goes and we do our job
and that is sufficient. As I say if we make set result our
goal we will always be somewhat disappointed.

I hope this helps,

Dallas

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


-----Original Message-----
From: George Th
Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2002 8:13 PM
To:
Subject: Sincere Effort


Dear Friend,

I want to thank you again for your heartfelt reply re
seeking guidance.
It toughed me deeply and I feel strong gratitede. You who
without knowing
me has given so much time and effort to my development. I
also feel
obliged to at least three other people who seek the same and
inadvertantly
brought me to your door, but yet have not found it
themselves. I don't
know, but I suspect that this must be so?


I woke up yesterday morning with the realisation that my
journey has
brought me to the door I seek, and that I have been given
the key -
nothing. 0=1 and it is now up to me to use it. Looking
back I now see
that finding the way was the easy part but I now focus on
the lock and
understand what I need to do to use it.


CUT