Theos-Talk Archives (April 1997 Message tl00103)

Mary Poppins wrote:
>From what I recall, Annie Besant believed that these people, or at least a
>higher proportion of them than in other groups of people, were remnants of the
>4th root race, as their slower development than other cultures would imply.  I
>don't see the relevance to the 1st object of describing the remnants of the 4th
>root race as being less human than are members of the 5th root race.  That some
>humans are less developed than others is no reason to exclude them from
>brotherhood.

Again, I'm confused as to the meaning of "development."  Is it just
cultural, mental, physical, what?  I know, you're all going to say SOUL.

>From what I've read of Australian Aboriginal culture before the
encroachment of civilization,

-They have Dreamtime myths that relates to the universe, the psychic, all
creatures, and the earth.  Thus, the universal and outside consciousness is
related to the inner consciousness, the metaphysical and the physical are
one.  In their conception, the Aborigines do not think of linear time and
space, instead they replace that with a model of movement from dream to
reality and conscious (visible) and unconscious (invisible) space,
representative of the creative universe.  Like the theosophists and their
monads, the Aborigines have a complicated system to explain the body and
soul make up.  For example, they believe that animal blood vibrates with
the magnetic field of cosmic influences.  Thus, their ceremonies often use
blood to connect with the invisible energy world.  This being in tune with
magnetic fields is important for their connection with animals and for
psychic abilities.

-They relate the Dreamtime stories through metaphors.  These are expressed
through what used to be impermanent paintings, verbal stories, songs, and
dance.  There was a story of an Aborigine woman who could not read and
write, and yet was able to lead her tribe to a water hole based on an
ancient story.

-They have a very close-knit family and clan system.  Any new child is
raised by the whole clan, although the child knows who the mother and
father is.  A child is taught from early on the relation of everybody in
the clan to him/herself and the importance of being with the clan.  The
Aboriginal expression of a family member is not "my uncle", but
"uncle/self".  The child is encouraged to share with everybody from an
early age.  The child is usually not punished but disciplined by gentle
coaxing.  If a child is particularly bad, a form of punishment could be
pointing to the child's shadow or pointing to a tree, say that it is the
child, and whipping it.  If a parent loses patience and ends up hitting the
child, it is considered a great shame that the parent did not have enough
self-control.  No one but the parent is allowed to discipline a child.
That would cause a fight within the clan.  The child is allowed to express
all of his/her emotions, even tantrums.  The adult usually reacts with
amusing laughter until the child tires.  Thus, an Aboriginal child is often
a spontaneous and happy child.

-They have complicated initiation rites.  This include male initiations
dealing with circumcision, etc., female initiations, and betrothal
initiations.  These initiations have full participation of the clan.

-Aborigines meditate, sometimes in stances similar to yoga.

-All of life's physicals, including lust and anger, is not considered bad.
In fact, in their myths, new life results from passion, either in lust or
in anger.  For example, a story of a battle could be the blood from a
battle creating something else.

Perhaps all this talk about unevolvement came from the lack of
understanding regarding the Aborigine philosophy on linear time and space,
and their sensual nature.  In their non-linear time and space, movement
*forward* by either acquisition of wealth, knowledge, or technology is
unimportant.  Also, Blavatsky may also have fallen for the Darwinian theory
of random mutation and natural selection that have caused erroneous
conceptions regarding the African race and the Aborigine race.

Thoa