Theos-Talk Archives (January 2003 Message tt00380)

Hi Zack and all of you,

Well, thanks.
I think, that it is Good ideas you give in the below.

I will refer to a rather old article. One of Blavatskys.

http://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/hpb-sio/sio-occ.htm

Quoting Blavatskys article:

"There are four (out of the many others) names of the various kinds of
Esoteric Knowledge or Sciences given, even in the exoteric Puranas. There is
(1) Yajna-Vidya,* knowledge of the occult powers awakened in Nature by the
performance of certain religious ceremonies and rites. (2) Mahavidya, the
"great knowledge," the magic of the Kabalists and the Tantrika worship,
often Sorcery of the worst description. (3) Guhya-Vidya, knowledge of the
mystic powers residing in Sound (Ether), hence in the Mantras (chanted
prayers or incantations) and depending on the rhythm and melody used; in
other words, a magical performance based on Knowledge of the forces of
Nature and their correlation; and (4) ATMA-VIDYA, a term which is translated
simply "Knowledge of the Soul," true Wisdom by the Orientalists, but which
means far more.

This last is the only kind of Occultism that any theosophist who admires
"Light on the Path," and who would be wise and unselfish, ought to strive
after. All the rest is some branch of the "Occult Sciences,", i.e. arts
based on the knowledge of the ultimate essence of all things in the Kingdoms
of Nature -- such as minerals, plants and animals -- hence of things
pertaining to the realm of material nature, however invisible that essence
may be, and howsoever much it has hitherto eluded the grasp of Science.
Alchemy, Astrology, Occult Physiology, Chiromancy, exist in Nature and the
exact Sciences -- perhaps so called, because they are found in this age of
paradoxical philosophies the reverse -- have already discovered not a few of
the secrets of the above arts. But clairvoyance, symbolized in India as the
"Eye of Siva," called in Japan, "Infinite Vision," is not Hypnotism, the
illegitimate son of Mesmerism, and is not to be acquired by such arts. All
the others may be mastered and results obtained, whether good, bad, or
indifferent; but Atma-Vidya sets small value on them. It includes them all
and may even use them occasionally, but it does so after purifying them of
their dross, for beneficent purposes, and taking care to deprive them of
every element of selfish motive. "......" For we say it again, hypnotism and
vivisection as practised in such schools, are Sorcery pure and simple, minus
a knowledge that the Voodoos and Dugpas enjoy, and which no Charcott-Richet
can procure for himself in fifty years of hard study and experimental
observation. Let then those who will dabble in magic, whether they
understand its nature or not, but who find the rules imposed upon students
too hard, and who, therefore, lay Atma-Vidya or Occultism aside -- go
without it. Let them become magicians by all means, even though they do
become Voodoos and Dugpas for the next ten incarnations. "


So Zack, why does a great number af pro-Bailey Theosophical leaders, which
say they support Blavatskys teachings close their minds to this statement ?
My view is, that is what a number of them are doing ! (I have been inside
more than one Bailey group.)
Too little emphasis on ATMA VIDYA, will most certainly create problems. I
think about newcomers - and there so-called "Healing-exercises and
Invocations" upon the United Nations and other similar activities...>:-)
And with our present informations society well...political problems here and
there --- i.e. The West versus The Middle East, fast comunication, fast
transportation, cloning, clones, genetic engineering, nano-technology, ESP
at CIA etc...
The United Nations pro-Baileys are certainly creating problems -
spirituallly seen.
To the readers and Zack: Try reading this links page on Lucis Trusts
activities at United Nations etc...
And try reading a little between the lines of this freemason version.
http://www.freemasonwatch.freepress-freespeech.com/lucistrust.html

Sometimes I think about, that if the pro-Bailey groups instead were parallel
versions of under the name of "Sufi-groups", - what reaction we will
experience at United Nations - HQ on the issue of "so-called Invocation and
healing" of the HQ, and in the USA ? >:-)
But, no worries, the pro-Baileys seems to support Alice A. Baileys views on
The Middle East. That is, that Islam by Bailey called "Mohammedanism" being
called a hybrid offshot of Christianity with a "tinge" of Judaism (i.e. not
"Judas"), and not even a rootrace !


