Theos-Talk Archives (November 2006 Message tt00685)

Friends,
 
It was specifically against the ?Golden Dawn? and its infiltration in the theosophical movement  that H.P.B. wrote her well-known text ?Lodges of Magic?. In it, she condemns the idea of  using ritualism and lower psychic powers (lower sidhis) ?  and explains why. It would degenerate into ?pseudomagic? with selfish purposes. (1) 
 
A detailed analysis about that complex political situation  was made by Mr. R.A. Gilbert and published by the Theosophical History Centre. (2)   At p. 06 of the document, he says that HPB wrote ?Lodges of Magic? in order to fight  Golden Dawn? infiltration.   
 
R. A. Gilbert says more.  After demonstrating that Golden Dawn infiltrated and  imitated the theosophical movement while promising people ?the use of psychic powers?, he defends the thesis that the main reason for the creation of the Esoteric Section (Esoteric School)  was to control that infiltration. He says HPB wanted to offer something for people who felt attracted by the ?occult promises? of the Golden Dawn. 
 
While this is an exaggeration, it is true that the need to prevent infiltration from Golden Dawn and any other such grolup in a Society open to universal brotherhood might well be among the several reasons for creating the ES.  Of course, the ES did not aim at ?magical? purposes, but its goal was training and preparing people for lay discipleship. 
 
The need to  moderate and control sexual energies ( something absolutely necesssary for Raja Yoga ) was one of the reasons why the Golden Dawn people could not remain in the theosophical movement. 
 
HPB also discusses related matters, and explains the Raja Yoga viewpoint taught by the Eastern Adepts, in her famous texts  ?Practical Occultism? and ?Occultism versus The Occult Arts?, and in many other less known texts. 
 
For her, the goal is not to create an outer, ritualistic temple. The only true temple, she taught, is in one?s own heart and mind, as recommended by Paul in I Corinthians III.   After metaphorically describing the process of building a temple whose foundation is ?Jesus? ( one?s sixth principle, Buddhi), Paul explains the metaphor I Co III, 16. Esoterically, ?God? corresponds to ?Atma?, one?s seventh principle. Paul says:  
 
?Surely you know that you are God?s temple and that God?s spirit lives in you! So if anyone destroys God?s temple, God will destroy him. For God?s temple is holy,   and you yourselves are his temple.? 
 
So ?God? is within. Psychologically, rituals ?externalize? the divine world.  This is especially true for modern age.  On the other  hand,  Raja Yoga and Theosophy  say  the divine world and wisdom can only  be found in one?s own consciousness, and not in blind beliefs or  ceremonies. 
 
Regards,  Carlos. 
 
NOTES:
 
(1) ?Lodges of Magic?, a text included in  the ULT pamphlet  ?Teachers and Disciples - Articles by H. P. Blavatsky?, The Theosophy Company, Los Angeles, 40 pp. (see pp. 4-9).  See also, ?H.P.B. Collected Writings?, TPH, India/USA, 1988, volume X, pp. 124- 130. 
 
(2) ?The Golden Dawn and the Esoteric Section?, R. A. Gilbert,  a pamphlet published by the  Theosophical History Centre, London, 1987, 24 pp. 
 


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