TEACHING THE SOUL DIRECT:
May 16, 2005 04:23 AM
by W.Dallas TenBroeck
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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