Theos-Talk Archives (January 1997 Message tl00021)

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> From: Nicholas Weeks <am455@lafn.org>

>     Although this extract by HPB was a response to those who found THE
>     SECRET DOCTRINE to difficult, chaotic etc. to study with ease; her
>     advice also applies not just to book study, but our whole approach
>     to Theosophy.
><snip>
>          He demands and expects that his "Path" shall be engineered
>     with all the selfish craft of modern comfort, macadamized, laid out
>     with swift railways and telegraphs, and even telescopes, through
>     which he may, while sitting at his ease, survey the works of other
>     people; and while criticizing them, look out for the easiest, in
>     order to play at the Occultist and Amateur Student of Theosophy. 
>	<snip>
>          Is it to be wondered that so few reach the goal, that so many
>     are called, but so few are chosen?  Is not the reason for this
>     explained in three lines on page 27 of THE VOICE OF THE SILENCE? 
>     These say that while "The first repeat in pride: `Behold, I
>     *know,*' the last, they who in humbleness have garnered, low
>     confess, `thus have I heard'"; and hence, become the only "chosen."
>     
>     [From BCW 12, 236-37; part of HPB's article "Mistaken Notions on
>     THE SECRET DOCTRINE."
> 
I could not help but read the paragraph above and replace railways with
cars, telegraphs with cell phones and telescopes with satellites, not to
mention
the medium that we are using - the Internet and computers.  It jolted me
back
to the time HPB was writing this and made me wonder what her commentary
would be today, more than 100 years ago.

Many people's lives have speeded up since her day, with an increase in
population.  It is harder to travel, even though we have fast cars and
airplanes.
There's so many more people going our way, even on the bus and highway.
At least in this country, there's two-income families with even children
working at the fast food eatery to make ends meet.  In the rush of busy
life today, who will fit in the time to study the Secret Doctrine?  Who
will
be available to do the indepth work that she is talking about?  

These are my questions, even though I feel that every individual has an
individual answer to them.

-AEB

 NOTE:
mac·ad·am·ize (me-kąd¹e-mģz“) verb, transitive
mac·ad·am·ized, mac·ad·am·iz·ing, mac·ad·am·iz·es
To construct or pave (a road) with macadam.