Theos-Talk Archives (September 1994 Message tl00020)

> >Gerald> Most Christians are taught to be ethical.  In fact,
church attendance and ethics are quite sufficient to get most
Christians into heaven.  The problem that I have with ethics is
motive...

Motive is everything was once written by one of HPB's Masters.  A
point which has stuck with me many years.

> ...Most
>  Christians (and I shouldn't really pick on Christians, because it is
>  true across the board) are ethical because they believe that this
>  will get them into heaven.  In other words, ethics are a means to an
>  end, and this end involves the inflation of ego.  Theosophists are
>  not supposed to be interested in inflating the ego, but rather the
>  opposite.
>       As a theosophist, has the thought ever come to you that by
>  being more ethical you will move toward spirituality?  The thought
>  often sounds something like this:  "If I am ethical, I will tread the
>  path, I will become enlightened, I will increase my good karma, I
>  will further my spiritual evolution."  Has it?  If so, then please
>  tell me the difference between the theosophist and the Christian.
>  Are not both on similar ego trips?  Even the tiny little thought
>  that by helping someone, I will lessen my karmic burden and thus
>  my next life will be better, is an ego trip...

While I agree these kind of thoughts do contain an element of
selfishness, I wouldn't characterize them as "ego trips".  That
seems overly harsh.  Besant, I think, suggested it was at least a
step in the right direction and one shouldn't expect everyone to
be perfectly unselfish in the beginning.  Acting in self-interest
is a part of natural law which motivates in the immature personal
ego, but that same law slowly confinces us that acting
unselfishly is even more in our own Self-interest--once we begin
to percive we are all One.

>...And yet I hear this kind of stuff in
>  theosophical literature all the time.  I submit that it matters very
>  little whether we seek to enter heaven or seek a better future life
>  on Earth - both ideas are egoistic.
>  ...
>
>
> Any ideas?
>
> Peace, aki.
>
> Oulu, Finland.
>
Here's a few of mine.
                Lewisllucas@mercury.gc.peachnet.edu