Freedom of Thought - TS Adyar · sophy’s deeper teachings. It seems that we honour and accept...

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Text of Resolutions passed by the

General Council of the Theosophical Society

Freedom of Thought

As the Theosophical Society has spread far and wide over the world,and as members of all religions have become members of it withoutsurrendering the special dogmas, teachings and beliefs of their re-spective faiths, it is thought desirable to emphasize the fact that there isno doctrine, no opinion, by whomsoever taught or held, that is in any waybinding on any member of the Society, none which any member is notfree to accept or reject. Approval of its three Objects is the sole conditionof membership. No teacher, or writer, from H. P. Blavatsky onwards,has any authority to impose his or her teachings or opinions on members.Every member has an equal right to follow any school of thought, buthas no right to force the choice on any other. Neither a candidate for anyoffice nor any voter can be rendered ineligible to stand or to vote, becauseof any opinion held, or because of membership in any school of thought.Opinions or beliefs neither bestow privileges nor inflict penalties.The Members of the General Council earnestly request every memberof the Theosophical Society to maintain, defend and act upon thesefundamental principles of the Society, and also fearlessly to exercise theright of liberty of thought and of expression thereof, within the limitsof courtesy and consideration for others.

Freedom of the Society

The Theosophical Society, while cooperating with all other bodieswhose aims and activities make such cooperation possible, is and mustremain an organization entirely independent of them, not committed toany objects save its own, and intent on developing its own work on thebroadest and most inclusive lines, so as to move towards its own goal asindicated in and by the pursuit of those objects and that Divine Wisdomwhich in the abstract is implicit in the title ‘The Theosophical Society’.

Since Universal Brotherhood and the Wisdom are undefined andunlimited, and since there is complete freedom for each and every memberof the Society in thought and action, the Society seeks ever to maintainits own distinctive and unique character by remaining free of affiliationor identification with any other organization.

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THE THEOSOPHIST

CONTENTS

VOL. 137 NO. 1 OCTOBER 2015

The Accumulated Wisdom 5

Tim Boyd

H. P. Blavatsky and the Evolution of Consciousness 8

Olga S. Omlin

The One Life 15

Tetyana Golovchenko

Insights into the Holy Grail 18

Dianne K. Kynaston

Theosophical Link Officers and Peace Meditation: An Introduction 24

Arend Heijbroek

Truth Alone Conquers 27

Radha Burnier

Books of Interest 34

Theosophical Work around the World 37

To Annie Besant 43

E. A. Wodehouse

International Directory 44

Editor: Mr Tim Boyd

Official organ of the President, founded by H. P. Blavatsky, 1879. The Theosophical Societyis responsible only for official notices appearing in this magazine.

NOTE: Articles for publication in The Theosophist should be sent to the Editorial Office.

Cover: 18th century wall hanging textile from Mughal Dynasty

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The Theosophical Society is composed of students, belonging to any religion inthe world or to none, who are united by their approval of the Society’s Objects,by their wish to remove religious antagonisms and to draw together men of goodwill,whatsoever their religious opinions, and by their desire to study religious truthsand to share the results of their studies with others. Their bond of union is not theprofession of a common belief, but a common search and aspiration for Truth.They hold that Truth should be sought by study, by reflection, by purity of life,by devotion to high ideals, and they regard Truth as a prize to be striven for, notas a dogma to be imposed by authority. They consider that belief should be theresult of individual study or intuition, and not its antecedent, and should rest onknowledge, not on assertion. They extend tolerance to all, even to the intolerant,not as a privilege they bestow but as a duty they perform, and they seek to removeignorance, not punish it. They see every religion as an expression of the DivineWisdom and prefer its study to its condemnation, and its practice to proselytism.Peace is their watchword, as Truth is their aim.

Theosophy is the body of truths which forms the basis of all religions, andwhich cannot be claimed as the exclusive possession of any. It offers a philosophywhich renders life intelligible, and which demonstrates the justice and the lovewhich guide its evolution. It puts death in its rightful place, as a recurring incidentin an endless life, opening the gateway to a fuller and more radiant existence.It restores to the world the Science of the Spirit, teaching man to know the Spirit ashimself and the mind and body as his servants. It illuminates the scriptures anddoctrines of religions by unveiling their hidden meanings, and thus justifying themat the bar of intelligence, as they are ever justified in the eyes of intuition.

Members of the Theosophical Society study these truths, and theosophistsendeavour to live them. Everyone willing to study, to be tolerant, to aim high, andto work perseveringly, is welcomed as a member, and it rests with the member tobecome a true theosophist.

THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETYFounded 17 November 1875

President: Mr Tim Boyd Vice-President: Dr Chittaranjan SatapathySecretary: Ms Marja Artamaa Treasurer: Mr K. Narasimha Rao

Headquarters: ADYAR, CHENNAI (MADRAS) 600 020, INDIAVice-President: [email protected]

Secretary: [email protected]: [email protected]

Adyar Library and Research Centre: [email protected] Publishing House: [email protected] & [email protected]

Editorial Office: [email protected], Website: http://www.ts-adyar.org

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The Accumulated Wisdom

The Theosophist


TIM BOYD

ONE of the definitions H. P. Blavatskygave for Theosophy was ‘the accumulatedwisdom of the ages, tested and verifiedby generations of seers’. All of us whofind value in Theosophy and the wisdomtradition from which it arises shouldfrom time to time give some thought tothis lineage that has accumulated, tested,verified, and passed on the wisdom.A great deal of what we encounter in theteachings of Theosophy lies beyond ourcurrent capacity for direct experience.Such basic matters as the nature of thehuman aura, thought forms, the astralor mental ‘body’, even the Masters ofthe Wisdom are subjects which few of uscan speak of from personal experience.

