Theos-Talk Archives (October 2003 Message tt00234)

Oct 20 2003

Dear Eldon:

I agree we could all be more enlightened if a philosophy is involved..
I claim ignorance of such. Claims made were of phenomena occurring in
his vicinity.

I do object to sharp and almost vituperative opinions (especially those
that are unsupported)..

If there is a philosophy, then may we be made party to it?

ISIS UNVEILED is full of tremendous historical exhibits of phenomena in
the past. We hear occasionally in the present of strange happenings
These cannot be equated without due study. We need a basis form such
study.

The Guru-chela relationship in spiritual search and discipline is a
special one, agreed. 

-------------------------
Look at : MAHATMAS AND CHELAS by H. P. Blavatsky

{I quote in part)

A MAHATMA is a personage, who, by special training and education, has
evolved those higher faculties and has attained that spiritual
knowledge, which ordinary humanity will acquire after passing through
numberless series of reincarnations during the process of cosmic
evolution, provided, of course, that they do not go, in the meanwhile,
against the purposes of Nature and thus bring on their own annihilation.


This process of the self-evolution of the MAHATMA extends over a number
of "incarnations," although, comparatively speaking, they are very few.
Now, what is it that incarnates? The occult doctrine, so far as it is
given out, shows that the first three principles die more or less with
what is called the physical death. The fourth principle, together with
the lower portions of the fifth, in which reside the animal
propensities, has Kama Loka for its abode, where it suffers the throes
of disintegration in proportion to the intensity of those lower desires;
while it is the higher Manas, the pure man, which is associated with the
sixth and seventh principles, that goes into Devachan to enjoy there the
effects of its good Karma, and then to be reincarnated as a higher
individuality. 

Now, an entity, that is passing through the occult training in its
successive births, gradually has less and less (in each incarnation) of
that lower Manas until there arrives a time when its whole Manas, being
of an entirely elevated character, is centered in the higher
individuality, when such a person may be said to have become a MAHATMA.
At the time of his physical death, all the lower four principles perish
without any suffering, for these are, in fact, to him like a piece of
wearing apparel which he puts on and off at will. 

The real MAHATMA is then not his physical body but that higher Manas
which is inseparably linked to the Atma and its vehicle (the sixth
principle)-a union effected by him in a comparatively very short period
by passing through the process of self-evolution laid down by the Occult
Philosophy. ...

Higher things can be perceived only by a sense pertaining to those
higher things. And whoever therefore wants to see the real MAHATMA, must
use his intellectual sight. He must so elevate his Manas that its
perception will be clear and all mists created by Maya must be
dispelled. His vision will then be bright and he will see the MAHATMAS
wherever he may be, for, being merged into the sixth and the seventh
principles, which are ubiquitous and omnipresent, the MAHATMAS may be
said to be everywhere. But, at the same time...although the whole of
humanity is within the mental vision of the MAHATMAS, they cannot be
expected to take special note of every human being, unless that being by
his special acts draws their particular attention to himself. 

The highest interest of humanity, as a whole, is their special concern,
for they have identified themselves with that Universal Soul which runs
through Humanity, and he, who would draw their attention, must do so
through that Soul which pervades everywhere. This perception of the
Manas may be called "faith" which should not be confounded with blind
belief. "Blind faith" is an expression sometimes used to indicate belief
without perception or understanding; while the true perception of the
Manas is that enlightened belief, which is the real meaning of the word
"faith."
 
This belief should at the same time be accompanied by knowledge, i.e.,
experience, for "true knowledge brings with it faith." Faith is the
perception of the Manas (the fifth principle), while knowledge, in the
true sense of the term, is the capacity of the Intellect, i.e., it is
spiritual perception. In short, the higher individuality of man,
composed of his higher Manas, the sixth and the seventh principles,
should work as a unity, and then only can it obtain "divine wisdom," for
divine things can be sensed only by divine faculties. Thus the desire,
which should prompt one to apply for chelaship, is to so far understand
the operations of the Law of Cosmic Evolution as will enable him to work
in harmonious accord with Nature, instead of going against its purposes
through ignorance. 