Alice A. Bailey "Esoteric Psychology", vol. 1, p. 167.:
"...note chat this movement was started by a secret society which has [167]
existed in the world since the last period of seventh ray dominance in
Atlantean times.
Every great religion which arises is under the influence of one or other of
the rays, but it does not necessarily follow that each successive ray should
have a great far-reaching religion as its outcome. We have heard that
Brahmanism is the last great religion which arose under first ray influence;
we do not know what may have been the religion which was the outcome of the
last second ray period; but the Chaldean, the Egyptian and the Zoroastrian
religions may be taken as representing the third, the fourth, and the fifth
rays respectively. Christianity and probably Buddhism were the result of
sixth ray influence. Mohammedanism, which numbers so large a following, is
also under sixth ray influence, but it is not a great root religion, being a
hybrid offshoot of Christianity with the tinge of Judaism."
http://beaskund.helloyou.ws/netnews/bk/psychology1/psyc1050.html

These are my humble views and present day problems, which I have to face...
Feel free to comment or do your best...

from
M. Sufilight with peace...on the earth...


----- Original Message -----
From: "Zack Lansdowne" <zackl@sprynet.com>
To: <theos-talk@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2003 12:59 PM
Subject: Theos-World Books and Spiritual Development


> In various messages, M. Sufilight has made a number of good and helpful
> points, one of which is:
>
> "Now my problem is, that too many Theosophist of different kind and
> pro-Baileys claim, that their version has to be given authority. That
can't
> be the true theosophical spirit."
>
> The problem is that we identify with the books that we read and the
> organizations in which we participate, and so we may think of ourselves
and
> others as being part of opposing camps. We may think that our path, which
> may be the best path for us, is necessarily the best path for others. We
> may feel threatened if others attack our favorite books, because such an
> attack seems to be attacking us personally.
>
> Sri Aurobindo is one of my favorite writers: he caught the "theosophical
> vision" that all great religions have a common root, and his writings have
> helped me to clarify various issues. Here is a quotation from Aurobindo's
> "The Synthesis of Yoga":
>
> "For the sadhaka of the integral Yoga it is necessary to remember that no
> written Shastra, however great its authority or however large its spirit,
> can be more than a partial expression of the eternal Knowledge. He will
use,
> but never bind himself even by the greatest Scripture. Where the Scripture
> is profound, wide, catholic, it may exercise upon him an influence for the
> highest good and of incalculable importance. It may be associated in his
> experience with his awakening to crowning verities and his realisation of
> the highest experiences. His Yoga may be governed for a long time by one
> Scripture or by several successively,-if it is in the line of the great
> Hindu tradition, by the Gita, for example, the Upanishads, the Veda. Or it
> may be a good part of his development to include in its material a richly
> varied experience of the truths of many Scriptures and make the future
> opulent with all that is best in the past. But in the end he must take his
> station, or better still, if he can, always and from the beginning he must
> live in his own soul beyond the limitations of the word that he uses. The
> Gita itself thus declares that
> the Yogin in his progress must pass beyond the written Truth,-beyond all
> that he has heard and all that he has yet to
> hear. For he is not the sadhaka of a book or of many books; he is a
sadhaka
> of the Infinite."
>
>
> In this quotation, "eternal Knowledge" refers to Theosophy as HPB used
that
> term, and "sadhaka" is one who practices a spiritual discipline. To
> paraphrase Aurobindo, if we want to overcome the limitations of sects,
> creeds, and competing organizations, we need to think of ourselves as
> students of the Infinite rather than students of particular books or
> teachings.
>
> Zack Lansdowne
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>