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I.S.I.S. Foundation The Messenger of Light The activities of the I.S.I.S. Foundation are based on: 1. The essential unity of all that exists. ® 2. By reason of this unity: brotherhood as a fact in nature. 3. Respect for everyone’s free will (when applied from this idea of universal brotherhood). 4. Respect for everyone’s freedom to build up their own view of life. 5. To support the developing of everyone’s own view of life and its application in daily practice. LuciferFor seekers of Truth Current topics viewed in the light of the Ancient Wisdom or Theo-sophia — the common source of all great world religions, philosophies and sciences Why this journal is called Lucifer I.S.I.S. Lucifer literally means Bringer of Light. Each culture in the East and West has his bringers of light: inspiring Symposium wonderment individuals who give the initial impulse to spiritual growth and social reform. They stimulate independent thinking and living with a profound awareness 2013 of brotherhood. These bringers of light have always been opposed and slandered by the establishment. But there are always those who refuse to be put off by these Practical slanderers, and start examining the wisdom of the bringers of light in an open-minded and unprejudiced way. spirituality: spiritual For these people this journal is written. beyond philosophy growth Mysteries “… the title chosen for our magazine is as much associated with divine ideas as with the supposed rebellion of the hero of Milton’s Paradise Lost … We work for true Religion and Science, in the interest of fact as against matter, fiction and prejudice. It is our duty – as it is that of physical Science – to 2 throw light on facts in Nature hitherto surrounded by the darkness of in society ignorance … But natural Sciences are only one aspect of SCIENCE and TRUTH. Psychological and moral Sciences, or theosophy, the knowledge of discipline divine truth, are still more important …” (Helena Petrovna Blavatsky in the first issue of Lucifer, September 1887) No. 1 | March 2014 Publication of I.S.I.S. Foundation (International Study-centre for Independent Search for truth) Lucifer® Colophon I.S.I.S. Foundation Editors: Barend Voorham, Henk The name of the Foundation [Stichting] is Bezemer, Bianca Peeters, Astrid ‘Stichting International Study-centre for Kramer. Independent Search for truth’. Its registered office is in The Hague, The Netherlands. Chief editor: Herman C. Vermeulen The object of the Foundation is to form Editorial office: a nucleus of Universal Brotherhood by De Ruyterstraat 72-74, disseminating knowledge about the spiritual 2518 AV Den Haag, structure of human beings and the cosmos, tel. +31 (0) 70 346 15 45 free from dogma. e-mail: [email protected] The Foundation endeavors to accomplish this Reactions: object by giving courses, organizing public and The Editorial Board reserves the right other speeches and lectures, issuing books, to make a selection and/or shorten brochures and other publications, and by incoming documents drawing on all other resources available to it. Subscription: I.S.I.S. Foundation is a non-profit organization, This is the third free sample of which is recognized as such by the tax Lucifer, the Messenger of Light. For authorities in The Netherlands. For the purposes subscription, mail the editorial office: of the tax authorities, I.S.I.S. Foundation has [email protected] what is called ANBI status. The price of next issues will be about ANBI stands for General Benefit Organisation € 7,- for a paper version and about (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling). € 1,- euro for a digital version. The most important requisites in obtaining this Payment by Internet – creditcard (see ANBI status are: website). • It is a non-profit organization, so it has no earnings. Any profit earned from for Publisher: example book sales, must be fully used I.S.I.S. Foundation, Blavatskyhouse, for general beneficial activities. For I.S.I.S. De Ruyterstraat 72-74, Foundation, this is spreading the Theo- 2518 AV Den Haag, sophia. (We refer to the statutes, aims and tel. +31 (0) 70 346 15 45, principles for further information.) fax +31 (0) 70 345 24 67, • Board members must meet integrity e-mail: [email protected] requirements. internet: www.blavatskyhouse.org • The ANBI must have a separate property, whereby a director or policymaker cannot © I.S.I.S. Foundation dictate over this property as though it were No part of this publication may be his own. reproduced or made public in any • The remuneration of board members form or by any means: electronic, may only consist of a reimbursement for mechanical, by photocopies, expenses and attendance. recordings, or any other way, without prior permission of the Publisher. I.S.I.S. Foundation ANBI number is 50872. The I.S.I.S. foundation is not