Theos-Talk Archives (August 2006 Message tt00299)

H.P.B.  ON WAR AND A SOCIAL UTOPIA  
 
 
Dear Friends, 
 
  
Seven years after  the closing of the “end-of-century effort”,  we now see wholesale fear, violence and terrorism involving USA and Europe,  Lebanon,  Israel, Afghanistan, the African countries,  Sri Lanka,  India,  Pakistan, Nepal and other parts of the world. 
 
In moments like this, it is always useful to meditate upon some key sentences by HPB. 
 
These words were written in 1889, in anticipation of  the wars that would come after HPB’s life. It  was  the causes or karmic roots of these wars that HPB fought, as she and many of her co-disciples prepared  the ground for that universal brotherhood which will eventually turn wars unnecessary. 
 
(In the following lines, as HPB refers to the “Theosophical Society”, we should read “Theosophical Movement”.)
 
HPB wrote:  
 
“Let them therefore prepare to cut each other’s throats  and let  them exterminate more people in one day in war  than the Caeser’s  killed in a whole year (...).” 
 
“Theosophists are powerless to stop them. That is true. But it is in their power to save as many survivors as possible. Being a nucleus of a true Brotherhood, it depends upon them to make of their Society an ark destined, in a future not too distant, to transport the humanity of a new cycle beyond the vast muddy waters of the deluge of hopeless materialism.  These waters are rising and in the present moment flood all the civilized countries. Are we going to let the good perish with the bad,  afraid of the hue and cry and the ridicule of the latter, either against the Theosophical Society or ourselves?  Are we going to see them perish one after the other, one from fatigue, the other vainly seeking the ray of sunlight which shines for all, without throwing them a plank of salvation? Never!”
 
“It may well be that the beautiful utopia, the philanthropic dream, that sees as if in a vision the triple wish of The Theosophical Society come true, is still far off : entire and complete freedom of human conscience granted to all, brotherhood established between the rich and the poor, and equality between the aristocrat  and the plebeian recognized in  theory as well as in practice – these are so many castles in Spain, and for a good reason.  All this must take place  naturally and voluntarily, on both sides; however, the time has not yet come for the lion and the lamb to lie down together. The great  reform must come about without social upheaval, without spilling a drop of blood; solely in the name of that axiomatic truth of Oriental philosophy which shows us that the great disparity of  fortunes, of social  rank and intellect, is due but to the effects of the personal Karma of every human being. We harvest but what we have sown. (...)   He who is thoroughly impressed by the philosophic truth that every ‘Ego’ begins and ends by being the indivisible ALL, cannot love his neighbour less than himself.  But, until the time this becomes a religious truth, no such reform can possibly take place.  (......) In the meantime what we should seek is to bring some peace on  earth to the hearts of those who suffer, by lifting for them a corner of the veil which hides from them divine truth. Let  the strong point the way to the weak and help them to climb the steep slope of existence. Let them turn  their gaze upon the Beacon-light  which shines upon the horizon, beyond the mysterious and unchartered sea of the Theosophical sciences, like a new star of Bethlehem, and let the desinherited of life take hope         . . .            H. P. Blavatsky” (1) 
 
One of the many conclusions we may get to, from studying once and again  these superb lines,  is that in Esoteric Science merely  logical reasoning at the dualistic level is sometimes worse than useless. 
 
Only  an expanded consciousness can grasp the esoteric view of life, a view which includes both outer dualism and contrast,  and inner unity and harmony.    
 
Indeed, it is by acknowledging our own individual co-responsibility for the future of mankind, nay, of all beings, that we get to be able to really learn what is Theosophy about : universal compassion.  
 
Strangely as it may sound,  planetary utopia must begin with everyone of us, and it technically depends on each one’s  “Antahkarana”, the bridge between the higher and the lower in individual life.  
 
 
Best regards,   Carlos. 
 
 
 
NOTE:
(1) “The Beacon of the Unknown”, in  “Collected Writing of H.P. Blavatsky”, Vol. XI, first edition, 1973, Theosophical Publishing House, India/England, 632 pp., see pp. 282-283. 
 
 
 
 


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