THE THEOSOPHIST VOL. 131 NO. 6 MARCH 2010 CONTENTS The Keynote of Human Life Altruism 215 Radha Burnier The Art of Learning 221 P. Krishna The Work of the Theosophical Society 224 Annie Besant Pythagoras and Orpheus Greek Philosophers 229 Bhupendra R. Vora The Dartboard of Truth II 235 Edi D. Bilimoria Books of Interest 242 Surendra Narayan Theosophical Work around the World 246 Index 248 International Directory 250 Editor: Mrs Radha Burnier NOTE: Articles for publication in The Theosophist should be sent to the Editorial Office. Cover Picture: A view of the Headquarters building, Adyar J. Suresh Official organ of the President, founded by H. P. Blavatsky, 1879. The Theosophical Society is responsible only for official notices appearing in this magazine. The Keynote of Human Life Altruism The Keynote of Human Life Altruism RADHA BURNIER ALTRUISM should be the characteristic whether they are conscious of it or not. quality of every declared Theosophist. They start to compete in examinations in Many of us declare ourselves to be school, for in order to get work of a Theosophists, but we are only members particular kind they have to compete, and of the Theosophical Society, not real show they are excellent.Without that spirit Theosophists. The Theosophist is one of competition it is very difficult for the who is different because he is character- average human being; he remains at a ized by this quality of altruism. Each one level where he is merely passing time. of us can examine, from time to time, HPB said, motive and motive alone whether we qualify to be a Theosophist makes the action which a person performs or not, or whether we are merely members good or bad. The altruist is not necessarily of the Theosophical Society. one who performs right action according Altruism, about which HPB has written to the notions of the world, but he who in glowing terms, is the quality that we all sees whether his actions are good or bad. need to display in our actions, words and HPB says: It is impossible to employ life, if we want to be of use in this world. spiritual forces if there is the slightest tinge As long as we do not possess the correct of selfishness remaining in the operator. tendencies, we are not truly useful. We All of us, without exception, do have a have to pursue our slow way through tinge or two, or may be more, of selfish- many incarnations, until we realize the ness as we perform our duties. We may beauty and the grandeur of being altruistic. be aware of them as duties, but we still The world may regard various people as think of them in terms of success, failure altruistic when they do a little bit of good, and so on which makes it selfish in the but the person who is truly altruistic lives, real sense of the term. HPB also said: not for himself but for the sake of others, including birds, animals, insects and the Meditation, abstinence, the observation of earth itself. moral duties, gentle thoughts, good deeds In the present day, most people are and kind words, as goodwill to all and engaged in some kind of competition, entire oblivion of Self are the most Talk given in December 2009 at the International Convention, Adyar. March 2010 215 The Theosophist effective means of obtaining knowledge on what they think will make them appear and preparing for the reception of higher well. To be neatly and nicely dressed is wisdom. natural. But to dress in order to compete with others, to appear splendid, is very These words appear to be easy to peculiar to human beings. No animal understand, but they are difficult to follow. which is beautiful tries to be beautiful. It Abstinence from what? Abstinence from is beautiful by itself. But human beings the intention of connecting it with myself; try to be so, even if they are not really there is a sense of myself in our minds to which we connect everything we do. what they appear to be. Altruism means not only avoiding Very few people in this world are connecting everything to oneself but to encouraged to be altruistic. They are so do a thing because it is the right thing to intent upon their own appearance, their do. And if that is so all these words have own cleverness, their own progress and great meaning: abstinence, meditation, their own families, their nation, etc. So observation of moral duties, observation evolution is very slow and, contrary to of self and so on. what people say, evolution by nature is The principle of competition has very slow in this age. It is called Kali Yuga become very important in modern life. because competition and all the things Without competing, it is difficult for a which go with it are so strong. It is very person to live. I do not say it is impossible, common for artists to be jealous of each but it becomes difficult for a person to do other. I know something about this hav- anything useful. Therefore children are ing been in this field myself. Even when taught this spirit of competition; they they are brilliant they are still looking at naturally like to compete, but they can other people to be sure that no one else compete without this consciousness that reaches the same level. Ordinary people I am competing, I am winning. They are emulate this feeling and appear to be taught this spirit of competition in the courteous, to be good when they are not sports field. We can see how aggressive really so. Our work in the Theosophical even the competition for world champion- Society is to destroy such attitudes, to ship has become. But they can be taught destroy the spirit of competition which to learn to play for the fun of it, the lessons says I shall go first. You do what is that it brings to us, etc. In jobs also compe- necessary, what is beautiful, what is right, tition becomes very important. Everybody not because you want to be better than has started to compete and daily life others but because it is the natural way becomes tainted because of the compe- for you. titive spirit. It is one of the qualities of HPB says that the key to each degree modern life which it is sad to see. is the aspirant himself. Nobody else is Many women are stimulated to appear responsible. But another characteristic of beautiful even if they are not. They put the present day is that we throw the 216 Vol. 131.6 The Keynote of Human Life Altruism responsibility on somebody else. We say, a human being can achieve not more My parents should have brought me up money, more power over other people and in such and such way; if I were in different things, and more of anything at all. Just circumstances I would have behaved in a this elevated place from where one can better way, etc. But in life there are no understand and know everything. This is ifs. We are put in circumstances which the life of the Mahatmas. we deserve, which we have chosen for The word Mahatma means great soul, ourselves. Our motto should be to know not somebody who has been given the title ourselves well. Then we can begin to bring of Mahatma by other people who do not changes into civilization which most know anything at all, but a person who people will accept. We must see that really has a great soul. He is someone who everything depends on ourselves, not on knows everything, who knows how somebody else, on father or mother or people shall improve themselves and brother or whatever it is. leave behind all the past. Science, as it is, Human welfare is very important cannot help us in this way because it is because the human being is the only one used mostly for war purposes. Science, that can understand himself. There are instead of being knowledge, becomes a many people who think that human life way of destruction. It is a great pity in the present world is the highest. This is because in its very nature science means a fallacy. It is not the highest, it is the to know. It is the opportunity to know beginning. If we read Light on the Path, everything, and is capable of becoming which has many valuable things to say, it the ally of spiritual growth. This is possibly suggests that when we really become a future which we have to envisage human, not half-human, then we begin the when science, religion and philosophy Path to enlightenment and not until then. become one Truth. But most of us do not start in the Gupta-vidyâ is a Sanskrit word which beginning. We think the beginning is the means sacred knowledge, wisdom or the end and that human life has reached the hidden wisdom. It is now considered to top of all life, which is not so. Human life be a special privilege which is given to must go beyond itself, beyond this stage some people only, because they are at which it finds itself now. How many of discreet and others are not. This us are ready to take this as the stage from knowledge of everything can be very which we will have to make progress and dangerous as it is evident from people who not regard this life as the height of know a little bit more than others.