From guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk Sat Jan 6 03:07:20 1996 Date: Sat, 06 Jan 1996 03:07:20 GMT From: guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk (Dr. A.M.Bain) Message-Id: <9599@nellie2.demon.co.uk> Subject: Adyar Rules (4) Lines: 108 Adyar International Rules (File 4) 23. President may Sue The Society may sue and be sued in the name of the President. 24. Secretary to affix Seal The Secretary may, with the authority of the President, or of the two substitutes appointed according to Rule 22, affix the Seal of the Society on all instruments requiring to be sealed, and all such instruments shall be signed by the President or by the two substitutes above mentioned and the Secretary. 25. Death or resignation of President On the death or resignation of the President, the Secretary shall at once make arrangements for the election of a new President, in accordance with Rule 10, and until such new President is elected the Vice-President shall perform the duties of President. 26. Headquarters Headquarters of the Society are established at Adyar, Madras, and are outside the jurisdiction of the Indian Section. 27. Permission to reside The President shall have full power and discretion to permit to any person use of any premises or portion thereof in the Adyar Estate for occupation and residence, on such terms as the President may lay down, or to refuse permission so to occupy or reside. Any person occupying such premises under the permission granted by the President shall, on a fortnight's notice given by or on behalf of the President, unconditionally quit the premises before the expiry of that period. When circumstances warrant It, the fortnight's notice may be dispensed with and the person shall quit immediately when required to do so. 28. Eligibility for membership Every person of ten full years of age, without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste or colour, shall be eligible for membership in the Society, but those under the age of eighteen shall be admitted to membership only with the written consent of parent or guardian, and shall have no right to vote until they have reached the age of eighteen years. 29. Admission to membership (a) Admission to membership may be obtained through the President of a Lodge (Branch), the General Secretary of a National Society or, through the Secretary; and a Diploma (Certificate) of membership shall be issued to the Fellow, bearing the signature of the President, and countersigned by the General Secretary, where the applicant resides within the territory of a National Society, or countersigned by the Secretary, if admission to membership has been obtained through the Secretary. (b) Admission to membership shall be at the discretion of the National Society or the international Secretary, as the case may be. Membership Date (c) The date of membership will begin: (i) When admission has been made through the General Secretary, Regional Secretary, Organizing Secretary, or Presidential Representative from the date of acceptance by the General Secretary, Regional Secretary, Organizing Secretary or Presidential Representative as entered by him and duly reported to the Secretary at Adyar. (ii) When admission has been made through the Secretary, from the date of acceptance of the application by him, and so recorded in his office. (d) Members may not be full members of more than one Lodge (Branch) at a time, but may be accepted as Affiliated or Honorary Members of Lodges (Branches) other than the one in which they are full members. Affiliated or Honorary Members may possess such rights and privileges as are accorded to them by the Lodge (Branch) in which they hold such membership, but they shall not be founder members of new Lodges (Branches), but if a member becomes a founder member of a new Lodge (Branch), he must become a full member of such) Lodge (Branch) and shall relinquish full membership in any other Lodge (Branch). Affiliated or Honorary Members are not to be counted in the international records or vote in international elections other than through the Lodges (Branches) in which they hold full membership. (e) Without prejudice to the provisions of Rule 10, no member in good standing for less than two years shall have the right to vote in elections and other matters pertaining to Lodges, Federations, Regional Associations, National Societies or other duly constituted bodies of the Theosophical Society. In the case of newly formed Lodges (Branches), or where the civil code or corporate law prohibits restrictions on voting rights, the General Secretary, or National Council or Committee, or the International Secretary, as the case may be, shall have the power to waive the requirements of this rule. Where such waiver becomes necessary, alternative safeguards shall be provided to ensure that the character of the Society is preserved in all its duly constituted bodies, and properties safeguarded. From guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk Sun Jan 7 02:43:37 1996 Date: Sun, 07 Jan 1996 02:43:37 GMT From: guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk (Dr. A.M.Bain) Message-Id: <9644@nellie2.demon.co.uk> Subject: Adyar Rules (5) Lines: 179 Adyar Rules (File 5) 30. Lodges and Fellows within a National Society Lodges (Branches) and Fellows, whether unattached or attached to a Lodge (Branch), residing within the territory of a National Society, shall normally belong to that National Society, unless coming under Rule 31. Provided that with the consent of the General Secretaries concerned a member who belongs to one National Society may, while retaining his membership of that National Society, belong to another National Society as an Affiliated or Honorary Member, but he shall not cast a vote in matters relating to The Theosophical Society in the National Society in which he is an Affiliated or Honorary Member. When a National Society under its own rules provides for Life Membership in that National Society, such Life Membership shall no longer be effective where a Member resides in the territory of or transfers his membership to another National Society, unless the specific approval of the General Secretaries concerned has been granted. 31. Lodges and Fellows within a National Society but attached direct to Adyar or to another National Society (a) When an individual Fellow in good standing, for any serious and weighty reason, sufficient in the opinion of the President to justify such action, is desirous of leaving the National Society to which he belongs, but is not desirous of leaving The Theosophical Society, such individual Fellow may become directly attached to Headquarters, Adyar, severing all connection with the National Society. Such application must be made through the General Secretary of the National Society concerned who shall be under obligation duly to forward such application to the President as expeditiously as possible. This shall equally apply in the case of the admission of any new member. (b) A Fellow of The Theosophical Society in good standing who is desirous of leaving the National Society to which he or she belongs or ought to belong under Rule 30 and of joining another National Society, may be permitted by the President to do so provided such Fellow presents reason sufficient in the opinion of the President to justify such action, and provided further that the application for transfer is submitted with the approval of the General Secretaries of both National Societies concerned. This rule shall apply equally in the case of the admission of a new member. (c) When a Lodge (Branch), for any serious and weighty reason, sufficient in the opinion of the President to justify such action, is desirous of leaving the National Society to which it belongs, but is not desirous of leaving The Theosophical Society, such Lodge (Branch) may become directly attached to Headquarters, Adyar, severing all connection with the National Society. Such application must be made through the General Secretary of the National Society concerned who shall be under obligation duly to forward such application to the President as expeditiously as possible. Before any Lodge (Branch) shall have the right to apply to be directly attached to Headquarters, Adyar, it shall have mailed to each of its members individually a notice that such application is about to be considered. Such notice must be mailed not less than two weeks before the meeting at which such consideration is to take place, and voting on the application shall be deferred until two months after that meeting. If at such first meeting, or any succeeding meeting pursuant thereto, it is decided to bring the application to a vote as herein provided, a full report of the reasons for such action shall at once be sent to the General Secretary of the National Society concerned. Any application for separation from the National Society to which a Lodge (Branch) belongs shall be ineffective unless two-thirds of the members of the Lodge (Branch) vote in favour thereof. (d) In the event of any undue delay in the transmission of any application under any of the foregoing provisions of this Rule, a correct copy of such applica tion (duly signed or otherwise authenticated) may be transmitted directly to the President by the Fellow or Lodge (Branch) concerned, and the President may act on such copy if in his absolute discretion it appears to him to be fit or proper that he should so act. Any action so taken by the President shall be as valid and effectual, for all purposes, as if it had been taken on the original application submitted for transmission to the President. The Fellow or Lodge (Branch), when forwarding such copy to the President directly, shall state the full grounds and reasons for the direct transmission. 32. Lodges and Fellows where no National Society exists Lodges (Branches) or Fellows-at-large, in countries where no National Society exists, must apply for their Charters or Diplomas (Certificates) directly to the Secretary, and may not, without the sanction of the President, belong to National Societies within the territorial limits of which they are not situated or resident. 33. Formation of a Lodge Any seven Fellows may apply to be chartered as a Lodge (Branch). In a country where no National Society exists the application must be forwarded to the President of the Society through the Secretary. The Presidents, Secretaries and other Officers, including Committee Members, of Lodges (Branches) shall have been members in good standing for not less than two consecutive years immediately prior to their election. In the case of newly formed Lodges (Branches), or in other special circumstances, the General Secretary or National Council or Committee, or the international Secretary, as the case may be, shall have the power to waive the requirements of this rule. Three or more members, but less than seven, may apply for certification as an Official Study Centre, but such Official Study Centres shall not be considered as units to be counted in application for the formation of a National Society. 34. President grants, refuses Charters The President shall have authority to grant or refuse applications for Charters, which if issued, must bear his signature and that of the Secretary, and the Seal of the Society, and be recorded at the Headquarters of the Society. 35. Formation of a National Society (a) A National Society may be formed by the President, upon the application of seven or more chartered Lodges (Branches) consisting of at least 70 members of the Society in good standing. Formation of a Section (b) Upon the application of seven or more chartered Lodges (Branches) in areas which are territorially adjacent and in which there are not sufficient Lodges (Branches) for each national group to form a National Society, the President shall have authority at his discretion to issue (and to cancel) a Charter constituting such Lodges (Branches) into a Section. The Charter shall confer the same powers as one issued to a National Society. In all respects the rules applying to National Societies shall apply to any group of Lodges (Branches) holding a Charter under this rule. Formation of a Regional Association (c) The President shall have authority at his discretion to issue (and to cancel) a certificate of Regional Association to any national or territorially adjacent group of Lodges (Branches) not sufficient in number or otherwise unable to form or to maintain a National Society, as defined in these Rules, or where in his judgement territorial division or other causes have made such Regional Association necessary or desirable. Any such Regional Association may elect an Organizing Secretary or other executive officer or officers for the purpose of further organization and the transaction of business. A Regional Association shall not appoint a General Secretary (as the term is used in these Rules) nor be represented on the General Council. In all other respects the Rules applicable to National Societies and to General Secretaries shall apply to Regional Associations and to their chief executives. Appointment of Presidential Representatives (d) The President shall have authority at his discretion to appoint and to withdraw appointments of Presidential Representatives to act under his instructions for the purposes of conducting the business and administration of the Society in any place and in any respect not inconsistent with these Rules. Each such appointment and the power delegated to each such Representative shall be evidenced by a Letter of Appointment referring to this Rule. From guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk Mon Jan 8 03:10:20 1996 Date: Mon, 08 Jan 1996 03:10:20 GMT From: guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk (Dr. A.M.Bain) Message-Id: <9724@nellie2.demon.co.uk> Subject: Adyar Rules (6) Lines: 297 Adyar Rules (File 6) (Last one - Appendix to follow). 36. Authority of Charters and Diplomas (a) All Charters of National Societies or Lodges (Branches) and all Diplomas (Certificates) of membership derive their authority from the President, acting as Executive Officer of the General Council of the Society, and may be cancelled by the same authority. (b) Without prejudice to the provisions of sub-rule (a), a National Society, Section or Regional Association may cancel the Charter of a Lodge (Branch) within its area. This power shall be exercised by the Governing Body or Committee which is responsible, according to the constitution, rules and regulations of the National Society, Section or Regional Association, for the management of the business and affairs of the National Society, Section or Regional Association. (c) The Lodge (Branch) may appeal to the President against the cancellation of its Charter under sub-rule (b) within a period of three months from the date or receipt of the order of cancellation of the Charter, and the President may either uphold or quash the order of cancellation. The decision of the President shall be deemed to be effective from the date or the order of cancellation or the Charter by the National Society, Section or Regional Association. Provided that if the President does not pass an order on the appeal within a period or nine months from the date or receipt of the appeal, the cancellation or the Charter shall be deemed to have been upheld. Minimum number of members for National Society (d) If at any time the number or members in good standing of a National Society falls below seventy and the number of Lodges (Branches) falls below five, the President may, at his discretion withdraw its Charter. In the event of the Charter not being withdrawn, the General Secretary of the Section concerned shall cease to have voting rights as a member of the General Council until the necessary numerical strength is recovered. 37. Rules or Lodges and National Societies Each Lodge (Branch) and National Society shall have the power to make its own Rules which shall not be incompatible with the Rules of the National Society to which the Lodge (Branch) belongs or with the Rules of The Theosophical Society. All Rules of Lodges (Branches) and National Societies and amendments thereto shall be submitted for approval within thirty days of their adoption as follows : (a) In the case of a Lodge (Branch) belonging to a National Society, all such Rules and amendments shall be submitted to the General Secretary of that National Society, and shall be put into force if approval has not been refused within ninety days of acknowledgement of their receipt by the General Secretary of the National Society. (b) In the case of a National Society, or of a Lodge (Branch) not situated within the territory of a National Society, or of a Lodge directly attached to Adyar under Rule 31 (c) all such Rules or amendments thereto shall be submitted directly to the international President, and shall be put into force if approval has not been refused within nine months of acknowledgement of their receipt. If by a change made in a Rule of The Theosophical Society, any Rule of a National Society, which at its inception was not incompatible with the Rules of The Theosophical Society, ceases to be compatible, such a Rule of the National Society shall cease to be valid and shall be amended so as to be in consonance with the Rules of The Theosophical Society. If by a change made in a Rule of a National Society, any Rule of a Lodge (Branch) which at its inception was not incompatible with the Rules of the National Society, ceases to be compatible, such a Rule of the Lodge (Branch) shall cease to be valid and shall be amended so as to be in consonance with the Rules of the National Society. 38. General Secretary (a) Every National Society shall elect a General Secretary, who shall be the channel of official communication between the General Council and the National Society. (b) The General Secretary shall be elected according to the procedure laid down in the rules and regulations of the National Society for a term not exceeding three years. He shall, however, be eligible for re-election for a further term or terms, if' the rules of' the National Society permit it. (c) The General Secretary shall generally reside within the area of the National Society and shall not be absent from the area for any period or periods exceeding the limit prescribed by the National Society. (d) General Secretaries, Regional Secretaries, Organizing Secretaries and other Officers, including Committee Members of National Societies and Regional Associations, shall have been members in good standing for not less than three consecutive years immediately prior to their election to the office concerned. Provided that in special circumstances, the National Council or Committee shall have power to waive the requirements of this rule. 39. Annual Report The General Secretary of each National Society, the Regional Secretaries. Presidential Representatives and Secretaries of Lodges directly attached to Adyar shall forward to the President, annually, not later than the first day of November, a report of the year's work, along with an audited financial statement of accounts with an English translation where necessary; and at any time furnish any further information the President or the General Council may desire. 40. National Societies known as Sections National Societies hitherto known as Sections which have been incorporated under the name of 'The...Section of The T.S.' before the year 1908, may retain that name in their respective countries, in order not to interfere with the incorporation already existing, but shall be included under the name of National Societies for all purposes in these Rules and Regulations. 41. Fees and Subscriptions The President, Secretary and Treasurer shall together have the power to fix or vary fees and charges payable to the General Treasury by Lodges (Branches) not comprised within the limits of any National Society ; for Charters of such Lodges (Branches); of Diplomas (Certificates) of Membership and for Annual Subscription of Fellows of such Lodges (Branches); and in the case of Lodges (Branches) comprised within the jurisdiction of a National Society, Regional Association, or Presidential Agency for Charters when printed at or supplied by the Adyar Headquarters. The Secretary should inform the General Council within three months of any changes in fees and charges. The Annual Subscription of Fellows other than Fellows-at-large or members of Lodges (Branches) attached directly to Adyar shall be the amount prescribed for Annual Subscription by the bylaws or other regulations of the National Society to which such Fellows are attached, or equivalents. 42. Fellows-at-large: Fees and Subscriptions Fellows-at-large resident within the territory of a National Society under the Provision of Rule 31 (a) shall pay to the General Treasury as Entrance Fee and as Annual Subscription the amounts prescribed by the bylaws or other regulations of such National Society, but not less than the fee and subscription fixed for a Fellow-at-large not resident within the territory of a National Society. Fellows-at-large not resident within the territory of a National Society, shall pay such Entrance Fee, Diploma Fee and Annual Subscription as shall be fixed by the President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The Secretary shall inform the General Council of any changes in such fees within three months of their being made. 43. National Societies: Fees to Adyar (a) Each National Society shall pay into the General Treasury fifteen per cent of the total amount of fees payable by members to the Section and shall remit the same to the Treasurer at Adyar on or before the first day of March of the current year, and the financial year of the Society shall close on 31st March. Presidential Agencies. Dues (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Rule 41(a) and Rule 42, the President at his discretion may authorize Presidential Representatives to collect dues in territories to which they have been appointed and to remit in accordance with Rule 43(a). 44. Cancellation of Charter or dissolution of National Society or Lodge In the event of the cancellation of any Charter under Rule 36, or the dissolution of any National Society or of a Lodge (Branch), the constituent Charter of the National Society or of the Lodge (Branch), granted by the President, shall ipso facto become forfeited or lapsed, and all property, real or personal, including Charters, Diplomas (Certificates), Seal, Records and other papers belonging to or in the custody of such National Society or Lodge (Branch)' shall vest as follows : Vesting of property of National Society or Lodge (a) in the Society, in the case of a National Society or of a Lodge (Branch) not within the territory of a National Society or of a Lodge (Branch) coming under Rule 31(c) except where the law of the country where the National Society or Lodge (Branch) is situated prohibits such vesting, in which case the property shall vest (as hereinafter provided) and delivery shall be made to the President, or to his nominee on his behalf. (b) in the National Society in which the Lodge (Branch) is situated, in the case of a Lodge (Branch) within the territory of a National Society, said Lodge (Branch) not coming under Rule 31(c), and delivery shall be made to the General Secretary of the said National Society. No National Society or Lodge (Branch) whose Charter shall have become forfeited or lapsed shall continue to use the name, motto, or seal of the Society except for the purpose of vesting in the Society or in the National Society, as the case may be, the real and personal property of such National Society or Lodge (Branch). Revival or transfer of Charter (c) Provided, nevertheless, that the President shall have power to revive the Charter of the National Society or the Lodge (Branch), as the ease may be whose Charter shall have become so forfeited or lapsed, and to transfer the said Charter to other Lodges (Branches) being not fewer than seven in number, or to other Fellows being not less than seven in number, as the case may be, or to such other nominees of' his as in his judgement shall seem best for the interest of' the Society. Provided further that in cases in which the Charter of a Lodge (Branch) had been cancelled by a National Society, Section or Regional Association under sub-rule (b) of Rule 36 and, on an appeal under sub-rule (c) of that Rule, the President quashes the order of cancellation, all property of the Lodge (Branch) shall again vest in the Lodge (Branch), and shall be deemed to have remained so vested from the date of the order of cancellation of the Charter by the National Society, Section or Regional Association. In cases under (a) above, where such vesting in the Society is prohibited by the law of the country in which is situated the National Society or the Lodge (Branch) whose Charter has become forfeited or lapsed as aforesaid, the property shall vest in a local Trustee or Trustees appointed by the President. To effect any transfer of property, to which the Society may become entitled under this Rule, it shall be lawful for the President to appoint an agent or nominee for the purpose of executing any necessary document or documents, or for taking any steps necessary effectually to transfer the said property to the Society. 45. Financial accounts The financial accounts of the Society shall be audited annually by qualified Auditors who shall be appointed by the General Council at each Annual Meeting for the ensuing year. 46. Annual General Meeting The Annual General Meeting or Convention of the Society shall be held at such time and in such place as shall be determined by the Executive Committee in June of each year, but such Annual General Meeting or Convention must be held within nine months of the close of the Society's year and may be held outside India not more than once in every three years. National Societies desirous of inviting the Convention and able to make due arrangements for its accommodation, shall send the invitation at least twelve months prior to the Convention with particulars of the arrangements they propose to make. 47. World Congress Not more than once in every seven years a World Congress of The Theosophical Society may be held at a place and date to be fixed by the General Council, but so as not to interfere with the Annual Convention. 48. Special meetings The President shall have the power to convene special meetings of the Society at his discretion. 49. Changes in Rules and Regulations The General Council, of their own motion or on the motion of the Executive Committee and after at least three months' notice has been given to each member of said Council, may, by a three-fourths vote of those members who vote in person, in writing, or by proxy, make, alter or repeal the Rules and Regulations of the Society, in such manner as it may deem expedient. 50. Bylaws The General Council may frame by-laws not inconsistent with these Rules and Regulations and may add to, alter, or repeal such bylaws, consistently with the said Rules and Regulations, as it may deem expedient. From guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk Mon Jan 8 03:37:02 1996 Date: Mon, 08 Jan 1996 03:37:02 GMT From: guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk (Dr. A.M.Bain) Message-Id: <9725@nellie2.demon.co.uk> Subject: Adyar Rules (Appendix) Lines: 108 APPENDIX A: Biographical Data of Presidential Candidates Each candidate shall submit to the Secretary biographical data not exceeding two hundred words. The following information shall be included : (a) date and place of birth (b) education (c) past and present occupations (d) date of joining The Theosophical Society (e) work done for The Theosophical Society. Other information may be included but must be factual and shall not contain statements of opinion or policy. The biographical data for circulation shall be drawn up by the Election Committee on the basis of the information supplied by the candidates, and shall be approved by the Executive Committee (excluding any candidates for election) before being issued. B: Voting Procedure for a Presidential Election Note: Where the term 'General Secretary' is used, it refers also to Regional Secretary, Organizing Secretary, and Presidential Representative. Where the term 'Section' is used, it refers also to National Society, Regional Association, and Presidential Agency. (a) The Section shall print the voting papers and biographical data as soon as the names of the nominees are announced. Where practicable, in the view or the General Secretary, all the papers should be in the language(s) of the area. It shall be the responsibility of the General Secretary, to ensure that the voting papers together with the biographical data in full are sent to each member. Other material concerning the candidates shall not be circulated. (b) The voting papers shall consist of two parts: the voting slip, and the letter form which the member signs and addresses to the General Secretary. Each member shall be given two envelopes, a small one in which he will place only the voting slip and seal it, and a larger one addressed to the General Secretary, in which he will enclose the small sealed envelope and the letter form signed by him. (c) As the papers are received, the General Secretary, with the scrutineers appointed by the Executive Committee of the Section (preferably not members of that committee), shall open the larger envelopes addressed to him to ensure the validity of the votes by checking the eligibility of the voter who has signed the letter form. He shall then put the small sealed envelopes containing the voting slips into a sealed box. This box shall be opened on the appointed day by the scrutineers. Voting papers received after this date shall be treated as invalid and shall be destroyed unopened. The scrutineers shall open the small envelopes and count the voles given to each candidate (or the number of 'For' or 'Against' votes if there is but one candidate). (d) The General Secretary shall record the result of the count on Form C which will he supplied from the Secretary's Office at the same time as the list to be voted upon. He shall place Form C in the small envelope labelled 'Voting Result. . . . . Section', seal the envelope and enclose it in the larger envelope addressed to the Secretary. This must be sent by airmail or other expeditious means to reach the Secretary within fifteen weeks from the date of issue of the voting list by him. (e) The small envelope containing the voting results of the Section shall be kept unopened in a sealed box by the Secretary until the close of voting. It shall then be opened by the Election Committee. The larger envelope shall be kept separately and shall not be destroyed until after the voting results are announced, and under the authority of the Executive Committee. (f) If the voting returns have not been received by the Secretary within twelve weeks of the date of issue of the voting list by him, he shall cable the General Secretary concerned, informing him of this fact. The General Secretary shall immediately send to the Secretary by airmail or other expeditious means a second (duplicate) voting return in a sealed envelope marked 'Duplicate'. Cabled results will not be accepted. Voting results received after the closing date will be destroyed unopened by the Secretary in the presence of three members of the Executive Committee, nominated by the said Committee, and the particulars of the Section from which the voting results were received and the date on which they were received, shall be recorded in writing, and the Secretary and the three members of the Executive Committee shall affix their signatures thereto. From guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk Mon Jan 8 05:39:52 1996 Date: Mon, 08 Jan 1996 05:39:52 GMT From: guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk (Dr. A.M.Bain) Message-Id: <9756@nellie2.demon.co.uk> Subject: Ocean of Theosophy Lines: 483 Herewith an upload of the intro and chapter one of ~The Ocean of Theosophy~ by W.Q.Judge. Lliasion is taking place with Eldon and Ruben with regard to other basic theosophical texts so as to avoid duplication, and equally important, making the best use of theosophical time :-) For once, the text *follows* my sig .... Alan -- Member, Theosophy International. Member, Human Race. THE OCEAN OF THEOSOPHY - BY WILLIAM Q. JUDGE (pub. 1893) PREFACE AN attempt is made in the pages of this book to write of Theosophy in such a manner as to be understood by the ordinary reader. Bold statements are made in it upon the knowledge of the writer, but at the same time it is to be distinctly understood that he alone is responsible for what is therein written: the Theosophical Society is not involved in nor bound by anything said in the book, nor are any of its members any the less good Theosophists because they may not accept what he has set down. The tone of settled conviction which may be thought to pervade the chapters is not the result of dogmatism or conceit, but flows from knowledge based upon evidence and experience. Members of the Theosophical Society will notice that certain theories or doctrines have not been gone into. That is because they could not be treated without unduly extending the book and arousing needless controversy. The subject of the Will has received no treatment, inasmuch as that power or faculty is hidden, subtle, undiscoverable as to essence, and only visible in effect. As it is absolutely colourless and varies in moral quality in accordance with the desire behind it, as also it acts frequently without our knowledge, and as it operates in all the kingdoms below man, there could be nothing gained by attempting to inquire into it apart from the Spirit and the desire. No originality is claimed for this book. The writer invented none of it, discovered none of it, but has simply written that which he has been taught and which has been proved to him. It therefore is only a handing on of what has been known before. WILLIAM Q. JUDGE. ---------------- THE OCEAN OF THEOSOPHY CHAPTER I THEOSOPHY is that ocean of knowledge which spreads from shore to shore of the evolution of sentient beings; unfathomable in its deepest parts, it gives the greatest minds their fullest scope, yet, shallow enough at its shores, it will not overwhelm the understanding of a child. It is wisdom about God for those who believe that he is all things and in all, and wisdom about nature for the man who accepts the statement found in the Christian Bible that God cannot be measured or discovered, and that darkness is around his pavilion. Although it contains by derivation the name God and thus may seem at first sight to embrace religion alone, it does not neglect science, for it is the science of sciences and therefore has been called the wisdom religion. For no science is complete which leaves out any department of nature, whether visible or invisible, and that religion which, depending solely on an assumed revelation, turns away from things and the laws which govern them, is nothing but a delusion, a foe to progress, an obstacle in the way of man's advancement toward happiness. Embracing both the scientific and the religious, Theosophy is a scientific religion and a religious science. It is not a belief or dogma formulated or invented by man, but is a knowledge of the laws which govern the evolution of the physical, astral, psychical and intellectual constituents of nature and of man. The religion of the day is but a series of dogmas man-made and with no scientific foundation for promulgated ethics; while our science as yet ignores the unseen, and failing to admit the existence of a complete set of inner faculties of perception in man, it is cut off from the immense and real field of experience which lies within the visible and tangible worlds. But Theosophy knows that the whole is constituted of the visible and the invisible, and perceiving outer things and objects to be but transitory it grasps the facts of nature, both without and within. It is therefore complete in itself and sees no unsolvable mystery anywhere; it throws the word coincidence out of its vocabulary and hails the reign of law in everything and every circumstance. That man possesses an immortal soul is the common belief of humanity; to this Theosophy adds that he is a soul; and further that all nature is sentient, that the vast array of objects and men are not mere collections of atoms fortuitously thrown together and thus without law evolving law, but down to the smallest atom all is soul and spirit ever evolving under the rule of law which is inherent in the whole. And just as the ancients taught, so does Theosophy; that the course of evolution is the drama of the soul and that nature exists for no other purpose than the soul's experience. The Theosophist agrees with Prof. Huxley [Essays on Some Controverted Questions. London, 1891] in the assertion that there must be beings in the universe whose intelligence is as mud beyond ours as ours exceeds that of the black beetle, and who take an active part in the government of the natural order of things. Pushing further on by the light of the confidence had in his teachers, the Theosophist adds that such intelligences were once human and came like all of us from other and previous worlds, where as varied experience had been gained as is possible on this one. We are therefore not appearing for the first time when we come upon this planet, but have pursued a long, an immeasurable course of activity and intelligent perception on other systems of globes, some of which were destroyed ages before the solar system condensed. This immense reach of the evolutionary system means, then, that this planet on which we now are is the result of the activity and the evolution of some other one that died long ago, leaving its energy to be used in the bringing into existence of the earth, and that the inhabitants of the latter in their turn came from some older world to proceed here with the destined work in matter. And the brighter planets, such as Venus, are the habitation of still more progressed entities, once as low as ourselves, but now raised up to a pitch of glory incomprehensible for our intellects. The most intelligent being in the universe, man, has never, then, been without a friend, but has a line of elder brothers who continually watch over the progress of the less progressed, preserve the knowledge gained through aeons of trial and experience, and continually seek for opportunities of drawing the developing intelligence of the race on this or other globes to consider the great truths concerning the destiny of the soul. These elder brothers also keep the knowledge they have gained of the laws of nature in all departments, and are ready when cyclic law permits to use it for the benefit of mankind. They have always existed as a body, all knowing each other, no matter in what part of the world they may be, and all working for the race in many different ways. In some periods they are well known to the people and move among ordinary men whenever the social organization, the virtue, and the development of the nations permit it. For if they were to come out openly and be heard of everywhere, they would be worshipped as gods by some and hunted as devils by others. In those periods when they do come out, some of their number are rulers of men, some teachers, a few great philosophers, while others remain still unknown except to the most advanced of the body. It would he subversive of the ends they have in view were they to make themselves public in the present civilisation, which is based almost wholly on money, fame, glory, and personality. For this age, as one of them has already said, "is an age of transition," when every system of thought, science, religion, government, and society is changing, and men's minds, are only preparing for an alteration into that state which will permit the race to advance to the point suitable for these elder brothers to introduce their actual presence to our sight. They may be truly called the hearers of the torch of truth across the ages; they investigate all things and beings; they know what man is in his innermost nature and what his powers and destiny, his state before birth and the states into which he goes after the death of his body; they have stood by the cradle of nations and seen the vast achievements of the ancients, watched sadly the decay of those who had no power to resist the cyclic law of rise and fall; and while cataclysms seemed to show a universal destruction of art, architecture, religion, and philosophy, they have preserved the records of it all in places secure from the ravages of either men or time, they have made minute observations, through trained psychics among their own order, into the unseen realms of nature and of mind, recorded the observations and preserved the record; they have mastered the mysteries of sound and colour through which alone the elemental beings behind the veil of matter can be communicated with, and thus can tell why the rain falls and what it falls for, whether the earth is hollow or not, what makes the wind to blow and light to shine, and greater feat than all - one which implies a knowledge of the very foundations of nature - they know what the ultimate divisions of time are and what are the meaning and the times of the cycles. But, asks the busy man of the nineteenth century who reads the newspapers and believes in "modern progress," if these elder brothers are all you claim them to be, why have they left no mark on history nor gathered men around them? Their own reply, published some time ago by Mr. A. P. Sinnett, is better than any I could write. "We will first discuss, if you please, the one relating to the presumed failure of the 'Fraternity' to leave any mark upon the history of the world. They ought, you think, to have been able, with their extraordinary advantages, to have gathered into their schools a considerable portion of the more enlightened minds of every race. How do you know they have made no such mark? Are you acquainted with their efforts, successes, and failures? Have you any dock upon which to arraign them? How could your world collect proofs of the doings of men who have sedulously kept closed every possible door of approach by which the inquisitive could spy upon them? The precise condition of their success was that they should never be supervised or obstructed. What they have done they know; all that those outside their circle could perceive was the results, the causes of which were masked from view. To account for these results, many have in different ages invented theories of the interposition of gods, special providences, fates, the benign or hostile influences of the stars. There never was a time within or before the so-called historical period when our predecessors were not moulding events and 'making history' the facts of which were subsequently and invariably distorted by historians to suit contemporary prejudices. Are you quite sure that the visible heroic figures in the successive dramas were not often but their puppets? We never pretended to be able to draw nations in the mass to this or that crisis in spite of the general drift of the world's cosmic relations. The cycles must run their rounds. Periods of mental and moral light and darkness succeed each other as day does night. The major and minor yugas must be accomplished according to the established order of things. And we, borne along the mighty tide, can only modify and direct some of its minor currents." [The Occult World. London, 1881. It is under cyclic law, during a dark period in the history of mind, that the true philosophy disappears for a time, but the same law causes it to reappear as surely as the sun rises and the human mind is present to see it. But some works can only be performed by the Master, while other works require the assistance of the companions. It is the Master's work to preserve the true philosophy, but the help of the companions is needed to rediscover and promulgate it. Once more the elder brothers have indicated where the truth - Theosophy - could be found, and the companions all over the world are engaged in bringing it forth for wider currency and propagation. The Elder Brothers of Humanity are men who were perfected in former periods of evolution. These periods of manifestation are unknown to modern evolutionists so far as their number is concerned, though long ago understood by not only the older Hindus, but also by those great minds and men who instituted and carried on the first pure and undebased form of the Mysteries of Greece. The periods, when out of the Great Unknown there come forth the visible universes, are eternal in their coming and going, alternating with equal periods of silence and rest again in the Unknown. The object of these mighty waves is the production of perfect man, the evolution of soul, and they always witness the increase of the number of Elder Brothers; the life of the least of men pictures them in day and night, waking and sleeping, birth and death, "for these two, light and dark, day and night, are the world's eternal ways." [Bhagavad-Gita, Chapter viii]. In every age and complete national history these men of power and compassion are given different designations. They have been called Initiates, Adepts, Magi, Hierophants, Kings of the East, Wise Men, Brothers, and what not. But in the Sanskrit language there is a word which, being applied to them, at once thoroughly identifies them with humanity. It is Mahatma. This is composed of Maha, great, and Atma, soul; so it means great soul, and as all men are souls the distinction of the Mahatma lies in greatness. The term Mahatma has come into wide use through the Theosophical Society, as Mme. H. P. Blavatsky constantly referred to them as her Masters who gave her the knowledge she possessed. They were at first known only as the Brothers, but afterwards, when many Hindus flocked to the Theosophical movement, the name Mahatma was brought into use, inasmuch as it has behind it an immense body of Indian tradition and literature. At different times unscrupulous enemies of the Theosophical Society have said that even this name had been invented and that such beings are not known of among the Indians or in their literature. But these assertions are made only to discredit if possible a philosophical movement that threatens to completely upset prevailing erroneous theological dogmas. For all through Hindu literature Mahatmas are often spoken of, and in parts of the north of that country the term is common. In the very old poem the Bhagavad-Gita, revered by all Hindu sects and admitted by the western critics to be noble as well as beautiful, there is a verse reading, " Such a Mahatma is difficult to find." [Bhagavad-Gita, Chapter vii.] But irrespective of all disputes as to specific names, there is sufficient argument and proof to show that a body of men having the wonderful knowledge described above has always existed and probably exists to-day. The older mysteries continually refer to them. Ancient Egypt had them in her great king-Initiates, sons of the sun and friends of great gods. There is a habit of belittling the ideas of the ancients which is in itself belittling to the people of to-day. Even the Christian who reverently speaks of Abraham as "the friend of God," will scornfully laugh at the idea of the claims of Egyptian rulers to the same friendship being other than childish assumption of dignity and title. But the truth is, these great Egyptians were Initiates, members of the one great lodge which includes all others of whatever degree or operation. The later and declining Egyptians, of course, must have imitated their predecessors, but that was when the true doctrine was beginning once more to be obscured upon the rise of dogma and priesthood. The story of Apollonius of Tyana is about a member of one of the same ancient orders appearing among men at a descending cycle, and only for the purpose of keeping a witness upon the scene for future generations. Abraham and Moses of the Jews are two other Initiates, Adepts who had their work to do with a certain people; and in the history of Abraham we meet with Melchizedek, who was so much beyond Abraham that he had the right to confer upon the latter a dignity, a privilege, or a blessing. The same chapter of human history which contains the names of Moses and Abraham is illuminated also by that of Solomon. And thus these three make a great Triad of Adepts, the record of whose deeds cannot be brushed aside as folly and devoid of basis. Moses was educated by the Egyptians and in Midian; from both he gained much occult knowledge. and any clear- seeing student of the great Universal Masonry can perceive. all through his books the hand, the plan, and the work of a master. Abraham. again, knew all the arts and much of the power in psychical realms that were cultivated in his day, or else he could not have consorted with kings nor have been "the friend of God," and the reference to his conversations with the Almighty in respect to the destruction of cities alone shows him to have been an Adept who had long ago passed beyond the need of ceremonial or other adventitious aids. Solomon completes this triad and stands out in characters of fire. Around him is clustered such a mass of legend and story about his dealings with the elemental powers and of his magic possessions that one must condemn the whole ancient world as a collection of fools who made lies for amusement if a denial is made of his being a great character, a wonderful example of the incarnation among men of a powerful Adept. We do not have to accept the name Solomon nor the pretence that he reigned over the Jews, but we must admit the fact that somewhere in the misty time to which the Jewish records refer there lived and moved among the people of the earth one who was an Adept and given that name afterwards. Peripatetics and microscopic critics may affect to see in the prevalence of universal tradition naught but evidence of the gullibility of men and their power to imitate, but the true student of human nature and life knows that the universal