Theos-Talk Archives (January 2008 Message tt00207)

Hi Perry,
I hope you are keeping well. I thought my previous telepathic posting 
may have only reached those few sensitive enough - so I'll stick to 
good old fashioned words this time!

I agree with your point about needing to "read different teachings on 
their own and make my own judgement" so as not to get stuck in a 
blind belief / follower mindset. This is integral to the Theosophic 
approach. I would say that this is the crux of Mme. Blavatskys teachings 
infact, far from needing "the little Blavatsky tick of approval" - simply a 
profound body of esoteric teachings put forward for our consideration. 

Sri Madhana Ashish said: 
"The key to true recognition lies in the heart, for when we turn our search 
inwards, seeking the root of certainty within ourselves, then, even before 
we begin to find, we discover an ability to recognize in another the true 
actualization of what we are seeking .... the ability to recognize a Master 
of the Secret Wisdom depends not on any particular quality of his but on 
what we are in ourselves."
 (taken from S.S. Varma "Teachings on Discipleship")

I am interested to know, however, who some of these other seers may be, 
who you are suggesting have knowledge and information or an approach to 
the Spiritual Path, comparable with the Theosophical writings such as :
The Secret Doctrine, The Voice of the Silence, Isis Unveiled, Esoteric 
Instructions and the complete Collected Writings etc. and not to forget the 
very obviously (to anyone with an esoteric particle in their body - and 
considering the enormous amount of historical documentation concerning 
the manifestation (precipitation) and nature of these letters, e.g. Franz 
Hartmann discovering a letter in his pincer drawer, containing the answers 
to difficult questions he had posed less than four minutes earlier!) profound 
Ancient Wisdom contained in the Mahatma Letters.

I wonder if perhaps you are overcompensating for this blind belief mental 
structure we humans are so prone towards. After all Truth is Truth, whether 
coming from "one writer" or one hundred writers. Yes there are many different 
teachings, different versions and systems but most of them share a common 
denominator, which is to let go of the self. One of my favourite  passages from 
the Voice is: "And now thy Self is lost in SELF, thyself unto THYSELF, merged in 
THAT SELF from which thou first didst radiate."    This is, as I said, a common 
theme in many traditions but seldom put quite so poetically and as stirring as it 
is in the original Theosophical writings - and not a hint of fear or 'Thou Shalt' to 
be found!

With regards to your comments about the "alleged Mahatmas" there is much that 
could be said, but I will quote a well known portion of The Key To Theosophy:

"To say that she has invented the Masters comes to this: She must have invented 
every bit of philosophy that has ever been given out in Theosophical literature. 
She must be the author of the letters from which "Esoteric Buddhism" was written; 
the sole inventor of every tenet found in the "Secret Doctrine," which, if the world 
were just, would be recognised as supplying many of the missing links of science, 
as will be discovered a hundred years hence. By saying what they do, they are also 
giving her the credit of being far cleverer than the hundreds of men, (many very 
clever and not a few scientific men,) who believe in what she says - inasmuch as 
she must have fooled them all! If they speak the truth, then she must be several 
Mahatmas rolled into one like a nest of Chinese boxes"

The 'proof' of the Mahatmas, to me, lies in their profound writings - the question 
of the existence of such beings can be approached a priori, in an objective but 
critical manner.

Take care,

Nigel H

--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "plcoles1" <plcoles1@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Nigel,
> It makes sense that visions and revelations must be taken with a 
> pinch of salt as each person's predispositions colour what is seen.
> 
> The assessments here quoted are all taken from one source however, 
> that being Blavatsky and the alleged Mahatmas (I say alleged as in my 
> opinion it is an act of faith to believe they exist if we have never 
> met them and then also have personally confirmed for ourselves the 
> accurateness of their visions)
> 
> It seems to me that while the visions of those mentioned may not have 
> been 100% accurate, we therefore cannot conclude that Blavatsky or 
> her Mahatmas observations are any more accurate or reliable and 
> simply discard the other teachings as being pure nonsense and 
> delusion.
> 
> Until we can have our own experience direct we can only speculate on 
> who may be or may not be closer to the reality.
> 
> Blavatsky's teachings maybe equally as off the mark as the others or 
> indeed the others may have come closer to the reality than she did.
> 
> Regards,
> Perry
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "nhcareyta" <nhcareyta@> wrote:
> >
> > http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/psychicversusinitiate.htm
> >
>