Theos-Talk Archives (February 2010 Message tt00070)

Dear friends

My views are:

My views on Alice A. Bailey and other teachers relations to masonic teachings and politics I recently posted about here at theos-talk. I will seek to throw a few more words about the issue in previous post and this present post here at Theos-talk forum.


PART 2 - The Alice A. Bailey groups involvement in Masonry and politics...

2.
One of the major differences between Alice A. Bailey and Annie Besant's teachings were that the former rejected the latters promotions of J. Krishanmurti as the World Teacher (Maitreya). And the latter rejected the formers Tibetan voice as being Djwhal Khul's and a Masters.


a)
Annie Besant:

Annie Besant sought to connect the Indian National Congress and her Home Rule League with Olcott and Blavatsky.

There are, (try page 25-27) a few allusions to Annie Besant's political acceptance of involving the Theosophical Society directly with her politicial activities in her book "The future of Indian politics" - a contribution to the understanding of present-day problems; (1922) - Published through the apparently NON-POLITICAL: The Theosophical Publishing House!
"The new departure in 1913 resembled in one marked way the new departure when the National Congress was planned in 1884. The seed of both was planted by the Theosophical Society. It was at the Theosophical Convention of that year that a small group of earnest Theo-sophists â deeply concerned for the political future of their country and aroused to a sense of her past powers and her then present impotence by the awakening crusades of H. P. Blavatsky and Henry Steele Olcott, stirring the educated to self-respect and res-pect for their Nation â meeting in Adyar, decided to make an effort for political redemption".
(http://www.archive.org/details/futureofindianpo00besarich) 

- An Interesting book, can only be recommended to those who consideres what the Theosophical Society really has turned into today, in a more or less clear manner, when promoting Annie Besant as a great political leader.


b)
Alice A. Bailey:

Alice A. Bailey (or her Tibetan) sought to connect Blavatsky and the theosophical teachings with the Scottish Rite Freemasonry and its political acitivites. This will perhaps be disputed by various Alice A. Bailey teachers. But the printed words on paper cannot be rejected just like that.

- (A) -
Alice A. Bailey (Tibetan) on Masonry and the Scottish Rite:
"These three grades of appreciation or of comprehension of the initiatory process are hinted at in the Masonic Work. The ceremonial aspect can be related to the degrees of Entered Apprentice and of Fellow Craft, plus certain little-practiced degrees, as for instance that of Mark Mason degree and one or two others; these are expansions of the implied teaching. The initiations, covered by the term symbolic representation, find their first hint in the sublime third degree, that of Master Mason, in the Holy Royal Arch and in one or two succeeding degrees; the higher degrees of the Scottish Rite constitute a vague and nebulous attempt to hold before the Masons of the world those expansions of consciousness and of growth into the Light which are experienced in the remaining higher initiations - those subject to the process called illumination through revelation."
(AAB The Rays and the Initiations, p. 533)


M. Sufilight says:
And not a word about the fact that the higher degrees were invented by the Jesuits and are spurious when compared with the Eastern Wisdom Teachings of All Ages. And we wonder why?

And not a words about the fact that H. P. Blavatsky said:
"Let no one object to this assertion which is a well-established fact. I take the opportunity of reminding the Masonic Gentlemen who might read this, that, as far as esoteric Masonry is concerned, nearly all its secrets have disappeared since Elias Ashmole and his immediate successors. If they try to contradict us, we will tell them, as Job did: âThine own mouth condemneth thee and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against theeâ (xv, 6)." 
(HPB's Collected Writings vol. XI, p. 183 - http://www.katinkahesselink.net/blavatsky/articles/v11/y1889_026.htm)



- (B) -
However Alice A. Bailey also said:
"The time has now come, under cyclic law and in preparation for the New Age, for certain changes to be worked by Masons with spiritual understanding. The present Jewish coloring of Masonry is completely out of date and has been preserved far too long, for it is today either Jewish or Christian and should be neither. The Blue Lodge degrees are entirely Jewish in phrasing and wording, and this should be altered. The Higher Degrees are predominantly Christian, though permeated with Jewish names and words. This too should end. This Jewish coloring is today one of the main hindrances to the full expression of Masonic intention and should be changed, whilst preserving the facts and detail and structure of the Masonic symbolism intact. Whatever [419] form the new nomenclature will take (and this change will inevitably come), that too will pass away after due service rendered. Thus the cyclic transformation will proceed until such time as the bulk of humanity, standing upon the fourth Path, will pass through the initiatory process on Sirius, of which our E.-. A.-. degree is a faint reflection."
(AAB The Rays and the Initiations, p. 418)


M. Sufilight says:
If Alice A. Bailey wished that the use of words and vocabulary within the Masonry teachings ought to be changed, we can only wonder why her own books are filled to the brim with Christianized vocabulary and expressions?

