Theos-Talk Archives (May 2005 Message tt00096)

Theosophy is very old. I was writing about modern Theosophical 
Society.
Anand Gholap


--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "M. Sufilight" <global-
theosophy@s...> wrote:
> 
> Yeah..
> Perhaps we all need to widen our historical horizon a tiny bit.
> I just read this one...
> http://theosophy.org/tlodocs/hpb/NotesOnSomeAryan-
ArhatEsotericTenets.htm
> 
> "
> II.
> 
> The Vedas, Brâhmanism, and along with these Sanskrit, were 
importations 
> into what we now regard as India. They were never indigenous to its 
soil. 
> There was a time when the ancient nations of the West included 
under the 
> generic name of India many of the countries of Asia now classified 
under 
> other names. There was an Upper, a Lower, and a Western India, even 
during 
> the comparatively late period of Alexander; and Persia, Iran, is 
called 
> Western India in some ancient classics, and the countries now named 
Tibet, 
> Mongolia, and Great Tartary were considered as forming part of 
India. When 
> we say, therefore, that India has civilized the world and was the 
Alma Mater 
> of the civilizations, arts and sciences of all other nations 
(Babylonia, and 
> perhaps even Egypt, included), we mean archaic, prehistoric India, 
India of 
> the time when the great Gobi was a sea, and the lost Atlantis 
formed part of 
> an unbroken continent which began at the Himâlayas and ran down 
over 
> Southern India, Ceylon, Java, to far-away Tasmania.
> 
> 
> III.
> 
> To ascertain such disputed questions [as to whether or not the 
Tibetan 
> adepts are acquainted with the "esoteric doctrine taught by the 
residents of 
> the sacred Island"], we have to look into and study well the 
Chinese sacred 
> and historical records a people whose era begins nearly 4,600 years 
back 
> (2697 B.C.). A people so accurate by whom some of the most 
important 
> '-inventions" of modern Europe and its so much boasted modern 
science (such 
> as the compass, gunpowder, porcelain, paper, printing, etc.), were 
> anticipated, known, and practised thousands of years before these 
were 
> rediscovered by the Europeans ought to receive some trust for their 
records.
> 
> From Lao-tze down to Hiouen-Thsang their literature is filled 
with 
> allusions and references to that Island and the wisdom of the 
Himâlayan 
> adepts. In the Catena of Buddhist Scriptures from the Chinese, by 
the Rev. 
> Samuel Beal, there is a chapter "On the Tian-Ta'i School of 
Buddhism " (pp. 
> 244-258), which our opponents ought to read. Translating the rules 
of that 
> most celebrated and holy school and sect in China founded by Chin-
che-chay, 
> called the wise one, in the year 575 of our era, on coming to the 
sentence, 
> "That which relates to the one garment (seamless) worn by the Great 
Teachers 
> of the Snowy Mountains, the school of the Haimavatas" (p. 256), the 
European 
> translator places after it a sign of interrogation, as well he may. 
The 
> statistics of the school of the Haimavatas or of our Himâlayan 
Brotherhood, 
> are not to be found in the General Census Records of India. 
Further, Mr. 
> Beal translates a rule relating to "the great professors of the 
higher order 
> who live in mountain depths remote from men," the Âranyakas, or 
hermits.
> 
> So, with respect to the traditions concerning this Island, and 
apart 
> from the (to them) historical records of it preserved in the 
Chinese and 
> Tibetan Sacred Books, the legend is alive to this day among the 
people of 
> Tibet. The fair Island is no more, but the country where it once 
bloomed 
> remains there still, and the spot is well known to some of 
the "great 
> teachers of the snowy mountains," however much convulsed and 
changed its 
> topography may have been by the awful cataclysm. Every seventh year 
these 
> teachers are believed to assemble in Scham-bha-la, the "happy 
land." 
> According to the general belief it is situated in the north-west of 
Tibet. 
> Some place it within the unexplored central regions, inaccessible 
even to 
> the fearless nomadic tribes; others hem it in between the range of 
the 
> Gangdisri Mountains and the northern edge of the Gobi Desert, south 
and 
> north, and the more populated regions of Khoondooz and Kashmir, of 
the 
> Gya-Pheling (British India) and China, west and east, which affords 
to the 
> curious mind a pretty large latitude to locate it in. Others still 
place it 
> between Namur Nur and the Kuen-Lun Mountains but one and all firmly 
believe 
> in Scham-bha-la, and speak of it as a fertile, fairy-like land, 
once an 
> island, now an oasis of incomparable beauty, the place of meeting 
of the 
> inheritors of the esoteric wisdom of the god-like inhabitants of 
the 
> legendary Island."
> 
> 
> These continous exchanges in the below and elsewhere of who was 
first - "The 
> chicken or the egg?" -
> reminds me of the Seekers who are mistaking the content for being 
the 
> container.
> And who like a good dispute more than they do good wisdom.
> <:-)
> (Me and my egg-head. Smile.)
> 
> Wise theosophical Teaching has to be performed according to time 
place, 
> people and circumstances.
> If a teacher who has passed away was a non-vegtarian and a smoker,
> there could be a social reason for that.
> If a teacher was a vegetarian and a non-smoker, who all in all 
promoted
> an emotional almost non-AtmaVidya-like doctrine, there could be 
reasons for 
> that as well.
> 
> What teaching, which would be proper to promote today might be 
something 
> quite different - it depends upon
> the audience - and yes - time, even timesequences, place, people 
and 
> circumstances - and so on.
> 
> And when we just keep retelling the same story - by quoting dead 
authors -
> the Seekers know, that they get a second best, - and that this is 
not
> as real as a first hand account.
> The fruits yielded are because of that somewhat small in size.
> We will have to face these facts.
> 
> 
> 
> from
> M. Sufilight
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Anand Gholap" <AnandGholap@A...>
> To: <theos-talk@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, May 03, 2005 1:36 PM
> Subject: Theos-World Re:Annie Besant was real founder of the TS
> 
> 
> > Olcott and Blavatsky were technically founders of the TS. However 
when
> > they were in-charge there was not much acceptance of Theosophy 
nor was
> > it internationally recognized organization. Blavatsky was told 
not to
> > look into administration. She wrote some 3-4 books. Compare it 
with
> > Annie Besant's work. Besant wrote some 300 books, she was 
incharge of
> > ES and administration of the Theosophical Society. Under her
> > leadership
> > Theosophical Society became truly international organization with
> > recognition in many countries. Vast high quality literature was
> > written
> > when she was leader which was appreciated around the world. 
Blavatsky
> > became famous not because of her writing but because Annie Besant 
made
> > TS internationally reputed organization and Blavatsky was 
technically
> > founder of it. So little fame which Blavatsky has is to much 
extent
> > due
> > to work of Annie Besant.
> > So although Annie Besant did not sign papers when TS was 
incorporated,
> > practically Annie Besant was founder of the Theosophical Society.
> > Anand Gholap
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >