Theos-Talk Archives (April 2005 Message tt01931)

April 30 2005

Re A Question for White Lotus Day

Q: "Is there any book that contains Theosophy in its fullness?

Dear Friends: 

It would seem that one of these is the Book of Khin-Te, according to the
MAHATMA LETTERS [ pp. 285, 321, 404 ], also the Master wrote: 

"Any writer has the privilege of taking out whole sentences from the
dictionary of PAI--WOUEN--YEN--FU the greatest in the world, full of
quotations from every known writer, and containing all the phrases ever used
-- and to frame them to express his thought. " M L (Barker), p. 364


Let us consider HPB and her work [Books, articles and letters] . She was
emphatically not a "shell." She was an Adept and worked as such. 

There are apparently times when an Adept can allow a Brother Adept to use
as their "vehicle" the body that one has to use in any one incarnation. But
the Adept, "owner of the body" does NOT lose consciousness -- only "stands
aside" for a while as HPB describes it clearly in her case.  

It is unimportant how any one of us may interpret things, as inevitable we
all study differently. That is always true among students. But trying to
make statements fit one's prejudgments is not part of the learning process.
as I see it. No one can afford to study Theosophy selectively and according
to ones predetermined aims, interests or prejudices. Or that study will
prove only a mirror of the personal bias one has imposed. All that has been
excluded will be seen by others, who will conclude that the views and
statements made by that individual are limited by his selected and personal
"filter."

What is important is THEOSOPHY as a body of knowledge that we can test
independently. Who or how it was recorded does not matter in the least. It
is a record of IDEAS and a STATEMENT OF HISTORICAL FACTS.  

How else can the "golden grain" be sifted from the "chaff" of useless
errors?

It is totally unimportant as to "who" did what in providing the teachings of
Theosophy.

They are provided for us to study, check and verify on our own. Obviously
while we may appreciate the statements that HPB or the Masters made, who
they were, and how they made them available has no bearing on the accuracy
or the value of the information.

Olcott and others, who were contemporaries of HPB, and watched her at work,
made a record of what they were interested in and saw. That was the
superficial, the physical objective side of the work. How many were equally
aware of the value of the information being released after long centuries of
silence? 

But they apparently were not able in all cases to go BELOW the events and
ask themselves why things were done as they were. They got "stuck" on the
wonder and the phenomenal side. They did not seem to value the profundity
of the philosophy and the accuracy of the history and science being
restored..

I would say we have an advantage. That is because we can survey and study
the whole of the philosophy as it was written. We are not bound by the
wonder of the methods used (we were not there). Hence we only have the
record of how others saw them being provided. And from that, how they drew
their conclusions -- correct or incorrect.  

If we use that (purely superficial view) as our "peg" of interest, we can
get hung up on that. The question is how do we move on, how do we
universalize our outlook?  

Others do not have our particular interest, and, hence we ought to ask:
What is it that they may see that we are missing? If we go at study that
way, we can widen our view, and add theirs as a partial approach to
consider. We also have to make sure that their view is reasonable and
impersonal.

Neither you nor I, nor anyone, is able to review independently (unless we
are Adepts and can read the Akasic record) the early days and methods of
communicating, nor is it at all important as to who or why HPB (or the
Masters) did all she (or They) did. She did it. They did it. It is for
our benefit if we wish to profit from it. But it (Theosophy) was written
for the world at large.    

In this you will see that we build our own "barriers." We seem to find a
"roost," and on those we may be establishing the "perches" of our interest.
They are only stages or steps, and as such: Those if alone chosen, may
obscure the whole picture. We have to consider how to get around them. Let
us remember that theosophical truths are facts in Nature and
can be verified independently by all who are interested. Hence only those
things that are universal, impartial, eternal, reasonable, intuitional will
be found to the "true at all times, to all people, and in all places or
areas."

We are the ones who can profit (from the recorded Message of Theosophy) if
we will, and, use what was taught. BUT WE HAVE TO PROVE TO OURSELVES THAT
IT IS VALUABLE.  

No one can advance their view or stand as an "authority" for anyone. To
seek for the "who" is unimportant and is only curiosity. If any one of us
thinks that they know everything or can stand in judgment over HPB and
Masters, then they are making a most serious blunder. The work of an Adept
can only be checked and verified by another Adept who has a thorough
understanding of the fundamentals that Theosophy offers. If we do not have
those, then we are not serious. We have merely discovered a new toy to
amuse us for a while.

Can I assume that some really wish to probe deeper ?