And not a word about the fact that the higher degrees were invented by the Jesuits and are spurious when compared with the Eastern Wisdom Teachings of All Ages. And we wonder why?


- (C) -
Foster Bailey.
Foster Bailey was a 32nd or a 33rd degree Mason of the Scottish Rite, a Judge and married to Alice A. Bailey, who herself claimed that the Hierarchy had chosen HER among others to forward some teachings given to her by the Tibetan, which the theosophist know as Djuwal Kuhl or D.K.  - Whether Foster Bailey and Alice A. Bailey was married in a Christian Church has until today never been admitted openly and officially.


Foster Bailey (A 32 degree Mason of the Scottish Rite).
He signed himself:
"Foster Bailey 32-degree" 
("The Spirit of Freemasonry" p. 135)


Foster Bailey (A 32 degree Mason of the Scottish Rite):
"We will regard the so-called higher degress as extensions and elucidations of the three degrees of the Blue Lodge."
("The Spirit of Freemasonry" p. 14)


Foster Bailey (A 32 degree Mason of the Scottish Rite):
Masonry is the descendant of, or is founded upon, a divinely imparted religion which long antedates the prime date of creation as given in our Bible."
....
"First, God the Most High, the G.A.O.T.U. lives and IS. He expresses Himself as the G.G.O.T.U. founded the worlds on number and on the WORD and by HIM the Worlds were build.
 Secondly, man is a son of light, a son of the Father and therefore immortal."...."Belief in God and belief in immortality-- this is the theme and creed of Masonry and to them, all its symbols, its rituals and its secrets bear witness."
("The Spirit of Freemasonry" p. 29)

"Masonry was never confined to the white race. It always has been universal. To be anty-Catholic, anti-Jew or anti-black man is un-Masonic and detrimental to the Order."
....
"Students of the teachings of Walter Leslie Wilmshurst (1867-1939) agree that he had a more profound understanding of the deeper spiritual values of Masonry than any man of his day in England."
("The Spirit of Freemasonry" p. 143)

Let me comment on these quotes:
- Quote one from page 135, we cannot find givning our support. The higher grades of Masonry were given by the jesuits and do not coinside with the Eastern doctrines of the Wisdom Teachings of all ages. 
- Quote two on page 14 we clearly will disagree with as theosophists. 
- Quote three from page 29, gives the impression that God is the Grand Arhcitect of the Universe. But we as theosophists denies the use of the word God and Grand Arhcitect of the Universe (G.A.O.T.U.), because they are per definition misleading the Seekers into a wrong view about the theosophical teachings. Again the unfortunate use of vocabulary are not properly taken into account. Some will seek to down-water this kind of dualistic promotions, but reject it we will as theosophists (Try mahatma Letter no. 10, 138 or  the "View of the Chohan on the T.S." - http://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/mahatma/ml-choh.htm).
- Quote four from page 143 we will disagree with in the sense, that the Catholic doctrines and its Church are dead against what the theosophical teachings stands for. Foster Bailey is not mentioning the Protestants here, and we can wonder why?
- Quote five. We simply disagree. Walter Leslie Wilmshurst's teachings are in many respects opposed to H. P. Blavatsky's theosophical teachings. The below ought to be more than enough.

Try MASONIC INITIATION - by Walter Leslie WILMSHURST 1867-1939:
"These organisations were the representatives of a stream of Hermetic tradition and practice, the upper reaches of which go back into pre-Christian times, into Egypt, and to the Rabbinical mystics and Kabbalists, among whom existed a secret, guarded lore of the Cosmos and of human life ; a lore which found only partial, though cryptic, expression in the Hebrew Scriptures in terms of building . With them the building and the subsequent vicissitudes of Solomon's Temple (whether this was ever an historical material erection or not) provided a' great glyph or mythos of the up-building of the human soul, whether considered individually or collectively ; and as the course of Hebrew history advanced and the stream of circumstances and mystical tradition widened into its Christian development, the same symbolic terminology continued to be used . Accordingly the Gospels, the Epistles, and the Apocalypse are found to teem with Masonic imagery and allusions to spiritual building. "
.......
"To the clear-seeing eye the narrative in the Gospels, apart from all questions of historicity, is a drama of Initiation written for that time, for every eye to see, and for every mind to profit by ; for what previously had been but adumbrated and approached by a few individuals in the concealment of the Mystery-schools, became, at the Incarnation, objectified, universalised and made generally accessible ;- in other words the Gospels became a manual of Initiation-instruction to the whole world according to the measure of individual capacity to receive it, notwithstanding that large tracts of knowledge remained unproclaimed in those Gospels but were reserved for more private communication. "
(Try MASONIC INITIATION - by Walter Leslie WILMSHURST 1867-1939 - http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/Wilmshurst_masonic_initiation_fr.html - Chapter IV)

And we disagree about these views given by Walter Leslie Wilmshurst on the Gospels.


