Theos-Talk Archives (September 1995 Message tl00365)

Rich:<There is the VOICE OF THE SILENCE, which is pretty explicit in its
directions, and LIGHT ON THE PATH, which she didn't write personally, but HPB
indicated that it was dictated by a Master, and judging from the contents, I
would say it strikes me that way too. >
 Yes. These contain excellent guidence for the first step of the Path.

Rich:< The "laundry list" for chelas is not just for officially accepted
chelas, but for all of us who would like to enter into contact with the
Masters. Things like not touching people or animals are probably not helpful
at our stage, granted, but many of the other requirements are certainly
within our grasp, if we try. >
 If her list of do's and don't's turn you on and make you a better person
then use them. But when you select certain ones to do and disregard others,
you are, in fact, choosing your own Path. This is in accordance with what I
said we need to do at the third step.

Rich:<HPB's articles talk about abortion and suicide and meditation and food,
and a hundred other practical things. She warns against many things, like
exoteric Christianity, hypnotism and selfish thinking, and she reinforces
many things, such as the pursuit of wisdom as a path in itself (JNANA-Yoga).>
 Her articles are all geared to the first two steps - ethics and
compassion. As to meditation, she only condoned Raja Yoga, which is
basically a form of mind control (which is, I agree, an important aspect of
the Path) and Karma Yoga which is so slow it crawls. She warns against
Kundalini Yoga, for example, which is a much steeper and quicker Path. As to
Jnana Yoga, only a few people understand it. If you think that it is a
"pursuit of wisdom" in which we acquire knowledge by reading and studying
until we arrive at Gnosis, then my friend, you also don't understand Jnana
Yoga.
The goal of ALL yogas is to overcome/eliminate the human condition - the
physical body and the thinking process. You will never never do this by
slowly accumulating book-knowledge.

Rich:<When you take Mr. Judge's writings with HPB's, there is an even more
rounded-our practical path. Mr. Judge teaches about applying such ideas as
karma, reincarnation and cycles universally and practically in daily life.>
..etc etc
 I have read everything Judge wrote, and just about everything
that HPB wrote (and they wrote a lot). I still say it all pertains to the
first two steps on the Path. This in no way is meant to belittle their
writings, nor to belittle the first two steps. These steps are very
important - they represent the chief difference between the Path as taught
in theosophy and that taught by magic or occult schools. My argument is
simply that they are only the first two steps. While most folks may take
their whole life with these, some of us may want to go on to step 3 at some
point. Neither HPB nor Judge gave us a very firm ground for step 3. I
rather think that they both considered it unnecessary, since the first two
steps had to be mastered first anyway and only a very few students would
likely be ready for step 3.

Rich:< He was the epitome of the perfect student, and that was perhaps one of
the primary reasons he was sent to us, as a role model for us who are the
students of HPB.>
 It would seem that you like Judge a lot. Thats OK. I like him too.
 But you have to remember that both HPB and Judge were ordered not to give
out certain higher teachings. It is clear to me from reading certain
passages of HPB and Judge, that both were Initiates in the sense that they
had experienced samadhi in some degree - a mystical experience, if you will.
 But neither ever gave out any techniques that students could use, other than
certain relatively safe meditations. Treading the Path is largely about
techniques.

Rich:<If these two parts of the Theosophical teachings aren't practical and
laying down a path (which granted is personal and tread in individual ways) I
guess I don't know what "practical" means. For me, it is not an intellectual
path most of the time, but a minute-by-minute consideration of my dharma or
duty, and an acceptance of karma or conditions. What is the best, most
spiritual way to be and to work when we accept where we find ourselves? How
can we best serve humanity, and approach the state of the Masters? >
 Yes, they are very practical, and it sounds like you are following
them quite well. A question, however, comes to my mind about this whole
business. Doesn't a path take us somewhere? When we walk along a path,
aren't we going somewhere? Don't we usually have a destination in mind? I
think that what path we choose to take, largely depends on where we want to
go. Some of us may just like the walk for its own sake, while others may
have somewhere they want to go.

 Jerry S.