The research of one theosophicalhistorian has concluded that in theTheosophical Society’s 140-year historya total of 24 to 25 people have had aphysical encounter with one of theMasters. Yet some appreciation of theorganized body of those who havepassed beyond the stage of normalhumanity, and the overshadowing in-fluence of the Masters in the formationof the TS and its teachings, is almostrequired for an acceptance of Theo-sophy’s deeper teachings. It seems thatwe honour and accept these teachings for

three reasons: 1) because they appeal toour logic — they make sense; 2) becausethey conform to our intuitive awareness— at some deeper level of our being, weperceive their rightness; and 3) becauseof the high esteem in which we hold thesources of these teachings and the peoplewho have passed them on who havedemonstrated their reliability. There is afurther process that we necessarily en-gage in, a process of experimentation.The things that we can experience we test,and ultimately, we verify for ourselves.

All that we regard as the Theosophicaltradition is an inheritance from previ-ous generations. One of the interestingfeatures of any inheritance is that thepeople who later benefit from the wealth,generally did nothing to create it. Forno other reason than the fact of beingborn in a particular place and time wefind ourselves as beneficiaries to an easyaccess to Theosophy, this most recentexpression of the wisdom tradition.Certainly karma plays a role, but even inour time there have been and still areplaces where people can only study theseteachings at great risk to themselves andtheir families. In Tsongkhapa’s Lam Rimteachings of Tibetan Buddhism there isa concept about the ‘precious human life’.

Vol. 137.16 The Theosophist


According to this way of thinking not alllives are equally precious. The presenceof several factors are necessary in orderfor a particular life to be considered cap-able of attaining its fullest expression.One of those factors is that a person mustbe born in a time and place wheregenuine teachings that have the potentialto lead to enlightenment are available.In the Vivekachudâmani, Shankaracharyaechoes this way of thinking when he saysthat the person who ‘has obtained ahuman birth . . . and is foolish enough notto exert himself for self-liberation, verilycommits suicide, he kills himself byclinging to things unreal’.

It is the nature of the ‘self-liberation’process that the guidance and exampleof others are vital. Lineage and the im-portance of connection to a line of peoplewho have experimented in the laboratoryof their own consciousness and realizedthe fruits of this wisdom are oftenunappreciated. These ones who haverealized in some measure are capable ofeffectively sharing the ageless wisdom.

I remember on one occasion being ina social setting. An accomplished stageactor got up and read a particular prayerfrom the Bible, the 23rd Psalm. It wasbeautiful. His diction was flawless andhis tone and expression were impres-sive. At the same meeting there was anold man. He was neither famous norunusually accomplished, but he hadweathered many storms in his life. Hewas a deeply religious man who overthe course of his life had experiencedprofound moments of inspiration in

prayer. He stood up and read the sameprayer. Every word was the same, butthe effect on everyone present waselectrifying. The feeling of being trans-ported to the presence of somethingpowerful was palpable.

In Light on the Path the statementis made that ‘Speech comes only withknowledge. Attain to knowledge and youwill attain to speech.’ This knowledge is,of course, more than the result of con-ventional study. It is the soul knowledgethat empowers one’s speaking withgenuine authority.

Just like those who have inheritedgreat fortunes of money and land, the testfor us with our inheritance of the potentialfor wisdom will be what we do with it.It is a sad, but common story aboutpeople who have inherited a fortune andrecklessly squandered it. There are alsostories of people who have taken theinheritance they received, appreciatedit, and magnified their wealth far beyondwhat originally was given. Hopefully wewill find ourselves in this camp.

The month of October should beconsidered special among members ofthe Theosophical Society. Two bookendsmark the beginning and the end of themonth. On 1 October 1847 Mrs AnnieBesant was born. On 31 October 2013Mrs Radha Burnier died. As is the casewith all beginnings and all endings, it isdifficult to say with any exactness wherethey will lead.

Certainly nothing about Annie Besant’sbeginnings gave any indication of theheights of consciousness and global

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influence that she would assume later inlife. Born into a solidly middle classfamily, the death of her father when shewas five changed the family’s financialstatus dramatically. At eighteen yearsold she was married to an abusiveclergyman. The relationship was so toxicto her spirit that at one point she con-templated suicide, actually going so faras placing the poison in her hand andpreparing to take it. In that moment ofweakness, just before she was going todrink the poison, she heard a voice thatchanged her direction, and ultimatelyours. The voice said: ‘O coward, coward,who used to dream of martyrdom andcannot stand a few years of woe.’ Onhearing it she immediately threw thepoison away.

The rest is history, but her life was astrange, meandering, unpredictable routeto greatness. The imprint of her life andpersonality on the Theosophical move-ment was probably greater than anyTS president except Col Olcott. The

Theosophical Order of Service, Co-Masonry, J. Krishnamurti, the Order ofthe Star, political and social activism,clairvoyant investigation, all found aplace in her activities.

Two years ago, on the last day ofOctober, Mrs Radha Burnier died. Atthe time of her passing Radhaji hadspent thirty-three years guiding the TSas international President, longer thanany of her six predecessors. In conver-sations over time she spoke about thewinding, unplanned nature of her Theo-sophical life. Although she was born intoa Theosophical family and raised on theAdyar campus, her life took a numberof turns before settling fully into theservice of the TS.

Step by step, year by year we havethe potential to deepen our connectionwith Theosophy. We are fortunate to haveexamples in those who have preceded usand those who walk alongside of ustoday. Appreciation is a simple thing,but powerful. ²

Much of what Annie Besant said many decades ago is of striking relevanceeven today, not only for India, but for other countries also. Particularmention might be made of her insistence that a nation’s prosperity cannotbe built solely through economic development or other efforts atrestructuring society. It must be founded on the character of the people.

Radha Burnier

Presidential Address, 26 December 1993


H. P. Blavatsky and the Evolution of Consciousness

H. P. Blavatsky and the

Evolution of Consciousness

OLGA S. OMLIN

Ms Olga S. Omlin resides and volunteers at the Krotona Institute of Theosophy in Ojai, California.Talk delivered at the International Theosophy Conference in August 2015 in the Netherlands.

FOR some, Helena Petrovna Blavatskywas an incredible being, a messengerwho brought the light of Divine Wisdomto the world, driven by deep compassionfor suffering humanity. To others shewas a destroyer of religion and a womanwith a fiery temper.

