Re: Theos-World Courage of Conviction
Feb 19, 2008 02:30 PM
by meredith_bill
Thanks for your thoughts.
nigel_healy wrote:
Hello to you all.
"A man who outgrows an old belief and grasps
a broader concept should not be branded
inconsistent because he has changed his mind.
He is inconsistent only if he tries to
reconcile the new and the old and live a
comprimise between them." (Manly P.Hall)
A foolish *consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds*, adored by
*little* statesmen and philosophers and divines. Ralph Waldo Emerson,
Self-Reliance *...*
It seems to me very strange indeed that after
centuries of intellectual oppression through
religious dogmatic domination and outright
terror, we currently find ourselves in a time
when the noose has been loosened, we have been
given a substantial amount of Occult Knowledge
- Spiritual TRUTH from very obviously legitimate
sources (to anyone who has investigated the
recent Thesophical Movement in an unbiased
fashion)..... and yet we continue to hold on
to these old religious tenets as if they were
an aging member of the family that we have
grown particularly fond of, who tells us stories
that take us back to our childhood and feelings
of comfort and warm security!
And we do this,it seems, because we are 'free' to!
It does not seem so strange to me. I wonder could you tell us one
"Spiritual TRUTH?" What is obvious to one may not be so obvious to
another. Does this mean that something is wrong with one or the other?
There is a gulf of a difference between a free
thinking mind, and one that is scattered,
unfoccused and not quite able to fill in those
worn grooves.
I have met free thinkers whose thoughts appear scattered and unfocused
to others. However, I have learned that all is not always as it first
appears.
The Spiritual Path, as we know from The Voice
of The Silence, is not an easy one and requires
courage of conviction, humility, dharana and
plenty of kshanti!
I would think that most of us on this group
are in a position to continue the work, in
whatever way we can, of H.P.B. and her(our)
Teachers in alleviating the suffering of All
beings, which includes breaking the chains of
religious dogma.
Let's not waste this wonderful opportunity.
I understand what you are saying here. Still, unless we are free to
waste opportunities, are we really free? One man's opportunity is
another's restriction. Who shall decide for anyone but himself?
"The approximate and vague conception of the
spiritual truths of existence provided by the
revealed religions of the world and the code
of conduct based on them are adequate for man
in the early stages of his spiritual evolution
but not for the seeker after Truth who wants
to free himself from the illusions and
limitations of the life on the lower planes
of existence."
It is for each to decide the degree of freedom he or she wishes to
exercise in this life. As Chuck recently said, "One of the first rules
of life is to never allow yourself to be limited by someone else's
definition of responsibility."
"If he ignores it (Truth) and prefers to live
a "free" life without any restraints or
direction he does it to his own disadvantage
and will have to come back to it sooner or
later at the cost of much suffering and loss
of time. In a world governed by natural and
spiritual laws in every sphere and directed
by an overall Plan and Purpose we cannot live
lawlessly and purposelessly."
(I.K. TAIMNI; Science and Occultism)
Sure we can.
Kind regards,
nigelH
--bill
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