Theos-Talk Archives (August 2006 Message tt00341)

INITIATION  THE PATH .DOC
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8/10/2006 7:04 AM   
	

	Re:  FINDING THE PATH    INITIATION  (continued)

Dear Friends:

More interesting information on  INITIATION is continued.

Reaching to the actual door of this Lodge is the Path. and leading to that
Path are many roads. 

We might as well attempt to enter the Path in this incarnation as to wait
for succeeding lives. 
There is great encouragement in Krishna's words to Arjuna in the second
chapter:  In this system there is no destruction of or detriment to one's
efforts; even a very small portion of this duty delivereth a man from great
fear. 

This refers to the law of karma. 

Every point of progress gained is never in reality lost. Even did we die at
a time when our lives were not stainless, the real level of our development
would not be lowered, for upon reassuming a mortal body in some after life
on this earth we take up the thread just where we dropped it. 

In a later chapter (vi) Krishna says that we come in contact with the
knowledge which belonged to us in our former body, and from that time we
struggle more diligently toward perfection. 

PATANJALI  [YOGA SUTRAS] also says the same thing..., 

The thoughts and aspirations of our life form a mass of force that operates
instantly upon our acquirement of a body that furnishes the corresponding
instrument, or upon our so altering our mental state as to give it
opportunity for action...  We are not obliged to rest on that objection, as
it by no means follows that the energy is suspended; it has its operation in
other ways. 

The encouragement given by Krishna [ our inner HIGHER SELF]  leads us to
consider what method is offered for entering upon the Path. 

We find it to be a right knowledge of the spirit. This "right knowledge" is
found in the second chapter. 

As by all illuminated sages, the ultimate truth is first declared by the
Blessed Lord as we have seen, and in the very chapter wherein right action
is insisted upon as the way to liberation. He then, proceeding to explain
himself further, points out errors common to humanity, and certain false
views that prevailed in India then, as they do now. 

Verse 41: — In this system of Yoga no effort is wasted, nor are there any
evil consequences, and even a little of this practice delivereth a man from
great risk. In this path there is only one single object, and this of a
steady, constant nature; but widely-branched is the faith and infinite are
the objects of those who follow not this system. ...

In the men thus described, desires for worldly or intellectual acquisitions
prevail and, desires being infinite as also capable of producing endless
modifications of desire, there is no concentration possible. 

This also has an application to the methods of our present scientific
schools, which indulge in an eternal seeking for so-called facts before
general principles are admitted. One single branch of investigation with
them has endless ramifications that no human being could compass in a
lifetime. 

Then: — 

"The unwise, delighting in the controversies of the Vedas, tainted with
worldly lusts, and preferring a transient enjoyment of heaven to eternal
absorption, whilst they declare there is no other reward, pronounce, for the
attainment of worldly riches and enjoyments, flowery sentences which promise
rewards in future births for present action, ordaining also many special
ceremonies the fruit of which is merit leading to power and objects of
enjoyment. But those who thus desire riches and enjoyment have no certainty
of soul and least hold on meditation. 

The subject of the Vedas is the assemblage of the three qualities. 

Be thou free from these qualities, O Arjuna! Be free from the 'pairs of
opposites' and constant in the quality of Sattva, free from worldly anxiety
and the desire to preserve present possessions, self-centered and
uncontrolled by objects of mind or sense

Not disposed to meditation and perseverance is the intention of those who
are devoted to enjoyments and dominion, and whose minds are seduced by that
flowery sentence which is proclaimed by the unwise, who delight in texts
from the Vedas, O son of Pritha, and say, 

"There is nothing else than that," being covetous-minded and considering
heaven as the very highest good; offering rebirth as the reward of actions,
and enjoining many special ceremonies for the sake of obtaining pleasures
and dominion, and preferring the transient enjoyment of heaven to eternal
absorption."	."  [ BHAGAVAD GITA  pp. 15-16,  ]


This is better understood when some of the ideas held in India regarding
sacrifices and ceremonies are known. 