In the eyes of the aristocracy H. P.Blavatsky was a challenge with all herpersonality rebelling against social rulesand conventions. She described her-self: ‘I hated “society” and the so-called“world” as I hated hypocrisy in whateverform it showed itself.’1

She was as human as each of us. Herniece Nadezhda Zhelihovsky wrote thather aunt liked to invent stories for fun.In Russian culture family is highly valued,and I believe it was the same or similarfor Helena Petrovna. She wrote in oneof her letters to A. P. Sinnett, ‘My auntMme Witte swore before the image ofsome St Flapdoodle that she would curseme on her deathbed if I permitted anymemoirs to be published, so long as allmy relatives are yet living. . . . It is

impossible to say the truth without incrim-inating the people that I would not accusefor the world, now that they are dead andgone. Rest it all on my back.’2

Even though HPB was the first Russianwoman who became an American citizen,she remained devoted to her homecountry. In a letter to her sister Vera, shewrote about her experience during thenaturalization ceremony, ‘A nice scrapeto get into, but how am I to manage tono longer love Russia or respect theemperor? It is easier to say a thing thanto act accordingly.’3

It is said that HPB had an amazingpower to attract people and that she waspatient and persevering in her service toher Master and Theosophy. She was verysincere and easily trusted others, givingmost the benefit of the doubt. The sin-cerity of her soul can be seen in her in-difference to public opinion about her.

And perhaps this courageous andconfident spirit gave her strength to carryon the mission to reveal the sacredteachings underlying all religions, to help

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awaken the spiritual consciousness ofhumanity, and to attempt to give a synthe-sis of science, religion, and philosophywhich can be found in many of herwritings, mainly in The Secret Doctrine.

Yet HPB was extraordinary even asa child, perceptive, sensitive and sur-rounded by unusual phenomena. It is noteasy to even vaguely perceive howchallenging it must have been for her togrow up being such an unusual child,and later become a centre of attention,curiosity, and attacks from all corners ofthe world.

Her first attempt to establish theTheosophical Society was closely con-nected with various phenomena. On theone hand, it was done to show that matterwas not what the science of that timethought of it, and on the other, to counterthe belief of the spiritualists solely in thespirits of the dead. She challenged theworld to realize that ‘the unseen’ was nota criterion for spirituality. Nevertheless,later she regretted her approach, as itgenerated in some a misunderstandingthat Theosophy has primarily to do withpsychic development. She was unafraidto admit her mistake in judgment andmove on.

From her letters to her sister Vera,one can see HPB’s hope to be understoodin the deepest sense:

Do not be afraid that I am off my head. Allthat I can say is that someone positivelyinspires me — . . . more than this: someoneenters me. It is not I who talk and write:it is something within me, my higher and

luminous Self, that thinks and writesfor me. Do not ask me, my friend, whatI experience, because I could not explainit to you clearly. I do not know myself! Theone thing I know is that now, when I amabout to reach old age, I have become asort of storehouse of somebody else’sknowledge. . . . Someone comes and en-velops me as a misty cloud and all at oncepushes me out of myself, and then I amnot ‘I’ any more — Helena PetrovnaBlavatsky — but someone else.4

That Inner Being was a driving power inHPB’s theosophical work and theconstant influence on the unfoldment ofher life. As she expressed it:

For the Divine Spiritual ‘I’ is alone eternal,and the same throughout all births; whereasthe ‘personalities’ it informs in successionare evanescent, changing like the shadowsof a kaleidoscopic series of forms in amagic lantern.5

HPB was absolutely devoted to herMaster and to the cause of Theosophy.Often ill, and in many ways flawed, shewas still the best instrument the AdeptHierarchy could find. She went throughall sorts of discomforts and never reallyknew what was ahead of her. Throughall her works she emphasized that it isby our own merit, and not with the helpof a guru that we can work our way tounity with our inner divine essence. Onthat ground, near the end of her life sheestablished Blavatsky Lodge in London,which became the headquarters of the TSin Europe and the Esoteric Section thatwas inspired by the Masters.



As she wrote in her letter to the Indianmembers of the Theosophical Society,

Thenceforth let it be clearly understoodthat the rest of my life is devoted onlyto those who believe in the Masters, andare willing to work for Theosophy as theyunderstand it, and for the TS on the linesupon which they originally established it.6

We may wonder if the teachings ofTheosophy given in The Secret Doctrine,The Key to Theosophy, The Voice ofthe Silence, and Isis Unveiled, are stillrelevant to the present world? Nowthanks to the selfless efforts of pioneer-theosophists we are all familiar with theideas of karma and reincarnation.Nevertheless, we are facing many of thesame temptations. Some are drawn topsychic phenomena ‘which are but an-other form of materialism’7, wrote HPB.Or we may desire to accumulate more andmore information even in the form oftheosophical knowledge. But knowledgecan only be transformed into wisdomthrough a daily practice, through contem-plation, meditation, and selfless servicerooted in kindness and compassion.

As HPB emphasized in her addressto The American Convention in 1889,‘Therefore it is that the Ethics of Theo-sophy are even more necessary to man-kind than the scientific aspects of thepsychic facts of Nature and man.’8

The world inherited from this Russianwoman a huge resource of practical,spiritual and intellectual teachings. Shepointed out the direction of the study ofscience, comparative religion and philo-

sophy. She inspired her motherlandRussia to explore its spiritual roots in theEast. All of this humanity is yet destinedto rediscover.

A while ago an inquirer on Facebookasked in regard to a posting on Founders’Day, if we worshipped the founders ofthe Theosophical Society? It is sad to seesuch a misinterpretation of our gratitudefor the Founders’ great effort to forwardthe work of the Elder Brothers on behalfof all humanity. And who are these ElderBrothers, the Mahatmas or the Mastersas HPB referred to them, and whosewilling instrument she chose to become?

H. P. Blavatsky puzzled the Westernscientific world with the informationabout the Brotherhood of the Masters ofthe Wisdom possessing knowledge ofcontemporary scientific discoveries andalso of those that had yet to be made,their ability to ‘precipitate’ letters, andinspire ideas via thoughts. For someWesterners the concept of the Mahatmasrevealing to the ‘developed’ world someancient truths was curious, others calledit a fraud.

