COMPASSION the Spirit of Truth
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COMPASSION The Spirit of Truth Integrative Theosophical Studies Online Series 3 The Heart Doctrine COMPASSION The Spirit of Truth A study of the Immutable Law of Universal Sympathy and Sacrifice, and Its mutable facets, Worldly Love or Selfishness, and Devotional Love or Bhakti, integrating the ethical precepts of the Bhagavad-Gita, Light on the Path, Narada Bhakti Sutra, Voice of the Silence, and other ancient texts of initiation, with their metaphysical roots of the Secret Doctrine of the Heart. Compiled and edited by Dr CA Bartzokas, MD Third electronic edition Revised and updated Version 05.87-2021 www.philaletheians.co.uk 2021 First published in Great Britain 2005 Philaletheians UK, Ty Ucha, Hafod Road, Gwernymynydd, Near Mold, CH7 5JS Third electronic edition 2021, version 05.87 ©Philaletheians 2005, 2009, 2021. All rights reserved. ISBN-10: 0 9550400 2 7 ISBN-13: 978 0 9550400 2 3 British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Front cover The [Marbled] Sun, 1998 Courtesy of the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) consortium. SOHO is a project of inter- national cooperation between the European Space Agency and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Extreme ultraviolet images from the solar corona are transmitted to Earth by the SOHO spacecraft in black & white. In May 1998, nearly simultaneous images from three ultraviolet telescopes were colour-coded red, yellow and blue, and then digitally merged into one composite image. The tricol- oured observation of the Sun revealed features that no instrument could otherwise capture. “The Sun, as on our plane, is not even ‘Solar’ fire. The Sun we see, gives nothing of itself, because it is a reflection; a bundle of electro-magnetic forces, one of the countless milliards of ‘Knots of Fohat.’ Fohat is called the ‘Thread of primeval Light,’ the ‘Ball of thread’ of Ari- adne, indeed, in this labyrinth of chaotic matter. This thread runs through the seven planes tying itself into knots. Every plane being septenary, there are thus forty-nine mystical and physical forces, [the] larger knots forming stars, suns and systems, the smaller, planets, and so on.” Blavatsky Collected Writings, (TRANSACTIONS OF THE BLAVATSKY LODGE) X p. 376; [on Stanza III.5.] Ending illustration The [Expanding] Sun, 2006 Courtesy of Professor Akiyoshi Kitaoka, Department of Psychology, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto 603-8577, Japan. Back cover Le Ravissement de Psyché, 1895 Alphonse William Bouguereau (1825–1905). Oil on canvas, 209 x 120 cm, Private collection. Cover design by John Burrows, MCSD, typographically enhanced by Philaletheians GR. Train of Thoughts Preface 11 Preface to the first edition 11 Preface to this edition 14 Compiler’s notes 15 Chapter structure 16 Keywords glossary: Christos, Desire, Duty, God, Love, Man 17 Abbreviations 28 Opening thoughts 29 The Wisdom of Love 34 Assimilation of universal laws is the first key to manhood 40 Sacrificing the ephemeral to the eternal is the final key 42 Two courses of conduct 42 Three golden precepts 43 Sacrificing others is a crime against Nature 46 Sacrifice is always a voluntary, not an enforced, act 46 Defiling the altars of gods with blood is worse than murder 48 Sacrifice proper is unselfish love of humanity in person and in secret 49 The Occultist’s approach to the Secret Doctrine 52 How to read the Secret Doctrine 52 What to read in the Secret Doctrine 56 Chapter 1 Metaphysical Keys to Theosophy 57 Parabrahman or Absoluteness is the One and Only Reality 61 Mulaprakriti or Noumenon of Matter is a veil thrown over Parabrahman 63 Logos or Word is Divine Thought Concealed 65 Fohat or Light of Logos is Divine Thought Revealed 68 Genealogy and Gender of Logos and Its Light 71 Hymn to a Voice Divine in Intellect’s Retreats 73 Chapter 2 Catechism of Practical Theosophy 77 The Fundamental Propositions of the Secret Doctrine 82 Proposition 1. Cosmogenesis 83 Proposition 2. One Law for All 85 Proposition 3. Anthropogenesis 86 Further Tenets and Teachings 87 The One Becomes Two Ones: Parabrahman and Logos 89 The Three Live Within The One 90 Logos ever expands 92 Logos in the Bhagavad Gita 92 Logos in the Light of Theosophy 94 Compassion: the Spirit of Truth (2021), www.philaletheians.co.uk | v. 05.87 Page 7 of 398 COMPASSION TRAIN OF THOUGHTS Chapter 3 Deity is Life and Law, and vice versa 101 Compassion is the Divine Law of Universal Sympathy and Sacrifice 104 Overseen by Spiritual Intelligences above, Compassion is enacted by the Intelligence of Nature and Her dual forces below 109 Deity is Unerring Karman or Abstract Nature: The Mind and Soul of the Universe 112 Chapter 4 One Eternal Life and Law, triple in its manifestation 115 4.1 Karman–Action 119 4.1.a In the Bhagavad Gita 119 4.1.b Karman in the Light of Theosophy 130 4.2 Yugas–Cycles 135 4.2.a In the Bhagavad Gita 135 4.2.b Yugas in the Light of Theosophy 137 4.3 Yajna–Compassion–Sacrifice 141 4.3.a In the Bhagavad Gita 141 4.3.b Yajna in the Light of Theosophy 143 Chapter 5 Narada and Krishna speak with One Voice 155 Who is Narada? 