The Writings of C
The Result of
Theosophical Study
From
A Textbook of Theosophy
By
C
“Members of the Theosophical Society study
these truths and Theosophists endeavor to live them”. What manner of men then
is the true Theosophist in consequence of his knowledge? What is the result in
his daily life of all this study?
Finding that there is a
Supreme Power who is directing the course of evolution, and that He is all-wise
and all-loving, the Theosophist sees that everything which exists within this
scheme must be intended to further its progress. He realizes that the scripture
which tells us that all things are working together for good,
is not indulging in a flight of poetic fancy or voicing a pious hope, but
stating a scientific fact. The final attainment of unspeakable glory is an
absolute certainty for every son of man, whatever may be his present condition;
but that is by no means all. Here and at this present moment he is on his way
toward the glory; and all the circumstances surrounding him are intended to
help and not to hinder him, if only they are rightly understood. It is sadly
true that in the world there is much of evil and of sorrow and of suffering;
yet from the higher point of view the Theosophist sees that, terrible though
this be, it is only temporary and superficial, and is all being utilized as a
factor in the progress.
When in the days of his
ignorance he looked at it from its own level it was almost impossible to see this;
while he looked from beneath at the under side of life, with his eyes fixed all
the time upon some apparent evil, he could never gain a true grasp of its
meaning. Now he raises himself above it to the higher levels of thought and
consciousness, and looks down upon it with the eye of the spirit and
understands it in its entirety, so he can see that in very truth all is well –
not that all will be well at some remote period, but that even now at this
moment, in the midst of incessant striving and apparent evil, the mighty
current of evolution is still flowing, and so all is well because all is moving
on in perfect order toward the final goal.
Raising his
consciousness thus above the storm and stress of worldly life, he recognizes
what used to seem to be evil, and notes how it is apparently pressing backwards
against the great stream of progress; but he also sees that the onward sweep of
the divine law of evolution bears the same relation to this superficial
evil as does the tremendous torrent of
Theosophy is a perfect
serenity – even more than that, a
perpetual cheerfulness and joy.
For him there is an
utter absence of worry, because in truth there is nothing left to worry about,
since he knows that all must be well. His higher Science makes him a confirmed
optimist, for it shows him that whatever of evil there may be in any person or
in any movement, it is of necessity temporary, because it is opposed to the resistless
stream of evolution; whereas whatever is good in any person or in any movement
must necessarily be persistent and useful, because it has behind it the
omnipotence of that current, and therefore it must abide and it must prevail.
Yet it must not for a
moment be supposed that because he is so fully assured of the final triumph of
good he remains careless or unmoved by the evils which exist in the world
around him. He knows that it is his duty to combat these to the utmost of his
power, because in doing this he is working upon the side of
the great evolutionary force, and is bringing nearer the time
of its ultimate victory. None will be more active than he in labouring for the good, even though he is absolutely free
from the feeling of helplessness and hopelessness which so often oppresses
those who are striving to help their fellowmen.
Another most valuable
result of his theosophical study is the absence of fear. Many people are
constantly anxious or worried about something or other; they are fearing lest
this or that should happen to them, lest this or that combination may fail, and
so all the while they are in a condition of unrest; and most serious of all for
many is the fear of death. For the Theosophist the whole of this feeling is
entirely swept away. He realizes that great truth of reincarnation. He knows
that he has often before laid aside physical bodies, and so he sees that death
is no more than sleep – that just as sleep comes in between our days of work
and gives us rest and refreshment, so between these days of labor here on
earth, which we call lives, there comes a long night of astral and heavenly
life to give us rest and refreshment and to help us on our way.
To the Theosophist death
is simply the laying aside for a time of this robe of flesh. He knows that it
is his duty to preserve the bodily vesture as long as possible, and gain
through it all the experience he can; but when the time comes for him to lay it
down he will do so thankfully, because he knows that the next
stage will be a much pleasanter one than this. Thus he will have
no fear of death, although he realizes that he must live his life to the
appointed end, because he is here for the purpose of progress, and that
progress is the one truly momentous matter. His whole conception of life is
different; the object is not to earn so much money, not to obtain such and such
a position; the one important thing is to carry out the Divine Plan. He knows
that for this he is here, and that everything else must give way to it.
Utterly free also is he
from any religious fears or worries or troubles. All such things are swept
aside for him, because he sees clearly that progress toward the highest is the
Divine Will for us, that we cannot escape from that progress, and that whatever
comes in our way and whatever happens to us is meant to help us along that
line; that we ourselves are absolutely the only people who can delay our
advance. No longer does he trouble and fear about
himself. He simply goes on and does the duty which comes nearest in the best
way that he can, confident that if he does this all will be well for him
without his perpetual worrying. He is satisfied quietly to do his work and to
try to help his fellows in the race, knowing that the great divine Power behind
will press him onward slowly and steadily, and do for him all that can be done,
so long as his face is set steadfastly in the right direction, so long as he
does all he reasonably can.