Nevertheless, Initiates can be tracedthroughout the history of humanity. Theyinspired and encouraged new religiousviews or insights and founded variousphilosophical schools. No matter how wename and understand them, They arespiritually evolved individuals who chosethe Bodhisattva Path — the path of self-sacrifice, altruism, divine kindness, andcompassion — incarnating perhaps formany lifetimes to help suffering humanity.From them Theosophical truths have

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been given through HPB. They were theinspirational force behind the foundingof the Theosophical Society. In‘Mahatmas and Chelas’ HPB writes,

And whoever therefore wants to see thereal MAHATMA, must use his intellectualsight. He must so elevate his Manas thatits perception will be clear and all mistscreated by Mâya must be dispelled. . . . Thisperception of the Manas may be called‘faith’ which should not be confoundedwith blind belief. ‘Blind faith’ is an expres-sion sometimes used to indicate beliefwithout perception or understanding;while the true perception of the Manas isthat enlightened belief, which is the realmeaning of the word ‘faith’. This beliefshould at the same time be accompaniedby knowledge, i.e., experience, for ‘trueknowledge brings with it faith’.9

This idea is implied in the third objectof The Theosophical Society, Adyar: ‘Toinvestigate the unexplained laws ofNature and the powers latent in man.’ Inmy perception, the word ‘man’ used heremeans Manu or Manas, which is thethinking principle and the human soul.

Studying The Mahatma Letters toA. P. sinnett gives a glimpse of theircharacters, views and vision. They arebeyond the personal Karma and do notexpress any favours. To quote HPB:

Although the whole of humanity is withinthe mental vision of the MAHATMAS, theycannot be expected to take special noteof every human being, unless that beingby his special acts draws their particularattention to himself. The highest interest

of humanity, as a whole, is their specialconcern, for they have identified them-selves with that Universal Soul which runsthrough Humanity, and he, who woulddraw their attention, must do so throughthat Soul which pervades everywhere.10

The Masters are interested in thepresent but their main concern is thefuture, ‘. . . and every mistake is so muchmore accumulated wisdom for days tocome.’ 11 They are the embodiment ofLove and Holiness. But their real holinessmay be completely different from whatour preconceived idea of holiness is.They see things as they are and speakin very clear terms. They do not tellanyone how to act but give only a direc-tion of progress, of possibilities. Theyunderstand our strengths and weaknessesand never give up on us. Their aimis Universal Brotherhood, for which theTS is a testing ground. In Letter No. 4Master KH writes, ‘The term “UniversalBrotherhood” is no idle phrase. . . . It isthe only secure foundation for universalmorality. If it be a dream, it is at leasta noble one for mankind: and it is theaspiration of the true adept.’12

Reading The Mahatma Letters to A. P.Sinnett and Letters from the Masters ofthe Wisdom compiled by C. Jinarâjadâsaone cannot help feeling devotion andreverence for them. However, it hasnothing to do with worship. The Mastersneed co-workers to help them in theirtremendous work to guide the spiritualdevelopment of humanity, and not asingle effort for the sake of the TS isever in vain.



The Masters can influence humanevolution only so far. We ourselves mustbe moving more away from the realmof materialism to the realm of spirituality.‘The Masters do not guide the Society,not even the Founders; and no one hasever asserted that they did: they onlywatch over, and protect it’,13 wrote H. P.Blavatsky.

Realizing how challenging a pathspiritual transformation may be, theMasters suggested the necessity of agradual dissemination and assimilation ofTheosophical teachings. Because of ouregoistic, self-defensive, animal-humannature resisting any change, a radical inter-ference could do more harm than help.

As HPB wrote in her ‘Letter to the1888 American Convention’:

According as people are prepared toreceive it, so will new Theosophical teach-ing be given. But no more will be giventhan the world, on its present level ofspirituality, can profit by. It depends onthe spread of Theosophy — the as-similation of what has been already given— how much more will be revealed, andhow soon.14

The Masters want us to realize for our-selves the Plan of Manifestation emanat-ing from the Divine Mind by exercisingthe faculties of our own Higher Principles.

In their letters the Mahatmas wroteabout the Path of Discipleship, which isopen to anyone willing to serve thespiritual needs of humanity as a whole.It is the Path that allows one to becomean instrument of Light, a path that brings

confidence and trust in the Laws of theHigher Life that all is well, and a deeperunderstanding of our true nature. TheMaster K.H. wrote:

To accept any man as a chela does notdepend on my personal will. It can onlybe the result of one’s personal meritand exertions in that direction. Force anyone of the ‘Masters’ you may happen tochoose; do good works in his name andfor the love of mankind; be pure andresolute in the path of righteousness (aslaid out in our rules); be honest and un-selfish; forget your Self but to rememberthe good of other people — and you willhave forced that ‘Master’ to accept you.15

The idea of progressive appearanceof the Adepts during the long history ofhumanity does not belong to a partic-ular esoteric teaching or religion. HPBexplained in The Secret Doctrine thathuman beings will be guided towards‘a correct comprehension of ancientWisdom’16 until they are spiritual enoughto continue on their own.

In ‘The Cycle Moveth’ H. P. Blavatskystated that in the last quarter of everycentury messengers were sent westward.They were people ‘endowed with cor-rect psychic intuition . . . [who] had thekey to the secrets of Nature.’17 It seemsthat their appearance is triggered byspiritual crises of humanity. What is theirmission according to HPB? To remindhumanity of its Divine Nature andspiritual evolution.

According to HPB the appearance ofsuch messengers as Saint-Germain and

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Cagliostro was not much appreciated inthe 18th century, which was chara-cterized by the prevailing mere scientificlearning and the lack of soul perception.But spiritual stagnation itself produceda wave of longing and unsatisfactionwith pure materialism which, in its turn,inspired mediumistic manifestations andculminated with the spread of Spiritualismin the 19th century. This historical evi-dence is a wonderful example of thepower of thought! However, this wavetowards psychic phenomena was cloud-ing the minds of Western people. TheMasters chose HPB to become a mes-senger in order to reveal the true meaningof the latent powers and Divine Wisdomwithin us.

