Theos-Talk Archives (May 2004 Message tt00087)

Friday, May 07, 2004

Dear Friends:

A greeting and a hope for you and for all of us.

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May 8th 2004


Best wishes for WHITE LOTUS DAY 2004


Dallas and Valerie TenBroeck


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THE BUDDHA'S THE FIVE RULES

Kill not--for pity's sake--and lest ye slay 
The meanest thing upon its upward way.

Give freely and receive, but take from none
By greed, or force, or fraud, what is his own..

Bear not false witness, slander not, nor lie;
Truth is the speech of inward purity.

Shun drugs and drinks which work the with abuse;
Clear minds, clean bodies, need no soma juice.

Touch not thy neighbour's wife, neither commit
Sins of the flesh, unlawful and unfit.


======================================================



Please consider again:


 
H.P.B. -- A LION-HEARTED COLLEAGUE PASSES


On the shore stood Hiawatha,
Turned and waved his hand at parting;
On the clear and luminous water
Launched his birch canoe for sailing,
>From the pebbles of the margin
Shoved it forth into the water;
Whispered to it, "Westward! Westward!"
And with speed it darted forward.
And the evening sun descending
Set the clouds on fire with redness,
Burned the broad sky, like a prairie,
Left upon the level water
One long track and trail of splendor,
Down whose stream, as down a river,
Westward, Westward Hiawatha
Sailed into the fiery sunset,
Sailed into the purple vapors,
Sailed into the dusk of evening.
* * *
Thus departed Hiawatha,
Hiawatha the beloved, . . .
To the Islands of the Blessed.


That which men call death is but a change of location for the Ego, a
mere transformation, a forsaking for a time of the mortal frame, a
short period of rest before one reassumes another human frame in the
world of mortals. 

The Lord of this body is nameless; dwelling in numerous tenements of
clay, it appears to come and go; but neither death nor time can claim
it, for it is deathless, unchangeable, and pure, beyond Time itself,
and not to be measured. So our old friend and fellow-worker has merely
passed for a short time out of sight, but has not given up the work
begun so many years ago - the uplifting of humanity, the destruction
of the shackles that enslave the human mind.

I met H.P.B. in 1875 in the city of New York where she was living in
Irving Place. There she suggested the formation of the Theosophical
Society, lending to its beginning the power of her individuality and
giving to its President and those who have stood by it ever since the
knowledge of the existence of the Blessed Masters. In 1877 she wrote
Isis Unveiled in my presence, and helped in the proof reading by the
President of the Society. 

This book she declared to me then was intended to aid the cause for
the advancement of which the Theosophical Society was founded. Of this
I speak with knowledge, for I was present and at her request drew up
the contract for its publication between her and her New York
publisher. When that document was signed she said to me in the street,
"Now I must go to India."

In November, 1878, she went to India and continued the work of helping
her colleagues to spread the Society's influence there, working in
that mysterious land until she returned to London in 1887. There was
then in London but one Branch of the Society - the London Lodge - the
leaders of which thought it should work only with the upper and
cultured classes. 

The effect of H.P.B.'s coming there was that Branches began to spring
up, so that now they are in many English towns, in Scotland, and in
Ireland. There she founded her magazine LUCIFER, there worked night
and day for the Society loved by the core of her heart, there wrote
the Secret Doctrine, the Key to Theosophy, and the Voice of the
Silence, and there passed away from a body that had been worn out by
unselfish work for the good of [not only] the few of our century but
of the many in the centuries to come.

It has been said by detractors that she went to India because she
merely left a barren field here, by sudden impulse and without a
purpose. But the contrary is the fact. In the very beginning of the
Society I drew up with my own hand at her request the diplomas of some
members here and there in India who were in correspondence and were of
different faiths. Some of them were Parsees. 

She always said she would have to go to India as soon as the Society
was under way here and Isis should be finished. And when she had been
in India some time, her many letters to me expressed her intention to
return to England so as to open the movement actively and outwardly
there in order that the three great points on the world's surface -
India, England, and America - should have active centres of
Theosophical work. 