tradition is true and arises from the facts in the history of man. Turning to India, so long forgotten and ignored by the lusty and egotistical, the fighting and the trading West, we find her full of the lore relating to these wonderful men of whom Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Solomon are only examples. There the people are fitted by temperament and climate to be the preservers of the philosophical, ethical, and psychical jewels that would have been forever lost to us had they been left to the ravages of such Goths and Vandals as western nations were in the early days of their struggle for education and civilization. If the men who wantonly burned up vast masses of historical and ethnological treasures found by the minions of the Catholic rulers of Spain, in Central and South America, could have known of and put their hands upon the books and palm-leaf records of India before the protecting shield of England was raised against them, they would have destroyed them all as they did for the Americans, and as their predecessors attempted to do for the Alexandrian library. Fortunately, events worked otherwise. All along the stream of Indian literature we can find the names by scores of great adepts who were well known to the people and who all taught the same story - the great epic of the human soul. Their names are unfamiliar to western ears, but the records of their thoughts, their work and powers remain. Still more, in the quiet unmoveable East there are today, by the hundred, persons who know of their own knowledge that the Great Lodge still exists and has its Mahatmas, Adepts, Initiates, Brothers. And yet further, in that land are such a number of experts in the practical application of minor though still very astonishing power over nature and her forces, that we have an irresistible mass of human evidence to prove the proposition laid down. And if Theosophy - the teaching of this Great Lodge - is as said, both scientific and religious, then from the ethical side we have still more proof. A mighty Triad acting on and through ethics is that composed of Buddha, Confucius, and Jesus. The first, a Hindu, founds a religion which to- day embraces many more people than Christianity, teaching centuries before Jesus the ethics which he taught and which had been given out even centuries before Buddha. Jesus coming to reform his people repeats these ancient ethics, and Confucius does the same thing for ancient and honourable China. The Theosophist says that all these great names represent members of the one single brotherhood, who all have a single doctrine. And the extraordinary characters who now and again appear in western civilization, such as St. Germain, Jacob Boehme, Cagliostro, Paracelsus, Mesmer, Count St. Martin, and Madame H. P. Blavatsky, are agents for the doing of the work of the Great Lodge at the proper time. It is true they are generally reviled and classed as impostors though no one can find out why they are when they generally confer benefits and lay down propositions or make discoveries of great value to science after they have died. But Jesus himself would be called an impostor to-day if he appeared in some Fifth Avenue theatrical church rebuking the professed Christians. Paracelsus was the originator of valuable methods and treatments in medicine now universally used. Mesmer taught hypnotism under another name. Madame Blavatsky brought once more to the attention of the West the most important system, long known to the Lodge, respecting man, his nature and destiny. But all are alike called impostors by a people who have no original philosophy of their own and whose mendicant and criminal classes exceed in misery and in number those of any civilization on the earth. It will not be unusual for nearly all occidental readers. to wonder how men could possibly know so much and have such power over the operations of natural law as I have ascribed to the Initiates, now so commonly spoken of as the Mahatmas. In India, China, and other Oriental lands no wonder would arise on these heads, because there, although everything of a material civilization is just now in a backward state, they have never lost a belief in the inner nature of man and in the power he may exercise if he will. Consequently, living examples of such powers and capacities have not been absent from those people. But in the West a materialistic civilization having arisen through a denial of the soul life and nature consequent upon a reaction from illogical dogmatism, there has not been any investigation of these subjects and, until lately, the general public has not believed in the possibility of anyone save a supposed God having such power. A Mahatma endowed with power over space, time, mind, and matter, is a possibility just because he is a perfected man. Every human being has the germ of all the powers attributed to these great Initiates, the difference lying solely in the fact that we have in general not developed what we possess the germ of, while the Mahatma has gone through the training and experience which have caused all the un- seen human powers to develop in him, and conferred gifts that look god-like to his struggling brother below. Telepathy, mind-reading, and hypnotism, all long ago known to Theosophy, show the existence in the human subject of planes of consciousness, functions, and faculties hitherto undreamed of. Mind-reading and the influencing of the mind of the hypnotized subject at a distance prove the existence of a mind which is not wholly dependent upon a brain, and that a medium exists through which the influencing thought may be sent. It is under this law that the Initiates can communicate with each other at no matter what distance. Its rationale, not yet admitted by the schools of the hypnotizers, is, that if the two minds vibrate or change into the same state they will think alike; or, in other words, the one who is to hear at a distance receives the impression sent by the other. In the same way with all other powers, no matter how extraordinary. They are all natural although now unusual, just as great musical ability is natural though not usual or common. If an Initiate can make a solid object move without contact, it is because he understands the two laws of attraction and repulsion of which "gravitation" is but the name for one; if he is able to precipitate out of the viewless air the carbon which we know is in it, forming the carbon into sentences upon the paper, it is through his knowledge of the occult higher chemistry, and the use of a trained and powerful image-making faculty which every man possesses; if he reads your thoughts with ease, that results from the use of the inner and only real powers of sight, which require no retina to see the fine-pictured web which the vibrating brain of man weaves about him. All that the Mahatma may do is natural to the perfected man; but if those powers are not at once revealed to us it is because the race is as yet selfish altogether and still living for the present and the transitory. I repeat then, that though the true doctrine disappears for a time from among men it is bound to reappear, because first, it is impacted in the imperishable centre of man's nature; and secondly, the lodge forever preserves it, not only in actual objective records, but also in the intelligent and fully self-conscious men who, having successfully overpassed the many periods of evolution which preceded the one we are now involved in, cannot lose the precious possessions they have acquired. And because the elder brothers are the highest product of evolution through whom alone, in co-operation with the whole human family, the further regular and workmanlike prosecution of the plans of the Great Architect of the Universe could be carried on, I have thought it well to advert to them and their Universal Lodge before going to other parts of the subject. From guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk Tue Jan 9 22:43:45 1996 Date: Tue, 09 Jan 1996 22:43:45 GMT From: guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk (Dr. A.M.Bain) Message-Id: <9806@nellie2.demon.co.uk> Subject: TI info and list Lines: 102 The TI list at present stands as listed below. If you have not yet responded regarding the addition of further personal information, it would be a great help if you would do so - even if you want it left "as is" - many thanks. THEOSOPHY INTERNATIONAL comprises those who subscribe to the the three objects of the TS, but in a more up to date form based on suggestions by members of the internet community, and expressed thus: 1. To form a nucleus within the universal human family, without discrimination with regard to sex (including sexual orientation), creed, class, or color. 2. To encourage and engage in the study of comparative religion, theosophy, philosophy, and the scientific method, according to individual ability and inclination. 3. To investigate unexplained laws of nature and unrealized human potential and abilities, at the same time respecting _all_ life. THEOSOPHY INTERNATIONAL is simply a Theosophical Network, whereby it is sufficient to declare one's sympathy and/or allegiance to the three objects, and to be registered as having done so. No belief system is required *nor assumed to be held* by any member. There are no fees, no subscriptions, although voluntary donations and/or contributions *could* be made to specific projects or even individuals for particular and specified purposes. As THEOSOPHY INTERNATIONAL does not have and does not need rules, whether anyone participates in or supports any such activity is an entirely personal matter. We do hope to be of service, and to share what we have with others. ------------------------ List of current members: Contact and affiliation information is provided for some members who have expressed a wish to be identified further as a means of promoting our work, and who will be pleased to provide details of "what's on offer" either from the member personally, or within the local area, where specified. Members outside the U.S.A. are also identified by country. Jerry Hejka-Ekins; Richard P. Taylor; Sy Ginsburg: Theosophical Society in Miami, TSA. E-mail: 72724.413@compuserve.com Liesel F. Deutsch: liesel@dreamscape.com Bee Brown (NZ); Peter Walstra (NL): Member, Theosophical Society in the Netherlands (Adyar). World Theosophical Youth Federation. Agni Yoga Society. Database administrator ntional theosophical library/ E-mail: pwalstra@pi.net Murray Stentiford (NZ): Theosophical Society in New Zealand (Auckland) E-mail: murray@sss.co.nz Alan Bain (UK): Member, Theosophical Society in England (Bristol). E-mail: guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk Jerry Schueler; Eldon B. Tucker; [Anne Picker;] ? Not on latest theos-l review listing. John E. Mead: jem@vnet.net John R. Crocker; K. Paul Johnson; Keith Price; Kim Poulsen (DK); Charles W. Cosimano E-mail: Drpsionic@aol.com R.A. Gilbert (UK): Member, Theosophical Society in England (Bristol). Bookseller, Occult, Masonic and Theological. Mrs. Geraldine Beskin (UK): One House Lodge, Stowmarket, Suffolk. Abbreviations: TSA: Theosophical Society in America (Adyar). ULT: United Lodge of Theosophists. TSP: Theosophical Society, Pasadena -- Member, Theosophy International. Member, Human Race. From guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk Tue Jan 9 22:41:52 1996 Date: Tue, 09 Jan 1996 22:41:52 GMT From: guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk (Dr. A.M.Bain) Message-Id: <9805@nellie2.demon.co.uk> Subject: TI list Lines: 16 PLEASE NOTE: I am placing all THEOSOPHY INTERNATIONAL postings on theos-buds, as previously mentioned. See theos-buds for current statment and list of members. TIA Alan -- Member, Theosophy International. Member, Human Race. From guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk Wed Jan 10 23:30:40 1996 Date: Wed, 10 Jan 1996 23:30:40 GMT From: "Dr. A.M.Bain" Message-Id: <9900@nellie2.demon.co.uk> Subject: 1900 letter Lines: 66 NOTE: I am not sure where I dowloaded this from (maybe theos-l!). I do not know therefore the significance of the remarks at the end. However, there are two dots instead of one at the end of two sentences (*); maybe it refers to these points. AB. THE 1900 LETTER A psychic and a pranayamist who has got confused by the vagaries of the members. The T.S. and its members are slowly manufacturing a creed. Says a Thibetan proverb "credulity breeds credulity and ends in hypocrisy." How few are they who can know anything about us. Are we to be propitiated and made idols of. Is the worship of a new Trinity made up of the Blessed M., Upasika and yourself to take the place of exploded creeds. We ask not for the worship of ourselves. The disciple should in no way be fettered. Beware of an Esoteric Popery. The intense desire to see Upasika reincarnate at once has raised a misleading Mayavic ideation. Upasika has useful work to do on higher planes and cannot come again so soon. The T.S. must safely be ushered into the new century. You have for some time been under deluding influences. Shun pride, vanity and love of power. Be not guided by emotion but learn to stand alone. Be accurate and critical rather than credulous. The mistake of the past in the old religions must not be glossed over with imaginary explanations. The E.S.T. must be reformed so as to be as unsectarian and creedless as the T.S..* The rules must be few and simple and acceptable to all. No one has the right to claim authority over a pupil or his conscience. Ask him not what he believes. All who are sincere and pure minded must have admittance. The crest wave of intellectual advancement must be taken hold of and guided into spirituality. It cannot be forced into beliefs and emotional worship. The essence of the higher thoughts of the members in their collectivity must guide all action in the T.S. and E.S..* We never try to subject to ourselves the will of another. At favourable times we let loose elevating influences which strike various persons in various ways. It is the collective aspect of many such thoughts that can give the correct note of action. We show no favours. The best corrective of error is an honest and open-minded examination of all facts subjective and objective. Misleading secrecy has given the death blow to numerous organizations. The cant about "Masters" must be silently but firmly put down. Let the devotion and service be to that Supreme Spirit alone of which one is a part. Namelessly and silently we work and the continual references to ourselves and the repetition of our names raises up a confused aura that hinders our work. You will have to leave a good deal of your emotions and credulity before you become a safe guide among the influences that will commence to work in the new cycle. The T.S. was meant to be the corner-stone of the future religions of humanity. To accomplish this object those who lead must leave aside their weak predilections for the forms and ceremonies of any particular creed and show themselves to be true Theosophists both in inner thoughts and outward observances. The greatest of your trials is yet to come. We watch over you but you must put forth all your strength. K.H. (Underlined print indicates omitted sections). -- Member, Theosophy International. Member, Human Race. From ???@??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000 Date: Thu, 11 Jan 1996 02:46:09 -0600 From: MK Ramadoss Subject: Re: 1900 letter Message-Id: <199601110246.UAA25311@natashya.eden.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Thanks for Alan posting the 1900 letter. When this letter was mentioned a couple of days back, I did not understand what everyone was talking about. I have seen an abridged version published by CJ in 1945. Glad to see the full letter. Where can one find this letter in print? ..doss From guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk Thu Jan 11 03:06:28 1996 Date: Thu, 11 Jan 1996 03:06:28 +0000 From: "Dr.A.M.Bain" Message-Id: Subject: Re: 1900 letter In-Reply-To: <199601110246.UAA25311@natashya.eden.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 In message <199601110246.UAA25311@natashya.eden.com>, MK Ramadoss writes >Thanks for Alan posting the 1900 letter. When this letter was mentioned a >couple of days back, I did not understand what everyone was talking about. I >have seen an abridged version published by CJ in 1945. Glad to see the full >letter. Where can one find this letter in print? > >..doss > I have been trying to remember where I got it! I am pretty sure I downloaded it from somewhere, but some time ago now. The margin format is not mine, which is how I know. Let's hope someone else can answer this - JHE? Alan ------ Member, Theosophy International. Member, Human Race. From paul@actrix.co.at Thu Jan 11 18:51:24 1996 Date: Thu, 11 Jan 1996 19:51:24 +0100 Mime-Version: 1.0 Message-Id: <199601111851.AA14246@Relay1.Austria.EU.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" From: Paul Gillingwater Subject: Re: 1900 letter At 12:06 11/01/96 -0500, you wrote: >I have been trying to remember where I got it! I am pretty sure I >downloaded it from somewhere, but some time ago now. The margin format >is not mine, which is how I know. Let's hope someone else can answer >this - JHE? It first surfaces in a Canadian magzine (perhaps the section magazine), then was republished in the Theosophy History journal. It was published in one of Jinarajadasa's books "Letters from the Masters of Wisdom" I think, but am not sure, with certain passages relating to the E.S. and Annie Besant removed by C.J. at the time. The Canadian publication was AFAIK, the first time it appeared in full. I believe some kind person on the APC Theosophy conference typed it in around 5 years ago, and it has circulated ever since. Paul Gillingwater From bbrown@whanganui.ac.nz Fri Jan 12 08:43:32 1996 Date: Fri, 12 Jan 1996 21:43:32 +1300 Mime-Version: 1.0 Message-Id: <199601120843.VAA14073@nethost.whanganui.ac.nz> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" From: bbrown@whanganui.ac.nz (Bee Brown) Subject: Re: TI info and list > >The TI list at present stands as listed below. If you have not >yet responded regarding the addition of further personal >information, it would be a great help if you would do so - even >if you want it left "as is" - many thanks. >----------------------------------------- > >THEOSOPHY INTERNATIONAL comprises those who subscribe to the the >three objects of the TS, but in a more up to date form based on >suggestions by members of the internet community, and expressed >thus: > >1. To form a nucleus within the universal human family, without >discrimination with regard to sex (including sexual >orientation), creed, class, or color. > >2. To encourage and engage in the study of comparative religion, >theosophy, philosophy, and the scientific method, according to >individual ability and inclination. > >3. To investigate unexplained laws of nature and unrealized >human potential and abilities, at the same time respecting _all_ >life. > >THEOSOPHY INTERNATIONAL is simply a Theosophical Network, >whereby it is sufficient to declare one's sympathy and/or >allegiance to the three objects, and to be registered as having >done so. No belief system is required *nor assumed to be held* >by any member. > >There are no fees, no subscriptions, although voluntary >donations and/or contributions *could* be made to specific >projects or even individuals for particular and specified >purposes. As THEOSOPHY INTERNATIONAL does not have and does not >need rules, whether anyone participates in or supports any such >activity is an entirely personal matter. > >We do hope to be of service, and to share what we have with >others. >------------------------ > >List of current members: > >Contact and affiliation information is provided for some members >who have expressed a wish to be identified further as a means of >promoting our work, and who will be pleased to provide details >of "what's on offer" either from the member personally, or within >the local area, where specified. > >Members outside the U.S.A. are also identified by country. > >Jerry Hejka-Ekins; >Richard P. Taylor; > >Sy Ginsburg: Theosophical Society in Miami, TSA. > E-mail: 72724.413@compuserve.com > >Liesel F. Deutsch: liesel@dreamscape.com > >Bee Brown (NZ);Theosophical Society in New Zealand (Wanganui) >e-mail: bbrown@whanganui.ac.nz >Peter Walstra (NL): Member, Theosophical Society in the > Netherlands (Adyar). World Theosophical Youth Federation. Agni > Yoga Society. Database administrator ntional theosophical library/ > E-mail: pwalstra@pi.net > >Murray Stentiford (NZ): Theosophical Society in New Zealand (Auckland) > E-mail: murray@sss.co.nz > >Alan Bain (UK): Member, Theosophical Society in England (Bristol). > E-mail: guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk > >Jerry Schueler; > >Eldon B. Tucker; > >[Anne Picker;] ? Not on latest theos-l review listing. > >John E. Mead: jem@vnet.net > >John R. Crocker; K. Paul Johnson; Keith Price; > >Kim Poulsen (DK); > >Charles W. Cosimano > E-mail: Drpsionic@aol.com > >R.A. Gilbert (UK): Member, Theosophical Society in England (Bristol). > Bookseller, Occult, Masonic and Theological. > >Mrs. Geraldine Beskin (UK): One House Lodge, Stowmarket, Suffolk. > >Abbreviations: TSA: Theosophical Society in America (Adyar). > ULT: United Lodge of Theosophists. > TSP: Theosophical Society, Pasadena > > >-- >Member, Theosophy International. >Member, Human Race. >---------------------------------------- >Private e-mail: guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk > > Bee Brown Member Theosophy International From guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk Fri Jan 12 02:01:03 1996 Date: Fri, 12 Jan 1996 02:01:03 +0000 From: "Dr.A.M.Bain" Message-Id: Subject: Re: 1900 letter In-Reply-To: <199601111851.AA14246@Relay1.Austria.EU.net> Mime-Version: 1.0 In message <199601111851.AA14246@Relay1.Austria.EU.net>, Paul Gillingwater writes >I believe some kind person on the APC Theosophy conference typed it in >around 5 years ago, and it has circulated ever since. > >Paul Gillingwater Many thanks! Alan ------ Member, Theosophy International. Member, Human Race. From ramadoss@eden.com Sat Jan 13 19:28:29 1996 Date: Sat, 13 Jan 1996 13:28:29 -0600 (CST) Mime-Version: 1.0 Message-Id: <199601131928.NAA21938@natashya.eden.com> Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="=====================_821568702==_" From: MK Ramadoss Subject: Freedom of Thought and Freedom of the Society --=====================_821568702==_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" I am posting the official statements of TS regarding the Freedom of Thought and Freedom of the Society relating to TS, Adyar. This will be very helpful to the newbees as well as a source of reference to long time members to remind ourself relative to the policies of TS, Adyar on these two important topics. ========================================================= --=====================_821568702==_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" The Theosophical Society Freedom of Thought Resolution passed by the General Council of the Theosophical Society As the Theosophical Society has spread far and wide over the civilized world, and as members of all religions have become members of it without surrendering the special dogmas, teachings and beliefs of their respective faiths, it is thought desirable to emphasize the fact that there is no doctrine, no opinion, by whomsoever taught or held, that is in any way binding on any member of the Society, none of which any member is not free to accept or reject. Approval of its three Objects is the sole condition of membership. No teacher or writer, from H. P. Blavatsky downwards, has any authority to impose his teachings or opinions on members. Every member has an equal right to attach himself to any teacher or to any school of thought which he may choose, but has no right to force his choice on any other. Neither a candidate for any office, nor any voter, can be rendered ineligible to stand or to vote, because of any opinion he may hold, or because membership in any school of thoug! ! ! ! ht t o which he may belong. Opinions or beliefs neither bestow privileges nor inflict penalties. The members of the General Council earnestly request every member of the Theosophical Society to maintain, defend and act upon these fundamental principles of the Society, and also fearlessly to exercise his own right of liberty of thought and of expression thereof, within the limits of courtesy and consideration for others. ======================================================== Freedom of the Society Resolution passed by the General Council of the Theosophical Society on 30 December 1950. The Theosophical Society, while co-operating with all other bodies whose aims and activities make such cooperation possible, is and must remain an organization entirely independent of them, not committed to any objects save its own, and intent on developing its own work on the broadest and most inclusive lines, so as to move towards its own goal as indicated in and by the pursuit of those objects and that Divine Wisdom which in the abstract is implicit in the title, The Theosophical Society. Since Universal Brotherhood and the Wisdom are undefined and unlimited, and since there is complete freedom for each and every member of the Society in thought and action, the Society seeks ever to maintain its own distinctive and unique character by remaining free of affiliation or identification with any other organization. ======================================================== (Both the above are copied from The Theosophist - July 1975) -----------------------end------------------------------- --=====================_821568702==_-- From ramadoss@eden.com Mon Jan 15 08:02:32 1996 Date: Mon, 15 Jan 1996 02:02:32 -0600 (CST) Mime-Version: 1.0 Message-Id: <199601150802.CAA13487@natashya.eden.com> Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="=====================_821700340==_" From: MK Ramadoss Subject: Freedom of Thought and Freedom of the Society --=====================_821700340==_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" In my previous post on the subject, for some unknown reason, the text in the middle of the message was split even though nothing was missing. I have reformatted the message and reposting it so that it is more easy to read. Sorry for the reposting. ...doss =================================================================== --=====================_821700340==_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" The Theosophical Society Freedom of Thought Resolution passed by the General Council of the Theosophical Society As the Theosophical Society has spread far and wide over the civilized world, and as members of all religions have become members of it without surrendering the special dogmas, teachings and beliefs of their respective faiths, it is thought desirable to emphasize the fact that there is no doctrine, no opinion, by whomsoever taught or held, that is in any way binding on any member of the Society, none of which any member is not free to accept or reject. Approval of its three Objects is the sole condition of membership. No teacher or writer, from H. P. Blavatsky downwards, has any authority to impose his teachings or opinions on members. Every member has an equal right to attach himself to any teacher or to any school of thought which he may choose, but has no right to force his choice on any other. Neither a candidate for any office, nor any voter, can be rendered ineligible to stand or to vote, because of any opinion he may hold, or because membership in any school of thought to which he may belong. Opinions or beliefs neither bestow privileges nor inflict penalties. The members of the General Council earnestly request every member of the Theosophical Society to maintain, defend and act upon these fundamental principles of the Society, and also fearlessly to exercise his own right of liberty of thought and of expression thereof, within the limits of courtesy and consideration for others. ======================================================== Freedom of the Society Resolution passed by the General Council of the Theosophical Society on 30 December 1950. The Theosophical Society, while co-operating with all other bodies whose aims and activities make such cooperation possible, is and must remain an organization entirely independent of them, not committed to any objects save its own, and intent on developing its own work on the broadest and most inclusive lines, so as to move towards its own goal as indicated in and by the pursuit of those objects and that Divine Wisdom which in the abstract is implicit in the title, The Theosophical Society. Since Universal Brotherhood and the Wisdom are undefined and unlimited, and since there is complete freedom for each and every member of the Society in thought and action, the Society seeks ever to maintain its own distinctive and unique character by remaining free of affiliation or identification with any other organization. ======================================================== (Both the above are copied from The Theosophist - July 1975) -----------------------end------------------------------- --=====================_821700340==_-- From Paul-Williams@msn.com Tue Jan 16 15:53:34 1996 Date: Tue, 16 Jan 96 15:53:34 GMT From: "Paul Williams" Message-Id: Subject: Attachment Converted: "C:\TEMP\TSCREEDS.HCT" From Paul-Williams@msn.com Tue Jan 16 15:54:40 1996 Date: Tue, 16 Jan 96 15:54:40 GMT From: "Paul Williams" Message-Id: Subject: Attachment Converted: "C:\TEMP\WEEKS1.TXT" From liesel@dreamscape.com Tue Jan 16 18:53:01 1996 Date: Tue, 16 Jan 1996 13:53:01 -0500 From: liesel@dreamscape.com (liesel f. deutsch) Subject: Re: Message-Id: <199601161854.NAA02881@future.dreamscape.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Mime-Version: 1.0 Paul, Are you writing in ASCII, or what? Whatever you're writing in, it isn't coming across in legible fashion, but in computerese. 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A(2 \0-.`/'Q`$\`\?$"3@#Q9/$#3@#Q >M\0%/`/'Q`DX`\?$#3@#Q\0)0`/%$\0-0`/'Q`DX`\4E#2_$#3@#Q\0)1`/', >M\0-1`/',@$UAM@&ET\!P$\'. :6Z =&AE@'-H;W N@(!)@'=A<\]F;W)T=6YA=&6 =&AA=(!0 >M875L\!P$\'. 8V]M<'5T97* 9FQA9V=E9(!O=72 =&AE@'9IM98!I=,]C;VYT86UI;F%T962 1&EC:_ M=71EMM =&AE@%-T871E@$5D=6-A=&EO;H!$97!A >M8!D;V5S;O M@&%M;W5N=(!O9H!H;W5R?@&ESSV%L;"Z @/$"4@#Q3$]612R 34%25%GQ`U(`\75R >` >end > > > From Paul-Williams@msn.com Wed Jan 17 18:50:37 1996 Date: Wed, 17 Jan 96 18:50:37 GMT From: "Paul Williams" Message-Id: Subject: An application of 1900 Letter from HCT The following is taken from The High Country Theosophist [Vol. 10 No. 11 -- November, 1995], and illumines a point in theosophical history that HCT editor Dick Slusser thinks that the 1900 Letter applies to. The T.S. and Creeds Reprinted from The Canadian Theosophist Vol. III, No. 12, p. 182 Feb. 15, 1923 In the September [1922] issue of The Canadian Theosphist the following appears, written by Mr. B.P. Wadia1 -- "And on what sandbank of thought2 has the TS stranded? In that of a ready-made programme of spiritual advancement, which has become a creed3, with its saviour-initiates, and eternal hell of lost opportunities, and the devil of jesuitical black magicians, and permanent Garden of Eden 750 years hence in Southern California for the faithful who obey and follow like soldiers of a fanatical army, zealously if not too wisely." Obviously this charge is very much overstated, but it must be admitted that it cleverly indicates a possible development within the T.S. With many of us, the terms ritual and creed bring up unpleasant thoughts -- probably due to unpleasant associations with them in the past. But examined impartially, creeds have their place in religions. Method, order, harmony and peace are fundamental instincts in humanity, and creeds are merely an extension of these instincts. Creeds in religion are parallel to constitutions in societies and organizations, and it is hard to imagine a society of men and women without a constitution of some sort. Similarly, a religious organization could not exist without a creed in some form. Our fight is not so much against creeds as the form these creeds take. Of course creeds limit -- their function is to exclude matter other than that defined in the creed. This is how they work for order and harmony. But it is an error to think that creeds can limit individual progress. No power in the universe could turn back the tide of evolution and reduce the pupil to live over again some condition he had outgrown -- that is, if the condition had really been outgrown. Religions may retrogress, just as universities may go into decay. But humanity passing through these religions neither retrogresses nor decays. Emanating from the Great Masters, religions are simpler and purer at starting than after a lapse of years, for as time goes on they become encumbered with creeds. We cannot think this is any disappointment to the Masters. They surely must anticipate the future developments of the religions they give to the world. Creeds come because human nature demands them. An even should a religion become so creed-bound as to extinguish itself, no great harm is done, for when necessary the Masters can and will give forth another religion. Then, again, at each stage, the religion may still be the "higher-than-self" to its devotees. Egos who could not assimilate its teachings in their original simplicity, may welcome them in a more materialized form. The administrators of the religion who introduce creeds are face to face with the practical difficulties of life, and in fairness we must admit --- except possibly in rare exceptions --- that the creeds they formulate are genuine attempts to meet the practical needs of humanity. The universal existence of creeds is proof of their necessity. When the pupil takes in hand his own spiritual development, creeds appear in a different light. No longer can they help. Instead of guides, they become fetters. But with the wisdom that also comes to him the pupil can afford to be generous to his younger brother who still requires creeds. The T.S. was given to the world openly. It is not an exclusive society of initiates. Its appeal is for all, it is universal. Its teachings are for everybody who can accept them, and the universalness of its appeal makes it inevitable that some drawn to it still have a tendency to creeds. And if they have, what does it matter so long as the cardinal truths of the T.S. are kept foremost? Are we to stop in the great work of giving to the Western World the liberating doctrines of reincarnation, karma and brotherhood because a member here and there formulates the innocent belief of a "permanent Garden of Eden 750 years hence in Southern California"? Even this heaven is in advance of the orthodox heaven. But possibly Mr. Wadia's warning is not altogether ill-timed. Just as individually we must ever keep vigilant watch over ourselves, so collectively we must ever keep a vigilant watch over our society. We must leave behind everything that would mar the work of the T.S., or keep it from being the highest and best. And most of all will we keep the society pure by example, by living our own ideals and being ourselves that which is our highest conception of what the T.S. should be?S.F. Edmonton. End Notes 1. B.P. Wadia resigned from the T.S. in 1922. 2. See The Key To Theosophy, p. 305 3. Ref.; Letter received by Annie Besant in 1900 containing advice over signature of K.H.: "The T.S. and its members are slowly manufacturing a creed. Says a Thibetan proverb `credulity breeds credulity and ends in hypocrisy.' How few are they who can know anything about us. Are we to be propitiated and made idols of? "Is the worship of a new trinity made up of the Blessed M., Upasika and yourself to take the place of exploded creeds? We ask not for the worship of ourselves. The disciple should in no way be fettered. Beware of an Esoteric Popery. "The intense desire to see Upasika reincarnate at once has raised a misleading Mayavic ideation. Upasika has useful work to do on higher planes and cannot come again so soon. "You have, for some time, been under deluding influences. Shun vanity, pride and love of power. Be not guided by emotion but learn to stand alone. Be accurate and critical rather than credulous. "The mistakes of the past in the old religions must not be glossed over with imaginary explanations. The E.S.T. [Esoteric Section., (ed., HCT)] must be reformed so as to be as creedless as the T.S. The rules must be few and simple and acceptable to all. "No one has a right to claim authority over a pupil or his conscience. Ask him not what he believes. All who are sincere and pure minded must have admittance. "The crest wave of intellectual advancement must be taken hold of and guided into spirituality. It cannot be forced into beliefs and emotional worship. The essence of the higher thoughts of the members in their collectivity must guide all action in the T.S. and E.S. "We never try to subject to ourselves, the will of another. "At favourable times we let loose elevating influences which strike various persons in various ways. It is the collective aspect of many such thoughts that can give the correct note of action. "We show no favours. The best corrective of error is an honest and open-minded examination of all facts, subjective and objective. "Misleading secrecy has given the death-blow to numerous organizations. The cant about "masters" must be silently but firmly put down. "Let the devotion and service be to that Supreme Spirit alone, of which one is a part. "Namelessly and silently we work and the continual references to ourselves and our names raises up a confused aura that hinders our work. "You will have to leave a good deal of your emotions and credulity before you become a safe guide among the influences that will commence to work in the new cycle. "The T.S. was meant to be the cornerstone of the future religions of humanity. To accomplish this object, those who lead must leave aside their weak predilections for the forms and ceremonies of any particular creed and show themselves to be true Theosophists, both in inner thought and outward observance. "The greatest of your trials is yet to come. We watch over you but you must put forth all your strength." K.H. [The foregoing, known as "The 1900 Letter," was first printed, unedited, in The Eclectic Theosophist No. 101, Sept. 1987. See also, High Country Newsletter, Aug., 1988. (Ed., HCT.)] From MURRAY@sss.co.nz Thu Jan 18 03:31:04 1996 Date: Thu, 18 Jan 1996 15:31:04 +1200 From: "Murray Stentiford, Scientific Software and Systems Ltd" Subject: Re: Re: Message-Id: <01I05SIKAQXY9214XP@SSS.CO.NZ> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Liesel and Paul, Pardon my butting in, but the computerese coming from Paul looks like UUencoded data for a file called WEEKS1.TXT. This mightn't help in the slightest, but perhaps there's a command or option that could be changed to leave the stuff in straigt ASCII rather than encoding it. Murray Stentiford Member, Theosophy International From guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk Thu Jan 18 10:35:54 1996 Date: Thu, 18 Jan 1996 10:35:54 +0000 From: "Dr.A.M.Bain" Message-Id: Subject: TI membership listing Mime-Version: 1.0 Greetings, fellow mortals! I am proposing to add the e-mail address of all TI members to the "Official" membership list, as these are all readily available from mail headers on theos-l, and by reviewing the theos list subscribers through the listserver. If, by some quaint foible, you don't want this to happen to your own entry, please let me know before Feb 1st, when I shall start a monthly update posting to theos-buds. If you would like other info added (including propaganda for your own local activities) the same applies! Love and kisses, Alan -- Member, Theosophy International. Member, Human Race. From guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk Thu Jan 18 03:23:04 1996 Date: Thu, 18 Jan 1996 03:23:04 +0000 From: "Dr.A.M.Bain" Message-Id: <91Q3gAAY0b$wEw0w@nellie2.demon.co.uk> Subject: Re: In-Reply-To: <01I05SIKAQXY9214XP@SSS.CO.NZ> Mime-Version: 1.0 In message <01I05SIKAQXY9214XP@SSS.CO.NZ>, "Murray Stentiford, Scientific Software and Systems Ltd"@vnet.net writes >Liesel and Paul, > >Pardon my butting in, but the computerese coming from Paul looks like >UUencoded data for a file called WEEKS1.TXT. This mightn't help in the >slightest, but perhaps there's a command or option that could be >changed to leave the stuff in straigt ASCII rather than encoding it. > >Murray Stentiford >Member, Theosophy International That's exactly what it is, and my system decoded it automatically into a readable text file. The other file I got was weirder and seemed to be a report on a restored virus crash quite unrelated to the list - I deleted it. Alan -- Member, Theosophy International. Member, Human Race. From bbrown@whanganui.ac.nz Thu Jan 18 18:49:13 1996 Date: Fri, 19 Jan 1996 07:49:13 +1300 Mime-Version: 1.0 Message-Id: <199601181849.HAA02176@nethost.whanganui.ac.nz> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" From: bbrown@whanganui.ac.nz (Bee Brown) Subject: Re: TI membership listing > >Greetings, fellow mortals! > >I am proposing to add the e-mail address of all TI members to the >"Official" membership list, as these are all readily available from mail >headers on theos-l, and by reviewing the theos list subscribers through >the listserver. > >If, by some quaint foible, you don't want this to happen to your own >entry, please let me know before Feb 1st, when I shall start a monthly >update posting to theos-buds. If you would like other info added >(including propaganda for your own local activities) the same applies! > >Love and kisses, > >Alan >-- >Member, Theosophy International. >Member, Human Race. >---------------------------------------- >Private e-mail: guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk > Hey, great news. NZ has its very own theos-nz list. Just got the msg this morning. It was arranged at the Convention and John Vosterman has organised it. Probably only a handful on it yet but oaktrees grow from small acorns.> Bee Brown Member Theosophy International From ramadoss@eden.com Thu Jan 18 21:40:21 1996 Date: Thu, 18 Jan 1996 15:40:21 -0600 (CST) From: M K Ramadoss Subject: Re: TI membership listing In-Reply-To: <199601181849.HAA02176@nethost.whanganui.ac.nz> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Bee: How do you subscribe to theos-nz? ....doss On Thu, 18 Jan 1996, Bee Brown wrote: > Date: Thu, 18 Jan 1996 13:51:55 -0500 > From: Bee Brown > To: Multiple recipients of list > Subject: Re: TI membership listing > > > > >Greetings, fellow mortals! > > > >I am proposing to add the e-mail address of all TI members to the > >"Official" membership list, as these are all readily available from mail > >headers on theos-l, and by reviewing the theos list subscribers through > >the listserver. > > > >If, by some quaint foible, you don't want this to happen to your own > >entry, please let me know before Feb 1st, when I shall start a monthly > >update posting to theos-buds. If you would like other info added > >(including propaganda for your own local activities) the same applies! > > > >Love and kisses, > > > >Alan > >-- > >Member, Theosophy International. > >Member, Human Race. > >---------------------------------------- > >Private e-mail: guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk > > > Hey, great news. NZ has its very own theos-nz list. Just got the msg this > morning. It was arranged at the Convention and John Vosterman has organised > it. Probably only a handful on it yet but oaktrees grow from small acorns.> > Bee Brown > Member Theosophy International > > From Richtay@aol.com Thu Jan 18 22:54:05 1996 Date: Thu, 18 Jan 1996 17:54:05 -0500 From: Richtay@aol.com Message-Id: <960118175403_120630522@emout04.mail.aol.com> Subject: Re: Re: I could not read the stuff I was sent, I had to throw it away. I can only use files in ASCII. Bummer. From bbrown@whanganui.ac.nz Fri Jan 19 00:53:29 1996 Date: Fri, 19 Jan 1996 13:53:29 +1300 Mime-Version: 1.0 Message-Id: <199601190053.NAA12218@nethost.whanganui.ac.nz> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" From: bbrown@whanganui.ac.nz (Bee Brown) Subject: Re: TI membership listing >Bee: How do you subscribe to theos-nz? ....doss Welcome. Write to John Vosterman at john@actrix.gen.nz and he will put you on the list. I don't know how active it will be but I hope it will be interesting. > > >On Thu, 18 Jan 1996, Bee Brown wrote: > >> Date: Thu, 18 Jan 1996 13:51:55 -0500 >> From: Bee Brown >> To: Multiple recipients of list >> Subject: Re: TI membership listing >> >> > >> >Greetings, fellow mortals! >> > >> >I am proposing to add the e-mail address of all TI members to the >> >"Official" membership list, as these are all readily available from mail >> >headers on theos-l, and by reviewing the theos list subscribers through >> >the listserver. >> > >> >If, by some quaint foible, you don't want this to happen to your own >> >entry, please let me know before Feb 1st, when I shall start a monthly >> >update posting to theos-buds. If you would like other info added >> >(including propaganda for your own local activities) the same applies! >> > >> >Love and kisses, >> > >> >Alan >> >-- >> >Member, Theosophy International. >> >Member, Human Race. >> >---------------------------------------- >> >Private e-mail: guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk >> > >> Hey, great news. NZ has its very own theos-nz list. Just got the msg this >> morning. It was arranged at the Convention and John Vosterman has organised >> it. Probably only a handful on it yet but oaktrees grow from small acorns.> >> Bee Brown >> Member Theosophy International >> >> > > Bee Brown Member Theosophy International From guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk Fri Jan 19 00:31:27 1996 Date: Fri, 19 Jan 1996 00:31:27 +0000 From: "Dr.A.M.Bain" Message-Id: Subject: Secret Doctrine (a) Mime-Version: 1.0 In the uploads from ~The Secret Doctrine~ which will appear here on the list from time to time, various conventions will be observed, and this information file will preface each upload, amended as necessary. The first upload is the title page, dedication, and preface, and is the easy bit! The only convention needed in this part is the use of the underscore key [_] each side of a word or words in order to indicate italics in the original, including book titles. Where parentheses are seen ["] they appears as such in the original text. Thus the word _upload_ here represents that word in italics, whereas the word "upload" is how it is printed in the original. I have yet to fully consult the Gutenburg guidelines for the best means to acuurately but simply represent the many and varied accents and foreign words that appear in H.P.B.'s monumental work, but I thought it would give us all a small boost to see some small part of the work being done ... Alan Bain. THE SECRET DOCTRINE: THE SYNTHESIS OF SCIENCE, RELIGION, AND PHILOSOPHY. BY H. P. BLAVATSKY, AUTHOR OF "ISIS UNVEILED." "There is no Religion higher than Truth." VOL. I. COSMOGENESIS. London: THE THEOSOPHICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY, LIMITED, 7, Duke Street, Adelphi, W.C. WILLIAM Q. JUDGE, 117, Nassau Street, New York. THE MANAGER OF THE THEOSOPHIST, Adyar, Madras. 