Spiritual evolution of Consciousnesswhich is the realization of the Unity ofLife, that everything around and withinus is endowed with power that is the Lightof the Spirit, will eventually manifest itselfin the world in the Universal Brotherhoodof Humanity that has been the vision ofthe Masters and is the main Object of theTheosophical Society.

On the day when Theosophy will haveaccomplished its most holy and most

important mission — namely, to unitefirmly a body of men of all nations inbrotherly love and bent on pure altruisticwork, not on labour with selfish motives— on that day only will Theosophybecome higher than any nominal brother-hood of man. This will be a wonderand a miracle truly, for the realization ofwhich humanity is vainly waiting forthe last eighteen centuries, and whichevery association has hitherto failedto accomplish.18

How can we assist in this process?Perhaps, if each one of us is more vigilantand assertive in choosing thoughts ofUnity, and becoming an example of trueBrotherhood in our own lives, we will beable to attract more attention and interestto Theosophy. It is not the intellectual sideof it that is missing in the life of humanitybecause now like never before, we haveaccess to almost any information. Deepwithin we are longing for that Love, Com-passion, and Wisdom that goes beyondany physical form, time, and space. Theo-sophy teaches self-reliance because theonly True Teacher is within us. The lightof our Spiritual Intuition is the best guideon the path of self-knowledge and unity.

Endnotes1. Personal Memories of H. P. Blavatsky, compiled by Mary K. Neff, Quest Books, Wheaton, IL,1967, p. 32

2. Ibid., p. 33

3. Ibid., p. 282

4. Ibid., p. 244

5. Collected Writings of H. P. Blavatsky, Vol. XII, ‘The Dual Aspect of Wisdom’, The TheosophicalPublishing House, Wheaton, IL, 1980, p. 313



6. Ibid., Vol. XII, ‘Why I Do Not Return to India’, TPH, Wheaton, IL, 1980, p. 166

7. Ibid., Vol. IX, ‘Letter from H. P. Blavatsky to the Second American Convention’, TPH, Wheaton,IL, 1974, p. 244

8. Ibid., Vol. XI, ‘Second Letter of H. P. Blavatsky to the American Convention’, TPH, Wheaton, IL,1980, p. 162

9. Ibid., Vol. VI, ‘Mahatmas and Chelas’, TPH, Wheaton, IL, 1966, pp. 240-241

10. Ibid., Vol. VI, ‘Mahatmas and Chelas’, TPH, Wheaton, IL, 1966, p. 240

11. H. P. Blavatsky, The Key to Theosophy, Theosophical University Press, Pasadena, CA, 2002, p. 299

12. The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett, TPH, Adyar, 1962, p. 17

13. H. P. Blavatsky, The Key to Theosophy, Theosophical University Press, Pasadena, CA, 2002, p. 299

14. Collected Writings of H. P. Blavatsky, Vol. IX, ‘Letter from H.P. Blavatsky to the SecondAmerican Convention’, TPH, Wheaton, IL, 1974, p. 244

15. Letters from the Masters of the Wisdom 1881-1888, transcribed and compiled by C. Jinarâjadâsa,TPH, Adyar, 1919, p. 33

16. H. P. Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine, Theosophical University Press, Pasadena, CA, 1999, p. 358

17. Collected Writings of H. P. Blavatsky, Vol. XII, ‘The Cycle Moveth’, TPH, Wheaton, IL, 1980,p. 120

18. Ibid., Vol. IX, ‘Letter from H.P. Blavatsky to the Second American Convention’, TPH, Wheaton,IL, 1974, pp. 243

The article 'The Two Helenas: An Unknown Portrait' by Elena Alivansteva,published in the August 2015 issue of The Theosophist, should haveincluded a note indicating that a photo of the portrait depicting HPB withher mother was published in the May 2012 issue of The Theosophist,p. 26. We regret the oversight.

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The One Life

The Theosophist

The One Life

TETYANA GOLOVCHENKO

Ms Tetyana Golovchenko is the President of the HPB Lodge in Dhipropetrovsk, Ukraine, whereHPB was born.

‘FROM the ONE LIFE formless andUncreate, proceeds the Universe of lives’,said H. P. Blavatsky (1, St.7(5)). Shebegins The Secret Doctrine from thisimportant and infinite notion. The Proemoffers the first symbols of cosmogenesis:a white disc on the black background,and then a dot centred in a circle.Thereafter the process of cosmic creationstarts to unfold before our eyes, throughwhich the One Life manifests itself.HPB says:

It is the ONE LIFE, eternal, invisible, yetOmnipresent, without beginning or end,yet periodical in its regular manifestations,between which periods reigns the darkmystery of non-Being; unconscious, yetabsolute Consciousness; . . . truly, ‘a chaosto the sense, a Kosmos to the reason’. . . .Only the face of the disc being white andthe ground all around black, shows clearlythat its plane is the only knowledge, dimand hazy though it still is, that is attainableby man. (1, Proem)

This knowledge people have calledDivine Wisdom — Theosophy. The word‘theosophy’ is derived from the Greek,meaning ‘Divine Wisdom’. It was used

for the first time in the third century ofour era by philosopher AmmoniusSaccas. The light bearer of this ancientknowledge known also to people asGupta Vidya and Secret Doctrine wasH. P. Blavatsky. In The Secret DoctrineHPB reveals ‘all accessible knowledgethat may be given to humanity in the con-temporary century’ (1, v.1, p. 25). Shecontinues saying that ‘this knowledgewill be understood by people in 100years’, inasmuch as she was aware of theCosmic Laws pertaining to the evolutionof humanity and the Universe, the ex-panding consciousness of human beings,the ability to comprehend global truths,to realize the cosmogony system inits divine origin, and so on. Blavatskyanticipated that as far as the origin of thiswisdom is divine, its depth cannot beconceived of with the logical intellect ordefined with dogmatic words, becausethe Absolute Oneness should alwaysremain unattainable for the limited intel-lect. However, she pointed out that TheSecret Doctrine is called for ‘to show toman the lawful place in the divine schemeof the Universe’. (1, Preamble). There-fore, universal Theosophical ideas can be


The One Life

inquired into, and that is why theosophistsare ‘not the experts’, they are the ‘explorers’aspiring to comprehend theosophicalknowledge and, above all, to live inaccordance with this understanding.

