It is often not difficult to detect falsehood if one depends on his mind and certain feelings and not on the emotions. If one is sincerely in search of TRUTH in every matter, he has nothing to fear, or no anxiety about defending his current viewpoints. If they are true, they should not be, with a little effort and courage, so difficult to defend. If his view-points are false, then he can bless his opponent for showing him his error. He needn't be anxious or worried about his convictions, having no precariously perched chip on shoulder that can be knocked off at the slightest adverse wind, but dependent on Reality itself to support his perspective. The Truth can withstand any buffeting and emerge stronger for the foray. This is because the Truth depends not on relative persuasion Ultimately, or on hypnosis, but stems in many rivulets from the Absolute Source - indestructible and subject to nothing relative. In the large scheme of things, people are not enemies of Truth and cannot be, because in the final analysis and in essence they are Truth itself and cannot forever battle themselves.
There are aspects of Truth which can be discovered only within oneself, and in no other way; and these are the most valuable part of life.
The Overself consciousness is equivalent to the deep dreamless
state,
with all its refreshment and peace, but instead of darkness and
oblivion
there is complete awareness.
I find many of my online friends in the 'positive thought' mentality. Unfortunately, much of that seems superficial and even selfish to me. Mother earth has only a limited supply of energy to give to each of us, yet so many ask her to supply 'abundance'. Abundance for one person must imply lack for another...
I don't mind visualization as a tool in personal growth. But like all tools, it has to be used for only what's necessary. Too much of anything is literally TOO much. Too little of anything is just that: TOO little. The main criterion, as far as I'm concerned, with visualization is the following:
Is your motive selfish, or unselfish? Do you ask the universe to provide what you need, or more?
Some positive visualisation exercises on my site:
It has often been said amongst theosophists that Einstein had a copy of The Secret Doctrine on his desk. The late Dallas Tenbroeck said that this copy was actually seen by him. (one version of this tale; see also Sylvia Cranston, The Extraordinary Life and Influence of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, p. 555) I came across a website recently that claims that Einstein was in fact agnostic. The position of agnosticism isn't one that is in direct opposition to theosophy, or to reading Blavatsky. Still, the article quotes Einstein as saying:
The mystical trend of our time, which shows itself particularly in the rampant growth of the so-called Theosophy and Spiritualism, is for me no more than a symptom of weakness and confusion.
Since our inner experiences consist of reproductions and combinations of sensory impressions, the concept of a soul without a body seems to me to be empty and devoid of meaning. (source)
Taking into account that Einstein was so famous that any religious and non-religious group would want to claim him, I do think the solution to this puzzle is quite simple. Blavatsky's book, The Secret Doctrine, is of such poetry and complexity that it will help the mind on new ways of thinking - whatever one's belief system. Any scientist needs to do more then rationalize to get to new ideas - a jump in consciousness is necessary. I may get my dad to write about that one day. Whether that's achieved by a sunday morning walk, a good nights rest or reading The Secret Doctrine is immaterial. The main thing is that the brain needs to first soak in as much information as possible about a subject - and then rest. The subconscious is much better at organising complicated subjects then the conscious brain is. This is a known fact in psychology. Do take difficult decisions after a good nights sleep.
[edit Nov. 11th 2010] This claim has recently been investigated. I've been asked for my authority on Dallas' claim he'd seen this copy of the Secret Doctrine. The fact is, I can't find it in my email archives, nor can it be found online. I think it may have been a fib of my memory or imagination - Katinka Hesselink [/edit]
To my Fellow Students in Theosophy, and to our Companions in Theosophical work.
The revolving months have once again brought around the anniversary of the passing to the "Home" which she loved so well, of our great H.P.B. [Helena Petrovna Blavatsky - editor Lucifer7]
Once a year we meet together, in accordance with her request, to commemorate with due meed of respect and love the life ands labors of our Masters' first public Messenger to the modern world. It was not her request that we should pay homage or reverence to her, nor even to make a demonstration in her memory of the love and respect which we bear towards her in our hearts; these we do solely from the impulse of our own souls; her request rather was that her life and work should be commemorated, solely for their Theosophical value on each anniversary of her passing from the physical plane, and again solely that thereby the delicate spiritual and psychological factors involved in her mission should be kept ever present in our minds and hearts.
