Theos-Talk Archives (August 1994 Message tl00131)

This is by Eldon Tucker

----
Paul Johnson:

    We have some more agreement, like on the importance of
that aspect of mind that goes beyond appearances to the Real
behind outer things. And we agree that there is an ancient,
timeless wisdom.
    Our disagreement again comes back to having two different
worldviews. I do not agree that the way the world is, the way
that life works, the way that the universe is setup, is as you
see it. (I hold a different worldview.)
    In talking about the deeper side of the Theosophical
Philosophy, the part that goes beyond the spoken word and is
behind our books, I see something closer to life, easier to
attain, simpler and more reachable.
    You seem to believe in a vast gap between the ordinary
knowable and the esoteric. That polarizes it into black and
white, Divine and Profane, Beyond Words and Exoteric. I see a
spectrum of shades of grey, a spectrum of levels of knowledge.
When I speak of using a form of Knowing that goes beyond the
ordinary thinking, I am speaking of only the next of many
levels. Theosophy is a vast ocean with all depths available.
    I feel that the belief in a vast gap between ordinary
knowledge and the first stage of Gupta Vida is the biggest
barrier to trying to attain that knowledge.
    That gap, I would say, is small. It involves use of the
intuition-mind, of buddhi-manas, and is far easier to cross
than the practice of OOBE, giving up smoking, etc.
    To discuss crossing that *small* gap is not outrageous,
it's not like claiming to be a Master or Christ. It in no way
brings with it the right to claim to be an authority.
    The discussion of higher grades of knowledge is not a
personal formulation of supreme Truth, and should not be
condemned as a sham. The denial that such knowledge is readily
available to those who would live the life is the true sham.
The rules for living the life are simple, and spelled out in
many different ways in the different religions and
philosophies of the world. They all start with a solid
groundwork of ethics, morals, and a total emphasis on service
for others.
    I see the Teachings of Theosophy, as presented by
Blavatsky and her Masters, as a presentation of the next grade
or two of Gupta Vida--not of Ultimate Truth. But what they
present is superior to what a uninitiated man, however genius,
would come up on his own. What they present is rooted in
deeper knowledge which they did not say.
    The Theosophical Teachings are based around certain core
concepts, which can be used as seed ideas about which deeper
insights into life can be found. We learn a lot by their
study, but learn still more when we are able to articulate
them and share them with others. My hope is to mine them for
the riches they contain and continually refine my skills in
their exposition.
    Regardless of the type of writing that we may attempt,
there are certain shortcomings. For writing about history, one
must take care to portray the real drama, the real inner life
behind what was happening, and not to give a dead husk that is
only true in a literal sense. In writing about matters of
religious philosophy, one must take care to not sound like
preaching, like pontificating, like sermonizing. I think,
though, that with continued practice that we get better at the
writing, and our communications improve. Let's keep up the
good work.