155 He is the Deva Rishi of Occultism 156 He impelled animal man towards intellectual freedom 158 Narada’s aphorisms on Devotional Love and Krishna’s precepts to Arjuna are impossible to tell apart 160 About Narada Bhakti Sutra 162 5.1 O Lanoo, listen to the the Voice of the Heart Doctrine 163 5.2 Give it all away or you will lose it 164 5.3 Let your life become an example to unbelievers 166 5.4 True life can only be found through Devotion to All 168 5.5 With subdued heart place all thy works on Me 170 5.6 Rise above the trappings of personal life 173 5.7 Feel the Great Heart within 177 5.8 With unfettered mind throw every deed on Me 179 5.9 Intoxicate yourself with the right attitude and ethic 182 Desatir’s Devotional Love 185 Chapter 6 Our Watchers and Guardians 187 Avataras are our Watchers and Guardians 190 Prince Siddhartha Gautama locked mankind within one embrace 195 Jesus was a martyred Adept, not an Avatara 199 The real Christ is Krishna: Internal Light, not external symbols 208 Compassion: the Spirit of Truth (2021), www.philaletheians.co.uk | v. 05.87 Page 8 of 398 COMPASSION TRAIN OF THOUGHTS Chapter 7 Listen to the “still small voice” 211 What is The Voice? 215 It is the Heart and Pulse of the Universe 220 It is the Voice of the Great Sacrifice 223 What The Voice is not 227 Who hears The Voice? 228 Voice of the Silence and Light on the Path: Two Books, One Voice 232 7.1 Who speaks with a “still small voice”? 233 7.2 Where is The Voice? 234 7.3 When will The Voice speak? 235 7.4 Where will The Voice speak? 235 7.5 Under what conditions? 236 7.6 What will The Voice say? 236 7.7 How will I know if The Voice is genuine? 236 7.8 What will I learn? 237 Out of the Silence by James Rhoades 238 Chapter 8 Tips for Pilgrim Souls 239 Rise above the Fog of Separateness 242 Seek Darkness with the Lamp of Faith 249 Confirm Faith by Reason and Experience 255 Validate Imagination by Faith and Will 258 Lose yourself in the Sea of Devotion 263 Realise your Ideals 266 Live your Dreams 270 Axe the Ashvattha Tree 274 Slay your Mind 278 Charity begins at home? 281 Be wise! Restrain thyself! 282 Head learning versus soul wisdom 284 The false is nothing but an imitation of the true 288 Act in person but Impersonally 293 Thoughts and emotions are one and the same 293 Action speaks louder than words 296 Higher versus lower altruism 301 Charity is a debt of honour 303 Merge self in Self 305 Seek out the fifth way of Loving 309 Listen to the Clarion Call 311 Chapter 9 Compassion throbs at the Heart of the Universe 315 Compassion: the Spirit of Truth (2021), www.philaletheians.co.uk | v. 05.87 Page 9 of 398 COMPASSION TRAIN OF THOUGHTS Parting thoughts 321 Master thyself and protect others 324 Despise the life that only seeks its own 325 Let thy pulses beat to heaven’s own music 328 Let us be true to each other 331 Appendices 335 Appendix A Theosophists described 337 Appendix B Action, Renunciation, and their endless variants 339 Appendix C At the threshold of two paths 341 Appendix D Parabrahman: aspects, epithets, synonyms 343 Appendix E Mulaprakriti: aspects, epithets, synonyms 347 Appendix F Logos: aspects, epithets, synonyms 351 Difference between Logos and Demiurgos 357 Difference between Logos and Ishvara 357 Logos in Science, Philosophy, and Religion 357 Logos in Gnostic Systems 358 Epithets of Isis 359 Appendix G Fohat: aspects, epithets, synonyms 361 Pythagoras on our Beautiful World 363 Appendix H AUM: definitions, derivatives, parallels 365 Appendix I Conscience and Consciousness 369 Higher conscience 372 Lower conscience 373 Conscience-smitten 375 Appendix J A Marriage made in Heaven 377 Appendix K Alaya: aspects, epithets, synonyms 379 Appendix L Providence rules the Power of the Will and the Necessity of Destiny 381 References 387 Abridged 387 Reference works 391 Selected editions of the Bhagavad Gita 392 Translations with introductory essay, annotations, and commentaries 392 Translations with introductory essay and annotations 392 Translations only 393 Monographs 393 Selected articles from HP Blavatsky Collected Writings 394 In lieu of an epilogue 396 Compassion: the Spirit of Truth (2021), www.philaletheians.co.uk | v.