In our quest for Theosophy, i.e.,Divine Wisdom, we (theosophists) followsome fundamental principles — somecode of teachings that one is not expectedto have an implicit faith in, but which areregarded as basic because they serve asfoundation for the Archaic Doctrine.

The most fundamental principle is thatof Oneness. The Secret Doctrine states,‘The one circle is divine Unity, fromwhich all proceeds, whither all returns’(1, Proem). The principle of Onenessmanifests itself through the operation ofthe fundamental law — Oneness of allbeings in Nature. This law is applied toall worlds as well as to all beings dwellingin these worlds — in their home. Thisoneness is not evident if taken as outwardappearance or seen from the physicalplane. Our universe apparently containsan endless diversity that is maintainedowing to a great number of Cosmic Laws.But the background or inner side of thisdiversity is the Oneness which is thesource and centre of all things that theywill once return to.

The Secret Doctrine depicts this ideain beautiful words:

In the Catechism, the Master is made toask the pupil:

‘Lift thy head, O Lanoo; dost thou see one,or countless lights above thee, burning inthe dark midnight sky?’

‘I sense one Flame, O Gurudeva, I seecountless undetached sparks shining in it.’

‘Thou sayest well. And now look aroundand into thyself. That light which burnsinside thee, dost thou feel it different inanywise from the light that shines in thyBrothermen?’

‘It is in no way different, though theprisoner is held in bondage by Karma, andthough its outer garments delude theignorant into saying, “Thy Soul and MySoul.”’(1, St. 5 (4))

The light of the Soul is the precisedivinity that abides in all creation.Realizing one’s own divinity, everyonecomes to another significant theosophicalprinciple of the Universal Brotherhoodof humanity whose hidden essence is theoneness embracing all that is manifestedthrough a relative diversity of indivi-dualities and personalities. On the onehand, it is the oneness of all life, and onthe other, it is brotherhood.

‘We are all brothers, inasmuch as thewhole of life is one and the divine sparkleis one and the same in all people on earth,notwithstanding all the visible differencesin their evolution. We are all membersof one spiritual family’, said our sisterMercedes Villa Robuste once, in a talk (2).

Why is it so important to be aware ofbeing a member of one spiritual family?According to the teaching, this opens theway for the free descent of vital forces fromthe mental plane of the Higher Ego, orour individuality, helping to transformand purify our bodies and, what is most

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The Theosophist

important, to realize one’s own respon-sibility for the whole spiritual family, forthe planet, for all those living in this world.

This responsibility and understandingof the divine principle dwelling in all ofus is reflected in human relations throughthe fraternal spirit of cooperation thatimparts an inestimable value to mutualrelations between all human beings, andcreates harmonious and fruitful synergyon the social level.

When the relations become MATURE,one is aware and accepts that despite allpeople being different, they ‘can beunited as friends in order to find a propersolution to world problems, which im-plies the understanding of the divergenceof opinions, and furthering cooperation’,(3) and trying to make every actionselfless, for the good of all human beings,revealing an ‘eternal quest for Good andOneness’ (4).

According to the theosophical teach-ing, there is a definite necessity for theincarnation of separate groups of peoplein order to realize mutual karmic relationsand study to take part in the one cause. Weunderstand it as follows: to be here andnow, to live consciously, to act respon-sibly in order that ‘our everyday choiceavers future’ (5), the future which wewish our children and the world to have!

These words by Master KH are ad-dressed to all of us:

So, try to be the messengers of love andmercy; while helping others you will at thesame time gain your own salvation . . . Youhave countless pages of the diary of yourlife, which are pure and new, ready forrecording your deeds. O, the child of thisrace and time, equip with a diamond penand fill in these pages with noble deeds,days well run through, with years of holyaspirations, and thereby, earn a ceaselesspath upwards, to the highest planes ofspiritual consciousness.

This path upwards that the Mastermentions as well as the expanding of ourconsciousness to reach higher planeswill allow our approach to harmoniousOneness of Life in the Universe.

To emphasize this Oneness and at-tempt to attain harmony, the theosophistsutter Annie Besant’s universal appealor prayer:

O Hidden Life, vibrant in every atom;O Hidden Light, shining in every creature;O Hidden Love embracing all in Oneness;May all who feel themselves as one with TheeKnow they are therefore one with every other.

Endnotes1. H. P. Blavatsky. The Secret Doctrine. The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar, Chennai, India, 1991.2. Mercedes Villa Robuste. ‘Why am I?’. Talk given at the International Convention in Adyar, 1998.3. Radha Burnier. Address given at the 135th International Convention in Adyar, 2010.4. Patrizia M. Calvi. ‘Heresy of Separateness’. Lecture given at the 10th World Congress in Rome, 2010.5. Joy Mills. ‘Ethics of an Understanding Heart’. Lecture given in London, 13 June 1985.


Insights into the Holy Grail


DIANNE K. KYNASTON

Ms Dianne K. Kynaston is a member of the Australian Section of the TS.

What is the Holy Grail?Throughout various traditions and

literature the Holy Grail has been pre-sented as the object of a spiritual questand its shape has varied, such as a cup, ashallow dish, a stone and a jewel. Themost well-known stories emerged in theearly Middle Ages. In his book, ‘TheGrail — Quest for the Eternal’, JohnMatthews makes the following statementconcerning the ‘Object of the Quest’:

It was this quest that dominated the storiesof the Grail throughout the Middle Ages,and no matter what form the quest took,the objective remained the same: a spir-itual goal representing inner wholeness,union with the divine, and self-fulfilment.The scene is usually set in a far-off countryof Paradisal status, where the Grail ishoused in a temple on top of a mountain,surrounded by water and protected byobstacles which only the chosen fewcan overcome. Its guardian is both a priestand a king, at once alive and dead; andthe rewards of the hero successful inthe quest are good fortune, blessings, and(sometimes) the hand of the king’sdaughter.

