Theos-Talk Archives (March 2006 Message tt01100)

Steve-

Perhaps the word 'ought' might be more appropriate than the 
word 'aught'.

Vince

--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, Steven Levey <sallev1@...> wrote:
>
> Ah Vince, that's a mighty deep rational you have for what you do. 
Hopefully you will get from us exactly what you aught.
>    
>   Steve
> 
> Vincent <vblaz2004@...> wrote:
>   Steve-
> 
> I appreciate your insight and your suggestion, and I see the value 
> to it. It's just that at this specific time in my life, my focus 
> must be a little bit different. In other words, I've already 
poured 
> many thousands of hours into various metaphysical texts over the 
> last twenty years, and have therefore arrived at a very complex 
and 
> advanced metaphysical belief system as a result. At this time, I 
am 
> undertaking the attempt to write a volume as large as HPB's, and 
> therefore cannot dedicate fully researching a brand new text.
> 
> I suggest that there exist the roles of teachers whose specific 
task 
> is to dispense information to others, if they do not have the 
> immediate time and energy to gather it for themselves. I'm not 
> saying that direct readings of HPB lack value in any way. That's 
> just not where I'm at right now.
> 
> Currently, I engage in trance conditioning through natural 
> physiological disciplines, without the use of chemical modifiers. 
> This means that I interact directly with spirit entities, seeing 
> them and hearing them when I enter into trance. And this is the 
> level from whence my writings will manifest inspiration. I am just 
> curious to see what degree of alignment exists between HPB's 
> writings and my own belief system at this time, so I'd like to 
learn 
> more through those gifted teachers and students of HPB.
> 
> Vince
> 
> --- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, Steven Levey wrote:
> >
> > Vince
> > 
> > I am aware of how daunting the very thickness of these 
> texts can appear, but I really think that you are doing yourself a 
> great disservice, by not doing the study yourself, and expecting 
> others to, sort of, hand it to you in some palatable form intended 
> just for you. This is a great deal like going to church or temple 
> and expecting the paid servent on the pulpit to do the same thing. 
> > Now please, don't take this wrong, but an important aspect 
> of the philosophy of becoming a discriminating human being and 
> student, is, so that what you find for yourself will be something 
> you can trust in. "We are all Gods", says the ancient wisdom, 
> or "You too can do what I have done" as Jesus says. In other 
words, 
> we have what we need within us, we just have to flesh it out. That 
> is the purpose of theosophical thought, not the memorization of 
> thick texts. But the study of them, and application of what we see 
> as true, brings rewards immediately, as the mind wakes up to its 
own 
> powers of wisdom and discrimination.
> > 
> > Steve
> > 
> > Vincent wrote:
> > Steve-
> > 
> > I'm just trying to understand what I can about Theosophy, 
insofar 
> as 
> > it is new to me. HPB's writings are so extensive in such large 
> > volumes that I'm honestly a little bit daunted as to where to 
> begin, 
> > so I'm likely going to be relying on secondary abridgments for 
> > awhile. In other words, someone's probably going to have to 
teach 
> > it to me in the form of abridged quotes, before I get into 
> extensive 
> > reading of the core volumes.
> > 
> > Christians claim that the Bible contains 'absolute truth', both 
> > inerrant and infallible. But this then leaves those portions of 
> > universal truth concerning which we lack a firm and total grasp. 
> > Namely 'occult' truth, or anything which has not been declared 
to 
> > be 'absolute truth' by the Christian community. Hence universal 
> > truth may potentially be subdivided into categories of 'absolute 
> > truth' and 'occult truth'. Of course, I don't believe that any 
of 
> > us really has a firm grasp on 'absolute truth' in the first 
place, 
> > insofar as our minds are mortal, and we commonly have errors 
> > somewhere in every belief that we hold, whether small or great. 
> > Hence so many different biblical interpretations among 
Christians.
> > 
> > --- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, Steven Levey wrote:
> > >
> > > Vince-
> > > 
> > > Your intution about the reason for the term "Secret" in The 
> > Secret Doctrine is somewhat correct, but, it is also a bit to 
> quick 
> > a judgement. I'm afraid you are going to have to study the 
thing, 
> to 
> > get a really good idea about the use of her terms. However, in 
> doing 
