China Cat Sunflower said:
I don't know where, exactly, the cutoff point lies for what is esoteric. All of Christian eschatology could be considered esoterica. All that "Left Behind" stuff sorta fits the description. I take it that in this contexts esoteric is a thinly disguised elitist put-down. Whatever...
Chris
On this last point, I have struggled with this notion more so in recent months than in a loooong while. Folks at CR have helped me to see much better what perhaps could (in my own presentation) come across as elitism, and I have found myself re-questioning all sorts of assumptions and digging up conundrums that haven't bothered me for ages. What it boils down to ... is the simple notion that
there are those in this world who know more than we do - the Initiate (from definition #1), of varying degrees.
I should like to make it clear that I have never intended to even
suggest that I consider myself to number among such ... yet I
do know that they exist. If there is any question that esoteric Wisdom exists, then on the one hand
each of us must pursue that quest
on our own, although certainly we may (and probably should) do so either as part of a faith community, or as part of that Group with which we have come to identify ourself (even if we do not yet fully understand the inner dynamics, nature, or function of that Group). But on the other hand,
what are we to do to the extent that we
have pursued, and
have found? Did not the Master say, "Seek and ye shall find, ask and it shall be given, knock and the door shall be opened?"
The safest course is to begin with the Occult injunction:
To Know, To Dare, To Will, To Be Silent! And certainly there is always a fine line that we must be careful not to cross. The challenge that I've come up against, and have been facing for many years, is accepting that
actions speak much louder than words. And so, as is being demonstrated on the thread about Mother Teresa, the world has come to
listen to those who
"walk the walk." Interesting.
To be Silent -
and people listen. 
Mother Teresa is known, above
all else, for her
actions, including
Love-in-Action, the greatest expression of Agape, or Compassion, which can exist. Sometimes, we simply call this
Service. And it is the Way of the New Era. Christ preached this 2100 years ago, yet so few were ready to listen -
and to apply his teachings.
Every one of his
closest apostles rejected, denied, or abandoned him ...
save one, "the Beloved." What does this tell us about our
readiness to walk the Higher Way?
What it tells me is that such souls are
few and far between, even now, in this world. But in my experience,
they do exist. I am confident that I have had the honor and privilege to have known quite a few in my life, already. And
every single one, without exception, has been characterized by
precisely the same Love-in-Action for which the whole world has come to know and revere Mother Teresa. To be certain, she must certainly be an avatar of a sort, perhaps a redeemer for
Christianity itself. But she also serves as an example
to us all of what we may accomplish. And the beauty of it, for me, is that she did what she did
without becoming lost in dogma, in creeds, in petty disputes or bickering. She was
100% devoted to the Cause, and she proved something that will not only forever endure, but will, hopefully, continue to impact us as a living
testament to what all of Humanity can accomplish, if we choose!
The very same Compassion, and commitment to the alleviation of suffering, which characterized the life of Mother Teresa, is
central to the ideal presented by the
Elder Brothers for literally millions of years - but
especially in recent centuries. And
every great soul who incarnated to help make the Great Ideal more concrete for us, has lived a life characterized by this same quality of Compassion. These have been the emissaries of the Brotherhood, and to strike a chord with the first post of this thread ... the Greatest Avatar of all to come to Humanity, the Christ, sent forth
his would-be disciples as emissaries into many foreign lands - precisely to preach this same sermon of Peace, of Brotherly Love, and of Service to one's fellow man.
As
evidence that His Return is already an accomlished fact, I point to the great gathering of youth 40 years ago, seeking as best they could to embody the ideals just mentioned. Fairly conditioned and distorted by the glamours of the astral plane, the hippies with their communes (
Communities!!!) fell short of the ideal, beleaguered by drugs and a lack of organization. And yet they still managed to
dramatically alter the course of the Vietnam War, with names like Arlo Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and the entire Woodstock concert immediately leaping to mind. Both before and certainly since then, many
thousands of World Service organizations have come into being, as
further proof that the same Forces of Love and Light are moving through this world
now, as They once moved, equally openly, 2100 years ago, and many, many times before. I think it is a great
tragedy - that so many have come to identify such Forces with
one, single man. A Recognition of vital importance this is, surely, yet so many of the same individuals who raise Christ Jesus to Divinity within their own hearts and minds, do so
at the expense of faith in their fellow man - or else would deny, in the same breath, that
this same Christ Presence also dwells within their
own hearts, their
neighbor's hearts, their
enemy's hearts, and yes - even in the heart of the most
vile form or expression of evil that they can conceive. Easy it is, to love one's friends and closest family ...
that isn't where the challenge lies.
That isn't what Xianity was/is about, if I may be so bold (and I may).
I'm editorializing, and seeming to wander from the definition and significance of
Esotericism ... yet since I have been reminded recently that
deep down, Christianity and Esotericism are
synonyms, I think all of this is quite relevant. We are grappling with some rather ominous forces in the world today,
all of us. Every single one of us faces these at the individual level, where the battle between the Angel of the Presence against our personal devil is waged inwardly. This devil represents
all which opposes our progress toward Divinity, self-understanding, and Enlightenment ... whether that be ignorance, oppression, hatred, war, materialism, or the many forms of personal evil & darkness with which we are all familiar. The
same devil exists globablly, and with such large-scale factors mitigating
against the Christ's Return, all of the
Esoteric Brotherhood battles
ceaselessly.
To guarantee the
triumph of Love, Light & Purpose over evil, the Brotherhood has always stood with, and guided Humanity, just as the Christ within - the
Solar Angel, as some call it - has always safeguarded the progress of the human soul, from life to life, until it reaches the final goal. That goal, is the same for an individual human as it is for the planet as a whole. There is but
One Soul, and thus in a sense, but
one human personality incarnate. There is
One Prodigal,
One Father, One Christ. As yet we do not perhaps look Heavenward with the same fixation of Purpose and determination which will one day be necessary, but the time is upon us when we
must acknowledge the next step,
and do so together! Christ's Return, the so-called "Second Coming" (of
this Christ, yes, with many prior, and many hence) ... would
not be necessary if there were no "next step." We can learn something about what that next step is for us all, for the
planet, if we will take a look at our own lives. Vice versa, if we examine the recent
unprecedented growth of and upon this planet ... I think we can learn
a great deal - about ourselves.
This
begins to say something about why I agree with the letter of one Teacher (a Theosophical
Mahatma), which I read for the first time a few days ago, in which he states that as regarded by the Brotherhood,
Occultism (Esotericism) and Christianity - are the same. I find that He writes as no other Teacher I am used to, and for being a Master on the Ray of
Science, I am struck by the deep, abiding Love he demonstrates, and the great interest He evidences, when discussing Christianity. I find myself flipping through hundreds of letters, just to find what He has to say on the subject ... and it brings me Light, where perhaps this needed. Best of all, I am reminded of the
Love, which
is there - and which does grow, even while vast multitudes ... prepare for, and ensure, annihilation.
Namaskar,
andrew
