Theos-Talk Archives (August 2006 Message tt00455)

Dear Gary B., Dear Friends. 

Thanks for your message with enlightening quotations from R. Crosbie and the Dhammapada. 

You are absolutely right at a meditative level of consciousness.

At the same time, asWilliam Judge wrote, "we are all Arjunas". That means, in my view, that our philosophy of Theosophy must be tested in the lower levels of consciousness and in daily life. 

If Theosophy is to help humanity, theosophists should take a look at how the world is in their own time.  

In her text "The Original Programme of the T.S.",  HPB named several objects of the theosophical movement, one of them being,  to challenge religious dogmatism and religious ignorance in every form.  

It would be too easy to wash hands and to ignore the state of the world. Every knowledge comes with a degree of responsibility and tests -- if it is more than just words.  

If one gets the collection of "Theosophy" magazine for the years during the Second wsorld War, for instance, one finds a reasonable amount of deep reflections on Peace and War on the 1940s;  on why wars are made and how;  etc. 

Also, HPB wrote all the time about the theosophical movement and its difficulties, just as R. Crosbie, W. Judge and H. Olcott did, to name but a few examples.  

So, as Theosophy is APPLIED,  it turns out to be LINKED to hundreds of aspects of everyday life, including conflictive ones.  Thus a kind of probatory path emerges and shows us lots of challenges, difficulties, failures and  ethical problems we must face in one way or another -- consciously or unconsciously. 

Theosophy  is much more than a fine collection of words and conceptions, which people would repeat to themselves and to others, proud of themselves, as if they thought that Theosophy is just about words and thoughts. Many view Theosophy this way, but this we could call Sophistry, or Theosophistry.  Sophists are, classically, those who talk about that which they do not TRY to live. 

You will see that Theos-talk has absurds and conflicts -- but it also has some Theosophy.   And it may improve. 


Best regards and -- welcome to the "arena" of tests,


Carlos  Cardoso Aveline, from Brazil.




> ----- Original Message -----
>   From: oceantheos
>   To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com
>   Sent: Tuesday, August 15, 2006 4:21 PM
>   Subject: Theos-World War Without and War Within
> 
> 
>   Being new to this discussion site, I was requested to introduce myself.
>   I am an older man living in Texas,USA, and have been a student of
>   theosophy for some time now. After observing this site for a few
>   weeks I had to seriously ask myself about whether or not to
>   participate or simply delete this site from my incoming email. I was
>   not seeing much discussion of theosophy (my opinion obviously) and a
>   lot of views about war and blame and group adversity ( societies,
>   etc.).
> 
>   I now find myself having something to contribute and I somtimes find
>   that prior theosophists are more eloquent than myself so please allow
>   me to let a few speak better than myself. On the subject of War:
> 
>   "War is the result of the warring spirit, of the selfishness of
>   mankind. It is the result of the failure to understand the purpose of
>   life." Robert Crosbie, A Book Of Quotations
> 
>   In my simple mind and heart and experience, I have yet to see where
>   two wrongs have produced a right. I have also yet to see how looking
>   backwards and all around for someone or group to cast blame upon has
>   shed light upon the road ahead.
> 
>   There is a verse within the Dhammapada which I hold dear which says:
> 
>   "Let the aspirant observe not the perversities of others, nor what
>   others have and have not done; rather should he consider what he has
>   done and what he has yet to do." From Mr Sid (Gautama Sakya Muni,
>   otherwise known as Lord Buddha)
> 
>   A couple more quotes before closing:
> 
>   "We must remember,all the time, that there are intelligent evil forces
>   at work continually to defeat the emancipation of humanity from
>   selfishness--beings in fact, whose very existance depends upon selfish
>   desire and its many ways of expression. The plane of existance of
>   these beings is the earth and its psychic atmosphere. Our work is to
>   people our current space with such thoughts as tend to dissipate these
>   influences, and to assist right thoughts in others by awakening them
>   to the realities which have been placed within reach of our
>   understanding." (again, Robert Crosbie, same book as above)
> 
>   "We are not called upon for judgement, but for right action; to act
>   right ourselves, and by precept and example induce it into others."
>   ( again, Robert C.)
> 
>   From myself: Brotherhood, Compassion, Altruism, Divine Wisdom, are
>   alike (synonmous) terms when viewed broadly and from the heart of the
>   cosmos of which we are a copy. We are the lifeblood of the ALL, and
>   what we profane of the ALL we profane upon ourselves.
>   Peace begins within and from ourselves and to caste blame and guilt
>   upon others is spitting into the wind of a hurricane.
> 
>   Blessings,and Namaste,
>   A fellow student,
>   Gary B
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> 
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