Theos-Talk Archives (May 2005 Message tt00317)

Pedro,

Thanks for your comments below. When I have more time
I want to make a few comments about these extracts
and your reflections.

Daniel


--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "prmoliveira" <prmoliveira@y...> 
wrote:
> --- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "Daniel H. Caldwell" 
> <danielhcaldwell@y...> wrote:
> 
> > Concerning the two extracts you gave from Mme. Blavatsky,
> > I ask you how you would reconcile what Blavatsky says 
> > in those extracts (which I have numbered as EXTRACTS
> > 1 and 2 below) with the additional 5 extracts I also 
> > give below from Blavatsky and Koot Hoomi.
> > 
> > Is Blavatsky saying contradictory things in EXTRACTS 1 
> > and 2 when you compare them with EXTRACTS 3 thru 7?
> > 
> > Or are we comparing apples to oranges when looking at
> > the meaning or various meanings of the 7 extracts?
> > 
> > Or should we view all of these extracts from some other
> > vantage point?
> > 
> > It seems to me that on one hand that we should avoid setting
> > up "dogmas" but to go to the other extreme of letting any
> > vagary be called Theosophy or Theosophical is also not 
> > desirable. 
> > 
> > I also call your attention to the three words WITHIN
> > CERTAIN LIMITS in EXTRACT 2. Do these three words
> > qualify the meaning of the extract overall? And if so,
> > how?
> 
> 
> Daniel:
> 
> The way I see it, there is no need to reconcile the different 
> statements. Perhaps they need to be understood in their own merit 
and 
> context. In the first two, HPB seems to be sounding a gentle 
warning 
> to students of Theosophy and she clearly indicates that 
differences 
> of opinion are not a problem. The expression "within certain 
limits" 
> I interpret, in the context of the whole quote, as refraining from 
> opinionatedness for that is, clearly, an unhealthy pattern that 
> destroys the spirit of inquiry.
> 
> I find the tone of Extracts 6 and 7 quite forceful and in a way 
> similar, in their philosophical standpoint, to the attack by Pope 
> Benedict XVI, in his pre-election homily (which apparently decided 
> the election in his favour), against the religious relativism that 
is 
> growing in the world today. :)
> 
> From my limited knowledge of the Mahatma Letters I reckon that the 
> WHOLE Occult Doctrine was never revealed by them. There are a 
number 
> of passages in the ML in which Sinnett pushes his luck only to be 
> told: "enough and no more". I am not saying that the theosophical 
> teaching in HPB's works and the ML is not solid, comprehensive and 
> consistent. I am just suggesting that what was given out was 
indeed 
> only "a corner of the veil".
> 
> If we take HPB's statement in Extract 7 literally, THE SECRET 
> DOCTRINE automatically becomes the Alpha and Omega of Theosophy, a 
> kind of theosophical "ring pass not", and all free and independent 
> exploration would come to and end. On the other hand, in 
the "Bowen 
> Notes" (BTW, do you have the text of the presentation by the 
> Librarian of the TS in London, at the Theosophical History 
> conference, that apparently questions their authenticity?), HPB 
> suggests that the SD aims at "leading towards the Truth". I find 
this 
> last statement perfectly resonant to her warning against orthodoxy.
> 
> I know am rambling, therefore I'll go.
> 
> pedro