Theos-Talk Archives (August 2003 Message tt00072)

re prayer/communion

A while back Dallas and I had go at the word "prayer" as it 
might be seen to relate to Theosophics: If I remember 
correctly, Dallas went on to supply quotes and comments that 
seemed, to me, to represent somewhat fundamental views (as if 
they might've been rather exclusively 
literal/traditional/orthodox views) on the subject, while I was 
trying to approach the topic of "prayer" from as many 
perspectives (per way of "possibly relevent applications") as I 
could think of, at the time. 

Then a few days ago the word/concept "communion" occurred 
to me, and I've been wondering ever since if there might be 
people out there for whom that word might translate in some 
possibly applicatory sense: 

For example, one might ask: is it "blacking magic" (whatever 
that might be in whatever "more-specific terms") to "commune 
with one's higher self"? That is, can the 
notion/definition/action of "prayer" be converted/translated, in 
practice, into what might be described, in whatever 
individualistic sense, as a form of "white communing" (as 
opposed to "blackish prayer"?), when one's motives are taken 
into account re whatever might be defined as one's 
"applicatory/relevant, individualistic context"?

I'm speculating here that there may be, for all I know, forms of 
communion that may be seen, by some, in whatever 
interpretive/apparent sense, as "blackish prayers," as well as 
forms of communion that may be seen, by some, in whatever 
"whitish sense," so ...

In any case, I suspect that whether we "commune," "pray," 
"theorize,"" Theosophize," "Scientize," or whatever, chances 
are that our various individual, interpretive senses/contexts of 
such activities/thoughts are more relevant (at least to 
ourselves) than how others perceive such activities. Not that 
Besant/Leadbeater might not have offered just such 
introductory fare in promoting their version of the "Liberatl 
Catholic Church," Neo-Theosophics, or whatever they 
might've been promoting/representing more specifically.

While the word "communion," by itself, might not be seen to say 
much, on the whole, in general, but seems to me that such a word
might be seen, in general, or by some people, to elicit a somewhat
wider spectrum of "possibly relevant" thoughts and motives, than might
the word 
"prayer"... But ...

In other words, guys, watch out, eh, since there don't seem to 
be any short cuts or any particularly easy answers, for the most 
part (apparently?) on this plane.

Speculatively,
Mauri