Theos-Talk Archives (September 2004 Message tt00398)

Sept 13 2004



Re: Translations



Dear Friends:



I don't think it is particularly important as to who translated or adopted
the original "sutras." All translations suffer from opinions. Some enhance
and others detract from the original.



What is important is how we think about them. Are they useful to us? Do
they convey some aspect of immortal and imperishable TRUTH ? 



Do they reveal an aspect of ourselves (and of Nature) that is valuable as a
psychological tool?



Let's adopt (for a while at least) the idea that THEOSOPHY is age-old. 



It antedates our Science (hardly 350 years old !) by hundreds, thousands
and millions of years. We don't have enough historical relicts to
demonstrate this and often resort to myth and lore for such verification. (
See Campbell's writings as an instance.) 



If anyone reads and studies ISIS UNVEILED and the SECRET DOCTRINE they will
soon realize that HPB and the Masters have exposed there, for us to verify,
the ancient teachings. Some are in their original form, and they are
de-coded so to say.



[Lets regard the BHAGAVAD GITA - 5,000 + years old. The Dhammapada, and
Sutras of the Buddha - 2,500 years old, (as are also the teachings of
Pythagoras and Lao-Tse's TAO-THE-KING) They are given by HPB an historical
framework. Their similarity is exposed. Esoteric and religious teachings
are the same in their ORIGINS. Overlays are then introduced by the
priestcrafts that succeeded them. Why were the originals reviewed ? To
assure us of the continuity and accuracy of the teachings.]



What is esotericism and occultism? Only the secret laws of Nature - which
we use and do not yet discover. A key is offered to us in those writings to
do precisely that. Do we really want to know who Nature work? How we are
kept alive? 



Yet. Look at the plurality of our comments and e-mails - most are all
surface. What is deep? Who asks about the difference (or tries to trace)
this as between the Higher and the Lower Mind? Who asks about Karma and it
implacability? NO - escapism is more important ! More amusing, more
distracting. Who is wiling to call an atom or a grain of sand : "Little
Brother ?" Who is willing to think of the matter we use, and the relations
we establish, as valuable steps on our particular Path toward Perfection? Is
this misty idealism? Perhaps and perhaps not. Some ideas shatter our vanity.
Why ?



Who considers it as a useful and basic idea that they (each one of us being
an immortal MONAD) are interiorly, a potential "God " - (the ATMA) ?" And
Buddhi -- WISDOM is also innate ? If so why are we so "ignorant/" why do we
choose to ignore facts and values exposed for our consideration? Are we not
"amused" by them?



Well there is much to be grateful for. All Paths lead to Perfection at
last. But along the way, sign-posts are erected. Some like them and others
don't. The evidence is that Others older and Wiser that we are, have gone
that Way. And, They extend the hand of succor and fellowship to us. What
else are ISIS UNVEILED and the SECRET DOCTRINE for? Why The VOICE OF THE
SILENCE and The KEY TO THEOSOPHY ?



Why are our lives so short and our memories so feeble? Why is it that we
have not learned the value of maths and logic? Why does emotion so often
override Motive and Morals? 



Let's say "thought forms" are concepts. They employ Mental "Matter" -
whether that is astral or elementals, or what-not. Does not matter. Any
time we speak our listeners frame their own ideas - "thought forms?" What
is memory? "Thought forms?" 



Best wishes,



Dallas



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



-----Original Message-----
From: Joe F
Sent: Monday, September 13, 2004 12:24 AM
To: 
Subject: Re: : Reading Thought Forms



Well, as the one who somewhat errantly (in this side of the Theosophical
Universe) misused the word (most humble apologies), clarification is
necessary. True, the word "thoughtform" is a production of the Adyar side
of the stream (AB & CWL wrote a book by that name). I should have probably
used the phrase "effects of kriyasakti, unconscious, or otherwise" as a more
accurate description of the source of creation of the elemental fields
surrounding the various organizations.



I still recommend the reading of the last chapter of Richard Dawkins "The
Selfish Gene" in order to get a better of the subject from a different
viewpoint, one which is taken VERY SERIOUSLY by our present day "gods" (sic)
of science and culture.



Also, btw, where does that put retailers who deliberately arrange stores and
merchandise so as to make children nag their parents to buy stuff? Great
account of the practice by Joel Bakan in the book/movie "The Corporation".



And as a last question, aside from W.Q. Judge's translation of the "Yoga
Sutras" what other versions were produced by any of the early Theosophists?
HPB in her ES instructions (Rule #19) made the book mandatory reading. 



Joe



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