Theos-Talk Archives (October 1993 Message tl00092)

The purpose of the Theosophical Movement is to stem the tide of
materialism and found the cornerstone of a new popular religious
philsophy. It was not to release keys to occult powers and practices.
I don't think that it was intended to found a school of applied magic.

HPB used phenomena primarily for its shock value, to help people
pry their minds loose from the rigid materialism of the day. She
did not write training guides. Her teachers refused any demonstration
that would be conclusive, like bringing the current issue of "The
London Times" to India via apportation, because it was not their
intent to interest people in developing powers.

It is taught the the wisdom and experience of humanity is preserved
as a living tradition among the Mahatmas. It is their knowledge that
is at the forefront and every day it advances. Western science is
transitory, the learning of a subrace, and will in its due time be
lost and forgotten.

While it may be true that there are bits and pieces of information
in "The Secret Doctrine" or other theosophical texts that may provide
a hint at some physical truth not yet discovered by science, the
presence of the information is incidental, an accident, and not the
intent of the works. Theosophy won't be accepted as any more real--the
philosophy, that is--by uncovering these bits of information; people
will either see something there or they won't, it's a matter of
readiness, not of proof nor of gaining scientific recognition.

We are told of a guardian wall that protects humanity from outside
influences. As individuals, we have the same effect, with most of our
karma dammed back in a lifetime so that it all does not come forth at
once and destroy us. We are protected against harmful outside
influences. This includes the intentional withholding of knowledge of
the occult arts, which would lead, for most people, to sorcery,
because they are not morally and spiritually perpared. It also
includes the limits put on our senses, reining in what we are able
to perceive, so that we can concentrate on the learning tasks at
hand.

It's true that as exceptional individuals, a few of us can pass beyond
these protections and learn and do more. But the protection holds for
humanity in general, and I would expect that in the role of safe
guarding humanity, that the Masters would oppose any efforts towards
promoting a general, working knowledge of the occult sciences. Any
real knowledge given out would be to individuals pledged to secrecy.

These views come from a different worldview that found in the
Besant/Leadbeater writings, so we are talking about some fundamental
differences in view about how life works, what really exists, and
what is going on. These are fundamental questions of philosophy.

Is it more real to discuss the meaning of karma, or to talk about the
particles that make up the hydrogen atom? It is more real to see a
psychic image before the eyes or know in the mind a brilliant idea?
Are there higher faculties of knowing than sense perception or
thought?

Coming from one worldview, there's western science as the champion
of human knowledge, with people with psychic and magical training
taken from their theosophical studies and personal practices, these
people leading science. The other worldview takes the philosophy as
more important, and looks to deeper mysteries behind it.

You might ask what do you *do* with Theosophy if it's only a
philosophy to read and study? It depends upon which book you read
how readily you take all it has to offer. Some books may be good for
a single light reading. Others definitly are not. You are working
on learning that is *ahead* of our time, rather than learning that
appropriate to our present subrace. You are helping cultivate and
nurture faculties that are higher than thought, even though they are
apparently dormant at the present. And you are progressing
spiritually by focusing your mind and heart on things spiritual.

----

In "theos-l", I think that a discussion of the teachings, like on the
real meaing of karma can co-exist with psychical and magical
information and experiences. I'll enjoy reading both types of
material.

The important thing to remember is that we are talking two different
worldviews. In one, it might seem that I say "taboo to scientific
progress"; in the other, it might seem that I say "avoid psychism and
follow the spiritual." The worldviews come from different assumptions
about how life works and our place in it. It is okay for both to
co-exist on "theos-l", but you have to interpret what is said in the
context of the worldview of the person speaking ...

                                 Eldon Tucker
                                 eldon@netcom.com