The writer of these lines receives each year requests from many places to write especial messages for White Lotus Day commemorative services to be held in these different places; and he would gladly do so had he the spare energy and the time to meet these many calls; but with the growing burden of his daily routine-work, which is steadily increasing from year to year, and indeed from month to month, and with his many other official occupations which need not here be mentioned, it has become physically impossible to comply with each such individual request for an especial Message of greeting containing at least a few lines of suggestive and constructive Theosophical thought. He has therefore decided to meet the situation in a manner which seems to him to be both practical and useful; and it is by writing the present Message, which will, he hopes, be read on each White Lotus Day anniversary, as the cycling years bring it around, by those who care so to do.
Many indeed are the thoughts which crowd the mind and press for written expression, when one inwardly visions our great H.P.B.'s life and her immortally beautiful labors; but there are two especially salient characteristics of both which to the present writer it seems profitable to us all and spiritually as well as intellectually helpful to emphasize. These two characteristics are, first, her great, her immense, her truly Buddha-like Charity; and second, her inflexible, her strong - her very strong - Fidelity.
It is not easy out of such a treasury of great virtues, and brilliant intellectual and psychical endowments such as she had, to choose which ones might be most helpful for us to aspire daily to follow; yet in view of circumstances, both of the past and in the present, and doubtless to be with us in the future, it has seemed to the undersigned that the two virtues above mentioned, while not the only ones needed in our Theosophical work, are the two which, practicing them faithfully, will help our beloved Work most, and fill our hearts and enlighten our minds in the greatest degree.
It should be evident do every thoughtful mind, that world history is but repeating itself in the history of the Theosophical Movement since H.P.B.'s passing; and by "history" in this instance is meant the course of events which have characterized every spiritual and intellectual and psychical movement formerly instituted for the betterment of mankind. In these Movements, always the Teacher comes, sent as a Messenger or Envoy by the Masters of Wisdom and Compassion; the Messenger's life-work is done, success is achieved, and the Teacher passes; and then, because of the faults and weaknesses inherent in human nature, even in the best of us all, and in whatever part of the world, differences of opinion; differences of viewpoint, misunderstanding and intellectual contrarieties, rend the work in twain or in three parts or in four or in more, and each one such division thereafter is all too apt to pursue its own path in haughty isolation, forgetful of its common birth with its fellow portions, and often treating its fellow-fragments of the original Movement or Association with contempt and suspicion and dislike, evil offspring of the stupid but always fecund Mother, Ignorance, and of the prolific but shifty-eyed Father, Fear. Ignorance and Fear, and Hatred their child!
It is a saddening historic picture indeed when we see it as we may in our own beloved Theosophical Movement; yet there is something in the picture withal which saves us from foolish pessimism. The present writer is one who not only feels, but may say that he knows, and he says this with due reserve, that the breaking up of the original Theosophical Society into its present fragments was not only foreseen as something that would probably come to pass but, despite its unfortunate features nevertheless has elements in it which give us grounds of genuine hope that the original purposes of the Theosophical Movement have not been lost, but, on the contrary, will be preserved; and wild grow ever stronger as time passes, provided we all do our parts to that end. This objective we should unite and work for with unceasing energy, and with our eyes to the future.
However, let this be as it may. The present writer has no wish or intention here to labor the question, nor to elaborate its interesting philosophical and even spiritual factors. What concerns him most at the present time is the preserving of the nucleus such as H.P.B. formed it for us, gave it into our hands to cherish, and to pass on too our successors in the Work. We must remember that no such nucleus of a genuine Theosophical Brotherhood will be fit to endure and to perform its proper work in the world unless it is based on those spiritual qualities which the Masters have pointed out to us as the sine qua non of a successful Theosophical organization; and first among these qualities, and in the front rank, the present writer would place the two grand virtues of universal Charity and perfect Fidelity: Charity not only to those of our own family - our own T.S. - but Charity to all and to everyone without exception; as much to those who differ from us, and who may even go so far as to attempt to injure us, as we are charitable or try to be so to those with whom we feel most spiritual and intellectual sympathy, they of our own Household, of our own Family. Let our record in this respect be so clean, on so high and truly spiritual a plane, that the mere thought of losing it or abandoning it would cause us greater and more poignant grief than any other loss we could possibly incur.
