Theos-Talk Archives (August 2002 Message tt00266)

Part 4 ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS AT AN INFORMAL "OCEAN OF
THEOSOPHY" CLASS

Chapter I -- Masters & Mahatmas -- pp. 31 - 34
(end of chapter)


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Q. What is meant by keeping "A Witness on the scene" for
future generations?
p.31

A. If there was not a fresh statement of such portions of
the ancient Wisdom-Religion as the minds of the people could
understand-especially on a descending cycle-when
materialistic conceptions prevailed in regard to religion
and life, as it did at the time of Jesus, and to a great
extent does yet-human spiritual conceptions would be
gradually lost sight of in the material and intellectual
struggle for existence as physical beings. When an age of
transition arrives, when peoples, governments, religions and
sciences are changing, as they now are, the time arrives for
an incomparably greater revealing by Those who Know, of the
nature of Man and the laws that govern the evolution of all
beings. The one who imparts that knowledge to Humanity is
much more than a "witness on the scene."


Q. Why should India and China have retrograded if they still
have these old truths ?

A. We must not forget that the India of the past is not the
present India. Once the true knowledge existed there, as in
China. In India especially the ancient writings have been
preserved more than in any other nation; but the caste
system based upon physical heredity which was later
established by egos of a lower grade than those of the
earlier days of India's greatness, and the selfish
withholding from the lower castes of such knowledge as the
Brahmins possessed, in no long time caused ignorance and
superstition to prevail. From this cause there arose
hundreds of sects; religion became a matter of ritual,
ceremonies and many degrading customs, and the power of
India to influence the world was lost. Both India and China
present living examples of the rise and fall of
civilizations.


Q. What brings this knowledge back ?

A. The Lodge of Masters who preserve it and present as much
as can be assimilated again and again at different periods
all down the ages. Theosophy is one such presentation and
the most complete on record.
p.32.


Q. On page 12 it speaks of hypnotism as being known to
Theosophy long ago: what is hypnotism?

A. Hypnotism is a modern name for a power known for ages. By
means of this power, one who has it and uses it on his
fellowmen, paralyzes that channel in the brain of his
subject through which the subject, as Ego, operates and
controls his brain. This action prevents the subject from
receiving any other impressions than those suggested by the
operator, in ordinary cases. One of the peculiarities of
this hypnotic state is that the subject does not know what
occurred while in it, and has no memory of what transpired,
nor is he aware that any time has elapsed. In this state the
subject may be impressed to perform any kind of action at
some subsequent time, and will do so. Crimes have been
committed under such suggestions, the subject being ignorant
of the fact that the suggestion of the operator led to and
impelled the act. Occasionally the subject gets beyond the
control of the operator and may disclose what are called
different "personalities." These may be memories of past
experiences, or as is more likely, contacts with other
beings constituting an obsession; for the state is a
defenseless one. This practice is considered to be Black
Magic by the Ancient Schools because it is an interference
with the free-will of the Ego as regards his bodily
instrument. The continuation of the practice upon any
subject brings about an increasing tendency to be swayed and
thrown off his normal balance by the feelings and
suggestions of others about him, as well as by invisible
beings, the existence of whom is not yet admitted by Western
science. The one who practices this black art, is on the
high road to become a Black Magician.


Q. Are Hypnotism and Mesmerism the same ?
p.33

A. No. They are the opposite of each other. In hypnotism,
the operator actually passes into the subject some of his
ethereal substance which carries with it the qualities good
or bad of the operator; this acts upon the capillary veins
and nerves from without as a repression-which is one of the
characteristics of sleep and death. Whereas in Mesmerism
so-called, the effect is from within outwards, an opening
up, instead of a contraction and repression; no suggestion
is used, and the subject can move in accordance with his own
nature and qualities. In neither of these states is any
knowledge possible, although subsequent effects may flow
uncontrolled and unsuspected by the subject. Self-control is
the great desideratum and neither of these states leads to
it, but on the contrary tends to destroy it. There may be
rare exceptions, where one knows the nature of Man and the
effects that will be produced by any operation upon the
subject; then either of these operations may be used for the
benefit of the subject, but never for control or out of
curiosity.


Q. Mr. Judge speaks of carbon being in suspension
everywhere. I thought that carbon had its place in the
mineral kingdom and always remained there?

A. Carbon, like all other precipitated elements known to us,
is in suspension everywhere. None of these elements are
perceptible to us until in precipitated form. Carbon is a
specific form of embodiment for a certain class of
intelligence-which is true of all forms. Carbon is carbon,
whether in the precipitated form, the vegetable or animal,
in solution, or in the air about us. There being an
intelligence of a certain kind in carbon, that intelligence
has its own specific range of action in its contact with
other forms and intelligences. The use of carbon in the
human form, for instance, is not because it is carbon
so-called, but because of its qualities-in reality, because
of its intelligent action. Because of the
p.34

oneness of source of all beings and forms of matter, there
are transmutations going on all the time; the mineral
elements might be called "crystallized intelligence" and in
that state be dormant, but in commingling with other
elements many possible degrees and kinds of activity are
released and find play. The dormant or inactive state might
be classed as a kind of "devachan" for that kind of
conscious ness, and the commingling as a period of
"manifestation." In all these comminglings the action of one
or more kinds of consciousness upon others imparts to them
other trends toward a fuller expression of intelligence
through form. Through the commingling of two forms of
intelligence a third form for both may be produced; for
instance, two parts of Hydrogen to one part of Oxygen-both
gases-will, by being fused by the electric spark, produce a
third element- entirely unlike the original constituents.
This transmutation is continually going on in the evolution
of form or embodiments of beings of every grade, and is the
result of the Evolutionary impulse given to sub stance by
intelligent beings of every degree. The Universe is embodied
Consciousness.


Q. Mr. Judge speaks of Telepathy: when is that possible?

A. Telepathy is possible when two people are attuned to the
same thought, will and feeling at the same time. In such
case the thought of one will reach the other wherever he may
be.


Q. So many people who read the "Ocean" say that it is hard
to understand: why is this, when the book is written in such
simple terms ?

A. It would be difficult to write a book that would give an
outline of the Universal Science in simpler terms than those
used in the "OCEAN." The difficulty in understanding does
not lie in the modes of expression used in the book, but in
the minds of
p.35

would-be students, whose hard and fast conclusions as to
men, things and methods stand in the way of their grasping
the meaning of the ideas so simply expressed. No doubt those
who find the "Ocean" difficult would call themselves
intelligent people, but the intelligence usually displayed
is merely an acquaintance with what scientists,
religionists, materialists and others have said or written,
and is not a direct use of thinking power; the minds of such
are simply store-houses for the thoughts, ideas and acts of
others. In order to really understand Theosophy, all that
has been stored up in the way of previous conceptions and
prejudices has to be laid aside for the time being,
especially during the time of reading or study, in order
that the meaning of the Teacher may be fully grasped by the
mind. In order to gain knowledge of that Science which is a
synthesis of all Life and Nature, the mind must be clear and
clean, free from all preconceptions and prejudices, and
devoted wholly to the acquisition of the Science, if one
would learn and know it. As a preliminary to this study, the
Three Fundamental Propositions of Theosophy should be well
learned, understood, and applied to the problems of life, as
well as to the detailed philosophy 'which the "Ocean"
presents.

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