Theosophy

You will have to take care that the spirit of the time, and the wickedness and apathy of the people, do not engender in you a bitter spirit.

William Q Judge
 
One of the Masters of Wisdom that HPB knew gave the basic virtues needed for an aspirant to divine wisdom or theosophia:

"Behold the Truth before you: a clean life, an open mind, a pure heart, an eager intellect, an unveiled spiritual perception, a brotherliness for one's co-disciple, a readiness to give and receive advice and instruction, a loyal sense of duty to the Teacher, a willing obedience to the behests of TRUTH, once we have placed our confidence in and believe that Teacher to be in possession of it; a courageous endurance of personal injustice, a brave declaration of principles, a valiant defense of those who are unjustly attacked, and a constant eye to the ideal of human progression and perfection which the Secret Science (Gupta-Vidyā) depicts - these are the golden stairs up the steps of which the learner may climb to the temple of Divine Wisdom."

Sanskrit - Gupta-vidyā [from gupta from the verbal root gup to conceal, preserve + vidyā knowledge, wisdom].
Secret knowledge, secret wisdom; the source of all religions and philosophies known to the world: theosophy, the ancient wisdom-religion, the esoteric philosophy.
 
Dr Bartzokas on Theosophy as HPB taught it:

https://www.philaletheians.co.uk/major-works/theosophia-inner-wisdom.pdf

From the Prefatory Notes:

This is a brief overview of the origin, practical application, and ultimate destiny of Theosophy from the writings of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831–1891). It has been assembled as an offering to those who, having perceived that living for others is the only life worth living, aspire to apprehend the Truth of truths by studying, assimilating, modelling, and applying the Golden Precepts in everyday life. Madame Blavatsky is the leading exponent of the modern Theosophical Movement, great noetic radiance of our epoch, acclaimed philosopher and mystic, indefatigable servant of humanity.
 
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Long 1887 article by HPB on "Origin of Evil":

https://theosophytrust.org/505-the-origin-of-evil

The problem of the origin of evil can be philosophically approached only if the archaic Indian formula is taken as the basis of the argument. Ancient wisdom alone solves the presence of the universal fiend in a satisfactory way. It attributes the birth of Kosmos and the evolution of life to the breaking asunder of primordial, manifested UNITY, into plurality, or the great illusion of form. HOMOGENEITY having transformed itself into Heterogeneity, contrasts have naturally been created; hence sprang what we call EVIL, which thenceforward reigned supreme in this "Vale of Tears."
 
"For the philosopher there is but one real life, Nirvanic bliss, which is a state differing in kind, not in degree only, from that of any of the planes of consciousness in the manifested universe. He knows of, and believes in only the direct cause of that integral homogeneous unit, eternal and ever living, because the ONE uncreated, or rather not evoluted. Hence all his efforts are directed toward the speediest reunion possible with, and return to his pre-primordial condition, after his pilgrimage through this illusive series of visionary lives, with their unreal phantasmagoria of sensuous perceptions."
 
A series of 14 topical booklets gives a simpler way to study Theosophy. Use this link and search for a specific title or the series:

https://www.theosociety.org

Introductory Theosophical Manuals
G. de Purucker Series

Quote:
What Is Theosophy? by Charles J. Ryan
Reincarnation: A Lost Chord in Modern Thought by Leoline L. Wright
Karma: The Law of Consequences by Gertrude W. van Pelt
The Seven Principles of Man by Leoline L. Wright
After Death — What? by Leoline L. Wright
Evolution by Henry T. Edge
Rounds and Races: Our Divine Parentage and Destiny by Gertrude W. van Pelt
The Doctrine of Cycles by Lydia Ross
Hierarchies: The Ladder of Life by Gertrude W. van Pelt
The Astral Light by Henry T. Edge
Psychic Powers by Helen Savage
Theosophy and Christianity by Henry T. Edge
Mahatmas and Chelas by Leoline L. Wright
The Mystery Schools by Grace F. Knoche
Yoga and Yoga Discipline by Charles J. Ryan
 
More from HPB's "Origin of Evil" article:

Ignorance alone is the willing martyr, but knowledge is the master, of natural Pessimism. Gradually, and by the process of heredity or atavism, the latter became innate in man. It is always present in us, howsoever latent and silent its voice in the beginning. Amid the early joys of existence, when we are still full of the vital energies of youth, we are yet apt, each of us, at the first pang of sorrow, after a failure, or at the sudden appearance of a black cloud, to accuse life of it; to feel life a burden, and often curse our being. This shows pessimism in our blood, but at the same time the presence of the fruits of ignorance.

As mankind multiplies, and with it suffering—which is the natural result of an increasing number of units that generate it—sorrow and pain are intensified. We live in an atmosphere of gloom and despair, but this is because our eyes are downcast and riveted to the earth, with all its physical and grossly material manifestations. If, instead of that, man proceeding on his life-journey looked—not heavenward, which is but a figure of speech—but within himself and centered his point of observation on the inner man, he would soon escape from the coils of the great serpent of illusion. From the cradle to the grave, his life would then become supportable and worth living, even in its worst phases.
 
