Theos-Talk Archives (May 2008 Message tt00558)

My views are:

Yes. Finally!

The PC Pirates of the Cherubim-ien:
And part of the original programe (problalbly also written in Senzar to other ears) by the Masters was to kick out the influence of the Christian and other fanatical Missionaries, western scholars and the like - and at the same time to protect India as the important religious central area it is.

But then a Internet-spider came a long and now a great number of persons live in a parttime dimension of an Internet and informations society. Yet H. P. Blavatsky and Master praised the importance of the development of clairvoyance through theosophical living. To have each members heads turned into more or less giant computer-screens will never make a wise TS. We need wisdom and truely honest clairvoyants. People have to get out of the computer-screen, out of the polluted city smog, and forward (or back) to nature and natural living and the future, - and away from the uncontrolled climate change, which short-sighted friends of TS members eagerly demands.
Or something like that...or what?


Theos-talk is only a temporary solution.


- - - - - - - -
NATURE'S FINER FORCES
http://www.rexresearch.com/prana/essays.htm (1. edition -1890)
http://www.hermetics.org/prasad.html (2. edition - 1894)




>>>>>>> H. P. Blavatsky says in Collected Wrintings <<<<<<<

"IS THE PRACTICE OF CONCENTRATION BENEFICENT?
Such is another question asked by members of the E.S.T. I answer: Genuine concentration and meditation, conscious and cautious, upon one's lower self in the light of the inner divine man and the Pâramitâs, is an excellent thing. But to "sit for Yoga," with only a superficial and

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* See The Voice of the Silence, pp. 68 and 94 (Note 28 to Part III).
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Page 604


often distorted knowledge of the real practice, is almost invariably fatal; for ten to one the student will either develop mediumistic powers in himself or lose time and get disgusted both with practice and theory. Before one rushes into such a dangerous experiment and seeks to go beyond a minute examination of one's lower self and its walk in life, or that which is called in our phraseology, "The Chela's Daily Life Ledger," he would do well to learn at least the difference between the two aspects of "Magic," the White or Divine, and the Black or Devilish, and assure himself that by "sitting for Yoga," with no experience, as well as with no guide to show him the dangers, he does not cross daily and hourly the boundaries of the Divine to fall into the Satanic. Nevertheless, the way to learn the difference is very easy; one has only to remember that no esoteric truths entirely unveiled will ever be given in public print, in book or magazine.
In the Book of Rules I advise students to get certain works, as I shall have to refer to and quote from them repeatedly. I reiterate the advice and ask them to turn to The Theosophist [Vol. IX] of November, 1887. On page 98 they will find the beginning of an excellent article by Mr. Râma Prasad on "Nature's Finer Forces."* The value of this work is not so much in its literary merit, though it gained its author the gold medal of The Theosophist--as in its exposition of tenets hitherto concealed in a rare and ancient Sanskrit work on Occultism. But Mr. Râma Prasad is not an Occultist, only an excellent Sanskrit scholar, a university graduate and a man of remarkable intelligence. His Essays are almost entirely based on Tântra works, which, if read indiscriminately by a tyro in Occultism, will lead to the practice of most unmitigated Black Magic. Now, since the difference of primary importance between Black and White Magic is simply the object with which it is practised, and that of secondary importance, the nature of the agents and ingredients used for the production of phenomenal results, the line of demarcation between the two is very, very thin. The danger is lessened only by the fact that every occult book, so called, is
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* The references to "Nature's Finer Forces" which follow have respect to the eight articles which appeared in the pages of The Theosophist [Vol. IX, November, 1887; February, May, June, August, 1888; Vol. X, October, November, 1888; March, 1889], and not to the fifteen essays and the translation of a chapter of the Saivâgama, which are contained in the book called Nature's Finer Forces. The Saivâgama in its details is purely Tântric, and nothing but harm can result from any practical following of its precepts. I would most strongly dissuade a member of the E.S. from attempting any of these Ha~ha-Yoga practices, for he will either ruin himself entirely, or throw himself so far back that it will be almost impossible to regain the lost ground in this incarnation. The translation referred to has been considerably expurgated, and even now is hardly fit for publication. It recommends Black Magic of the worst kind, and is the very antipodes of spiritual Râja-Yoga. Beware, I say.
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occult only in a certain sense; that is, the text is occult merely by reason of its blinds. The symbolism has to be thoroughly understood before the reader can get at the correct sense of the teaching. Moreover, it is never complete, its several portions each being under a different title and each containing a portion of some other work; so that without a key to these no such work divulges the whole truth. Even the famous Saivâgama, on which "Nature's Finer Forces" is based, "is nowhere to be found in complete form," as the author tells us. Thus, like all others, it treats of only five Tattvas instead of the seven in esoteric teachings.

Now, the Tattvas being simply the substratum of the seven forces of nature, how can this be? There are seven forms of Prakriti, as Kapila's Sânkhya, [the] Vishnu-Purâna and other works teach. Prakriti is nature, matter (primordial and elemental); therefore logic demands that the Tattvas should be also seven. For, whether Tattvas mean, as Occultism teaches, "forces of nature" or, as the learned Râma Prasad explains, "the substance out of which the universe is formed" and "the power by which it is sustained," it is all the same; they are force and matter, Prakriti. And if the forms, or rather planes, of the latter are seven, then its forces must be seven also; that is, the degrees of the solidity of matter and the degrees of the power that ensouls it must go hand in hand. "The Universe is made out of the Tattva, it is sustained by the Tattva, and it disappears into the Tattva," says Siva, as quoted from the Saivâgama in "Nature's Finer Forces." This settles the question; if Prakriti is septenary, then the Tattvas must be seven, for, as said, they are both substance and force, or atomic matter and the spirit that ensouls it.