This determination was expressed to me before the attempt made by the
Psychical Research Society on her reputation, - of which also I know a
good deal to be used at a future time, as I was present in India
before and after the alleged exposé - and she returned to England to
carry out her purpose even in the face of charges that she could not
stay in India. But to disprove these she went back to Madras, and then
again rejourneyed to London.

That she always knew what would be done by the world in the way of
slander and abuse I also know, for in 1875 she told me that she was
then embarking on a work that would draw upon her unmerited slander,
implacable malice, uninterrupted misunderstanding, constant work, and
no worldly reward. Yet in the face of this her lion heart carried her
on. Nor was she unaware of the future of the Society. In 1876 she told
me in detail the course of the Society's growth for future years, of
its infancy, of its struggles, of its rise into the "luminous zone" of
the public mind; and these prophecies are being all fulfilled.

Much has been said about her "phenomena," some denying them, others
alleging trick and device. Knowing her for so many years so well, and
having seen at her hands in private the production of more and more
varied phenomena than it has been the good fortune of all others of
her friends put together to see, I know for myself that she had
control of hidden powerful laws of nature not known to our science,
and I also know that she never boasted of her powers, never advertised
their possession, never publicly advised anyone to attempt their
acquirement, but always turned the eyes of those who could understand
her to a life of altruism based on a knowledge of true philosophy. 

If the world thinks that her days were spent in deluding her followers
by pretended phenomena, it is solely because her injudicious friends,
against her expressed wish, gave out wonderful stories of "miracles"
which can not be proved to a skeptical public and which are not the
aim of the Society nor were ever more than mere incidents in the life
of H. P. Blavatsky.

Her aim was to elevate the race. Her method was to deal with the mind
of the century as she found it, by trying to lead it on step by step;
to seek out and educate a few who, appreciating the majesty of the
Secret Science and devoted to "the great orphan Humanity," could carry
on her work with zeal and wisdom; to found a Society whose efforts -
however small itself might be - would inject into the thought of the
day the ideas, the doctrines, the nomenclature of the Wisdom Religion,
so that when the next century shall have seen its 75th year the new
messenger coming again into the world would find the Society still at
work, the ideas sown broadcast, the nomenclature ready to give
expression and body to the immutable truth, and thus to make easy the
task which for her since 1875 was so difficult and so encompassed with
obstacles in the very paucity of the language, - obstacles harder than
all else to work against.

WILLIAM Q. JUDGE

Path, June, 1891
 
[Note: 1975 may not have identified to the general public the "return
of H P B as an individual," (although she may have done so, and have
been "recognized" by those who had developed the power to discern her
presence, before and after that date). But the power of Theosophy as
she gave it to us, from the MASTERS OF WISDOM, has turned up
significantly in the wide influence of THEOSOPHICAL WRITINGS, and in
the continued efforts of various Theosophical "bodies" and
"individuals" around the world. -- DTB]
=====================================================


ANTIQUITY OF THEOSOPHY


All ancient sources such as the Vedas and Upanishads, and many others.
HPB gives them their due as records of ancient THEOSOPHY .

The ancient discourses, such as held by Krishna with Arjuna (BHAGAVAD
GITA) , by the Buddha with his Sangha, and by Shankaracharya, Lao-Tse,
Pythagoras, Socrates, and a host of others are all valid sources,
providing we can get back to unedited ORIGINAL sources and MSS. 

One problem is translators, and the changes they may introduce. Then,
there are sectarians claiming "authority," and try to build an
orthodoxy.  

For all that seems to be light and frivolous, the only real help is to
clarify our grasp by asking deep questions and attending to basic
ideas.

A list of the basic ideas to consult might include: 

---------------------------------


GROUP PARTICIPATION AND EXCHANGE.



A correspondence / chat group is informal and questions and answers,
or contributions on Theosophy and its study are always welcome.
Everyone gets to read and think about it. Some answer. Some offer
questions and criticism or objections.

The format of a letter, such as one might send to a friend, is a good
one.  


Consider the purpose of THE THEOSOPHICAL MOVEMENT 


The "chat-group" as an extension of a discussion in the "association"
(the 'Sangha') is a part of it.