1888 Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1888 by H. P. Blavatsky, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington, D.C. "This Work I Dedicate to all True Theosophists, In every Country, And of every Race, For they called it forth, and for them it was recorded." Preface. The Author - the writer, rather - feels it necessary to apologise for the long delay which has occurred in the appearance of this work. It has been occasioned by ill-health and the magnitude of the undertaking. Even the two volumes now issued do not complete the scheme, and these do not treat exhaustively of the subjects dealt with in them. A large quantity of material has already been prepared, dealing with the history of occultism as contained in the lives of the great Adepts of the Aryan Race, and showing the bearing of occult philosophy upon the conduct of life, as it is and as it ought to be. Should the present volumes meet with a favourable reception, no effort will be spared to carry out the scheme of the work in its entirety. The third volume is entirely ready; the fourth almost so. This scheme, it must be added, was not in contemplation when the preparation of the work was first announced. As originally announced, it was intended that _The Secret Doctrine_ should be an amended and enlarged version of _Isis Unveiled._ It was, however, soon found that the explanations which could be added to those already put before the world in the last-named and other works dealing with esoteric science, were such as to require a different method of treatment: and consequently the present volumes do not contain, in all, twenty pages extracted from _Isis Unveiled._ The author does not feel it necessary to ask the indulgence of her readers and critics for the many defects of literary style, and the imperfect English which may be found in these pages. She is a foreigner, and her knowledge of the language was acquired late in life. The English tongue is employed because it offers the most widely-diffused medium for conveying the truths which it had become her duty to place before the world. These truths are in no sense put forward as a _revelation;_ nor does the author claim the position of a revealer of mystic lore, now made public for the first time in the world's history. For what is contained in this work is to be found scattered throughout thousands of volumes embodying the scriptures of the great Asiatic and early European religions, hidden under glyph and symbol, and hitherto left unnoticed because of this veil. What is now attempted is to gather the oldest tenets together and to make of them one harmonious and unbroken whole. The sole advantage which the writer has over her predecessors, is that she need not resort to personal speculations and theories. For this work is a partial statement of what she herself has been taught by more advanced students, supplemented, in a few details only, by the results of her own study and observation. The publication of many of the facts herein stated has been rendered necessary by the wild and fanciful speculations in which many Theosophists and students of mysticism have indulged, during the last few years, in their endeavour to, as they imagined, work out a complete system of thought from the few facts previously communicated to them. It is needless to explain that this book is not the Secret Doctrine in its entirety, but a select number of fragments of its fundamental tenets, special attention being paid to some facts which have been seized upon by various writers, and distorted out of all resemblance to the truth. But it is perhaps desirable to state unequivocally that the teachings, however fragmentary and incomplete, contained in these volumes, belong neither to the Hindu, the Zoroastrian, the Chaldean, nor the Egyptian religion, neither to Buddhism, Islam, Judaism nor Christianity exclusively. The Secret Doctrine is the essence of all these. Sprung from it in their origins, the various religious schemes are now made to merge back into their original element, out of which every mystery and dogma has grown, developed, and become materialized. It is more than probable that the book will be regarded by a large section of the public as a romance of the wildest kind; for who has ever even heard of the book of Dzyan? The writer, therefore, is fully prepared to take all the responsibility for what is contained in this work, and even to face the charge of having invented the whole of it. That it has many shortcomings she is fully aware; all that she claims for it is that, romantic as it may seem to many, its logical coherence and consistency entitle this new Genesis to rank, at any rate, on a level with the "working hypotheses" so freely accepted by modern science. Further, it claims consideration, not by reason of any appeal to dogmatic authority, but because it closely adheres to Nature, and follows the laws of uniformity and analogy. The aim of this work may be thus stated: to show that Nature is not "a fortuitous concurrence of atoms," and to assign to man his rightful place in the scheme of the Universe; to rescue from degradation the archaic truths which are the basis of all religions; and to uncover, to some extent, the fundamental unity from which they all spring; finally, to show that the occult side of Nature has never been approached by the Science of modern civilization. If this is in any degree accomplished, the writer is content. It is written in the service of humanity, and by humanity and the future generations it must be judged. Its author recognises no inferior court of appeal. Abuse she is accustomed to; calumny she is daily acquainted with; at slander she smiles in silent contempt. _De minimis non curat lex._ H. P. B. London, _October,_ 1888. Uploaded by Alan -- Member, Theosophy International. Member, Human Race. From am455@lafn.org Sat Jan 20 17:47:35 1996 Date: Sat, 20 Jan 1996 09:47:35 -0800 From: am455@lafn.org (Nicholas Weeks) Message-Id: <199601201747.AA05293@lafn.org> Subject: Hilarion to WQ Judge In late April of 1887 WQ Judge wrote to HPB in London. His letter must have had some note of depression in it. When HPB's response reached Judge, he found another letter, from the Adept Hilarion, enclosed. I am sure it lifted Judge's spirits -- so also it will inspire us. ******************** LEAVES OF THEOSOPHICAL HISTORY [The following is from a copy which is held in the archives of the Theosophical Headquarters at Point Loma and together with the heading is reproduced verbatim et literatim.] COPY OF A LETTER RECEIVED IN ONE FROM H.P.B. POSTMARKED MAY 10TH, 1887 You say you are a "sad case" and yet you have in your heart so great a love for humanity and for the individual members of the race that you are haunted night and day by thoughts of their suffering, ignorance and pain. It is such as you who hold the human race from falling into that bottomless pit of emptiness where despair is forgotten and where effort is unknown. My dear friend, for that you are, being truly the friend of all who are looking for the light, do not forget that you are living in a very dark and sad Maya of intensely physical life. The whole busy continent of America is eaten up by materialism and when an effort is made towards psychic life it results only in dragging that psychic life into matter where it dies as a volatile gas escapes in the hands of one who is not expert. The sadness of this fact colors your letter. You know that any school founded amongst you would at once become a school of practical magic working in order to produce results in matter. This is quite true. The reason is that even those who are most in earnest among you have no true psychic aspirations. Remedy this in yourself and endeavor to remedy it in others by word and example. Desire no results which are forms of power. Desire only, in your efforts, to reach nearer to the center of life (which is the same in the Universe and in yourself) which makes you careless whether you are strong or weak, learned or unlearned. It is your divinity; it is the divinity we all share. But its existence is not credited by those who look only for money or power or success in material effort. (I include intellect in matter.) Lean I pray you in thought and feeling away from these external problems which you have written down in your letter; draw on the breath of the great life throbbing in us all and let faith (which is unlearned knowledge) carry you through your life as a bird flies in the air -- undoubtingly. Only remember one thing -- when once you fling yourself on the great life of Nature, the force that keeps the world in motion and our pulses beating and which has within it, in its heart, a supreme and awful power -- once having done that, you can never again claim back your life. You must let yourself swing with the motions of the spheres. You must live for other men and with them; not for or with yourself. You will do this, I am sure. [signed with outline of triangle.] ["Theosophical Forum," Vol. VI #9, May 15, 1935, p. 232] -- Nicholas <> am455@lafn.org <> Los Angeles "Men must learn to love the truth before they thoroughly believe it." HP Blavatsky From liesel@dreamscape.com Sat Jan 20 20:17:31 1996 Date: Sat, 20 Jan 1996 15:17:31 -0500 From: liesel@dreamscape.com (liesel f. deutsch) Subject: Re: Hilarion to WQ Judge Message-Id: <199601202018.PAA06632@future.dreamscape.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Mime-Version: 1.0 Thanks for that beautiful quote, Nicholas. It's also real cogent.I printed it out, because I want to be able to reread it from time to time.> Liesel ............................................................................... >In late April of 1887 WQ Judge wrote to HPB in London. His letter must >have had some note of depression in it. When HPB's response reached >Judge, he found another letter, from the Adept Hilarion, enclosed. I am >sure it lifted Judge's spirits -- so also it will inspire us. >******************** >LEAVES OF THEOSOPHICAL HISTORY > >[The following is from a copy which is held in the archives of the >Theosophical Headquarters at Point Loma and together with the >heading is reproduced verbatim et literatim.] > >COPY OF A LETTER RECEIVED IN ONE FROM H.P.B. POSTMARKED MAY 10TH, >1887 > >You say you are a "sad case" and yet you have in your heart so >great a love for humanity and for the individual members of the >race that you are haunted night and day by thoughts of their >suffering, ignorance and pain. It is such as you who hold the human >race from falling into that bottomless pit of emptiness where >despair is forgotten and where effort is unknown. > >My dear friend, for that you are, being truly the friend of all who >are looking for the light, do not forget that you are living in a >very dark and sad Maya of intensely physical life. The whole busy >continent of America is eaten up by materialism and when an effort >is made towards psychic life it results only in dragging that >psychic life into matter where it dies as a volatile gas escapes in >the hands of one who is not expert. The sadness of this fact colors >your letter. You know that any school founded amongst you would at >once become a school of practical magic working in order to produce >results in matter. This is quite true. The reason is that even >those who are most in earnest among you have no true psychic >aspirations. Remedy this in yourself and endeavor to remedy it in >others by word and example. > >Desire no results which are forms of power. Desire only, in your >efforts, to reach nearer to the center of life (which is the same >in the Universe and in yourself) which makes you careless whether >you are strong or weak, learned or unlearned. It is your divinity; >it is the divinity we all share. But its existence is not credited >by those who look only for money or power or success in material >effort. (I include intellect in matter.) > >Lean I pray you in thought and feeling away from these external >problems which you have written down in your letter; draw on the >breath of the great life throbbing in us all and let faith (which >is unlearned knowledge) carry you through your life as a bird flies >in the air -- undoubtingly. Only remember one thing -- when once >you fling yourself on the great life of Nature, the force that >keeps the world in motion and our pulses beating and which has >within it, in its heart, a supreme and awful power -- once having >done that, you can never again claim back your life. You must let >yourself swing with the motions of the spheres. You must live for >other men and with them; not for or with yourself. You will do >this, I am sure. > >[signed with outline of triangle.] > >["Theosophical Forum," Vol. VI #9, May 15, 1935, p. 232] > > >-- >Nicholas <> am455@lafn.org <> Los Angeles > "Men must learn to love the truth before they thoroughly believe it." > HP Blavatsky > > From guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk Sun Jan 21 03:46:12 1996 Date: Sun, 21 Jan 1996 03:46:12 +0000 From: "Dr.A.M.Bain" Message-Id: Subject: Secret Doctrine Upload Mime-Version: 1.0 SDC.TXT In the uploads from ~The Secret Doctrine~ which will appear here on the list from time to time, various conventions will be observed, and this information file will preface each upload, amended as necessary. The first convention needed is the use of the underscore key [_] each side of a word or words in order to indicate italics in the original, including book titles. Where parentheses are seen ["] they appears as such in the original text. Thus the word _upload_ here typed represents that word in italics, whereas the word "upload" is how it is printed in the original. I originally intended consult the Gutenburg guidelines for the best means to accurately but simply represent the many and varied accents and foreign words that appear in H.P.B.'s monumental work, but as these are so numerous and varied, I have rendered all accents as the simple and obvious nearest English English character, thus any form of the letters a.e.i.o.u. will appear as a.e.i.o.u. In the text of the SD are numerous footnotes, often including Greek and Hebrew words as well as Sanskrit etc. These notes are incorporated into the text in this e-text version at the place where a footnote is indicated in the original. Such footnotes are identified as such by being enclosed within curly brackets - {}. Greek words are transliterated as nearly as possible into their phonetic English equivalents, thus "theta" becomes "th" and both _omicron_ and _omega_ become "o". Conventions for Hebrew vary, and I am deferring a decision on which to use until I actually come across some. :-). Readers with some knowledge of these languages will have little difficulty indentifying original words, and those with no such knowledge will probably not be overly concerned - if they are serious enough in their studies, they may, perhaps, take up these languages to a degree sufficient for esoteric study to be rendered simpler to comprehend. This may not make for technical or academic accuracy, but the sense of the text is little, if in any way affected, and students want a text they can consult quickly and easily. E-texts have the great advantage of providing a readily *searchable* version of a work, but they are by no means the best way of reading one. There are no page numbers in this version, as there have been so many different editions of the SD, and the pagination is different in nearly all of them. My SD vol. 1 has 740 numbered pages. To put it simply, I would be hard pressed to snuggle up by the fire for a good read with my PC and all its connected bits and pieces. Sooner or later, if we really care enough, and if we want to know strongly enough, we will get the printed version. And, I have found in these matters, when the pupil is ready, the book appears - along with the cash to buy it ....... Alan Bain. January, 1996. SDC.TXT Table of Contents Preface. Introductory Table of Contents VOLUME FIRST. Proem BOOK I., PART I. COSMIC EVOLUTION. Seven Stanzas Translated from the Book of Dzyan STANZA I. The Night of the Universe STANZA II. The Idea of Differentiation STANZA III. The Awakening of Kosmos STANZA IV. The Septenary Hierarchies STANZA V. Fohat: The Child of the Septenary Hierarchies STANZA VI. Our World, its Growth and Development Theosophical Misconceptions Explanations Concerning the Globes and the Monads STANZA VI. Our World, its Growth and Development - Continued STANZA VII. The Parents of Man on Earth Summing Up BOOK I., PART II. THE EVOLUTION OF SYMBOLISM IN ITS APPROXIMATE ORDER. I. Symbolism and Ideographs II. The Mystery Language and its Keys III. Primordial Substance and Divine Thought IV. Chaos:Theos:Kosmos V. The Hidden Deity, its Symbols and Glyphs VI. The Mundane Egg VII. The Days and Nights of Brahma VIII. The Lotus as a Universal Symbol IX. Deus Lunus (The Moon; Phoebe) X. Tree and Serpent and Crocodile Worship XI. Demon est Deus Inversus XII. The Theogony of the Creative Gods XIII. The Seven Creations XIV. The Four Elements XV. On Kwan-Shi-Yin and Kwan-Yin BOOK I., PART III. SCIENCE AND THE SECRET DOCTRINE CONTRASTED. I. Reasons for these Addenda II. Modern Physicists are Playing at Blind Man's Buff III. An Lumen Sit Corpus nec non? IV. Is Gravitation a Law? V. The Theories of Rotation in Science VI. The Masks of Science VII. An Attack on the Scientific Theory of Force By A Man of Science. VIII. Life, Force, or Gravity? IX. The Solar Theory X. The Coming Force XI. On the Elements and Atoms XII. Ancient Thought in Modern Dress XIII. The Modern Nebular Theory XIV. Forces: Modes of Motion or Intelligences? XV. Gods, Monads, and Atoms XVI. Cyclic Evolution and Karma XVII. The Zodiac and its Antiquity XVIII. Summary of the Mutual Position Uploaded by Alan -- Member, Theosophy International. Member, Human Race. From guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk Sat Jan 20 04:37:52 1996 Date: Sat, 20 Jan 1996 04:37:52 +0000 From: "Dr.A.M.Bain" Message-Id: Subject: Secret Doctrine Mime-Version: 1.0 To my own amazement, another section of _The Secret Doctrine_ has found its way from me to theos-roots. This is the section called INTRODUCTORY by H.P.B. It has been uploaded as SDB1.TXT and SDB2.TXT in order to keep each part below the 64K limit that some gateways suffer from. It is unlikely that the text I have uploaded will coincide exactly with anyone's printed copies - especially the later ones. From the text as supplied by Eldon, it is clearly based on the original 1st edition, which I do not have. The differences however from his and my 1895 revised edition are likely to be small. Other notes are to be found at the start of SDB1.TXT Alan -- Member, Theosophy International. Member, Human Race. From guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk Sat Jan 20 04:59:48 1996 Date: Sat, 20 Jan 1996 04:59:48 +0000 From: "Dr.A.M.Bain" Message-Id: Subject: SD Upload Mime-Version: 1.0 SDB2.TXT If one turns to the ancient literature of the Semitic religions, to the Chaldean Scriptures, the elder sister and instructress, if not the fountain-head of the Mosaic Bible, the basis and starting-point of Christianity, what do the scholars find? To perpetuate the memory of the ancient religions of Babylon; to record the vast cycle of astronomical observations of the Chaldean Magi; to justify the tradition of their splendid and eminently occult literature, what now remains? - only a few fragments, _said to be_ by Berosus. These, however, are almost valueless, even as a clue to the character of what has disappeared. For they passed through the hands of his Reverence the Bishop of Caesarea - that self-constituted censor and editor of the sacred records of other men's religions - and they doubtless bear to this day the mark of his eminently veracious and trustworthy hand. For what is the history of this treatise on the once grand religion of Babylon? Written in Greek by Berosus, a priest of the temple of Belus, for Alexander the Great, from the astronomical and chronological records preserved by the priests of that temple, and covering a period of 200,000 years, it is now lost. In the first century b.c. Alexander Polyhistor made a series of extracts from it - _also lost._ Eusebius used these extracts in writing his _Chronicon_ (270-340 A.D.). The points of resemblance- almost of identity - between the Jewish and the Chaldean Scriptures, - {Found out and proven only _now,_ through the discoveries made by George Smith (_vide_ his "Chaldean account of Genesis"), and which, thanks to this Armenian forger, have misled all the _civilized nations_ for over 1,500 years into accepting Jewish derivations _for direct Divine Revelation!_} - made the latter most dangerous to Eusebius, in his _role_ of defender and champion of the new faith which had adopted the Jewish Scriptures, and with them an absurd chronology. It is pretty certain that Eusebius did not spare the Egyptian Synchronistic tables of Manetho - so much so that Bunsen - {Bunson's _Egypt's Place in History,_ vol. i. p. 200.} - charges him with mutilating history most unscrupulously. And Socrates, a historian of the fifth century, and Syncellus, vice-patriarch of Constantinople (eighth century), both denounce him as the most daring and desperate forger. Is it likely, then, that he dealt more tenderly with the Chaldean records, which were already menacing the new religion, so rashly accepted? So that, with the exception of these more than doubtful fragments, the entire Chaldean sacred literature has disappeared from the eyes of the profane as completely as the lost Atlantis. A few facts that were contained in the Berosian History are given in Part II. of Vol. II., and may throw a great light on the true origin of the Fallen Angels, personified by Bel and the Dragon. Turning now to the oldest Aryan literature, the Rig-Veda, the student will find, following strictly in this the data furnished by the said Orientalists themselves, that, although the Rig-Veda contains only "10,580 verses, or 1,028 hymns," in spite of the Brahmanas and the mass of glosses and commentaries, it is not understood correctly to this day. Why is this so? Evidently because the Brahmanas, "the scholastic and oldest treatises on the primitive hymns," _themselves require a key,_ which the Orientalists have failed to secure. What do the scholars say of Buddhist literature? Have they got it in its completeness? Assuredly not. Notwithstanding the 325 volumes of the _Kanjur_ and the _Tanjur_ of the Northern Buddhists, each volume we are told, "weighing from four to five pounds," nothing, in truth, is known of Lamaism. Yet, the sacred canon of the Southern Church is said to contain 29,368,000 letters in the Saddharma alankara, - {Spence Hardy, _The Legends and Theories of the Buddhists,_ p. 66.} or, exclusive of treatises and commentaries, "five or six times the amount of the matter contained in the Bible," the latter, in the words of Professor Max Muller, rejoicing only in 3,567,180 letters. Notwithstanding, then, these "325 volumes" (_in reality_ there are 333, _Kanjur_ comprising 108, and _Tanjur_ 225 volumes), "the translators, instead of supplying us with correct versions, have interwoven them _with their own commentaries,_ for the purpose of justifying the dogmas of their several schools." - {_Buddhism in Tibet,_ p. 78.} Moreover, "according to a tradition preserved by the Buddhist schools, both of the South and of the North, the sacred Buddhist Canon comprised originally 80,000 or 84,000 tracts, _but most of them were lost,_ so that there remained but 6,000," the professor tells his audiences. "Lost" as usual for Europeans. But who can be quite sure that they are likewise lost for Buddhists and Brahmins? Considering the sacredness for the Buddhists of every line written upon Buddha or his "Good Law," the loss of nearly 76,000 _tracts_ does seem miraculous. Had it been _vice versa,_ every one acquainted with the natural course of events would subscribe to the statement that, of these 76,000, five or six thousand treatises _might have been_ destroyed during the persecutions in, and emigrations from, India. But as it is well ascertained that Buddhist Arhats began their religious exodus, for the purpose of propagating the new faith beyond Kashmir and the Himalayas, as early as the year 300 before our era, - {Lassen, ("Ind. Althersumkunde" Vol. II, p. 1,072) shows a Buddhist monastery erected in the Kailas range in 137 B.C.; and General Cunningham, earlier than that.} and reached China in the year 61 A.D. - {Reverend T. Edkins, _Chinese Buddhism._} when Kashyapa, at the invitation of the Emperor Ming-ti, went there to acquaint the "Son of Heaven" with the tenets of Buddhism, it does seem strange to hear the Orientalists speaking of such a loss as though it were really possible. They do not seem to allow for one moment the possibility that the texts may be _lost_ only for West and _for themselves;_ or, that the Asiatic people should have the unparalleled boldness to keep their most sacred records out of the reach of foreigners, thus refusing to deliver them to the profanation and misuse of races even so "vastly superior" to themselves. Owing to the expressed regrets and numerous confessions of almost every one of the Orientalists (See Max Muller's _Lectures_ for example) the public may feel sufficiently sure (a) that the students of ancient religions have indeed very few data upon which to build such final conclusions as they generally do about the old religions, and (b) that such lack of data does not prevent them in the least from dogmatising. One would imagine that, thanks to the numerous records of the Egyptian theogony and mysteries preserved in the classics, and in a number of ancient writers, the rites and dogmas of Pharaonic Egypt ought to be well understood at least; better, at any rate, than the too abstruse philosophies and Pantheism of India, of whose religion and language Europe had hardly any idea before the beginning of the present century. Along the Nile and on the face of the whole country, there stand to this hour, exhumed yearly and daily, fresh relics which eloquently tell their own history. Still it is not so. The learned Oxford philologist himself confesses the truth by saying that "Though we see still standing the Pyramids, and the ruins of temples and labyrinths, their walls covered with hieroglyphic inscriptions, and with the strange pictures of gods and goddesses. On rolls of papyrus, which seem to defy the ravages of time, we have even fragments of what may be called the sacred books of the Egyptians; yet, though much has been deciphered in the ancient records of that mysterious race, the main-spring of the religion of Egypt and the original intention of its ceremonial worship _are_ far from being fully disclosed to us." - {So little acquainted are our greatest Egyptologists with the funerary rites of the Egyptians and the outward marks of the difference of sexes made on the mummies, that it has led to the most ludicrous mistakes. Only a year or two since, one of that kind was discovered at Boulaq, Cairo. The mummy of what had been considered the wife of an unimportant Pharaoh, has turned out, thanks to an inscription found on an amulet hung on his neck, to be that of Sesostris - the greatest King of Egypt!} Here again the mysterious hieroglyphic documents remain, but the keys by which alone they become intelligible have disappeared. Nevertheless, having found that "there is a natural connection between language and religion"; and, secondly, that there was a _common_ Aryan religion before the separation of the Aryan race; a _common_ Semitic religion before the separation of the Semitic race; and a _common_ Turanian religion before the separation of the Chinese and the other tribes belonging to the Turanian class; having, in fact, only discovered "three ancient centers of religion" and "three centers of language," and though as entirely ignorant of those primitive religions and languages, as of their origin, the professor does not hesitate to declare "that a truly _historical basis_ for a scientific treatment of those principal religions of the world has been gained!" A "scientific treatment" of a subject is no guarantee for its "historical basis"; and with such scarcity of data on hand, no philologist, even among the most eminent, is justified in giving out his own conclusions for _historical_ facts. No doubt, the eminent Orientalist has proved thoroughly to the world's satisfaction, that according to Grimm's law of phonetic rules, Odin and Buddha are two different personages, quite distinct from each other, and he has shown it _scientifically._ When, however he takes the opportunity of saying in the same breath that Odin "was worshipped as the supreme deity _during a period long anterior to the age of the Veda_ and of Homer" (_Compar. Theol.,- p. 318), he has not the slightest "_historical_ basis" for it. He makes _history_ and _fact_ subservient to his own conclusions, which may be very "scientific," in the sight of Oriental scholars, but yet very wide of the mark of actual truth. The conflicting views on the subject of chronology, in the case of the Vedas, of the various eminent philologists and Orientalists, from Martin Haug down to Mr. Max Muller himself, are an evident proof that the statement has no _historical_ basis to stand upon, "internal evidence" being very often a Jack-o'-lantern, instead of a safe beacon to follow. Nor has the Science of modern Comparative Mythology any better proof to show, that those learned writers, who have insisted for the last century or so that there must have been "fragments of a primeval revelation, granted to the ancestors of the whole race of mankind - preserved in the temples of Greece and Italy," were entirely wrong. For this is what all the Eastern Initiates and Pundits have been proclaiming to the world from time to time. While a prominent Cinghalese priest assured the writer that it was well known that the most important Buddhist tracts belonging to the sacred canon were stored away in _countries and places inaccessible to the European Pundits,_ the late Swami Dayanand Sarasvati, the greatest Sanskritist of his day in India, assured some members of the Theosophical Society of the same fact with regard to ancient Brahmanical works. When told that Professor Max Muller had declared to the audiences of his "Lectures" that the theory - "that _there was a primeval preternatural revelation_ granted to the fathers of the human race, finds but few supporters at present," - the holy and learned man laughed. His answer was suggestive. "If Mr. _Moksh Mooller,_ as he pronounced the name, were a Brahmin, and came with me, I might take him to a _gupta_ cave (a secret crypt) near Okhee Math, in the Himalayas, where he would soon find out that what crossed the _Kalapani_ (the black waters of the ocean) from India to Europe were only the _bits of rejected copies of some passages from our sacred books. There _was_ a "primeval revelation," and it still exists; nor will it ever be lost to the world, but will reappear; though the Mlechchhas will of course have to wait." Questioned further on this point, he would say no more. This was at Meerut, in 1880. No doubt the mystification played, in the last century at Calcutta, by the Brahmins upon Colonel Wilford and Sir William Jones was a cruel one. But it had been well deserved, and no one was more to be blamed in that affair than the Missionaries and Colonel Wilford themselves. The former, on the testimony of Sir William Jones himself (see Asiat. Res., Vol. i., p. 272), were silly enough to maintain that "the Hindus were even now almost Christians, because their Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesa were no other than the Christian trinity." - {See Max Muller's "Introduction to the Science of Religion." Lecture On _False Analogies in comparative Theology,_ pp. 288 and 296 et seq. This relates to the clever forgery (on leaves inserted in old Puranic MSS.), in correct and archaic Sanskrit, of all that the Pundits of Col. Wilford had heard from him about Adam and Abraham, Noah and his three sons, etc., etc.} - It was a good lesson. It made the Oriental scholars doubly cautious; but perchance it has also made some of them too shy, and caused, in its reaction, the pendulum of foregone conclusions to swing too much the other way. For "that first supply on the Brahmanical market," made for Colonel Wilford, has now created an evident necessity and desire in the Orientalists to declare nearly every archaic Sanskrit manuscript so modern as to give to the missionaries full justification for availing themselves of the opportunity. That they do so and to the full extent of their mental powers, is shown by the absurd attempts of late to prove that the whole Puranic story about Chrishna was _plagiarized by the Brahmins from the Bible!_ But the facts cited by the Oxford Professor in his Lectures on the "_Science of Religion,_" concerning the now famous interpolations, for the benefit, and later on to the sorrow, of Col. Wilford, do not at all interfere with the conclusions to which one who studies the Secret Doctrine must unavoidably come. For, if the results show that neither the _New_ nor even the _Old_ Testament borrowed anything from the more ancient religion of the Brahmans and Buddhists, it does not follow that the Jews have not borrowed all they knew from the Chaldean records, the latter being mutilated later on by Eusebius. As to the Chaldeans, they assuredly got their primitive learning from the Brahmans, for Rawlinson shows an undeniably Vedic influence in the early mythology of Babylon; and Col. Vans Kennedy has long since justly declared that Babylonia was, from her origin, the seat of Sanskrit and Brahman learning. But all such proofs must lose their value, in the presence of the latest theory worked out by Prof. Max Muller. What it is everyone knows. The code of phonetic laws has now become a universal solvent for every identification and "connection" between the gods of many nations. Thus, though the Mother of Mercury (Budha, Thot-Hermes, etc.), was Maia, the mother of Buddha (Gautama), also Maya, and the mother of Jesus, likewise Maya (illusion, for Mary is _Mare,_ the Sea, the great illusion symbolically) - yet these three characters have no connection, nor can they have any, since Bopp has "laid down his code of phonetic laws." In their efforts to collect together the many skeins of unwritten history, it is a bold step for our Orientalists to take, to deny, _a priori,_ everything that does not dovetail with their special conclusions. Thus, while new discoveries are daily made of great arts and sciences having existed far back in the night of time, even the knowledge of writing is refused to some of the most ancient nations, and they are credited with barbarism instead of culture. Yet the traces of an immense civilization, even in Central Asia, are still to be found. This civilization is undeniably _prehistoric._ And how can there be civilization without a literature, in some form, without annals or chronicles? Common sense alone ought to supplement the broken links in the history of departed nations. The gigantic, unbroken wall of the mountains that hem in the whole table-land of Tibet, from the upper course of the river Khuan-Khe down to the Kara-Korum hills, witnessed a civilization during millenniums of years, and would have strange secrets to tell mankind. The Eastern and Central portions of those regions - the Nan-Schayn and the Altyne-taga were once upon a time covered with cities that could well vie with Babylon. A whole geological period has swept over the land, since those cities breathed their last, as the mounds of shifting sand, and the sterile and now dead soil of the immense central plains of the basin of Tarim testify. The borderlands alone are superficially known to the traveller. Within those table-lands of sand there is water, and fresh oases are found blooming there, wherein no European foot has ever yet ventured, or trodden the now treacherous soil. Among these verdant oases there are some which are entirely inaccessible even to the native profane traveller. Hurricanes may "tear up the sands and sweep whole plains away," they are powerless to destroy that which is beyond their reach. Built deep in the bowels of the earth, the subterranean stores are secure; and as their entrances are concealed in such oases, there is little fear that anyone should discover them, even should several armies invade the sandy wastes where "Not a pool, not a bush, not a house is seen, And the mountain-range forms a rugged screen Round the parch'd flats of the dry, dry desert." But there is no need to send the reader across the desert, when the same proofs of ancient civilization are found even in comparatively populated regions of the same country. The oasis of Tchertchen, for instance, situated about 4,000 feet above the level of the river Tchertchen-D'arya, is surrounded with the ruins of archaic towns and cities in every direction. There, some 3,000 human beings represent the relics of about a hundred extinct nations and races - the very names of which are now unknown to our ethnologists. An anthropologist would feel more than embarrassed to class, divide and subdivide them; the more so, as the respective descendants of all these _antediluvian_ races and tribes know as little of their own forefathers themselves, as if they had fallen from the moon. When questioned about their origin, they reply that they know not whence their fathers had come, but had heard that their _first_ (or earliest) men were ruled by the great genii of these deserts. This may be put down to ignorance and superstition, yet in view of the teachings of the Secret Doctrine, the answer may be based upon primeval tradition. Alone, the tribe of Khoorassan claims to have come from what is now known as Afghanistan, long before the days of Alexander, and brings legendary lore to that effect as corroboration. The Russian traveller, Colonel (now General) Prjevalsky, found quite close to the oasis of Tchertchen, the ruins of two enormous cities, the oldest of which was, according to local tradition, ruined 3,000 years ago by a hero and giant; and the other by the Mongolians in the tenth century of our era. "The emplacement of the two cities is now covered, owing to shifting sands and the desert wind, with strange and heterogeneous relics; with broken china and kitchen utensils and human bones. The natives often find copper and gold coins, melted silver, ingots, diamonds, and turquoises, and what is the most remarkable - broken glass ... Coffins of some undecaying wood, or material, also, within which beautifully preserved embalmed bodies are found. - The male mummies are all extremely tall powerfully built men with long waving hair - A vault was found with twelve dead men _sitting_ in it. Another time, in a separate coffin, a young girl was discovered by us. Her eyes were closed with golden discs, and the jaws held firm by a golden circlet running from under the chin across the top of the head. Clad in a narrow woollen garment, her bosom was covered with golden stars, the feet being left naked." (From a lecture by N. M. Prjevalsky.) To this, the famous traveller adds that all along their way on the river Tchertchen they heard legends about twenty-three towns buried ages ago by the shifting sands of the deserts. The same tradition exists on the Lob-nor and in the oasis of Kerya. The traces of such civilization, and these and like traditions, give us the right to credit other legendary lore warranted by well educated and learned natives of India and Mongolia, when they speak of immense libraries reclaimed from the sand, together with various reliques of ancient MAGIC lore, which have all been safely stowed away. To recapitulate. The Secret Doctrine was the universally diffused religion of the ancient and prehistoric world. Proofs of its diffusion, authentic records of its history, a complete chain of documents, showing its character and presence in every land, together with the teaching of all its great adepts, exist to this day in the secret crypts of libraries belonging to the Occult Fraternity. This statement is rendered more credible by a consideration of the following facts: the tradition of the thousands of ancient parchments saved when the Alexandrian library was destroyed; the thousands of Sanskrit works which disappeared in India in the reign of Akbar; the universal tradition in China and Japan that the true old texts with the commentaries, which alone make them comprehensible - amounting to many thousands of volumes - have long passed out of the reach of profane hands; the disappearance of the vast sacred and occult literature of Babylon; the loss of those keys which alone could solve the thousand riddles of the Egyptian hieroglyphic records; the tradition in India that the real secret commentaries which alone make the Veda intelligible, though no longer visible to profane eyes, still remain for the initiate, hidden in secret caves and crypts; and an identical belief among the Buddhists, with regard to their secret books. The Occultists assert that all these exist, safe from Western spoliating hands, to re-appear in some more enlightened age, for which in the words of the late Swami Davanand Sarasvati, "the Mlechchhas (outcasts, savages, those beyond the pale of Aryan civilization) will have to wait." For it is not the fault of the initiates that these documents are now "lost" to the profane; nor was their policy dictated by selfishness, or any desire to monopolise the life-giving sacred lore. There were portions of the Secret Science that for incalculable ages had to remain concealed from the profane gaze. But this was because to impart to the unprepared multitude secrets of such tremendous importance, was equivalent to giving a child a lighted candle in a powder magazine. The answer to a question which has frequently arisen in the minds of students, when meeting with statements such as this, may be outlined here. "We can understand," they say, "the necessity for concealing from the herd such secrets as the Vril, or the rock-destroying force, discovered by J. W. Keely, of Philadelphia, but we cannot understand how any danger could arise from the revelation of such a purely philosophic doctrine, as, e.g., the evolution of the planetary chains." The danger was this: Doctrines such as the planetary chain, or the seven races, at once give a clue to the seven-fold nature of man, for each principle is correlated to a plane, a planet, and a race; and the human principles are, on every plane, correlated to seven-fold occult forces - those of the higher planes being of tremendous power. So that any septenary division at once gives a clue to tremendous occult powers, the abuse of which would cause incalculable evil to humanity. A clue, which is, perhaps, no clue to the present generation - especially the Westerns - protected as they are by their very blindness and ignorant materialistic disbelief in the occult; but a clue which would, nevertheless, have been very real in the early centuries of the Christian era, to people fully convinced of the reality of occultism, and entering a cycle of degradation, which made them rife for abuse of occult powers and sorcery of the worst description. The documents were concealed, it is true, but the knowledge itself and its actual existence had never been made a secret of by the Hierophants of the Temple, wherein MYSTERIES have ever been made a discipline and stimulus to virtue. This is very old news, and was repeatedly made known by the great adepts, from Pythagoras and Plato down to the Neoplatonists. It was the new religion of the Nazarenes that wrought a change for the worse in the policy of centuries. Moreover, there is a well-known fact, a very curious one, corroborated to the writer by a reverend gentleman attached for years to a Russian Embassy - namely, that there are several documents in the St. Petersburg Imperial Libraries to show that, even so late as during the days when Freemasonry, and Secret Societies of Mystics flourished unimpeded in Russia, i.e., at the end of the last and the beginning of the present century, more than one Russian Mystic travelled to Tibet via the Ural mountains in search of knowledge and initiation _in the unknown crypts of Central Asia._ And more than one returned years later, with a rich store of such information as could never have been given him anywhere in Europe. Several cases could be cited, and well-known names brought forward, but for the fact that such publicity might annoy the surviving relatives of the said late Initiates. Let any one look over the Annals and History of Freemasonry in the archives of the Russian metropolis, and he will assure himself of the fact stated. This is a corroboration of that which has been stated many times before, and, unfortunately, too indiscreetly. Instead of benefiting humanity, the virulent charges of deliberate invention and imposture with a purpose thrown at those who asserted but a truthful, if even a little known fact, have only generated bad Karma for the slanderers. But now the mischief is done, and truth should no longer be denied, whatever the consequences. Is it a new religion, we are asked? By no means; it is not a _religion, nor is its philosophy new;_ for, as already stated, it is as old as thinking man. Its tenets are not now published for the first time, but have been cautiously given out to, and taught by, more than one European Initiate - especially by the late Ragon. More than one great scholar has stated that there never was a religious founder, whether Aryan, Semitic or Turanian, who had _invented_ a new religion, or revealed a new truth. These founders were all _transmitters,_ not original teachers. They were the authors of new forms and interpretations, while the truths upon which the latter were based were as old as mankind. Selecting one or more of those grand verities - actualities visible only to the eye of the real Sage and Seer - out of the many orally revealed to man in the beginning, preserved and perpetuated in the _adyta_ of the temples through initiation, during the MYSTERIES and by personal transmission - they revealed these truths to the masses. Thus every nation received in its turn some of the said truths, under the veil of its own local and special symbolism; which, as time went on, developed into a more or less philosophical cultus, a Pantheon in mythical disguise. Therefore is Confucius, a very ancient legislator in historical chronology, though a very modern Sage in the World's History, shown by Dr. Legge - {Lun-Yu Schott. "Chinesische Literatur," p. 7.} - who calls him "emphatically a _transmitter,_ not a maker" - as saying: "I only hand on: I cannot create new things. I believe in the ancients and therefore I love them." - {"Life of Confucius," p. 96.} - (Quoted in "Science of Religions" by Max Muller.) The writer loves them too, and therefore believes in the ancients, and the modern heirs to their Wisdom. And believing in both, she now transmits that which she has received and learnt herself to all those who will accept it. As to those who may reject her testimony; i.e., the great majority, she will bear them no malice, for they will be as right in their way in denying, as she is right in hers in affirming, since they look at TRUTH from two entirely different stand-points. Agreeably with the rules of critical scholarship, the Orientalist has to reject _a priori_ whatever evidence he cannot fully verify for himself. And how can a Western scholar accept on hearsay that which he knows nothing about? Indeed, that which is given in these volumes is selected from _oral,_ as much as from written teachings. This first instalment of the esoteric doctrines is based upon Stanzas, which are the records of a people unknown to ethnology; it is claimed that they are written in a tongue absent from the nomenclature of languages and dialects with which philology is acquainted; they are said to emanate from a source (Occultism) repudiated by science; and, finally, they are offered through an agency, incessantly discredited before the world by all those who hate unwelcome truths, or have some special hobby of their own to defend. Therefore, the rejection of these teachings may be expected, and must be accepted beforehand. No one styling himself a "scholar," in whatever department of exact science, will be permitted to regard these teachings seriously. They will be derided and rejected _a priori_ in this century; but only in this one. For in the twentieth century of our era scholars will begin to recognize that the _Secret Doctrine_ has neither been invented nor exaggerated, but, on the contrary, simply outlined; and finally, that its teachings antedate the Vedas. - {This is no pretension to _prophecy,_ but simply a statement based on the knowledge of facts. Every century an attempt is being made to show the world that Occultism is no vain superstition. Once the door permitted to be kept a little ajar, it will be opened wider with every new century. The times are ripe for a more serious knowledge than hitherto permitted, though still very limited, so far.