Theos-Talk Archives (January 2003 Message tt00455)

HPB once told Robert Bowen: "The True Student of The Secret Doctrine is a Jnana Yogi, and this Path of Yoga is the True Path for the Western student. It is to provide him with sign posts on that Path that the Secret Doctrine has been written." 

Aside from the alleged disciple of KH, Alice Bailey, there were at least three real disciples who knew HPB & the Brothers personally. One would profit from the study of their writings & translations. They were Bhavani Shankar, Damodar Mavalankar, & Mohini Chatterji. Chatterji was not too successful a chela, but his translation of Shankara's Vivekchudamani is good. Damodar's writings are in DAMODAR AND THE PIONEERS OF THE THEOSOPHICAL MOVEMENT. Bhavani Shankar had a jewel published titled: THE DOCTRINE OF THE BHAGAVAD GITA. Most of this book is his esoteric comments on the Jnana Yoga chapter of the Gita given in a lecture series in 1914. This is also the chapter that mentions Avataras.

Speaking of qualifications of a spiritual aspirant he says: "The third qualification he should acquire is by study and deep thinking. He should regularly study the scriptures, and by deep thinking and cogitation on the profound truths dealt with therein, he should develop the penetrative intellect which can intuit the spiritual truths which lie embedded under the apparent tangle of scriptural contradictions."

Evidently, intuition cannot develop properly without one first doing much "deep thinking and cogitation". This would make sense because, Buddha, Je Tsongkhapa, Shankara & other wise ones, recommended to their disciples thundering logic, discrimination and the debate of spiritual ideas. 

KH said of Bhavani Shankar: " Bhavani Shankar has seen me in my own physical body and he can point out the way to others..." Also KH said of him: "He is stronger and fitter in many a way more than Damodar and even our mutual `female' friend [HPB]."

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