It was instituted in the hope that the living record of ideas
supported and offered by Theosophical teachings might be made more
available. And it is a program of lively and practical Theosophical
information exchange. It was recognized that there would probably be
more readers that answerers. A few might feel moved to do much of the
work, and in response others would be drawn in. But all benefit.

In the course of time the chat-group may discuss subjects as :
Theosophy--what it is, where it comes from, what it teaches on the
great subjects of birth and death, ethics and morality, Karma and
Reincarnation, good and evil, and the mysteries of Deity.



TEACHINGS OF THEOSOPHY -- WHAT ARE THEY?

It bases itself on the original teachings of Theosophy and serves
individual students as a basis for communication in regard to those
teachings. It is not particularly interested in the doings of those
who call themselves "Theosophists," but tries to focus on the
philosophy: Is it true? Is it useful? Can it be understood? Does
it assist in daily life? Does it extend the
work of Science? Does it promote Brotherhood ? 

Although study and understanding of Theosophy are regarded by many of
its advocates and supporters as a lifetime undertaking, a general view
of this philosophy is basically necessary.


WHAT MAKES US "HUMAN?"


One basic is that there is in every human being the latent capacity
for self-knowledge, for self-reliant decision on all questions, and
for progress in understanding through the study and application of
philosophy and logic in daily life.

While people may learn from one another and -- better and more rapidly
in cooperative association -- is that each individual is ultimately
responsible for his own growth, and is himself the only final
authority concerning what he will adopt as knowledge and truth.

The best association is one which provides a maximum of individual
freedom and at the same time full opportunity for
contact and collaboration with others.

The ground of unity among students of Theosophy is agreement on the
Objects of the Theosophical Movement and on the proposition that the
teachings of Theosophy are the best available guides to an
understanding of those Objects and to the planning of work in their
behalf.


THE 3 OBJECTS OF THE THEOSOPHICAL MOVEMENT

I. To form the nucleus of a Universal Brotherhood of Humanity, without
distinction of race, creed, sex, caste, or color;

II. The study of ancient and modern religions, philosophies and
sciences, and the demonstration of the importance of such study; and

III. The investigation of the unexplained laws of Nature and the
psychical powers latent in man.


INTELLIGENCE - MIND -- SOUL

Theosophy teaches that human intelligence is common to all, and
essentially it is an expression of the soul-reality in every man; that
this soul is an individual, evolutionary pilgrim engaged in a long
series of embodiments (incarnations) through which it grows in
knowledge and ethical awareness, moving toward the climactic
development of perfection as a human being-perfection in terms of the
possibilities of this period of evolution. Of this "perfection" we
have all the Great Teachers of Mankind who have left their record down
the ages. They are all similar. 

It teaches that this cycle of growth proceeds under the government of
natural law-a law which applies as much to the
moral as to the physical life. If this is studied in its manifold
phases and subtle effects, can be understood and relied
upon by human beings. (In the East, and increasingly in the West, this
principle of order is known as the Law of Karma.)


REALITY

Theosophy proposes further that all human souls-as well as the
soul-aspect of everything in nature-is rooted in an ultimate
principle of Reality which is the source of all. 


GOD - DEITY - THE UNIVERSE

This is the old idea of an unknown and hidden Deity-abstract to
intellect, wholly hidden from sense, yet an absolute presence within
all life and every aspect of being and nature. It is the changeless
and essential unity intuited as the Nameless One, the Primary Reality
which supports the Universe. It is the center and undefined Subject
behind all intelligence, yet not limited or confined by any form. 

This principle, Theosophy holds, is the source and justification of
all ethical conceptions, and the deeply felt
premise of all ideals of brotherhood.


WHERE IS THERE GROWTH?

In consideration of the fact that the mind, in its highest sense, is
the place of realization and growth, individual students come to
regard these general principles as meaning that human life is a
continuous process of learning, and that this learning involves
unceasing revision of the terms of individual understanding, which
process, as men gain awareness of its operations, becomes the best
evidence we have of the reality of the Higher Self in every man and
woman.