Theosophist, July, 1884   

[H P B Articles I p.. 293]

-------------------------


Best wishes,

Dallas

============================

See also this article by H P B


--------------CHELAS AND LAY CHELAS by H. P. Blavatsky


AS the word Chela has, among others, been introduced by Theosophy into
the nomenclature of Western metaphysics, and the circulation of our
magazine is constantly widening, it will be as well if some more
definite explanation than heretofore is given with respect to the
meaning of this term and the rules of Chelaship, for the benefit of our
European if not Eastern members. A "Chela" then, is one who has offered
himself or herself as a pupil to learn practically the "hidden mysteries
of Nature and the psychical powers latent in man." The spiritual teacher
to whom he proposes his candidature is called in India a Guru; and the
real Guru is always an Adept in the Occult Science. A man of profound
knowledge, exoteric and esoteric, especially the latter; and one who has
brought his carnal nature under subjection of the WILL; who has
developed in himself both the power (Siddhi) to control the forces of
nature, and the capacity to probe her secrets by the help of the
formerly latent but now active powers of his being:--this is the real
Guru. To offer oneself as a candidate for Chelaship is easy enough, to
develop into an Adept the most difficult task any man could possibly
undertake. There are scores of "natural-born" poets, mathematicians,
mechanics, statesmen, etc., but a natural-born Adept is something
practically impossible.

For, though we do hear at very rare intervals of one who has an
extraordinary innate capacity for the acquisition of occult knowledge
and power, yet even he has to pass the self-same tests and probations,
and go through the same self-training as any less endowed fellow
aspirant. In this matter it is most true that there is no royal road by
which favourites may travel. 


For centuries the selection of Chelas--outside the hereditary group
within the gon-pa (temple)--has been made by the Himalayan Mahatmas
themselves from among the class--in Tibet, a considerable one as to
number--of natural mystics.

The only exceptions have been in the cases of Western men like Fludd,
Thomas Vaughan, Paracelsus, Pico di Mirandola, Count St. Germain, etc.,
whose temperamental affinity to this celestial science more or less
forced the distant Adepts to come into personal relations with them, and
enabled them to get such small (or large) proportion of the whole truth
as was possible under their social surroundings. 

>From Book IV of Kiu-te, Chapter on "the Laws of Upasans," we learn that
the qualifications expected in a Chela were:-- 

1. Perfect physical health; 

2. Absolute mental and physical purity; 

3. Unselfishness of purpose; universal charity; pity for all animate
beings; 

4. Truthfulness and unswerving faith in the law of Karma, independent of
any power in nature that could interfere: a law whose course is not to
be obstructed by any agency, not to be caused to deviate by prayer or
propitiatory exoteric ceremonies; 

5. A courage undaunted in every emergency, even by peril to life; 

6. An intuitional perception of one's being the vehicle of the
manifested Avalokitesvara or Divine Atman (Spirit); 

7. Calm indifference for, but a just appreciation of everything that
constitutes the objective and transitory world, in its relation with,
and to, the invisible regions.

 
Such, at the least, must have been the recommendations of one aspiring
to perfect Chelaship. With the sole exception of the 1st, which in rare
and exceptional cases might have been modified, each one of these points
has been invariably insisted upon, and all must have been more or less
developed in the inner nature by the Chela's UNHELPED EXERTIONS, before
he could be actually put to the test. 

When the self-evolving ascetic--whether in, or outside the active
world--had placed himself, according to his natural capacity, above,
hence made himself master of, his (1) Sarira--body; (2) lndriya--senses;
(3) Dosha--faults; (4) Dukkha--pain; and is ready to become one with his
Manas--mind; Buddhi--intellection, or spiritual intelligence; and
Atma--highest soul, i.e., spirit. When he is ready for this, and,
further, to recognize in Atma the highest ruler in the world of
perceptions, and in the will, the highest executive energy (power), then
may he, under the time-honoured rules, be taken in hand by one of the
Initiates. He may then be shown the mysterious path at whose thither end
the Chela is taught the unerring discernment of Phala, or the fruits of
causes produced, and given the means of reaching
,Apavarga--emancipation, from the misery of repeated births (in whose
determination the ignorant has no hand), and thus of avoiding
Pratya-bhava--transmigration. 

