----- ^ / 1 No. 8 1 AUGUST, 1934 ENTRANCE "OLCOTT" AMERICAN NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS UI1DER THE AUSPICES OF THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY ADYAR MRS. RUKMINI ARUNDALE THE AMERICAN fo r m e r ly THE THEOSOPHICAL MESSENGER Official Organ of the American Theosophical Society Vol. XXII August, 1934 No. 8 Brotherhood A Radio Talk by the National President Given Over Station WGN, April 26, 1934 T is most appropriate that a repre­ nition of the law of brotherhood, from sentative of the American Theosoph­ ignoring which arise all of the problems Iical Society should be given an oppor­ with which individuals, communities, class­ tunity to contribute some thoughts on es and nations find themselves continu­ the subject of brotherhood in this period ally confronted. of W GN's program of broadly conceived The cry for liberty is constantly in evi­ religious presentation. For it is a funda­ dence, but the voice of true liberty is mental principal of the Theosophist that seldom heard. We often hear the phrase he has no dogmas or creeds, since he holds “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity,” but we that all religions are derived from one must reverse this order since it is frater­ source and that there is therefore no one" nity or brotherhood that must first be religion which is the exclusive road to established before there is any possibility the ultimate goal of attainment. He con­ of fullness of liberty. Liberty is the crown siders each religion as having its role to of progress, not its first step, and although fulfill in a great plan for the human race increasing liberty comes with fraternity as a whole, just as the seven rays in the and equality, the perfection of liberty solar spectrum have all their distinct can come only when brotherhood is the functions in fostering the growth of living basis of society and when the under­ things. To him all men and women, no standing of the brotherhood of man has matter what their country or the religion redressed the inequalities of Nature. And into which they are bom, the lowest as the it is as a law of Nature that I would ask you highest, the most ignorant and backward to consider this question of brotherhood, as the most cultured, enshrine within for laws of Nature, as you known, are in­ themselves the Divine Immanence, and violable. We cannot break them; we can brotherhood thus becomes a fact in Na­ only disregard them. We have no power ture, and when rightly understood, the really to disobey, but only to ignore; and supreme fact in the life of all mankind. when we disregard, it is not we who break The final satisfactory working out of the the law; it is the law that breaks us. problems of human relationships, whether Until that great fact is realized as regards within the family, the community or brotherhood, society and nation alike built among nations, depends upon this recog­ on any other foundation will always be 170 THE AMERICAN THEOSOPHIST found after awhile to perish. Only by harmony with but it is destined again to blossom into splendor this fundamental natural law can human society as the social distinctions of caste disappear and hope to endure. thus prepare the nation for its reinstatement as a It is not possible to find in all of history an cultural example for all the world. example of the solid building of society on the Now in the application of brotherhood we have law of brotherhood, and there is not a single no more right to sacrifice one class than another. instance of a civilization both enduring and per­ Brotherhood must be applied with justice, for manently progressing. Every one has failed to justice also is a natural law. There is no basic endure or ceased to progress because not built right in a nation to sacrifice the employer class entirely in accord with the law. any more than the worker class, and there lies Take the marvelous civilization of Greece, one of the dangers which we face today. There which has dominated western thought since its is so much resentment at conditions which have day, which is still for Christendom the criterion endured for many years, that there is danger of of philosophy and literature, which still gives the revenge taking the place of justice. That is not models of art and beauty, which reached marvelous fair or right. Both classes are equally the product perfection in the individual, which built up so­ of the system, and this we should not forget; they cieties, city-states, whose citizens are an example are the result of conditions which we have all and a marvel to the world. The ideals of beauty, agreed with and accepted, unconsciously if not of responsibility to the state, the subordination consciously, implicitly if not explicitly. We are of the welfare of the individual to the welfare of all responsible for the conditions that exist, because the state, were carried to perfection in the civiliza­ we have failed to put our hearts as well as our tion of Greece. But in one respect, and that the brains into the solving of social problems. It may vital one of the broad interpretation of brother­ be necessary for pioneers to be fired with zeal for hood, that civilization failed; for all outside of the movements they lead, to be almost fanatical Greece were classified as barbarians, and Athens, in their burning ardor of enthusiasm for the cause with all its splendor, was built upon slavery — they serve, but for the great majority there is the slavery such as Aristotle described, that made of duty of clear seeing, balanced understanding, a slave only a piece of property hardly worthy of careful weighing of all the elements in the problem, the name of humanity. There was the basic weak­ making the change from what is wrong to what is ness of the civilization of Greece; there the cause better, an orderly transition — evolution, not of its perishing. Splendid ideals, perfect patriotism, revolution. exquisite culture — these alone survive only as If there is one thing more than another needed memories. If coupled with the practical applica­ today in public thinking, it is a recognition of tion of the great fundamental principle of brother­ what is directionally sound and true. Progress hood, outward turned to all men, that marvelous comes of change, not by standing still, and the civilization might have survived. open-minded and true-thinking citizen will will­ Many are the examples of civilizations lost, and ingly accept change that represents an advance of in every one we find glories, fit to be perpetuated, human happiness, recognizing that a change to cut down by disregard of the principle of world­ such an end is directionally right, though he may wide brotherhood. not approve the details of the plan of progress. Take another civilization still existing, that of The question is only whether the change repre­ India, which has endured for thousands of years sents a truer application of the principle of brother­ and represented a very definite attempt to build hood. There may be compromises in the determi­ the principle of brotherhood into the foundation nation of the method of application of the prin­ of society; that is why it has lived. It realized ciple, but as to the ideal there can be no compro­ that brotherhood in man was based on the essen­ mise. It must be held up as a guide to all human tial truth that in every man resides a fragment of a ctiv ity . the Divine Life, the root of the fundamental And so I urge that wherever the principle equality of all. It realized that man was Divine of brotherhood is inherent in a new plan, there in his heart, and it saw in every human being a should support be given. Where idealism in any potential God, possessing unlimited but unevolved form permeates the work of public men, there are Divine possibilities. It recognized at the same men to follow, there idealism to support, there time that men were in different stages in the plans to welcome. Even though in themselves development of these Divine qualities, and hence the plans may not be perfect, yet if they are the parceled off the various types of work to different projection of the principle of brotherhood, they grades of individuals, and so long as this division are plans for progress, and though in some re­ in the castes was maintained only for service, spects they fail, they may nevertheless be accepted, recognizing no fundamental inequality in the in­ even welcomed, for the assurance that they will herent and unmanifested powers, the civilization develop greater good than evil and will provide of India waxed strong, splendid and happy. It a foundation stronger for new developments di­ was when the caste system degenerated into a rectionally sound, than that upon which they system of social tyranny instead of one of social themselves were built. service that civilization waned. That it still exists It has been well said: “Support all work or is due to the basic recognition of the root principle movements which stand for brotherhood. Con­ of brotherhood, now so ineffectively carried out, sider less what they achieve and more the ideals 171 which they embody. Do not overvalue results. Motives will be less in question. The direction in Recognize generously all heartfelt effort. Appre­ which their projects point, toward or against the ciate deeply all honest endeavor, be the apparent application of the fundamental natural law of effect insignificant or outstanding.