Theos-Talk Archives (April 2005 Message tt00146)

Dear Anand:

1

I notice the curious "Subject" you choose: Why Leadbeater is considered
King of All Occultists. I wonder what you base yourself on?  

What evidence is there for that? 

Do you claim a knowledge greater than the Mahatmas or HPB ? 

2	Occultism has been defined as:

WHAT IS OCCULTISM?
 
[From The Spiritual Scientist.]


I believe Occultism to be essentially a reincarnation of ancient paganism, a
revivification of the Pythagorean philosophy; not the senseless ceremonies
and spiritless forms of those ancient religions, but the Spirit of the Truth
which animated those grand old systems which held the world spell-bound in
awe and reverence long after the spirit had departed, and nothing was left
but the dead, decaying body.

Occultism asserts the eternal individuality of the soul, the imperishable
force which is the cause and sustaining power of all organization, that
death is only the casting off of a worn-out garment in order to procure a
new and better one.

So death, so-called, can but the form deface, 
The immortal soul flies out in empty space, 
To seek her fortune in another place. 

Occultism, in its efforts to penetrate the arcana of dynamic forces and
primordial power, sees in all things a unity, an unbroken chain extending
from the lowest organic form to the highest, and concludes that this unity
is based upon a uniformly ascending scale of organic forms of being, the
Jacob’s ladder of spiritual organic experience, up which every soul must
travel before it can again sing praises before the face of its Father. 

It perceives a duality in all things, a physical and spiritual nature,
closely interwoven in each other’s embrace, interdependent upon each other,
and yet independent of each other. And as there is in spirit-life a central
individuality, the soul, so there is in the physical, the atom, each
eternal, unchangeable and self-existent. 

These centres, physical and spiritual, are surrounded by their own
respective atmospheres, the intersphering of which results in aggregation
and organization. This idea is not limited to terrestrial life, but is
extended to worlds and systems of worlds.

Physical existence is subservient to the spiritual, and all physical
improvement and progress are only the auxiliaries of spiritual progress,
without which there could be no physical progress. Physical organic progress
is effected through hereditary transmission; spiritual organic progress by
transmigration.

Occultism has divided spiritual progress into three divisions—(1) the
elementary, which corresponds with the lower organizations; (2) the astral,
which relates to the human; and (3) the celestial, which is divine. 

"Elementary spirits," whether they belong to "earth, water, air or fire,"
are spirits not yet human, but attracted to the human by certain
congenialities. As many physical diseases are due to the presence of
parasites, attracted or produced by uncleanness and other causes, so
parasitic spirits are attracted by immorality or spiritual uncleanness,
thereby inducing spiritual diseases and consequent physical ailments. They
who live on the animal plane must attract spirits of that plane, who seek
for borrowed embodiments where the most congeniality exists in the highest
form.

Thus the ancient doctrine of obsession challenges recognition, and the
exorcism of devils is as legitimate as the expelling of a tape-worm, or the
curing of the itch. It was also believed that these spiritual beings
sustained their 'spiritual' existence by certain emanations from physical
bodies, especially when newly slain; thus in sacrificial offerings the
priests received the physical part, and the Gods the spiritual, they being
content with a "sweet-smelling savor." 

It was further thought that wars were instigated by these demons, so that
they might feast on the slain. But vegetable food also held a place in
spiritual estimation, for incense and fumigations were powerful instruments
in the hands of the expert magician.

Above the elementary spheres were the seven planetary spheres, and as the
elementary spheres were the means of progress for the lower animals, so were
the planetary spheres the means of progress for spirits advanced from the
elementary--for human spirits. 

The human spirit at death went to its associative star, till ready for a new
incarnation, and its birth partook of the nature of the planet whence it
came, and whose rays illumined the ascendant—the central idea of astrology. 

When the lessons of a planetary sphere were fully mastered, the spirit rose
to the next sphere to proceed as before. The character of these spheres
corresponded to the "seven ages of man." But not always did the spirit
return to the astral spheres.

Suicides; those from whom life had been suddenly taken before fully ripe;
those whose affections were inordinately attached to earthly things, etc.,
were held to the earth till certain conditions were fulfilled, and some
whose lives had fitted them for such disposal were remanded to the
elementary spheres, to be incarnated as lower animals, corresponding to the
nature of their lives. Such were the perturbed spirits who sometimes
disturbed the peace of sensitive mortals in the days gone by—perhaps now.

