Theos-Talk Archives (August 1997 Message tl00079)

The following letter is considered by every Theosophical Leader
from HPB onwards, as the charter for the Theosophical Society. 

At a time of declining membership, and at the same time unequaled
opportunity that modern technological communication provides, it
might be a good idea to ponder over what Chohan has to say.

In one of the letter in ML to APS, there was a statement that
whatever results we see are the results of our own actions and in the
light of it, is it possible that the declining membership may be just
the result of the direction that TS has taken all over the world.

May be each one of us in our own way contribute what we can to
further the cause of betterment of the conditions of Humanity.

MKR

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View of the Chohan on the T. S.

 Several good reasons given to K.H. by the Chohan why the T.S.
should be a Brotherhood of Humanity.

The doctrine we promulgate being the only true one, must, --
supported by such evidence as we are preparing to give -- become
ultimately triumphant as every other truth. Yet it is absolutely
necessary to inculcate it, gradually enforcing its theories,
unimpeachable facts for those who know, with direct inferences
deducted from and corroborated by the evidence furnished by
modern exact science. That is why Col H.S.O. who works but to
revive Buddhism may be regarded as one who labours in the true
path of Theosophy, far more than any other man who chooses as his
goal the gratification of his own ardent aspirations for occult
knowledge. Buddhism stripped of its superstitions is eternal truth,
and he who strives for the latter is striving for Theos-sophia, Divine
Wisdom, which is a synonym of truth.

For our doctrines to practically react on the so called moral code or
the ideas of truthfulness, purity, self-denial, charity, etc., we have to
preach and popularise a knowledge of theosophy. It is not the
individual and determined purpose of attaining oneself Nirvana (the
culmination of all knowledge and absolute wisdom) which is, after
all, only an exalted and glorious selfishness, but the self-sacrificing
pursuit of the best means to lead on the right path our neighbour, to
cause as many of our fellow creatures as we possibly can to benefit
by it, which constitutes the true Theosophist.

The intellectual portions of mankind seem to be fast dividing into
two classes, the one unconsciously preparing for itself long periods
of temporary annihilation or states of non-consciousness owing to
the deliberate surrender of their intellect, its imprisonment in the
narrow grooves of bigotry and superstition, a process which cannot
fail to lead to the utter deformation of the intellectual principle; the
other unrestrainedly indulging its animal propensities with the
deliberate intention of submitting to annihilation pure and simple in
cases of failure, to millenniums of degradation after physical
dissolution. Those "intellectual classes," reacting upon the ignorant
masses which they attract and which look up to them as noble and fit
examples to follow, degrade and morally ruin those they ought to
protect and guide. Between degrading superstition and still more
degrading brutal materialism the white dove of truth has hardly room
where to rest her weary unwelcome foot. . . .

It's time that Theosophy should enter the arena. The sons of
Theosophists are more likely to become in their turn Theosophists
than anything else. No messenger of truth, no prophet has ever
achieved during his life time a complete triumph, not even Buddha;
the Theosophical Society was chosen as the corner stone, the
foundation of the future religion of humanity. To achieve the
proposed object a greater, wiser, and especially a more benevolent
intermingling of the high and the low, of the alpha and the omega of
society, was determined upon. The white race must be the first to
stretch out the hand of fellowship to the dark nations, to call the
poor despised "nigger" brothers. This prospect may not smile to all.
He is no Theosophist who objects to this principle. . . .
In view of the ever increasing triumph and at the same time misuse
of free-thought and liberty (the Universal reign of Satan, Eliphas
Levi would have called it), how is the combative natural instinct of
man to be restrained from inflicting hitherto unheard of cruelties and
enormities, tyranny, injustice, etc., if not through the soothing
influence of a brotherhood and of the practical application of
Buddha's esoteric doctrines. For as everyone knows, total
emancipation from authority of the one all pervading power or law
called God by the Theists -- Buddha, Divine Wisdom and
Enlightenment or Theosophy by the philosophers of all ages --
means also the emancipation from that of human law. Once
unfettered [and] delivered from their dead weight of dogmatic
interpretations, personal names, anthropomorphic conceptions and
salaried priests, the fundamental doctrines of all religions will be
proved identical in their esoteric meaning. Osiris, Chrishna, Buddha,
Christ, will be shown as different means for one and [the] same royal
highway to final bliss, Nirvana. Mystical christianity, that is to say
that christianity which teaches self redemption through one's own
seventh principle -- the liberated Para-atma (Augoeides) called by
the one Christ, by others Buddha, and equivalent to regeneration or
rebirth in spirit -- will be found just the same truth as the Nirvana of
mystical Buddhism. All of us have to get rid of our own Ego, the
illusory apparent self, to recognise our true self in a transcendental
divine life. But if we would not be selfish we must strive to make
other people see that truth, to recognise the reality of that
transcendental self, the Buddh, the Christ or God of every preacher.
This is why even exoteric Buddhism is the surest path to lead men
toward the one esoteric truth. As we find the world now, whether
Christian, Mussalman or Pagan, justice is disregarded and honour
and mercy both flung to the winds.