Let me remind you, my Brothers and Fellow Students and Companions, of the words of the Christian Initiate Paul, as they are found in his First Letter too the Corinthians given in the Christian New Testament, in chapter xiii, verses 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 13; and whatever Paul at times may have had in his somewhat paradoxical and somewhat devious mind, at other times he wrote some beautiful things, and none perhaps are more beautiful than these verses above mentioned, which run in their common English translation as follows:
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become a sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.Yea, verily, my Brothers, these are true words indeed.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not
itself, is not puffed up.
Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Beware then, of an uncharitable spirit, for it will rise up like a hungry wolf in your path, and devour the better qualities of your nature which have been springing into life. Broaden instead of narrowing your sympathies; try to identify yourself with your fellows, rather than to contract your circle of affinity.... It is not the moment for reproaches or vindictive recriminations, but for united struggle. - The Mahatma Letters to A.P. Sinnett, p. 367
There is at the present time altogether too little of this sublime and truly spiritual Theosophical virtue, Charity, in the general Theosophical Movement; although the present writer will say, because the believes it to be true, that in our beloved T.S. this beautiful virtue is revered and aspired to, thanks be to the immortal gods. The reason is that we are so inwardly sure of our own field of effort, and of the justice of our Cause, and of the purity of our motives, that whatever mistakes we may make, it is precisely because we have malice towards none and good will towards all that we are able to open our hearts and minds to the benign influences of Charity, and thus are able to see good and at times much good, even in those who, because gravely misunderstanding us and our efforts, refuse our proffered hand of fellowship and even, at times may seek to injure us.
After all, it is the man who is uncertain of his own ground, who lacks the blessed virtue of Charity; who envieth and who therefore is not kind, and who is easily provoked, who delights in picking flaws or imaginary flaws, in the thoughts and acts and Theosophical labors of Brother Theosophists. Let use strive, I say, always to keep out of our hearts the "uncharitable spirit" of which the Master speaks.
There are not a few such uncharitable ones in the Theosophical Movement, in one or other of its different branches, at the present time; but towards these our mis-understanding Brothers, let us preserve unruffled the strong spirit of brotherly kindness and of unceasing Charity; for in this manner we shall be practicing our Masters' precepts, and thereby exercising the equally spiritual virtue of the Fidelity of which H.P.B. was so eminent an exemplar. Among the first of hers and of our Masters' teachings is the statement that in a heart filled with dislike and suspicion and fear and hatred of others, especially of Fellow-Theosophists, the Spirit of Truth dwelleth not; nor are such unfortunate victims of uncharity, followers in true fidelity either of H.P.B.'s teachings or of the broad platform of universal benevolence and sympathetic understanding which she laid down, and herself fought all her life long firmly to establish for us. We must at all cost to our own feelings keep this spiritual platform secure and safe for the future.
It is futile and entirely beside the mark to say, as some may perhaps say, that in pointing out the desperate wickedness of other Theosophists we are doing our Masters work in exposing wrong and fraud to the world. In no case would we be manifesting the true spirit of Charity and Fidelity to our Masters admonitions were we to call a Brother Theosophist by names suggesting ignominy, such as "traitor", "impostor", insincere", etc., etc. Outside of anything else, all this is very bad psychology, if not worse; and it certainly is not the way by which to reform any abuses that may have crept into the Theosophical Movement. Arrogance in criticizing others shows clearly self-righteousness in the notion that the critics views are the only "holy ones," and that all who differ from him are on the "wrong path," or on the "downward path."
Let us pursue the contrary course to all this, my Brothers. Utterly true as we strive to be to our Masters' teachings, and to H.P.B.'s noble life, let us exemplify this Fidelity with which we follow them by practicing Charity and forgiveness. This is the quickest and best way by which to bring `wandering sheep' back to the folds; for by throwing mud at them, or stones, or missiles of any kind, we but drive them still farther away from us, and alienate them still more; and we certainly thereby do not exemplify in our lives the noble precepts which we profess.
The reference above is to mud-throwing, and the ascribing to Brother-Theosophists of unworthy and possibly evil motives. This is not only wrong, but is utterly contrary to the spirit of Charity. Obviously, however, it does not refer to the perfectly proper and indeed often beneficial results that follow from a candid, frank, generous but always courteous, discussion, or even criticism, of religious, philosophic, or scientific opinions or writings proffered by others. It is one thing too condemn the sin; another thing to condemn the sinner. The evils of orthodoxy can be avoided in our beloved Movement by faithfully retaining the platform of free and open discussion which H.P.B. founded, and which she and all her true followers have cherished; this likewise brings about the birth of keen intellectual and even spiritual interests in our teachings. Such open and frank discussion of doctrines and tenets therefore is not only permissible, but even to be encouraged; but the simplest minded should be able to see that a criticism of doctrines or tenets is quite different from the throwing of mud at those whose views we dislike, or the ascribing to them of motives either unworthy or evil or both.
