Theos-Talk Archives (February 1999 Message tl00031)

Feb. 12th 1999   	I came across this extract which might be of
some help.   Dallas.

Some views of Mr. Judge may help show how close the practical
aspects of Jesus' teachings and Theosophical ethics agree:

In Chapter 4 of St. Mathew an account of Jesus being led into the
wilderness to be "tempted" by the "devil" is mentioned:
"theosophically, the trials of the disciple in the world or
wilderness of his own nature" is meant.

"The tempter suggests first that bread be made out of stones
after the long fast.  But Jesus replied:  "It is written.  Man
shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth
out of the mouth of God."

After a period of prayer, or aspiration, the mystics in all ages
had first to resist the temptation to at once satisfy immediate
bodily wants and then on triumphing they receive instruction and
benefit from "God" who is the Higher Self.  The Higher Self is
the god they all, including Jesus, aspired to and spoke of as God
and Father.  Usually the clash and roar of the lower nature
prevents the words or "voice" of that Father from being heard.
Shakespeare knew the value of fasting to release the inner for he
said that when the bodily encasement was reduced the inner self
came forth more easily.  And here Jesus is only repeating what
all the schools of real occultism teach, that is, that the real
man has his own appropriate food, or the communion with the Monad
which is not perfectly conscious on this plane, but must be
sought for in its own proper habitation.

The "devil" took him to a high place suggesting that he throw
himself down and be saved by angels, to which Jesus replied:
"Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God."

This could not mean that he adjured Satan not to tempt him-his
God-but rather that it was neither common sense nor the act of an
occultist to show his powers for no end but vanity.  This is one
of the rules of the Lodge, that if you have occult power you
shall not use it except for the benefit of others.

The Sermon on the Mount is of high importance theosophically.  If
taken literally, it is a string of meaningless promises which are
broken every day, but adding Karma and Reincarnation they are the
old declarations of all great teachers and holy books prior to
the alleged time of Jesus.

The first beatitude, that the poor in spirit will have heaven is
that which was always taught as the result of humility.  For only
when the personal self is thoroughly eliminated, and the idea of
separateness is destroyed by that of universal brotherhood, does
the illumination from within desired by all earnest students come
to one.  Many neglect this injunction being carried away by
scientific phases or having personal ends.  One need not be a
"Christian" to see and accept this injunction of Jesus since it
was only repeated as of old by him;  carried on, as Confucius did
his ideas.
	{Copied from archives of the T. S. from notes in Mr. Judge's
handwriting.)