> > so, I found it wise to read HPB in a thorough way to begin to 
> > undestand her motivation. By this I mean, read The Key to 
> Theosophy, 
> > and study The Voice of the Silence, as well, or something like 
> that. 
> > Or, pick up one of her collected writtings of shorter articles, 
or 
> > the Panarion. Mostly all of these are available at the Public 
> > Library, but definately on-line or in Theosophy Lodges of 
> different 
> > types.
> > > 
> > > Good Searching-Steve
> > > 
> > > Vincent Blazina wrote:
> > > Perry:
> > > 
> > > Thanks for the welcome. The Jehovah's Witnesses that you refer 
> > also seem to have some narrow biblical interpretations, much 
like 
> > Christian fundamentalists. I'm curious about what some of the 
> > similarities and differences are between the Bible and the 
Secret 
> > Doctrine. Why is the Secret Doctrine considered to be secret? 
Does 
> > this simply mean that it is occult (meaning hidden) in nature? 
My 
> > own biblical interpretations go very deep for me, and are 
anything 
> > but dry, although I view Christian fundamentalists as often 
> shallow 
> > in their own biblical interpretations much of the time.
> > > 
> > > Vince
> > > 
> > > plcoles1 
> > > wrote:
> > > Hello Vince, 
> > > Welcome to theos-talk!
> > > My background was in the Jehovah's Witnesses and so as a 
result 
> > had what amounted to at 
> > > least 5 1/2 hours a week of meetings to attend, and NO 
> questioning 
> > what you were being 
> > > told.
> > > 
> > > The thing I've found with studying theosophy for someone who 
has 
> > studied the Bible is 
> > > that theosophy and in particular the Secret Doctrine opens up 
> many 
> > interesting and 
> > > profound interpretations of passages in the Bible.
> > > 
> > > An interesting article written by H.P Blavatsky is `The 
Esoteric 
> > character of the Gospels'
> > > http://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/hpb-sio/sio-eso2.htm
> > > It's a good place to start as the Secret Doctrine can be a 
> little 
> > bit daunting to begin with.
> > > 
> > > After only hearing what was to me very empty and dry 
> > interpretations of the Bible, 
> > > theosophy can help you to begin to get some kind of 
> understanding 
> > as to the deeper 
> > > meaning in the bible as well as what other great thinkers, 
sages 
> > and philosophers from 
> > > various traditions have taught on these subjects which may 
help 
> > you have some context 
> > > and reference point for your own experiences.
> > > Very Best Wishes on your Spiritual journey and once again 
> Welcome 
> > to the theos-talk!
> > > 
> > > Regards
> > > 
> > > Perry
> > > 
> > > --- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "vblaz20042004" wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Hi there, I'm Vince and I am new to the group. I have 
recently 
> > been 
> > > > attending the Theosophical Society of Wheaton, Illinois for 
> the 
> > past 
> > > > month, and have been enjoying the various teachings and 
> > discussions 
> > > > at that facility.
> > > > 
> > > > My life has been rich with metaphysical experiences, but the 
> > > > Christian Fundamentalist churches that I had previously 
> attended 
> > for 
> > > > twenty years got very judgmental towards me when I might 
> venture 
> > to 
> > > > reference them. I also began finding many inconsistencies 
with 
> > the 
> > > > way that many Christians were representing the Bible, and my 
> > > > questions about Christianity were often deemed dangerous to 
> > people's 
> > > > religious faith.
> > > > 
> > > > I am looking for a place in the Theosophical Society wherein 
I 
> > may 
> > > > potentially freely discuss metaphysical issues as they 
> directly 
> > > > pertain to my life, with people who are more open to such 
> > > > discussions. I am very well read with the Bible, although my 
> > > > interpretations of it are more metaphysical versus orthodox.
> > > > 
> > > > I look forward to constuctive discussion with the people 
here, 
> > and 
> > > > would like to learn more about the Theosophical Society and 
> it's 
> > > > perspectives, insofar as many of them are brand new to me.
> > > > 
> > > > Thank you,
> > > > 
> > > > Vince
> > > >
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > Yahoo! Groups Links
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > Yahoo! Groups Links
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
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> > 
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> > 
> > 
> > 
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> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
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