Theosophy

It is true that the world is in a saddened and anxious state. But
mark you, I think it unwise and spiritually and psychologically
unwholesome to emphasize this, for it raises none to higher things
but depresses courage, the courage to meet life and carry on in a
higher and nobler way. See the beauty in and behind things, see
the beauty in your fellow men; see likewise the ignominy and the
ugliness in life, although do not let these latter depress you or
discourage you. There is no reason to lose our calm, our inner
peace, in order to become like unto them of the mobs, passion
driven, governed by prejudice. Such an attitude will not help us
or those who suffer. But we can send forth into the world thoughts
of courage and hope and an optimistic looking into the future,
founded on our own blessed God-Wisdom: that no matter what
happens through man's folly or infamy or infidelity to his spiritual
inner God, to his spiritual Essence, there are always right and
justice which will ultimately triumph over all. The only thing is
to be sure we are on the side of right and justice - and we cannot
always judge by appearances.

G. de Purucker, Wind of the Spirit
 
Esoteric philosophers held that everything in nature is but a materialization of
spirit. The Eternal First Cause is latent spirit, they said, and matter from the
beginning. "In the beginning was the word . . . and the word was God." While
conceding the idea of such a God to be an unthinkable abstraction to human reason,
they claimed that the unerring human instinct grasped it as a reminiscence of
something concrete to it though intangible to our physical senses. With the first
idea, which emanated from the double-sexed and hitherto-inactive Deity, the first
motion was communicated to the whole universe, and the electric thrill was
instantaneously felt throughout the boundless space. Spirit begat force, and force
matter; and thus the latent deity manifested itself as a creative energy.

When; at what point of the eternity; or how? the question must always remain
unanswered, for human reason is unable to grasp the great mystery. But, though
spirit-matter was from all eternity, it was in the latent state; the evolution of our
visible universe must have had a beginning.

Blavatsky, Isis Unveiled
 
The same question stands open from the days of Socrates and Pilate down to our own age of wholesale negation: is there such a thing as absolute truth in the hands of any one party or man? Reason answers, “there cannot be.” There is no room for absolute truth upon any subject whatsoever, in a world as finite and conditioned as man is himself. But there are relative truths, and we have to make the best we can of them.

In every age there have been Sages who had mastered the absolute and yet could teach but relative truths. For none yet, born of mortal woman in our race, has, or could have given out, the whole and the final truth to another man, for every one of us has to find that (to him) final knowledge in himself. As no two minds can be absolutely alike, each has to receive the supreme illumination through itself, according to its capacity, and from no human light. The greatest adept living can reveal of the Universal Truth only so much as the mind he is impressing it upon can assimilate, and no more. Tot homines, quot sententiae [as many men, so many opinions] — is an immortal truism.

The sun is one, but its beams are numberless; and the effects produced are beneficent or maleficent, according to the nature and constitution of the objects they shine upon. Polarity is universal, but the polariser lies in our own consciousness. In proportion as our consciousness is elevated towards absolute truth, so do we men assimilate it more or less absolutely. But man’s consciousness again, is only the sunflower of the earth. Longing for the warm ray, the plant can only turn to the sun, and move round and round in following the course of the unreachable luminary: its roots keep it fast to the soil, and half its life is passed in the shadow. . . .

From "What is Truth?" article of Blavatsky
 
Nicholas Weeks said:
As no two minds can be absolutely alike, each has to receive the supreme illumination through itself, according to its capacity, and from no human light. The greatest adept living can reveal of the Universal Truth only so much as the mind he is impressing it upon can assimilate, and no more. Tot homines, quot sententiae [as many men, so many opinions] — is an immortal truism.
Click to expand...

What are your thoughts on transferring enlightened insight?

I've spoken to a person who explained that it was about the physical presence of the teacher at a specific point in time; the words spoken by the teacher were not very pertinent.

My own experience with a teacher was less spectacular, and the passing on of any insight to me was more due to the teacher's day to day example and spoken and written communication than any charismatic vibes.

What's your take?
 
Cino said:
What are your thoughts on transferring enlightened insight?

I've spoken to a person who explained that it was about the physical presence of the teacher at a specific point in time; the words spoken by the teacher were not very pertinent.

My own experience with a teacher was less spectacular, and the passing on of any insight to me was more due to the teacher's day to day example and spoken and written communication than any charismatic vibes.

What's your take?
Click to expand...

No transfer, yet temporary blessing can happen to a qualified & ready disciple, whether in the physical presence or not.

But the more usual progress is made by knowing the exemplar's daily life.
 
From Mahatma Letters:

It is upon the serene and placid surface of the unruffled mind that the visions gathered from the invisible find a representation in the visible world. Otherwise you would vainly seek those visions, those flashes of sudden light which have already helped to solve so many of the minor problems and which alone can bring the truth before the eye of the soul. It is with jealous care that we have to guard our mind-plane from all the adverse influences which daily arise in our passage through earth-life.
 
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A special Peace issue of Lucifer magazine from TS Point Loma:

https://blavatskyhouse.org/uploads/files/Lucifer_EN/lucifer-en-2022-2-3.pdf

From the Introduction:

The war currently raging in Europe did not come from out of the blue. It is the result of patterns of thought. Those who know something of the Universal laws, also know which causes lead to wars.

Is war a doom? Not at all. On the basis of these Universal laws you can learn to think and act in such a way that conflicts do not get out of hand, moreover, they will not occur at all. Undoubtedly, people can live in peace with each other.

This motivated us to compile this special edition of Lucifer – the Light-bringer. In doing so, we carry on the long tradition of Peace activities of the Theosophical Society Point Loma.
 
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HPB's Preface:

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 text-book 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 enquirer, and endeavouring 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 not of the language, is due to depth 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 post-mortem 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. B.
 
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