But since the advent of the Theosophical Society, one of whose arduous
tasks it was to re-awaken in the Aryan mind the dormant memory of the
existence of this science and of those transcendent human capabilities,
the rules of Chela selection have become slightly relaxed in one
respect. Many members of the Society becoming convinced by practical
proof upon the above points, and rightly enough thinking that if other
men had hitherto reached the goal, they too if inherently fitted, might
reach it by following the same path, pressed to be taken as candidates.
And as it would be an interference with Karma to deny them the chance of
at least beginning--since they were so importunate, they were given it. 

The results have been far from encouraging so far, and it is to show
these unfortunates the cause of their failure as much as to warn others
against rushing heedlessly upon a similar fate, that the writing of the
present article has been ordered. The candidates in question, though
plainly warned against it in advance, began wrong by selfishly looking
to the future and losing sight of the past. They forgot that they had
done nothing to deserve the rare honour of selection, nothing which
warranted their expecting such a privilege; that they could boast of
none of the above enumerated merits. 

As men of the selfish, sensual world, whether married or single,
merchants, civilian or military employees, or members of the learned
professions, they had been to a school most calculated to assimilate
them to the animal nature, least so to develope their spiritual
potentialities. Yet each and all had vanity enough to suppose that their
case would be made an exception to the law of countless centuries'
establishment as though, indeed, in their person had been born to the
world a new Avatar! All expected to have hidden things taught,
extraordinary powers given them because--well, because they had joined
the Theosophical Society. Some had sincerely resolved to amend their
lives, and give up their evil courses; we must do them that justice, at
all events. 

All were refused at first, Col. Olcott, the President, himself, to begin
with; and as to the latter gentleman there is now no harm in saying that
he was not formally accepted as a Chela until he had proved by more than
a year's devoted labours and by a determination which brooked no denial,
that he might safely be tested. Then from all sides came
complaints--from Hindus, who ought to have known better, as well as from
Europeans who, of course, were not in a condition to know anything at
all about the rules. The cry was that unless at least a few Theosophists
were given the chance to try, the Society could not endure. Every other
noble and unselfish feature of our programme was ignored--a man's duty
to his neighbour, to his country, his duty to help, enlighten, encourage
and elevate those weaker and less favoured than he; all were trampled
out of sight in the insane rush for adeptship. The call for phenomena,
phenomena, phenomena, resounded in every quarter, and the Founders were
impeded in their real work and teased importunately to intercede with
the Mahatmas, against whom the real grievance lay, though their poor
agents had to take all the buffets. At last, the word came from the
higher authorities that a few of the most urgent candidates should be
taken at their word. The result of the experiment would perhaps show
better than any amount of preaching what Chelaship meant, and what are
the consequences of selfishness and temerity. Each candidate was warned
that he must wait for years in any event, before his fitness could be
proven, and that he must pass through a series of tests that would bring
out all there was in him, whether bad or good. They were nearly all
married men and hence were designated "Lay Chelas"--a term new in
English, but having long had its equivalent in Asiatic tongues. A Lay
Chela is but a man of the world who affirms his desire to become wise in
spiritual things. Virtually, every member of the Theosophical Society
who subscribes to the second of our three "Declared Objects" is such;
for though not of the number of true Chelas, he has yet the possibility
of becoming one, for he has stepped across the boundary-line which
separated him from the Mahatmas, and has brought himself, as it were,
under their notice. In joining the Society and binding himself to help
along its work, he has pledged himself to act in some degree in concert
with those Mahatmas, at whose behest the Society was organized, and
under whose conditional protection it remains. The joining is then, the
introduction; all the rest depends entirely upon the member himself, and
he need never expect the most distant approach to the "favor" of one of
our Mahatmas, or any other Mahatmas in the world--should the latter
consent to become known--that has not been fully earned by personal
merit. 

The Mahatmas are the servants, not the arbiters of the Law of Karma.
LAY-CHELASHIP CONFERS NO PRIVILEGE UPON ANY ONE EXCEPT THAT OF WORKING
FOR MERIT UNDER THE OBSERVATION OF A MASTER.

And whether that Master be or be not seen by the Chela makes no
difference whatever as to the result: his good thoughts, words and deeds
will bear their fruits, his evil ones, theirs. To boast of Lay Chelaship
or make a parade of it, is the surest way to reduce the relationship
with the Guru to a mere empty name, for it would be primâ facie evidence
of vanity and unfitness for farther progress. And for years we have been
teaching everywhere the maxim "First deserve, then desire" intimacy with
the Mahatmas. 