Since he knows that we
are all part of one great evolution and all literally the children of one
father, he sees that the universal brotherhood of humanity is no mere poetical
conception, but a definite fact; not a dream of something which is to be in the
dim distance of Utopia, but a condition existing here and now. The
certainty of this all-embracing fraternity gives him a wider outlook
upon life and a broad impersonal point of view from which to regard everything.
He realizes that the true interests of all are in fact identical, and that no
man can ever make real gain for himself at the cost of loss or suffering to
some one else. This is not to him an article of religious belief, but a
scientific fact proved to him by his study. He sees that since humanity is
literally a whole, nothing which injures one man can ever be really for the good
of any other, for the harm done influences not only the doer but also those who
are about him.
He knows that the only
true advantage for him is that benefit which he shares with all. He sees that
any advance which he is able to make in the way of spiritual progress or
development is something secured not for himself alone
but for others. If he gains knowledge or self-control, he assuredly acquires
much
for himself, yet he takes nothing away from any one else, but
on the contrary he helps and strengthen others. Cognizant as he is of the
absolute spiritual unity of humanity, he knows that, even in this lower world,
no true profit can be made by one man which is not made in the name of and for
the sake of humanity; that one man’s progress must be a lifting of the burden
of all others; that one man’s advance in spiritual things means a very slight
yet not imperceptible advance to humanity as a whole; that every one who bears
suffering and sorrow nobly in his struggle toward the light is lifting a little
of the heavy load of the sorrow and suffering of his brothers as well.
Because he recognizes
this brotherhood not merely as a hope cherished by despairing men, but as a
definite fact following in scientific series from all other facts; because he
sees this as an absolute certainty, his attitude towards all those around him
changes radically. It becomes a posture ever of helpfulness, ever of the
deepest sympathy, for he sees that nothing which clashes with their higher
interests can be the right thing for him to do, or can be good for him in any
way.
It naturally follows
that he becomes filled with the widest possible tolerance and charity. He
cannot but be always tolerant, because his philosophy shows him that it matters
little what man believes, so long as he is a good man and true. Charitable also
he must be, because his wider knowledge enables him to make allowances for many
things which the ordinary man does not understand.
The standard of the Theosophist
as to right and wrong is always higher than that of the less instructed man,
yet he is far gentler than the latter in his feeling towards the sinner,
because he comprehends more of human nature. He realizes how the sin appeared
to the sinner at the moment of its commission, and so he makes more allowance
than is ever made by the man who is ignorant of all this.
He goes further than
tolerance, charity, sympathy; he feels positive love towards mankind, and that
leads him to adopt a position
of watchful helpfulness. He feels that every contact with others
is for him an opportunity, and the additional knowledge which his study has
brought to him enables him to give advice or help in almost any case which
comes before him. Not that he is perpetually thrusting his opinions upon other
people. On the contrary, he observes that to do this is one of the commonest
mistakes made by the uninstructed. He knows that argument is foolish waste of
energy, and therefore he declines to argue. If anyone desires from him
explanation or advice he is more than willing to give it, yet he has no sort of
wish to convert anyone else to his own way of thinking.
In every relation of
life this idea of helpfulness comes into play, not only with regard to his
fellowmen but also in connection with the vast animal kingdom which surrounds
him. Units of this kingdom are often brought into close relation with man, and
this is for him an opportunity of doing something for them. The Theosophist
recognizes that these are also his brothers, even though they may be younger
brothers, and that he owes a fraternal duty to them also – so to act and so to
think that his relation with them shall be always for their good and never for
their harm.
Pre-eminently and above
all, this Theosophy is to him a doctrine of common sense. It puts before him,
as far as he can at present know them, the facts about God and man and the
relations between them; then he proceeds to take these facts into account and
to act in relation to them with ordinary reason and
common sense. He regulates his life according to the laws of
evolution which it has taught him, and this gives him a totally different
standpoint, and a touchstone by which to try everything – his own thoughts and
feelings, and his own actions first of all, and then those things which come
before him in the world outside himself.
Always he applies this
criterion: Is the thing right or wrong, does it help evolution or does it
hinder it? If a thought or a feeling arises within himself,
he sees at once by this test whether it is one he ought to encourage. If it be
for the greatest good of the greatest number then all is well; if it may hinder
or cause harm to any being in its progress, then it is evil and to be avoided.