May I offer as a concept: As a fundamental idea we are told that the
CONSCIOUSNESS that we employ is unitary (for us, as we have each our own).
It derives directly from the ATMA the Higher Self, our 7th Principle, which
is One with all -- the Universal ATMAN. It animates with the pure light of
truth successively Buddhi (wisdom) and Manas (the thinking principle). This
is generally called the immortal and impersonal "Individuality."

Manas offers a link of intelligence (of the powers of the Higher Mind) to
that Monadic intelligence that has progressed through the lower kingdoms
until it has developed a "vehicle of matter" -- which is sensitive enough to
receive and mirror an aspect of BUDDHI-MANAS the Higher Mind. It is
therefore threefold in its qualities: (1) Pure logic, (2) divine
(Buddhi-Manas - wisdom), and, (3) earthly or (Kama-Manas) - the Lower
reasoning brain-mind which we use daily.

This 3rd "vehicle" is usually called the transitory, and selfish
"Personality." It is that aggregation of skandhas (living monads
themselves) which are drawn by Karma round the developing Monadic
consciousness that is "ourselves" and which we are able to call here and now
our Lower Manasic self. It is the brain-consciousness and in each
incarnation it is limited. But, although limited, it has the potentiality
of enormous growth when carefully guided - also, of contacting and linking
itself to the Highest source of its own consciousness -- its HIGHER SELF.

This mirror is, in each of us, that which has been called the Lower Mind or
Kama-Manas. But, note that along with that is also the ONE CONSCIOUSNESS
which pierces up and down through the 7 planes of being and serves to uphold
the memory of the experiences on each of those planes." ( Gita Notes: pp.
98-100) The level of Kama-Manas is one such level. (see SD I 157-8, 181)

Therefore that which survives death is the immortal aspect of ourselves.
That grows constantly while the many changing personalities come and go,
fade or leave a favorable impress on the eternal EGO.

However, let me observe that the Masters, apparently as a group, work
together as a true brotherhood. HPB is one of their number (they say this
in various places, even calling her "our brother," and "He."

But that which has always struck me as important was not how and who may
have been responsible for sections of the great work, but, rather, the
nature of the moral worth of the information offered. Its impact on our
civilization during the past 100 years, is now plain to see. 

Everything in Theosophy leads us to the concept of a practical brotherhood
-- not only of mankind, but of everything (without any exceptions) in the
whole of NATURE (we are all interactive -- 'intelligent force-fields'
that embody a moral position. The greater care for the "disadvantaged" is
one of the signs we could note.

This could be expressed by the idea that ours is becoming increasingly a
"moral world and more universal in concepts."  

The Laws of Karma represent this fact. They are illustrative of the intense
and ever-present power of MOTIVE. The reason why man chooses his direction
of living, impacts Nature in all its departments, but primarily in our own
"Skandhas;" and, as a result, those become the "carriers" of our personal
karma and return to us, eventually, under cyclic law to provide us with the
direct experience of what we may have imposed on others either lawfully or
unlawfully. We call the resulting circumstances "good" or "bad" karma.

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

HPB writes in the Oct. 1889 issue of Lucifer and following that, are a
number of other quotations from ISIS, the SD and the Mahatma Letters for
students to read and study. The same recurring theme is to be found in all
these quotes spanning from 1877 thru 1889. Seems very consistent and
reasonable to me.

First HPB in 1889:


"... what I do believe in is:

(1), the unbroken oral teachings revealed by living *divine* men during the
infancy of mankind to the elect among men;

(2), that it has reached us *un-altered*; and

(3) that the MASTERS are thoroughly versed in the science based on such
uninterrupted teaching." 
(BCW, Vol. 11, pp. 466-467)


Further quotes for comparison:

"The Secret Doctrine will show what were the ideas of all antiquity with
regard to the primeval instructors of primitive man and his three earlier
races. The genesis of that WISDOM-RELIGION, in which all theosophists
believe, dates from that period. So-called "Occultism," or rather Esoteric
Science, has to be traced in its origin to those Beings who, led by Karma,
have incarnated in our humanity, and thus struck the key-note of that secret
Science which countless generations of subsequent adepts have expanded since
then in every age, while they checked its doctrines by personal observation
and experience. The bulk of this knowledge - which no man is able to
possess in its fullness - constitutes that which we now call Theosophy or
"divine knowledge." Blavatsky: COLLECTED WORKS, Vol., X, p. 166


"Fear not; although we do "cling superstitiously to the relics of the Past"
our knowledge will not pass away from the sight of man. It is the "gift of
the gods" and the most precious relic of all. The keepers of the sacred
Light did not safely cross so many ages but to find themselves wrecked on
the rocks of modern scepticism." KH in Mahatma Letters


Notice here that KH writes that "our knowledge" is the GIFT OF THE GODS.
What "gods" is he referring to? Notice that KH writes that the keepers
crossed "many ages".