} - Have not the latter been derided, rejected, and called "a modern forgery" even so recently as fifty years ago? Was not Sanskrit proclaimed at one time the progeny of, and a dialect derived from, the Greek, according to Lempriere and other scholars? About 1820, Prof. Max Muller tells us, the sacred books of the Brahmans, of the Magians, and of the Buddhists, "were all but unknown, their very existence was doubted, and there was not a single scholar who could have translated a line of the Veda of the Zend Avesta, or of the Buddhist Tripitaka, and now the Vedas are proved to be the work of the highest antiquity whose 'preservation amounts almost to a marvel'" (Lecture on the Vedas). The same will be said of the Secret Archaic Doctrine, when proofs are given of its undeniable existence and records. But it will take centuries before much more is given from it. Speaking of the keys to the Zodiacal mysteries as being almost lost to the world, it was remarked by the writer in "Isis Unveiled" some ten years ago that: "The said key must be turned _seven_ times before the whole system is divulged. We will give it but _one_ turn, and thereby allow the profane one glimpse into the mystery. Happy he, who understands the whole!" The same may be said of the whole Esoteric system. One turn of the key, and no more, was given in "ISIS." Much more is explained in these volumes. In those days the writer hardly knew the language in which the work was written, and the disclosure of many things, freely spoken about now, was forbidden. In Century the Twentieth some disciple more informed, and far better fitted, may be sent by the Masters of Wisdom to give final and irrefutable proofs that there exists a Science called _Gupta-Vidya;_ and that, like the once-mysterious sources of the Nile, the source of all religions and philosophies now known to the world has been for many ages forgotten and lost to men, but is at last found. Such a work as this has to be introduced with no simple Preface, but with a volume rather; one that would give _facts,_ not mere disquisitions, since the SECRET DOCTRINE is not a treatise, or a series of vague theories, but contains all that can be given out to the world in this century. It would be worse than useless to publish in these pages even those portions of the esoteric teachings that have now escaped from confinement, unless the genuineness and authenticity - at any rate, the _probability_ - of the existence of such teachings was first established. Such statements as will now be made, have to be shown warranted by various authorities: those of ancient philosophers, classics and even certain learned Church Fathers, some of whom knew these doctrines because they had studied them, had seen and read works written upon them; and some of whom had even been personally initiated into the ancient Mysteries, during the performance of which the arcane doctrines were allegorically enacted. The writer will have to give historical and trustworthy names, and to cite well-known authors, ancient and modern, of recognized ability, good judgment, and truthfulness, as also to name some of the famous proficient in the secret arts and science, along with the mysteries of the latter, as they are divulged, or, rather, _partially_ presented before the public in their strange archaic form. How is this to be done? What is the best way for achieving such an object? was the ever-recurring question. To make our plan clearer, an illustration may be attempted. When a tourist coming from a well-explored country, suddenly reaches the borderland of a _terra incognita,_ hedged in, and shut out from view by a formidable barrier of impassable rocks, he may still refuse to acknowledge himself baffled in his exploratory plans. Ingress beyond is forbidden. But, if he cannot visit the mysterious region personally, he may still find a means of examining it from as short a distance as can be arrived at. Helped by his knowledge of landscapes left behind him, he can get a general and pretty correct idea of the transmural view, if he will only climb to the loftiest summit of the altitudes in front of him. Once there, he can gaze at it, at his leisure, comparing that which he dimly perceives with that which he has just left below, now that he is, thanks to his efforts, beyond the line of the mists and the cloud-capped cliffs. Such a point of preliminary observation, for those who would like to get a more correct understanding of the mysteries of the prearchaic periods given in the texts, cannot be offered to them in these two volumes. But if the reader has patience, and would glance at the present state of beliefs and creeds in Europe, compare and check it with what is known to history of the ages directly preceding and following the Christian era, then he will find all this in Volume III. of this work. In that volume a brief recapitulation will be made of all the principal adepts known to history, and the downfall of the mysteries will be described; after which began the disappearance and final and systematic elimination from the memory of men of the real nature of initiation and the Sacred Science. From that time its teachings became Occult, and Magic sailed but too often under the venerable but frequently misleading name of Hermetic philosophy. As real Occultism had been prevalent among the Mystics during the centuries that preceded our era, so Magic, or rather Sorcery, with its Occult Arts, followed the beginning of Christianity. However great and zealous the fanatical efforts, during those early centuries, to obliterate every trace of the mental and intellectual labour of the Pagans, it was a failure; but the same spirit of the dark demon of bigotry and intolerance has perverted systematically and ever since, every bright page written in the pre-Christian periods. Even in her uncertain records, history has preserved enough of that which has survived to throw an impartial light upon the whole. Let, then, the reader tarry a little while with the writer, on the spot of observation selected. He is asked to give all his attention to that millennium which divided the pre-Christian and the post-Christian periods, by the year ONE of the Nativity. This event - whether historically correct or not - has nevertheless been made to serve as a first signal for the erection of manifold bulwarks against any possible return of, or even a glimpse into, the hated religions of the Past; hated and _dreaded_ - because throwing such a vivid light on the new and intentionally veiled interpretation of what is now known as the "New Dispensation." However superhuman the efforts of the early Christian fathers to obliterate the Secret Doctrine from the very memory of man, they all failed. Truth can never be killed; hence the failure to sweep away entirely from the face of the earth every vestige of that ancient Wisdom, and to shackle and gag every witness who testified to it. Let one only think of the thousands, and perhaps millions, of MSS. burnt; of monuments, with their too indiscreet inscriptions and pictorial symbols, pulverized to dust; of the bands of early hermits and ascetics roaming about among the ruined cities of Upper and Lower Egypt, in desert and mountain, valleys and highlands, seeking for and eager to destroy every obelisk and pillar, scroll or parchment they could lay their hands on, if it only bore the symbol of the _tau,_ or any other sign borrowed and appropriated by the new faith; and he will then see plainly how it is that so little has remained of the records of the Past. Verily, the fiendish spirits of fanaticism, of early and mediaeval Christianity and of Islam, have from the first loved to dwell in darkness and ignorance; and both have made "- the sun like blood, the earth a tomb, The tomb a hell, and hell itself a murkier gloom!" Both creeds have won their proselytes at the point of the sword; both have built their churches on _heaven-kissing hecatombs_ of human victims. Over the gateway of Century I. of our era, the ominous words "the KARMA OF ISRAEL," fatally glowed. Over the portals of our own, the future seer may discern other words, that will point to the Karma for cunningly made-up HISTORY, for events purposely perverted, and for great characters slandered by posterity, mangled out of recognition, between the two cars of Jagannatha - Bigotry and Materialism; one accepting too much, the other denying all. Wise is he who holds to the golden mid-point, who believes in the eternal justice of things. Says Faigi Diwan, the "witness to the wonderful speeches of a free-thinker who belongs to a thousand sects": "In the assembly of the day of resurrection, when past things shall be forgiven, the sins of the Ka'bah will be forgiven for the sake of the dust of Christian churches." To this, Professor Max Muller replies: "The sins of Islam are _as worthless as the dust of Christianity. On the day of resurrection both Muhammadans and Christians will see the vanity of their religious doctrines._ Men fight about religion on earth; in heaven they shall find out that there is only one true religion - the worship of God's SPIRIT." - {"Lectures on the Science of Religion," by F. Max Muller, p. 257.} In other words - "THERE IS NO RELIGION (OR LAW) HIGHER THAN TRUTH" [the sanskrit text is given in the original - ed.] - the motto of the Maharajah of Benares, adopted by the Theosophical Society. As already said in the Preface, the Secret Doctrine is not a version of "Isis Unveiled" - as originally intended. It is a volume explanatory of it rather, and, though entirely independent of the earlier work, an indispensable corollary to it. Much of what was in ISIS could hardly be understood by theosophists in those days. The Secret Doctrine will now throw light on many a problem left unsolved in the first work, especially on the opening pages, which have never been understood. Concerned simply with the philosophies within our historical times and the respective symbolism of the fallen nations, only a hurried glance could be thrown at the panorama of Occultism in the two volumes of Isis. In the present work, detailed Cosmogony and the evolution of the four races that preceded our Fifth race Humanity are given, and now two large volumes explain that which was stated on the first page of ISIS UNVEILED alone, and in a few allusions scattered hither and thither throughout that work. Nor could the vast catalogue of the Archaic Sciences be attempted in the present volumes, before we have disposed of such tremendous problems as Cosmic and Planetary Evolution, and the gradual development of the mysterious Humanities and races that preceded our "Adamic" Humanity. Therefore, the present attempt to elucidate some mysteries of the Esoteric philosophy has, in truth, nothing to do with the earlier work. As an instance, the writer must be allowed to illustrate what is said. Volume I. of "Isis" begins with a reference to "an old book" - "So very old that our modern antiquarians might ponder over its pages an indefinite time, and still not quite agree as to the nature of the fabric upon which it is written. It is the only original copy now in existence. The most ancient Hebrew document on occult learning - the _Siphrah Dzeniouta_ - was compiled from it, and that at a time when the former was already considered in the light of a literary relic. One of its illustrations represents the Divine Essence emanating from ADAM - {The name is used in the sense of the Greek word _anthropos_}. - like a luminous arc proceeding to form a circle; and then, having attained the highest point of its circumference, the ineffable glory bends back again, and returns to earth, bringing a higher type of humanity in its vortex. As it approaches nearer and nearer to our planet, the Emanation becomes more and more shadowy, until upon touching the ground it is as black as night." The "very old Book" is the original work from which the many volumes of _Kiu-ti_ were compiled. Not only this latter and the _Siphrah Dzeniouta_ but even the _Sephir Jezirah,_ - {Rabbi Jehoshua Ben Chananea, who died about A.D. 72, openly declared that he had performed "miracles" by means of the _Book of Sepher Jezireh,_ and challenged every skeptic. Franck, quoting from the Babylonian _Talmud,_ names two other thaumaturgists, Rabbis Chanina and Oshoi. (See _Jerusalem Talmud, Sanhedrin,_ c. 7, etc.; and _Franck,_ pp. 55, 56.) Many of the Mediaeval Occultists, Alchemists, and Kabalists claimed the same; and even the late modern _Magus,_ Eliphas Levi, publicly asserts it in print in his books on Magic.} - the work attributed by the Hebrew Kabalists to their Patriarch Abraham (!), the book of _Shu-king,_ China's primitive Bible, the sacred volumes of the Egyptian Thoth-Hermes, the Puranas in India, and the Chaldean _Book of Numbers_ and the _Pentateuch_ itself, are all derived from that one small parent volume. Tradition says, that it was taken down in _Senzar,_ the secret sacerdotal tongue, from the words of the Divine Beings, who dictated it to the sons of Light, in Central Asia, at the very beginning of the 5th (our) race; for there was a time when its language (the _Sen-zar_) was known to the Initiates of every nation, when the forefathers of the Toltec understood it as easily as the inhabitants of the lost Atlantis, who inherited it, in their turn, from the sages of the 3rd Race, the _Manushis,_ who learnt it direct from the _Devas_ of the 2nd and 1st Races. The "illustration" spoken of in "Isis" relates to the evolution of these Races and of our 4th and 5th Race Humanity in the Vaivasvata Manvantara or "Round;" each Round being composed of the Yugas of the seven periods of Humanity; four of which are now passed in _our_ life cycle, the middle point of the 5th being nearly reached. The illustration is symbolical, as every one can well understand, and covers the ground from the beginning. The old book, having described Cosmic Evolution and explained the origin of everything on earth, including physical man, after giving the true history of the races from the _First_ down to the Fifth (our) race, goes no further. It stops short at the beginning of the _Kali Yuga_ just 4989 years ago at the death of Krishna, the bright "Sun-god," the once living hero and reformer. But there exists another book. None of its possessors regard it as very ancient, as it was born with, and is only as old as the Black Age, namely, about 5,000 years. In about nine years hence, the first cycle of the first five millenniums, that began with the great cycle of the Kali-Yuga, will end. And then the last prophecy contained in that book (the first volume of the prophetic record for the Black Age) will be accomplished. We have not long to wait, and many of us will witness the Dawn of the New Cycle, at the end of which not a few accounts will be settled and squared between the races. Volume II. of the Prophecies is nearly ready, having been in preparation since the time of Buddha's grand successor, Sankaracharya. One more important point must be noticed, one that stands foremost in the series of proofs given of the existence of one primeval, universal Wisdom - at any rate for the Christian Kabalists and students. The teachings were, at least, partially known to several of the Fathers of the Church. It is maintained, on purely historical grounds, that Origen, Synesius, and even Clemens Alexandrinus, had been themselves initiated into the mysteries before adding to the Neo-Platonism of the Alexandrian school, that of the Gnostics, under the Christian veil. More than this, some of the doctrines of the Secret schools - though by no means all - were preserved in the Vatican, and have since become part and parcel of the mysteries, in the shape of disfigured additions made to the original Christian programme by the Latin Church. Such is the now materialized dogma of the Immaculate Conception. This accounts for the great persecutions set on foot by the Roman Catholic Church against Occultism, Masonry, and _heterodox_ mysticism generally. The days of Constantine were the last turning-point in history, the period of the Supreme struggle that ended in the Western world throttling the old religions in favour of the new one, built on their bodies. From thence the vista into the far distant Past, beyond the "Deluge" and the Garden of Eden, began to be forcibly and relentlessly closed by every fair and unfair means against the indiscreet gaze of posterity. Every issue was blocked up, every record that hands could be laid upon, destroyed. Yet there remains enough, even among such mutilated records, to warrant us in saying that there is in them every possible evidence of the actual existence of a Parent Doctrine. Fragments have survived geological and political cataclysms to tell the story; and every survival shows evidence that the now _Secret_ Wisdom was once the one fountain head, the ever-flowing perennial source, at which were fed all its streamlets - the later religions of all nations - from the first down to the last. This period, beginning with Buddha and Pythagoras at the one end and the Neo-Platonists and Gnostics at the other, is the only focus left in History wherein converge for the last time the bright rays of light streaming from the aeons of time gone by, unobscured by the hand of bigotry and fanaticism. This accounts for the necessity under which the writer has laboured to be ever explaining the facts given from the hoariest Past by evidence gathered from the historical period. No other means was at hand, at the risk even of being once more charged with a lack of method and system. The public must be made acquainted with the efforts of many World-adepts, of initiated poets, writers, and classics of every age, to preserve in the records of Humanity the Knowledge of the existence, at least, of such a philosophy, if not actually of its tenets. The Initiates of 1888 would indeed remain incomprehensible and ever a seemingly impossible myth, were not like Initiates shown to have lived in every other age of history. This could be done only by naming Chapter and Verse where may be found mention of these great characters, who were preceded and followed by a long and interminable line of other famous Antediluvian and Postdiluvian Masters in the arts. Thus only could be shown, on semi-traditional and semi-historical authority, that knowledge of the Occult and the powers it confers on man, are not altogether fictions, but that they are as old as the world itself. To my judges, past and future, therefore - whether they are serious literary critics, or those howling dervishes in literature who judge a book according to the popularity or unpopularity of the author's name, who, hardly glancing at its contents, fasten like lethal _bacilli_ on the weakest points of the body - I have nothing to say. Nor shall I condescend to notice those crack-brained slanderers - fortunately very few in number - who, hoping to attract public attention by throwing discredit on every writer whose name is better known than their own, foam and bark at their very shadows. These, having first maintained for years that the doctrines taught in the _Theosophist,_ and which culminated in "Esoteric Buddhism," _had been all invented by the present writer,_ have finally turned round, and denounced "Isis Unveiled" and the rest as a plagiarism from Eliphas Levi (!), Paracelsus (!!), and, _mirabile dictu,_ Buddhism and Brahmanism (!!!) As well charge Renan with having stolen his _Vie de Jesus_ from the Gospels, and Max Muller his "Sacred Books of the East" or his "Chips" from the philosophies of the Brahmins and Gautama, the Buddha. But to the public in general and the readers of the "Secret Doctrine" I may repeat what I have stated all along, and which I now clothe in the words of Montaigne: Gentlemen, "I HAVE HERE MADE ONLY A NOSEGAY OF CULLED FLOWERS, AND HAVE BROUGHT NOTHING OF MY OWN BUT THE STRING THAT TIES THEM." Pull the "string" to pieces and cut it up in shreds, if you will. As for the nosegay of FACTS - you will never be able to make away with these. You can only ignore them, and no more. We may close with a parting word concerning this Volume I. In an INTRODUCTION prefacing a Part dealing chiefly with Cosmogony, certain subjects brought forward might be deemed out of place, but one more consideration added to those already given have led me to touch upon them. Every reader will inevitably judge the statements made from the stand-point of his own knowledge, experience, and consciousness, based on what he has already learnt. This fact the writer is constantly obliged to bear in mind: hence, also the frequent references in this first Book to matters which, properly speaking, belong to a later part of the work, but which could not be passed by in silence, lest the reader should look down on this work as a fairy tale indeed - a fiction of some modern brain. Thus, the _Past_ shall help to realize the PRESENT, and the latter to better appreciate the PAST. The errors of the day must be explained and swept away, yet it is more than probable - and in the present case it amounts to certitude - that once more the testimony of long ages and of history will fail to impress anyone but the very intuitional - which is equal to saying the very few. But in this as in all like cases, the _true_ and the _faithful_ may console themselves by presenting the skeptical modern Sadducee with the mathematical proof and memorial of his obdurate obstinacy and bigotry. There still exists somewhere in the archives of the French Academy, the famous law of probabilities worked out by an algebraical process for the benefit of skeptics by certain mathematicians. It runs thus: If two persons give their evidence to a fact, and thus impart to it each of them 5/6 of certitude; that fact will have then 35/36 of certitude; i.e., its probability will bear to its improbability the ratio of 35 to 1. If three such evidences are joined together the certitude will become 215/216. The agreement of ten persons giving each 1/2 of certitude will produce 1023/1024, etc., etc. The Occultist may remain satisfied, and care for no more. Alan -- Member, Theosophy International. Member, Human Race. From guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk Sat Jan 20 05:00:47 1996 Date: Sat, 20 Jan 1996 05:00:47 +0000 From: "Dr.A.M.Bain" Message-Id: Subject: SD Upload Mime-Version: 1.0 In the uploads from ~The Secret Doctrine~ which will appear here on the list from time to time, various conventions will be observed, and this information file will preface each upload, amended as necessary. The first upload is the title page, dedication, and preface, and is the easy bit! The only convention needed in this part is the use of the underscore key [_] each side of a word or words in order to indicate italics in the original, including book titles. Where parentheses are seen ["] they appears as such in the original text. Thus the word _upload_ here typed represents that word in italics, whereas the word "upload" is how it is printed in the original. I originally intended consult the Gutenburg guidelines for the best means to accurately but simply represent the many and varied accents and foreign words that appear in H.P.B.'s monumental work, but as these are so numerous and varied, I have rendered all accents as the simple and obvious nearest English English character, thus any form of the letters a.e.i.o.u. will appear as a.e.i.o.u. This may not make for technical or academic accuracy, but the sense of the text is little, if in any way affected, and students want a text they can consult quickly and easily. E-texts have the great advantage of providing a readily *searchable* version of a work, but they are by no means the best way of reading one. My SD vol. 1 has 740 numbered pages. To put it simply, I would be hard pressed to snuggle up by the fire for a good read with my PC and all its connected bits and pieces. Sooner or later, if we really care enough, and if we want to know strongly enough, we will get the printed version. And, I have found in these matters, when the pupil is ready, the book appears - along with the cash to buy it ....... Alan Bain. SDB1.TXT INTRODUCTORY "Gently to hear, kindly to judge." - Shakespeare. Since the appearance of Theosophical literature in England, it has become customary to call its teachings "Esoteric Buddhism." And, having become a habit - as an old proverb based on daily experience has it - "Error runs down an inclined plane, while Truth has to laboriously climb its way up hill. " Old truisms are often the wisest. The human mind can hardly remain entirely free from bias, and decisive opinions are often formed before a thorough examination of a subject from all its aspects has been made. This is said with reference to the prevailing double mistake (a) of limiting Theosophy to Buddhism: and (b) of confounding the tenets of the religious philosophy preached by Gautama, the Buddha, with the doctrines broadly outlined in _Esoteric Buddhism._ Any thing more erroneous than this could be hardly imagined. It has enabled our enemies to find an effective weapon against theosophy; because, as an eminent Pali scholar very pointedly expressed it, there was in the volume named "neither esotericism nor Buddhism." The esoteric truths, presented in Mr. Sinnett's work, had ceased to be esoteric from the moment they were made public; nor did it contain the religion of Buddha, but simply a few tenets from a hitherto hidden teaching which are now supplemented by many more, enlarged and explained in the present volumes. But even the latter, though giving out many fundamental tenets from the SECRET DOCTRINE of the East, raise but a small corner of the dark veil. For no one, not even the greatest living adept, would be permitted to, or could - even if he would - give out promiscuously, to a mocking, unbelieving world, that which has been so effectually concealed from it for long aeons and ages. _Esoteric Buddhism_ was an excellent work with a very unfortunate title, though it meant no more than does the title of this work, THE SECRET DOCTRINE. It proved unfortunate, because people are always in the habit of judging things by their appearance, rather than their meaning; and because the error has now become so universal, that even most of the Fellows of the Theosophical Society have fallen victims to the same misconception. From the first, however, protests were raised by Brahmins and others against the title; and, in justice to myself, I must add that _Esoteric Buddhism_ was presented to me as a completed volume, and that I was entirely unaware of the manner in which the author intended to spell the word "Budh-ism." This has to be laid directly at the door of those who, having been the first to bring the subject under public notice, neglected to point out the difference between "Buddhism" - the religious system of ethics preached by the Lord Gautama, and named after his title of _Buddha,_ "the Enlightened" - and _Budha,_ "Wisdom," or knowledge (Vidya), the faculty of cognizing, from the Sanskrit root "Budh," _to know._ We theosophists of India are ourselves the real culprits, although, at the time, we did our best to correct the mistake. (See _Theosophist,_ June, 1883.) To avoid this deplorable misnomer was easy; the spelling of the word had only to be altered, and by common consent both pronounced and written "Budhism," instead of "Buddhism." Nor is the latter term correctly spelt and pronounced, as it ought to be called, in English, Buddhaism, and its votaries "Buddhaists." This explanation is absolutely necessary at the beginning of a work like this one. The "Wisdom Religion" is the inheritance of all the nations, the world over, though the statement was made in "Esoteric Buddhism" (Preface to the original Edition) that "two years ago (i.e. 1883), neither I _nor any other European living,_ knew the alphabet of the Science, here for the first time put into a scientific shape," etc. This error must have crept in through inadvertence. For the present writer knew all that which is "divulged" in "Esoteric Buddhism" - and much more - _many years before it_ became her duty (in 1880) to impart a small portion of the Secret Doctrine to two _European_ gentlemen, one of whom was the author of "Esoteric Buddhism"; and surely the present writer has the undoubted, though to her, rather equivocal, privilege of being a European, by birth and education. Moreover, a considerable part of the philosophy expounded by Mr. Sinnett was taught in America, even before _Isis Unveiled_ was published, to two Europeans and to my colleague, Colonel H. S. Olcott. Of the three teachers the latter gentleman has had, the first was a Hungarian Initiate, the second an Egyptian, the third a Hindu. As permitted, Colonel Olcott has given out some of this teaching in various ways; if the other two have not, it has been simply because they were not allowed: their time for public work having not yet come. But for others it has, and the appearance of Mr. Sinnett's several interesting books is a visible proof of the fact. It is above everything important to keep in mind that no theosophical book acquires the least additional value from pretended authority. In etymology _Adi,_ and _Adhi Budha,_ the _one_ (or the First) and "Supreme Wisdom" is a term used by Aryasanga in his Secret treatises, and now by all the mystic Northern Buddhists. It is a Sanskrit term, and an appellation given by the earliest Aryans to the Unknown deity; the word "Brahma" not being found in the Vedas and the early works. It means the absolute Wisdom, and "Adi-bhuta" is translated "the primeval uncreated cause of all" by Fitzedward Hall. Aeons of untold duration must have elapsed, before the epithet of Buddha was so humanized, so to speak, as to allow of the term being applied to mortals and finally appropriated to one whose unparalleled virtues and knowledge caused him to receive the title of the "Buddha of Wisdom unmoved." _Bodha_ means the innate possession of divine intellect or "understanding"; "Buddha," the acquirement of it by personal efforts and merit; while _Buddhi_ is the faculty of cognizing the channel through which divine knowledge reaches the "Ego," the discernment of good and evil, "divine conscience" also; and "Spiritual Soul," which is the vehicle of _Atma._ "When _Buddhi_ absorbs our EGO-tism (destroys it) with all its _Vikaras,_ Avalokiteshvara becomes manifested to us, and Nirvana, or _Mukti,_ is reached," "Mukti" being the same as Nirvana, i.e., freedom from the trammels of "Maya" or _illusion._ "Bodhi" is likewise the name of a particular state of trance condition, called _Samadhi,_ during which the subject reaches the culmination of spiritual knowledge. Unwise are those who, in their blind and, in our age, untimely hatred of Buddhism, and, by re-action, of "Budhism," deny its esoteric teachings (which are those also of the Brahmins), simply because the name suggests what to them, as Monotheists, are noxious doctrines. _Unwise_ is the correct term to use in their case. For the Esoteric philosophy is alone calculated to withstand, in this age of crass and illogical materialism, the repeated attacks on all and everything man holds most dear and sacred, in his inner spiritual life. The true philosopher, the student of the Esoteric Wisdom, entirely loses sight of personalities, dogmatic beliefs and special religions. Moreover, Esoteric philosophy reconciles all religions, strips every one of its outward, human garments, and shows the root of each to be identical with that of every other great religion. It proves the necessity of an absolute Divine Principle in nature. It denies Deity no more than it does the Sun. Esoteric philosophy has never rejected God in Nature, nor Deity as the absolute and abstract _Ens._ It only refuses to accept any of the gods of the so-called monotheistic religions, gods created by man in his own image and likeness, a blasphemous and sorry caricature of the Ever Unknowable. Furthermore, the records we mean to place before the reader embrace the esoteric tenets of the whole world since the beginning of our humanity, and Buddhistic occultism occupies therein only its legitimate place, and no more. Indeed, the secret portions of the "_Dan_" or "_Jan-na_" ... {_Dan,_ now become in modern Chinese and Tibetan phonetics _ch'an,_ is the general term for the esoteric schools, and their literature. In the old books, the word _Janna_ is defined as "to reform one's self by meditation and knowledge," a second _inner_ birth. Hence Dzan, _Djan_ phonetically, the "Book of _Dzyan._"} .. ("Dhyan") of Gautama's metaphysics - grand as they appear to one unacquainted with the tenets of the Wisdom-Religion of antiquity - are but a very small portion of the whole. The Hindu Reformer limited his public teachings to the purely moral and physiological aspect of the Wisdom-Religion, to Ethics and MAN alone. Things "unseen and incorporeal," the mystery of Being outside our terrestrial sphere, the great Teacher left entirely untouched in his public lectures, reserving the hidden Truths for a select circle of his Arhats. The latter received their Initiation at the famous Saptaparna cave (the _Sattapanni_ of Mahavansa) near Mount Baibhar (the Webhara of the Pali MSS.). This cave was in Rajagriha, the ancient capital of Mogadha, and was the _Cheta_ cave of Fa-hian, as rightly suspected by some archaeologists. - {Mr. Beglor, the chief engineer at Buddhagaya, and a distinguished archeologist, was the first, we believe, to discover it.} Time and human imagination made short work of the purity and philosophy of these teachings, once that they were transplanted from the secret and sacred circle of the Arhats, during the course of their work of proselytism, into a soil less prepared for metaphysical conceptions than India; i.e., once they were transferred into China, Japan, Siam, and Burmah. How the pristine purity of these grand revelations was dealt with may be seen in studying some of the so-called "esoteric" Buddhist schools of antiquity in their modern garb, not only in China and other Buddhist countries in general, but even in not a few schools in Thibet, left to the care of uninitiated Lamas and Mongolian innovators. Thus the reader is asked to bear in mind the very important difference between _orthodox_ Buddhism - i.e., the public teachings of Gautama the Buddha, and his esoteric _Budhism._ His Secret Doctrine, however, differed in no wise from that of the initiated Brahmins of his day. The Buddha was a child of the Aryan soil; a born Hindu, a Kshatrya and a disciple of the "twice born" (the initiated Brahmins) or Dwijas. His teachings, therefore, could not be different from their doctrines, for the whole Buddhist reform merely consisted in giving out a portion of that which had been kept secret from every man outside of the "enchanted" circle of Temple-Initiates and ascetics. Unable to teach _all_ that had been imparted to him - owing to his pledges - though he taught a philosophy built upon the ground-work of the true esoteric knowledge, the Buddha gave to the world only its _outward_ material body and kept its _soul_ for his Elect. (See also Volume II.) Many Chinese scholars among Orientalists have heard of the "Soul Doctrine." None seem to have understood its real meaning and importance. That doctrine was preserved secretly - too secretly, perhaps - within the sanctuary. The mystery that shrouded its chief dogma and aspirations - Nirvana - has so tried and irritated the curiosity of those scholars who have studied it, that, unable to solve it logically and satisfactorily by untying the Gordian knot, they cut it through, by declaring that Nirvana meant _absolute annihilation._ Toward the end of the first quarter of this century, a distinct class of literature appeared in the world, which became with every year more defined in its tendency. Being based, _soi-disant,_ on the scholarly researches of Sanskritists and Orientalists in general, it was held scientific. Hindu, Egyptian, and other ancient religions, myths, and emblems were made to yield anything the symbologist wanted them to yield, thus often giving out the rude _outward_ form in place of the _inner_ meaning. Works, most remarkable for their ingenious deductions and speculations, in _circulo vicioso,_ foregone conclusions generally changing places with premisses as in the syllogisms of more than one Sanskrit and Pali scholar, appeared rapidly in succession, over-flooding the libraries with dissertations rather on phallic and sexual worship than on real symbology, and each contradicting the other. This is the true reason, perhaps, why the outline of a few fundamental truths from the Secret Doctrine of the Archaic ages is now permitted to see the light, after long millenniums of the most profound silence and secrecy. I say "a _few_ truths," advisedly, because that which must remain unsaid could not be contained in a hundred such volumes, nor could it be imparted to the present generation of Sadducees. But, even the little that is now given is better than complete silence upon those vital truths. The world of to-day, in its mad career towards the unknown - which it is too ready to confound with the unknowable, whenever the problem eludes the grasp of the physicist - is rapidly progressing on the reverse, material plane of spirituality. It has now become a vast arena, a true valley of discord and of eternal strife, a necropolis, wherein lie buried the highest and the most holy aspirations of our Spirit-Soul. That soul becomes with every new generation more paralyzed and atrophied. The "amiable infidels and accomplished profligates" of Society, spoken of by Greeley, care little for the revival of the _dead_ sciences of the past; but there is a fair minority of earnest students who are entitled to learn the few truths that may be given to them now; and _now_ much more than ten years ago, when "Isis Unveiled," or even the later attempts to explain the mysteries of esoteric science, were published. One of the greatest, and, withal, the most serious objection to the correctness and reliability of the whole work will be the preliminary STANZAS: "How can the statements contained in them be verified?" True, if a great portion of the Sanskrit, Chinese, and Mongolian works quoted in the present volumes are known to some Orientalists, the chief work - that one from which the Stanzas are given - is not in the possession of European Libraries. The Book of Dzyan (or "Dzan") is utterly unknown to our Philologists, or at any rate was never heard of by them under its present name. This is, of course, a great drawback to those who follow the methods of research prescribed by official Science; but to the students of Occultism, and to every genuine Occultist, this will be of little moment. The main body of the Doctrines given is found scattered throughout hundreds and thousands of Sanskrit MSS., some already translated - disfigured in their interpretations, as usual, - others still awaiting their turn. Every scholar, therefore, has an opportunity of verifying the statements herein made, and of checking most of the quotations. A few new facts (_new_ to the profane Orientalist, only) and passages quoted from the Commentaries will be found difficult to trace. Several of the teachings, also, have hitherto been transmitted orally: yet even those are in every instance hinted at in the almost countless volumes of Brahminical, Chinese and Tibetan temple-literature. However it may be, and whatsoever is in store for the writer through malevolent criticism, one fact is quite certain. The members of several esoteric schools - the seat of which is beyond the Himalayas, and whose ramifications may be found in China, Japan, India, Tibet, and even in Syria, besides South America - claim to have in their possession the _sum total_ of sacred and philosophical works in MSS. and type: all the works, in fact, that have ever been written, in whatever language or characters, since the art of writing began; from the ideographic hieroglyphs down to the alphabet of Cadmus and the Devanagari. It has been claimed in all ages that ever since the destruction of the Alexandrian Library (see _Isis Unveiled,_ Vol. II., p. 27), every work of a character that might have led the profane to the ultimate discovery and comprehension of some of the mysteries of the Secret Science, was, owing to the combined efforts of the members of the Brotherhoods, diligently searched for. It is added, moreover, by those who know, that once found, save three copies left and stored safely away, such works were all destroyed. In India, the last of the precious manuscripts were secured and hidden during the reign of the Emperor Akbar. - {Prof. Max Muller shows that no bribes or threats of Akbar could extort from the Brahmans the original text of the Veda; and boasts that European Orientalists have it (_Lecture on the "Science of Religion," p. 23_). Whether Europe has the _complete text_ is very doubtful, and the future may have very disagreeable surprises in store for the Orientalists.} It is maintained, furthermore, that every sacred book of that kind, whose text was not sufficiently veiled in symbolism, or which had any direct references to the ancient mysteries, after having been carefully copied in cryptographic characters, such as to defy the art of the best and cleverest paleographer, was also destroyed to the last copy. During Akbar's reign, some fanatical courtiers, displeased at the Emperor's sinful prying into the religions of the infidels, themselves helped the Brahmans to conceal their MSS. Such was Badaoni, who had an _undisguised_ horror for Akbar's mania for idolatrous religions. - {"His Majesty relished inquiries into the sects of these infidels (who cannot be counted, so numerous they are, and who have no end of _revealed books_) - As they (the Sramana and Brahmins) surpass other learned men in their treatises on morals, on physical and religious sciences, and reach a high degree _in their knowledge of the future,_ in spiritual power, and human perfection, they brought proofs based on reason and testimony, and inculcated their doctrines so firmly that no man could now raise a doubt in his Majesty even if mountains were to crumble to dust, or the heavens were to tear asunder."} This work "was kept secret, and was not published till the reign of Jahangir." (Ain i Akbari, translated by Dr. Blochmann, p. 104, note.)} Moreover in all the large and wealthy lamaseries, there are subterranean crypts and _cave-libraries,_ cut in the rock, whenever the _gompa_ and the _lhakhang_ are situated in the mountains. Beyond the Western Tsaydam, in the solitary passes of _Kuen-lun_ {Karakorum mountains, Western Tibet.} there are several such hiding-places. Along the ridge of Altyn-Toga, whose soil no European foot has ever trodden so far, there exists a certain hamlet, lost in a deep gorge. It is a small cluster of houses, a hamlet rather than a monastery, with a poor-looking temple in it, with one old lama, a hermit, living near by to watch it. Pilgrims say that the subterranean galleries and halls under it contain a collection of books, the number of which, according to the accounts given, is too large to find room even in the British Museum. - {According to the same tradition the now desolate regions of the waterless land of Tarim - a true wilderness in the heart of Turkestan - were in the days of old covered with flourishing and wealthy cities. At present, hardly a few verdant oases relieve its dead solitude. One such, sprung on the sepulchre of a vast city swallowed by and buried under the sandy soil of the desert, belongs to no one, but is often visited by Mongolians and Buddhists. The same tradition speaks of immense subterranean abodes, of large corridors filled with tiles and cylinders. It may be an idle rumour, and it may be an actual fact.} All this is very likely to provoke a smile of doubt. But then, before the reader rejects the truthfulness of the reports, let him pause and reflect over the following well known facts. The collective researches of the Orientalists, and especially the labours of late years of the students of comparative Philology and the Science of Religions have led them to ascertain as follows: An immense, incalculable number of MSS., and even printed works _known to have existed,_ are now to be found no more. They have disappeared without leaving the slightest trace behind them. Were they works of no importance they might, in the natural course of time, have been left to perish, and their very names would have been obliterated from human memory. But it is not so; for, as now ascertained, most of them contained the true keys to works still extant, and _entirely incomprehensible,_ for the greater portion of their readers, _without those additional volumes_ of Commentaries and explanations. Such are, for instance, the works of Lao-tse, the predecessor of Confucius. - {"If we turn to China, we find that the religion of Confucius is founded on the Five _King_ and the Four _Shu_ books, in themselves of considerable extent and surrounded by voluminous Commentaries, without which even the most learned scholars would not venture to fathom _the depth of their sacred canon." (Lectures on the "Science of Religion."_ p. 185. Max Muller.) But they have not fathomed it - and this is the complaint of the Confucianists, as a very learned member of that body, in Paris, complained in 1881.} He is said to have written 930 books on Ethics and religions, and _seventy_ on magic, _one thousand in all._ His great work, however, the _heart_ of his doctrine, the "Tao-te-King," or the sacred scriptures of the _Taosse,_ has in it, as Stanislas Julien shows, only "about 5,000 words" (_Tao-te-King,_ p. xxvii.), hardly a dozen of pages, yet Professor Max Muller finds that "the text is unintelligible without commentaries, so that Mr. Julien had to consult more than sixty commentators for the purpose of his translation," the earliest going back as far as the year 163 B.C., _not earlier,_ as we see. During the four centuries and a half that preceded this _earliest_ of the commentators there was ample time to veil the true Lao-tse doctrine from all but his initiated priests. The Japanese, among whom are now to be found the most learned of the priests and followers of Lao-tse, simply laugh at the blunders and hypotheses of the European Chinese scholars; and tradition affirms that the commentaries to which our Western Sinologues have access are not the _real occult_ records, but intentional veils, and that the true commentaries, as well as almost all the texts, have long since _disappeared_ from the eyes of the profane. Uploaded by Alan -- Member, Theosophy International. Member, Human Race. From guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk Sat Jan 20 05:54:32 1996 Date: Sat, 20 Jan 1996 05:54:32 +0000 From: "Dr.A.M.Bain" Message-Id: Subject: Bummer In-Reply-To: <960118175403_120630522@emout04.mail.aol.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 In message <960118175403_120630522@emout04.mail.aol.com>, Richtay@aol.com writes >I could not read the stuff I was sent, I had to throw it away. I can only >use files in ASCII. > >Bummer. It's OK - it came through as ASCII later. P.S. Do you want any other info than your e-mail address alongside your TI list entry? Alan -- Member, Theosophy International. Member, Human Race. From guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk Sun Jan 21 03:25:21 1996 Date: Sun, 21 Jan 1996 03:25:21 +0000 From: "Dr.A.M.Bain" Message-Id: Subject: SD E-texts Mime-Version: 1.0 The PROEM to ~The Secret Doctrine~ has been uploaded to theos-roots. The first line of text reads: SDPROEM.TXT, but the whole has been split into 2 parts by my mailer software! Alan -- Member, Theosophy International. Member, Human Race. Private e-mail: guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk From guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk Sun Jan 21 03:23:33 1996 Date: Sun, 21 Jan 1996 03:23:33 +0000 From: "Dr.A.M.Bain" Message-Id: Subject: SD PROEM [2/2] References: Mime-Version: 1.0 are, in almost every case, the late developments of the later language, and pertain to the Fifth Root-Race. Sanskrit, as now known, was not spoken by the Atlanteans, and most of the philosophical terms used in the systems of the India of the post-Mahabharatan period are not found in the Vedas, nor are they to be met with in the original Stanzas, but only their equivalents. The reader who is not a Theosophist, is once more invited to regard all that which follows as a fairy tale, if he likes; at best as one of the yet unproven speculations of _dreamers_; and, at the worst, as an additional hypothesis to the many Scientific hypotheses past, present and future, some exploded, others still lingering. It is not in any sense worse than are many of the so called Scientific theories; and it is in every case more philosophical and probable. In view of the abundant comments and explanations required, the references to the footnotes are given in the usual way, while the sentences to be commented upon are marked with figures. Additional matter will be found in the Chapters on Symbolism forming Part II., as well as in Part III., these being often more full of information than the text. <1996 note: the above paragraph will be of little help with an e-text such as this; however, it remains relevant to printed editions of the SD, and is included for reference>. Alan -- Member, Theosophy International. Member, Human Race. From guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk Sun Jan 21 03:23:31 1996 Date: Sun, 21 Jan 1996 03:23:31 +0000 From: "Dr.A.M.Bain" Message-Id: Subject: SD PROEM [1/2] Mime-Version: 1.0 SDPROEM.TXT VOLUME FIRST. COSMOGENESIS. Proem PAGES FROM A PRE-HISTORIC PERIOD. An Archaic Manuscript - a collection of palm leaves made impermeable to water, fire, and air, by some specific unknown process - is before the writer's eye. On the first page is an immaculate white disk within a dull black ground. On the following page, the same disk, but with a central point. The first, the student knows to represent Kosmos in Eternity, before the re-awakening of still slumbering Energy, the emanation of the Word in later systems. The point in the hitherto immaculate Disk, Space and Eternity in Pralaya, denotes the dawn of differentiation. It is the Point in the Mundane Egg (see Part II., "The Mundane Egg"), the germ within the latter which will become the Universe, the ALL, the boundless, periodical Kosmos, this germ being latent and active, periodically and by turns. The one circle is divine Unity, from which all proceeds, whither all returns. Its circumference - a forcibly limited symbol, in view of the limitation of the human mind - indicates the abstract, ever incognisable PRESENCE, and its plane, the Universal Soul, although the two are one. Only the face of the Disk being white and the ground all around black, shows clearly that its plane is the only knowledge, dim and hazy though it still is, that is attainable by man. It is on this plane that the Manvantaric manifestations begin; for it is in this SOUL that slumbers, during the Pralaya, the Divine Thought, - {It is hardly necessary to remind the reader once more that the term "Divine Thought" like that of "Universal Mind," must not be regarded as even vaguely shadowing forth an intellectual process akin to that exhibited by man. The "Unconscious," according to von Hartmann, arrived at the vast creative, or rather Evolutionary Plan, "by a clairvoyant wisdom superior to all consciousness," which in the Vedantic language would mean absolute Wisdom. Only those who realise how far Intuition soars above the tardy processes of ratiocinative thought can form the faintest conception of that absolute Wisdom which transcends the ideas of Time and Space. Mind, as we know it, is resolvable into states of consciousness, of varying duration, intensity, complexity, etc. - all, in the ultimate, resting on sensation, which is again Maya. Sensation, again, necessarily postulates limitation. The personal God of orthodox Theism perceives, thinks, and is affected by emotion; he repents and feels "fierce anger." But the notion of such mental states clearly involves the unthinkable postulate of the externality of the exciting stimuli, to say nothing of the impossibility of ascribing changelessness to a Being whose emotions fluctuate with events in the worlds he presides over. The conceptions of a Personal God as changeless and infinite are thus unpsychological and, what is worse, unphilosophical.} - wherein lies concealed the plan of every future Cosmogony and Theogony. It is the ONE LIFE, eternal, invisible, yet Omnipresent, without beginning or end, yet periodical in its regular manifestations, between which periods reigns the dark mystery of non-Being; unconscious, yet absolute Consciousness; unrealisable, yet the one self-existing reality; truly, "a chaos to the sense, a Kosmos to the reason." Its one absolute attribute, which is ITSELF, eternal, ceaseless Motion, is called in esoteric parlance the "Great Breath," - {Plato proves himself an Initiate, when saying in _Cratylus_ that _Theos_ is derived from the verb _Theein,_ "to move," "to run," as the first astronomers who observed the motions of the heavenly bodies called the planets _Theoi,_ the gods. (See Book II., "Symbolism of the Cross and Circle.") Later, the word produced another term, _aletheia_ - "the breath of God."