Exactly the same reason
holds good if he is called upon to decide with regard
to anything outside himself. If from that point of view a thing be a good
thing, then he can consciously support it; if not, then it is not for him.
For him the question of
personal interest does not come into the case at all. He thinks simply of the
good of evolution as a whole. This gives him a definite foothold and clear
criterion, and removes from him altogether the pain of indecision and
hesitation. The Will of the Deity is man’s evolution; whatever
therefore helps on that evolution must be good; whatever stands in
the way of it and delays it, that thing must be wrong, even though it may have
on its side all the weight of public opinion and immemorial tradition.
Knowing that the true
man is the ego and not the body, he sees that it is the life of the ego only
which is really of moment, and that everything connected with the body must
unhesitatingly be subordinated to those higher interests. He recognizes that
this earth life is given to him for the purpose of progress, and
that that progress is the one important thing. The real purpose
of his life is the unfoldment of his powers as an ego, the development of his
character. He knows that there must be evolvement not only of the physical body
but also of
the mental nature, of the mind, and of the spiritual
perceptions.
He sees that nothing
short of absolute perfection is expected of him in connection with this
development; that all power with regard to it is in his own hands; that he has
everlasting time before him in which to attain this perfection, but the sooner
it is gained the happier and more useful will he be.
He recognizes his life
as nothing but a day at school, and his physical body as a temporary vesture
assumed for the purpose of learning through it. He knows at once that this
purpose of learning lessons is the only one of any real importance, and that
the man who allows himself to be diverted from that purpose by any
consideration whatever is acting with inconceivable stupidity. To him the life
devoted exclusively to physical objects, to the acquisition of wealth or fame,
appears the merest child’s play – a senseless sacrifice of all that is really
worth having for the sake of a few moment’s gratification of the lower part of
his nature. He “sets his affection on things above and not on things of the
earth”, not only because he sees this to be the right course of action, but
because he realizes so clearly the valuelessness of
these things of earth. He always tries to take the higher point of view, for he
knows that the lower is utterly unreliable – that the lower desires and
feelings gather round him like a dense fog, and make it impossible for him to
see anything clearly from that level.
Whenever he finds a
struggle going on within him he remembers that he himself is the higher, and
that this which is the lower is not the real self, but merely an uncontrolled
part of one of its vehicles. He knows that though he may fall a thousand times
on the way toward his goal, his reason for trying to reach it
remains just as strong after the thousandth fall as it was in the
beginning, so that it would not only be useless but unwise and wrong to give
way to despondency and hopelessness.
He begins his journey
upon the road of progress at once – not only because he knows that it is far
easier for him now than it will be if he leaves the effort until later, but
chiefly because if he makes the endeavor now and succeeds in achieving some
progress, if he rises thereby to some higher level, he is in a
position to hold out a helping hand to those who have not yet
reached even that step on the ladder which he has gained. In that way he takes
part, however humble it may be, in the great divine work of evolution.
He knows that he has arrived
at his present position only by a slow process of growth, and so he does not
expect instantaneous attainments of perfection. He sees how inevitable is the
great law of cause and effect, and that when he once grasps the working of that
law he can use it intelligently, in regard to mental and moral development,
just as in the physical world we can employ for our own assistance those laws
of nature the action of which we have learnt to understand.
Understanding what death
is, he knows that there can be no need to fear it or to mourn over it, whether
it comes to himself or to those whom he loves. It has
come to them all often before, so there is nothing unfamiliar about it. He sees
death simply as a promotion from a life which is more than half physical to one
which is wholly
superior, so for himself he unfeignedly welcomes it;
and even when it comes to those whom he loves, he recognizes at once the
advantage for them, even though he cannot but feel a pang of regret that he
should be temporarily separated from them so far as the physical world is
concerned. But he knows that the so-called dead are near him still, and that he
has only to cast off for a time his physical body in sleep in order to stand
side by side with them as before.
He sees clearly that the
world is one, and that the same divine laws rule the whole of it, whether it be
visible or invisible to physical sight. So he has no feeling of nervousness or
strangeness in passing from one part of it to another,
and no feeling of uncertainty as to what he will find on the other side of the
veil. He knows that in that higher life there opens before him a splendid vista
of opportunities both for acquiring fresh knowledge and for doing useful work;
that life away from this dense body has a vividness and a brilliancy to which
all earthly enjoyment is as nothing; and so through his clear knowledge and
calm confidence the power of the endless life shines out upon all those around
him.
Doubt as to his future
is for him impossible, for just as by looking back on the savage he realizes
that which he was in the past, so by looking to the greatest and wisest of
mankind he knows what he will be in the future. He sees an unbroken chain of
development, a ladder of perfection rising steadily before
him, yet with human beings upon every step of it, so that he
knows that those steps are possible for him to climb. It is just because of the
unchangeableness of the great law of cause and effect that he finds himself
able to climb that ladder, because, since the law works always in the same way,
he can depend upon it and he can use it, just as he uses the laws of Nature in
the physical worlds.