Eastern wisdom teaches that spirit has to pass through the ordeal of incarnation and life, and be baptised with matter before it can reach experience and knowledge. After which only it receives the baptism of soul, or self-consciousness, and may return to its original condition of a god, plus experience, ending with omniscience. In other words, it can return to the original state of the homogeneity of primordial essence only through the addition of the fruitage of Karma, which alone is able to create an absolute conscious deity, removed but one degree from the absolute ALL.

Blavatsky, "Origin of Evil" article
 
The WISDOM-RELIGION was ever one, and being the last word of possible human knowledge, was, therefore, carefully preserved. It preceded by long ages the Alexandrian Theosophists, reached the modern, and will survive every other religion and philosophy.

Blavatsky, Key to Theosophy
 
The radical unity of the ultimate essence of each constituent part of compounds in Nature—from Star to mineral Atom, from the highest Dhyan Chohan to the smallest infusoria, in the fullest acceptation of the term, and whether applied to the spiritual, intellectual. or physical worlds—this is the one fundamental law in Occult Science.

The Secret Doctrine

Fiona C. Odgren compiled Timeless Truths from The Secret Doctrine containing 56 topics. Ideal for one who does not want to read all 1400? pages of the full text.
 
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Satan represents, metaphysically, simply the reverse or the polar opposite of everything in Nature. He is the "Adversary", allegorically, the "Murderer", and the great Enemy of all, because there is nothing in the whole Universe that has not two sides — the reverses of the same medal. But in that case, light, goodness, beauty, etc., may be called Satan with as much propriety as the Devil, since they are the Adversaries of darkness, badness and ugliness.

The Secret Doctrine
 
Nicholas Weeks said:
Satan represents, metaphysically, simply the reverse or the polar opposite of everything in Nature. He is the "Adversary", allegorically, the "Murderer", and the great Enemy of all, because there is nothing in the whole Universe that has not two sides — the reverses of the same medal. But in that case, light, goodness, beauty, etc., may be called Satan with as much propriety as the Devil, since they are the Adversaries of darkness, badness and ugliness.

The Secret Doctrine
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What does she mean by 'Nature'?

To me nature is that contained by time and space, that ends and dies?

The universe included...

The concept of evil is totally relative to human existence, and emergent from the human condition?
 
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RJM said:
What does she mean by 'Nature'?

To me nature is that contained by time and space, that ends and dies?

The universe included...

The concept of evil is totally relative to human existence, and emergent from the human condition?
Click to expand...
In the original, "nature" was not capitalized - typo in quote I used.
Nature = All or God - beyond time & space - nature = cosmos or universe as you say.

Evil & Good dichotomy affects all lifeforms, not just humans on this planet. Whether any lifeforms are innately purely evil or good, I doubt.

The human condition is certainly dual and the principal motive is for us to limit our evilness and expand fully our goodness. Which project takes many lifetimes.
 
Nicholas Weeks said:
In the original, "nature" was not capitalized - typo in quote I used.
Nature = All or God - beyond time & space - nature = cosmos or universe as you say.

Evil & Good dichotomy affects all lifeforms, not just humans on this planet. Whether any lifeforms are innately purely evil or good, I doubt.

The human condition is certainly dual and the principal motive is for us to limit our evilness and expand fully our goodness. Which project takes many lifetimes.
Click to expand...
The serpent IS nature.

Evil is all that leads to decay and death, and good is what leads to growth and life.

There is no standstill in nature: we are either growing or we are dying.

The devil is gravity that drags all life and nature down by subduction of continental plates to deconstruction and renewal by fires of hell within the living earth

Just my thoughts...
 
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Nicholas Weeks said:
the original, "nature" was not capitalized - typo in quote I used.
Click to expand...
Ah, sorry
Nicholas Weeks said:
Nature = All or God - beyond time & space - nature = cosmos or universe as you say.
Click to expand...
I conclude nature to encompass only the time and space material dimension of existence -- but which encompasses the observable and measurable universe
 
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RJM said:
Ah, sorry
No, I conclude nature to encompass only the time and space material dimension of existence -- but which encompasses the observable and measurable universe
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I agree - But (as we say) - if man is the image of God and our nature is dual, then Nature or God/Satan is also dual. Not an easy intellectual puzzle to solve. Spinoza had quite a tussle with his varied "natures".
 
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Nicholas Weeks said:
I agree - But (as we say) - if man is the image of God and our nature is dual, then Nature or God/Satan is also dual. Not an easy intellectual puzzle to solve. Spinoza had quite a tussle with his varied "natures".
Click to expand...
I perceive nature to be the imperfect and ever-changing Plato’s Cave reflection or shadow play of the true Spiritual reality – eternal, pure and unchanging.

The pure polarities of Spirit are ‘brought down’ into the dimension of nature in a confused and mixed-up way, that leads to the swastika movement of nature -- always crossing and reversing on itself, and never for a moment still.

In the I Ching the horizontal fire-water polarity in the ‘inner world’ or spiritual arrangement of trigrams, becomes the vertical and only full polarity of the ‘outer world’ or nature arrangement, with all the other ‘inner world’ yin-yang polarities broken up and redistributed, crossing and reversing upon themselves in nature.
 
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Nicholas Weeks said:
... But in that case, light, goodness, beauty, etc., may be called Satan with as much propriety as the Devil, since they are the Adversaries of darkness, badness and ugliness.
The Secret Doctrine
Click to expand...
It's statements like this that inclined me to regard The Secret Doctrine as lacking metaphysical rigour.
 
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