} - which is the perpetual motion of the universe, in the sense of limitless, ever-present SPACE. That which is motionless cannot be Divine. But then there is nothing in fact and reality absolutely motionless within the universal soul. Almost five centuries B.C. Leucippus, the instructor of Democritus, maintained that Space was filled eternally with atoms actuated by a ceaseless motion, the latter generating in due course of time, when those atoms aggregated, rotatory motion, through mutual collisions producing lateral movements. Epicurus and Lucretius taught the same, only adding to the lateral motion of the atoms the idea of affinity - an occult teaching. Since the beginning of man's inheritance, from the first appearance of the architects of the globe he lives in, the unrevealed Deity was recognised and considered under its only philosophical aspect - universal motion, the thrill of the creative Breath in Nature. Occultism sums up the "One Existence" thus: "Deity is an arcane, living (or moving) FIRE, and the eternal witnesses to this unseen Presence are Light, Heat, Moisture," - this trinity including, and being the cause of, every phenomenon in Nature. - {Nominalists, arguing with Berkeley that "it is impossible ... to form the abstract idea of motion distinct from the body moving" (_Prin. of Human Knowledge,_ Introd., par. 10), may put the question, "What is that body, the producer of that motion? Is it a substance? Then you are believers in a Personal God?" etc., etc. This will be answered farther on, in the Addendum to this Book; meanwhile, we claim our rights of Conceptionalists as against Roscelini's materialistic views of Realism and Nominalism. "Has science," says one of its ablest advocates, Edward Clodd, "revealed anything that weakens or opposes itself to the ancient words in which the Essence of all religion, past, present, and to come, is given; to do justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly before thy God?" Provided we connote by the word God, _not the crude anthropomorphism which is still the backbone of our current theology, but the symbolic conception of that which is Life and Motion of the Universe,_ to know which in physical order is to know time past, present, and to come, in the existence of successions of phenomena; to know which, in the moral, is to know what has been, is, and will be, within human consciousness. (_See "Science and the Emotions." A Discourse delivered at South Place Chapel, Finsbury, London, Dec. 27th, 1885._) } Intra-Cosmic motion is eternal and ceaseless; cosmic motion (the visible, or that which is subject to perception) is finite and periodical. As an eternal abstraction it is the EVER-PRESENT; as a manifestation, it is finite both in the coming direction and the opposite, the two being the alpha and omega of successive reconstructions. Kosmos - the NOUMENON - has nought to do with the causal relations of the phenomenal World. It is only with reference to the intra-cosmic soul, the ideal Kosmos in the immutable Divine Thought, that we may say: "It never had a beginning nor will it have an end." With regard to its body or Cosmic organization, though it cannot be said that it had a first, or will ever have a last construction, yet at each new Manvantara, its organization may be regarded as the first and the last of its kind, as it evolutes every time on a higher plane. A few years ago only, it was stated that: - "The esoteric doctrine teaches, like Buddhism and Brahminism, and even the Kabala, that the one infinite and unknown Essence exists from all eternity, and in regular and harmonious successions is either passive or active. In the poetical phraseology of Manu these conditions are called the "Days" and the "Nights" of Brahma. The latter is either "awake" or "asleep." The Svabhavikas, or philosophers of the oldest school of Buddhism (which still exists in Nepaul), speculate only upon the active condition of this "Essence," which they call Svabhavat, and deem it foolish to theorize upon the abstract and "unknowable" power in its passive condition. Hence they are called atheists by both Christian theologians and modern scientists, for neither of the two are able to understand the profound logic of their philosophy. The former will allow of no other God than the personified secondary powers which have worked out the visible universe, and which became with them the anthropomorphic God of the Christians - the male Jehovah, roaring amid thunder and lightning. In its turn, rationalistic science greets the Buddhists and the Svabhavikas as the "positivists" of the archaic ages. If we take a one-sided view of the philosophy of the latter, our materialists may be right in their own way. The Buddhists maintained that there is no Creator, but an infinitude of creative powers, which collectively form the one eternal substance, the essence of which is inscrutable - hence not a subject for speculation for any true philosopher. Socrates invariably refused to argue upon the mystery of universal being, yet no one would ever have thought of charging him with atheism, except those who were bent upon his destruction. Upon inaugurating an active period, says the Secret Doctrine, an expansion of this Divine essence from without inwardly and from within outwardly, occurs in obedience to eternal and immutable law, and the phenomenal or visible universe is the ultimate result of the long chain of cosmical forces thus progressively set in motion. In like manner, when the passive condition is resumed, a contraction of the Divine essence takes place, and the previous work of creation is gradually and progressively undone. The visible universe becomes disintegrated, its material dispersed; and `darkness' solitary and alone, broods once more over the face of the `deep.' To use a Metaphor from the Secret Books, which will convey the idea still more clearly, an outbreathing of the `unknown essence' produces the world; and an inhalation causes it to disappear. This process has been going on from all eternity, and our present universe is but one of an infinite series, which had no beginning and will have no end." - (See "Isis Unveiled;" also "The Days and Nights of Brahma" in Part II.) This passage will be explained, as far as it is possible, in the present work. Though, as it now stands, it contains nothing new to the Orientalist, its esoteric interpretation may contain a good deal which has hitherto remained entirely unknown to the Western student. The first illustration being a plain disc, the second one in the Archaic symbol shows a disc with a point in it - the first differentiation in the periodical manifestations of the ever-eternal nature, sexless and infinite "Aditi in THAT" (Rig Veda), the point in the disc, or potential Space within abstract Space. In its third stage the point is transformed into a [vertical] diameter. It now symbolizes a divine immaculate Mother-Nature within the all-embracing absolute Infinitude. When the diameter line is crossed by a vertical one, it becomes the mundane cross [diag: an equal-armed cross within the circle]. Humanity has reached its third root-race; it is the sign for the origin of human life to begin. When the circumference disappears and leaves only the cross it is a sign that the fall of man into matter is accomplished, and the FOURTH race begins. The Cross within a circle symbolizes pure Pantheism; when the Cross was left uninscribed, it became phallic. It had the same and yet other meanings as a TAU inscribed within a circle [diag: a circle bisected by a horizontal diameter, and a line descending from the centre of the line/circle to for a letter T ocupying the lower half of the circle] or as a "Thor's hammer," the Jaina cross, so-called, or simply Svastica within a circle. <1996 Note: In the third revised edition of the SD [1918], the Svastika does not touch the side of the circle, and is similar in shape to the version used by the German Nazi party before and during world war two, except the extensions to the arms are shorter. In the same symbol as it appears in the present emblem of the Theosophical Society, this arrangement is reversed, so that the Svastika would, if rotated in a manner to suggest the extensions marking a "trail" marking, move clockwise, or _deosil_: in the same direction as the sun's apparent movement around the earth.> By the third symbol - the circle divided in two by the horizontal line of the diameter - the first manifestation of creative (still passive, because feminine) Nature was meant. The first shadowy perception of man connected with procreation is feminine, because man knows his mother more than his father. Hence female deities were more sacred than the male. Nature is therefore feminine, and, to a degree, objective and tangible, and the spirit Principle which fructifies it is concealed. By adding to the circle with the horizontal line in it, a perpendicular line, the tau [diag: shape as English letter T] was formed - the oldest form of the letter. It was the glyph of the third root-race to the day of its symbolical Fall - i.e., when the separation of sexes by natural evolution took place - when the figure became [diag: circle bisected by a vertical diagonal], the circle, or sexless life modified or separated - a double glyph or symbol. With the races of our Fifth Race it became in symbology the sacr', and in Hebrew n'cabvah, of the first-formed races; - {See that suggestive work, "The Source of Measures," where the author explains the real meaning of the word "sacr'," from which "sacred," "sacrament," are derived, which have now become synonyms of "holiness," though purely phallic!} - then it changed into the Egyptian [diag: ankh] (emblem of life), and still later into the sign of Venus, . Then comes the Svastica (Thor's hammer, or the "Hermetic Cross" now), entirely separated from its Circle, thus becoming purely phallic. The esoteric symbol of Kali Yuga is the five-pointed star reversed, thus [diag: inverted five-pointed star] - the sign of human sorcery, with its two points (horns) turned heavenward, a position every Occultist will recognise as one of the "left-hand," and used in ceremonial magic. - {We are told by the Western mathematicians and some American Kabalists, that in the Kabala also "the value of the Jehovah name is that of the diameter of a circle." Add to this the fact that Jehovah is the third Sephiroth, _Binah,_ a feminine word, and you have the key to the mystery. By certain Kabalistic transformations this name, _androgynous_ in the first chapters of Genesis, becomes in its transformations entirely masculine, Cainite and phallic. The fact of choosing a deity among the pagan gods and making of it a special national God, to call upon it as the "One living God," the "God of Gods," and then proclaim this worship Monotheistic, does not change it into the one Principle whose "Unity admits not of multiplication, change, or form," especially in the case of a priapic deity, as Jehovah now demonstrated to be.} - <1996 Editorial Note: This is a "selective" note by HPB. She refers to "some" [my emphasis] American Kabalists, and "Western mathematicians" without giving her sources. Modern scholarship, both theological and kabalistic, concurs that the Hebrew word rendered in the bibles of HPB's day as "Jehovah" and in modern editions as "Yahweh" is an unusual variant of the Hebrew verb, "to be," and is best rendered into English as "That-which-is" - a very similar idea to THAT in the SD - or "Eternal Being," a usage adopted by many of the Christian early church fathers, who used the shorter form, in reference to deity, of "The Eternal." The Hebrew _Shema_ (Hear, O Israel, the LORD your God, the LORD is One) can legitimately be rendered as "Hear O Israel, Eternal Being, your "God," Eternal Being is Unity." This is pure metaphysics. - Alan Bain, ed. & Kabalist.> It is hoped that during the perusal of this work the erroneous ideas of the public in general with regard to Pantheism will be modified. It is wrong and unjust to regard the Buddhists and Advaitee Occultists as atheists. If not all of them philosophers, they are, at any rate, all logicians, their objections and arguments being based on strict reasoning. Indeed, if the Parabrahmam of the Hindus may be taken as a representative of the hidden and nameless deities of other nations, this absolute Principle will be found to be the prototype from which all the others were copied. Parabrahm is not "God," because It is not _a_ God. "It is that which is supreme, and not supreme (paravara)," explains Mandukya Upanishad (2.28). IT is "Supreme" as CAUSE, not supreme as effect. Parabrahm is simply, as a "Secondless Reality," the all-inclusive Kosmos - or, rather, the infinite Cosmic Space - in the highest spiritual sense, of course. Brahma (neuter) being the unchanging, pure, free, undecaying supreme Root, "the ONE true Existence, Paramarthika," and the absolute Chit and Chaitanya (intelligence, consciousness) cannot be a cogniser, "for THAT can have no subject of cognition." Can the flame be called the essence of Fire? This Essence is "the LIFE and LIGHT of the Universe, the visible fire and flame are destruction, death, and evil." "Fire and Flame destroy the body of an Arhat, their essence makes him immortal." _(Bodhi-mur, Book II.)_ "The knowledge of the absolute Spirit, like the effulgence of the sun, or like heat in fire, is naught else than the absolute Essence itself," says Sankaracharya. IT - is "the Spirit of the Fire," not fire itself; therefore, "the attributes of the latter, heat or flame, are not the attributes of the Spirit, but of that of which that Spirit is the unconscious cause." Is not the above sentence the true key-note of later Rosicrucian philosophy? Parabrahm is, in short, the collective aggregate of Kosmos in its infinity and eternity, the "THAT" and "THIS" to which distributive aggregates can not be applied. - {See "Vedanta Sara," by Major G. A. Jacob; as also "The Aphorisms of Shandilya," translated by Cowell, p. 42.} - "In the beginning THIS was the Self, one only" _(Aitareya Upanishad)_; the great Sankaracharya explains that "THIS" referred to the Universe (Jagat); the sense of the words, "In the beginning," meaning before the reproduction of the phenomenal Universe. Therefore, when the Pantheists echo the Upanishads, which state, as in the Secret Doctrine, that "this" cannot create, they do not deny a Creator, or rather a _collective aggregate_ of creators, but only refuse, very logically, to attribute "creation" and especially formation, something finite, to an Infinite Principle. With them, Parabrahmam is a passive because an Absolute Cause, the unconditioned _Mukta_. It is only limited Omniscience and Omnipotence that are refused to the latter, because these are still attributes (as reflected in man's perceptions); and because Parabrahm, being the "Supreme ALL," the ever invisible spirit and Soul of Nature, changeless and eternal, can have no attributes; absoluteness very naturally precluding any idea of the finite or conditioned from being connected with it. And if the Vedantin postulates attributes as belonging simply to its emanation, calling it "Iswara _plus_ Maya," and Avidya (Agnosticism and Nescience rather than ignorance), it is difficult to find any Atheism in this conception. - {Nevertheless, prejudiced and rather fanatical Christian Orientalists would like to prove this pure Atheism. For proof of this, see about Major Jacob's "Vedanta Sara." Yet, the whole Antiquity echoes this Vedantic thought: "Omnis enim per se divom natura necesse est Immortali aevo summa cum pace fruatur."} Since there can be neither two INFINITIES nor two ABSOLUTES in a Universe supposed to be Boundless, this Self-Existence can hardly be conceived of as creating personally. In the sense and perceptions of finite "Beings," THAT is Non-"being," in the sense that it is the one BE-NESS; for, in this ALL lies concealed its coeternal and coeval emanation or inherent radiation, which, upon becoming periodically Brahma (the male-female Potency) becomes or expands itself into the manifested Universe. Narayana moving on the (abstract) waters of Space, is transformed into the Waters of concrete substance moved by him, who now becomes the manifested WORD or Logos. The orthodox Brahmins, those who rise the most against the Pantheists and Adwaitees, calling them Atheists, are forced, if Manu has any authority in this matter, to accept the death of Brahma, the creator, at the expiration of every "Age" of this (creative) deity (100 Divine years - a period which in our years requires fifteen figures to express it). Yet, no philosopher among them will view this "death" in any other sense than as a temporary disappearance from the manifested plane of existence, or as a periodical rest. The Occultists are, therefore, at one with the Adwaita Vedantin philosophers as to the above tenet. They show the impossibility of accepting on philosophical grounds the idea of the absolute ALL creating or even evolving the "Golden Egg," into which it is said to enter in order to transform itself into Brahma - the Creator, who expands himself later into gods and all the visible Universe. They say that Absolute Unity cannot pass to infinity; for infinity presupposes the limitless extension of _something,_ and the duration of that "something;" and the One All is like Space - which is its only mental and physical representation on this Earth, or our plane of existence - neither an object of, nor a subject to, perception. If one could suppose the Eternal Infinite All, the Omnipresent Unity, instead of being in Eternity, becoming through periodical manifestation a manifold Universe or a multiple personality, that Unity would cease to be one. Locke's idea that "pure Space is capable of neither resistance nor Motion" - is incorrect. Space is neither a "limitless void," nor a "conditioned fulness," but both: being, on the plane of absolute abstraction, the ever-incognisable Deity, which is void only to finite minds, - {The very names of the two chief deities, Brahma and Vishnu, ought to have long ago suggested their esoteric meanings. For the root of one, Brahmam, or Brahm, is derived by some from the word Brih, "to grow" or "to expand" (see _Calcutta Review,_ vol. lxvi., p. 14); and of the other, Vishnu, from the root Vis, "to pervade," to enter in the nature of the essence; Brahma-Vishnu being this infinite SPACE, of which the gods, the Rishis, the Manus, and all in this universe are simply the potencies, Vibhutayah.} - and on that of _mayavic_ perception, the Plenum, the absolute Container of all that is, whether manifested or unmanifested: it is, therefore, that ABSOLUTE ALL. There is no difference between the Christian Apostle's "In Him we live and move and have our being," and the Hindu Rishi's "The Universe lives in, proceeds from, and will return to, Brahma (Brahma):" for Brahma (neuter), the unmanifested, is that Universe _in abscondito,_ and Brahma, the manifested, is the Logos, made male-female - {See Manu's account of Brahma separating his body into male and female, the latter the female Vach, in whom he creates Viraj, and compare this with the esotericism of Chapters II., III., and IV. of Genesis.} - in the symbolical orthodox dogmas. The God of the Apostle-Initiate and of the Rishi being both the Unseen and the Visible SPACE. Space is called in the esoteric symbolism "the Seven-Skinned Eternal Mother-Father." It is composed from its undifferentiated to its differentiated surface of seven layers. "What is that which was, is, and will be, whether there is a Universe or not; whether there be gods or none?" asks the esoteric Senzar Catechism. And the answer made is - SPACE. It _is_ not the One Unknown ever-present God in Nature, or Nature _in abscondito,_ that is rejected, but the God of human dogma and his _humanized_ "Word." In his infinite conceit and inherent pride and vanity, man shaped it himself with his sacrilegious hand out of the material he found in his own small brain-fabric, and forced it upon mankind as a direct revelation from the one unrevealed SPACE. - {Occultism is indeed in the air at the close of this our century. Among many other works recently published, we would recommend one especially to students of theoretical Occultism who would not venture beyond the realm of our special human plane. It is called "New Aspects of Life and Religion," by Henry Pratt, M.D. It is full of esoteric dogmas and philosophy, the latter rather limited, in the concluding chapters, by what seems to be a spirit of conditioned positivism. Nevertheless, what is said of Space as "the Unknown First Cause," merits quotation: "This unknown something, thus recognised as, and identified with, the primary embodiment of Simple Unity, is invisible and impalpable" - (_abstract space, granted_); "and because invisible and impalpable, therefore incognisable. And this incognisability has led to the error of supposing it to be a simple void, a mere receptive capacity. But, even viewed as an absolute void, space must be admitted to be either Self-existent, infinite, and eternal, or to have had a first cause outside, behind, and beyond itself. "And yet could such a cause be found and defined, this would only lead to the transferring thereto of the attributes otherwise accruing to space, and thus merely throw the difficulty of origination a step farther back, without gaining additional light as to primary causation." (p. 5.) This is precisely what has been done by the believers in an anthropomorphic Creator, an extracosmic, instead of an intracosmic God. Many - most of Mr. Pratt's subjects, we may say - are old Kabalistic ideas and theories which he presents in quite a new garb: "New Aspects" of the Occult in Nature, indeed. Space, however, viewed as a "Substantial Unity" - the "living Source of Life" - is as the "Unknown Causeless Cause," is the oldest dogma in Occultism, millenniums earlier than the _Pater-Aether_ of the Greeks and Latins. So are the "Force and Matter, as Potencies of Space, inseparable, and the Unknown revealers of the Unknown." They are all found in Aryan philosophy personified by Visvakarman, Indra, Vishnu, etc., etc. Still they are expressed very philosophically, and under many unusual aspects, in the work referred to.} The Occultist accepts revelation as coming from divine yet still finite Beings, the manifested lives, never from the Unmanifestable ONE LIFE; from those entities, called Primordial Man, Dhyani-Buddhas, or Dhyan-Chohans, the "Rishi-Prajapati" of the Hindus, the Elohim or "Sons of God," the Planetary Spirits of all nations, who have become Gods for men. He also regards the Adi-Sakti - the direct emanation of Mulaprakriti, the eternal Root of THAT, and the female aspect of the Creative Cause Brahma, in her akasic form of the Universal Soul - as philosophically a Maya, and cause of human Maya. But this view does not prevent him from believing in its existence so long as it lasts, to wit, for one Mahamanvantara; nor from applying akasa, the radiation of Mulaprakriti, to practical purposes, connected as the World-Soul is with all natural phenomena, known or unknown to science. - {In contradistinction to the manifested universe of matter, the term _Mulaprakriti_ (from _Mula,_ "the root," and _prakriti,- "nature"), or the unmanifested primordial matter - called by Western alchemists Adam's Earth - is applied by the Vedantins to _Parabrahmam._ Matter is dual in religious metaphysics, and septenary in esoteric teachings, like everything else in the universe. As _Mulaprakriti,_ it is undifferentiated and eternal; as Vyakta, it becomes differentiated and conditioned, according to _Svetasvatara Upanishad,_ i., 8, and _Devi Bhagavata Purana._ The author of the Four Lectures on the Bhagavad Gita, says, in speaking of _Mulaprakriti:_ "From its (the Logos') objective standpoint, _Parabrahmam_ appears to it as _Mulaprakriti._ - Of course this _Mulaprakriti_ is material to it, as any material object is material to us. - _Parabrahmam_ is an unconditioned and absolute reality, and _Mulaprakriti_ is a sort of veil thrown over it." (_Theosophist,_ Vol. VIII., p. 304.)} The oldest religions of the world - exoterically, for the esoteric root or foundation is one - are the Indian, the Mazdean, and the Egyptian. Then comes the Chaldean, the outcome of these - entirely lost to the world now, except in its disfigured Sabeanism as at present rendered by the archaeologists; then, passing over a number of religions that will be mentioned later, comes the Jewish, esoterically, as in the Kabala, following in the line of Babylonian Magism; exoterically, as in Genesis and the Pentateuch, a collection of allegorical legends. Read by the light of the Zohar, the initial four chapters of Genesis are the fragment of a highly philosophical page in the World's Cosmogony. (See Book III., _Gupta Vidya and the Zohar._) Left in their symbolical disguise, they are a nursery tale, an ugly thorn in the side of science and logic, an evident effect of Karma. To have let them serve as a prologue to Christianity was a cruel revenge on the part of the Rabbis, who knew better what their Pentateuch meant. It was a silent protest against their spoliation, and the Jews have certainly now the better of their traditional persecutors. The above-named exoteric creeds will be explained in the light of the Universal doctrine as we proceed with it. The Occult Catechism contains the following questions and answers: "What is it that ever is?" "Space, the eternal Anupadaka." - {Meaning "parentless" - see farther on.} - "What is it that ever was?" "The Germ in the Root." "What is it that is ever coming and going?" "The Great Breath." "Then, there are three Externals?" "No, the three are one. That which ever is is one, that which ever was is one, that which is ever being and becoming is also one: and this is Space." "Explain, oh Lanoo (disciple)." - "The One is an unbroken Circle (ring) with no circumference, for it is nowhere and everywhere; the One is the boundless plane of the Circle, manifesting a diameter only during the manvantaric periods; the One is the indivisible point found nowhere, perceived everywhere during those periods; it is the Vertical and the Horizontal, the Father and the Mother, the summit and base of the Father, the two extremities of the Mother, reaching in reality nowhere, for the One is the Ring as also the rings that are within that Ring. Light in darkness and darkness in light: the 'Breath which is eternal.' It proceeds from without inwardly, when it is everywhere, and from within outwardly, when it is nowhere (i.e., maya, - one of the centres). - {Esoteric philosophy, regarding as Maya (or the illusion of ignorance) every finite thing, must necessarily view in the same light every intra-Cosmic planet and body, as being something organised, hence finite. The expression, therefore, "it proceeds from without inwardly, etc." refers in the first portion of the sentence to the dawn of the Mahamanvantaric period, or the great re-evolution after one of the complete periodical dissolutions of every compound form in Nature (from planet to molecule) into its ultimate essence or element; and in its second portion, to the partial or local manvantara, which may be a solar or even a planetary one.} - {By "centre," a centre of energy or a Cosmic focus is meant; when the so-called "Creation," or formation of a planet, is accomplished by that force which is designated by the Occultists LIFE and by Science "energy," then the process takes place from within outwardly, every atom being said to contain in itself creative energy of the divine breath. Hence, whereas after an absolute pralaya, or when the preexisting material consists but of ONE Element, and BREATH "is everywhere," the latter acts from without inwardly: after a minor pralaya, everything having remained in status quo - in a refrigerated state, so to say, like the moon - at the first flutter of manvantara, the planet or planets begin their resurrection to life from within outwardly.} It expands and contracts (exhalation and inhalation). When it expands the mother diffuses and scatters; when it contracts, the mother draws back and ingathers. This produces the periods of Evolution and Dissolution, Manwantara and Pralaya. The Germ is invisible and fiery; the Root (the plane of the circle) is cool; but during Evolution and Manwantara her garment is cold and radiant. Hot Breath is the Father who devours the progeny of the many-faced Element (heterogeneous); and leaves the single-faced ones (homogeneous). Cool Breath is the Mother, who conceives, forms, brings forth, and receives them back into her bosom, to reform them at the Dawn (of the Day of Brahma, or Manvantara)." For clearer understanding on the part of the general reader, it must be stated that Occult Science recognises _Seven_ Cosmical Elements - four entirely physical, and the fifth (Ether) semi-material, as it will become visible in the air towards the end of our Fourth Round, to reign supreme over the others during the whole of the Fifth. The remaining two are as yet absolutely beyond the range of human perception. These latter will, however, appear as presentments during the 6th and 7th Races of this Round, and will become known in the 6th and 7th Rounds respectively. - {It is curious to notice how, in the evolutionary cycles of ideas, ancient thought seems to be reflected in modern speculation. Had Mr. Herbert Spencer read and studied ancient Hindu philosophers when he wrote a certain passage in his "First Principles" (p. 482), or is it an independent flash of inner perception that made him say half correctly, half incorrectly, "motion as well as matter, being fixed in quantity (?), it would seem that the change in the distribution of Matter which Motion effects, coming to a limit in whichever direction it is carried (?), the indestructible Motion thereupon necessitates a reverse distribution. Apparently, the universally co-existent forces of attraction and repulsion which, as we have seen, necessitate rhythm in all minor changes throughout the Universe, also necessitate rhythm in the totality of its changes - produce now an immeasurable period during which the attracting forces predominating, cause universal concentration, and then an immeasurable period, during which the repulsive forces predominating, cause universal diffusion - alternate eras of Evolution and dissolution."} These seven elements with their numberless Sub-Elements far more numerous than those known to Science) are simply _conditional_ modifications and aspects of the ONE and only Element. This latter is not _Ether,_ not even _akasa_ but the _Source_ of these. - {Whatever the views of physical Science upon the subject, Occult Science has been teaching for ages that akasa - of which Ether is the grossest form - the fifth universal Cosmic Principle (to which corresponds and from which proceeds human Manas) is, cosmically, a radiant, cool, diathermanous plastic matter, creative in its physical nature, correlative in its grossest aspects and portions, immutable in its higher principles. In the former condition it is called the Sub-Root; and in conjunction with radiant heat, it recalls "dead worlds to life." In its higher aspect it is the Soul of the World; in its lower - the DESTROYER.} The Fifth Element, now advocated quite freely by Science, is not the Ether hypothesised by Sir Isaac Newton - although he calls it by that name, having associated it in his mind probably with the Aether, "Father-Mother" of Antiquity. As Newton intuitionally says, "Nature is a perpetual circulatory worker, generating fluids out of solids, fixed things out of volatile, and volatile out of fixed, subtile out of gross, and gross out of subtile. - Thus, perhaps, may all things be originated from Ether," (Hypoth, 1675). The reader has to bear in mind that the Stanzas given treat only of the Cosmogony of our own planetary System and what is visible around it, after a Solar Pralaya. The secret teachings with regard to the Evolution of the Universal Kosmos cannot be given, since they could not be understood by the highest minds in this age, and there seem to be very few Initiates, even among the greatest, who are allowed to speculate upon this subject. Moreover the Teachers say openly that not even the highest Dhyani-Chohans have ever penetrated the mysteries beyond those boundaries that separate the milliards of Solar systems from the "Central Sun," as it is called. Therefore, that which is given, relates only to our visible Kosmos, after a "Night of Brahma." Before the reader proceeds to the consideration of the Stanzas from the Book of Dzyan which form the basis of the present work, it is absolutely necessary that he should be made acquainted with the few fundamental conceptions which underlie and pervade the entire system of thought to which his attention is invited. These basic ideas are few in number, and on their clear apprehension depends the understanding of all that follows; therefore no apology is required for asking the reader to make himself familiar with them first, before entering on the perusal of the work itself. The Secret Doctrine establishes three fundamental propositions: (a)(I) An Omnipresent, Eternal, Boundless, and Immutable PRINCIPLE on which all speculation is impossible, since it transcends the power of human conception and could only be dwarfed by any human expression or similitude. It is beyond the range and reach of thought - in the words of Mandukya, "unthinkable and unspeakable." To render these ideas clearer to the general reader, let him set out with the postulate that there is one absolute Reality which antecedes all manifested, conditioned, being. This Infinite and Eternal Cause - dimly formulated in the "Unconscious" and "Unknowable" of current European philosophy - is the rootless root of "all that was, is, or ever shall be." It is of course devoid of all attributes and is essentially without any relation to manifested, finite Being. It is "Be-ness" rather than Being (in Sanskrit, _Sat_), and is beyond all thought or speculation. This "Be-ness" is symbolised in the Secret Doctrine under two aspects. On the one hand, absolute abstract Space, representing bare subjectivity, the one thing which no human mind can either exclude from any conception, or conceive of by itself. On the other, absolute Abstract Motion representing Unconditioned Consciousness. Even our Western thinkers have shown that Consciousness is inconceivable to us apart from change, and motion best symbolizes change, its essential characteristic. This latter aspect of the one Reality, is also symbolised by the term "The Great Breath," a symbol sufficiently graphic to need no further elucidation. Thus, then, the first fundamental axiom of the Secret Doctrine is this metaphysical ONE ABSOLUTE - BE-NESS - symbolised by finite intelligence as the theological Trinity. It may, however, assist the student if a few further explanations are given here. Herbert Spencer has of late so far modified his Agnosticism, as to assert that the nature of the "First Cause," - {The "first" presupposes necessarily something which is the "first brought forth," "the first in time, space, and rank" - and therefore finite and conditioned. The "first" _cannot be the absolute_, for it is a manifestation. Therefore, Eastern Occultism calls the Abstract All the "Causeless One Cause," the "Rootless Root," and limits the "First Cause" to the _Logos,_ in the sense that Plato gives to this term.} - which the Occultist more logically derives from the "Causeless Cause," the "Eternal," and the "Unknowable," may be essentially the same as that of the Consciousness which wells up within us: in short, that the impersonal reality pervading the Kosmos is the pure noumenon of thought. This advance on his part brings him very near to the esoteric and Vedantin tenet. - {See Mr. Subba Row's four able lectures on the Bhagavad Gita, "Theosophist," February, 1887.} Parabrahm (the One Reality, the Absolute) is the field of Absolute Consciousness, i.e., that Essence which is out of all relation to conditioned existence, and of which conscious existence is a conditioned symbol. But once that we pass in thought from this (to us) Absolute Negation, duality supervenes in the contrast of Spirit (or consciousness) and Matter, Subject and Object. Spirit (or Consciousness) and Matter are, however, to be regarded, not as independent realities, but as the two facets or aspects of the Absolute (Parabrahm), which constitute the basis of conditioned Being whether subjective or objective. Considering this metaphysical triad as the Root from which proceeds all manifestation, the great Breath assumes the character of precosmic Ideation. It is the _fons et origo_ of force and of all individual consciousness, and supplies the guiding intelligence in the vast scheme of cosmic Evolution. On the other hand, precosmic root-substance _(Mulaprakriti)_ is that aspect of the Absolute which underlies all the objective planes of Nature. Just as pre-Cosmic Ideation is the root of all individual consciousness, so pre-Cosmic Substance is the substratum of matter in the various grades of its differentiation. Hence it will be apparent that the contrast of these two aspects of the Absolute is essential to the existence of the "Manifested Universe." Apart from Cosmic Substance, Cosmic Ideation could not manifest as individual consciousness, since it is only through a vehicle of matter - {Called in Sanskrit: "Upadhi."} - that consciousness wells up as "I am I," a physical basis being necessary to focus a ray of the Universal Mind at a certain stage of complexity. Again, apart from Cosmic Ideation, Cosmic Substance would remain an empty abstraction, and no emergence of consciousness could ensue. The "Manifested Universe," therefore, is pervaded by duality, which is, as it were, the very essence of its EX-istence as "manifestation." But just as the opposite poles of subject and object, spirit and matter, are but aspects of the One Unity in which they are synthesized, so, in the manifested Universe, there is "that" which links spirit to matter, subject to object. This something, at present unknown to Western speculation, is called by the occultists Fohat. It is the "bridge" by which the "Ideas" existing in the "Divine Thought" are impressed on Cosmic substance as the "laws of Nature." Fohat is thus the dynamic energy of Cosmic Ideation; or, regarded from the other side, it is the intelligent medium, the guiding power of all manifestation, the "Thought Divine" transmitted and made manifest through the Dhyan Chohans, - {Called by Christian theology: Archangels, Seraphs, etc., etc.} - the Architects of the visible World. Thus from Spirit, or Cosmic Ideation, comes our consciousness; from Cosmic Substance the several vehicles in which that consciousness is individualised and attains to self - or reflective - consciousness; while Fohat, in its various manifestations, is the mysterious link between Mind and Matter, the animating principle electrifying every atom into life. The following summary will afford a clearer idea to the reader. (1.) THE ABSOLUTE: the _Parabrahm_ of the Vedantins or the one Reality, SAT, which is, as Hegel says, both Absolute Being and Non-Being. (2.) The first manifestation, the impersonal, and, in philosophy, _unmanifested_ Logos, the precursor of the "manifested." This is the "First Cause," the "Unconscious" of European Pantheists. (3.) Spirit-matter, LIFE; the "Spirit of the Universe," the Purusha and Prakriti, or the _second_ Logos. (4.) Cosmic Ideation, MAHAT or Intelligence, the Universal World-Soul; the Cosmic Noumenon of Matter, the basis of the intelligent operations in and of Nature, also called MAHA-BUDDHI. The ONE REALITY; its _dual_ aspects in the conditioned Universe. Further, the Secret Doctrine affirms: - (b)(II) The Eternity of the Universe _in toto_ as a boundless plane; periodically "the playground of numberless Universes incessantly manifesting and disappearing," called "the manifesting stars," and the "sparks of Eternity." "The Eternity of the Pilgrim " is like a wink of the Eye of Self-Existence (Book of Dzyan.) - {"Pilgrim" is the appellation given to our _Monad_ (the two in one) during its cycle of incarnations. It is the only immortal and eternal principle in us, being an indivisible part of the integral whole - the Universal Spirit, from which it emanates, and into which it is absorbed at the end of the cycle. When it is said to emanate from the one spirit, an awkward and incorrect expression has to be used, for lack of appropriate words in English. The Vedantins call it Sutratma (Thread-Soul), but their explanation, too, differs somewhat from that of the occultists; to explain which difference, however, is left to the Vedantins themselves.} - "The appearance and disappearance of Worlds is like a regular tidal ebb of flux and reflux." (See Part II., "Days and Nights of Brahma.") This second assertion of the Secret Doctrine is the absolute universality of that law of periodicity, of flux and reflux, ebb and flow, which physical science has observed and recorded in all departments of nature. An alternation such as that of Day and Night, Life and Death, Sleeping and Waking, is a fact so common, so perfectly universal and without exception, that it is easy to comprehend that in it we see one of the absolutely fundamental laws of the universe. Moreover, the Secret Doctrine teaches: - (c)(III) The fundamental identity of all Souls with the Universal Over-Soul, the latter being itself an aspect of the Unknown Root; and the obligatory pilgrimage for every Soul - a spark of the former - through the Cycle of Incarnation (or "Necessity") in accordance with Cyclic and Karmic law, during the whole term. In other words, no purely spiritual Buddhi (divine Soul) can have an independent (conscious) existence before the spark which issued from the pure Essence of the Universal Sixth principle, - or the OVER-SOUL, - has (a) passed through every elemental form of the phenomenal world of that Manvantara, and (b) acquired individuality, first by natural impulse, and then by self-induced and self-devised efforts (checked by its Karma), thus ascending through all the degrees of intelligence, from the lowest to the highest Manas, from mineral and plant, up to the holiest archangel (Dhyani-Buddha). The pivotal doctrine of the Esoteric philosophy admits no privileges or special gifts in man, save those won by his own Ego through personal effort and merit throughout a long series of metempsychoses and reincarnations. This is why the Hindus say that the Universe is Brahma and Brahma, for Brahma is in every atom of the universe, the six principles in Nature being all the outcome - the variously differentiated aspects - of the SEVENTH and ONE, the only reality in the Universe whether Cosmical or micro-cosmical; and also why the permutations (psychic, spiritual and physical), on the plane of manifestation and form, of the sixth (Brahma the vehicle of Brahma) are viewed by metaphysical antiphrasis as illusive and Mayavic. For although the root of every atom individually and of every form collectively, is that seventh principle or the one Reality, still, in its manifested phenomenal and temporary appearance, it is no better than an evanescent illusion of our senses. (See, for clearer definition, Addendum "Gods, Monads and Atoms," and also "Theophania," "Bodhisatvas and Reincarnation," etc., etc.) In its absoluteness, the One Principle under its two aspects (of Parabrahmam and Mulaprakriti) is sexless, unconditioned and eternal. Its periodical (manvantaric) emanation - or primal radiation - is also One, androgynous and phenomenally finite. When the radiation radiates in its turn, all its radiations are also androgynous, to become male and female principles in their lower aspects. After Pralaya, whether the great or the minor Pralaya (the latter leaving the worlds in _status quo_ - {It is not the physical organisms that remain in _status quo,_ least of all their psychical principles, during the great Cosmic or even Solar pralayas, but only their Akasic or astral "photographs." But during the minor pralayas, once over-taken by the "Night," the planets remain intact, though dead, as a huge animal, caught and embedded in the polar ice, remains the same for ages.} -), the first that re-awakes to active life is the plastic Akasa, Father-Mother, the Spirit and Soul of Ether, or the plane on the surface of the Circle. Space is called the "Mother" before its Cosmic activity, and Father-Mother at the first stage of re-awakening. (See Comments, Stanza II.) In the Kabala it is also Father-Mother-Son. But whereas in the Eastern doctrine, these are the Seventh Principle of the manifested Universe, or its "Atma-Buddhi-Manas" (Spirit, Soul, Intelligence), the triad branching off and dividing into the seven cosmical and seven human principles, in the Western Kabala of the Christian mystics it is the Triad or Trinity, and with their occultists, the male-female Jehovah, Jah-Havah. In this lies the whole difference between the esoteric and the Christian trinities. The Mystics and the Philosophers, the Eastern and Western Pantheists, synthesize their pregenetic triad in the pure divine abstraction. The orthodox, anthropomorphize it. _Hiranyagarbha, Hari,_ and _Sankara+ - the three hypostases of the manifesting "Spirit of the Supreme Spirit" (by which title Prithivi - the Earth - greets Vishnu in his first Avatar) - are the purely metaphysical abstract qualities of formation, preservation, and destruction, and are the three divine Avasthas (lit. hypostases) of that which "does not perish with created things" (or Achyuta, a name of Vishnu); whereas the orthodox Christian separates his personal creative Deity into the three personages of the Trinity, and admits of no higher Deity. The latter, in Occultism, is the abstract Triangle; with the orthodox, the perfect Cube. The creative god or the aggregate gods are regarded by the Eastern philosopher as _Bhrantidarsanatah_ - "false apprehension," something "conceived of, by reason of erroneous appearances, as a material form," and explained as arising from the illusive conception of the Egotistic personal and human Soul (lower fifth principle). It is beautifully expressed in a new translation of Vishnu Purana. "That Brahma in its totality has essentially the aspect of Prakriti, both evolved and unevolved (Mulaprakriti), and also the aspect of Spirit and the aspect of Time. Spirit, O twice born, is the leading aspect of the Supreme Brahma. - {Thus Spencer, who, nevertheless, like Schopenhauer and von Hartmann, only reflects an aspect of the old esoteric philosophers, and hence lands his readers on the bleak shore of Agnostic despair - reverently formulates the grand mystery: "that which persists unchanging in quantity, but ever changing in form, under these sensible appearances which the Universe presents to us, is an unknown and unknowable power, which we are obliged to recognise as without limit in Space and without beginning or end in time." It is only daring Theology - never Science or philosophy - which seeks to gauge the Infinite and unveil the Fathomless and Unknowable.} - The next is a twofold aspect, - Prakriti, both evolved and unevolved, and is the time last." Kronos is shown in the Orphic theogony as being also a generated god or agent. At this stage of the re-awakening of the Universe, the sacred symbolism represents it as a perfect Circle with the (root) point in the Centre. This sign was universal, therefore we find it in the Kabala also. The Western Kabala, however, now in the hands of Christian mystics, ignores it altogether, though it is plainly shown in the Zohar. These sectarians begin at the end, and show as the symbol of pregenetic Kosmos this sign [diag: cross within the circle], calling it "the Union of the Rose and Cross," the great mystery of occult generation, from whence the name - Rosicrucians (Rose Cross)! As may be judged, however, from the most important, as the best known of the Rosicrucians' symbols, there is one which has never been hitherto understood even by modern mystics. It is that of the "Pelican" tearing open its breast to feed its seven little ones - the real creed of the Brothers of the Rosie-Cross and a direct outcome from the Eastern Secret Doctrine. Brahma (neuter) is called Kalahansa, meaning, as explained by Western Orientalists, the Eternal Swan or goose (see Stanza III., Comment. 