"If, for generations we have "shut out the world from the Knowledge of our
Knowledge," it is on account of its absolute unfitness; and if,
notwithstanding proofs given, it still refuses yielding to evidence, then
will we at the End of this cycle retire into solitude and our kingdom of
silence once more. . . . For countless generations hath the adept builded a
fane of imperishable rocks, a giant's Tower of INFINITE THOUGHT. . . ."
KH in Mahatma Letters


"So far as we know the corroboration of it by modern science receiving but
little consideration -- so far as the highest Planetary Spirits have
ascertained (who remember well have the same relations with the
trans-cosmical world, penetrating behind the primitive veil of cosmic matter
as we have to go behind the veil of this, our gross physical world --) the
infinite mind displays to them as to us no more than the regular unconscious
throbbings of the eternal and universal pulse of Nature, throughout the
myriads of worlds within as without the primitive veil of our solar system.

"So far -- WE KNOW. Within and to the utmost limit, to the very edge of the
cosmic veil we know the fact to be correct -- owing to personal experience;
for the information gathered as to what takes place beyond -- we are
indebted to the Planetary Spirits, to our blessed Lord Buddha."	KH in
Mahatma Letters


We are indebted to the "Planetary Spirits," KH writes. What are other terms
for these beings? And what are the implications of KH's statement to this
effect?


"And to show you how exact a science is occultism let me tell you that the
means we avail ourselves of are all laid down for us in a code as old as
humanity to the minutest detail, but everyone of us has to begin from the
beginning, not from the end. Our laws are as immutable as those of Nature,
and they were known to man an eternity before this strutting game cock,
modern science, was hatched. If I have not given you the modus operandi or
begun by the wrong end, I have at least shown you that we build OUR
PHILOSOPHY upon experiment and deduction -- unless you choose to question
and dispute this fact equally with all others." [Caps added ]
KH in Mahatma Letters


"...from the first ages of man, the fundamental truths of all that we are
permitted to know on earth was in the safe keeping of the adepts of the
sanctuary; that the difference in creeds and religious practice was only
external; and that those guardians of the primitive divine revelation, who
had solved every problem that is within the grasp of human intellect, were
bound together by a universal freemasonry of science and philosophy, which
formed one unbroken chain around
the globe."	ISIS UNVEILED, Vol. 1, Pages 37-8.


"The Secret Doctrine is the accumulated Wisdom of the Ages, and its
cosmogony alone is the most stupendous and elaborate system. . . . It is
useless to say that the system in question is no fancy of one or several
isolated. That it is the uninterrupted record covering thousands of
generations of Seers whose respective experiences were made to test and to
verify the traditions passed orally by one early race to another, of the
teachings of higher and exalted beings, who watched over the childhood of
Humanity. That for long ages, the "Wise Men" of the Fifth Race, of the
stock saved and rescued from the last cataclysm and shifting of continents,
had passed their lives in learning, not teaching. How did they do so? It is
answered: by checking, testing, and verifying in every department of nature
the traditions of old by the independent visions of great adepts; i.e., men
who have developed and perfected their physical, mental, psychic, and
spiritual organisations to the utmost possible degree. No vision of one
adept was accepted till it was checked and confirmed by the visions -- so
obtained as to stand as independent evidence -- of other adepts, and by
centuries of experiences."	The Secret Doctrine, Volume I, pages
272-273


Who are the "higher and exalted beings, who watched over the childhood of
Humanity"?

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

MANAS AND THE MONAD


Considering that the "Reincarnating Soul" in each of us is the "Higher
Manas"
And, along with the Buddhi and ATMA, the three form in incarnation
during periods of manifestation the triple MONAD. -- An immortal entity.

There is a connection between the Higher Manas and the Lower
Manas -- a slender thread of consciousness -- we recognize its
presence as intuition or the Voice of Conscience. If we recall
that the Buddhi is as an active aspect of the ONE the "recorder"
(in the Akasa) of all events, then we can see why it is also
called the highest discrimination -- as it constantly draws on
the experience of our (its) post. It is in us the witness to
KARMA. It sees ours as a potential, and when we propose (as
free-willed choosers) to make a choice that will cause a
repetition of error and subsequent painful and corrective
karma -- it sends a warning. If we listen to it, good.