The few cases which have come under the present writer's attention of such unkind aspersions of other Theosophists, seem to arise - and one is glad to state this for it appears to be true - in a mistaken feeling that because Theosophists differ among themselves - aud what can be more natural than that Theosophists should hold different opinions? - there is danger of standard Theosophical teachings being abandoned, and therefore X and Y who differ from, let us say Z, are on the wrong path. It is not right to hold this idea or feeling. As H.P.B. so forcibly points out in her First Message to the American Section of the Theosophical Society, written in 1888:
Orthodoxy in Theosophy is a thing neither possible nor desirable. It is diversity of opinion, within certain limits that keeps the Theosophical Society a living and a healthy body, its many other ugly features notwithstanding. Were it not, also, for the existence of a large amount of uncertainty in the minds of students of Theosophy, such healthy divergences would be impossible, and the Society would degenerate into a sect, in which a narrow and stereotyped creed would take the place of the living and breathing spirit of Truth and an ever growing Knowledge.
These are wise words, very wise words indeed!
Possibly there is no one in the entire Theosophical Movement who loves more greatly and who holds more strongly to the Original Message which H.P. Blavatsky brought to the modern world from the Masters, than does the writer of these lines. In fact, he is invariable, even rigid on the point; but just precisely because he realizes with intense keenness of conviction that to be utterly true in Fidelity to H.P.B.'s Message means being true all along the line crud throughout, not only in matters of teaching, but likewise in matters of charity of spirit, so does he realize with ethics and in brotherly kindness, and in equal intensity of conviction that healthy divergences of opinion, combined with fidelity to the Original Message, will do away with any possibility of the T.S.'s degenerating into a mere sect in which bigoted and narrow minded views, however much of partial truth they may have, show that while the `word' has been kept, the `spirit,' with its softening and refining and benign influences, has been lost.
Those, therefore, who yearn to be alike in quality of life at least, in feeling and in devotion to that part of the character of the Great Theosophist, H.P. Blavatsky, which the writer of the present lines has called her "strong fidelity," will realize that Fidelity means fidelity in whole, and not in part. A Theosophist may know The Secret Doctrine of H.P.B. from cover-page to cover-page; he may be able to rattle off at will incidents innumerable in the history of her life; he may be able to cite volume and page and word, of the thoughts of our great H.P.B.; but if he have not her spirit of Charity living in his heart and enlightening his mind, he does not understand the Fidelity which was so eminently hers, and therefore himself is not faithful either to the Message which she brought, or to the Masters whom she pointed to as our noblest exemplars in life.
Let us then remain for ever faithful followers of the complete Fidelity, and of the immense Charity, which made H.P.B. not only the Messenger she truly was, but the chela she became because of them. On these White Lotus Day occasions, in commemoration of her great life, and of her even greater Work, let us once and all strive to become more alike unto her, and as best we can unto those glorious Examples of the Masters - Men whom she served so faithfully. Let these anniversaries which we call White Lotus Day, be unto us times when we enter into the arcanum of our own souls, and communing together, seek to expel from within us all unworthy things which should have no place in the Temple. Let us on each such anniversary-occasion strive to reform our lives each time a little more, taking a step forwards on each such occasion, and through the ensuing year hold fast to the progress thus achieved - at least in our hearts.
This is what would please our well-beloved H.P.B. most, and this is certain; for it is a following of the spirit of her wish that the date of her passing be held as a commemorative and inspiring anniversary.
With these words the present writer closes this, a heartfelt plea, with a final reminder that as we have been told in perfectly clear teams, the Theosophical Society will live into the future and progress, as it was intended to grow, exactly in proportion as we, its component elements, keep it where our Masters and our beloved H.P.B. left it when she left this Earth-plane.
I am, my Brothers, in trust and affection,
Faithfully yours,
G. de Purucker.
More on the aim and objects of the Theosophical Society.
White lotusday is celebrated throughout the theosophical world in commemoration of Blavatsky's death on May 8th, 1891.
Previous issues of Lucifer7 can be found at the online index of Lucifer7
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