Theos-Talk Archives (December 2002 Message tt00042)

Louis asked:
> Where and when will you be giving your talk?
>

The conference on "Science and the Soul" will be held between April 2-6,
2003 in Mesa, Arizona. For more details, please visit the conference
website, www.sevenray.com. This conference is not sponsored by any
theosophical society (there are at least four independent theosophical
societies in the US), but in my view it is part of the greater theosophical
movement.

In my opinion, the "theosophical movement" is much larger than the
"theosophical society." I would include as part of the theosophical
movement: people who were once part of a theosophical society but who
later left that organization to found their own societies; people who are
students of those who left a theosophical society; and people who have been
influenced by theosophical ideas but may never have been formally a member
of a theosophical society. So, for example, I would include Rudolf Steiner,
Alice Bailey, Krishnamurti, Roberto Assagioli, and Tokom Saradarian, plus
their organizations as part of the greater theosophical movement. With this
perspective, the various theosophical societies have had a much greater
impact upon human consciousness than would be indicated by their present
small sizes. The way I think of it is that Blavatsky's impact upon the
world is like a stone thrown in the ocean; the initial ripple represents her
theosophical society, but the subsequent ripples represent the much larger
theosophical movement.

I know that many people in this forum are concerned with the fact that
Blavatsky's doctrines differ in many details from the doctrines of Besant,
Leadbeater, Wood, Bailey, Steiner, Krishnamurti, Assagioli, Saradarian, etc.
Blavatsky, In the Key to Theosophy, said that "Theosophy is synonymous with
Everlasting Truth." If we consider Blavatsky's doctrines to be Theosophy
itself, it follows that any doctrine that deviates from Blavatsky's
doctrines must be wrong. This perspective explains the so-called "Back to
Blavatsky" movement, the antagonism that certain theosophical societies have
for more modern writers, and why the label "pseudo-theosophy" is sometimes
used to characterize more modern writings.

It is my understanding, however, that Theosophy itself is ineffable. Any
book, or written doctrine, consists of limiting words that are somewhat
ambiguous, with associations that change over time, and so it cannot
actually contain Everlasting Truth. If Theosophy itself, or Everlasting
Truth, is ineffable, then any written doctrine must be incomplete, perhaps
an approximation of the truth, but not the truth itself.

Consider the following analogy. We might think of a great underground river
as representing Theosophy. Various wells are built to extract water from
this underground river. These wells represent Christianity, Buddhism,
Hinduism, Theosophical Society, and other philosophies and religions. All
these wells get their water from the same source; but a bucket in each well
is like a written doctrine, because it contains only a limited part, or
fragment, of the water, not the entire underground river.

Both western and eastern philosophy have the notion that no written doctrine
can contain reliable truth. For example, about 24 hundred years ago, Plato
stated in the Phaedrus, "Anyone who leaves behind him a written manual, and
likewise anyone who takes it over from him, on the supposition that such
writing will provide something reliable and permanent, must be exceedingly
simple-minded." A similar notion can be found in the Diamond Sutra, of
Mahayana Buddhism, which states: "The truth is ungraspable and
inexpressible."

The notion that Theosophy itself cannot be expressed in words is a very
practical idea for several reasons. First, we can understand how different
philosophies and religions can share the same root of Theosophy and can lead
to a common experience of Theosophy, even though they may have different
doctrines and rituals. Second, we can use this notion to help liberate
ourselves from being attached to our own spiritual teachings. By giving up
attachment to our own teachings, we can feel more united with other people,
even with those who are involved with other teachings (or other theosophical
societies). And third, we can have the possibility of contacting Theosophy
itself, which requires going beyond the limitations of words and thoughts.

Zack Lansdowne