Why say all this? It is because we are immersed when in our
waking consciousness in the petty and selfish affairs of
Kama-Manas -- or the Lower mind which is almost overwhelmed with
the demands of our feelings, hopes and personal responsibilities.
So much so that we give very little time to idealism or even
figuring out what would be the optimum choice to make when we
decide.

A person like Mahatma Gandhi is called by all a "Great Soul," is
for the reason that he listened consistently to his HIGHER SELF
to the Buddhi-Manas that is in all of us illumined by ATMA, and
carried out its behests without flinching. But we wince often,
when we are presented with a moral choice that appears to be
painful or troublesome to our selfishness. We rarely listen to
it, or make use of its ideals.

And so, we either set up, or maintain the old barrier of
indifference, if not of dislike, between our "waking
consciousness" and our Noble Self, which sees that aspirations
(if translated into actions) are that nobility which we honor in
others -- such as Gandhiji. We can only make ourselves noble by
being noble (and doing it quietly and without advertising).

If Brotherhood is a fact -- because of the Spiritual one SOURCE
of all manifested "things" -- this causes a certain universality
of all things and underlies their immortality, then every living
thing (whether it is an atom, a plant, animal, human, a world or
a galaxy) is a brother to us, then we ought not to act selfishly
ever. If we harm others we distort the sensitivity of the MORAL
UNIVERSE that interpenetrates the Physical Universe at all
points. It is those distortions, that we set up and carry into
being as acts, which are preceded by feelings and thoughts that
set up Karma. The feeling and thoughts we have are the huge
motors that cause Karma -- they are moral force-fields and they
do not "die out."

Every change of whatever kind (as an act) starts with a "desire."
It then moves into the "planning stage." There, the MIND and
thinking take over. If the motive we employ is selfish, we do
harm and eventually we suffer, inescapably. We all know that in
our inner consciousness. It is the fear of retribution that
sends the parishioners to the priest in the hope that he may be
able to interceded with God (karma) and get our sentence reduced.
But the great Law of nature says: THERE IS NO PARDON, NO
EXCUSING. The only mitigation lies in setting the wrong right
with the people we have harmed. They are the victims. We have
to make our peace with them and try to heal their hurt. The
greatest harm in the world is done by our attempting to keep our
hurt-doing secret. And the priests, the sacerdotes of all
faiths, are the ones who foolishly try to convince people that
with a little sacrifice of money and a few prayers the Universal
Justice of GOD may be appeased.  

BUT WHO TENDS TO THE VICTIMS?

And how do the priests expiate their lies? The whole distortion
is based on the theory that we live only a single life -- and if
so there is indeed no JUSTICE in nature. But that is not true
taking the long range and interdependence into account. I see
that HPB and Judge have tried to make this quite clear in the KEY
and the OCEAN and in several of their Articles. It is for us to
seize the logic, and test that with our minds to see if it is
reasonable -- and then we can choose to make it our own guide and
support -- then we can all be "great Souls" together -- and so we
will eventually, but, why take so long and so painful a time?

When we act selfishly, we destroy the harmony and structure of
living entities (those forms of energy which are the
"life-atoms") we call them elementals. In turn they go out to
others in the World and eventually cycle back to us, bringing to
us the exact impression we laid on them -- a cumulation of those,
gives us painful circumstances and suffering. It is Nature's
infinite tender mercy to attempt to show us how we only hurt
ourselves and needlessly make ourselves the agents of Karma in
inflicting suffering on others.  
[See also SD II 304 - 306 I 641 - 645.]


A great Soul has learned not to do this inflicting of pain on
others. he sees a great deal of the intentions and harmony of
Nature. He acts as his Highest CONSCIENCE dictates, regardless
of consequences that might be painful to himself. He knows that
in his inner Self he is an immortal and this takes precedence
over the purely mortal personality and its anxieties and fears
and hopes. We instinctively respect his dedication to the HIGHER
SELF that we sense is in us, also. How d we develop the courage
to serve it openly, before all? How do we change uncertainty and
fear into actual knowledge?

Consider the power that we all know is present in Jesus' words in
the SERMON ON THE MOUNT. If we are going to call ourselves
"Christians" then why not practice those? What difference would
it make if we did that fearlessly and let others decide if they
wished to be Christians also. It is fearful thing to look over
the weekly outpourings of sermons and platitudes which tend to make the
average person dull to the exact implications of what Jesus taught. the
only
change arises when we learn to challenge ourselves to live and act as
the mortals we are.


