Theos-Talk Archives (November 2006 Message tt00263)

As I ponder on Jake's summary of Carlos'
point, I will post a few items that I
will refer to later.

First from THE KEY TO THEOSOPHY, Section III, pp. 50-51
(original 1889 edition), H.P. Blavatsky writes:

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

ON THE SACREDNESS OF THE PLEDGE

......

ENQUIRER. But is a man expelled, or resigning, from the [esoteric] 
section free to reveal anything he may have learned, or to break any 
clause of the pledge he has taken? 

THEOSOPHIST. Certainly not. His expulsion or resignation only 
relieves him from the obligation of obedience to the teacher, and 
from that of taking an active part in the work of the Society, but 
surely not from the sacred pledge of secrecy. 

ENQUIRER. But is this reasonable and just? 

THEOSOPHIST. Most assuredly. To any man or woman with the slightest 
honourable feeling a pledge of secrecy taken even on one's word of 
honour, much more to one's Higher Self -- the God within -- is 
binding till death. And though he may leave the Section and the 
Society, no man or woman of honour will think of attacking or 
injuring a body to which he or she has been so pledged. 

ENQUIRER. But is not this going rather far? 

THEOSOPHIST. Perhaps so, according to the low standard of the present 
time and morality. But if it does not bind as far as this, what use 
is a pledge at all? How can anyone expect to be taught secret 
knowledge, if he is to be at liberty to free himself from all the 
obligations he had taken, whenever he pleases? What security, 
confidence, or trust would ever exist among men, if pledges such as 
this were to have no really binding force at all? Believe me, the law 
of retribution (Karma) would very soon overtake one who so broke his 
pledge, and perhaps as soon as the contempt of every honourable man 
would, even on this physical plane. As well expressed in the N. 
Y. "Path" just cited on this subject, "A pledge once taken, is for 
ever binding in both the moral and the occult worlds. If we break it 
once and are punished, that does not justify us in breaking it again, 
and so long as we do, so long will the mighty lever of the Law (of 
Karma) react upon us." (The Path, July, 1889.) 
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Daniel
http://hpb.cc