In the Occident sacrifices have long gone out of use, as there appeared to
be no reason for them. And yet it must seem strange to the reflective mind
that Christian nations should claim redemption through the Jews whose
prophet enjoined sacrifices, and when Jesus himself said that not one jot or
tittle of the law should pass away. 

In the place of the sacrifices of the East, the West has adopted a mere
theory to be embraced, together with an uncertain moral code to be followed,
with a result which is the same as that claimed by the Hindus —save only in
one respect. 

That difference lies in the doctrine of reincarnation. 

The Christian looks for an eternal reward in heaven and knows nothing of
reincarnation on earth, while the Hindu relies upon pleasure to be had in
heaven —called Svarga —and a continuation of it upon earth by reason of a
fortunate rebirth...Some ceremonies [offer to] procure entrance into a
delightful state after death which will last for incalculable periods of
time. 

Now no one of these sorts of procedure leads us to the ULTIMATE, but all are
causes of karma and of delusion: therefore Krishna did not approve them to
Arjuna. 

And his warning is useful to theosophists who are students or wish to become
such. 

With them the false view warned against by Krishna has altered itself into a
craving for phenomena, or to perform some action that shall bring them the
favor of Mahatmas, or a morbid fear of making karma, or else an equally
accentuated desire to acquire good karma.

They should abandon those attitudes and carefully study the following
verses, trying to incorporate their true meaning into their very being. ...


The last quoted verses contain the essence of what is called Karma-yoga, or,
as it might be translated, concentration and contemplation while engaged in
action. 

It is difficult, just as it is difficult to enter upon the Path, and if we
desire to tread that aright we must know what we should do as true
travelers. 

		TRUE FAITH

Krishna seems to me to here settle the dispute as to whether faith or works
will save us. Mere faith will not do it, because in every act of faith there
is some action. 

And it would appear to be impossible to acquire true faith without at once
turning it into that sort of action which our faith shows us must be done,
as it were, in evidence; yet action, pure and simple, will not be a cause of
liberation, inasmuch as action, or karma, will produce new karma. 

		CONCENTRATION

We must therefore seek for concentration in order that we may be able to do
those actions which the All-Wise presents to us to be done, remaining the
while unaffected. We have nothing to do with the results; they will come of
themselves, and are beyond us; they are already done so far as we are
concerned. 

But if we perform either an act of faith or an action of the body, hoping
for any result —no matter what —we become to that extent attached to the
consequences, and thus bound by them. It matters not whether those
consequences be good or bad. Many will think that it is well to have
attachment to good consequences, since that has been the received opinion. 

But this is unwise, because the only reason for it is found in the idea that
thereby one is somewhat better than some other persons who are enamored of
evil results and desire to see them come to pass. 

This idea produces separateness, and is opposed to that identity without the
realization of which there can be no true knowledge. We should therefore be
imitators of the Deity, who, while acting as he does IN THE MANIFESTATION OF
UNIVERSES, is at the same time free from all consequences. 

To the extent that we do so we become the Deity himself, for, as we follow
the dictates of the LORD WHO DWELLS IN US, we resign every act upon the
altar, leaving the consequences to him. 

The attitude to be assumed, then, is that of doing every act, small and
great, trifling or important, because it is before us to do, and as a mere
carrying out by us as instruments of the will of that Deity who is ourself. 

Nor should we stop to inquire whether the act is of any use to the Lord
within, as some ask. 

For, they say, of what possible benefit to him can be the small hourly acts
which, as soon as done, are forgotten? It is not for us to inquire. The act
that pleases that Lord [ Isvara, the particular manifestation of Brahman in
each human being.] is the act which is done as presented with no attachment
to its result, while the act that is unpleasing to him is the one which we
do, desiring some result therefrom. 

This practice is the highest; that which some day we must and will learn to
perform. Other sorts are inculcated in other writings, but they are only
steps to lead us at last to this. Therefore I said, Let us enter the Path as
soon as we can. [ from extracts of Gita NOTES,  pp. 53 - 62 ]



I found these particularly useful.  See if they also strike you as
important.

Best wishes,

Dallas