The book "The Spirit of Freemasonry" is sold by Lucis Trust and promoted on their website today jan. 2010.

- - -

H. P. Blavatsky said:
"Elias Ashmole, the last of the Rosicrucians and alchemists. Admitted to the freedom of the Operative Masons' Company in London, in 1646, he died in 1692. At that time Masonry was not what it became later; it was neither a political nor a Christian institution, but a true secret organization, which admitted into the ties of fellowship all men anxious to obtain the priceless boon of liberty of conscience, and avoid clerical persecution."
(Isis Unveiled, vol. II, p. 349)

H. P. Blavatsky said:
"Let no one object to this assertion which is a well-established fact. I take the opportunity of reminding the Masonic Gentlemen who might read this, that, as far as esoteric Masonry is concerned, nearly all its secrets have disappeared since Elias Ashmole and his immediate successors. If they try to contradict us, we will tell them, as Job did: âThine own mouth condemneth thee and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against theeâ (xv, 6)."
(Volume 11, Blavatsky Collected Writings Page 183)



M. Sufilight says further:
See also The Secret Doctrine, vol. II, p. 556 - The Scottish Rite has since 1949 until today year 2010 - mainley - operated through politics or the use of the Christian Bible as their main book at their Altar. - Therefore, I find Alice A. Bailey's words on Freemasonry quite problematic, and they are hardly an acceptable theosophical teaching since the Christian Dogmas and the Bible contains a pernicious doctrine. This I say even if Alice A. Bailey's writings are against Christian Orthodox teachings. And I do it because she had a husband, who was a 32 degree Mason of the Schottish Rite, and because Alice A. Bailey never openly clealry opposed these Masonic groups spurious doctrines. And because she appearntly considered Masonic groups to be the future teaching groups among the advanced occultists.

The theosophical teachings are altruism at its core! Blavatsky never omitted emphasis on this. Therefore Annie Besant quite likely went too far when indicating that Blavatsky and Olcott were behind the idea of the Indian National Congress. Especially because we find Olcott to be against it (HPB Letters to A.P.Sinnett, p.327), and Blavatsky calling a politician a "walking LIE!" (BCW, vol. 10 P. 293) 

And, we find through honest comparative studying, that Alice A. Bailey and Annie Besant operated in a manner where political activity was emphasised to such an degree, that the - vital - difference between political activity and theosophical wisdom teachings were heavily confused and down-watered.  And the teachings about Amta-Vidya or Gupta-Vidya was also down-watered by Annie Besant and Alice A. Bailey. We know, that Amta-Vidya and Gupta-Vidya teachings are to be found in the esoteric versions of Buddhism and Adwaita teachings. And not primarily among Western Masonic groups which promotes the higher degrees of masonry created by the Jesuits. (Blavatsky:"ENQUIRER. But how does Theosophy explain the common origin of man? - THEOSOPHIST. By teaching that the root of all nature, objective and subjective, and everything else in the universe, visible and invisible, is, was, and ever will be one absolute essence, from which all starts, and into which everything returns. This is Aryan philosophy, fully represented only by the Vedantins, and the Buddhist system. With this object in view, it is the duty of all Theosophists to promote in every practical way, and in all countries, the spread of non-sectarian education. " - The Key to Theosophy, 1890, p. 43-44)

She said - only - by the Vedantins, and the Buddhist system.
The question is now whether T. Subba Row was right with regard to the above when he said that Blavatsky gave out too much in her Secret Doctrine, and Master M. (Mahatma Letter no. 47) that she was too outspoken?