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

WISDOM --

-- The Universe as a School -- Humans as Immortal Pupils --

As I understand it, WISDOM implies a knowledge of all things,
both the visible and the invisible worlds and planes, as well as
all the Laws of Nature that may be involved at any time in any
thing.

It is quite impossible to do this in a single life-time hence the concept of
the Immortal Student-Soul is used to convey the fact of reincarnation and
Law (Karma) under which all live. The Real Human being is the IMMORTAL,
ETERNAL MONAD or ATMA-BUDDHI. The Mind (Manas) is the link between it and
our world of material concepts and errors and limitations.

We all know that there is such a thing as absolute knowledge --
which we call WISDOM. Somewhere, sometime we determine to seek
and secure it. Theosophy is the record of those who have, and
are, doing this. It is a definite system and offers its findings
to those who desire to seek it.

The Masters of Wisdom are those who have achieved universal
knowledge and apply it universally all the time. They are the
actual helpers of nature and fulfill many of the functions as
needed and as described in Vol. I of the SD -- in regard to the
re-formation of the Worlds and the providing of a regulated
process of development for the hosts of MONADS that are working
their way through the various kingdoms towards HUMANITY and the
individualization of the MIND faculty.

Theosophy considers the Universe to be an eternal learning
experience and the pupils, if we may call them that, are you and
me and all the rest of vast host of Mind-beings -- you and me.
We are all learning each at his or her level of knowledge right
now and we cannot avoid this.

Behind the Mind (since it Is a "tool") stands the THINKER, the PERCEIVER --
or THAT which uses the Mind. It has been called THE HIGHER SELF. It is a
wise interior mentor which is always ready to respond to appeals from the
embodied mind and provide a response if we learn how to approach it and how
to ask. Theosophy deals with this, but first there is a learning period and
effort as in all new attempts to learn what is hitherto not known by us.

If one goes to SD I 157 one finds there a table of Principles in
Nature and in Man which covers the Theosophical explanation of
the way in which our world, ourselves and the Universe functions,
operates and develops. If one goes to the KEY TO THEOSOPHY ( see
between pp. 91 to 176) one will find that HPB gives there over 80
pages to explaining the nature of human consciousness, mind,
wisdom and the scope of evolution. All these factors need to be
considered.

Yes, it takes time to assimilate this information and to mull it
over and see if it is reasonable. theosophy does not ever ask us
to take anything on faith, or for granted. it always provides
reasons for its statements. it deals with facts and respects
each mind that approaches it by considering each of them to be an
immortal part of ITSELF, and therefore each is owed all the
explanations they desire to secure.

To better secure the meaning of WISDOM as used Theosophically,
let us use HPB's definitions and say that the SPIRIT in order to
perceive on our material plane needs the link of Buddhi. Buddhi
is called WISDOM. It is the record and key to all knowledge.

The mind links Atma/Buddhi to our plane of material consciousness
through the personal mind (Lower Manas).

The Lower Manas is you and me, here and now, and it aspires to
become wise. Theosophy is a record of the history of the study
of wisdom down the ages.

The Masters of Wisdom stand as the "Professors" of a University
might to us, and we stand to them as do freshmen entering
college. The theosophical ORIGINAL TEACHINGS by HPB are the
Text-books. If we desire to learn Theosophy we will have to
study them carefully. As in any science or discipline time will
have to be devoted to this if we determine to be successful. It
is not a pressure course nor are there any "cribs" or short-cuts.
Each portion fits into the rest and each has to be accepted or
rejected by us based on our ability to think and reason....If we
have not had practice in logic and thinking, then our work will
be a little harder, but once we acquire that facility, and employ
it, the Path becomes much easier. Also there are always students
around who are willing to share what they have learned, but, they
might not have too much time for arguments unless those are very
serious.

Everything hinges on the basis that one starts from. In the SD
you will find that HPB sets this at the outset on pages: 14 to
19 of vol. 1.

All who desire to learn can do so, the path is the same for all
of us and the information is also the same in regard to WISDOM.
Of partial knowledge, misinformation, and opinions there are many
millions of concepts -- if WISDOM is sought for, then the
disciplines that lead to wisdom have to be adopted. It is a hard
mistress.

This applies everywhere in our world and in our educational
system as well.

Best wishes,


Dallas

================================
 
-----Original Message-----
From: prmoliveira
Sent: Friday, April 29, 2005 8:32 PM
To: 
Subject: A Question for White Lotus Day

Is there any book that contains Theosophy in its fullness?