Cup of the Last SupperThe primary story is that the Grail

is the ‘cup used by Jesus at the LastSupper’. His uncle, Joseph of Arimathea,collects the cup and other sacred items,and while washing his body he catchesthe blood of Jesus in the cup. After thedisappearance of the body from the tomb,Joseph is accused of stealing it and isthrown into prison, where Jesus appearsto him and entrusts the cup to his careand instructs him in the mystery of theMass. He is kept alive by a dove whodeposits daily a wafer into the cup. Heeventually leaves prison in 70 AD andtogether with his sister and her husband,Bron, he goes into exile overseas.

In some versions it is stated he thengoes to Britain, where he sets up a tableat Glastonbury. The First Table is createdwith 12 seats and a 13th which becomesthe Siege Perilous.1 In other versionshe goes to France, becoming the first ofthe Fisher Kings.2 A temple is built onMuntsalvach, the Mountain of Salvation,and here the Grail is kept, guarded by theGrail Knights.

The Grail becomes then part of the

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Arthurian Cycle. It makes its appearanceat Camelot during Pentecost — floatingveiled before the knights, and dis-appearing. The knights pledge themselvesto go on the quest to find it. Theiradventures are of the initiatory kind —testing their skills and weaknesses. Onlythree knights succeed: Galahad (son ofLancelot) whose purity allows him to siton the Siege Perilous; Perceval, the holyfool; and Bors, the humble ordinary man.

Perceval answers the question ‘Whomdoes the Grail serve?’ of the Fisher King,who is then healed and the wasted landflows with water and becomes fruitful.The three then continue their journey,reaching the Heavenly City in the East— Sarras. Here the final mysteries of theGrail are revealed and the Mass cele-brated. Galahad dies here and is takenup into heaven with the Grail. Percevalgoes back to the Castle to rule as the newFisher King, and Bors returns to Camelotto tell the tale.

Pre-Christian Stories of the GrailThe Cup or Krater is found in Greek

mythology, and stood for the matrix ofcreation — the divine mixing bowl fromwhich all Life sprang. Plato refers to threedifferent cups, one being the VulcanKrater — a fiery cup which mixed thelight of the sun. In the Orphic Mysteriesthere is the cup of Dionysos, from whichinspiration came — and in one story oneaction of Orpheus is described as ‘rangesmany other such cups around the SolarTable.’ In Celtic lore there are a numberof cups/cauldrons — usually vessels

of rebirth, of inspiration or of plenty.Annwn, the Celtic hell, contained such acup, and in one story Arthur descends intoAnnwn to find it. The Irish god Dagda(father of the gods) possessed a cauldronwhich would only cook food for a hero.The Welsh gods, Bran the Blessed andMatholwch, possessed similar cups.

However the most potent Celtic storyis of the goddess, Cerridwen and the Bard,Taliesin. Cerridwen wants to elevate herdeformed son by providing him withgreat wisdom. She sets about to make aspecial brew in her cauldron, the resultof which would be three drops of DivineWisdom. However it takes a whole yearto create the divine drops. She sets ayoung lad, Gwion Bach (or the Little) totend the flames.

At the end of the twelve monthsCerridwen is distracted when the dropsfly out of the cauldron — Gwion catchesthem on his finger, but they burn, so heputs his fingers to his mouth and thusswallows the drops. The first piece ofwisdom is that Cerridwen will be madwith him so he flees and goes through aprocess of form changing (a commonprocess in Celtic myths). He becomes ahare, she a hound, he becomes a fish,she an otter, he becomes a sparrow, shea hawk, and finally he falls to the groundas a seed of wheat, and she becomesa chicken and swallows him. Gwionthen spends nine months in the womb ofthe goddess and emerges as a baby.Cerridwen places him in a coracle (a smallCeltic boat) to float on a local weir. Ayoung prince who is fishing with his



servant finds the coracle and on openingit the servant declares, ‘behold Taliesin,the radiant brow’.

The young baby utters the following:

Thrice have I been born. I know how tomeditate. It is a pity that men do not seekto find out all the wisdom that is hidden inmy bosom — for I know all that has been,all that will be hereafter.

He then becomes like a Merlin character,residing in the palace for many years andinstructing the prince in wise leadershipand ethical behaviour.

Taliesin is a true historical person,who lived about the 4th-5th century. Heappears in some Arthurian stories. Thereis some conjecture that Geoffrey ofMonmouth based his character of Merlinon Taliesin. In her book, The Mists ofAvalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley presentsTaliesin as the Merlin, and on his deathKevin the Harper becomes the Merlin.

Emergence into the Middle AgesIn the 8th-9th century a Welsh monk,

Geoffrey of Monmouth, wrote a bookentitled History of the Kings of Britain,which was a very ambitious outline of thehistory of Britain, a certain amount ofwhich is historically inaccurate. How-ever the main emphasis in the book wasthe presentation of King Arthur as aculmination of the Celtic culture, creatingan ideal courtly life.

The book presented concepts ofchivalry and high ideals, and went onto inspire the creation of the ‘Courts ofLove’ of Europe, particularly in France,

where many variations of the story werepopularized by the travelling poets/musicians known as the troubadours.The stories of Arthur and his knightsflowered during this period, with thestories given a particularly Christian bent.Some of the key writers are below.

Chretien de Troyes — Conte del Graalcomposed towards the late 12th century.The story is of a quest which leads to thecastle of the Wounded King, where aprocession of youths and maidens carryan object called a grail (dish) through thehall — it is not a holy relic. Chretien diedbefore he finished it. Note: he had writtenan earlier poem, ‘The Knight of the Cart’which introduced the character ofLancelot into Arthurian stories. Robertde Borons added to the story, bringingin the character of Joseph of Arimatheaand the grail being identified as the cupof the Last Supper.

The third major writing was a bookQueste del Saint Graal (the VulgateCycle) completed in 1210, possiblyby Cistercian Monks, who fully de-veloped the idea of the ‘Quest’ into strongChristian symbology. The characterof Galahad — the pure knight (son ofLancelot) is brought in and also theconcept of ‘Courtly Love’.

