Theos-Talk Archives (September 1999 Message tl00072)

Sept 18th

Dear JRC:

I'm with you lets use the group for something practical.

Where to begin?  What basics do we know?  How are those to be used in
daily life?

I came across this recently:  "Masters never cease working, but they
cease at times from such public efforts as were made at the
establishment of the T S;  before that They were working with
individuals."  This is what one of Them wrote to Mr. Sinnett.

Would this not imply that they continue to work with individuals ?  If
so, then they work with all those who have the good of humanity at
heart, whether they are in or out of the TS.  One cannot take the
"tool" for the Workman.

It may well be that the public effort, and the recorded teachings of
the Masters, were put forth to find willing, clear-eyed and
noble-hearted men and women, able to see their true destiny and
anxious to serve humanity. Theosophy can be used selfishly as well as
in the right way. The good comes from the fact that Thosophic ideas
pave the way for those who are as yet not clear-eyed.  So even those
who selfishly use Theosophical ideas  unconsciously help by keeping
those ideas before the world.  Theosophy IS, and even a mistaken idea
of it may lead to a correct understanding.  Let us keep to the correct
understanding and refrain from condemnation, and success must come in
some measure.  If, as individuals, we make ourselves ready and fit we
will be used as occasion and fitness permit.  We have to see that
Theosophy deals with MINDS and not PERSONALITIES.  The powerful Soul
within,. being conformed to the MIND, reacts upon the whole of nature
around us.

If we could all look at the world of ideas in that way, we would learn
more, gain more discrimination, and be more useful to others, so
meriting the Masters attention, and guiding influence.  It is Karma
all of it.  As students and as appliers of Theosophical principles, we
all ought to realize this and so gain an advantage.  The right start
is everything.  If this is gained and held, that all that one does
carried him and others in the right direction.  In this Work, natures
are intensified, good and bad qualities always come up to the surface
for us to attend to.  The :"cleaning-up" process that we are able to
do is always gradual.  Each of us must do his own work when that seems
to be needed.
The barriers to help from Masters are in ourselves, and nowhere else.

Either pure and undefiled Theosophy is the most real thing in the
world, or we are all wasting our time and effort.  If we are able to
conceive its seriousness its real existence, we should never cease
trying to understand and apply what has been recorded by Masters'
Messenger [ HPB ] for our guidance and instruction.

What is the distinction between Theosophy and anything else?  In
Fundamental Principles, would you not say ?

Nothing else affords an all-inclusive view of existence.  all kinds of
sincere efforts help.  All  kinds of systems contain some truth.  But
they all fall short because they exclude or ignore some part of
nature.  Theosophy does not, as anyone knows who has really and
sincerely read through ISIS UNVEILED and the KEY TO THEOSOPHY.  The
SECRET DOCTRINE gives us a Dhyani's eye-view of the scope of all
Evolution -- from the dawn of manifestation as an IDEA, to its close
as the summation of spiritual development -- for a vast mass of
intelligent beings -- ourselves.

What is practical in this in application.  One fact.  KARMA stands out
as the great any eternal law that has propelled everything into being.
Every element of the vast diversity of life that we know or can think
of is involved cooperatively in this.  Nothing is ever totally
isolated.  Every least atom of living substance is an immortal entity
that is striving to realize its own inherent spiritual nature.

As humans we represent in the world (and Universe) those immortal
pilgrims -- developed "life-atoms" -- Monads that are through the
process of ratiocinating able to envisage the whole scheme and with
that as our asset we can imagine and shape our future.  Gods among a
host of gods-- we ever shape our future destiny.  Slow or fast,
hindering or assisting, we always go on.

Our personal nature, memories of family upbringing, education, our
culture, all conspire to limit our views of this fact.  But Theosophy
reveals it to us as a validity that we can prove.  Making use o it is
our task.

Nothing of this is exterior to us.  It is all interior  "Look inward,
Thou art Buddha."  exhorts the VOICE OF THE SILENCE.  AS 7-principled
beings we share in the ABSOLUTE -- it is at our core.  To KNOW it is
our destiny.  Do we accelerate this,  or do we deny and delay it ?

We can only use our opportunities and knowledge to the best possible
advantage and continue to do so, if we would not fall short of the
"Law of Laws--Compassion absolute."

We should also consider the vast scope of work in the universe by
well-intentioned minds -- what has been done truly is of lasting
advantage to many;  and, there are others yet unborn, yet to come for
whom the record of our devotion or indifference serves as an example.

The real point at issue is THE DIVINE NATURE IN MAN.. The real basis
for our work is to impress this one chief IDEA on the mind of those
who come.

A right philosophy is desperately needed by the world.  Without this
strength and special faculties are useless because they can be
misapplied. Theosophy is not merely words, it is LIFE.  And this
includes all living things and all the many planes of living.  To have
Brotherhood among the many, it is first necessary to have brotherhood
among the few, and the basis of brotherhood is the divinity inherent
in men.

All true impressions come from within.  They come from the Atman.  The
Higher Self.  It is WITHIN, not without.

Everywhere it is one and the same for all.  Nature works in an orderly
fashion so that the interaction of many factors sustains the life of
one and each.  This can be easily demonstrated as a fact.  We call
this in general, the LAWS OF NATURE.  Science studies these in their
minute effects.  Their CAUSES are still to be discovered by our
Science that insists on limiting itself to effects on the physical
plane;  and hence, sees nothing of the causes that work from the more
subtle -- the inner planes of Nature.

Nature works by Law.  Man works by Will. If we reflect for a moment we
will see that our Will controls all that we do.  We can cause the Mind
to change directions, without in any way losing the Power to Perceive.
The spirit in Man is the PERCEIVER, the WILLER. One of the proofs of
this fact is that we know perfectly well that we have the unlimited
power to learn anything we set our minds to discovering.  Of course
this is limited by other factors, but the aim is not limited and can
be sustained.

To sum up all this let us view again the work of Theosophy in the
world as the work of, and for the masters of Wisdom.  In this there is
no cause for any personal  rivalry. Our chief work is to let the true
light of such wisdom as we have acquired be shed on all those who
approach us -- as quickly and as widely as possible.

I hope these few reflections will be of use.

Best wishes,

Dallas

Dallas
dalval@nwc.net=A0

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At 05:36 AM 09/17/1999 -0600, you wrote:
>Hey y'all!
>
>Just wondering if anyone's in the mood for a discussion of practical
>Theosophy ...
>
>Anyone the feels like it ...
>
>1. What's the most interesting spiritual topic you've studied in the
last
>year? Most interesting book you've read?
>
>2. What was the most interesting service you rendered? The most
successful?
>
>