The Theosophist
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THE THEOSOPHIST VOL. 134 NO. 11 AUGUST 2013 CONTENTS Theosophy — An Approach to Life 3 Radha Burnier The Yoga of The Secret Doctrine 7 Pedro Oliveira Madame Blavatsky and Theosophy 12 Daniel Ross Chandler What is the Value of Time? 22 Sanjay D. Sabnis My Introduction to J. Krishnamurti’s Teachings 24 S. N. Dubey The Self; the Psyche, the Intellect and Intelligence 30 S. Ramu Books of Interest 32 Convention Rates 35 Theosophical Work around the World 36 International Directory 38 Editor: Mrs Radha Burnier NOTE: Articles for publication in The Theosophist should be sent to the Editorial Office. Cover: Colonel Olcott’s Memorial at Adyar, — C. A. Shinde 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: Mr M. P. Singhal Secretary: Mrs Kusum Satapathy Treasurer: Mr T. S. Jambunathan 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 Society’s 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 Theosophy — An Approach to Life Theosophy — An Approach to Life RADHA BURNIER IT seems to me that the word ‘Theosophy’ knowledge of the Divine. I think we cannot can have many levels of meaning. claim to have achieved that kind of Literally, Theosophy refers to the know- Wisdom either. So what does Theosophy ledge of Theos, God, the Divine Spirit, or mean to us, who speak of ourselves as whatever we like to call it; and in that sense Theosophists? Does Theosophy mean it is synonymous with the Sanskrit words a body of literature, the information Brahma-jñâna or Brahma-vidyâ. Brahman contained in a number of books which we is the absolute, the ultimate, the eternal study from time to time? If that be so, spirit and jñâna or vidyâ is knowledge. then Theosophy might be a dull affair. So both the words signify knowledge of But those who are vitally interested in Brahman, the Universal Spirit, which we Theosophy are aware that there is a call in India the Universal Âtman. profound depth of inspiration in it which It is said that the Universal Spirit or perenially invigorates us. This happens if Âtman underlies all things which are in we learn to understand Theosophy as a manifestation, every thing with which we way of perceiving life, as an approach come into contact and which we can which leads inevitably to the knowledge perceive and feel in one way or another. of what is universal, eternal and ultimate, It is said there is nothing but this Brahman in the direction of the Universal Spirit in creation. ‘All this is Brahman’ and which is Brahman. So for all practical Brahman only. Brahman pervades all and purposes, at our stage, we have to under- transcends all. So to know Brahman, to stand Theosophy in this sense. be a Brahma-jñânin, is extremely difficult. If we have this approach which can I do not think that any of us who claim make us sense in the midst of multiplicity, to be Theosophists know Theosophy in in the current of flux and change, in the that sense. midst of what is temporal and perhaps To know Brahman is to be completely unreal — although we may not realize that wise at the same time, because there is no it is unreal for the moment — something difference between knowing Brahman and which is much more real, permanent, partaking of that consciousness which is eternal, immutable, then we are beginning Wisdom, Truth and Life. So Theosophy to understand what Theosophy is. To be can also mean Divine Wisdom and not only able to perceive the universal in the midst August 2013 3 The Theosophist of the world in which we live requires a face. But when we see these different very great attention, a striving which is objects which have different shapes, passionate, ardent and enthusiastic. If that different colours, and so on, in each case kind of enthusiastic, ardent approach we say such and such a thing is beautiful. towards life is lacking, I think that we will But we are capable of perceiving at the never find the universal. same time that there is a beauty which is If we look into our own lives we see common to all of them, to all that is beauti- that we are preoccupied most of the time ful, and which exists independently of the with the particular and we almost never particular objects which are beautiful. think in terms of the universal or of the We all know that particular objects whole. We are absorbed in particular may perish but we still find that we have incidents and objects, and in particular a certain sense of beauty. A particular individuals. Of course, it is not possible flower that we see may fade and wither to run away from the particular. In this away and become dust and yet we know world, we are faced all the time with the that there is the beauty of a flower. When particular, and have to deal with it but the we realize that, we are approaching a step whole purpose of life is to see the universal towards the universal. But if we move still which unites all these particulars, and further and realize that there is not only thereby approach closer and closer to the the beauty of a flower, but beauty as such ultimate universal. which exists in a flower, in a human being, How are we to move towards the in the earth, everywhere, then we are universal? That is the question we have moving still nearer to the universal; we to ask ourselves. I feel that it can be done are responding to something which is by trying to sense, or allowing ourselves imperishable, because that Beauty which to sense, the unity which is behind the is common to all these objects is not innumerable, myriads of particulars which something which can fade and wither we come across and not to be lost in those. away as the flower does. In our essential spiritual nature we belong Similarly, we may perceive that a parti- to the world of unity. Dr Besant has said cular thing is true but we do so because that spirituality consists in realizing that there is such a thing as Truth itself, otherwise unity. The word ‘spirituality’ has no other when we perceive that something else is meaning. If we do not have a sense of that true we will not be able to see the likeness unity, of the universal, then we are not in it. The word ‘true’ could not exist unless spiritual. And because in our essential there were something common to all that natures we belong to this world of unity, is true. It was for this reason that the Greeks we are able to perceive the relationship said that individual objects appear to be between particulars which all of us do. beautiful only in so far as they convey We see many things in life which are, ideal beauty.