Theos-Talk Archives (October 1998 Message tl00047)

W. Dallas TenBroeck <dalval@nwc.net> writes
>Oct 18th 1998
>
>Dallas offers some quotations to consider --- from Theosophical
>Literature
>
>"...the Secret Doctrine teaches history-which, for being esoteric
>and traditional, is none the less more reliable than profane
>history-we are entitled to our beliefs as anyone else, whether
>religionist or sceptic."                                       SD I 267 (top)
>
Including the belief that the SD version of history is more reliable, for
which no hard evidence is offered.
>
>"The members of several esoteric schools-the seat of which is
>beyond the Himalayas...claim to have in their possession the sum
>total of sacred and philosophical works in MSS, and type;  all
>the works...that have been written in whatever language or
>character, since the art of writing began..."          SD I xxiii
>
An interesting, but unsubstantiated claim.  If it came from the Moonies,
we would possibly regard such a statement with *extreme* suspicion.
If such documents exist, then let them be published.  They can't be
harder to understand than the "days and nights of Brahma," and may
even be more relevant to the human condition *as it is* here and now.
>
>"...occult Science-having survived even the great Flood that
>submerged the antediluvian giants...still holds the Key to all
>the world problems.  Let us apply that Key to the rare fragments
>of long-forgotten cosmogonies and try by their scattered parts to
>re-establish the once Universal Cosmogony of the Secret
>Doctrine....No one can study ancient philosophies seriously
>without perceiving that the striking similitude of conception
>between all-in their exoteric form very often, in their hidden
>spirit invariably-is the result of no mere coincidence, but of a
>concurrent design;  and that there was, during the youth of
>mankind, one language, one knowledge. one universal religion, and
>when there were no churches, no creeds or sects, but when every
>man was a priest unto himself...that thought was inspired by the
>same revelations, and man was nurtured under the protecting
>shadow of the same TREE OF KNOWLEDGE." SD I 341

Again, unsupported claims. Very impressive-sounding, but as likely as
any similar claim to be of doubtful authenticity.
>
>"The landmarks of the archaic history of the past are few and
>scarce, and those that men of science come across are mistaken
>for finger-posts of our little era.  Even so-called "universal"
>(?) history embraces but a tiny field in the almost boundless
>space of the unexplored regions of our latest, fifth Root-Race.
>Hence, every fresh signpost, every new glyph of the hoary Past
>that is discovered, is added to the stock of information, to be
>interpreted on the same lines of pre-existing conceptions, and
>without any reference to the special cycle of thought which that
>particular glyph may belong to...the Asvattha, tree of Life and
>Being, whose destruction alone leads to immortality, is said in
>the Bhagavadgita to grow with its roots above and its branches
>below (ch. xv.).  The roots represent the supreme Being, or first
>Cause, the LOGOS;  but one has to go beyond those roots to unite
>oneself with Krishna...Its boughs are Hiranyagarbha (Brahma or
>Brahman in his highest manifestation...)the highest Dhyan Chohans
>or Devas.  The Vedas are its leaves.  He only who goes beyond the
>roots shall never return, i.e., shall reincarnate no more during
>this "age" of Brahma."
>                                               SD I 406
>
"It is said, " or "It is written" does not make something true. Nor does
"It is printed."  How are we supposed to check all this out?
>
>Duration of "Races" and "sub-races"  SD II 435
>
>"...our fifth Root-Race has already been in existence-as a
>race...quite free from its parent stem-about 1,000,000 years;
>therefore it must be inferred that each of the four preceding
>Sub-Races has lived approximately 210,000 years ;  thus each
>Family-Race has an average existence of about 30,000 years.  Thus
>the European "Family-Race" ha still a good many thousand years to
>run, although the nations...vary with each succeeding "season" of
>three or four thousand years.  It is somewhat curious to mark
>comparative approximation of duration between the lives of a
>"Family-Race" and a "Sidereal Year." [ 25,868 years ]...The year
>of the Kaliyuga is said to have begun between the 17th and 18th
>of February in the year 3,102 B.C. ... "                             SD II 
>135
>
... which statements will be a great help during the next couple of
months to all of us.

>"...the Egyptian Zodiac is between 75 and 80,000 years old ...
>the Zodiac of the Greeks is far later...16,984 years old, or up
>to the present [1888] 17,082."                                    SD II 436

Well I never!  Who would have thought it?  What shall we do about it?
Does it matter?
>
>Offered for consideration and comment.
>
Done.

Alan
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