8), and so is Brahma, the Creator. A great mistake is thus brought under notice; it is Brahma (neuter) who ought to be referred to as Hansa-vahana (He who uses the swan as his Vehicle) and not Brahma the Creator, who is the real Kalahansa, while Brahma (neuter) is hamsa, and "A-hamsa," as will be explained in the Commentary. Let it be understood that the terms Brahma and Parabrahmam are not used here because they belong to our Esoteric nomenclature, but simply because they are more familiar to the students in the West. Both are the perfect equivalents of our one, three, and seven vowelled terms, which stand for the ONE ALL, and the One "All in all." Such are the basic conceptions on which the Secret Doctrine rests. It would not be in place here to enter upon any defence or proof of their inherent reasonableness; nor can I pause to show how they are, in fact, contained - though too often under a misleading guise - in every system of thought or philosophy worthy of the name. Once that the reader has gained a clear comprehension of them and realised the light which they throw on every problem of life, they will need no further justification in his eyes, because their truth will be to him as evident as the sun in heaven. I pass on, therefore, to the subject matter of the Stanzas as given in this volume, adding a skeleton outline of them, in the hope of thereby rendering the task of the student more easy, by placing before him in a few words the general conception therein explained. Stanza I. The history of cosmic evolution, as traced in the Stanzas, is, so to say, the abstract algebraical formula of that Evolution. Hence the student must not expect to find there an account of all the stages and transformations which intervene between the first beginnings of "Universal" evolution and our present state. To give such an account would be as impossible as it would be incomprehensible to men who cannot even grasp the nature of the plane of existence next to that to which, for the moment, their consciousness is limited. The Stanzas, therefore, give an abstract formula which can be applied, _mutatis mutandis,_ to all evolution: to that of our tiny earth, to that of the chain of planets of which that earth forms one, to the solar Universe to which that chain belongs, and so on, in an ascending scale, till the mind reels and is exhausted in the effort. The seven Stanzas given in this volume represent the seven terms of this abstract formula. They refer to, and describe the seven great stages of the evolutionary process, which are spoken of in the Puranas as the "Seven Creations," and in the Bible as the "Days" of Creation. The First Stanza describes the state of the ONE ALL during Pralaya, before the first flutter of re-awakening manifestation. A moment's thought shows that such a state can only be symbolised; to describe it is impossible. Nor can it be symbolised except in negatives; for, since it is the state of Absoluteness _per se,_ it can possess none of those specific attributes which serve us to describe objects in positive terms. Hence that state can only be suggested by the negatives of all those most abstract attributes which men feel rather than conceive, as the remotest limits attainable by their power of conception. The stage described in Stanza II. is, to a western mind, so nearly identical with that mentioned in the first Stanza, that to express the idea of its difference would require a treatise in itself. Hence it must he left to the intuition and the higher faculties of the reader to grasp, as far as he can, the meaning of the allegorical phrases used. Indeed it must be remembered that all these Stanzas appeal to the inner faculties rather than to the ordinary comprehension of the physical brain. Stanza III. describes the Re-awakening of the Universe to life after Pralaya. It depicts the emergence of the "Monads" from their state of absorption within the ONE; the earliest and highest stage in the formation of "Worlds," the term Monad being one which may apply equally to the vastest Solar System or the tiniest atom. Stanza IV. shows the differentiation of the "Germ" of the Universe into the septenary hierarchy of conscious Divine Powers, who are the active manifestations of the One Supreme Energy. They are the framers, shapers, and ultimately the creators of all the manifested Universe, in the only sense in which the name "Creator" is intelligible; they inform and guide it; they are the intelligent Beings who adjust and control evolution, embodying in themselves those manifestations of the ONE LAW, which we know as "The Laws of Nature." Generically, they are known as the Dhyan Chohans, though each of the various groups has its own designation in the Secret Doctrine. This stage of evolution is spoken of in Hindu mythology as the "Creation" of the Gods. In Stanza V. the process of world-formation is described: - First, diffused Cosmic Matter, then the fiery "whirlwind," the first stage in the formation of a nebula. That nebula condenses, and after passing through various transformations, forms a Solar Universe, a planetary chain, or a single planet, as the case may be. The subsequent stages in the formation of a "World" are indicated in Stanza VI., which brings the evolution of such a world down to its fourth great period, corresponding to the period in which we are now living. Stanza VII. continues the history, tracing the descent of life down to the appearance of Man; and thus closes the first Book of the Secret Doctrine. The development of "Man" from his first appearance on this earth in this Round to the state in which we now find him will form the subject of Book II. NOTE. The Stanzas which form the thesis of every section are given throughout in their modern translated version, as it would be worse than useless to make the subject still more difficult by introducing the archaic phraseology of the original, with its puzzling style and words. Extracts are given from the Chinese Thibetan and Sanskrit translations of the original Senzar Commentaries and Glosses on the Book of DZYAN - these being now rendered for the first time into a European language. It is almost unnecessary to state that only portions of the seven Stanzas are here given. Were they published complete they would remain incomprehensible to all save the few higher occultists. Nor is there any need to assure the reader that, no more than most of the profane, does the writer, or rather the humble recorder, understand those forbidden passages. To facilitate the reading, and to avoid the too frequent reference to footnotes, it was thought best to blend together texts and glosses, using the Sanskrit and Tibetan proper names whenever those cannot be avoided, in preference to giving the originals. The more so as the said terms are all accepted synonyms, the former only being used between a Master and his chelas (or disciples). Thus, were one to translate into English, using only the substantives and technical terms as employed in one of the Tibetan and Senzar versions, Verse i would read as follows: - "Tho-ag in Zhi-gyu slept seven Khorlo. Zodmanas zhiba. All Nyug bosom. Konch-hog not; Thyan-Kam not; Lha-Chohan not; Tenbrel Chugnyi not; Dharmakaya ceased; Tgenchang not become; Barnang and Ssa in Ngovonyidj; alone Tho-og Yinsin in night of Sun-chan and Yong-grub (Parinishpanna), &c., &c.," which would sound like pure _Abracadabra._ As this work is written for the instruction of students of Occultism, and not for the benefit of philologists, we may well avoid such foreign terms wherever it is possible to do so. The untranslatable terms alone, incomprehensible unless explained in their meanings, are left, but all such terms are rendered in their Sanskrit form. Needless to remind the reader that these From john@atlantis.actrix.gen.nz Tue Jan 23 22:04:19 1996 Date: Tue, 23 Jan 1996 22:04:19 +0000 From: "John Vorstermans" Subject: Re: TI membership listing Message-Id: <199601230903.WAA10967@atlantis.actrix.gen.nz> On 18 Jan 96 at 19:57, Bee Brown wrote: > >Bee: How do you subscribe to theos-nz? ....doss > > Welcome. Write to John Vosterman at john@actrix.gen.nz and he will put > you on the list. Anyone can do this themselves by sending mail to: majordomo@actrix.gen.nz with the following message: subscribe theos-nz > I don't know how active it will be but I hope it will be interesting. It is quite at present but will grow. It's was started primarily for members of the TS in New Zealand as a way to communicate easily with th goal of promoting Theosophy on the Internet. One of our first projects is to start a WEB page, so if anyone has any ideas please let us know. I'll be creating the WEB server in the next few days. Would also welcome any information on other good links so we can share resources. Regards John -- John Vorstermans | Obstacles are what you see john@actrix.gen.nz | when you take your eyes off Help desk - (04) 499-1122 | the goal From ramadoss@eden.com Tue Jan 23 14:51:11 1996 Date: Tue, 23 Jan 1996 08:51:11 -0600 (CST) From: M K Ramadoss Subject: Re: TI membership listing In-Reply-To: <199601230903.WAA10967@atlantis.actrix.gen.nz> Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Thanks for the info. The TSA www has some good links. Spirit www has also got some good links. You may want to send a msg to John Mead at jem@vnet.net who is one more knowledgeable in the web construction/links. .doss On Tue, 23 Jan 1996, John Vorstermans wrote: > Date: Tue, 23 Jan 1996 04:09:37 -0500 > From: John Vorstermans > To: Multiple recipients of list > Subject: Re: TI membership listing > > On 18 Jan 96 at 19:57, Bee Brown wrote: > > > >Bee: How do you subscribe to theos-nz? ....doss > > > > Welcome. Write to John Vosterman at john@actrix.gen.nz and he will put > > you on the list. > > Anyone can do this themselves by sending mail to: > > majordomo@actrix.gen.nz > > with the following message: > > subscribe theos-nz > > > I don't know how active it will be but I hope it will be interesting. > > It is quite at present but will grow. It's was started primarily for > members of the TS in New Zealand as a way to communicate easily with th > goal of promoting Theosophy on the Internet. > > One of our first projects is to start a WEB page, so if anyone has any > ideas please let us know. I'll be creating the WEB server in the next few > days. > > Would also welcome any information on other good links so we can share > resources. > > Regards > John > -- > John Vorstermans | Obstacles are what you see > john@actrix.gen.nz | when you take your eyes off > Help desk - (04) 499-1122 | the goal > From guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk Thu Jan 25 01:15:57 1996 Date: Thu, 25 Jan 1996 01:15:57 +0000 From: "Dr.A.M.Bain" Message-Id: Subject: THE STANZAS OF DZYAN Mime-Version: 1.0 STANZAS.TXT THE SECRET DOCRINE (H.P. Blavatsky) BOOK I., PART I. COSMIC EVOLUTION. SEVEN STANZAS TRANSLATED WITH COMMENTARIES FROM THE SECRET BOOK OF DZYAN. "Nor Aught nor Nought existed; yon bright sky Was not, nor heaven's broad roof outstretched above. What covered all? what sheltered? what concealed? Was it the water's fathomless abyss? There was not death - yet there was nought immortal, There was no confine betwixt day and night; The only One breathed breathless by itself, Other than It there nothing since has been. Darkness there was, and all at first was veiled In gloom profound - an ocean without light - The germ that still lay covered in the husk Burst forth, one nature, from the fervent heat. Who knows the secret? who proclaimed it here? Whence, whence this manifold creation sprang? The Gods themselves came later into being - Who knows from whence this great creation sprang? That, whence all this great creation came, Whether Its will created or was mute, The Most High Seer that is in highest heaven, He knows it - or perchance even He knows not." "Gazing into eternity ..... Ere the foundations of the earth were laid, Thou wert. And when the subterranean flame Shall burst its prison and devour the frame - Thou shalt be still as Thou wert before And knew no change, when time shall be no more. Oh! endless thought, divine ETERNITY." COSMIC EVOLUTION. Seven Stanzas Translated from the Book of Dzyan STANZA I. 1. THE ETERNAL PARENT WRAPPED IN HER EVER INVISIBLE ROBES HAD SLUMBERED ONCE AGAIN FOR SEVEN ETERNITIES. 2. TIME WAS NOT, FOR IT LAY ASLEEP IN THE INFINITE BOSOM OF DURATION. 3. UNIVERSAL MIND WAS NOT, FOR THERE WERE NO AH-HI TO CONTAIN IT. 4. THE SEVEN WAYS TO BLISS WERE NOT. THE GREAT CAUSES OF MISERY WERE NOT, FOR THERE WAS NO ONE TO PRODUCE AND GET ENSNARED BY THEM. 5. DARKNESS ALONG FILLED THE BOUNDLESS ALL, FOR FATHER, MOTHER AND SON WERE ONCE MORE ONE, AND THE SON HAD NOT AWAKENED YET FOR THE NEW WHEEL, AND HIS PILGRIMAGE THEREON. 6. THE SEVEN SUBLIME LORDS AND THE SEVEN TRUTHS HAD CEASED TO BE, AND THE UNIVERSE, THE SON OF NECESSITY, WAS IMMERSED IN PARANISHPANNA, TO BE OUTBREATHED BY THAT WHICH IS AND YET IS NOT. NAUGHT WAS. 7. THE CAUSES OF EXISTENCE HAD BEEN DONE AWAY WITH; THE VISIBLE THAT WAS, AND THE INVISIBLE THAT IS, RESTED IN ETERNAL NON-BEING - THE ONE BEING. 8. ALONE THE ONE FORM OF EXISTENCE STRETCHED BOUNDLESS, INFINITE, CAUSELESS, IN DREAMLESS SLEEP; AND LIFE PULSATED UNCONSCIOUS IN UNIVERSAL SPACE, THROUGHOUT THAT ALL-PRESENCE WHICH IS SENSED BY THE OPENED EYE OF THE DANGMA. 9. BUT WHERE WAS THE DANGMA WHEN THE ALAYA OF THE UNIVERSE WAS IN PARAMARTHA AND THE GREAT WHEEL WAS ANUPADAKA? STANZA II. 1. ... WHERE WERE THE BUILDERS, THE LUMINOUS SONS OF MANVANTARIC DAWN? ... IN THE UNKNOWN DARKNESS IN THEIR AH-HI PARNISHPANNA. THE PRODUCERS OF FORM FROM NO-FORM - THE ROOT OF THE WORLD - THE DEVAMATRI AND SVABHAVAT, RESTED IN THE BLISS OF NON-BEING. 2. ... WHERE WAS SILENCE? WHERE THE EARS TO SENSE IT? NO, THERE WAS NEITHER SILENCE NOR SOUND; NAUGHT SAVE CEASELESS ETERNAL BREATH, WHICH KNOWS ITSELF NOT. 3. THE HOUR HAD NOT YET STRUCK; THE RAY HAD NOT YET FLASHED INTO THE GERM; THE MATRIPADMA HAD NOT YET SWOLLEN. 4. HER HEART HAD NOT YET OPENED FOR THE ONE RAY TO ENTER, THENCE TO FALL, AS THREE INTO FOUR, INTO THE LAP OF MAYA. 5. THE SEVEN SONS WERE NOT YET BORN FROM THE WEB OF LIGHT. DARKNESS ALONE WAS FATHER-MOTHER, SVABHAVAT; AND SVABHAVAT WAS IN DARKNESS. 6. THESE TWO ARE THE GERM, AND THE GERM IS ONE. THE UNIVERSE WAS STILL CONCEALED IN THE DIVINE THOUGHT AND THE DIVINE BOSOM. STANZA III. 1. ... THE LAST VIBRATION OF THE SEVENTH ETERNITY THRILLS THROUGH INFINITUDE. THE MOTHER SWELLS, EXPANDING FROM WITHIN WITHOUT, LIKE THE BUD OF THE LOTUS. 2. THE VIBRATION SWEEPS ALONG, TOUCHING WITH ITS SWIFT WING THE WHOLE UNIVERSE AND THE GERM THAT DWELLETH IN DARKNESS: THE DARKNESS THAT BREATHES OVER THE SLUMBERING WATERS OF LIFE. 3. DARKNESS RADIATES LIGHT, AND LIGHT DROPS ONE SOLITARY RAY INTO THE MOTHER-DEEP. THE RAY SHOOTS THOUGH THE VIRGIN EGG. THE RAY CAUSES THE ETERNAL EGG TO THRILL, AND DROP THE NON-ETERNAL GERM, WHICH CONDENSES INTO THE WORLD-EGG. 4. THEN THE THREE FALL INTO THE FOUR. THE RADIANT ESSENCE BECOMES SEVEN INSIDE, SEVEN OUTSIDE. THE LUMINOUS EGG, WHICH IN ITSELF IS THREE, CURDLES AND SPREADS IN MILK-WHITE CURDS THROUGHOUT THE DEPTHS OF MOTHER, THE ROOT THAT GROWS IN THE DEPTHS OF THE OCEAN OF LIFE. 5. THE ROOT REMAINS, THE LIGHT REMAINS, THE CURDS REMAIN, AND STILL OEAOHOO IS ONE. 6. THE ROOT OF LIFE WAS IN EVERY DROP OF THE OCEAN OF IMMORTALITY, AND THE OCEAN WAS RADIANT LIGHT, WHICH WAS FIRE, AND HEAT, AND MOTION. DARKNESS VANISHED AND WAS NO MORE; IT DISAPPEARED IN ITS OWN ESSENCE, THE BODY OF FIRE AND WATER, OR FATHER AND MOTHER. 7. BEHOLD, OH LANOO! THE RADIANT CHILD OF THE TWO, THE UNPARALLELED REFULGENT GLORY: BRIGHT SPACE SON OF DARK SPACE, WHICH EMERGES FROM THE DEPTHS OF THE GREAT DARK WATERS. IT IS OEAOHOO THE YOUNGER, THE * * *. HE SHINES FORTH AS THE SON; HE IS THE BLAZING DIVINE DRAGON OF WISDOM; THE ONE IS FOUR, AND FOUR TAKES TO ITSELF THREE, AND THE UNION PRODUCES THE SAPTA, IN WHOM ARE THE SEVEN WHICH BECOME THE TRIDASA (OR THE HOSTS AND THE MULTITUDES). BEHOLD HIM LIFTING THE VEIL AND UNFURLING IT FROM EAST TO WEST. HE SHUTS OUT THE ABOVE, AND LEAVES THE BELOW TO BE SEEN AS THE GREAT ILLUSION. HE MARKS THE PLACES FOR THE SHINING ONES, AND TURNS THE UPPER INTO A SHORELESS SEA OF FIRE, AND THE ONE MANIFESTED INTO THE GREAT WATERS. {In the English translation from the Sanskrit the numbers are given in that language, - _Eka, Chatur,_ etc., etc. It was thought best to give them in English.} 8. WHERE WAS THE GERM AND WHERE WAS NOW DARKNESS? WHERE IS THE SPIRIT OF THE FLAME THAT BURNS IN THY LAMP, OH LANOO? THE GERM IS THAT, AND THAT IS LIGHT, THE WHITE BRILLIANT SON OF THE DARK HIDDEN FATHER. 9. LIGHT IS COLD FLAME, AND FLAME IS FIRE, AND FIRE PRODUCES HEAT, WHICH YIELDS WATER: THE WATER OF LIFE IN THE GREAT MOTHER. 10. FATHER-MOTHER SPIN A WEB WHOSE UPPER END IS FASTENED TO SPIRIT - THE LIGHT OF THE ONE DARKNESS - AND THE LOWER ONE TO ITS SHADOWY END, MATTER; AND THIS WEB IS THE UNIVERSE SPUN OUT OF THE TWO SUBSTANCES MADE IN ONE, WHICH IS SVABHAVAT. 11. IT EXPANDS WHEN THE BREATH OF FIRE IS UPON IT; IT CONTRACTS WHEN THE BREATH OF THE MOTHER TOUCHES IT. THEN THE SONS DISSOCIATE AND SCATTER, TO RETURN INTO THEIR MOTHER'S BOSOM AT THE END OF THE GREAT DAY, AND RE-BECOME ONE WITH HER; WHEN IT IS COOLING IT BECOMES RADIANT, AND THE SONS EXPAND AND CONTRACT THROUGH THEIR OWN SELVES AND HEARTS; THEY EMBRACE INFINITUDE. 12. THEN SVABHAVAT SENDS FOHAT TO HARDEN THE ATOMS. EACH IS A PART OFF THE WEB. REFLECTING THE "SELF-EXISTENT LORD" LIKE A MIRROR, EACH BECOMES IN TURN A WORLD. STANZA IV. 1. ... LISTEN, YE SONS OF THE EARTH, TO YOUR INSTRUCTORS - THE SONS OF THE FIRE. LEARN, THERE IS NEITHER FIRST NOR LAST, FOR ALL IS ONE: NUMBER ISSUED FROM NO NUMBER. 2. LEARN WHAT WE WHO DESCEND FROM THE PRIMORDIAL SEVEN, WE WHO ARE BORN FROM THE PRIMORDIAL FLAME, HAVE LEARNT FROM OUR FATHERS... 3. FROM THE EFFULGENCY OF LIGHT - THE RAY OF THE EVER-DARKNESS - SPRUNG IN SPACE THE RE-AWAKENED ENERGIES; THE ONE FROM THE EGG, THE SIX, AND THE FIVE. THEN THE THREE, THE ONE, THE FOUR, THE ONE, THE FIVE - THE TWICE SEVEN THE SUM TOTAL. AND THESE ARE THE ESSENCES, THE FLAMES, THE ELEMENTS, THE BUILDERS, THE NUMBERS, THE ARUPA, THE RUPA, AND THE FORCE OF DIVINE MAN - THE SUM TOTAL. AND FROM THE DIVINE MAN EMANATED THE FORMS, THE SPARKS, THE SACRED ANIMALS, AND THE MESSENGERS OF THE SACRED FATHERS WITHIN THE HOLY FOUR. 4. THIS WAS THE ARMY OF THE VOICE - THE DIVINE MOTHER OF THE SEVEN. THE SPARKS OF THE SEVEN ARE SUBJECT TO, AND THE SERVANTS OF, THE FIRST, THE SECOND, THE THIRD, THE FOURTH, THE FIFTH, THE SIXTH, AND THE SEVENTH OF THE SEVEN. THESE "SPARKS" ARE CALLED SPHERES, TRIANGLES, CUBES, LINES, AND MODELLERS; FOR THUS STANDS THE ETERNAL NIDANA - THE OEAOHOO, WHICH IS: 5. "DARKNESS" THE BOUNDLESS, OR THE NO-NUMBER, ADI-NIDANA SVABHAVAT: - I. THE ADI-SANAT, THE NUMBER, FOR HE IS ONE. II. THE VOICE OF THE LORD SVABHAVAT, THE NUMBERS, FOR HE IS ONE AND NINE. III. THE "FORMLESS SQUARE." AND THESE THREE ENCLOSED WITHIN THE O [Circle] ARE THE SACRED FOUR; AND THE TEN ARE THE ARUPA UNIVERSE. THEN COME THE "SONS," THE SEVEN FIGHTERS, THE ONE, THE EIGHTH LEFT OUT, AND HIS BREATH WHICH IS THE LIGHT-MAKER. 6. THEN THE SECOND SEVEN, WHO ARE THE LIPIKA, PRODUCES BY THE THREE. THE REJECTED SON IS ONE. THE "SON-SUNS" ARE COUNTLESS. STANZA V. 1. THE PRIMORDIAL SEVEN, THE FIRST SEVEN BREATHS OF THE DRAGON OF WISDOM, PRODUCE IN THEIR TURN FROM THEIR HOLY CIRCUMGYRATING BREATHS THE FIERY WHIRLWIND. 2. THEY MAKE OF HIM THE MESSENGER OF THEIR WILL. THE DZYU BECOMES FOHAT, THE SWIFT SON OF THE DIVINE SONS WHOSE SONS ARE THE LIPIKA, RUNS CIRCULAR ERRANDS. FOHAT IS THE STEED AND THE THOUGHT IS THE RIDER. HE PASSES LIKE LIGHTNING THROUGH THE FIERY CLOUDS; TAKES THREE, AND FIVE, AND SEVEN STRIDES THROUGH THE SEVEN REGIONS ABOVE, AND THE SEVEN BELOW. HE LIFTS HIS VOICE, AND CALLS THE INNUMERABLE SPARKS, AND JOINS THEM. 3. HE IS THEIR GUIDING SPIRIT AND LEADER. WHEN HE COMMENCES WORK, HE SEPARATES THE SPARKS OF THE LOWER KINGDOM THAT FLOAT AND THRILL WITH JOY IN THEIR RADIANT DWELLINGS, AND FORMS THEREWITH THE GERMS OF WHEELS. HE PLACES THEM IN THE SIX DIRECTIONS OF SPACE, AND ONE IN THE MIDDLE - THE CENTRAL WHEEL. 4. FOHAT TRACES SPIRAL LINES TO UNITE THE SIXTH TO THE SEVENTH - THE CROWN; AN ARMY OF THE SONS OF LIGHT STANDS AT EACH ANGLE, AND THE LIPIKA IN THE MIDDLE WHEEL. THEY SAY: THIS IS GOOD, THE FIRST DIVINE WORLD IS READY, THE FIRST IS NOW THE SECOND. THEN THE "DIVINE ARUPA" REFLECTS ITSELF IN CHHAYA LOKA, THE FIRST GARMENT OF THE ANUPADAKA. 5. FOHAT TAKES FIVE STRIDES AND BUILDS A WINGED WHEEL AT EACH CORNER OF THE SQUARE, FOR THE FOUR HOLY ONES AND THEIR ARMIES. 6. THE LIPIKA CIRCUMSCRIBE THE TRIANGLE, THE FIRST ONE, THE CUBE, THE SECOND ONE, AND THE PENTACLE WITHIN THE EGG. IT IS THE RING CALLED "PASS NOT" FOR THOSE WHO DESCEND AND ASCEND. ALSO FOR THOSE WHO DURING THE KALPA ARE PROGRESSING TOWARDS THE GREAT DAY "BE WITH US." THUS WERE FORMED THE RUPA AND THE ARUPA: FROM ONE LIGHT SEVEN LIGHTS; FROM EACH OF THE SEVEN, SEVEN TIMES SEVEN LIGHTS. THE WHEELS WATCH THE RING ... STANZA VI. 1. BY THE POWER OF THE MOTHER OF MERCY AND KNOWLEDGE - KWAN-YIN - THE "TRIPLE" OF KWAN-SHAI-YIN, RESIDING IN KWAN-YIN-TIEN, FOHAT, THE BREATH OF THEIR PROGENY, THE SON OF THE SONS, HAVING CALLED FORTH, FROM THE LOWER ABYSS, THE ILLUSIVE FORM OF SIEN-TCHANG AND THE SEVEN ELEMENTS: {Verse I of Stanza VI. is of a far later date than the other Stanzas, though still very ancient. The old text of this verse, having names entirely unknown to the Orientalists would give no clue to the student.} 2. THE SWIFT AND RADIANT ONE PRODUCES THE SEVEN LAYA CENTRES, AGAINST WHICH NONE WILL PREVAIL TO THE GREAT DAY "BE-WITH-US," AND SEATS THE UNIVERSE ON THESE ETERNAL FOUNDATIONS SURROUNDING TSIEN-TCHAN WITH THE ELEMENTARY GERMS. 3. OF THE SEVEN - FIRST ONE MANIFESTED, SIX CONCEALED, TWO MANIFESTED, FIVE CONCEALED; THREE MANIFESTED, FOUR CONCEALED; FOUR PRODUCED, THREE HIDDEN; FOUR AND ONE TSAN REVEALED, TWO AND ONE HALF CONCEALED; SIX TO BE MANIFESTED, ONE LAID ASIDE. LASTLY, SEVEN SMALL WHEELS REVOLVING; ONE GIVING BIRTH TO THE OTHER. 4. HE BUILDS THEM IN THE LIKENESS OF OLDER WHEELS, PLACING THEM ON THE IMPERISHABLE CENTRES HOW DOES FOHAT BUILD THEM? HE COLLECT THE FIERY DUST. HE MAKES BALLS OF FIRE, RUNS THROUGH THEM, AND ROUND THEM, INFUSING LIFE THEREINTO, THEN SETS THEM INTO MOTION; SOME ONE WAY, SOME THE OTHER WAY. THEY ARE COLD, HE MAKES THEM HOT. THEY ARE DRY, HE MAKES THEM MOIST. THEY SHINE, HE FANS AND COOLS THEM. THUS ACTS FOHAT FROM ONE TWILIGHT TO THE OTHER, DURING SEVEN ETERNITIES. 5. AT THE FOURTH, THE SONS ARE TOLD TO CREATE THEIR IMAGES. ONE THIRD REFUSES - TWO OBEY THE CURSE IS PRONOUNCED; THEY WILL BE BORN ON THE FOURTH, SUFFER AND CAUSE SUFFERING; THIS IS THE FIRST WAR. 6. THE OLDER WHEELS ROTATED DOWNWARDS AND UPWARDS ... THE MOTHER'S SPAWN FILLED THE WHOLE. THERE WERE BATTLES FOUGHT BETWEEN THE CREATORS AND THE DESTROYERS, AND BATTLES FOUGHT FOR SPACE; THE SEED APPEARING AND RE- APPEARING CONTINUOUSLY. 7. MAKE THY CALCULATIONS, LANOO, IF THOU WOULDEST LEARN THE CORRECT AGE OF THY SMALL WHEEL. ITS FOURTH SPOKE IS OUR MOTHER. REACH THE FOURTH "FRUIT" OF THE FOURTH PATH OF KNOWLEDGE THAT LEADS TO NIRVANA, AND THOU SHALT COMPREHEND, FOR THOU SHALT SEE... STANZA VII. 1. BEHOLD THE BEGINNING OF SENTIENT FORMLESS LIFE. FIRST THE DIVINE, THE ONE FROM THE MOTHER-SPIRIT; THEN THE SPIRITUAL; THE THREE FROM THE ONE, THE FOUR FROM THE ONE, THE FOUR FROM THE ONE, AND THE FIVE FROM WHICH THE THREE, THE FIVE, AND THE SEVEN. THESE ARE THE THREE-FOLD, THE FOUR-FOLD DOWNWARD; THE "MIND-BORN" SONS OF THE FIRST LORD; THE SHINING SEVEN. IT IS THEY WHO ARE THOU, ME, HIM, OH LANOO. THEY, WHO WATCH OVER THEE, AND THY MOTHER EARTH. 2. THE ONE RAY MULTIPLIES THE SMALLER RAYS. LIFE PRECEDES FORM, AND LIFE SURVIVES THE LAST ATOM OF FORM. THROUGH THE COUNTLESS RAYS PROCEEDS THE LIFE-RAY, THE ONE, LIKE A THREAD THROUGH MANY JEWELS. 3. WHEN THE ONE BECOMES TWO, THE THREEFOLD APPEARS, AND THE THREE ARE ONE; AND IT IS OUR THREAD, OH LANOO, THE HEART OF THE MAN-PLAN CALLED SAPTASARMA. 4. IT IS THE ROOT THAT NEVER DIES; THE THREE-TONGUED FLAME OF THE FOUR WICKS. THE WICKS ARE THE SPARKS, THAT DRAW FROM THE THREE-TONGUED FLAME SHOT OUT BY THE SEVEN - THEIR FLAME - THE BEAMS AND SPARKS OF ONE MOON REFLECTED IN THE RUNNING WAVES OF ALL THE RIVERS OF EARTH. 5. THE SPARK HANGS FROM THE FLAME BY THE FINEST THREAD OF FOHAT. IT JOURNEYS THROUGH THE SEVEN WORLDS OF MAYA. IT STOPS IN THE FIRST, AND IS A METAL AND A STONE; IT PASSES INTO THE SECOND AND BEHOLD - A PLANT; THE PLANT WHIRLS THROUGH SEVEN CHANGES AND BECOMES A SACRED ANIMAL. FROM THE COMBINED ATTRIBUTES OF THESE, MANU, THE THINKER IS FORMED. WHO FORMS HIM? THE SEVEN LIVES, AND THE ONE LIFE. WHO COMPLETES HIM? THE FIVE-FOLD LHA. AND WHO PERFECTS THE LAST BODY? FISH, SIN, AND SOMA ... 6. FROM THE FIRST-BORN THE THREAD BETWEEN THE SILENT WATCHER AND HIS SHADOW BECOMES MORE STRONG AND RADIANT WITH EVERY CHANGE. THE MORNING SUN-LIGHT HAS CHANGED INTO NOON-DAY GLORY... 7. THIS IS THY PRESENT WHEEL, SAID THE FLAME TO THE SPARK. THOU ART MYSELF, MY IMAGE, AND MY SHADOW. I HAVE CLOTHED MYSELF IN THEE, AND THOU ART MY VAHAN TO THE DAY, "BE WITH US," WHEN THOU SHALT RE-BECOME MYSELF AND OTHERS, THYSELF AND ME. THEN THE BUILDERS, HAVING DONNED THEIR FIRST CLOTHING, DESCEND ON RADIANT EARTH AND REIGN OVER MEN - WHO ARE THEMSELVES ... Thus ends this portion of the archaic narrative, dark, confused, almost incomprehensible. An attempt will now be made to throw light into this darkness, to make sense out of this apparent NON-SENSE. Alan -- Member, Theosophy International. Member, Human Race. From guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk Sat Jan 27 22:13:15 1996 Date: Sat, 27 Jan 1996 22:13:15 +0000 From: "Dr.A.M.Bain" Message-Id: Subject: SD Commentary Stanza 1 Mime-Version: 1.0 THE SECRET DOCTRINE (CONTINUATION OF UPLOADS) ------------------- COMMENTARIES ON THE SEVEN STANZAS AND THEIR TERMS, ACCORDING TO THEIR NUMERATION, IN STANZAS AND SLOKAS. STANZA I. - The Night of the Universe 1. "THE ETERNAL PARENT (Space), WRAPPED IN HER EVER INVISIBLE ROBES, HAD SLUMBERED ONCE AGAIN FOR SEVEN ETERNITIES (a)." The "Parent Space" is the eternal, ever present cause of all - the incomprehensible DEITY, whose "invisible robes" are the mystic root of all matter, and of the Universe. Space is the _one eternal thing_ that we can most easily imagine, immovable in its abstraction and uninfluenced by either the presence or absence in it of an objective Universe. It is without dimension, in every sense, and self-existent. Spirit is the first differentiation from THAT, the causeless cause of both Spirit and Matter. It is, as taught in the esoteric catechism, neither limitless void, nor conditioned fulness, but both. It was and ever will be. (See Proem pp. 2 et seq.) Thus, the "Robes" stand for the noumenon of undifferentiated Cosmic Matter. It is not matter as we know it, but the spiritual essence of matter, and is co-eternal and even one with Space in its abstract sense. Root-nature is also the source of the subtile invisible properties in visible matter. It is the Soul, so to say, of the ONE infinite Spirit. The Hindus call it Mulaprakriti, and say that it is the primordial substance, which is the basis of the Upadhi or vehicle of every phenomenon, whether physical, mental or psychic. It is the source from which Akasa radiates. (a) By the Seven "Eternities," aeons or periods are meant. The word "Eternity," as understood in Christian theology, has no meaning to the Asiatic ear, except in its application to the ONE existence; nor is the term sempiternity, the eternal only in futurity, anything better than a misnomer. - {It is stated in Book II., ch. viii., of Vishnu Purana: "By immortality is meant existence to the end of the Kalpa;" and Wilson, the translator, remarks in a footnote: "This, according to the Vedas, is all that is to be understood of the immortality (or eternity) of the gods; they perish at the end of universal dissolution (or Pralaya)." And Esoteric philosophy says: They "perish" not, but are _re-absorbed._} - Such words do not and cannot exist in philo- sophical metaphysics, and were unknown till the advent of ecclesiastical Christianity. The Seven Eternities meant are the seven periods, or a period answering in its duration to the seven periods, of a Manvantara, and extending throughout a Maha-Kalpa or the "Great Age" - 100 years of Brahma - making a total of 311,040,000,000,000 of years; each year of Brahma being composed of 360 "days," and of the same number of "nights" of Brahma (reckoning by the Chandrayana or lunar year); and a "Day of Brahma" consisting of 4,320,000,000 of mortal years. These "Eternities" belong to the most secret calculations, in which, in order to arrive at the true total, every figure must be 7 to the power of x); x varying according to the nature of the cycle in the subjective or real world; and every figure or number relating to, or representing all the different cycles from the greatest to the smallest - in the objective or unreal world - must necessarily be multiples of seven. The key to this cannot be given, for herein lies the mystery of esoteric calculations, and for the purposes of ordinary calculation it has no sense. "The number seven," says the Kabala, "is the great number of the Divine Mysteries;" number ten is that of all human knowledge (Pythagorean decade); 1,000 is the number ten to the third power, and therefore the number 7,000 is also symbolical. In the Secret Doctrine the figure and number 4 are the male symbol only on the highest plane of abstraction; on the plane of matter the 3 is the masculine and the 4 the female: the upright and the horizontal in the fourth stage of symbolism, when the symbols became the glyphs of the generative powers on the physical plane. STANZA I. - Continued. 2. TIME WAS NOT, FOR IT LAY ASLEEP IN THE INFINITE BOSOM OF DURATION (a). (a) Time is only an illusion produced by the succession of our states of consciousness as we travel through eternal duration, and it does not exist where no consciousness exists in which the illusion can be produced; but "lies asleep." The present is only a mathematical line which divides that part of eternal duration which we call the future, from that part which we call the past. Nothing on earth has real duration, for nothing remains without change - or the same - for the billionth part of a second; and the sensation we have of the actuality of the division of "time" known as the present, comes from the blurring of that momentary glimpse, or succession of glimpses, of things that our senses give us, as those things pass from the region of ideals which we call the future, to the region of memories that we name the past. In the same way we experience a sensation of duration in the case of the instantaneous electric spark, by reason of the blurred and continuing impression on the retina. The real person or thing does not consist solely of what is seen at any particular moment, but is composed of the sum of all its various and changing conditions from its appearance in the material form to its disappearance from the earth. It is these "sum-totals" that exist from eternity in the "future," and pass by degrees through matter, to exist for eternity in the "past." No one could say that a bar of metal dropped into the sea came into existence as it left the air, and ceased to exist as it entered the water, and that the bar itself consisted only of that cross-section thereof which at any given moment coincided with the mathematical plane that separates, and, at the same time, joins, the atmosphere and the ocean. Even so of persons and things, which, dropping out of the to-be into the has-been, out of the future into the past - present momentarily to our senses a cross-section, as it were, of their total selves, as they pass through time and space (as matter) on their way from one eternity to another: and these two constitute that "duration" in which alone anything has true existence, were our senses but able to cognize it there. STANZA I. - Continued. 3. UNIVERSAL MIND WAS NOT, FOR THERE WERE NO AH-HI (celestial beings) TO CONTAIN (hence to manifest) IT (a). (a) Mind is a name given to the sum of the states of Consciousness grouped under Thought, Will, and Feeling. During deep sleep, ideation ceases on the physical plane, and memory is in abeyance; thus for the time-being "Mind is not," because the organ, through which the Ego manifests ideation and memory on the material plane, has temporarily ceased to function. A noumenon can become a phenomenon on any plane of existence only by manifesting on that plane through an appropriate basis or vehicle; and during the long night of rest called Pralaya, when all the existences are dissolved, the "UNIVERSAL MIND" remains as a permanent possibility of mental action, or as that abstract absolute thought, of which mind is the concrete relative manifestation. The AH-HI (Dhyan-Chohans) are the collective hosts of spiritual beings - the Angelic Hosts of Christianity, the Elohim and "Messengers" of the Jews - who are the vehicle for the manifestation of the divine or universal thought and will. They are the Intelligent Forces that give to and enact in Nature her "laws," while themselves acting according to laws imposed upon them in a similar manner by still higher Powers; but they are not "the personifications" of the powers of Nature, as erroneously thought. This hierarchy of spiritual Beings, through which the Universal Mind comes into action, is like an army - a "Host," truly - by means of which the fighting power of a nation manifests itself, and which is composed of army corps, divisions, brigades, regiments, and so forth, each with its separate individuality or life, and its limited freedom of action and limited responsibilities; each contained in a larger individuali- ty, to which its own interests are subservient, and each containing lesser individualities in itself. STANZA I. - Continued. 4. THE SEVEN WAYS TO BLISS (Moksha - {Nippang in China; Neibban in Burmah; or Moksha in India.} - or Nirvana) WERE NOT (a). THE GREAT CAUSES OF MISERY (Nidana - {The "12" Nidanas (in Tibetan Ten-brel chug-nyi) the chief causes of existence, effects generated by a concatenation of causes produced (see Comment. II).} - and Maya) WERE NOT, FOR THERE WAS NO ONE TO PRODUCE AND GET ENSNARED BY THEM (b). (a) There are seven "Paths" or "Ways" to the bliss of Non- Existence, which is absolute Being, Existence, and Consciousness. They were not, because the Universe was, so far, empty, and existed only in the Divine Thought. For it is ... (b) The twelve Nidanas or causes of being. Each is the effect of its antecedent cause, and a cause, in its turn, to its successor; the sum total of the Nidanas being based on the four truths, a doctrine especially characteristic of the Hinayana System. - {See Wassilief on Buddhism, pp. 97 et seq.} - They belong to the theory of the stream of catenated law which produces merit and demerit, and finally brings Karma into full sway. It is based upon the great truth that re-incarnation is to be dreaded, as existence in this world only entails upon man suffering, misery and pain; Death itself being unable to deliver man from it, since death is merely the door through which he passes to another life on earth after a little rest on its threshold - Devachan. The Hinayana System, or School of the "Little Vehicle," is of very ancient growth; while the Mahayana is of a later period, having originated after the death of Buddha. Yet the tenets of the latter are as old as the hills that have contained such schools from time immemorial, and the Hinayana and Mahayana Schools (the latter, that of the "Great Vehicle") both teach the same doctrine in reality. _Yana_, or Vehicle (in Sanskrit, Vahan) is a mystic expression, both "vehicles" inculcating that man may escape the sufferings of rebirths and even the false bliss of Devachan, by obtaining Wisdom and Knowledge, which alone can dispel the Fruits of Illusion and Ignorance. Maya or illusion is an element which enters into all finite things, for everything that exists has only a relative, not an absolute, reality, since the appearance which the hidden noumenon assumes for any observer depends upon his power of cognition. To the untrained eye of the savage, a painting is at first an unmeaning confusion of streaks and daubs of colour, while an educated eye sees instantly a face or a landscape. Nothing is permanent except the one hidden absolute existence which contains in itself the noumena of all realities. The existences belonging to every plane of being, up to the highest Dhyan-Chohans, are, in degree, of the nature of shadows cast by a magic lantern on a colourless screen; but all things are relatively real, for the cogniser is also a reflection, and the things cognised are therefore as real to him as himself. Whatever reality things possess must be looked for in them before or after they have passed like a flash through the material world; but we cannot cognise any such existence directly, so long as we have sense-instruments which bring only material existence into the field of our consciousness. Whatever plane our consciousness may be acting in, both we and the things belonging to that plane are, for the time being, our only realities. As we rise in the scale of development we perceive that during the stages through which we have passed we mistook shadows for realities, and the upward progress of the Ego is a series of progressive awakenings, each advance bringing with it the idea that now, at last, we have reached "reality;" but only when we shall have reached the absolute Consciousness, and blended our own with it, shall we be free from the delusions produced by Maya. STANZA I. - Continued. 5. DARKNESS ALONE FILLED THE BOUNDLESS ALL (a), FOR FATHER, MOTHER AND SON WERE ONCE MORE ONE, AND THE SON HAD NOT AWAKENED YET FOR THE NEW WHEEL- {That which is called "wheel" is the symbolical expression for a world or globe, which shows that the ancients were aware that our Earth was a revolving globe, not a motionless square as some Christian Fathers taught. The "Great Wheel" is the whole duration of our Cycle of being, or Maha Kalpa, i.e., the whole revolution of our special chain of seven planets or Spheres from beginning to end; the "Small Wheels" meaning the Rounds, of which there are also Seven.} - AND HIS PILGRIMAGE THEREON (b). (a) "Darkness is Father-Mother: light their son," says an old Eastern proverb. Light is inconceivable except as coming from some source which is the cause of it; and as, in the instance of primordial light, that source is unknown, though as strongly demanded by reason and logic, therefore it is called "Darkness" by us, from an intellectual point of view. As to borrowed or secondary light, whatever its source, it can be but of a temporary mayavic character. Darkness, then, is the eternal matrix in which the sources of light appear and disappear. Nothing is added to darkness to make of it light, or to light to make it darkness, on this our plane. They are interchangeable, and scientifically light is but a mode of darkness and vice versa. Yet both are phenomena of the same noumenon - which is absolute darkness to the scientific mind, and but a gray twilight to the perception of the average mystic, though to that of the spiritual eye of the Initiate it is absolute light. How far we discern the light that shines in darkness depends upon our powers of vision. What is light to us is darkness to certain insects, and the eye of the clairvoyant sees illumination where the normal eye perceives only blackness. When the whole universe was plunged in sleep - had returned to its one primordial element - there was neither centre of luminosity, nor eye to perceive light, and darkness necessarily filled the boundless all. (b) The Father-Mother are the male and female principles in root-nature, the opposite poles that manifest in all things on every plane of Kosmos, or Spirit and Substance, in a less allegorical aspect, the resultant of which is the Universe, or the Son. They are "once more One" when in "The Night of Brahma," during Pralaya, all in the objective Universe has returned to its one primal and eternal cause, to reappear at the following Dawn - as it does periodically. "Karana" - eternal cause - was alone. To put it more plainly: Karana is alone during the "Nights of Brahma." The previous objective Universe has dissolved into its one primal and eternal cause, and is, so to say, held in solution in space, to differentiate again and crystallize out anew at the following Manvantaric dawn, which is the commencement of a new "Day" or new activity of Brahma - the symbol of the Universe. In esoteric parlance, Brahma is Father-Mother-Son, or Spirit, Soul and Body at once; each personage being symbolical of an attrib- ute, and each attribute or quality being a graduated efflux of Divine Breath in its cyclic differentiation, involutionary and evolutionary. In the cosmico-physical sense, it is the Universe, the planetary chain and the earth; in the purely spiritual, the Unknown Deity, Planetary Spirit, and Man - the Son of the two, the creature of Spirit and Matter, and a manifestation of them in his periodical appearances on Earth during the "wheels," or the Manvantaras. - (See Part II. : "_Days and Nights of Brahma_.") STANZA I. - Continued. 6. THE SEVEN SUBLIME LORDS AND THE SEVEN TRUTHS HAD CEASED TO BE (a), AND THE UNIVERSE, THE SON OF NECESSITY, WAS IMMERSED IN PARANISHPANNA (b) (absolute perfection, Paranirvana, which is Yong-Grub) TO BE OUT-BREATHED BY THAT WHICH IS AND YET IS NOT. NAUGHT WAS (c). (a) The seven sublime lords are the Seven Creative Spirits, the Dhyan-Chohans, who correspond to the Hebrew Elohim. It is the same hierarchy of Archangels to which St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and others belong, in the Christian theogony. Only while St. Michael, for instance, is allowed in dogmatic Latin theology to watch over all the promontories and gulfs, in the Esoteric System, the Dhyanis watch successively over one of the Rounds and the great Root-races of our planetary chain. They are, moreover, said to send their Bhodisatvas, the human correspondents of the Dhyani-Buddhas (of whom _vide infra_) during every Round and Race. Out of the Seven Truths and Revelations, or rather revealed secrets, four only have been handed to us, as we are still in the Fourth Round, and the world also has only had four Buddhas, so far. This is a very complicated question, and will receive more ample treatment later on. So far "There are only Four Truths, and Four Vedas" - say the Hindus and Buddhists. For a similar reason Irenaeus insisted on the necessity of Four Gospels. But as every new Root-race at the head of a Round must have its revelation and revealers, the next Round will bring the Fifth, the following the Sixth, and so on. (b) "_Paranishpanna_" is the absolute perfection to which all existences attain at the close of a great period of activity, or Maha-Manvantara, and in which they rest during the succeeding period of repose. In Tibetan it is called Yong-Grub. Up to the day of the Yogacharya school the true nature of Paranirvana was taught publicly, but since then it has become entirely esoteric; hence so many contradictory interpretations of it. It is only a true Idealist who can understand it. Everything has to be viewed as ideal, with the exception of Paranirvana, by him who would comprehend that state, and acquire a knowledge of how Non Ego, Voidness, and Darkness are Three in One and alone Self-existent and perfect. It is absolute, however, only in a relative sense, for it must give room to still further absolute perfection, according to a higher standard of excellence in the following period of activity - just as a perfect flower must cease to be a perfect flower and die, in order to grow into a perfect fruit, - if a somewhat Irish mode of expression may be permitted. The Secret Doctrine teaches the progressive development of everything, worlds as well as atoms; and this stupendous development has neither conceivable beginning nor imaginable end. Our "Universe" is only one of an infinite number of Universes, all of them "Sons of Necessity," because links in the great Cosmic chain of Universes, each one standing in the relation of an effect as regards its predecessor, and being a cause as regards its successor. The appearance and disappearance of the Universe are pictured as an outbreathing and inbreathing of "the Great Breath," which is eternal, and which, being Motion, is one of the three aspects of the Absolute - Abstract Space and Duration being the other two. When the "Great Breath" is projected, it is called the Divine Breath, and is regarded as the breathing of the Unknowable Deity - the One Existence - which breathes out a thought, as it were, which becomes the Kosmos. (See "Isis Unveiled.") So also is it when the Divine Breath is inspired again the Universe disappears into the bosom of "the Great Mother," who then sleeps "wrapped in her invisible robes." (c) By "that which is and yet is not" is meant the Great Breath itself, which we can only speak of as absolute existence, but cannot picture to our imagination as any form of existence that we can distinguish from Non-existence. The three periods - the Present, the Past, and the Future - are in the esoteric philosophy a compound time; for the three are a composite number only in relation to the phenomenal plane, but in the realm of noumena have no abstract validity. As said in the Scriptures: "The Past time is the Present time, as also the Future, which, though it has not come into existence, still is"; according to a precept in the Prasanga Madhyamika teaching, whose dogmas have been known ever since it broke away from the purely esoteric schools. - {See Dzungarian "Mani Kumbum," the "Book of the 10,000 Precepts." Also consult Wassilief's "Der Buddhismus," pp. 327 and 357, etc.} - Our ideas, in short, on duration and time are all derived from our sensations according to the laws of Association. Inextricably bound up with the relativity of human knowledge, they nevertheless can have no existence except in the experience of the individual ego, and perish when its evolutionary march dispels the Maya of phenomenal existence. What is Time, for instance, but the panoramic succession of our states of con- sciousness? In the words of a Master, "I feel irritated at having to use these three clumsy words - Past, Present, and Future - miserable concepts of the objective phases of the subjective whole, they are about as ill-adapted for the purpose as an axe for fine carving." One has to acquire _Paramartha_ lest one should become too easy a prey to _Samvriti_ - is a philosophical axiom. - {In clearer words: "One has to acquire true Self-Consciousness in order to understand _Samvriti_, or the `origin of delusion.'" _Paramartha_ is the synonym of the Sanskrit term _Svasam-vedana_, or "the reflection which analyses itself." There is a difference in the interpretation of the meaning of _Paramartha_ between the Yogacharyas and the Madhyamikas, neither of whom, however, explain the real and true esoteric sense of the expression. See further, sloka No. 9.} STANZA I. - Continued. 7. THE CAUSES OF EXISTENCE HAD BEEN DONE AWAY WITH (a); THE VISIBLE THAT WAS, AND THE INVISIBLE THAT IS, RESTED IN ETERNAL NON-BEING, THE ONE BEING (b). (a) "The Causes of Existence" mean not only the physical causes known to science, but the metaphysical causes, the chief of which is the desire to exist, an outcome of Nidana and Maya. This desire for a sentient life shows itself in everything, from an atom to a sun, and is a reflection of the Divine Thought propelled into objective existence, into a law that the Universe should exist. According to esoteric teaching, the real cause of that supposed desire, and of all existence, remains for ever hidden, and its first emanations are the most complete abstrac- tions mind can conceive. These abstractions must of necessity be postulated as the cause of the material Universe which presents itself to the senses and intellect; and they underlie the secondary and subordinate powers of Nature, which, anthropomorphized, have been worshipped as God and gods by the common herd of every age. It is impossible to conceive anything without a cause; the attempt to do so makes the mind a blank. This is virtually the condition to which the mind must come at last when we try to trace back the chain of causes and effects, but both science and religion jump to this condition of blankness much more quickly than is necessary; for they ignore the metaphysical abstractions which are the only conceivable cause of physical concretions. These abstractions become more and more concrete as they approach our plane of existence, until finally they phenomenalise in the form of the material Universe, by a process of conversion of metaphysics into physics, analogous to that by which steam can be condensed into water, and the water frozen into ice. (b) The idea of Eternal Non-Being, which is the One Being, will appear a paradox to anyone who does not remember that we limit our ideas of being to our present consciousness of existence; making it a specific, instead of a generic term. An unborn infant, could it think in our acceptation of that term, would necessarily limit its conception of being, in a similar manner, to the intra-uterine life which alone it knows; and were it to endeavour to express to its consciousness the idea of life after birth (death to it), it would, in the absence of data to go upon, and of faculties to comprehend such data, probably express that life as "Non-Being which is Real Being." In our case the One Being is the noumenon of all the noumena which we know must underlie phenomena, and give them whatever shadow of reality they possess, but which we have not the senses or the intellect to cognize at present. The impalpable atoms of gold scattered through the substance of a ton of auriferous quartz may be imperceptible to the naked eye of the miner, yet he knows that they are not only present there but that they alone give his quartz any appreciable value; and this relation of the gold to the quartz may faintly shadow forth that of the noumenon to the phenomenon. But the miner knows what the gold will look like when extracted from the quartz, whereas the common mortal can form no conception of the reality of things separated from the Maya which veils them, and in which they are hidden. Alone the Initiate, rich with the lore acquired by numberless generations of his predecessors, directs the "Eye of Dangma" toward the essence of things in which no Maya can have any influence. It is here that the teachings of esoteric philosophy in relation to the Nidanas and the Four Truths become of the greatest importance; but they are secret. STANZA I. - Continued. 8. ALONE, THE ONE FORM OF EXISTENCE STRETCHED BOUNDLESS, INFINITE, CAUSELESS, IN DREAMLESS SLEEP (a); AND LIFE PULSATED UNCONSCIOUS IN UNIVERSAL SPACE, THROUGHOUT THAT ALL-PRESENCE WHICH IS SENSED BY THE "OPENED EYE" - {In India it is called "The Eye of Siva," but beyond the great range it is known as "Dangma's opened eye" in esoteric phraseology.} - OF THE DANGMA (b). - {Dangma means a purified soul, one who has become a Jivanmukta, the highest adept, or rather a Mahatma so-called. His "opened eye" is the inner spiritual eye of the seer, and the faculty which manifests through it is not clairvoyance as ordinarily understood, i.e., the power of seeing at a distance, but rather the faculty of spiritual intuition, through which direct and certain knowledge is obtainable. This faculty is intimately connected with the "third eye," which mythological tradition ascribes to certain races of men. Fuller explanations will be found in Book II.