This is explained here to enable the student to read between the lines of the so-called occult articles on Sanskrit philosophy, by which they must not be misled. Every Esotericist who reads The Theosophist must remember how bitterly Subba Row, a learned Vedântin Brahman, arose against the septenary principles in man. He knew well I had no right to and dared not to explain in The Theosophist, a public magazine, the real numeration, and simply took advantage of my enforced silence. The doctrine of the seven Tattvas (the principles of the universe as in man) was held in great sacredness, and therefore secrecy, by the Brahmans in days of old, by whom now the teaching is almost forgotten. Yet it is taught to this day in the schools beyond the Himalayan Range, but it is now hardly remembered or heard of in India except through rare Initiates. The policy has been changed gradually; Chelas began to be taught the broad outlines of it, and at the advent of the T.S. in India, in 1879, I was ordered to teach it in its exoteric



Page 606


form to one or two, and obeyed. To you who are pledged, I give it out esoterically.
Knowing that some of the members of the E.S.T. try to follow a system of Yoga in their own fashion, guided in this only by the rare hints they find in Theosophical books and magazines, which must naturally be incomplete, I chose one of the best expositions ever written upon ancient occult works, "Nature's Finer Forces," in order to point out how very easily one can be misled by their blinds.

The author seems to have been himself deceived. The Tântras read esoterically are as full of wisdom as the noblest occult works. Studied without a guide and applied to practice, they may lead to the production of various phenomenal results, on the moral and physiological planes. But let anyone accept their dead-letter rules and practices, let him try with some selfish motive in view to carry out the rites prescribed therein, and--he is lost. Followed with pure heart and unselfish devotion merely for the sake of the latter, either no results will follow, or such as can only throw back the performer. Woe, then, to the selfish man who seeks to develop occult powers only to attain earthly benefits or revenge, or to satisfy his ambition; the separation of the Higher from the Lower Principles and the severing of Buddhi-Manas from the Tântrist's Personality will speedily follow, the terrible Karmic results of the dabbler in Magic."

http://www.tonh.net/theosofie/hpb_cw_online/articles/v12/y1890_055.htm





M. Sufilight



  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Drpsionic@aol.com 
  To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:21 PM
  Subject: Re: Theos-World Re: TS Membership Trend



  I think a couple of answers would be obvious.? Radha's act sells better in India.? In some ways she is a creature out of Bollywood, assuming that there are Indian horror films.? But seriously, her administrative style may not grind on India the way it does elsewhere.

  The reason that John is the only other candidate is that he is probably the only one with the nerve to challenge a sitting TS President.? Contested elections for that position are pretty rare and even more rare if the President is still in office.

  Chuck the Heretic

  http://www.geocities.com/c_cosimano 

  -----Original Message-----
  From: kpauljohnson <kpauljohnson@yahoo.com>
  To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com
  Sent: Wed, 14 May 2008 9:23 am
  Subject: Theos-World Re: TS Membership Trend

  Dear Doss,

  I find it hard to contribute anything constructive to this 
  discussion, and neither theos-l nor theos-talk seem inclined to 
  discuss anything but the upcoming election. So it was probably a bad 
  time to resubscribe, and I'll soon take another long hiatus until 
  this is over. But before taking leave, there are some questions I 
  have for anyone who might care to ask, which might be no one. These 
  are elephants in the room that it seems useful for both sides to 
  ignore.

  > the rest of the world had 24,448. Today, according to the 2007 
  Annual
  > Report of the TS, the Indian Section has 12,444 members and the rest
  > of the world 16,570."
  > 
  > This shows that in India, the membership has increased by 59%.
  > In rest of the world, it has declined by 32%.
  > 
  Question: how much of that shrinkage is due to national sections 
  losing membership, and how much of it is due to Radha's (high-handed, 
  arrogant, secretive, unaccountable, IMO) treatment of national 
  sections that were expelled?

  Question two: can anyone testify that John Algeo is any less high-
  handed, arrogant, secretive, and unaccountable in his attitudes 
  toward the TS and its members?

  > population has grown. In addition, with the coming down of Iron 
  Curtain,
  > there is more democracy in East European countries. In spite of 
  this the
  > membership has declined. Why?
  > 
  Question three: how much is the failure to capitalize on new 
  opportunities (MOSTLY RUSSIA) for growth of the TS due to an innate 
  conservatism, arrogance, high-handedness, and unaccountability of the 
  leadership? Leadership that could not or would not be bothered to 
  deal with any of the possible changes that an influx of new members 
  might bring.

  > TS, internationally operated on a de-centralized model. The National
  > Secretaries, once elected, in spite of the National Board, seem to 
  operate like in a fiefdom with board going along whatever the NS 
  wants. 

  A fish rots from the head. Having the OH of the ES as the PTS is so 
  outright dangerous to the health of the organization because it sets 
  a standard that the TS is essentially a front organization. The 
  authority of the spiritual leader of the ES corrupts the 
  accountability of the elected leader of the TS. It pervades all the 
  relationships between the PTS and the rest of the organization, as 
  Annie Besant demonstrated remarkably thoroughly.

  > At this rate, by end of this century, TS may disappear around the 
  world except in India.

  Why has the presidency of Radha been so successful in terms of Indian 
  membership and so disastrous most everywhere else? Might it have to 
  do with consolidating what she sees as her power base and letting 
  everyone else go hang? What has she done right in India? How could 
  it be used as a model elsewhere?
  > 
  And another question: if John Algeo is indeed the kind of person I 
  have experienced him to be, and many other once-bitten twice-shy 
  members or former members have reported, then why could the TS not 
  come up with a single other nominee to succeed Radha? 

  PJ

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