In a word, how, once that the main objects of the T.S. are
misinterpreted by those who are most willing to serve us personally,
are we to deal with the rest of mankind, with that curse known as
the "struggle for life," which is the real and most prolific parent of
most woes and sorrows and of all the crimes? Why has that struggle
become the almost universal scheme of the universe? We answer,
because no religion with the exception of Buddhism has hitherto
taught a practical contempt for this earthly life, while each of them,
always with that one solitary exception, has through its hells and
damnations inculcated the greatest dread of death. Therefore do we
find that struggle for life raging most fiercely in Christian countries,
most prevalent in Europe and America. It weakens in the Pagan
lands and is nearly unknown among Buddhist populations. (In China
during famine and where the masses are most ignorant of their own
or any religion, it was remarked that those mothers who devoured
their children belonged to localities where there were the most of
Christian missionaries to be found. Where there were none and the
Bonzes alone had the field the population died with the utmost
indifference.) Teach the people to see that life on this earth even the
happiest is but a burden and an illusion, that it is but our own
Karma, the cause producing the effect, that is our own judge, our
Saviour in future lives, and the great struggle for life will soon lose
its intensity. There are no penitentiaries in Buddhist lands and crime
is nearly unknown among the Buddhist Tibetans. (The above is not
addressed to you, and has nought to do with the work of the Simla
Eclectic Society. It is meant only as an answer to the erroneous
impression in Mr. Hume's mind of the "Ceylon work" as no
theosophy.)

The world in general and Christendom especially, left for two
thousand years to the regime of a personal God as well as its
political and social systems based on that idea, has now proved a
failure. If the Theosophists say, we have nothing to do with all this,
the lower classes and the inferior races (those of India for instance in
the conception of the British) cannot concern us and must manage as
they can, what becomes of our fine professions of benevolence,
philanthropy, reform, etc. Are these professions a mockery? And if a
mockery, can ours be the true path? Shall we devote our selves to
teaching a few Europeans fed on the fat of the land, many of them
loaded with the gifts of blind fortune, the rationale of bell ringing,
cup growing, of the spiritual telephone and astral body formation,
and leave the teeming millions of the ignorant, of the poor and
despised, the lowly and the oppressed, to take care of themselves
and of their hereafter the best they know how. Never. Rather perish
the Theosophical Society with both its hapless founders than that we
should permit it to become no better than an academy of magic and
a hall of occultism. That we, the devoted followers of that spirit
incarnate of absolute self sacrifice, of philanthropy, divine kindness,
as of all the highest virtues attainable on this earth of sorrow, the
man of men, Gautama Buddha, should ever allow the Theosophical
Society to represent the embodiment of selfishness, the refuge of the
few with no thought in them for the many, is a strange idea, my
brothers.

Among the few glimpses obtained by Europeans of Tibet and its
mystical hierarchy of "perfect lamas," there is one which was
correctly understood and described. "The incarnations of the
Boddisatwa Padma Pani or Avalo-Kiteswara and of Tsong Kapa,
that of Amitabha, relinquish at their death the attainment of
Buddhahood -- i.e. the summum bonum of bliss, and of individual
personal felicity -- that they might be born again and again for the
benefit of mankind." [Rhys Davids] In other words, that they might
be again and again subjected to misery, imprisonment in flesh and all
the sorrows of life, provided that by such a self sacrifice repeated
throughout long and dreary centuries they might become the means
of securing salvation and bliss in the hereafter for a handful of men
chosen among but one of the many races of mankind. And it is we,
the humble disciples of these perfect lamas, who are expected to
allow the T.S. to drop its noblest title, that of the Brotherhood of
Humanity to become a simple school of psychology? No, no, good
brothers, you have been labouring under the mistake too long
already. Let us understand each other. He who does not feel
competent enough to grasp the noble idea sufficiently to work for it,
need not undertake a task too heavy for him. But there is hardly a
theosophist in the whole society unable to effectually help it by
correcting the erroneous impressions of the outsiders, if not by
actually propagating himself the idea. Oh, for the noble and unselfish
man to help us effectually in India in that divine task. All our
knowledge past and present would not be sufficient to repay him. . .
. Having explained our views and aspirations I have but a few words
more to add.

To be true, religion and philosophy must offer the solution of every
problem. That the world is in such a bad condition morally is a
conclusive evidence that none of its religions and philosophies, those
of the civilised races less than any other, have ever possessed the
truth. The right and logical explanations on the subject of the
problems of the great dual principles -- right and wrong, good and
evil, liberty and despotism, pain and pleasure, egotism and altruism
-- are as impossible to them now as they were 1881 years ago. They
are as far from the solution as they ever were but, --

To these there must be somewhere a consistent solution, and if our
doctrines will show their competence to offer it, then the world will
be the first one to confess that must be the true philosophy, the true
religion, the true light, which gives truth and nothing but the truth.

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