Theos-Talk Archives (January 2006 Message tt00239)

1/21/2006 11:06 AM



Dear Steve:



I am often confronted with the same dilemma. 



You write: "Still, the world as it is now is our world, and in that sense
we are trying be Theosophists in that world. 



Our duty and the thinking is complex, but at least the problems have to be
seen in their correct light. By that I mean, in the context of today,
religious fanaticism can go to war(whether they call themselves "the home of
the brave" or not) against those who have previously gone to war against
them. The truth is, this is like a chicken and egg question as to who
delivered the first blow and who are retaliating from eons past."



We all as students learning from THEOSOPHY , know more about karmic action,
choice and the results - but we have difficulty in finding the ideal way of
dealing with those. At best we can resist adding to them, at worst we can
lie back and "go with the flow" - doing little or nothing. Is that the best
or the ideal? 



The Voice offers (p. 36):

"To live to benefit mankind is the first step. To practise the six glorious
virtues (1) is the second.



To don Nirmanakaya's humble robe is to forego eternal bliss for Self, to
help on man's salvation. To reach Nirvana's bliss, but to renounce it, is
the supreme, the final step-the highest on Renunciation's Path.



Know, O Disciple, this is the Secret PATH, selected by the Buddhas of
Perfection, who sacrificed The SELF to weaker Selves.



Yet, if the "Doctrine of the Heart" is too high-winged for thee. If thou
need'st help thyself and fearest to offer help to others,-then, thou of
timid heart, be warned in time: remain content with the "Eye Doctrine" of
the Law. Hope still. 



For if the "Secret Path" is unattainable this "day," it is within thy reach
"to-morrow." 



Learn that no efforts, not the smallest-whether in right or wrong
direction-can vanish from the world of causes. E'en wasted smoke remains not
traceless. 



"A harsh word uttered in past lives, is not destroyed but ever comes again."
The pepper plant will not give birth to roses, nor the sweet jessamine's
silver star to thorn or thistle turn.



Thou canst create this "day" thy chances for thy "morrow." In the "Great
Journey," causes sown each hour bear each its harvest of effects, for rigid
Justice rules the World. With mighty sweep of never erring action, it brings
to mortals lives of weal or woe, the Karmic progeny of all our former
thoughts and deeds.



Take then as much as merit hath in store for thee, O thou of patient heart.
Be of good cheer and rest content with fate. Such is thy Karma, the Karma of
the cycle of thy births, the destiny of those, who, in their pain and
sorrow, are born along with thee, rejoice and weep from life to life,
chained to thy previous actions." Voice 36 - 38



also:

"Sow kindly acts and thou shalt reap their fruition. Inaction in a deed of
mercy becomes an action in a deadly sin. 



Thus saith the Sage:



Shalt thou abstain from action? Not so shall gain thy soul her freedom. 



To reach Nirvana one must reach Self-Knowledge, and Self-Knowledge is of
loving deeds the child.



Have patience, Candidate, as one who fears no failure, courts no success.
Fix thy Soul's gaze upon the star whose ray thou art, the flaming star that
shines within the lightless depths of ever-being, the boundless fields of
the Unknown. 



Have perseverance as one who doth for evermore endure. Thy shadows live and
vanish; that which in thee shall live for ever, that which in thee knows,
for it is knowledge, is not of fleeing life: it is the man that was, that
is, and will be, for whom the hour shall never strike.



If thou would'st reap sweet peace and rest, Disciple, sow with the seeds of
merit the fields of future harvests. Accept the woes of birth. 



Step out from sunlight into shade, to make more room for others. The tears
that water the parched soil of pain and sorrow, bring forth the blossoms and
the fruits of Karmic retribution. "

Voice pp 33 - 36

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



So I ask myself:



Should I bend with the flow and make excuses for the society we live in?
But the ancient teachers tried to pull us (then) out of that trend and they
set the example of a well disciplined life based on APPLYING universal
principles regardless of society norms and abuses THEN.



To make compromises is one thing and to excuse them is another, because it
means we recognize them and then fail to try to change our responses to
agree with present day "norms." 



THEOSOPHY is an attempt to challenge those -- and let us have the
opportunity to improve our inner strength by doing the changing -
suggesting we go back to basic moral standards regardless of current
opinions and accepted ways of 'passing the buck.' 



I try to deal with these ideas as world-wide values and not to try to
localize them (what do we know of Tibet now? --- very little!) We have to
deal with our own Kama-Manasic natures here and now. 



I am still puzzling over this "transition age." All ages and times and our
lives are for ever in "transition." Politically and world-wide we see
changes as it unifies and the jagged edges of provincialism are jangled and
wangled and ground together. Tempers based on ignorance, laziness and
fanaticism are mutually aggravating - atrocities are committed without any
care as to the future of the individual or of others - there is no
justification for that in the ultimate sense.



As I see it:



The Mahatmas hope we will begin to "work" on our own lower natures and
rectify them. When and where do we begin? I have posted some studies on
PATANJALI that are well worth studying and possibly applying to ones' self.




As I see it, it is our duty to make the changes in ourselves and then
encourage and support others to think about the reason for moral and
self-reform in themselves. We all have the same potentials. Sooner, the
better.



Best wishes, 



Dallas



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



-----Original Message-----
From: Steven L
Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2006 7:44 AM
To: 
Subject: Re: JUDICIAL ACTIONS -- Science versus the Death Penalty



Dal-



You are right, we should ask the larger questions about equity and
judgement. Still, the world as it is now is our world, and in that sense we
are trying be Theosophists in that world. 



Our duty and the thinking is complex, but at least the problems have to be
seen in their correct light. By that I mean, in the context of today,
religious fanaticism can go to war(whether they call themselves "the home of
the brave" or not) against those who have previously gone to war against
them. The truth is, this is like a chicken and egg question as to who
delivered the first blow and who are retaliating from eons past. 



Yes, I agree, it is all vengence driven. 



However, within the context of today, I think it must be seen as still karma
playing itself out as it must. But, because we have the paramitas to use as
reference, I don't feel that we should over look the actual
psychological/moral state of the entire world, even Tibet, where these
Paramitas are really mostly said from memory. Their mantramic therapeutic
power, is all but powerless in such confused peoples. 



No one the world over, is in some form, without them. Although the "ground"
they fall on is in reality, mostly infertile. Still, I don't feel it is
futile to think and say them, even in our world, but, 



I feel we must acknowledge that we are in a "Transition" time in history and
therefore our patience must be as great as is required by the circumstances.
>From this point of view, then, we probably need to balance our condemnation
of the foolishness of governments with an allowence for a certain amount of
psychological space in which to err. This is because, like children, no
amount of carping on this and that right direction for them will "stick",
until it does. But direction must be offered, and good parenting is a
genuinely difficult are to master. I think the Mahatmas will attest to this,
since they have been working on us for ages.



Perhaps, the heinouness of the crimes today are a marker of this
"transition" and the pain which goes along with them will drive these egos
for incarnations, but eventually it must wear out. Unfortunately we are only
5000 some odd years out of 440,000 or so (forgive the poor memory on this)
into Kali Yuga. So, there are many incarnations in which this can happen. I
have know idea as to the supposed length of time a "transition" period may
last. All I do know is that our sense of time is very confused, depending
upon our addiction to transitory life, and tempered with an occassionally
actual intuitive awareness from the Soul's perspective.



Steve







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