The evolutionary work pursued by the ego through incarnation after
incarnation is held to be the consequence of what the
individual eventually realizes directly of his own destiny as a
spiritual being. This view of soul-growth or development
manifests in primary attention to "self-induced and self-devised
efforts," as distinguished from formalized programs of education and
fixed methods for progress.

The absence of organizational procedures and apparatus is in
recognition of the idea that these mechanisms are not necessary to the
study of philosophy, which ideally, is not concerned with
externalities, but with study and growth in philosophical
understanding.


FOUNDERS and TEACHERS

Our first attention ought to be to the source of Theosophy and its
Teachers: the "Great Founders of the Theosophical Movement." These are
the "Masters of Wisdom." [ see SECRET DOCTRINE Vol. I pp. 272-3]

Many of the difficulties in connection with "authority" in Theosophy
have arisen from the statement by H. P. Blavatsky that she was the
pupil and emissary of a fraternity of Wise Men, known variously as the
Brothers, Great Teachers, and sometimes as Masters of Wisdom or
Mahatmas.


THEOSOPHICAL LITERATURE

The first and major Theosophical books came from the pen of Madame
Blavatsky-including Isis Unveiled (1877), The Secret Doctrine (1888),
and The Key to Theosophy (1889). Judge wrote mostly explanatory
articles and amplifications of the contents of the basic works of
H.P.B.  

While the logic of evolution, as taught in Theosophy, could lead to no
other conclusion than that such beings must exist, a
civilization in which the religious instinct had been dulled and
confused by claims of miracle and divine revelation by a single
divine, but historical, Personage could not find it easy to deal
intelligently with the idea of perfected beings as the flower of
universal human evolution.

Too often, in Theosophical affairs, common sense and rationality were
abandoned for mysterious claims and pretensions to high spiritual
status. It was forgotten that H. P. Blavatsky, from whom all that was
known of such beings initially came, had insisted that the only
authority in her books was their inherent reasonableness, however
extraordinary the conclusions to which they might lead.

Not belief, but open-minded investigation, was what she sought, and it
is in keeping with this invitation that such Theosophical
"chat-groups" have been founded and maintained.

The real foundation of the "successor craze" is the itch for more
instructions; this begets the hunt after anyone who will promise fresh
"revelations." The sound basis for understanding THEOSOPHY - is
STUDY of the originals.



THEOSOPHICAL "CHAT- GROUPS"

The basis for the conduct of a "chat-group" may be stated as: 

We will do what we can and all that we know how to do, enduring the
present while attempting that which will work for greater good in the
future.

H.P.B. once wrote: "If anyone holds to Buddha's philosophy, let him
say and do as Buddha said and did; if a man calls himself a Christian,
let him follow the commandments of Christ-not the interpretation of
his many dissenting priests and sects."

The moral is -- if anyone desires to be a Theosophist, let him study
Theosophy as it was given by those who enunciated it. For one to apply
theosophical ethics and morals, or, to accept as true what any teacher
chooses to tell him, without any
means given him by which to verify the statements made, or without
verifying for himself the facts alleged -- is simply to
believe on blind faith, as do so many others. It is intellectual
suicide.

Our own task is to avoid all semblance of authority of any kind, while
being at the same time sure of our ground and not afraid to say so. 

"We have undertaken this task-not because we think ourselves so
eminently fit, but because we see the need and there is no one else to
do it; and we also know that we will not be left alone in the doing.
So, what we have to give are the salient points, clear and definite,
as well as concise in statement, so that thought shall be directed to
them; to make the points so striking that they cannot be passed over,
even by the careless reader; and that they shall stand as facts, and
facts only, before the mind, verifiable by anyone who cares enough to
do so."

A "Theosophical Chat-group" is, without pretensions, a kind of a
self-teaching School of Theosophy--an informal and wholly voluntary
association of students allied on common ground, and is not concerned
with particular theosophical organizations.



THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDY

Successful work in and for Theosophy must engage both mind and heart.
The high ethical objectives of the Movement need the support of mental
growth and understanding. This was made clear from the beginning by
H.P.B.

The noble ends of altruism and brotherhood need deep insight into the
laws of human development and a grasp of where the major obstacles to
these ideals lie.

