Theos-Talk Archives (September 2002 Message tt00195)

Sept 30 2002

Why the 'ORIGINAL TEACHINGS of THEOSOPHY ?"

Dear Friends:

I hope I may be permitted to break in on this discussion as
the matter is most interesting.


My I advance some answers to the questions (see below) from
my experience and from the study of Theosophy the following?


Every writer has one of a pair of motives in writing -- and
of course there are many others.

But the main ones are:

One Service to others - impartial and brotherly.

Two Some selfish motive: Authority, Pride, selfishness,
income, etc...


Let's apply these to H P B. If one studies (not just reads)
her writings their consistency and reasonableness is
evident.

She wrote as ordered by the Masters of Wisdom to help to
illuminate the Race as a whole. She restored to view and
credibility the age old links of moral and ethical teachings
which prophet after prophet, and teacher after teacher, down
the ages had taught -- each according to the environment,
and people to whom they came.

In ISIS UNVEILED and The SECRET DOCTRINE she gathered
together the many scattered threads of evidence, so that
from her "nosegay" we might make more easy for ourselves the
task of verifying the accuracy of ancient teachings and the
existence of ancient arts, sciences and philosophies. In all
cases we are left free to conduct our study at our own pace.
The basis for this is that the free mind, left alone to do
its own work, can come to sure proofs that will satisfy its
quest for truth.

She did not in any way personally profit from her work. In
fact her life records her continuous contribution in "time,
money and work" to the establishing the THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY
, and the providing to the members and others, of material
to study. [see ELENA BLAVATSKY -- H P B. A biography by
Sylvia Cranston, 8th edition, Tarcher, New York, 2001.
There the biographical documentary facts concerning her
life, work and teachings are recorded in detail.]

As a preliminary all members (of the T S) have to agree that
BROTHERHOOD will stand as the key-note of their association.
Thereafter they may espouse any line of study that pleases
them. Religion, science, philosophy, etc...

Some will consider this a high claim and invalid. Others
will study to find out if it is true. And some imbued with
their own importance and desire to "shine" will try to make
a religion out of it.

If one happens to have made a study of the scriptures of the
other religions of this world, then by comparison, we will
find many of the most important and valuable statements are
similar. They are found to be of altruistic, moral and
tolerant nature.

They are being made at their time of utterance to awaken the
minds of contemporaries to the true meaning of life, and to
relieve them of blind belief and the supposed authority of
either Priesthood, Politicians, or Authorities in Science --
all those who claim the right to impose on others are
challenged to prove they have such a right, or rights of any
kind.

Invariably we find that natural LAW is always appealed to.
The capacity of every man or woman to think is appealed to.
In fact it is shown that this is the sole basis from which
any one can make decisions.

Nature is always show as an example of the common base for
all knowledge. Common sense is made the criterion for
examination, and false conditions and exploitations are
exposed. When intolerance, presumption or the usurpation of
common rights and privileges is show on any account to chain
people to ritual and rote, or the threats from priest or
noble, it is due to selfish, evil and sinful practices
espoused in private or in public, by individuals,
politicians, officials or the priesthood - regardless of
race, nation, affiliation, or creed.

Here are few basic propositions made in Theosophy (which is
at least 18 million years old):

The Universe has 3 great divisions: 1. Spiritual
(perfection of CONSCIOUSNESS); 2. Intellectual and
emotional (humanity is included in this area, emotion is
gradually being transformed into intelligence and thought
capacity); and, 3. physical (all forms of whatever kind
near or far, old or nascent, from sub-atom to the utmost
Galaxy).

The Universe runs under sensitive universal plans and laws.
Nothing is chaotic. Nothing is rejected or laid away in
some dust heap of failures. Mankind is under these laws.
The difference between vice and virtue is obedience to those
laws of brotherhood -- that bind us all into one great
family.

Every being in the universe is at core, an immortal. It has
been, and is now, on a great pilgrimage from ignorance to
wisdom. At one end we have the atoms and at the other we
have the SAGES and the PROPHETS. The pilgrimage is lengthy
and the sequence of lives (as days in a School) are many.
Each "life" sees an increment in intelligence. The "Goal"
is named by some: "sublime Perfection." And as all
finitudes of whatever description or dimension have duties
associated with them, our progress has responsibilities --
and any deviation from their performance entails Karma -- in
an attempt by nature to show us the exact consequences of
our errors.

Each Great Teacher has said: The world of living is a
school and a testing ground for the growth of human
integrity and the common sense of straight, unprejudiced
thought. Any proposition is to be treated solely on its
moral worth, and individuals ought to be treated as though
they were the Sons and Daughters of the Most High.
Brotherhood was always taught. Special privileges were
denied to those who had usurped them, and who oppressed the
people. The universal sense of justice was appealed to.
This is to be invariably fund in the original teachings of
all great Prophets. In many cases those original teachings
have been revised and obscured by a few of their followers
who claimed to know better what they meant. And out of those
changes gradually a creed or a church was created. The sly
and the crafty constructed a creed to enslave the minds of
members, followers and associates and keep them in
ignorance.

In regard to ay great reform one can safely say: If there is
any concealment, if the free thought of any member or
associate is curtailed or imposed on, then it is to be taken
as a warning that selfishness and machinations of a personal
and vicious nature are under way. Any claim to authority,
unless the reason is given for scrutiny, ought to be
suspect.

So far the hall-mark of Theosophy has been the maintenance
of its purity to the ORIGINALS. Those interested in
independent study are encouraged to do that. No drive for
"membership" has ever been maintained. People are left free
to study and to congregate for mutual study. No one is
coerced.

