Theos-Talk Archives (March 1999 Message tt00307)

Dear Jerry,

>>> Theosophists seem to ignore
>>> the TRY and DARE commands of occultism on this one.

>>  This is a sweeping generalisation based on assumption.

> No, its based on reading the materials disseminated
> by the TSs today.

Whenever we speak of people as implying 'all of them' we are making sweeping
generalisations.  Whatever the aims of the TS and the public statements made
by varous individuals about its general purpose, you and I simply do not
know under what 'motto' individual theosophists around the world live their
'inner lives'.  And bear in mind, not all theosophists belong to the TS.
All we can do is make assumptions about the 'inner lives' of others,
especially those we will never even hear of, let alone meet.  To point this
out to you is not to make an accusation, it is simply the ABC of logic and
common sense.

I notice you keep repeating the words DARE and TRY but you say nothing about
the first instruction  - "KNOW".   Doesn't 'Right knowledge' come before
'right action'?  The last instruction is to KEEP SILENT, which you inform us
you have not.

"The motto of the true Occultist [is]: To know, to dare, and to KEEP
SILENT." (H.P.Blavatsky)

> The whole concept of TRY and DARE is downplayed and
> warned against in today's TSs unless you believe that
> TRY-to-be-moral and DARE-to-be-nice are what
> these occult terms mean.

Why the sarcasm, Jerry?  If you want to DARE, who is stopping you?

If you believe you can become liberated in this life time, again, who is
stoping you?

I don't belong to the TS but I do know we don't need to run others down in
order to tread our own path.

I am begining to lose track of what it is you do want and on what basis you
are seeking to establish your argument for 'single-lifetime liberation' and
for 'disolving karma in a single lifetime'.  In a previous post ("Responses
to Peter") you wrote:

> The goal here is liberation, not entering nirvana, which
> is another thing altogether. Our goal is the bodhisattva.
> Our goal is to come back with full memory intact, for
> the purpose of helping others lessen their karmic burdens.

Do you want Liberation in this life time, or, do you want to explore
'psychism' and magic?

Do you wish to disolve and help others to disolve their personal karma in
this lifetime , or do you wish to experiment, and encourage others to
experiment, in magic, psychism and the astral planes?

If your answer to each question is 'magic and psychism' then you are likely
to be creating, not disolving, karma for many lifetimes to come, in my view.
And as far as I understand Theosophy, I believe that is the Theosophical
view as well.

You refer to Tibetan Buddhism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Taoism for support of
your 'single-lifetime liberation' view.  Yet which one of these noble
religions encourages the pursuit of magic, psychism  and delving into the
'astral planes' as a means to achieve that Liberation or to become a
Bodhisattva?

You write:
> I view the entire TS milieu today as one of extreme
> conservativism, which is why I am certain that
> HPB would never be accepted by the TSs today
> if her reincarnation were here.

Yes, it is very tempting to believe that HPB would be a challenge to the
other person and not ourselves.

Best wishes

Peter


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