"It is not high learning that is needed, but solely devotion to
humanity, faith in Masters, in the Higher Self, a comprehension
of the fundamental truths of Theosophy and a little, only a little,
sincere attempt to present those fundamental truths to a
people who are in desperate need of them." -- W Q J


METHODS - "Study Classes"

The real teachers are the Theosophical books or study materials.

There are no hard and fast methods to be followed in the conduct of
"chat-groups." 

There may be what is conventionally called "leadership" in the sense
of enthusiasm and devotion, but no leaders in the sense of
"authorities," since decisions arise from conference agreement and
consensus.

All kinds of issues may be seen to be involved, such as the matter of
"authority" in Theosophy, the meaning of "loyalty," the
many grounds for "commitment," and the implied assumptions granted in
the decision to take part in the programs. 
The preservation of balanced proportions and the use of common sense
are all that is desirable.

The FUNDAMENTAL PROPOSITIONS OF THE SECRET DOCTRINE are to be always
kept in mind. These fundamentals are found in the first volume of The
Secret Doctrine (pp. 13-219).

Only philosophical understanding and independence can bring
emancipation from authority. Only common appreciation of the
importance of first principles can lead to an untrammeled,
non-sectarian fraternity of minds and hearts. 

In The Secret Doctrine (Vol. 1, p. 13), Madame Blavatsky prefaces the
statement of the Fundamentals by remarking that it is:

"absolutely necessary that we should be made acquainted with the few
fundamental conceptions which underlie and pervade the entire system
of thought to which his attention is invited, and on their clear
apprehension depends the understanding of all that follows; therefore
no apology is made for asking the reader to become familiar with them
before entering on the study of The SECRET DOCTRINE.

Then, at the conclusion of this section, she adds:

"Such are the basic conceptions on which the Secret Doctrine rests. It
would not be in place here to enter upon any defense or proof of their
inherent reasonableness; nor can I pause to show how they are, in
fact, contained-though too often under a misleading guise-in every
system of thought or philosophy worthy of the name. Once that the
reader has gained a clear comprehension of them and realized the light
they throw on every problem of life, they will need no further
justification in his eyes, because their truth will be to him as
evident as the sun in heaven."



THE CHAT-GROUP AS A STUDY CLASS


The "Chat-Group" study class is one of the laboratories in which
participants and students work to develop their own unsupervised, and
independent convictions concerning these all-important questions. The
common fruit of this work, be it noted, is that students find
themselves made free in mind and cosmopolitan in outlook. They come to
regard this sort of "fundamentalism" as immune to the shallow
criticisms which their devotion occasionally attracts from those who
have
never pursued a determined study of Theosophy.

The end of all such work is to help students to develop in themselves
the habit of thinking spontaneously in terms of these basic
conceptions-not as a matter of skillful manipulation of words read in
a book, but as his own progressive discovery of the very roots of all
knowledge. Frivolous side lines, and questions, need not be
encouraged.

Answers given should be drawn from the text or from some portion of
the Theosophical literature, either directly or as an
inference. No answer, of course, need be regarded as authoritative or
"final." The object of the "chat-group" is to
develop and sustain serious inquiry, not to reach settled conclusions,
or elicit final utterances of any sort.



IN GENERAL

It will be seen that the general object of all these educational
activities, and the individual study, is to bring about more
enduring, philosophical conceptions of the brotherhood of man and to
encourage attempt at achieving one's potentials.
In that, importance lies in the study and assimilation of Theosophy
which enables the individual to see and to understand all things in
himself, first, and then for himself and others.

Unity among Theosophists lies in the self-reliant and growing capacity
to understand, and in recognition that it is Theosophy which brings
this individual growth into being. The bond among Theosophists is thus
free for all, and, is a philosophical, not an organizational bond.
Theosophy, in practice, leads to understanding of already existing,
innate, inner freedom, and therefore to independent moral strength.

Altruism and the ideal of a universal brotherhood are expressions of
the deep-lying motives for the work, giving it a quality which helps
individuals to surmount personal differences and to develop an
impartial and open mind.

