What Is Theosophy? Vol 2, No 11 What Is Theosophy?

Theosophical Siftings What is Theosophy? Vol 2, No 11 What is Theosophy? by Anonymous by New York Herald of August 18, 1889 Reprinted from “Theosophical Siftings” Volume 2 The Theosophical Publishing Society, England An investigation into the doctrines of Esoteric Buddhism, as laid out and presented in the "Secret Doctrine", and other Theosophical works, by the New York Herald of August 18, 1889 [The able reviewer begins with a table of contents, which is headed with the title "Spread of the New Religion". As Theosophy is not a religion, this is the only fundamental, though almost, universal mistake made by the outsiders. Otherwise, and in all respects, this is the best, the fairest, and most serious review that has ever yet appeared in a daily paper. Editor T.P.S.] SPREAD OF THE NEW RELIGION Theosophy, or, as it is termed by its later devotees, Esoteric Buddhism, is spreading among the better educated people of the world with a rapidity unequalled by any other modern cult or religion except Mormonism or Spiritualism. It has its parent society and its branch organizations in India, Russia, England, the United States, and elsewhere. While its peculiar tenets date back to a remote antiquity and include, as expounders, seers and the philosophers of the ancients, the alchemists of the Middle Ages, and the metaphysicians of the Renaissance, it has received such an impetus in more recent times, and particularly in the present century, as to have become, in fact, an entirely new dispensation. As Buddhism was the repudiation of sacerdotal and ritualistic Brahmanism, and Protestantism a revolution against Romanism, so the existing Esoteric Buddhism is an upheaval against the prevailing materialism of this day and generation. It is one of the most astonishing events in history, this reaction toward occultism and mysticism, in the face of the most practical and mechanical age that history records. In the present paper the Herald will endeavour to throw some light upon the peculiar tenets of this novel theology. MYSTICAL UTTERANCES PROM ANTIQUITY The very first steps in the direction of the explanation of Theosophy are obstructed by all the tangles which it has been possible for colossal intelligences to cast about its hidden laws and secret prophetic utterances. One who appeals to the recognized authorities for information is met by such incoherent and unintelligible language as is found in the following citations. Meanwhile, the foremost living exponents of these doctrines we are about to examine are the well known Madame H.P. Blavatsky, author of "Isis Page 1 Theosophical Siftings What is Theosophy? Vol 2, No 11 Unveiled" and "The Secret Doctrine," and Mr. A. P.. Sinnett, whose "Esoteric Buddhism", "Karma", and other works, are the primers of this recondite study. The names of Professor Elliott Coues and Colonel Henry S. Olcott will also occur to the well-informed American reader in this connection; the former a naturalist of distinction, the latter a former official in the Comptroller's office of the city of New York, and now president of the parent Theosophical Society From a very ancient secret work, a translation of which has been but recently made known, are quoted the following selections: " The external parent, wrapped in her invisible robes, had slumbered once again for seventeen eternities. " Time was not, for it lay asleep in the infinite bosom of duration. " Universal mind was not, for there were no Ah-Hi to contain it. " The seven ways to bliss were not. The great causes of misery were not, for there was no one to produce and get ensnared by them. " Darkness alone filled the boundless All, for Father, Mother, and Son were once more One, and the Son had not awakened yet for the new wheel, and his pilgrimage thereon. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * " This is thy present Wheel, said the Flame to the Spark. Thou art myself, my image and my shadow. I have clothed myself in thee, and thou art my Vahan to the day 'Be with Us' when thou shall become myself and others, thyself and me. Then the builders, having donned their first clothing, descend on radiate Earth, and reign over Men who are themselves." It will doubtless be generally admitted that there is nothing in this that is specially encouraging to the neophyte in Esoteric Buddhism, Now, listen to what Sir Edwin Arnold says in his " Light of Asia," the beautiful metrical version of the life of Gautama Buddha:— Many a house of life hath held me — seeking ever him who wrought These prisons of the senses, sorrow fraught; sore was my ceaseless strife; But now, Thou builder of this tabernacle — thou ! I know thee ! Never shalt thou build again these walls of pain. Nor raise the roof tree of deceits, nor lay fresh rafters on the clay; Broken thy house is, and the ridge pole split! Delusion fashioned it ! Safe pass I thence — deliverance to obtain. The above being the concentrated wisdom accumulated from his studies of Buddhism by one of the most Page 2 Theosophical Siftings What is Theosophy? Vol 2, No 11 learned among Sanskrit scholars, it is to be accepted as a fair statement of Buddhist theology. Still, it does offer certain difficulties to the uninitiated. But all hitherto quoted is simplicity itself compared to what is to follow. From the " Oracles of Zoroaster" known as "The Chaldean Oracles", and from a Greek translation of the same, and so into English, by Thomas Stanley, these passages are quoted: — "Where the Paternal Monad is The Monad is enlarged and generates Two, for the Duad sits beside him and glitters with intellectual sections, both to govern all things and to order everything not ordered, for on the whole world shineth the Triad, in which the Monad rules. "This order is the beginning of all section. For the Mind of the Father said that all things be cut into Three, whose will assented, and then all things were divided. "For the Paternal self-begotten Mind, understanding his work, sowed in all the fiery bond of Love, that all things might continue loving for ever. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "For the Paternal Mind hath sowed symbols through the world. Which understandeth intelligibles and beautifieth ineffables — wholly division and indivisible. "By Mind he contains the intelligibles, but introduceth sense into the worlds. "By Mind he contains the intelligibles, but introduceth Soul into the worlds." One does not seem to have advanced greatly by collision with these gems of Zoroastrian inspiration. Here is what Plato has to offer on this important subject :— "To that which is divinely generated", says Plato (Republic, chap. 3, book viii.)," there is a period which is comprehended by the perfect number, whereas to that generated by man there is one, in which the augmentations, both surpassing and surpassed, after having received three separations and four boundaries of things, similar and dissimilar, increasing and decreasing, will render all things correspondent and rational; of which the sesquiternean root conjoined with the pentad, and thrice increased, affords two harmonies — one of these, the equally equal, just a hundred times as much, while the other, of equal length indeed, but of oblong shape, is of a hundred numbers from effable diameters of the pentad, each wanting one, two of which are irrational and of a hundred cubes of the triad." This passage has been the despair of all translators of Plato and of all commentators, though efforts have been made to explain its hidden signification. It is in effect one expression (the numerical) of the most hidden mysteries of the secret doctrine. Page 3 Theosophical Siftings What is Theosophy? Vol 2, No 11 Finally, in the way of illustrating the merely verbal difficulties involved in the study of Esoteric Buddhism, it is proper to give a quotation from the latest translation (by Isaac Myer, LL.B.) of the "Book of Zohar", the sum total of the Esoteric doctrines, according to the Hebrew kabbalists. The "Zohar" is a running mystical commentary on the Pentateuch, and is about of the twelfth century, so far as its publication to the world is concerned, though it is believed to have been originally compiled by the Rabbis as early as the second century B.C. As sample quotations we give the following: — "The Ancient of the Ancients, the Unknown of the Unknown, has a form, yet also has not any form. It has a form through which the universe is maintained. It also has not any form, as it cannot be comprehended. When it first took this form it permitted to proceed from it (Kether) nine brilliant lights, which, illuminating through it (Kether), spread upon all sides a brilliant light. Let us think of a light which is elevated and which spreads its rays in all directions. If we desire to grasp these rays it will be impossible, as we will perceive they all proceed from the one light. "Just so the holy ancient is an elevated (absolute) light, but completely hidden and incomprehensible in itself, and we can conceive it only through its manifestation in these diffusing lights (the Sephiroth), which are, however, on the one side only partly visible, and yet on the other side are partly concealed. These (in their totality) constitute the holy name Yhvh." From another version of the "Zohar", entitled "The Kabbalah Unveiled", translated by S. L. MacGregor Mathers, we extract the following : "This is the tradition. When the White Head (Kether) propounded unto himself to superadd ornament unto his own adornment, he constituted, prepared, and produced one single spark from his intense splendour of light. He fanned it and condensed it (or conformed it) "And he developed his thought, and extended it in three hundred and seventy directions.

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