Theos-Talk Archives (June 1996 Message tl00316)

Jerry S>
"seven luminous jewels or paths or keys to the temple of truth."
These are:
1.  Reinbodiment
2.  Karma
3.  Hierarchies
4.  Swabhava (self-becoming)
5.  Evolution
6.  Two Paths  (amrita-yana, the Path of Bliss, and
	         pratyeka-yana, the Path for Oneself)
7.  Atma-Vidya (knowledge of self)

	Now, I know that we will not get a consensus
agreement of these Core Teachings here on Theos-l,
but this does seem like a good place to start.  Now, first
of all, I want to assure everyone that we are talking about
Theosophy (cap T) here.  As much as some of us are
opposed to any core teachings at all, it is essential to
define "Theosophy" for newbies, advertising, and so on.


Martin comments: indeed, and that's just what I have been doing on the
Spiritweb.
The seven jewels look fine to me, although they are not the final word
of what's theosophy is all about or what's the spiritual all about.
I mean, only a *beginning* of an exposition of the jewels has been given
by HPB and GdP. The real esoteric knowledge is not given IMO and most of that
comes through experience anyway.


Jerry S>The only one of G de P's 7 categories that I
would oppose is swabhava, which is one of my main
objections to G de P's writings.  He extolls the virtues
of swabhava, and considers it a wonderful thing, because
it leads to individualization.  Buddhism, both Mahayana
and Theravada oppose swabhava, and consider it the
chief cause of our mayavic world--the great Heresy of
Separateness.  Swabhava is a four-letter word in
Buddhism.


Martin comments:

According to GdP there's also a school of 'swabhavika's' in Buddhism,
only, they have a too materialized version of swabhava.
I see no problem with the teaching on swabhava. It is, however, not very
clearly exposed by GdP. I think it has relations with the concept of skandha's,
a clearly Buddhistic concept.

What do you think?