responsible for any statement or opinion that is published in this magazine, unless an explicit reference is made. Practical spirituality beyond matter, in society I.S.I.S. Symposium, May 25-26, 2013, The Hague I.S.I.S. Symposium – Practical spirituality, beyond matter, in society | March 2014 | Lucifer no. 1 | 1 Practical spirituality beyond matter, in society Introduction 3 Day 1 Wonderment … there must be more behind this 5 Marijn Gijsbers Lucifer Man a spiritual explorer 10 Barend Voorham Thinking like Socrates – recognizing spirituality 15 Erwin Bomas More light on spirituality 22 Herman C. Vermeulen How does spirituality or compassion affect our lives? Views on spirituality 31 Inge Knobloch Contents Where spirituality manifests itself in man 33 Ralph Kammer What is the next step? 36 Claudia Bernard Practical spirituality 40 Sieglinde Plocki Spiritual impulses before the foundation of The Theosophical 44 Society in 1875 Carl Ek Day 2 On our way – is compassion a choice? 54 Linda van Noord Contents Developing spirituality for a harmonious society 59 Jos Peeters No initiation without trial 64 Bianca Peeters The spiritual society … a matter of practice 69 Herman C. Vermeulen Announcement I.S.I.S. Symposium 2014 76 Lucifer No. 1 | March 2014 1 | March No. 2 | Lucifer no. 1 | March 2014 | I.S.I.S. Symposium – Practical spirituality, beyond matter, in society Introduction I.S.I.S. Symposium 2013 Practical spirituality beyond matter, in society This third edition of Lucifer – the Messenger ard that can be used to discriminate between true and of Light is the printed version of the I.S.I.S false spirituality. Symposium that was organized on Saturday the Spirituality means that you have to develop another 25th and Sunday the 26th of May 2013. Two vision on life. The phenomena don’t exist on their interesting days full of lectures and workshops, own, but they are reflections of consciousness that is in which participants actively shared ideas about not in the phenomena but yet is the source of them. what spirituality is, how they can recognize it and A spiritual human sees the phenomena as illusions above all, how to put it into practice. and at the same time he knows that behind these In this Lucifer you will find the lectures and two phenomena the spiritual, everlasting light shines. commentaries on the workshops. Structure of the report The contributions of this symposium follow a cycle Spirituality is ‘hot’. There are many courses and books that everybody who grows spiritually recognizes and available. But how do you find your way through all experiences over and over again. Spiritual growth of this information? Is this something you are able to evolves according to the following cycle: wonderment do yourself or should you rely on others? – philosophy – discipline – mysteries. And that over More importantly there is the question why you should and over again: wonderment … live spiritually. Is spirituality too ‘woolly’ and of no The readers are challenged to discover this cycle of practical use or is living spiritually the answer to all spiritual growth within so that they themselves can of life’s problems? find answers to all kinds of questions. What is spirituality? The goal of the Symposium There is more than just the spiritual and the material This edition of Lucifer – the Messenger of Light is meant World. Spirit is sometimes depicted as the wind, in- for all of those who know – or at least suppose – visible to our eyes. But not everything that we cannot that there is more than just the material World and see, hear or touch is spiritual. Where does the material who are willing to recognize and explore spirituality end and where does the spiritual start? How do we without dogmas or preconceived opinions. So for all make the distinction between unpractical woolliness who want to translate their dreams – their ideals – and clear, practical spirituality? There is a clear stand- into daily practice. I.S.I.S. Symposium – Practical spirituality, beyond matter, in society | March 2014 | Lucifer no. 1 | 3 Pass on your knowledge When you discover spirituality in yourself, awaken and apply it, then you are an example and an inspiration to others. You follow in the footsteps of the Teachers and the Sages of the history of mankind. The more you live in your spiritual core, the more you notice that the light that shines in each and every being is the same. Beings differ only in the extent that they let that light shine. The perception that every being is rooted in the same Life, strengthens one’s relationship with all life. To be conscious of this, is the beginning of compassion. So you master matter, but out of compassion you work in society. What could be more practical than that? Reactions We like to hear your reactions on the report of this I.S.I.S.
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