Theos-Talk Archives (December 1995 Message tl00118)

>Bee to Eldon:
>> I don't really expect to see devotional people in Theosophy as it
>>appeals to the intellect and promotes the wisdom as knowledge to the
>>intellect and then for intellectual people the devotion comes later. We all
>>start a various levels and types of spiritual pursuits.
>
> True. I used to wonder why after describing so many
>gods and goddesses in the literature theosophists were simply
>ignoring them. Finally I realized the reason is that gods and
>goddesses are not appealing to the intellect. The polytheism
>of theosophy is simply another intellectual doctrinal note in a
>long list of others. In magical schools and in religions we
>converse with these deities via either prayer or ritual. In
>theosophy we pretty much ignore them.

Do you think the Masters represent the intellectual version of god/desses?
Perhaps it is the devotional persons who like Leadbeater and A B as there is
more ritual in their writings and they talk more about how to approach the
unseen worlds and use invocations etc. Conversing with deities in any shape
or form seems scary to theosophists. Somehow that seems to have been lumped
in under 'new age' and to be treated with caution. There is a real
difference in thinking between the intellectual and the devotional and I
sometimes wonder if the twain can meet sensibly. One day a jointing of the
two will no doubt occur so in the mean time tolerance is sorely needed.
>
>Bee to Eldon:
>>There are lots of people who do not see knowledge as an intellectual study
>>to be their way of spiritual growth.
>
> I am one of these. However I do love to read and study.
>I see this as building the scaffolding so to speak to keep the mind
>on some kind of sanity track. The human mind requires a structure
>or pattern of some kind in order to make sense of one's experiences.
>Without such a "mind map" or intellectual background it is easy to
>go off the deep end and loose one's perspective completely. The
>thought "Am I crazy?" must be answered in some way. However
>it is important to remember that this scaffolding i.e. world view is
>always subject to change.
>
>From an intellectual's point of view much of the 'new age' is without
perspective as the discussions come straight from the emotions and lack
clarity of thought. I used to enjoy the new age stuff emotions and all
until the novelty wore off and now I need more serious stuff to think about
and I cannot get it together with it anymore. Rather a shame because they
are all caring people and share all their experiences and dreams as if it
was the most important thing there ever was. To them it is and I respect
their right to do it their way but I find it is no longer satisfying to myself.
>Bee to Eldon:
>>Rituals do a lot for devotional people as they relate to spirit in that way.
>>Rituals also get imbued with certain vibrations that these people can use in
>>their meditations and can be felt by sensitive people. Sometimes rituals are
>>what opens them to the spiritual life and then they have to discover which
>>way is the best for them to follow.
>
> There are formal conscious and informal unconscious
>rituals that we can conduct. If anyone thinks that they never do rituals
>then they are simply done unconscious as every psychologist knows.
>Most Buddhist meditations try to employ the body speech and mind
>together. Thus these yogic meditations are really rituals.

I love the concept of the Masters and so I guess in my own way I have
organised a ritual of sorts out of the theosophical wisdom. I like to think
of them as humanity's guardian angels and aspiring to one day being a chela
seems a neat way to go.
>
> Jerry S.
> Member Theosophy International
>
Bee Brown
Member Theosophy International