Theos-Talk Archives (December 1994 Message tl00072)

>Jerry and Others,
>Jerry Wrote:

> Belief in the Masters is not required for membership in any of
> the Theosophical Organizations.  I've known members with all
> kinds of ideas about them.  Some members idealize them into
> mythical and magical beings.  Others speak of them as metaphors,
> or psychological projections.  My own research on the subject
> leads me to believe that Blavatsky's "Masters" were historical
> figures, now long dead.  By their own statements, they were far
> more human than many theosophists hold them to be.  For instance,
> these Masters make it quite clear in their letters that their
> primary mode of transportation was horseback--not astral
> projection.  Their own accounts also make it clear that they ate,
> slept, and one even smoked a pipe--i.e.  they were not
> disincarnate beings.  Though their letters exhibit a great deal
> of learning, they were not omniscient.

In one of the Mahatma Letters (which I don't currently have time
to find) I believe it is K.H.  that talks about the masters as
physical beings, and seems to indicate that only a small fraction
of the *spiritual entity* that is what a "master" actually is can
ever actualize through the physical human form...that they were
*both* incarnate and discarnate at once.  Indeed, this makes some
sense.  Perhaps the clearest sign of someone genuinely travelling
the path is a greatly intensified or enlarged energy system.
Perhaps past a certain point in development a human energy system
simply becomes too large to even be able to fit within the human
personality configuration...  and becomes then a "master"...no
longer needing a human personality for its own development, but
at times perhaps generating one through which part of that large
energy system is capable of introducing itself into the realm of
human affairs.

> Jerry: I feel that the "Master" that is within each of us is far
> more relevant to our lives than HPB's teachers.  Her teachers
> were her teachers.  Our only connection with them is though our
> involvement with the theosophical movement.  Otherwise, they
> belong to the past, they did their job and they are gone.  What
> good would it do us to freeze them in time and "worship" some
> people whom we know little about?

Two things.  First, I'm curious...how have you concluded that
there is a "master" within each of us? Is it perhaps possible
that what really exists in each of us is the *seed* of what may
someday become a master? Its a rather large question, because its
answer constitutes the fundamental intent of one's path.  If one
believes a full-blown master is already in existance somewhere
within one's energy field (regardless of how deeply unconscious)
then the process called "spiritual growth" would then entail
discovering the mechanisms by which the lower personality
structure might be hooked up or integrated into that "master
within".  If, however, even that inner trans-incarnational being
is but a seed, in some still dormant, in some germinate, and in
some growing quickly towards maturity, then the path would be one
of discovering, during the course of any incarnation, what sort
of nutrition that growing being needs, and choosing mate,
job-for-service, living style & etc.  that best delivered the
nutrition.

Second...is our only connection through the TS? I suspect those
huge energy systems called "masters" are virtually continuously
at work, and have probably inspired or overshadowed countless
organizations and movements over time, and still do so today.  In
the old TS writings we catch nothing but a glimpse, from a very
particular angle of vision, of their work...nothing but a few
hints...and the TS is fast becoming a crystallized, stagnent form
as the original energy impulse that drove it is now almost at an
end, and those involved become almost obsessed with *structure*
(the inevitable shift from the life-side to the form-side that
humans seem unable to resist doing with virtually any spiritual
impulse unleased into our kingdom).  I agree that the particular
presentation/pesonality of those masters as written of in the TS
writings are dead and in the past...but I also suspect that
almost any human who reaches the point of unleashing the entire
energy, skills and talents of their being towards utterly
selfless service almost cannot help but be drawn, by spiritual
affinity, into some larger current generated by the masters...if
the old TS writings say nothing else, they do seem to indicate
that while the masters don't give a damn about selfish desires to
"see them" or "work with them" existing in personality
structures, they almost continually look for people who are
really willing to do the work....to work as hard for humanity as
a whole as most work for the the sake of personality desires.

> Jerry: There may very well be others like them in the world
> today, but unless we are part of that action, I believe our
> energy is better spent concentrating on the needed spiritual work
> that is right in front of our noses.

       YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

        This is probably exactly what *they* would say.

Season's Greetings to all...
       With love,   -JRC