3.
Master K.H. to Olcott - the famous Shannon letter (1888):
"One of the most valuable effects of Upasikaâs mission is that it drives men to self-study, and destroys in them blind servility for persons. Observe your own case for example. But your revolt, good friend, against her âinfallibilityââas you once thought itâhas gone too far, and you have been unjust to her, for which I am sorry to say you will have to suffer hereafter along with others. Just now, on deck, your thoughts about her were dark and sinful, and so I find the moment a fitting one to put you on your guard. . . .â
âTry to remove such misconceptions as you will find, by kind persuasion and an appeal to the feelings of loyalty to the cause of truth, if not to us. Make all these men feel that we have no favourites, nor affections for persons, but only for their good acts and humanity as a whole. But we employ agentsâthe best available. Of these, for the last thirty years, the chief has been the personality known as H.P.B. to the world (but otherwise to us). Imperfect and very âtroublesome,â no doubt, she proves to some; nevertheless, there is no likelihood of our finding a better one for years to come, and your Theosophists should be made to understand it"
(Blavatsky Collected Writings volume 10 Page 138 - http://www.katinkahesselink.net/blavatsky/articles/v10/y1888_078.htm )

M. Sufilight says:
This ought to set everything straight. The Masters employ agents not only in the Theosophical Society, but appearntly also in other Societies. And which ones may we ask? Those who Blavatsky allowed among members of her Esoteric Section seems more likely than many others in the Western part of the globe. These were the Masons. - But that does not make any Masonry group esoterical in its foundations! Far from it, and especially when such a group continue to deny or down-water the Gupta-Vidya teachings about the Divine within each human, and replace them with a tendency to dualistic teaching about Divinity.

But if this employing of agents is really true, we as theosophists suddenly find ourselves in a so to speak "hide and seek" society, where secrecy can be more important than openness. - But that is not new. When the theosophical Seeker realises the fact that Clairvoyance is a reality it becomes clear that a lot of invisible activity (and therefore secret) is going on before his or her ignorant consciousness. And that even on various levels of clairvoyance.

Even so, the Masters only seek to guide politicians from time to time. And they also seek to guide others. But going so far as to say, that a Master sometimes operates as a politician in these times, is maybe going a bit too far, although the Alice A. Bailey writings support this view. I say this because the below quote on Blavatsky does not really promote the view that a Master operates as a politician.

4. 

H. P. Blavatsky said about politics:
"Then why make an exception for the T. S.? Justice, like charity, ought to begin at home. Will you revile and scoff at the "Sermon on the Mount" because your social, political and even religious laws have, so far, not only failed to carry out its precepts in their spirit, but even in their dead letter? Abolish the oath in Courts, Parliament, Army and everywhere, and do as the Quakers do, if you will call yourselves Christians. Abolish the Courts themselves, for if you would follow the Commandments of Christ, you have to give away your coat to him who deprives you of your cloak, and turn your left cheek to the bully who smites you on the right. "Resist not evil, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you," for "whosoever shall break one of the least of these Commandments and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven," and "whosoever shall say 'Thou fool' shall be in danger of hell fire.""
(See also The Key to Theosophy, p. 55 )
 
 
I might be in error, but then I will say that H. P. Blavatsky also must have been in error to a certain degree. And the above, was as far as I know, not mentioned by Alice A. Bailey and Annie Besant - at least not with regard to politics and masonry involvements.
 
All that said, I will agree with those who say that today year 2010 things have changed and a great number of Masonic groups are less dogmatic and more in acceptance with the theosophical teachings. But this does certainly not imply, that one as a theosophist will agree upon that most Masonic groups are run by advanced Occultist and high esoterical teachings - with a clear understanding of the importance the Eastern theosophical Doctrines.

And the political situation has much to ask for. It is even today filled with problems like greed for physical things (or rather "toys to play with"), selfish greed for power, dogmatic religious greed and rituals, lies, walking lies, journalistic lies, falseness and spin, betrayals, and a failure to consider that human ethics comes from within each individual and not really through human-made laws on a piece of paper. Psychology or rather spiritual Psychology usign the allegorical and symbolic keys are still being kept down by a heavy religious dogmatic cloud, which have reigned for several hundreds of years on many parts of the globe.

These are however only my views, and I might be in error.
I wrote them so be of service to us all.


So why meddle with politics and be involved with political disputes?



Any comments?
 
 
M. Sufilight


----- Original Message ----- 
From: Morten Nymann Olesen 
To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com 
Sent: Saturday, February 06, 2010 9:36 AM
Subject: Theos-World Externalizations and Dangers from the Dark Brothers


  
Dear friends

My views are:

I will throw a quote from Alice A. Bailey's book named "Letters on Occult Meditation" so to make people aware of that this particular book contain something of value, although it has its errors here and there...
Yet we cull the good in each as they say.

"Danger from the Dark Brothers
August 4, 1920



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