Theos-Talk Archives (May 2005 Message tt00421)

May 15th 2005



Dear Friends:



Here are some little known notes on HPB's work and teachings:



TEACHING THE SOUL DIRECT: 



[From a conversation between Charles Johnston and Madame Blavatsky] 

(From: THEOSOPHICAL FORUM, New York, April 1900 ) 

========



Then she told me something about other Masters and adepts she had known ...

, from Northern and Southern India, Tibet, Persia, China, Egypt; of various

European nations, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, English; of certain races in

South America, where she said there was a Lodge of adepts. 



"It is the tradition of this which the Spanish Conquistadors found," she

said, "the golden city of Manoah or El Dorado. The race is allied to the

ancient Egyptians, and the adepts have still preserved the secret of their

dwelling place inviolable. There are certain members of the Lodges who pass

from centre to centre, keeping the lines of connection between them

unbroken. But they are always connected in other ways." 



"In their astral bodies?" "Yes," she answered, "and in other ways still

higher. They have a common life and power. As they rise in spirituality,

they rise above difference of race, to our common humanity. The series is

unbroken. Adepts are a necessity in nature and in super-nature. They are the

links between men and the gods; these 'gods' being the souls of great adepts

and Masters of bygone races and ages, and so on, up to the threshold of

Nirvana. The continuity is unbroken." 



"What do they do?" 



"You would hardly understand, unless you were an adept. But they keep alive

the spiritual life of mankind." 



"How do the adepts guide the souls of men?" 



"In many ways, but chiefly by teaching their souls direct, in the spiritual

world. That is difficult for you to understand. But this is quite

intelligible: At certain regular periods, they try to give the world at

large a right understanding of spiritual things. One of their number comes

forth to teach the masses, and is handed down to tradition as the founder of

a religion. Krishna was such a Master, so was Zoroaster; so were Buddha and

Sankaracharya, the great sage of Southern India. So also was the Nazarene

[Jesus]." 



"Have the adepts any secret records of his life?" 



"They must have," she answered, "for they have records of the lives of all

Initiates. Once I was in a great cave-temple in the Himalayan mountains,

with my Master. There were many statues of adepts there; pointing to one of

them, he said: 'This is he whom you call Jesus. We count him to be one of

the greatest among us.' 



"But that is not the only work of the adepts. At much shorter periods, they

send forth a messenger to try to teach the world. Such a period comes in the

last quarter of each century, and the Theosophical Society represents their

work for this epoch." 

"How does it benefit mankind?" 



"How does it benefit you to know the laws of life? Does it not help you to

escape sickness and death? Well, there is a soul-sickness, and a soul-death.

Only the true teaching of Life can cure them.. The dogmatic churches, with

their hell and damnation, their metal [FOOTNOTE: Streets paved with gold]

heaven and their fire and brimstone, have made it almost impossible for

thinking people to believe in the immortality of the soul. And if they do

not believe in a life after death, then they have no life after death. That

is the law." 



"How can what people believe possibly affect them? Either it is or it isn't,

whatever they may believe." 



"Their belief affects them in this way. Their life after death is made by

their aspirations and spiritual development unfolding in the spiritual

world. According to the growth of each so is his life after death. It is the

complement of his life here. All unsatisfied spiritual longings, all desires

for higher life, all aspirations and dreams of noble things, come to flower

in the spiritual life, and the soul has its day, for life on earth is its

night. But if you have no aspirations, no higher longings, no beliefs in any

life after death, then there is nothing for your spiritual life to be made

up of, your soul is a blank." 



"What becomes of you then?" 



"You reincarnate immediately, almost without an interval, and without

regaining consciousness in the other world." ... . 



"So that is what the adepts sent you forth to teach?" 



"Yes, that and other things - things which are very important, and will soon

be far more important. There is the danger of black magic, into which all

the world, and especially America, is rushing as fast as it can go. Only a

wide knowledge of the real psychic and spiritual nature of man can save

humanity from grave dangers." 



"Witch-stories in this so-called nineteenth century, in this enlightened

age?" 



"Yes, Sir! Witch-tales in this enlightened age! And mark my words! You will

have such witch-tales as the Middle Ages never dreamt of. Whole nations will

drift insensibly into black magic, with good intentions, no doubt, but

paving the road to hell none the less for that! Do you not see the

tremendous evils that lie concealed in hypnotism? Hypnotism and suggestion 



------------------------------------

[FOOTNOTE: Advertising, political campaigns, etc., etc., are built on

"suggestion." The opposite of this is "inspiration," such as that used by

Gatto in his teaching methods. One enlivens and allies itself to the

potential "greatness" in each of us, the other enlivens and allies itself to

the weaknesses of man entangled in his sensations and personality; one

manipulates and bewitches, the other sets-fire-to and transforms.] 

--------------------------------



are great and dangerous powers, for the very reason that the victim never

knows when he is being subjected to them; his will is stolen from him. These

things may be begun with good motives, and for right purposes. But I am an

old woman, and have seen much of human life in many countries and I wish

with all my heart I could believe that these powers would be used only for

good! If you could foresee what I foresee, you would begin heart and soul to

spread the teaching of universal brotherhood. It is the only safeguard!" 



"How is it going to guard people against hypnotism?" 



"By purifying the hearts of people who would misuse it. And universal

brotherhood rests upon the common soul. It is because there is one soul

common to all men, that brotherhood, or even common understanding, is

possible. Bring men to rest on that, and they will be safe. There is a

divine power in every man which is to rule his life, and which no one can

influence for evil, not even the greatest magician. Let men bring their

lives under its guidance, and they have nothing to fear from man or devil." 



(THEOSOPHICAL FORUM, New York, April 1900 ) 

-------------------------------------------



2



H.P. Blavatsky on SUCCESSFUL CHELASHIP



"During the eleven years of the existence of the

Theosophical Society I have known, out of the

seventy-two regularly accepted chelas on probation and

the hundreds of lay candidates - only three who have

not hitherto failed, and ONE ONLY who had a full

success. 



No one forces anyone into chelaship; no

promises are uttered, none except the mutual pledge

between Master and the would-be chela. 



Verily, Verily, many are the called but few are chosen - or rather few

who have the patience of going to the bitter end, if

bitter we can call simple perseverance and singleness

of purpose."

THE THEOSOPHICAL MAHATMAS, HPB Articles I p, 305

Dec. 1886:





The E S T started October 1888



The SECRET DOCTRINE was published Oct. 1888



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



Question: Who was the "one only" who had a full success?



Answer: Wm Q. Judge received in the E S a certificate dated
December 14th 1888 of being a Chela of 13 years standing. (i.e.: starting
1875)



HPB wrote that he was not pledged in the E S, but HPB made him one of the
Teachers with America as his special responsibility.


HPB Letter of Oct. 23 1889



She wrote Judge from Ostend on Oct. 3, 1888 that his "astral had been
blended with the Nirmanakaya." [Blavatsky: COLLECTED WORKS
Vol. 7 - p. 138]



See LETTERS THAT HAVE HELPED ME - U L T : Judge Bio. Notes (p. 262 - 283)
for additional letters.



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

Best wishes, 



Dallas





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