Problems have to be met on the basis of principle, and out of regard
for the reason that students have associated together to do
Theosophical work. In the final analysis, no problem can be referred
to "authority" in Theosophy. Such an "authority" may appear to exist,
but it has to be recognized as a matter of individual, inward and
independent perception. Unity in Theosophy, therefore, depends upon a
commonalty of IDEAL perception, and upon nothing else.

The work of the Theosophical Movement stands or falls with this
principle. One great end of the Movement is the progressive
demonstration of the reality of the Soul (the immortal Spirit/Mind)
and the power of undying soul-knowledge. 
This means the progressive exhibition of harmony among individuals,
arising naturally out of their own growing freedom of mind and their
will to understand and trust both the philosophy and one another.

Theosophy proves itself to all serious inquirers, and the methods of
self-reliance, independent study, and friendly cooperation work to
create an effective alliance of workers for brother hood and human
understanding. 

Ideally, Theosophists do not attempt to "convert" people to Theosophy.
Theosophical work is carried on under the assumption have the same
ideal, basic potentials, and, that all humans, being souls in
evolution, are capable of making decisions for themselves, and that,
sooner or later, they will come to search for the great truths of
Nature. 


WHAT OF THE FUTURE ?

To bring to a close this consideration, we can do no better than to
quote from H. P. Blavatsky, the chief Founder of the
Theosophical Movement:

"The future of the Theosophical Movement will depend almost entirely
upon the degree of selflessness, earnestness, devotion, and last, but
not least, on the amount of knowledge and wisdom possessed by those
members, on whom it will fall to carry on the work. I do not refer to
technical knowledge of the esoteric doctrine, though that is most
important; I speak rather of the great need of unbiased and clear
judgment. Every such attempt has hitherto ended in failure, because,
sooner or later, it has degenerated into a sect, set up hard-and-fast
dogmas of its own, and so lost by imperceptible degrees that vitality
which living truth alone can impart. But if this danger be averted,
then the Society will live on, into, and through the twentieth
century.

It will gradually leaven and permeate the great mass of thinking and
intelligent people with its large-minded and noble ideas of Religion,
Duty, and Philanthropy.

Slowly but surely it will burst asunder the iron fetters of creeds and
dogmas, of social and caste prejudices; it will break
down racial and national antipathies and barriers, and will open the
way to the practical realization of the Brotherhood of all men.

Through its teaching, through the philosophy which it has rendered
accessible and intelligible to the modern mind, the West
will learn to understand and appreciate the East at its true value.

Further, the development of the psychic powers and faculties, the
premonitory symptoms of which are already visible in America, will
proceed healthily and normally. Mankind will be saved from the
terrible dangers, both mental and bodily, which are inevitable when
that unfolding takes place, as it threatens to do, in a hot-bed of
selfishness and all evil passions.

Man's mental and psychic growth will proceed in harmony with his moral
improvement, while his material surroundings will reflect the peace
and fraternal good-will which will reign in his mind, instead of the
discord and strife which is everywhere apparent around us today.

If the present effort succeeds better than its predecessors have done,
then it will be in existence as an organized, living and
healthy body when the time comes for the effort of the 20th century.

The general condition of men's minds and hearts will have been
improved and purified by the spread of its teachings, and, as I have
said, their prejudices and dogmatic illusions will have been, to some
extent at least, removed.

Not only so, but besides a large and accessible literature ready to
men's hands, the next impulse will find a numerous and united body of
people ready to welcome the new torchbearer of Truth. He will find the
minds of men prepared for his message, a language ready for him in
which to clothe the new truths he brings, an organization awaiting his
arrival, which will remove the merely mechanical, material obstacles
and difficulties from his path. Think how much one, to whom such an
opportunity is given, could accomplish. Measure it by comparison with
what Theosophy actually has achieved without any of these advantages
and surrounded by hosts of hindrances which would not hamper the new
leader. Consider all this, and then tell me whether I am too sanguine
when I say that if the Theosophical Society survives and lives true to
its mission, to its original impulses through the next hundred
years-tell me, I say, if I go too far in asserting that earth will be
a heaven in the twenty-first century in comparison with what it is
now!"
	
H P Blavatsky


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