Theos-Talk Archives (March 2009 Message tt00117)

A Brief Overview of Theosophy

by James A. Santucci

Theosophy or "Divine Wisdom" according to Helena Petrovna Blavatsky
(1831-91) and her followers, refers to the Ultimate Truth of the
Supreme, the Cosmos, and Humanity. It is a Truth that in its pure
form is primordial, in that it existed from the dawn of Humanity;
esoteric, since only those few individuals capable of understanding
such knowledge are allowed to receive it; and universal, because all
great minds throughout the world enunciated the same Wisdom. Though
esoteric, at least a portion of the Wisdom was "known in every
ancient country having claim to civilization." [2]

Furthermore, it was Blavatsky's contention that the Wisdom could be
partially recoverable from a "comparative study and analysis" [3] of
selected philosophers (Pythagoras, Plato, Plotinus, Porphyry,
Proclus, Patañjali, and Shankara) or schools of philosophies (the
Greek Mystery Schools, Neo-Platonism, Vedanta, Taoism, Cabalism), and
the sacred writings of the great historical religions (Christianity,
Hinduism, Buddhism). 

A study of these philosophers, schools, and religions by Blavatsky,
under the guidance of two Masters of this Ancient Wisdom [4] ?one
usually identified by the initials K. H. (Koot Hoomi), the other by
the initial M. (Morya)?led to the writing of her two great works,
Isis Unveiled and The Secret Doctrine, works that partially revealed
the Ancient Wisdom in a modern form. [5]

The "Truth" that has been revealed in The Secret Doctrine [SD], the
principal source of modern theosophical doctrine, [6] and works based
on its contents may be summarized in the following statements:

(1)  a single, Supreme, Eternal, Immutable, Unknown and Unknowable,
Infinite Principle or Reality [SD 1:14];

(2) the fundamental unity of all existence: no thing is apart from
the Infinite Reality [7] ;

(3) the eternal, manifested Universe and everything within it is
subject to the "law of periodicity, of flux and reflux, ebb and
flow": such is the doctrine of cycles [SD 1:17];

(4) the evolution of nature?material and spiritual [8] ?reflects
progressive development and not merely repetitive action [SD 1:43,
277-78; 11:6531;

(5) the evolution of the individual is not limited to one life but
continues through innumerable lives made possible by the process of
reincarnation, the entrance of Self?the trinity of Spirit, Soul, and
Mind ?into another (human) body [9] ;

(6) this evolution is brought about by the Law of Cause and Effect?
Karma ?a teaching that assigns full and individual responsibility to
the individual who performs the action as well as providing the
impetus to future births or incarnations [10] ;

(7) the structural framework of the universe, humanity included, is
by nature septenary in composition [SD II:605-41] [11] ;

(8) the cyclic, evolving universe is hierarchical in constitution,
each component?for instance, our Solar System, Planetary Round, Globe
Round?repeating the same divisions of time as the Universal Solar
System but on different scales [SD II:68f., 434f.];

(9) with regard to Humanity evolution on the Earth is taking place in
seven major groups called Root Races, each of which is divided into
seven sub-races. At the present time, we humans belong to the fifth
sub-race (the Anglo-Saxon) of the fifth Root Race (Aryan) [SD 1:610;
II:lf., 86f., 300f., 434f., 688f.];

(10) the individual is in actuality the microcosm, a "miniature copy
of the macrocosm" [SD 1:274], or to put it in terms of the Hermetic
Axiom:

As in the Inner, so is the Outer; as is the Great, so is the Small;
as it is above, so it is below; 
there is but ONE LIFE AND LAW; and he that worketh it is ONE.  
Nothing is Inner, nothing is Outer;
nothing is GREAT, nothing is Small;
nothing is High, nothing is Low, in the Divine economy [12] ;

(11) the universe is guided and animated by a cosmic Hierarchy of
sentient beings, each having a specific mission [SD 1:274-77].

Quoted from:
http://blavatskyarchives.com/santuccitheosophy.htm

Daniel
Blavatsky Archives
http://blavatskyarchives.com