Theos-Talk Archives (September 1994 Message tl00001)

Hello Gerald, you wrote:

> Well, what can I say?  I tried to present my
> views on ethics, and got condemnation from
> all sides (it reminds me of the time I co-

..(deleted text)...

> single person apparently understood my drift
> (I was really hoping for at least one).  I
> find it interesting that theosophists deplore
> anyone forcing the development of psychic
> abilities, and yet extoll the virtues of
> forcing ethics down their own and other's
> throats.  What seemed to me to be such an
> obvious notion - that by cultivating
> compassion and spiritual insight, we can let
> both psychic abilities and ethics come into
> our lives quite naturally whereas when either
> is forced, grave physical and psychological
> dangers can arise - got lost in the desire to
> see ghosts where none existed.

Your hopes were not in vain, I still think of your statement at
your post, "A Problem with Ethics", at 18th of August.  I have
also asked some senior Theosophist of this question, but not yet
have got an answer that would have put me on ease.

Here is that part of your post:

>Gerald> Most Christians are taught to be ethical.  In fact,
church attendance and ethics are quite sufficient to get most
Christians into heaven.  The problem that I have with ethics is
motive.  Most Christians (and I shouldn't really pick on
Christians, because it is true across the board) are ethical
because they believe that this will get them into heaven.  In
other words, ethics are a means to an end, and this end involves
the inflation of ego.  Theosophists are not supposed to be
interested in inflating the ego, but rather the opposite.

As a theosophist, has the thought ever come to you that by being
more ethical you will move toward spirituality? The thought often
sounds something like this: "If I am ethical, I will tread the
path, I will become enlightened, I will increase my good karma, I
will further my spiritual evolution." Has it? If so, then please
tell me the difference between the theosophist and the Christian.
Are not both on similar ego trips? Even the tiny little thought
that by helping someone, I will lessen my karmic burden and thus
my next life will be better, is an ego trip.  And yet I hear this
kind of stuff in theosophical literature all the time.  I submit
that it matters very little whether we seek to enter heaven or
seek a better future life on Earth - both ideas are egoistic.
...

Any ideas?

Peace, aki.

Oulu, Finland.