Transcending the planetary spheres were the three divine spheres where the
process of apotheosis took place, where the spirit progressed till it
reached the fulness of the Godhead bodily. From these spheres were appointed
the Guardians of the inferior spheres, the Messengers of God, ministering
spirits, sent to minister to them who shall receive the inheritance of
salvation. [see S D I 200 ]

Such is a brief outline of spiritual Occult philosophy; it may seem to be
inconsistent with the ideas of modern Spiritualism, yet even Spiritualism
has not altogether lost sight of the seven spheres and other peculiarities
of the ancient astro-spiritual faith; and as knowledge is acquired and
experience gained, a better understanding of both ancient and modern
mysticism will bring them nearer together and show a consistency and mutual
agreement which has never been disturbed—only obscured—by human ignorance
and presumption.

But Occultism has a physical aspect which I cannot afford to pass by. Man is
a fourfold being.

Four things of man there are: spirit, soul, ghost, flesh; 
Four places these four keep and do possess. 
The earth covers flesh, the ghost hovers o’er the grave, 
Orcus hath the soul, the stars the spirit crave. 

When the spirit leaves the body, and is properly prepared for the stellar
spheres, these are retained in the mortal remains; and the shade, which is
no part of the spirit or the true man or woman, may still counterfeit them,
make revelations of the past, in fact reveal more of its sensual history,
and prove sensual identity better than the spirit itself could do, seeing it
knows only spiritual things. 

The sciomancy of the past bears the same relation to modern psychometry that
ancient Magic does to modern Spiritualism. Thus in haunted houses, in
graveyards and places where deeds of violence have occurred, sensitives see
the drama reacted which transpired long ago, the spirit being no accessory
thereto.

The spirit cannot even communicate unless through the interblending of
physical and spiritual auræ, and only by coming en rapport with physical
things can it know anything of them; and thus mediums are as necessary on
the other side as on this; through which mediums, Guardian Spirits, we may
gain a nearer apprehension of spiritual truths, if we live for them.

BUDDHA OF CALIFORNIA.*
 
* We cannot say positively that this is H. P. B.’s, but it is either written
by her, or under her inspiration. 
 
-----------------------------------------------------------

2

Anand, again:

Thank you for your opinion on what HPB wrote. But, excuse me, I have so far
failed to notice that you are cultured in its study.

If THEOSOPHY is indeed the modern presentation of the ancient SANATANA
DHARMA ( the ageless laws and duties ) of the Universe, then would it not
be neglectful for us to pay no attention to what she wrote?  

Have you, for instance, ever read through The KEY TO THEOSOPHY ? Or yet,
The VOICE OF THE SILENCE ?

>From what you have written so far, I see that you are unfamiliar with ISIS
UNVEILED (A study of world Science and Theology) and, and there is also

The SECRET DOCTRINE (A study of the origin of the Universe and our World,
and of the evolution of Man as a thinking spiritual entity wit definite
responsibilities in the World).

What have we to offer? I mean you and me, if our areas of study differ so
widely?

What has "authority" to do with a presentation of facts and truths in
Nature?

Do we argue over presentations of laws that have been discovered underlying
mathematics, chemistry, physics, engineering, biology, astronomy, or do we
accept and commonly use the record of research (even if that might be called
by some "authoritative?"). 

What exactly do you object to?   

Best wishes,

Dallas
 
===================================

-----Original Message-----
From: Anand Gholap 
Sent: Monday, April 04, 2005 
To: 
Subject: Why Leadbeater is considered King of All Occultists



Although I don't recommend writing of Blavatsky for various reasons, I 
am sure that Blavatsky was totally against any kind of dogma. Devotees 
of Blavatsky did not understand what she expected and created dogma.

Blavatsky held that "the very root idea of the Society is free and 
fearless investigation." She addressed the question "What is a 
theosophist?":

"one need not necessarily recognize the existence of any special God 
or a deity. One need but worship the spirit of living nature, and try 
to identify oneself with it. . . . Be what he may, once that a student 
abandons the old and trodden highway of routine, and enters upon the 
solitary path of independent thought -- Godward -- he is a 
Theosophist; an original thinker, a seeker after the eternal truth 
with 'an inspiration of his own' to solve the universal problems." -- 
The Theosophist, October 1879, p. 6

It is clear from above passage that Blavatsky was totally against 
authority, dogma etc.

Anand Gholap