Theos-Talk Archives (January 2003 Message tt00131)

Jan 8th 2003

Re: Guru / chela relationship.

Dear Friends:

May I but in with a few more observations ?


Regarding the relations between Guru and Chela one ought to observe
that the traditions of the ancient Lodge of the WHITE ADEPTS never
demands of any "chela" complete subservience, belief or acceptance.

The right to think for ones' self and to make ones' own decisions is
never curtailed. How could that be done for an immortal ?

The Guru helps and serves the chela, he does not dominate nor does he
demand impossible submission. That, in any case, is unreasonable, and
also unenforceable. Neither the Guru nor the chela can ever be
unconscious of their individual immortality, or of the Karma which
unites them for life, and for lives to come. The Chela might make this
mistake, but not the Guru.

The reason for this is that each individual, be they Guru or Chela, is
in essence an immortal Soul Ego. (ATMA-BUDDHI) --or HIGHER SELF.

The Guru enables the Lower Manas (of this incarnation) to see itself
more clearly. The Lower Manas is that, which is at present the active
principle in each one of us. It has to decide to aspire to, and to
become a living BUDDHI MANAS (a Bodhisattva, as described in the 3rd
Fragment "The Seven Portals" of the VOICE OF THE SILENCE) -- and in so
doing, the Lower Manas is purified by the discipline imposed on it by
its own inner HIGHER MANAS of all selfish tendencies -- as an absolute
prerequisite for Divine Wisdom to be able to shine through it. (see
1st para of CHELAS AND LAY CHELAS)

It should be clear that the Wisdom is innate (though latent) in each
of us, and it is universal and DIVINE in scope. Also the Guru serves
the chela as a guide, as one who understands and can help, for the
chela to achieve this purification process. The Guru in such cases
provides the chela with explanations, and examples; and suggests that
the chela impose on the lower self a discipline that has for object
the development of an instantaneous and continuous SELF-DISCIPLINE.

Every inch of progress is self-achieved by the aspirant. It is up to
the chela to consider, and accept those conditions of self-imposed
discipline, which, in the case of the School of the White Brotherhood,
have been tested and proved essential by many millennia of experience.
Once accepted, the chela has to make it his business to provide
unswerving fidelity to the guru -- one, who for him is the embodiment
of TRUTH and therefore of the LAW OF KARMA in its entirety. It is for
this reason that the relation is called dangerous to the guru, and
requires of the chela a careful and continuous observation of all
virtues (paramitas).

It is difficult because the habits and ways of life and thinking (as a
lower-manasic entity) of the chela have to be altered by his own
efforts. In effect it is like living in a house (the personality)
while it is being remodeled by the indwelling architect and artisan.
The human will is employed to do this. Altruism and impartiality are
the tools and measures employed.

This is what I learned from the reading of those articles and of the
KEY TO THEOSOPHY (HPB).

As far as my study of that which Theosophy offers as a survey of this
relationship goes. I have never heard of anything being offered or
said that was untrue, vague, or misleading. Nor was the "chela"
supposed to accept unreservedly anything the guru passed on. It is
however true that to the newly constituted chela some of these
regulations appear to be most strict. He should therefore first put
himself through a process of learning and examining, so that his
understanding is awake and attentive.

If one has available a copy of Mr. Judge's LETTERS THAT HAVE HELPED ME
a reference to what is written between pp. 40 and 56 is valuable in
this regard. { available, on line or as a book through
http://www.blavatsky.net} .

The chela was always encouraged, as a preliminary, to think over what
was said and to ask for further explanations.

There exists, published by the U L T in Bombay, India a collection of
H P B's articles on this relationship under the title RAJA YOGA OR
OCCULTISM. Those articles have been made available to us through
several Theosophical Web-pages, including: http://www.blavatsky.net

These are all by H P B

THE THEOSOPHICAL MAHATMAS
PRACTICAL OCCULTISM
OCCULTISM vs, THE OCCULT ARTS
LODGES OF MAGIC
PSYCHIC AND NOETIC ACTION
THE SCIENCE OF MAGIC
THE SEARCH AFTER OCCULTISM
DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE TO EDITORS
DIALOGUE ON THE MYSTERIES OF THE AFTER LIFE
HYPNOTISM AND ITS RELATION TO OTHER MODES OF FASCINATION
WHAT OF PHENOMENA?
THOUGHTS ON ELEMENTALS
CHINESE SPIRITS

Best wishes,

Dallas


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-----Original Message-----
From: M
Sent: Tuesday, January 07, 2003 8:49 PM
To:
Subject: re Gurus and Chelas

G.......wrote: <<No, Dallas, the guru explains the initial
assumptions of the esoteric tradition to the chela, what
Blavatsky calls "propositions," and then uses logic to
develop the specifics from those unprovable assumptions.
The very fact that the guru must tell something illogical or
alogical to the student is WHY the student has to first
agree to accept every word as truth, else the student will
simply logically reject the unprovable propositions outright
and get nowhere.

Hey, ..., that kind of wording seems to make "sense,"
even to me, apparently ... That Dallas seems to have a
way of drawing out some nifty words from you, Gerald!
Your use of "illogical or alogical" and "unprovable
assumptions," etc, got me ... sort of drooling, almost. Hee
hee. Ok, so who's the Guru around here? Well ... Uh ...
^:-) ...
CUT