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The Theosophist THE THEOSOPHIST VOL. 132 NO. 5 FEBRUARY 2011 CONTENTS Who am I? 3 Radha Burnier The Heresy of Separateness 7 Patrizia Moschin Calvi The TS on Probation 12 Pedro Oliveira Theosophists in Truth 17 N. Sri Ram The Founding of the Modern Theosophical Society 19 Jesse D. Alto Fragments of the Ageless Wisdom 26 The Origin and Development of Language 27 Sharmila S. Parulkar Adyar Day, 2010 30 S. Ramu Books of Interest 34 International Directory 38 Editor: Mrs Radha Burnier NOTE: Articles for publication in The Theosophist should be sent to the Editorial Office. Cover Picture: Main road and the coconut grove Dr T. P. Alaganantham Official organ of the President, founded by H. P. Blavatsky, 1879. The Theosophical Society is responsible only for official notices appearing in this magazine. 1 THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY Founded 17 November 1875 President: Mrs Radha Burnier Vice-President: Mrs Linda Oliveira Secretary: Mrs Kusum Satapathy Treasurer: Miss Keshwar Dastur Headquarters: ADYAR, CHENNAI (MADRAS) 600 020, INDIA Secretary: [email protected] Treasury: [email protected] Adyar Library and Research Centre: [email protected] Theosophical Publishing House: [email protected] & [email protected] Fax: (+91-44) 2490-1399 Editorial Office: [email protected] Website: http://www.ts-adyar.org The Theosophical Society is composed of students, belonging to any religion in the world or to none, who are united by their approval of the Societys Objects, by their wish to remove religious antagonisms and to draw together men of goodwill, whatsoever their religious opinions, and by their desire to study religious truths and to share the results of their studies with others. Their bond of union is not the profession of a common belief, but a common search and aspiration for Truth. They hold that Truth should be sought by study, by reflection, by purity of life, by devotion to high ideals, and they regard Truth as a prize to be striven for, not as a dogma to be imposed by authority. They consider that belief should be the result of individual study or intuition, and not its antecedent, and should rest on knowledge, not on assertion. They extend tolerance to all, even to the intolerant, not as a privilege they bestow but as a duty they perform, and they seek to remove ignorance, not punish it. They see every religion as an expression of the Divine Wisdom and prefer its study to its condemnation, and its practice to proselytism. Peace is their watchword, as Truth is their aim. Theosophy is the body of truths which forms the basis of all religions, and which cannot be claimed as the exclusive possession of any. It offers a philosophy which renders life intelligible, and which demonstrates the justice and the love which guide its evolution. It puts death in its rightful place, as a recurring incident in an endless life, opening the gateway to a fuller and more radiant existence. It restores to the world the Science of the Spirit, teaching man to know the Spirit as himself and the mind and body as his servants. It illuminates the scriptures and doctrines of religions by unveiling their hidden meanings, and thus justifying them at the bar of intelligence, as they are ever justified in the eyes of intuition. Members of the Theosophical Society study these truths, and theosophists endeavour to live them. Everyone willing to study, to be tolerant, to aim high, and to work perseveringly, is welcomed as a member, and it rests with the member to become a true theosophist. 2 Who am I? Who am I? RADHA BURNIER WHO am I? is a question that could be perhaps can happen to him or her in asked by anybody, and most people will another life, provided we think of Life as immediately say: I am so and so, was born consisting of different conditions which to so and so, had my schooling in such one experiences. and such a school, I have been working Similarly, the thinking process will as an officer in a reputed organization for include many things, and emotions and many years, or I am proficient in such and thoughts may be mixed up in an irretriev- such a subject. This kind of answer which able way. The thoughts may be, let us say, is the most common we can expect is easy, concern for members of the family, or and it is the story of what the physical man they may be thoughts of suspicion with or woman was and did. regard to some persons. But leaving aside But the trouble is, that the physical all such thoughts about food, about person is only a part of the real person. livelihood and so on, there are thoughts What is the real person will remain intact; that do not have a basis in experience, in most people hope that they will be alive the past life. These thoughts may be of after the death of the body. If the body some scientific evaluation which we think dies the feelings and emotions do not of as ordinary; or the thoughts may be of necessarily die, although people who are people, whether a person is nice or not, is grossly materialistic think that is the end. useful or is a vagabond there can be The emotions can be of various kinds many thoughts of such a kind. But there including attachment to or repulsion of are also thoughts of a more personal certain people. Besides the physical ex- nature. Mathematicians may think of a istence, one could experience jealousy or problem of which nobody else except for depression, or elation and contentment. a few mathematicians, are conscious. So It all depends on what the person has ex- thoughts can range over a vast area, some perienced. There are numerous feelings, real, some imagined, some foolish, some some of which are of course temporary, useful, etc. but others may be lasting; and the person These thoughts and feelings are real still has the lasting feelings, good or bad. to the average person. The average person They have to be worked out, which has to work out his likes and dislikes of Summary of a Convention Lecture, Adyar, 30 December 2010. February 2011 3 The Theosophist the physical environment, ups and downs, us to drink. We are made of at least and mental images. This needs another seventy percent water, and the stem incarnation. So he passes from what we between the cloud and us is really there. call this world to another. It is a long This is also the case with the river, the journey which everybody has to go forest, the logger, and the farmer. There through until he or she begins to realize are hundreds and thousands of stems that most of the ideas pertaining to linking us to everything in the cosmos, physical life, and also to our emotions and and making it possible for us to be. Do thought worlds, are unnecessary. In fact you see the link between you and me? If we feel empty and aimless when we do you are not there, I am not here. This is not have thoughts. But are we really certain. If you do not see it yet, please look empty, or do we imagine so? more deeply and I am sure you will. I Let us try to understand what happens asked the leaf whether it was frightened even for a few moments when one is very because it was autumn and the other much alive, but with no thoughts. Then leaves were falling. The leaf told me, No. one is merely watching, listening, receptive During the whole spring and summer I to whatever may come. Then we begin to was completely alive. I worked hard to see and know inwardly many things, help nourish the tree, and now much of which we do not normally even think me is in the tree. I am not limited by this about for a short time; or if we do, it is form. I am also the whole tree, and when only by way of a casual observation. I go back to the soil, I will continue to When the mind is not working on the nourish the tree. So I do not worry at all. many things that absorb it, and is watch- As I leave this branch and float to the ing silently, unagitated, it begins to see ground, I will wave to the tree and tell her, what has never been seen before. An old I will see you again very soon. face still looks beautiful, because behind That day there was a wind blowing the wrinkles and other signs of age the and, after a while, I saw the leaf leaving person sees a life, an individuality with the branch and float down to the soil, great possibilities. Or he may see the leaf dancing joyfully, because as it floated it of a tree lying on the ground and it is like saw itself already there in the tree. It was seeing a whole world of beauty, of so happy. I bowed my head, knowing that qualities of life, which we had never I have a lot to learn from the leaf. known of as existing. We do not know whether the author Then we may give attention to what of these words is fully aware of the depths the Vietnamese teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, of what he says. points out: We have a great many stems Let us look at what Krishnamurti who linking us to our Mother Earth.
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