How the shall we approach the many religions we know or hear
of:

Inquiry is to be made into parallel teachings in great
religions, where shall we start? If one thinks of the list
of virtues that are common to ourselves, their parallels
will be inevitably found expressed. there: NO lying,
cheating, greed, selfishness, doubt, blind faith, passion,
hatred, lust, ambition, haughtiness, pride, envy, ignorance,
laziness.

The identical great virtues are also to be found extolled
there. In fact this similarity is so overwhelming, that one
is forced to consider that those great reformers, prophets,
Sons of God, Buddhas, Rishis, Dhyanis, etc... all studied
and worked in the same Lodge or Great School, where wisdom
and righteousness were common and brotherhood is the rule
there, as it is today. [ See ISIS UNVEILED, II pp. 98 -
103 ]

What do they teach? providing The immortality of the
Mind-soul. The communality of Spirit, as also of matter.
The persistence of a great plan, of an evolutionary scheme
that encompasses every being in the Universe. On close
examination this is to be found in operation now, as in the
past. The Universe runs by and is controlled by impersonal
and sensitive laws. It has been in existence for far more
years than our present bodily lives measure.

Theosophy provides a précis of the history of this fact and
of the past. It replaces many of the lost pages of history
destroyed by fanatics -- priests and conquerors -- and
those who conspire and seek to keep men's mind enchained in
ignorance, doubt and deception, and a lack of historical
perspective to use as a measuring rod.

They are there for all to discover. Correlative information
is now currently available from may sources.

Now let us look at those who have come in after Mme.
Blavatsky, with "additional teachings," or "modifications,"
or who claim to be able to "correct" her writings, etc.,
etc. All that any one needs to do is to compare them with
Her Theosophy.

Those of us who have constituted ourselves her students,
have each done this work in part, or in whole; and, most of
us are probably pursuing the task, as it is unending.
Something new is found every day and our respect increases.
A fresh part of the great mosaic is placed into perspective
and is seen t align with the whole.

But, everyone has to speak for themselves. No one has the
authority or the wisdom to wave a magic wand and to change
skepticism into belief. And even if that were possible, if
would not help because the recipient would still wonder,
inevitably, if his new position was a correct one. It shows
that all proofs have to be self-obtained.

Best wishes,

Dallas

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


-----Original Message-----
From: M
Sent: Monday, September 30, 2002 7:34 AM
To:
Subject: Madame Blavatsky and the Latter-Day Messengers of
the Masters

Hi all off you,

Well, some afterthought makes me email again.
The big smile has changed...

*******
Daniel Caldwell wrote:


"There is enough metaphysics, occult information, practical
advise, ethical
counsel, devotional material, spiritual exercises, etc. in
HPB's and the
Masters' writings to last most of us a lifetime or two!

Furthermore, why did the Masters want HPB to write all of
this material if
it was to be superseded and supplanted within a relatively
short period of
time by the writings of Bailey, Judge, de Purucker, Besant,
Leadbeater,
Ballard, etc.? "
]

*******

I can't agree on that angle presented here by Caldwell;
(although it may be unintentionally).


This is what I don't get:


We all know, that H. P. Blavatsky didn't fancy any bible
study of any sort her own books included !


And we can all read - the following - in "The Key to
Theosophy" (Section 2;
and 2nd question) by H. P. Blavatsky:

"ENQUIRER. Which system do you prefer or follow, in that
case, besides
Buddhistic ethics?

THEOSOPHIST. None, and all. We hold to no religion, as to no
philosophy in
particular: we cull the good we find in each. But here,
again, it must be
stated that, like all other ancient systems, Theosophy is
divided into
Exoteric and Esoteric Sections. "

So the words - 'There is enough' - in the above, doesn't
ring by bell..

The same goes for this one. Daniel Caldwell wrote:

"And with so many individuals claiming to be messengers of
the Masters, why
not study HPB's writings and use the criteria to be found in
her teachings
to test whether later claims and teachings are consistent or
not, true or
false? [In his article Theosophy's Shadow, Nicholas Weeks
used this method
of comparison and contrast on the claims and teachings of
Alice A. Bailey.] "

When did Nicholas Weeks ever do such a thing in his article?
Could anyone enlighten me on that ?

My opinion is that Nicholas Weeks never did use the quote by
H. P. Blavatsky
in "The Key to Theosophy" (Section 2; and 2nd question):

"ENQUIRER. Which system do you prefer or follow, in that
case, besides
Buddhistic ethics?

THEOSOPHIST. None, and all. We hold to no religion, as to no
philosophy in
particular: we cull the good we find in each. But here,
again, it must be
stated that, like all other ancient systems, Theosophy is
divided into
Exoteric and Esoteric Sections. "

On these issues I most certainly will have to disagree with
Caldwell. At
least for the time being.











----- Original Message -----
From: "Daniel H. Caldwell" <comments@blavatskyarchives.com>
To: <theos-talk@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, September 30, 2002 12:26 AM
Subject: Theos-World Madame Blavatsky and the Latter-Day
Messengers of the
Masters


> Some readers on this forum may be interested in the
following article:
>
> Madame Blavatsky and the Latter-Day Messengers of the
Masters
>
http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/contradictionslatermessenge
rs.htm
>
> Daniel H. Caldwell
>
> Visit BLAVATSKY ARCHIVES at:
> http://blavatskyarchives.com/introduction.htm
>
> "...Contrast alone can enable us to appreciate things
> at their right value; and unless a judge compares
> notes and hears both sides he can hardly come to a
> correct decision."
> H.P. Blavatsky. The Theosophist, July, 1881, p. 218.
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>




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