Theos-Talk Archives (February 2005 Message tt00152)

Dear Sufilight,

--- In theos-talk "M. Sufilight" wrote:

> A totally non-critical or non-criticizing form? (I disagree on that. 

Not totally, but rather discriminately. For instance, I agree when 
Blavatsky criticizes the Church, just because the Church probably 
would never be friendly to theosophy, even if theosophists praised it. 
But spiritualists (and newagers now) could be our friends, if all 
their spirits weren't labeled as empty shells, elementals and decaying 
remnants of dead people.

> Later you will respect ethics and moral much more.
> You could consider that I am right in saying this to you (and other 
> readers).

As far I know, the return from rational approach to the blind belief 
is rather improbable. The moral changes from country to country, and 
people just believe that some things are good and some are bad. Very 
often it is symple a means of control of lower classes by ruling 
class.

But the occult knowledge is a quite different thing. Suppose there's a 
city where is a very good police and every crime is punished. And the 
citizens, naturally, don't commit crimes. Can you call them "moral"? 
They just know the consequences. So we are, who know about karma.

You may say, "you don't know, you just believe". Anyway my actions are 
logical, though they may come from erroneus supposition. If I think 
that there are money buried in the ground, and I dig, this act is 
logical, though I may not find the money. But if I dig because "The 
God sayeth you should dig", it's a morals.

Dalai Lama said:
"I often joke that if you really want to be selfish, you should
be very altruistic! You should take good care of others, be concerned 
for their welfare, help them, serve them, make more friends, make more 
smiles. The result? When you yourself need help, you find plenty of 
helpers! If, on the other hand, you neglect the happiness of others, 
in the long term you will be the loser. And is friendship
produced through quarrels and anger, jealousy and intense 
competitiveness? I do not think so. Only affection brings
us genuine close friends." 
("Compassion and the Individual",
http://www.purifymind.com/CompassionIndiv.htm )

My experience has shown that it works, so it isn't just belief but a 
bit of practice, but it has nothing common with morality.

> - Is it allright to use phallic teaching within Theosophy - by 
calling God a HE and similar activities?

Many theosophical writers explained that it is a just figure of speach 
which comes from utter unsuitability of English language for any 
philosophical matters. Though those crazy with sex may see phallic in 
everything. In later theosophical literature "God" is just a label for 
logos, and Leadbeater often writes "Deity" to avoid masculine.

> - Is dogmatic ceremonial magic - what theosophy promotes before 
Atma-Vidya?

CWL said that it's only for one type (ray) of people the ceremonial 
way is easiest. He wrote that one of the requirements on the Path is
"Uparati (cessation) - explained as cessation from bigotry or from 
belief in the necessity of any act or ceremony prescribed by a 
particular religion - so leading the aspirant to independence of 
thought and to a wide and generous tolerance."
(Invisible helpers, http://www.theosophy.ca/InvisibleHelpers.htm )

> - Is it the development of any kind of ESP - what theosophy promotes 

CWL wrote that if you want to develop ESP, do exactly what I did - 
work for promotion of theosophy, and if the Masters decide that you 
need ESP, they explain you how to do it. He never considered ESP as an 
object and didn't desire it. He thought that it's impossible to the 
westerner to develop such powers.

> Yes both groups followers (CWL and Alice A. Bailey) - are large in 
number.

I don't mean groups but rather an impact. For example the book 
"Thoughtforms" inspired russian composer Skriabin to combine color an 
music (what we can see now in every discothek) and was a beginning of 
abstract art (Kandinsky las also seen that book).

> The trilogy of books written by Cyril Scott named "The Initiated" 

I have read some of them, but he pictures Master very much in line 
with Bailey conception of them. I want to publish these books in 
Russia but not now for we have still to translate and publish more 
important works.

> I think we can make a distinction:
> a) There are Raja Yoga theosophists - a la "Spiritual Development" 
with an emotional tinge in the aura. (CWL and Alice A. Beiley)
> b) There are Atma-Vidya theosophists ( Core HPB enthusiasts. )

Raja yoga isn't bad at all, and it teaches self-control and 
self-realization. HPB speaks very good about it in "From Caves & 
Jungles". The yoga with emotional tinge is called bhakti yoga.