} - (a) The tendency of modern thought is to recur to the archaic idea of a homogeneous basis for apparently widely different things - heterogeneity developed from homogeneity. Biologists are now searching for their homogeneous protoplasm and chemists for their protyle, while science is looking for the force of which electricity, magnetism, heat, and so forth, are the differentiations. The Secret Doctrine carries this idea into the region of metaphysics and postulates a "One Form of Exis- tence" as the basis and source of all things. But perhaps the phrase, the "One Form of Existence," is not altogether correct. The Sanskrit word is Prabhavapyaya, "the place, or rather plane, whence emerges the origination, and into which is the resolution of all things," says a commentator. It is not the "Mother of the World," as translated by Wilson (see Book I., Vishnu Purana); for Jagad Yoni (as shown by Fitz Edward Hall) is scarcely so much "the Mother of the World" or "the Womb of the World" as the "Material Cause of the Universe." The Puranic Commentators explain it by Karana - "Cause" - but the Esoteric philosophy, by the _ideal spirit of that cause._ It is, in its secondary stage, the Svabhavat of the Buddhist philosopher, the eternal cause and effect, omnipresent yet abstract, the self-existent plastic Essence and the root of all things, viewed in the same dual light as the Vedantin views his Parabrahm and Mulaprakriti, the one under two aspects. It seems indeed extraordinary to find great scholars speculating on the possibility of the Vedanta, and the Uttara-Mimansa especially, having been "evoked by the teachings of the Buddhists,"whereas, it is on the contrary Buddhism (of Gautama, the Buddha) that was "evoked" and entirely upreared on the tenets of the Secret Doctrine, of which a partial sketch is here attempted, and on which, also, the Upanishads are made to rest. - {And yet, one, _claiming authority,_ namely, Sir Monier Williams, Boden Professor of Sanskrit at Oxford, has just denied this fact. This is what he taught his audience, on June the 4th, 1888, in his annual address before the Victoria Institute of Great Britain: "Originally, Buddhism set its face against all solitary asceticism - to attain sublime heights of knowledge. It _had no occult, no esoteric system_ of doctrine - withheld from ordinary men" (!!) And, again: " - When Gautama Buddha began his career, the _later and lower_ form of Yoga seems to have been little known." And then, contradicting himself, the learned lecturer forthwith informs his audience that "We learn from _Lalita_Vistara_ that various forms of bodily torture, self-maceration, and austerity were common in Gautama's time." (!!) But the lecturer seems quite unaware that this kind of torture and self-maceration is precisely the _lower_ form of Yoga, _Hatha_ Yoga, which was "little known" and yet so "_com- mon_" in Gautama's time.} The above, according to the teachings of Sri Sankaracharya, is undeniable.- {It is even argued that all the Six Darsanas (Schools of philosophy) show traces of Buddha's influence, being either taken from Buddhism or due to Greek teaching! (See Weber, Max Muller, etc.) We labour under the impression that Colebrooke, "the highest authority" in such matters, had long ago settled the question by showing, that "the Hindus were in this instance the teachers, not the learners."} (b) Dreamless sleep is one of the seven states of conscious- ness known in Oriental esotericism. In each of these states a different portion of the mind comes into action; or as a Vedantin would express it, the individual is conscious in a different plane of his being. The term "dreamless sleep," in this case is applied allegorically to the Universe to express a condition somewhat analogous to that state of consciousness in man, which, not being remembered in a waking state, seems a blank, just as the sleep of the mesmerised subject seems to him an unconscious blank when he returns to his normal condition, although he has been talking and acting as a conscious individual would. STANZA I. - Continued. 9. BUT WHERE WAS THE DANGMA WHEN THE ALAYA OF THE UNIVERSE _(Soul as the basis of all, Anima Mundi)_ WAS IN PARAMARTHA (a) (Absolute Being and Consciousness which are Absolute Non-Being and Unconsciousness) AND THE GREAT WHEEL WAS ANUPADAKA (b)? (a) Here we have before us the subject of centuries of scholastic disputations. The two terms "Alaya" and "Paramartha" have been the causes of dividing schools and splitting the truth into more different aspects than any other mystic terms. Alaya is literally the "Soul of the World" or Anima Mundi, the "Over- Soul" of Emerson, and according to esoteric teaching it changes periodically its nature. Alaya, though eternal and changeless in its inner essence on the planes which are unreachable by either men or Cosmic Gods (Dhyani Buddhas), alters during the active life-period with respect to the lower planes, ours included. During that time not only the Dhyani-Buddhas are one with Alaya in Soul and Essence, but even the man strong in the Yoga (mystic meditation) "is able to merge his soul with it" (Aryasanga, the _Bumapa_ school). This is not Nirvana, but a condition next to it. Hence the disagreement. Thus, while the Yogacharyas (of the Mahayana school) say that Alaya is the personification of the Voidness, and yet Alaya (_Nyingpo_ and _Tsang_ in Tibetan) is the basis of every visible and invisible thing, and that, though it is eternal and immutable in its essence, it reflects itself in every object of the Universe "like the moon in clear tranquil water"; other schools dispute the statement. The same for Paramartha: the Yogacharyas interpret the term as that which is also dependent upon other things (_paratantral_); and the Madhyamikas say that Paramartha is limited to Paranishpanna or absolute perfection; i.e., in the exposition of these "two truths" (out of four), the former believe and maintain that (on this plane, at any rate) there exists only Samvritisatya or relative truth; and the latter teach the existence of Paramarthasatya, the "absolute truth." - {"Paramartha" is self- consciousness in Sanskrit, Svasamvedana, or the "self-analysing reflection" - from two words, parama (above everything) and artha (comprehension), Satya meaning absolute true being, or Esse. In Tibetan Paramarthasatya is Dondampaidenpa. The opposite of this absolute reality, or actuality, is Samvritisatya - the relative truth only - "Samvriti" meaning "false conception" and being the origin of illusion, Maya; in Tibetan Kundzabchi_denpa, "illusion- creating appearance."} - "No Arhat, oh mendicants, can reach absolute knowledge before he becomes one with Paranirvana. _Parikalpita_ and _Paratantra_ are his two great enemies" (Aphorisms of the Bodhisattvas). _Parikalpita_ (in Tibetan _Kun- ttag_) is error, made by those unable to realize the emptiness and illusionary nature of all; who believe something to exist which does not - e.g., the Non-Ego. And _Paratantra_ is that, whatever it is, which exists only through a dependent or causal connexion, and which has to disappear as soon as the cause from which it proceeds is removed - e.g., the light of a wick. Destroy or extinguish it, and light disappears. Esoteric philosophy teaches that everything lives and is conscious, but not that all life and consciousness are similar to those of human or even animal beings. Life we look upon as "the one form of existence," manifesting in what is called matter; or, as in man, what, incorrectly separating them, we name Spirit, Soul and Matter. Matter is the vehicle for the manifesta- tion of soul on this plane of existence, and soul is the vehicle on a higher plane for the manifestation of spirit, and these three are a trinity synthesized by Life, which pervades them all. The idea of universal life is one of those ancient conceptions which are returning to the human mind in this century, as a consequence of its liberation from anthropomorphic theology. Science, it is true, contents itself with tracing or postulating the signs of universal life, and has not yet been bold enough even to whisper "Anima Mundi!" The idea of "crystalline life," now familiar to science, would have been scouted half a century ago. Botanists are now searching for the nerves of plants; not that they suppose that plants can feel or think as animals do, but because they believe that some structure, bearing the same relation functionally to plant life that nerves bear to animal life, is necessary to explain vegetable growth and nutrition. It hardly seems possible that science can disguise from itself much longer, by the mere use of terms such as "force" and "energy," the fact that things that have life are living things, whether they be atoms or planets. But what is the belief of the inner esoteric Schools? the reader may ask. What are the doctrines taught on this subject by the Esoteric "Buddhists"? With them "Alaya" has a double and even a triple meaning. In the Yogacharya system of the contemplative Mahayana school, Alaya is both the Universal Soul (Anima Mundi) and the Self of a progressed adept. "He who is strong in the Yoga can introduce at will his Alaya by means of meditation into the true Nature of Existence." The "Alaya has an absolute eternal existence," says Aryasanga - the rival of Nagarjuna. - {Aryasanga was a pre-Christian Adept and founder of a Buddhist esoteric school, though Csoma di K0ros places him, for some reasons of his own, in the seventh century A.D. There was another Aryasanga, who lived during the first centuries of our era and the Hungarian scholar most probably confuses the two.} - In one sense it is _Pradhana_; which is explained in Vishnu Purana as: "that which is the unevolved cause, is emphatically called by the most eminent sages Pradhana, original base, which is subtile Prakriti, viz., that which is eternal, and which at once is (or compre- hends) what is and what is not, or is mere process." "Prakriti," however, is an incorrect word, and Alaya would explain it better; for Prakriti is not the "uncognizable Brahma." - {"The indiscreet cause which is uniform, and both cause and effect, and which those who are acquainted with first principles call Pradhana and Prakriti, is the incognizable Brahma who was before all" (Vayu Purana); i.e., Brahma does not put forth evolution itself or create, but only exhibits various aspects of itself, one of which is Prakriti, an aspect of Pradhana.} - It is a mistake of those who know nothing of the Universality of the Occult doctrines from the very cradle of the human races, and especially so of those scholars who reject the very idea of a "primordial revelation," to teach that the Anima Mundi, the One Life or "Universal Soul," was made known only by Anaxagoras, or during his age. This philosopher brought the teaching forward simply to oppose the too materialistic conceptions on Cosmogony of Democritus, based on his exoteric theory of _blindly_ driven atoms. Anaxagoras of Clazomene was not its inventor but only its propagator, as also was Plato. That which he called Mundane Intelligence, the _nous_, the principle that according to his views is absolutely separated and free from matter and acts on design, - {Finite Self-con- sciousness, I mean. For how can the _absolute_ attain it otherwise than as simply an _aspect_, the highest of which known to us is human consciousness?} - was called Motion, the ONE LIFE, or _Jivatma_, ages before the year 500 B.C. in India. Only the Aryan philosophers never endowed the principle, which with them is infinite, with the finite "attribute" of "thinking." This leads the reader naturally to the "Supreme Spirit" of Hegel and the German Transcendentalists as a contrast that it may be useful to point out. The schools of Schelling and Fichte have diverged widely from the primitive archaic conception of an ABSOLUTE principle, and have mirrored only an aspect of the basic idea of the Vedanta. Even the "Absoluter Geist" shadowed forth by von Hartman in his pessimistic philosophy of the Unconscious, while it is, perhaps, the closest approximation made by European speculation to the Hindu Adwaitee Doctrines, similarly falls far short of the reality. According to Hegel, the "Unconscious" would never have undertaken the vast and laborious task of evolving the Universe, except in the hope of attaining clear Self-consciousness. In this connection it is to be borne in mind that in designating Spirit, which the European Pantheists use as equivalent to Parabrahm, as unconscious, they do not attach to that expression of "Spirit" - one employed in the absence of a better to symbolise a profound mystery - the connotation it usually bears. The "Absolute Consciousness," they tell us, "behind" phenomena, which is only termed unconsciousness in the absence of any element of personality, transcends human conception. Man, unable to form one concept except in terms of empirical phenome- na, is powerless from the very constitution of his being to raise the veil that shrouds the majesty of the Absolute. Only the liberated Spirit is able to faintly realise the nature of the source whence it sprung and whither it must eventually return. - As the highest Dhyan Chohan, however, can but bow in ignorance before the awful mystery of Absolute Being; and since, even in that culmination of conscious existence - "the merging of the individual in the universal consciousness" - to use a phrase of Fichte's - the Finite cannot conceive the Infinite, nor can it apply to it its own standard of mental experiences, how can it be said that the "Unconscious" and the Absolute can have even an instinctive impulse or hope of attaining clear self-conscious- ness? - {See Schwegler's "Handbook of the History of Philosophy" in Sterling's translation, p. 28.} - A Vedantin would never admit this Hegelian idea; and the Occultist would say that it applies perfectly to the awakened MAHAT, the Universal Mind already projected into the phenomenal world as the first aspect of the changeless ABSOLUTE, but never to the latter. "Spirit and Matter, or Purusha and Prakriti are but the two primeval aspects of the One and Secondless," we are taught. The matter-moving Nous, the animating Soul, immanent in every atom, manifested in man, latent in the stone, has different degrees of power; and this pantheistic idea of a general Spirit- Soul pervading a]l Nature is the oldest of all the philosophical notions. Nor was the Archaeus a discovery of Paracelsus nor of his pupil Van Helmont; for it is again the same Archaeus or "Father-Ether," - the manifested basis and source of the innumerable phenomena of life - localised. The whole series of the numberless speculations of this kind are but variations on this theme, the key-note of which was struck in this primeval Revelation. (See Part II., "Primordial Substance.") (b) The term Anupadaka, "parentless," or without progeni- tors, is a mystical designation having several meanings in the philosophy. By this name celestial beings, the Dhyan-Chohans or Dhyani-Buddhas, are generally meant. But as these correspond mystically to the human Buddhas and Bodhisattwas, known as the "Manushi (or human) Buddhas," the latter are also designated "Anupadaka," once that their whole personality is merged in their compound sixth and seventh principles - or Atma-Buddhi, and that they have become the "diamond-souled" (Vajra-sattvas), - {Vajra- diamond-holder. In Tibetan _Dorjesempa; sempa_ meaning the soul, its adamantine quality referring to its indestructibility in the hereafter. The explanation with regard to the "Anupadaka" given in the Kala Chakra, the first in the Gyu(t) division of the Kanjur, is half esoteric. It has misled the Orientalists into erroneous speculations with respect to the Dhyani-Buddhas and their earthly correspondences, the Manushi-Buddhas. The real tenet is hinted at in a subsequent Volume, (see "The Mystery about Buddha"), and will be more fully explained in its proper place.} - the full Mahatmas. The "Concealed Lord" (Sangbai Dag-po), "the one merged with the absolute," can have no parents since he is Self-existent, and one with the Universal Spirit (Svayambhu), - {To quote Hegel again, who with Schelling practi- cally accepted the Pantheistic conception of periodical Avatars (special incarnations of the World-Spirit in Man, as seen in the case of all the great religious reformers). - "the essence of man is spirit - only by stripping himself of his finiteness and surrendering himself to pure self-consciousness does he attain the truth. Christ-man, as man in whom the Unity of God-man (identity of the individual with the Universal consciousness as taught by the Vedantins and some Adwaitees) appeared, has, in his death and history generally, himself presented the eternal history of Spirit - a history which every man has to accomplish in himself, in order to exist as Spirit." - _Philosophy of History._ Sibree's English translation, p. 340.} - the Svabhavat in the highest aspect. The mystery in the hierarchy of the Anupadaka is great, its apex being the universal Spirit-Soul, and the lower rung the Manushi-Buddha; and even every Soul-endowed man is an Anupadaka in a latent state. Hence, when speaking of the Universe in its formless, eternal, or absolute condition, before it was fashioned by the "Builders" - the expression, "the Universe was Anupadaka." (See Part II., "Primordial Substance.")} Alan -- Member, Theosophy International. Member, Human Race. Lurker, Theos-NZ From martinle@lainet.com Wed Jan 31 03:06:20 1996 Date: Tue, 30 Jan 1996 20:06:20 -0700 From: martinle@lainet.com (Martin Leiderman) Subject: Hymn of the Pear Message-Id: Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Mime-Version: 1.0 The Hymn of the Pearl Translated from the Syriac (Source: William Wright, _Apocryphal Acts of the Apostles_ [London, 1871], pp. 238-245. Illegible words are indicated by ..... The Hymn of Judas Thomas the Apostle in the Country of the Indians. When I was a little child, and dwelling in my kingdom, in my father's house, and was content with the wealth and the luxuries of my nourishers, from the East, our home, my parents equipped me (and) sent me forth; and of the wealth of our treasury they took abundantly, (and) tied up for me a load large and (yet) light, which I myself could carry,-- gold of Beth-Ellaya, and silver of Gazak the great, and rubies of India, and agates from Beth-Kashan, and they furnished me with the adamant, which can crush iron. And they took off from me the glittering robe, which in their affection they made for me, and the purple toga, which was measured (and) woven to my stature. And they made a compact with me, and wrote it in my heart, that it might not be forgotten: "If thou goest down into Egypt, and bringest the one pearl, which is in the midst of the sea around the loud-breathing serpent, thou shalt put on thy glittering robe and thy toga, with which (thou art) contented, and with thy brother, who is next to us in authority, thou shalt be heir in our kingdom." I quitted the East (and) went down, there being two guardians, for the way was dangerous and difficult, and I was very young to travel it. I passed through the borders of Maishan, the meeting-place of the merchants of the East, and I reached the land of Babel, and I entered the walls of Sarbug. I went down into Egypt, and my companions parted from me. I went straight to the serpent, I dwelt in his abode, (waiting) till he should lumber and sleep, and I could take my pearl from him. And when I was single and alone (and) became strange to my family, one of my race, a free-born man, and Oriental, I saw there, a youth fair and loveable, the son of oil-sellers; and he came and attached himself to me, and I made him my intimate friend, and associate with whom I shared my merchandise. I warned him against the Egyptians, and against consorting with the unclean; And I dressed in their dress, that they might not hold me in abhorrence, because I was come from abroad in order to take the pearl, and arouse the serpent against me. But in some way other or another they found out that I was not their countryman, and they dealt with me treacherously, and gave their food to eat. I forget that I was a son of kings, and I served their king; and I forgot the pearl, for which my parents had sent me, and because of the burden of their oppressions I lay in a deep sleep. But all this things that befel me my parents perceived, and were grieved for me; and proclamation was made in our kingdom, that every one should come to our gate , kings and princes of Parthia, and all the nobles of the East. And they wove a plan on my behalf, that I might not be left in Egypt; and they wrote to me a letter, and every noble signed his name to it: "From thy father, the king of kings, and thy mother, the mistress of the East, and from thy brother, our second (in authority), to thee our son, who art in Egypt, greeting! Call to mind that thou art a son of kings! See the slavery,--whom thou servest! Remember the pearl, for which thou was sent to Egypt! Think of thy robe, and remember thy splendid toga, which thou shalt wear and (with which) thou shalt be adorned, when thy name hath been read out in the list of the valiant, and thy brother, our viceroy, thou shalt be in our kingdom" My letter is a letter, which the king sealed with his own right hand, (to keep it) from the wicked ones, the children of Babel, and from the savage demons of Sarbug. It flew in the likeness of an eagle, the king of all birds; it flew and alight beside me, and became all speech. At its voice and the sound of its rustling, I started and arose from my sleep. I took it up and kissed it, and I began (and) read it; and according to what was traced on my heart were the words of my letter. I remembered that I was a son of royal parents, and my noble birth asserted itself. I remembered the pearl, for which I had been sent to Egypt, and I began to charm him, the terrible loud breathing serpent. I hushed him asleep and lulled him into slumber, for my father's name I named over him, and the name of our second (in power), and the of my mother, the queen of the East. And I snatched away the pearl, and turned to go back to my father's house. And their filthy and unclean dress I stripped off, and left it in their country; and I took my way straight to come to the light of our home in the East. And my letter, my awakener, I found before me on the road; and as with its voice it had awakened me, (so) too with its light it was leading me. It, that dwelt in the palace, gave light before me with its form, and with its voice and its guidance it also encouraged me to speed, and with its love it drew me on. I went forth (and) passed by Sarbug; I left Babel on my left hand; and I came to the great Maisan, to the haven of merchants, which sitteth on the shore of the sea. And my bright robe, which I had stripped off, and the toga that was wrapped with it, from Rantha and Reken(?) my parents had sent thither by the hand of their treasures, who in their truth could be trusted therewith. And because I remembered not its fashion,-- for in my childhood I had left it in my father's house,-- on a sudden, when I received it, the garment seemed to me to become like a mirror of myself. I saw it all in all, and I to received all in it, for we were two in distinction and yet gain one in one likeness. And the treasurers too, who brought it to me, I saw in like manner to be two (and yet) one likeness, for one sign of the king was written on them (both), of the hands of him who restored to me through them my trust and my wealth, my decorated robe, which was adorned with glorious colours, with gold and beryls and rubies and agates and sardonyxes, varied in colour. And it was skilfully worked in its home on high, and with diamond clasps were all its seams fastened; and the image of the king of kings was embroidered and depicted in full all over it, and like the stone of the sapphire too its hues were varied. And I saw also that all over it the instincts of knowledge were working, and I saw too that it was preparing to speak. I heard the sound of its tones, which it uttered with its....., (saying): "I am the active in deeds, whom they reared for him before my father; and I perceived myself, that my stature grew according to his labours." And in its kingly movements it poured itself entirely over me, and on the hand of its givers it hastened that I might take it. And love urged me too run to meet it and receive it; and I stretched forth and took it. With the beauty of its colours I adorned myself, and I wrapped myself wholly in my toga of brilliant hues. I clothed myself with it, and went up to the gate of salutation and prostration; I bowed my head and worshipped the majesty of my father who sent me,-- for I had done his commandments, and he too had done what he promised,-- and the gate of his...., I mingled with his princes, for he rejoiced in me and received me, and I was with him in his kingdom, and with the voice of.... all his servants praised him. And he promised that to the gate too of the king of kings with him I should go, and with my offering and my pearl with him should present myself to our king. The hymn of Judas Thomas the Apostles, which he spake in prison, is ended. From guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk Wed Jan 31 00:33:55 1996 Date: Wed, 31 Jan 1996 00:33:55 +0000 From: "Dr.A.M.Bain" Message-Id: <7x2yAFAzjrDxEwxf@nellie2.demon.co.uk> Subject: UPLOAD KEY01.TXT Mime-Version: 1.0 The Key to Theosophy Dedicated by "H.P.B." To all her Pupils, That They may Learn and Teach in their turn. A Clear Exposition in the Form of Question and Answer of the Ethics, Science, and Philosophy for the Study of Which The Theosophical Society has been Founded. H.P. Blavatsky MANAS-TAIJASI First Published 1889. Preface to the First Edition THE PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK is exactly expressed in its title, The Key to Theosophy, and needs but few words of explanation. It is not a complete or exhaustive textbook of Theosophy, but only a key to unlock the door that leads to the deeper study. It traces the broad outlines of the Wisdom-Religion, and explains its fundamental principles; meeting, at the same time, the various objections raised by the average Western inquirer, and endeavoring to present unfamiliar concepts in a form as simple and in language as clear as possible. That it should succeed in making Theosophy intelligible without mental effort on the part of the reader, would be too much to expect; but it is hoped that the obscurity still left is of the thought and not of the language, is due to depth and not to confusion. To the mentally lazy or obtuse, Theosophy must remain a riddle; for in the world mental as in the world spiritual each man must progress by his own efforts. The writer cannot do the reader's thinking for him, nor would the latter be any the better off if such vicarious thought were possible. The need for such an exposition as the present has long been felt among those interested in the Theosophical Society and its work, and it is hoped that it will supply information, as free as possible from technicalities, to many whose attention has been awakened, but who, as yet, are merely puzzled and not convinced. Some care has been taken in disentangling some part of what is true from what is false in Spiritualistic teachings as to the postmortem life, and to showing the true nature of Spiritualistic phenomena Previous explanations of a similar kind have drawn much wrath upon the writer's devoted head; the Spiritualists, like too many others, preferring to believe what is pleasant rather than what is true, and becoming very angry with anyone who destroys an agreeable delusion. For the past year Theosophy has been the target for every poisoned arrow of Spiritualism, as though the possessors of a half truth felt more antagonism to the possessors of the whole truth than those who had no share to boast of. Very hearty thanks are due from the author to many Theosophists who have sent suggestions and questions, or have otherwise contributed help during the writing of this book. The work will be the more useful for their aid, and that will be their best reward. - H.P. Blavatsky 1889 Contents Theosophy and The Theosophical Society The Meaning of the Name The Policy of the Theosophical Society The Wisdom-Religion, Esoteric in All Ages Theosophy is Not Buddhism Exoteric and Esoteric Theosophy What the Modern Theosophical Society is Not Theosophists and Members of the T.S. The Difference Between Theosophy and Occultism The Difference Between Theosophy and Spiritualism Why is Theosophy Accepted? The Working System of the T.S. The Objects of the Society The Common Origin of Man Our Other Objects On the Sacredness of the Pledge The Relations of the T.S. to Theosophy On Self-Improvement The Abstract and the Concrete The Fundamental Teachings of Theosophy On God and Prayer Is it Necessary to Pray? Prayer Kills Self-Reliance On the Source of the Human Soul The Buddhist Teachings on the Above Theosophical Teachings as to Nature and Man The Unity of All in All Evolution and Illusion On The Septenary Constitution of Our Planet The Septenary Nature of Man The Distinction Between Soul and Spirit The Greek Teachings On the Various Postmortem States The Physical and the Spiritual Man On Eternal Reward and Punishment, and on Nirvana On the Various Principles in Man On Reincarnation or Rebirth What is Memory According to Theosophical Teaching? Why Do We Not Remember Our Past Lives? On Individuality and Personality On the Reward and Punishment of the Ego On the Kamaloka and Devachan On the Fate of the Lower Principles Why Theosophists Do Not Believe in the Return of Pure "Spirits" A Few Words About the Skandhas On Postmortem and Postnatal Consciousness What is Really Meant by Annihilation Definite Words for Definite Things On the Nature of Our Thinking Principle The Mystery of the Ego The Complex Nature of Manas The Doctrine is Taught in St. John's Gospel On the Mysteries of Reincarnation Periodical Rebirths What is Karma? Who Are Those Who Know? The Difference Between Faith and Knowledge, Or Blind and Reasoned Faith Has God the Right to Forgive? What is Practical Theosophy? Duty The Relations of the T.S. to Political Reforms On Self-Sacrifice On Charity Theosophy for the Masses How Members Can Help the Society What a Theosophist Ought Not to Do On the Misconceptions About the T.S. Theosophy and Asceticism Theosophy and Marriage Theosophy and Education Why Then is There So Much Prejudice Against the T.S.? Is the Theosophical Society A Money-Making Concern? The Working Staff of the T.S. The "Theosophical Mahatmas" Are They "Spirits of Light" or "Goblins Damned"? The Abuse of Sacred Names and Terms Conclusion The Future of the Theosophical Society Glossary Appendix The Theosophical Society: Information for Inquirers The Legal Status of the Theosophical Society Uploaded by Alan Bain -- Member, Theosophy International. Member, Human Race. Lurker, Theos-NZ From ???@??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000 Date: 01 Jan 1996 03:45:15 GMT From: MK Ramadoss Subject: Re: By - Laws : a new perspective/approach Paradigm shifts At 024500 PM 12/30/95 -0500 Liesel wrote: >>Doss: >Glad to see you also enjoy the diversity of our TS. It keeps you fresh & >alive & on your toes ... don't you think? > >Re Sri Ram saying he was a "student" ... they all said that I think even >HPB said that... but if my memory serves me right Sri Ram was also a >well-trained clairvoyant. Being that somehow gives a deeper dimension. They I have been to several of his lectures over the years and the only mention of his clairvoyance was that when someone brought it up he simply mentioned that it is personal to him and did not make much of fuss about it. I have seen him go about in a most unabtrusive way that I did not know much about him until he was made the Vice President. Later I found that he was a math major in his undergraduate studies and was trained in journalism when Annie Besant published a paper is support of Indian Independence. He had an unusual command of english language and I was told that when very important letters are sent out by C Jinarajadasa he always showed the draft to Sri Ram because it was CJ's opinion that Sri Ram's understanding of english language and use of words were so good that CJ did not want any of his important letters misunderstood or did not communicate what he wanted to communicate. I have also seen some of his correspondence to some members and one can feel the language which oozed with frankness and friendliness that was very real. Radha Burnier who is her daughter also has followed his footsteps and her letters also have this very good characteristic. I have wandered to much. Just tit bits when you brought up Sri Ram's clairvoyance. Have you heard anything more on his clairvoyance? ..doss >have insight into matters which an ordinary person doesn't have. I'm not Yes. I did see two occasions in which Sri Ram's judgement was correct. ...doss >really against following a guru. I've done so. But as Eldon said a guru >needs to be chosen with great care & discrimination & testing. They've >gotta be very accurate ethical compassionate; they have to realize that >they're not god; and they have to give their pupils the wherewithall to >grow. It's also good if they sometimes listen to other people. >But to come back to the present I'd like it fine if the Adyar TS became a >true democracy. > >Liesel > >At 055700 AM 12/30/95 -0500 Liesel wrote: >>>> >>> >>>Eldon >>> >>>I think you've got a good point there. The Adyar TS *is* moving into being a >>>group of fellow seekers some wiser than others and that *is* brand new I >>>hadn't thought of it. That's why we're having changing over pains. But we'd >>>better settle it because the succession of gurus has fizzled out. It looks >>>like we're going to be a community of seekers from here on in. I haven't >> >> In a very interesting response that Sri Ram the then President made a >>statement that he is a fellow student of wisdom. So this does not seem to be >>a new idea. >>> >>>study "Unknown phenomena..." I've read & gotten at least something out of >>>Kapra Prygogene Particle Physics Teilhard bio-feedback Tibetan >>>Buddhism Ayurevedic Medicine Shamanism Quantum Theory. & just now I'm >>>wading through a book from which I can but garner a few ideas but >>>worthwhile ones "Trialogues at The Edge of The West" Abraham McKenna & >>>Sheldrake. Those are the ones I remember. There must be others. I don't know >>>of any other belief system that leads its members into such a diversity of >>>knowledge. To me that's the very best Adyar has to offer.... God's infinite >>>diversity. >> >> It is the diversity and openness that has kept my continued >>interest. It is freedom in one sense. >> >>..doss >> > From ???@??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000 Date: 01 Jan 1996 04:09:37 GMT From: John R Crocker Subject: Re: By - Laws : a new perspective/approach Paradigm shifts On 01 199601 liesel f. deutsch wrote: > >Doss > I don't know any more about Sri Ram being clairvoyant only that he was. You > know more about him than I do. You've seen him I've only read some of his > writings. That he was very quiet about his extra talent figures. It seems > all the really proficient people don't vaunt it. It wasn't too long ago... > not more than 10-15 years ago ... that they had to hide it anyway because > it wasn't accepted. They were looked upon like freaks charlatans > chiselers... you name it. Whew! Good thing things have changed so dramatically! -: -JRC From ???@??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000 Date: 01 Jan 1996 04:55:54 GMT From: guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk Dr. A.M.Bain Subject: Shell-building > Doss: > > There should be some way to protect yourself from your mother or anybody > >else who can sap your energy. I recall that an individual can build a shell > >which protects in such cases. Such draw of energy is one kind of vampirism. > > Vampirism is exactly what one psychic called it. I'd like to hear more from > anyone about building a shell. I sure could use one considering that I'm so > sensitive to energies. > > Ann E. Bermingham ~Psychic Self Defence~ by Dion Fortune is dated but good if you can get in your neck of the woods. My copy was published by Aquarian Press in 1971 but copyright is with The Society of the Inner Light in England. Alan -- Member Theosophy International. Member Human Race. From ???@??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000 Date: 01 Jan 1996 06:13:50 GMT From: John R Crocker Subject: Re: Esoteric Astrology Signs of Nations Global International >>JRC: >> From "The Key To Theosophy": >>HPB says "the origin of the name ... ... comes to us from the >>Alexandrian philosophers called lovers of truth Philaletheians from >>`phil' loving and `aletheia' "truth". The name Theosophy dates from >>the third century of our era and began with Ammonius Saccas and his >>disciples." > Eldon: > That's fine for a definition of the term "Theosophy". But HPB could have > chosen many different terms to label her new society and the philosophy > which she was about to teach in the west. What she was going to teach > did not I think come from Saccas and his disciples. "Theosophy" happened > to be a handy term to use for the future T.S. Er yes but my post was a direct answer to the question of whether or not HPB herself coined the term "Theosophy". And this paragraph seems to imply that calling it "Theosophy" was a choice lightly made. She could have also called it "Esoteric Hinduism" or used any number of Eastern terms. But she didn't. While what she was going to teach may not have *come* from Saccus she clearly does by the choice of this name Theosophy and in other writings acknowledge such philosophical traditions as being *part* of the tradition of the "Ancient Wisdom". I only mention this because having come first to Theosophy from the tradition of neo-Platonism I was delighted by the fact that HPB not only acknowledged this tradition but praised it highly and took time to tie many of its terms into her presentation of the Ancient Wisdom ... and dismayed by the fact that this has been almost completely ignored since her death. Theosophy has come to be seen as an *Eastern* tradition but its hard to make it through the Secret Doctrine without concluding that this "Ancient Wisdom" and its proponents have existed in alomst every nation every philosophical tradition of any depth ... east *and* west. Could it be perhaps that HPB choose "Theosophy" for reasons slightly stronger than simply that it was "handy" in fact it was anything *but* handy - it was a term coined by an obscure branch of a philosophical tradition ... a fraction of whose teachings had been translated and that was almost unknown even among the intelligentsia of the time. Think its possible that the choice of the term "Theosophy" was a delibrate attempt in introducing the philosophy to the *west* to make it clear that this philosophy existed in the roots as part of the foundation of the *western* philosophical tradition as well as the eastern? The term was most definately *not* in common usage and to find it she must have either hunted through some really obscure ancient Greek writings a bit odd to think of ... she wasn't exactly a careful studious scholar or one of the Masters must have showed her the term as in the way the SD was written. Put yourself in her position ... 03 years hidden away studying and perhaps being initiated into an ancient order whose philosophy you consider to be the most elevated thought possible to come into contact with whose Masters you honor with all the awe and respect possible in your devotional nature - you are released with a connection intact and vows being taken and have shouldered the responsibility of introducing this philosophy to the whole western world for the first time in well in a *very* long time and you are trying to come up with the *name* for what if you are successful will be a current that will last decades even centuries - would you really choose a term because it was *handy*? > The various doctrines in our basic theosophical books contain many > borrowed terms including "Theosophy" itself. We can I think read > about the philosophies and religious that they come from. It's important > though to keep in mind that the borrowed terms sometimes may have their > meanings changed. Well I suppose I think that there is a difference between the choice of a term to use to describe in english some obscure nuance of the spiritual realm that only exists in the Pali language and the choice of the term to be used to *name the philosophy and the organization itself*. While HPB may have used the word in a way different from the way Saccus & friends used it though according to her account of what they meant by it it seems she was using it to mean almost precisely what they meant by it ... still she chose *it* not an eastern term to name her Society and the philosophy behind it. > So when RI gives us two good dictionary definitions of "Theosophy" it's > fine for purposes of understanding how Theosophy is popularly thought of > but does not help us when we want to understand it in the theosophical > context in the context that it is thought of in our theosophical textbooks. Oh but it *does*. Why is it that pretty much the only place Theosophy is mentioned in academia is as part of "Eastern studies" or "Eastern religions" classes? Why is it that far more Theosophists have read the Bagavad Gita than the Enneads of Plotinus? Read the Secret Doctrine without any of the *assumptions* of whether its eastern or western and it suddenly appears to be intended as a truly *universal* doctrine purposely named *Theosophy* in the west to emphasize the fact that it is far more than simply westernized eastern religion. The so-called "popular" meaning in dictionaries is not so much flawed as it is clear feedback about how Theosophists have presented Theosophy to the western world: My dictionary says " ... the teachings of a modern movement originating in the US in 1875 and following chiefly Buddhist and Brahmanic theories esp. of pantheistic evolution and reincarnation..." It is because the eastern aspects of the teachings were seized upon by early Theosophists from the west who seemed to consider them exciting and exotic - its always easier to notice things that are new and unknown and because the two masters involved in the beginning were eastern that the whole current Theosophical tradition seems to have become far *less* universal than it was intended to be. Much as Theosophists don't like current dictionary definitions of Theosophy they are actually extremely accurate descriptions of the Theosophy that *Theosophists themselves have shown to western world*. They are not to be dismissed as the inaccurate opinions of the masses but should be recognized in organizational self-reflection as a partial failure to present Theosophy as a universal philosophy whose initiates have appeared in all nations and at all times and whose truths are at the root of every major exoteric religious and philosophical tradition east *and* west. -JRC From ???@??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000 Date: 01 Jan 1996 06:17:40 GMT From: John R Crocker Subject: Re: By - Laws : a new perspective/approach Paradigm shifts On 01 199601 liesel f. deutsch wrote: > >On 01 199601 liesel f. deutsch wrote: > >> >Doss > >> I don't know any more about Sri Ram being clairvoyant only that he was. > >> You know more about him than I do. You've seen him I've only read some of > >> his writings. That he was very quiet about his extra talent figures. It > >> seems all the really proficient people don't vaunt it. It wasn't too long > >> ago... not more than 10-15 years ago ... that they had to hide it anyway > >> because it wasn't accepted. They were looked upon like freaks charlatans > >> chiselers... you name it. > > Whew! Good thing things have changed so dramatically! -: > > -JRC > >JRC Sarcasm will get you nowhere. LFD Nothing else has either. -JRC From ???@??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000 Date: 01 Jan 1996 07:05:10 GMT From: RIhle@aol.com Subject: Re: Hypnotism Purucker and Samadhi Master JS Your remarks were wonderful and powerful. I for one at least agree with your experimental attitude 100%. How else is anyone to know Anything at all? When the subject of hypnotism first came up I tried to dig around my files to find an old 15-20 years ago? report of some scientific research compiled by the Transcendental Meditation people. I cannot remember the particulars accurately at this point but the case was made that the meditative state was a quite different condition than the "self-hypnotic"; they did this by comparing things like brain wave activity galvanic skin response etc. I was interested in this because I had been more or less confirming for myself that even barely crossing the threshold of what I call "sixth-level" Spirit-mental *Buddhi-manas* consciousness during meditative practice unceremoniously terminated all of my ability to "suggest" my hands to clap etc. By this I concluded that while self-hypnosis may indeed be a powerful lower-order "Adept tool" it was not the one I was after. The basic problem I found unfortunately was that one was drawn back to the level of consciousness where the "artificial" semi-Self had been created and was afterwards holding motivating sway etc. Even one created at the fifth level desire-free mental in the form of the now popular "affirmations" "I *am* such and such" was not satisfactory--since if one is at the sixth *Degree* of Self-awareness there is still the "existential"-pain-producing "pyschogenetic disparity" set up between level and the degree-status of the Witness. And of course the potential unpleasantness for a 6-D person establishing something at 4-L desire-mental level in the form of "you *will be* confident rich and energetic" is obvious. Well . . . does all this mean that a person somewhat advanced in Self-awareness who reads about such potential drawbacks with self-hypnosis and other techniques should never experiment with them? No. I believe with you that most of the "dangers" cited in the literature are primarily for 3-D and 4-D people--i.e. those who are so lacking in ability to hold the Once-Removed Vantage on their conditions of consciousness that they cannot distinquish themselves from their own inner pictorial content or desire-related ideational delusions. For all others it is the investigation and rejection of one technique/approach which leads to the improved psychogenetic understanding which leads to the next better technique/approach. . . . The Masters are united in this. Best wishes Richard Ihle From ???@??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000 Date: 01 Jan 1996 07:30:48 GMT From: liesel@dreamscape.com liesel f. deutsch Subject: Re: By - Laws : a new perspective/approach Paradigm shifts >Doss I don't know any more about Sri Ram being clairvoyant only that he was. You know more about him than I do. You've seen him I've only read some of his writings. That he was very quiet about his extra talent figures. It seems all the really proficient people don't vaunt it. It wasn't too long ago... not more than 10-15 years ago ... that they had to hide it anyway because it wasn't accepted. They were looked upon like freaks charlatans chiselers... you name it. But I think their extra talent often gives them better insight into things. Happy new Year! Liesel At 024500 PM 12/30/95 -0500 Liesel wrote: >>>Doss: >>Glad to see you also enjoy the diversity of our TS. It keeps you fresh & >>alive & on your toes ... don't you think? >> >>Re Sri Ram saying he was a "student" ... they all said that I think even >>HPB said that... but if my memory serves me right Sri Ram was also a >>well-trained clairvoyant. Being that somehow gives a deeper dimension. They > > I have been to several of his lectures over the years and the only >mention of his clairvoyance was that when someone brought it up he simply >mentioned that it is personal to him and did not make much of fuss about it. > > I have seen him go about in a most unabtrusive way that I did not >know much about him until he was made the Vice President. Later I found >that he was a math major in his undergraduate studies and was trained in >journalism when Annie Besant published a paper is support of Indian >Independence. He had an unusual command of english language and I was told >that when very important letters are sent out by C Jinarajadasa he always >showed the draft to Sri Ram because it was CJ's opinion that Sri Ram's >understanding of english language and use of words were so good that CJ did >not want any of his important letters misunderstood or did not communicate >what he wanted to communicate. > > I have also seen some of his correspondence to some members and one >can feel the language which oozed with frankness and friendliness that was >very real. Radha Burnier who is her daughter also has followed his >footsteps and her letters also have this very good characteristic. > > I have wandered to much. Just tit bits when you brought up Sri Ram's >clairvoyance. Have you heard anything more on his clairvoyance? > >..doss >============================================================================= >>have insight into matters which an ordinary person doesn't have. I'm not > > Yes. I did see two occasions in which Sri Ram's judgement was correct. > > ...doss > >>really against following a guru. I've done so. But as Eldon said a guru >>needs to be chosen with great care & discrimination & testing. They've >>gotta be very accurate ethical compassionate; they have to realize that >>they're not god; and they have to give their pupils the wherewithall to >>grow. It's also good if they sometimes listen to other people. >>But to come back to the present I'd like it fine if the Adyar TS became a >>true democracy. >> >>Liesel >>........................................................................... >>... >> >>At 055700 AM 12/30/95 -0500 Liesel wrote: >>>>> >>>> >>>> >>>>Eldon >>>> >>>>I think you've got a good point there. The Adyar TS *is* moving into being a >>>>group of fellow seekers some wiser than others and that *is* brand new I >>>>hadn't thought of it. That's why we're having changing over pains. But we'd >>>>better settle it because the succession of gurus has fizzled out. It looks >>>>like we're going to be a community of seekers from here on in. I haven't >>> >>> In a very interesting response that Sri Ram the then President made a >>>statement that he is a fellow student of wisdom. So this does not seem to be >>>a new idea. >>>> >>>>study "Unknown phenomena..." I've read & gotten at least something out of >>>>Kapra Prygogene Particle Physics Teilhard bio-feedback Tibetan >>>>Buddhism Ayurevedic Medicine Shamanism Quantum Theory. & just now I'm >>>>wading through a book from which I can but garner a few ideas but >>>>worthwhile ones "Trialogues at The Edge of The West" Abraham McKenna & >>>>Sheldrake. Those are the ones I remember. There must be others. I don't know >>>>of any other belief system that leads its members into such a diversity of >>>>knowledge. To me that's the very best Adyar has to offer.... God's infinite >>>>diversity. >>> >>> It is the diversity and openness that has kept my continued >>>interest. It is freedom in one sense. >>> >>>..doss >>> >> > From ???