Theos-Talk Archives (November 1994 Message tl00066)

Greetings:

Thought I'd add my $.02 to the Silence conversation...  I had
wondered, several years ago, about the stunningly different
nature of the 3 different parts of the Voice, and had come to the
following conclusions:

1.  The text as a whole (of which HPB translated three fragments)
is very likely like the Old Testament...that is, written,
translated, added to, refined, re-translated etc.  etc., written
by many different people over the course of perhaps centuries
(possibly *millenia* even).  To presume that there will be any
obvious philosophical consistancy of the sort found in a book
written at one time by one author in sequential chapters is a
mistake, and would be bound to be as confusing as if (for
instance) a book called "The Voice of the Prophets" was produced
containing only three sections....  Fragments from the Song of
Songs, a piece of Genesis, and part of Ezekial.

2.  To think in terms of thesis/antithesis/synthesis is an
interesting approach, but here, perhaps, is another one:

It is a purely western notion to consider knowledge independent
of the *state of development of the knower*; eastern mysticism
(if I can make such a huge, generalized statement), and the TS
Masters in particular were continually, drawing lines betond
which (for instance) Sinnett's questions would not be answered,
and it seemed to at times be implied that giving even the
greatest "secrets" on earth would be useless if the recipient had
not reached the internal development necessary to understand the
information.

The conclusion I had reached about the differences in the 3
sections of the Voice was that HPB, in selecting the fragments,
had delibrately chosen them so that people at different levels of
inner understanding would get something of value from the book.

The person (for instance) filled with the material world and day
to day human life *first* needs to break free of its most
powerful attractions before any meaningful inner work can be
begun, and perhaps the first part of the Voice resonates most
strongly with those...as it heavily emphasizes detachment.  At a
particular point, however, (a point I believe many Theosophists
get stuck in) detachment becomes easy, but if it goes too far the
person becomes extremely self-involved...thus the second fragment
may be for those who most need to understand that while talking
philosophy and breaking lower desires are wonderful...that world
they've detached from *is* a field of service that must be
re-entered...etc., etc.

                           Just thoughts                  -JRC