Now there is a terrible law operative in nature, one which cannot be
altered, and whose operation clears up the apparent mystery of the
selection of certain "Chelas" who have turned out sorry specimens of
morality, these few years past. Does the reader recall the old proverb,
"Let sleeping dogs lie"? There is a world of occult meaning in it. No
man or woman knows his or her moral strength until it is tried.
Thousands go through life very respectably, because they were never put
to the pinch. This is a truism doubtless, but it is most pertinent to
the present case. One who undertakes to try for Chelaship by that very
act rouses and lashes to desperation every sleeping passion of his
animal nature. For this is the commencement of a struggle for the
mastery in which quarter is neither to be given nor taken. It is, once
for all, "To be, or Not to be"; to conquer, means ADEPTSHIP; to fail, an
ignoble Martyrdom: for to fall victim to lust, pride, avarice, vanity,
selfishness, cowardice, or any other of the lower propensities, is
indeed ignoble, if measured by the standard of true manhood. 

The Chela is not only called to face all the latent evil propensities of
his nature, but, in addition, the whole volume of maleficent power
accumulated by the community and nation to which he belongs. For he is
an integral part of those aggregates, and what affects either the
individual man, or the group (town or nation) reacts upon the other. And
in this instance his struggle for goodness jars upon the whole body of
badness in his environment, and draws its fury upon him. 

If he is content to go along with his neighbours and be almost as they
are--perhaps a little better or somewhat worse than the average--no one
may give him a thought. But let it be known that he has been able to
detect the hollow mockery of social life, its hypocrisy, selfishness,
sensuality, cupidity and other bad features, and has determined to lift
himself up to a higher level, at once he is hated, and every bad, or
bigoted, or malicious nature sends at him a current of opposing will
power. If he is innately strong he shakes it off, as the powerful
swimmer dashes through the current that would bear a weaker one away.
But in this moral battle, if the Chela has one single hidden blemish--do
what he may, it shall and will be brought to light. The varnish of
conventionalities which "civilization" overlays us all with must come
off to the last coat, and the Inner Self, naked and without the
slightest veil to conceal its reality, is exposed. The habits of society
which hold men to a certain degree under moral restraint, and compel
them to pay tribute to virtue by seeming to be good whether they are so
or not, these habits are apt to be all forgotten, these restraints to be
all broken through under the strain of chelaship. He is now in an
atmosphere of illusions--Maya. 

Vice puts on its most alluring face, and the tempting passions try to
lure the inexperienced aspirant to the depths of psychic debasement.
This is not a case like that depicted by a great artist, where Satan is
seen playing a game of chess with a man upon the stake of his soul,
while the latter's good angel stands beside him to counsel and assist.
For the strife is in this instance between the Chela's Will and his
carnal nature, and Karma forbids that any angel or Guru should interfere
until the result is known. With the vividness of poetic fancy Bulwer
Lytton has idealised it for us in his Zanoni, a work which will ever be
prized by the occultist; while in his Strange Story he has with equal
power shown the black side of occult research and its deadly perils.
Chelaship was defined, the other day, by a Mahatma as a "psychic
resolvent, which eats away all dross and leaves only the pure gold
behind." If the candidate has the latent lust for money, or political
chicanery, or materialistic scepticism, or vain display, or false
speaking, or cruelty, or sensual gratification of any kind, the germ is
almost sure to sprout; and so, on the other hand, as regards the noble
qualities of human nature. The real man comes out. Is it not the height
of folly, then, for any one to leave the smooth path of common-place
life to scale the crags of chelaship without some reasonable feeling of
certainty that he has the right stuff in him? Well says the Bible: "Let
him that standeth take heed lest he fall"--a text that would-be Chelas
should consider well before they rush headlong into the fray! It would
have been well for some of our Lay-Chelas it they had thought twice
before defying the tests. We call to mind several sad failures within a
twelvemonth. One went bad in the head, recanted noble sentiments uttered
but a few weeks previously, and became a member of a religion he had
just scornfully and unanswerably proven false. A second became a
defaulter and absconded with his employer's money--the latter also a
Theosophist. A third gave himself up to gross debauchery, and confessed
it with ineffectual sobs and tears, to his chosen Guru. A fourth got
entangled with a person of the other sex and fell out with his dearest
and truest friends. A fifth showed signs of mental aberration and was
brought into Court upon charges of discreditable conduct. A sixth shot
himself to escape the consequences of criminality, on the verge of
detection! And so we might go on and on. All these were apparently
sincere searchers after truth, and passed in the world for respectable
persons. Externally, they were fairly eligible as candidates for
Chelaship, as appearances go; but "within all was rottenness and dead
men's bones." The world's varnish was so thick as to hide the absence of
the true gold underneath; and the "resolvent" doing its work, the
candidate proved in each instance but a gilded figure of moral dross,
from circumference to core. . . . 
In what precedes we have, of course, dealt but with the failures among
Lay-Chelas; there have been partial successes too, and these are passing
gradually through the first stages of their probation. Some are making
themselves useful to the Society and to the world in general by good
example and precept. If they persist, well for them, well for us all:
the odds are fearfully against them, but still "there is no
Impossibility to him who WILLS." The difficulties in Chelaship will
never be less until human nature changes and a new sort is evolved. St.
Paul (Rom. vii, 18, 19) might have had a Chela in mind when he said "to
will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find
not. For the good I would I do not; but the evil which I would not, that
I do." And in the wise Kirátárjuniya of Bharávi it is written:-- 