@??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000 Date: 01 Jan 1996 07:47:04 GMT From: liesel@dreamscape.com liesel f. deutsch Subject: Re: Hynpotism >Doss: >> There should be some way to protect yourself from your mother or anybody >>else who can sap your energy. I recall that an individual can build a shell >>which protects in such cases. Such draw of energy is one kind of vampirism. > >Vampirism is exactly what one psychic called it. I'd like to hear more from >anyone about building a shell. I sure could use one considering that I'm so >sensitive to energies. > >Ann E. Bermingham Ann I'm trying to think of something but the only thing I can think of is to try to be loving or compassionate and fearless towards her. That's difficult it being your mother. I've done it in absentia but that's easier than when you're facing her. I used to have a young neighbor who worked in a hopspital in the most dangerous part of the ghetto. He walked the streets feeling loving & fearless & nothing ever happened to him. Come to think of it Serge King too told us a story of a good looking young woman who walked around the ghetto with the same attitude. Some of her friends warned her to be careful but she said she was fine. So they followed her one day & sure enough the most raggedy ruffian smiled at her & said "hello". Another tactic that might be helpful is if in your thoughts you put your foot down & say in your thoughts "Now mother that's enough. You stop that right now." Maybe that'll stop her for a while & if she does it again "mother I told you to stop that." Be very firm. Maybe one of those will help. Liesel From ???@??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000 Date: 01 Jan 1996 09:04:32 GMT From: liesel@dreamscape.com liesel f. deutsch Subject: Re: By - Laws : a new perspective/approach Paradigm shifts >On 01 199601 liesel f. deutsch wrote: >> >Doss >> I don't know any more about Sri Ram being clairvoyant only that he was. You >> know more about him than I do. You've seen him I've only read some of his >> writings. That he was very quiet about his extra talent figures. It seems >> all the really proficient people don't vaunt it. It wasn't too long ago... >> not more than 10-15 years ago ... that they had to hide it anyway because >> it wasn't accepted. They were looked upon like freaks charlatans >> chiselers... you name it. > Whew! Good thing things have changed so dramatically! -: > -JRC >JRC Sarcasm will get you nowhere. LFD From ???@??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000 Date: 01 Jan 1996 10:04:50 GMT From: MK Ramadoss Subject: Re: Hynpotism At 125100 PM 1/1/96 -0500 Liesel wrote: >>Doss: >>> There should be some way to protect yourself from your mother or anybody >>>else who can sap your energy. I recall that an individual can build a shell >>>which protects in such cases. Such draw of energy is one kind of vampirism. >> >>Vampirism is exactly what one psychic called it. I'd like to hear more from >>anyone about building a shell. I sure could use one considering that I'm so >>sensitive to energies. >> >>Ann E. Bermingham > >--------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- > >Ann > >I'm trying to think of something but the only thing I can think of is to >try to be loving or compassionate and fearless towards her. That's >difficult it being your mother. I've done it in absentia but that's easier >than when you're facing her. >I used to have a young neighbor who worked in a hopspital in the most >dangerous part of the ghetto. He walked the streets feeling loving & >fearless & nothing ever happened to him. Come to think of it Serge King too >told us a story of a good looking young woman who walked around the ghetto >with the same attitude. Some of her friends warned her to be careful but >she said she was fine. So they followed her one day & sure enough the most >raggedy ruffian smiled at her & said "hello". >Another tactic that might be helpful is if in your thoughts you put your >foot down & say in your thoughts "Now mother that's enough. You stop >that right now." >Maybe that'll stop her for a while & if she does it again "mother I told >you to stop that." Be very firm. >Maybe one of those will help. > >Liesel > I agree with you. It is one of the finest practical helpful messages I have seen in the recent days. I hope one the above will help Ann. Lielsel you have done a good act to open 1996! ..doss From ???@??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000 Date: 01 Jan 1996 10:04:53 GMT From: MK Ramadoss Subject: Re: Hynpotism At 015100 PM 1/1/96 -0500 you wrote: >>Doss: >>> There should be some way to protect yourself from your mother or anybody >>>else who can sap your energy. I recall that an individual can build a shell >>>which protects in such cases. Such draw of energy is one kind of vampirism. >> >>Vampirism is exactly what one psychic called it. I'd like to hear more from >>anyone about building a shell. I sure could use one considering that I'm so >>sensitive to energies. >> >>Ann E. Bermingham >> >I believe one way to do it is to imagine a cocoon of light around oneself >with the intention of using it as a screen. I find being aware of the >possibility of being vampirised and having strong intentions in the mind to >not allow that to happen can be sufficient to minimise the energy draw-off. >I also think that shields work both ways and I try not to enclose myself as >it accentuates 'separateness' which is not what theosophy is about. I would >rather avoid vampires if I can and if I can't then I strenghten my resolve >not to let them sap me and strong thoughts like that communicates to the >vampire and they actually back off as if they had read my mind. Most of >don't realise just how we can affect our life with thought. I see magic as >using the thought world to manifest in the material world which then makes >magic actually something we all do the same as miracles are only so because >we do not understand the law of nature that caused it. >Being sensitive to energies is rather useful as it makes one more aware of >what is going on around the place and learning to read the energies makes it >possible to manipulate them. Once again magic. >Just a few thoughts on the subject. Hope they are magical useful to you. > >> >Bee Brown >Member Theosophy International > Your msg reflects something I read in an old TS publication. Will excerpt and post it here as soon as I find time. Your approach should work. ..doss From ???@??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000 Date: 01 Jan 1996 10:04:56 GMT From: MK Ramadoss Subject: Re: Hypnotism/long reply At 035900 PM 1/1/96 -0500 Bee wrote: Bee Glad you posted the msg. Sometimes one cannot explain in few sentences. So long msgs are ok. At least we are not using up Trees!! ..doss >>Doss: >>> There should be some way to protect yourself from your mother or anybody >>>else who can sap your energy. I recall that an individual can build a shell >>>which protects in such cases. Such draw of energy is one kind of vampirism. >> >>Vampirism is exactly what one psychic called it. I'd like to hear more from >>anyone about building a shell. I sure could use one considering that I'm so >>sensitive to energies. >> >>Ann E. Bermingham >> >How coincidental. I just opened the GdeP book I am reading and lo and behold >just the right info so please excuse the length but I thought it was very >appropriate and interesting. >the Esoteric Tradition Page 652. > >"the thoughts that we think in one incarnation affect us powerfully because >of karmic reaction in the next incarnation and indeed in all succeeding >reimbodiments. It is by and through thoughts speaking generally that we >grow unfold which means evolve. We think thoughts and we are affected >impressed by them strongly or weakly as the case may be. they stamp >themselves indelibly upon the fabric of our being of our consciousness. We >are like a wonderful magical picture-gallery in all parts of our >constitution visible and invisible. Our entire constitutional being both >as a whole and its parts is like an immensely sensitive photographic film >constantly renewed and constantly receiving and retaining impressions - in >one sense like a palimpsest writing-material manuscript receiving >imprint upon imprint each imprint remaining indelibly and yet being >magically modified although overlaid by all succeeding imprints. Everything >that passes in front of the 'film' is instantly stamped upon it >psycho-photographed; and the 'film is we. Each one of us is such a >psycho-photographic 'film'; and it is thus that our characters are builded >framed shaped and therefore of course affected by the thoughts that we >think by the emotions that we experience by the passions that guide or >misguide us and even by the actions that all these produce. It is of utmost >importance therefore so to regulate especially our lower >thinking-apparatus the inferior manasic faculty that the thoughts which we >allow to travel through our monds leave behind them impressions of an >elevating and permanent helpful kind. >Thoughts are energies imbodied energies elemental energies. They do not >originate in a man's mind. These elemental entities pass through the >sensitive transmitting-apparatus which our mind is and each one of us >colours the thoughts as they pass through our minds thus giving a new >direction a new karmic impulse to them. No thought was ever created in a >human brain. the inspirations of genius the loftiest productions of the >human spirit simply come to us through lofty and great minds capacious >channels which could transmit so sublime a flow. >A man can become degenerate by constantly thinking low and degenerate >thoughts; and contrariwise a man can raise himself to the gods by >exercising his spiritual will and by coincidently opening his nature to >receive impressions of only those inspiring lofty and sublime thoughts >which leave impressions upon the fabric os our being of a kind which >automatically themselves become active as an unceasing flow of inspiration; >and he can bar the way to thoughts of the other kind so that they do not >impress themselves upon him in any permanent manner. >On the cosmic scale the mystical picture-gallery of eternity is the Astral >Light; and there is a part of our constitution - in fact 99% of the totality >of our constitution - which in modern Esoteric Theosophy is called the Auric >Egg - which like every other portion of the human constitution is a perfct >picture-gallery and of an amazing kind. To change the figure of speech: it >is not only a receiving-station but a sending-station for inner >'radio-signals' for 'radio-messages' of every kind.Everything that happens >around us therefore is indelibly stamped upon the Auric Egg if we allow >our consciousness to cognise and to receive the happenings. But by our will >and inner magical processes that each one of us instinctively albeit >mayhaps unconsciously follows we can strenghten the akasic barrier which >automatically keeps out evil thoughts so that they make no lasting >impression upon us; that is they find no harbor or lodgement in our being; >amd consequently their effect on the Reincarnating Ego is virtually nil. But >if we allow them to affect us the impression made reamins for eternity. It >is indelibly stamped on the fabric of our consciousness and thereafter we >have to work so to smooth over or modify or to spiritualize the >impressions that when the automatic reproduction comes forth in the next >rebirth it will do so no longer as a reproduced cause for evil-doing and in >consequence will have little causal power in the new incarnation." >Please excuse any typos but I am not a typist by nature. > >> >Bee Brown >Member Theosophy International > From ???@??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000 Date: 01 Jan 1996 10:48:35 GMT From: "K. Paul Johnson" Subject: Wrapping up 1995 1995 was a remarkable year for the Theosophical movement in the United States which attained a level of literary prominence it has not had for many decades. Five books and a dozen or so reviews of them showed great diversity in approaches to HPB and her influence in history. Sylvia Cranston's HPB first published in hardcover in 1993 was released in paper in 1994 and continues to be widely available in bookstores and well-represented in libraries. Its reviews were decidedly mixed with Theosophical journals unanimously enthusiastic but pans in Library Journal Publisher's Weekly and elsewhere. Although evasive on many key issues of HPB's life the book did successfully establish her significance as a historical and literary influence and conveyed a large amount of information hitherto scattered among many obscure sources. In 1993 Peter Washington's Madame Blavatsky's Baboon first appeared in England. Although rather shallowly researched Washington's book was so well-written and entertaining that when reprinted in the US in 1995 it was extremely successful in sales and reviews. Occupying the middle ground between Cranston and Washington were Joscelyn Godwin's The Theosophical Enlightenment late 1994 and my The Masters Revealed 1994 and Initiates of Theosophical Masters 1995. All three books approached HPB with considerably more respect and appreciation than did Washington but with considerably less uncritical adulation than Cranston. The Masters Revealed has so far been a surprising critical and popular success despite some scathing letters and reviews from Theosophists. My own opinion in that Godwin's is by far the best of the current crop of Theosophical history books and is being ignored because less controversial and polarizing than the others. In the midst of such a literary explosion one would hope that the leaders of the Adyar and Pasadena TS's and the ULT would be rejoicing. After all a fairly clear goal of the Cranston book they unanimously promoted was to include HPB in the world's consciousness at this moment in history. She is vastly better known to the American public at the end of 1995 than she was at the beginning of 1993 but instead of welcoming this as an opportunity many Theosophists are reacting as if it were a spiritual crisis. Large numbers of letters denounced a fairly friendly article on Olcott in Smithsonian magazine as well as a clearly hostile piece in Wired on HPB. A positive review of The Masters Revealed attracted mainly negative letters to the Editor of The Quest. In general the mood within the inner sanctum of Theosophy in America does not seem to be celebratory of the movement's newfound visibility but rather outraged at scrutiny by a world that does not accept Theosophical claims at face value. What seems to be happening is that inclusive rhetoric is belied by the karma of exclusive attitudes. Theosophists have long talked in inclusive terms. Theosophy is held to be a universal spiritual current present in a vast variety of traditions. All people are said to be welcome in the Theosophical movement as long as they believe in universal brotherhood. Tolerance of diverse views is proclaimed and truth is held to be the highest ideal than which there is no dharma higher. Each Theosophist is invited to nourish his or her own unique spiritual perceptions through the literature of the movement. But what happens when there is an explosion of literature looking at HPB and Theosophy from many different standpoints? Does the leadership of any of the three Theosophical organizations encourage members to read *all* the various books to weigh them carefully *not in comparison to a litmus test of Theosophical belief but according to their instrinsic plausibility*? What appears to be happening is quite the contrary. The implicit message from many quarters has been: *only* Sylvia Cranston's book has any value as a guide to understanding HPB and Theosophical history. *Everything* else being written even though by members of Theosophical societies is fundamentally *threatening* to Theosophy *heretical* in its view of HPB and to be ignored if possible and attacked when necessary. As I look into 1996 wondering about the future of the Theosophical movement the key questions occupying my mind concern the balance between inclusive and exclusive trends. Will the organizations continue to encourage a fortress mentality among Theosophists that sees our Truth under attack by Opposing Forces? Will articles and books presenting a less than Cranstonian halo around HPB continue to attract fierce denunciation? Will the mindset persist that has seen Cranston's book as the Last Word about HPB the final refutation of Calumnies and Slanders after which there is no more left to write? Will this mindset continue to poison Theosophical minds with the idea that anything slightly varying from orthodoxy must be denounced as evil? Or will there be a dawning recognition that the evolution of a body of literature is a *dialectical* process in which each thesis inevitably suggests its antithesis in which each honest work attempts to synthesize what has gone before and in which there will be an endless succession of new and conflicting interpretations? That *progress* means not the final and absolute triumph of *our way of seeing HPB* but rather an evolving literature that probes all the possibilities inconsistencies implications? From ???@??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000 Date: 01 Jan 1996 11:03:18 GMT From: "K. Paul Johnson" Subject: Russia here I come! Having recently complained about the dearth of information available in English about the rebirth of Theosophy in Russia I have been inspired to make a New Year's resolution to learn Russian and make a research trip before my Cayce book comes out. Partly that's due to Cayce's insistence that Russia will produce some kind of spiritual leadership for the world at the end of the decade. For that reason I'd like to write a brief survey of the religious/occult scene there to include in the book. Then there's the related interest of Theosophy's rebirth in Russia and the independent groups being born there. So some questions for you linguists and scholars out there as well as for Theosophists who may know something of current events in Russia: 1 How long can I realistically expect it to take to bring my Russian up to speed to do basic research e.g. read a newspaper and use a library? This for someone literate in French and Spanish. It took about a year of steady effort to get my Spanish to the level of proficiency I have in mind but I don't know if Russian is twice as hard or three times etc. 2 Any suggestions about the ease of networking with scholars in Russian history and religion? Contacts? 3 Any general reports on conditions there for "new" religions from Baha'is Theosophists anyone? Basically at this point I'm just soliciting helpful suggestions from anyone on any aspect of doing research in Russia and/or in Russian sources. From ???@??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000 Date: 01 Jan 1996 12:16:20 GMT From: MK Ramadoss Subject: Re: Hypnotism/long reply This is a followup on the discussion that got started per a question raised by Ann and Bee's response on building a shell. Following is an excerpt from Talks on the Path of Occultism Vol 03 pp 709 Second Edition 1931. ======================>> When we go among evil influences we sometimes have to surround ourselves with a shell in order to keep them off. The is often the best policy since we are still very human; but to have to do that is to a certain extent a confession of weakness. The absolutely strong man woman walks straight into the middle of all these perils certain that they cannot affect him her but that would not be a wise thing for all of us to do. Our force is limited and by making a shell we can save ourselves from using up a certain amount of it unnecessarily. ... .. it is not in the least necessary that we should put ourselves into the worst conditions. On the contrary we can often help more effectively by not hampering ourselves in that way. If a man woman finds himself herself in a peculiarly unpleasant crowd perhaps filled with savage feeling or outburstof passion heshe cannot do very much with that crowd while heshe is occupied in doing that. On the other hand if heshe were away from it heshe would be able to pour more force.... ==========================>>> It looks like one has to experiment and find out something to stop anyone sapping our energies. Once this is accomplished we can start pouring good forces to strengthen the person so that gradually the person will no longer sap anyone's energy. BTW I am a learner in all this and these are just my thoughts. ...doss From ???@??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000 Date: 01 Jan 1996 12:16:23 GMT From: MK Ramadoss Subject: Re: By - Laws : a new perspective/approach Paradigm shifts At 011500 PM 1/1/96 -0500 JRC wrote: >On 01 199601 liesel f. deutsch wrote: >> >Doss >> I don't know any more about Sri Ram being clairvoyant only that he was. You >> know more about him than I do. You've seen him I've only read some of his >> writings. That he was very quiet about his extra talent figures. It seems >> all the really proficient people don't vaunt it. It wasn't too long ago... >> not more than 10-15 years ago ... that they had to hide it anyway because >> it wasn't accepted. They were looked upon like freaks charlatans >> chiselers... you name it. > Whew! Good thing things have changed so dramatically! -: -JRC John if you are referring to what had happened in Canada Denmark and other places and the current by-laws implementation I would still hold my judgement as to what extent there is any change in any fundamental policy at Adyar until I have access to full facts publically and not privately. One of the handicaps we the members here as well as around the world have to make the judgement on the events with scant background information. We cannot deny that there could be real policy problems such as disloyalty to the Parent Society. As one observes there is very little dissemination of information from the National Presidents and from International thru National Presidents to the ordinary membership. As we all have seen in TSA even specific requests have been met with silence consistently. Even when responses were available it was to confuse the issue by stating that they are complex issues and as if you and me lowly members cannot understand complex issues. It cannot be ruled out that some of the debacles could be due to well intentioned but misguided ideas and mistaken enthusism of the National Presidents in implementing policies and also the feeling that since they are elected by the members like what our congressmen and women think they know what is best for the ordinary members. This is compounded by the fact that International may not be getting a total and full picture of the situations. Anyone who had anything to do with formal organizations can easily understand this filtration of information that takes place at each level of organizational level. I also do not know how much of these ill conceived misguided actions have a personal component in the long-term ambitions of National Presidents to show off how capable they can be in getting things done. After all in the next ten to twenty years we may be looking for a new International President and one cannot rule out the personal ambitions of some of the National President to aspire to the top job. IMHO which many here will concur there is a serious credibility gap and the only way to fix it is to make full and complete disclosure of the facts and respond to membership inquiries candidly and prompltly. We have the tools such as FAX E-mail to accomplish it at very little time and cost. It is in this context I mentioned to International that they should try to have e-mail access so that there could be efficient and effective communication without the intermediary of the National Sections and its bureaucracy. Old ways of hiding behind the official publications may be comforting and may be ok in the past. With the changes in technology with instant communication thru Internet a method has to be found to effectively use it as a tool for communication with the members. Have not we noticed that we have not seen messages here from the elected officials of TSA in Wheaton in spite of the fact they have access to e-mail paid for by the funds from the membership ie. you and me and everybody else. On a related issue how many of you have carefully read the financial numbers published in the recent issue of AT? Have you noticed that during the period 4/94 to 3/95 Theosophical Investment Trust has *lost* close to $1.0 0ne million due to *market fluctuations*. This loss is loss of *real* money even though attributable to *market fluctuations*. This *loss* represents a substantial percentage percentage of the assets of TIT. In it are included a substantial loss of TSA's equity in TIT. These losses are 17% and 24% of the respective entities' investment. I have sent in a e-mail request to Wheaton and am waiting to get more information and any explanation that may explain the *loss*. Information such as these should be highlighted and explained to the membership especially when members hear about the tight financial situation at Wheaton and get solicitations of donations and bequests. In the absence of full and forthright information some of the donors would wonder about the investment management abilities of people handling TIT/TSA's funds. On a more practical matter when I look at the exchange of messages for example on a question raised by Ann on building a shell we see theos-l working full time round the clock and working around the world. Contrast this with the hours that the Wheaton 800 number is attended. I think the hours are M-F 9AM-12NOON 01:30PM to 5:00PM. Some time ago I mentioned to an Official at Wheaton that if I as a self employed person had kept these hours I would have been out of business long time ago. In my office we answer phones 8AM-5PM M-F and I am accessible at *all* other hours at my home by anybody for any reason. This brings to my mind the long hours HPB & Olcott used to put in every day of the year and their accessibility at late hours. If they had kept the present businss hours of Wheaton I am confident that we would not have had Theosophy and Theosophical Society today and the benefit we are indebted to. It is the dedication of many many individuals such as HPB and Olcott that built Theosophy and TS. Let us all hope that 1996 will be a turning point to TS and TSA and hope we will be able to bring Theosophy to the masses around the world and thus help better the conditions of Humanity. Peace to all beings. ...Doss From ???@??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000 Date: 01 Jan 1996 13:45:12 GMT From: RIhle@aol.com Subject: Re: Esoteric Astrology Signs of Nations Global International To JRC: John a super-excellent and instructive post. I am happy now that I abased myself on hands and knees begging you to return to theos-l. . . . Best wishes Richard Ihle From ???@??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000 Date: 01 Jan 1996 13:54:25 GMT From: liesel@dreamscape.com liesel f. deutsch Subject: Re: Wrapping up 1995 >Paul Several side comments. The way you describe the evolution of HPB literature reminds me of a satirical work by Anatole France "La Pucelle". La pucelle the virgin is Joan of Arc & France describes how each succeding generation pictures her & writes & thinks about her. Each generation changes things around a little & also makes it a little juicier. The last telling of the tale is not at all like the original. You say among Theosophists.."truth is held as the highest ideal than which there is no dharma higher." I just want to tell you that I think there are still a few around who stick to that. Then you talk about Theosophical "orthodoxy". It would be nice if you were being facetious but I'm afraid you weren't. I wonder how our founder who repeatedly voiced that she wasn't infallible & that lateron more knowledge would become available would feel about that. Liesel Member Theosophy International Member Human Race Fifth Root >1995 was a remarkable year for the Theosophical movement in the >United States which attained a level of literary prominence it >has not had for many decades. Five books and a dozen or so >reviews of them showed great diversity in approaches to HPB and >her influence in history. Sylvia Cranston's HPB first >published in hardcover in 1993 was released in paper in 1994 >and continues to be widely available in bookstores and >well-represented in libraries. Its reviews were decidedly >mixed with Theosophical journals unanimously enthusiastic but >pans in Library Journal Publisher's Weekly and elsewhere. >Although evasive on many key issues of HPB's life the book did >successfully establish her significance as a historical and >literary influence and conveyed a large amount of information >hitherto scattered among many obscure sources. In 1993 Peter >Washington's Madame Blavatsky's Baboon first appeared in >England. Although rather shallowly researched Washington's >book was so well-written and entertaining that when reprinted >in the US in 1995 it was extremely successful in sales and reviews. > >Occupying the middle ground between Cranston and Washington >were Joscelyn Godwin's The Theosophical Enlightenment late >1994 and my The Masters Revealed 1994 and Initiates of Theosophical >Masters 1995. All three books approached HPB with >considerably more respect and appreciation than did Washington >but with considerably less uncritical adulation than Cranston. >The Masters Revealed has so far been a surprising critical and >popular success despite some scathing letters and reviews from >Theosophists. My own opinion in that Godwin's is by far the >best of the current crop of Theosophical history books and is >being ignored because less controversial and polarizing than >the others. > >In the midst of such a literary explosion one would hope that the >leaders of the Adyar and Pasadena TS's and the ULT would be >rejoicing. After all a fairly clear goal of the Cranston book >they unanimously promoted was to include HPB in the world's >consciousness at this moment in history. She is vastly better >known to the American public at the end of 1995 than she was at >the beginning of 1993 but instead of welcoming this as an >opportunity many Theosophists are reacting as if it were a >spiritual crisis. Large numbers of letters denounced a fairly >friendly article on Olcott in Smithsonian magazine as well as a >clearly hostile piece in Wired on HPB. A positive review of >The Masters Revealed attracted mainly negative letters to the >Editor of The Quest. In general the mood within the inner sanctum of >Theosophy in America does not seem to be celebratory of the >movement's newfound visibility but rather outraged at >scrutiny by a world that does not accept Theosophical claims >at face value. What seems to be happening is that inclusive >rhetoric is belied by the karma of exclusive attitudes. > >Theosophists have long talked in inclusive terms. Theosophy is >held to be a universal spiritual current present in a vast >variety of traditions. All people are said to be welcome in >the Theosophical movement as long as they believe in universal >brotherhood. Tolerance of diverse views is proclaimed and >truth is held to be the highest ideal than which there is no >dharma higher. Each Theosophist is invited to nourish his or >her own unique spiritual perceptions through the literature of >the movement. But what happens when there is an explosion of literature >looking at HPB and Theosophy from many different standpoints? >Does the leadership of any of the three Theosophical >organizations encourage members to read *all* the various >books to weigh them carefully *not in comparison to a litmus >test of Theosophical belief but according to their instrinsic >plausibility*? What appears to be happening is quite the >contrary. The implicit message from many quarters has been: *only* >Sylvia Cranston's book has any value as a guide to >understanding HPB and Theosophical history. *Everything* else >being written even though by members of Theosophical >societies is fundamentally *threatening* to Theosophy >*heretical* in its view of HPB and to be ignored if possible >and attacked when necessary. > >As I look into 1996 wondering about the future of the >Theosophical movement the key questions occupying my mind >concern the balance between inclusive and exclusive trends. >Will the organizations continue to encourage a fortress >mentality among Theosophists that sees our Truth under attack >by Opposing Forces? Will articles and books presenting a less >than Cranstonian halo around HPB continue to attract fierce >denunciation? Will the mindset persist that has seen >Cranston's book as the Last Word about HPB the final >refutation of Calumnies and Slanders after which there is no >more left to write? Will this mindset continue to poison Theosophical >minds with the idea that anything slightly varying from >orthodoxy must be denounced as evil? > >Or will there be a dawning recognition that the evolution of a >body of literature is a *dialectical* process in which each >thesis inevitably suggests its antithesis in which each honest >work attempts to synthesize what has gone before and in which >there will be an endless succession of new and conflicting >interpretations? That *progress* means not the final and >absolute triumph of *our way of seeing HPB* but rather an >evolving literature that probes all the possibilities >inconsistencies implications? > From ???@??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000 Date: 01 Jan 1996 14:02:56 GMT From: liesel@dreamscape.com liesel f. deutsch Subject: Re: Hynpotism >At 125100 PM 1/1/96 -0500 Liesel wrote: >>>Doss: >>>> There should be some way to protect yourself from your mother or anybody >>>>else who can sap your energy. I recall that an individual can build a shell >>>>which protects in such cases. Such draw of energy is one kind of vampirism. >>> >>>Vampirism is exactly what one psychic called it. I'd like to hear more from >>>anyone about building a shell. I sure could use one considering that I'm so >>>sensitive to energies. >>> >>>Ann E. Bermingham >> >>--------------------------------------------------------------------------- >----- >> >>Ann >> >>I'm trying to think of something but the only thing I can think of is to >>try to be loving or compassionate and fearless towards her. That's >>difficult it being your mother. I've done it in absentia but that's easier >>than when you're facing her. >>I used to have a young neighbor who worked in a hopspital in the most >>dangerous part of the ghetto. He walked the streets feeling loving & >>fearless & nothing ever happened to him. Come to think of it Serge King too >>told us a story of a good looking young woman who walked around the ghetto >>with the same attitude. Some of her friends warned her to be careful but >>she said she was fine. So they followed her one day & sure enough the most >>raggedy ruffian smiled at her & said "hello". >>Another tactic that might be helpful is if in your thoughts you put your >>foot down & say in your thoughts "Now mother that's enough. You stop >>that right now." >>Maybe that'll stop her for a while & if she does it again "mother I told >>you to stop that." Be very firm. >>Maybe one of those will help. >> >>Liesel > >I agree with you. It is one of the finest practical helpful messages I have >seen in the recent days. I hope one the above will help Ann. > >Lielsel you have done a good act to open 1996! > >..doss >Dear Doss Flattery will get you everywhere Liesel From ???@??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000 Date: 01 Jan 1996 14:42:16 GMT From: Drpsionic@aol.com Subject: Re: Liesel JH-E and Musings Dear Jim You're right holidays busy schedules and also wanting to get som input from the rest of you on ideas that have interested me for some time in not particularly orthodox ways. Now that things are winding down and I have so time to prepare some reasonably coherint thoughts I will be posting my own thoughts. Chuck From ???@??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000 Date: 01 Jan 1996 15:15:44 GMT From: liesel@dreamscape.com liesel f. deutsch Subject: Re: By - Laws : a new perspective/approach Paradigm shifts >At 011500 PM 1/1/96 -0500 JRC wrote: >>On 01 199601 liesel f. deutsch wrote: >>> >Doss >>> I don't know any more about Sri Ram being clairvoyant only that he was. You >>> know more about him than I do. You've seen him I've only read some of his >>> writings. That he was very quiet about his extra talent figures. It seems >>> all the really proficient people don't vaunt it. It wasn't too long ago... >>> not more than 10-15 years ago ... that they had to hide it anyway because >>> it wasn't accepted. They were looked upon like freaks charlatans >>> chiselers... you name it. >> Whew! Good thing things have changed so dramatically! -: > -JRC > Doss JRC was talking about something entirely different. You can't know because you've only recently joined theos-l & we talked about it before. I hate to tell ya but the staff in Wheaton works darn hard & long hours. That's been my observation whenever I've been there. That includes John Algeo. I don't think he has any ambitions other than try his best to be an effective President of the TS of A. He's a person who does well but is not "ambitious" in the sense you put it. He took early retirment meaning a cut in his pension to become our President & for a while was doing both his old job & his new job. Liesel > John if you are referring to what had happened in Canada Denmark >and other places and the current by-laws implementation I would still hold >my judgement as to what extent there is any change in any fundamental policy >at Adyar until I have access to full facts publically and not privately. > > One of the handicaps we the members here as well as around the >world have to make the judgement on the events with scant background >information. We cannot deny that there could be real policy problems such as >disloyalty to the Parent Society. > > As one observes there is very little dissemination of information >from the National Presidents and from International thru National Presidents >to the ordinary membership. As we all have seen in TSA even specific >requests have been met with silence consistently. Even when responses were >available it was to confuse the issue by stating that they are complex >issues and as if you and me lowly members cannot understand complex issues. > > It cannot be ruled out that some of the debacles could be due to >well intentioned but misguided ideas and mistaken enthusism of the National >Presidents in implementing policies and also the feeling that since they are >elected by the members like what our congressmen and women think they >know what is best for the ordinary members. This is compounded by the fact >that International may not be getting a total and full picture of the >situations. Anyone who had anything to do with formal organizations can >easily understand this filtration of information that takes place at each >level of organizational level. I also do not know how much of these ill >conceived misguided actions have a personal component in the long-term >ambitions of National Presidents to show off how capable they can be in >getting things done. After all in the next ten to twenty years we may be >looking for a new International President and one cannot rule out the >personal ambitions of some of the National President to aspire to the top job. > > IMHO which many here will concur there is a serious credibility >gap and the only way to fix it is to make full and complete disclosure of >the facts and respond to membership inquiries candidly and prompltly. We >have the tools such as FAX E-mail to accomplish it at very little time and >cost. It is in this context I mentioned to International that they should >try to have e-mail access so that there could be efficient and effective >communication without the intermediary of the National Sections and its >bureaucracy. > > Old ways of hiding behind the official publications may be >comforting and may be ok in the past. With the changes in technology with >instant communication thru Internet a method has to be found to effectively >use it as a tool for communication with the members. Have not we noticed >that we have not seen messages here from the elected officials of TSA in >Wheaton in spite of the fact they have access to e-mail paid for by the >funds from the membership ie. you and me and everybody else. > > On a related issue how many of you have carefully read the >financial numbers published in the recent issue of AT? Have you noticed >that during the period 4/94 to 3/95 Theosophical Investment Trust has >*lost* close to $1.0 0ne million due to *market fluctuations*. This loss >is loss of *real* money even though attributable to *market fluctuations*. >This *loss* represents a substantial percentage percentage of the assets of >TIT. In it are included a substantial loss of TSA's equity in TIT. These >losses are 17% and 24% of the respective entities' investment. I have sent >in a e-mail request to Wheaton and am waiting to get more information and >any explanation that may explain the *loss*. Information such as these >should be highlighted and explained to the membership especially when >members hear about the tight financial situation at Wheaton and get >solicitations of donations and bequests. In the absence of full and >forthright information some of the donors would wonder about the investment >management abilities of people handling TIT/TSA's funds. > > On a more practical matter when I look at the exchange of messages >for example on a question raised by Ann on building a shell we see theos-l >working full time round the clock and working around the world. Contrast >this with the hours that the Wheaton 800 number is attended. I think the >hours are M-F 9AM-12NOON 01:30PM to 5:00PM. Some time ago I mentioned to an >Official at Wheaton that if I as a self employed person had kept these >hours I would have been out of business long time ago. In my office we >answer phones 8AM-5PM M-F and I am accessible at *all* other hours at my >home by anybody for any reason. > This brings to my mind the long hours HPB & Olcott used to put in >every day of the year and their accessibility at late hours. If they had >kept the present businss hours of Wheaton I am confident that we would not >have had Theosophy and Theosophical Society today and the benefit we are >indebted to. It is the dedication of many many individuals such as HPB and >Olcott that built Theosophy and TS. > > Let us all hope that 1996 will be a turning point to TS and TSA and >hope we will be able to bring Theosophy to the masses around the world and >thus help better the conditions of Humanity. > > Peace to all beings. > > ...Doss From ???@??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000 Date: 01 Jan 1996 18:47:49 GMT From: bbrown@whanganui.ac.nz Bee Brown Subject: Re: Hynpotism >Doss: >> There should be some way to protect yourself from your mother or anybody >>else who can sap your energy. I recall that an individual can build a shell >>which protects in such cases. Such draw of energy is one kind of vampirism. > >Vampirism is exactly what one psychic called it. I'd like to hear more from >anyone about building a shell. I sure could use one considering that I'm so >sensitive to energies. > >Ann E. Bermingham > I believe one way to do it is to imagine a cocoon of light around oneself with the intention of using it as a screen. I find being aware of the possibility of being vampirised and having strong intentions in the mind to not allow that to happen can be sufficient to minimise the energy draw-off. I also think that shields work both ways and I try not to enclose myself as it accentuates 'separateness' which is not what theosophy is about. I would rather avoid vampires if I can and if I can't then I strenghten my resolve not to let them sap me and strong thoughts like that communicates to the vampire and they actually back off as if they had read my mind. Most of don't realise just how we can affect our life with thought. I see magic as using the thought world to manifest in the material world which then makes magic actually something we all do the same as miracles are only so because we do not understand the law of nature that caused it. Being sensitive to energies is rather useful as it makes one more aware of what is going on around the place and learning to read the energies makes it possible to manipulate them. Once again magic. Just a few thoughts on the subject. Hope they are magical useful to you. > Bee Brown Member Theosophy International From ???@??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000 Date: 01 Jan 1996 20:59:01 GMT From: bbrown@whanganui.ac.nz Bee Brown Subject: Re: Hypnotism/long reply >Doss: >> There should be some way to protect yourself from your mother or anybody >>else who can sap your energy. I recall that an individual can build a shell >>which protects in such cases. Such draw of energy is one kind of vampirism. > >Vampirism is exactly what one psychic called it. I'd like to hear more from >anyone about building a shell. I sure could use one considering that I'm so >sensitive to energies. > >Ann E. Bermingham > How coincidental. I just opened the GdeP book I am reading and lo and behold just the right info so please excuse the length but I thought it was very appropriate and interesting. the Esoteric Tradition Page 652. "the thoughts that we think in one incarnation affect us powerfully because of karmic reaction in the next incarnation and indeed in all succeeding reimbodiments. It is by and through thoughts speaking generally that we grow unfold which means evolve. We think thoughts and we are affected impressed by them strongly or weakly as the case may be. they stamp themselves indelibly upon the fabric of our being of our consciousness. We are like a wonderful magical picture-gallery in all parts of our constitution visible and invisible. Our entire constitutional being both as a whole and its parts is like an immensely sensitive photographic film constantly renewed and constantly receiving and retaining impressions - in one sense like a palimpsest writing-material manuscript receiving imprint upon imprint each imprint remaining indelibly and yet being magically modified although overlaid by all succeeding imprints. Everything that passes in front of the 'film' is instantly stamped upon it psycho-photographed; and the 'film is we. Each one of us is such a psycho-photographic 'film'; and it is thus that our characters are builded framed shaped and therefore of course affected by the thoughts that we think by the emotions that we experience by the passions that guide or misguide us and even by the actions that all these produce. It is of utmost importance therefore so to regulate especially our lower thinking-apparatus the inferior manasic faculty that the thoughts which we allow to travel through our monds leave behind them impressions of an elevating and permanent helpful kind. Thoughts are energies imbodied energies elemental energies. They do not originate in a man's mind. These elemental entities pass through the sensitive transmitting-apparatus which our mind is and each one of us colours the thoughts as they pass through our minds thus giving a new direction a new karmic impulse to them. No thought was ever created in a human brain. the inspirations of genius the loftiest productions of the human spirit simply come to us through lofty and great minds capacious channels which could transmit so sublime a flow. A man can become degenerate by constantly thinking low and degenerate thoughts; and contrariwise a man can raise himself to the gods by exercising his spiritual will and by coincidently opening his nature to receive impressions of only those inspiring lofty and sublime thoughts which leave impressions upon the fabric os our being of a kind which automatically themselves become active as an unceasing flow of inspiration; and he can bar the way to thoughts of the other kind so that they do not impress themselves upon him in any permanent manner. On the cosmic scale the mystical picture-gallery of eternity is the Astral Light; and there is a part of our constitution - in fact 99% of the totality of our constitution - which in modern Esoteric Theosophy is called the Auric Egg - which like every other portion of the human constitution is a perfct picture-gallery and of an amazing kind. To change the figure of speech: it is not only a receiving-station but a sending-station for inner 'radio-signals' for 'radio-messages' of every kind.Everything that happens around us therefore is indelibly stamped upon the Auric Egg if we allow our consciousness to cognise and to receive the happenings. But by our will and inner magical processes that each one of us instinctively albeit mayhaps unconsciously follows we can strenghten the akasic barrier which automatically keeps out evil thoughts so that they make no lasting impression upon us; that is they find no harbor or lodgement in our being; amd consequently their effect on the Reincarnating Ego is virtually nil. But if we allow them to affect us the impression made reamins for eternity. It is indelibly stamped on the fabric of our consciousness and thereafter we have to work so to smooth over or modify or to spiritualize the impressions that when the automatic reproduction comes forth in the next rebirth it will do so no longer as a reproduced cause for evil-doing and in consequence will have little causal power in the new incarnation." Please excuse any typos but I am not a typist by nature. > Bee Brown Member Theosophy International