His knowledge of this
law brings to him a sense of perspective, and shows him that if something comes
to him, it comes because he has deserved it as a consequence of action which he
has committed, of words which he has spoken, of thought to which he has given
harbor in previous days or in earlier lives. He comprehends that all affliction
is of the nature of the payment of a debt, and therefore when he has to meet
with the troubles of life he takes them and uses them as a lesson, because he
understands why they have come and is glad of the opportunity which they give
him to pay off something of his obligations.
Again, and yet another way, does he take them as an opportunity,
for he sees that there is another side to them if he meets them in the right
way. He spends no time in bearing prospective burdens. When trouble comes to
him he does not
aggravate it by foolish repining but sets himself to endure so much
of it as is inevitable, with patience and fortitude. Not that he submits
himself to it as a fatalist might, for he takes adverse circumstances as an
incentive to such development as may enable him to transcend them, and thus out
of long-past evil he brings forth a seed of future growth. For in the very act
of paying the outstanding debt he develops qualities of courage and resolution
that will stand him in good stead through all the ages that are to come.
He is distinguishable from
the rest of the world by his perennial cheerfulness, his undaunted courage
under difficulties, and his ready sympathy and helpfulness; yet he is at the
same time emphatically a man who takes life seriously, who recognizes that
there is much for everyone to do in the world, and that there is no time to
waste. He knows with utter certainty that he not only makes his own destiny but
also gravely affects that of others around him, and thus he perceives how
weighty a responsibility attends the use of his power.
He knows that thoughts
are things and that it is easily possible to do great harm or great good by
their means. He knows that no man liveth to himself,
for his every thought acts upon others as well; that the vibrations which he
sends forth from his mind and from his mental nature are reproducing themselves
in the
minds and the mental
natures of other men, so that he is a source either of mental health or of
mental ill to all with whom he comes in contact.
This at once imposes
upon him a far higher code of social ethics than that which is known to the
outer world, for he knows that he must control not only his acts and his words,
but also his thoughts, since they may produce effects more serious and more
far-reaching than their outward expression in the physical
world. He knows that even when a man is not in the least thinking
of others, he yet inevitably affects them for good or evil. In addition to this
unconscious action of his thought upon others he also employs it consciously
for good. He sets currents in motion to carry mental help and comfort to many a
friend, and in this way he finds a whole new world of usefulness opening before
him.
He ranges himself ever
on the side of the higher rather than the lower thought, the nobler rather than
the baser. He deliberately takes the optimistic rather than the pessimistic
view of everything, the helpful rather than the cynical, because he knows that
to be fundamentally the true view. By looking continually for the good in
everything that he may endeavour to strengthen it, by
striving always to help and never to hinder, he becomes ever of greater use to
his fellow-men, and is thus in his small way a co-worker with the splendid
scheme of evolution. He forgets himself utterly and lives but for the sake of
others, realizing himself as a part of that scheme; he also realizes the God
within him, and learns to become ever a truer expression of Him, and thus in
fulfilling God’s will he is not only blessed himself, but becomes a blessing to
all.
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Camberley, Surrey, England GU15 - 2LF
Tekels Park to be Sold to a Developer
Concerns are raised about the fate of the wildlife as
The Spiritual Retreat, Tekels Park in Camberley,
Surrey, England is to be sold to a developer
Tekels Park is a 50 acre woodland park, purchased
for the Adyar Theosophical Society in England in 1929.
In addition to concern about the park, many are
worried about the future of the Tekels Park Deer
as they are not a protected species.
Many feel that the sale of a
sanctuary
for wildlife to a
developer can
only mean
disaster for the park’s animals
Confusion as the Theoversity
moves out of
Tekels Park to Southampton, Glastonbury &
Chorley in Lancashire while the leadership claim
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Tekels Park despite its sale to a developer
Future of Tekels Park Badgers in Doubt
Tekels Park & the Loch
Ness Monster
A Satirical view
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The Toff’s
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What the men in
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Classic Introductory Theosophy Text
A Text Book of Theosophy By C
What Theosophy Is From the Absolute to Man
The Formation of a Solar System The Evolution of Life
The Constitution of Man After Death Reincarnation
The Purpose of Life The Planetary Chains
The Result of Theosophical Study
An Outstanding Introduction
to Theosophy
By a student of
Katherine Tingley
Elementary Theosophy Who is the Man? Body and Soul
Body, Soul and Spirit Reincarnation Karma
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