The enemies which rise within the
body,
Hard to be overcome--the evil passions--
Should manfully be fought; who conquers these 
Is equal to the conqueror of worlds. (xi, 32.) 


From: Supplement to Theosophist, July, 1883 

[H P B Articles I p. 308]
 





=======================================================

-----Original Message-----
From: Eldon B tucker [mailto:listmail@theosophist.org] 
Sent: Monday, October 20, 2003 12:09 PM
To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Theos-World talking about Sai Baba

Dallas:

Under the subject of comparative religion, it's possible to consider the
beliefs and claims of popular gurus. Sai Baba is seen as a spiritual
teacher
by his followers. How authentic are his claims and does he fake any of
his
phenomena? That would be a question for our theosophical historians.
Apart
from claims, we can study the ideas and learn how and why they think the
way
that they do.

Any claims made on his behalf are probably more for the benefit of his
followers than for proving anything to skeptics. If people follow him
and
benefit from it, should we seek to discredit him in the name of truth? I
think that would be a bad idea. Such thinking is back of most religious
wars, which accomplish nothing but getting some people to change their
professed beliefs from "brand x" of religion to "brand y" of religion.
Even
after that professed change of belief, though, the people are no more
intelligent, compassionate, loving, self-sacrificing, or noble than they
were previously. They just pay lip service to a different creed.

I recall reading in Tibetan Buddhism that one should hold complete faith
and
confidence in his or her guru, regardless of the human failings of the
actual person. This total acceptance is given as an important part of
the
training. I can understand why, although I also recognize the wide
variety
of spiritual schools and training available, some that adopt this
technique
and others that shun it. If certain people flock to a guru and seem
content
with the spiritual benefits offered, I'd suggest we respectfully leave
them
to their chosen path until they feel an inner urge to seek out something
else, leading our paths to cross with theirs and giving us the
opportunity
to help. 

If we discuss what Sai Baba says, we can contrast it with what we've
learned
from the theosophical teachings. That discussion might help round out
our
theosophical knowledge as well as provide a different way of presenting
our
ideas that someone studying with him might better appreciate. Perhaps
someone could outline in a few paragraphs what his basic philosophy is?

-- Eldon

-----Original Message-----
From: W. Dallas TenBreoeck [mailto:dalval14@earthlink.net] 
Sent: Monday, October 20, 2003 11:41 AM
To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: Theos-World the future evolution of the theosophical seal

Oct 20 2003

Dear Eldon:

I don't think the free-for-all about Sai Baba has much if anything to do
with Theosophy.

Claims settle nothing but convey a certain anger and annoyance which
disturbs philosophical considerations? Or am I wrong?

Also (to me) it is rather annoying for those who desire to sturdy
Theosophical ideas, ramifications and their sources.

I believe it is one of the original rules of the THEOSOPHICAL MOVEMENT
that nothing be said antagonistic to some other religion, sect or system
of belief. I feel this is a violation, but, I may be wrong.

Best wishes,

Dallas