The fourth major contributor was theGerman mystic, Wolfram von Eschenbach— who wrote Parzival (1207). His storyis of a more personal mystic natureand though outwardly Christian withthe Grail associated with Good Fridayand the Knights Templar, there arestrong Eastern symbols in the storyline

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which were later taken up by Wagner.The only other two major books were

Perlesvaus, anonymously written about1225 and with a Christian mystical theme,and Morte d’Arthur written by SirThomas Malory and printed in 1485 —this was more the story of Arthur andthe downfall of Camelot.

Many stories, poems, songs, music,and so on, have been written downthrough the centuries, based on thethemes of the Arthurian tales and theGrail legends. In the Romantic period ofthe 19th century the Arthurian symbologywas reflected in many such creativeworks as the poems, Idylls of the Kingand The Lady of Shalott by Alfred, LordTennyson, and in art works by Sir JosephNoel Paton and others.

One painting of special note is thatof John Duncan’s ‘Riders of the Sidhe’.Duncan was a Scottish artist and theo-sophist and is credited with the revivalof Celtic symbology in Scotland. Adescription of his painting is given thus:

The Sidhe are the fairy folk whose dwellingplace is thought to be the great tumulus ofNew Grange on the northern bank of theBoyne in Ireland. Each year on the Eve ofSt. John the Sidhe ride forth from theirdwellings to the sacred circle to initiatemortals into the mysteries of their faith.Each rider carries a symbol of age-longCeltic tradition: the first rider in theprocession carries the symbol of wisdom(the tree of life); the second, the symbolof love (the Grail cup of the heart ofabundance and healing): the third, thesymbol of the will in action (the sword of

power): and the fourth rider, the symbolof the will in its passive form (the crystalthat reveals the past and future).

Each rider by his pose and facialexpression reflects the symbol he carries;the first appears wise, the second, loving,the third, eager and hopeful, and the fourth,patient and strong. It was by filling thefaces of the riders with their virtues thatDuncan felt he was able to raise his ‘picturefrom being merely an ingenious allegoryinto a symbol of the better kind’.

Modern TimesIn the past century the Arthurian

stories have dominated much of the artworld, literature, movies, and televisionseries. Examples are:

Movies: Camelot, Excalibur, IndianaJones and the Last Crusade, Monty Pythonand the Holy Grail

Television: Ivanhoe, Merlin

Books: There are a long list of books buttwo that have made people re-evaluate thistheme are Holy Blood, Holy Grail byLincoln, Baignent and Leigh and The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown. These twobooks bring in a totally different line tothe British-Arthurian tales — that ofSouthern France.

According to the Traditions ofSouthern France it is Mary Magdaleinewho brings the Cup by boat to Europe,landing at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer andliving in the area of St Baume near Aix.In some versions she comes with Josephof Arimathea and other Christians, whilst



in the main story she comes with twoother women, one also named Mary andthe other Sarah the Egyptian. She spendspart of her life preaching Christianity andconverting the locals, but spends the lastpart of her life living in a cave which hadpreviously been dedicated to the goddessDiana. The cathedral of St Baume claimsto have her skull which is kept in a silverbox and is paraded through the streetson July 17th each year.

This area later became the centre forthe community of Gnostic Christiansknown as the Cathars, whose last standagainst the murdering Crusaders wasat the small mountain of Montsegur.Tradition claims that the Cup was kept atMontsegur and secretly spirited awaywhen the Crusaders attacked, and in laterwritings Montesgur became synonymouswith Muntsulvach.

Southern France is also home to manyof the statues of a mother and child knownas the Black Madonnas, due to their blackcolouring. Some researchers connect thecompanion of Mary, Sarah the Egyptian,to the emergence of the cult of the BlackMadonna — linking her with the Egyptiangoddess, Isis. Mary Magdaleine is alsoconnected symbolically with this goddess.

SymbologyThe use of the symbol of the Holy

Grail has many variations and meaningsthroughout all the stories, from being thematrix of Life, the vessel of Healing andthe goal of the Spiritual Quest.

One interesting aspect is that in theEaster story Jesus is crucified on the hill

known as Golgotha. In Hebrew this wordmeans ‘skull’. It is therefore suggestedthat in the initiatory process the openingof the chakra known as the ‘third eye’takes place inside the skull, and thatobtaining the Holy Grail refers to thisprocess. This is reflected in the Celticstory related above, that of Gwion theLittle becoming ‘Taliesin — the RadiantBrow’.

Another way of looking at this symbolis in one of the stories of the KnightPerceval. He has a glimpse of the Grailand goes on the Quest to find it, but iteludes him. Finally he comes to arealization — that he has to do the ‘workof the Grail’. He states:

Why has this matter become so importantto me that I cannot live without findingthe Grail-castle? Why am I looking for theGrail, since I can do the work of the Grailwherever I am? I will mix again withpeople, help the innocent and suffering,fight for truth and work to establish justice.

On turning around his horse hesuddenly finds the Grail castle before him,enters and goes before the dying kingAmfortas, who welcomes him anddeclares him the new Grail King. Thusthe story of Perceval can be seen as thejourney of the soul through the outermaterial worlds, ending finally withspiritual liberation.

This theme is echoed in Wolfram vonEshenbach’s story of Parsifal, whichRichard Wagner turned into his greatopera. His Parsifal begins as a poor fool,but through the trials of life he learns

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compassion and becomes one with theGrail. It is interesting to note that in thelater part of his life Wagner was in-fluenced by Buddhist ideals, and thoughthe Parsifal story is placed in a Christianknightly setting, it is the story of thejourney of the soul to attain Enlight-enment. In its 2013 production of Parsifalthe New York Metropolitan Opera Com-pany focused on this Buddhist aspect.

This idea is summed up by K. O. Schmidtin her book, The Message of the Grail:

Such is the call of the Grail to you, to me,to each of us:

Know thyself! Recognize your Self, be-come one with the Christ within you, untilhe has become entirely yourself. Live by

the Inner Light, in the Light of the All-Selfof the Godhead, until it radiates from you,illuminating all.

Accomplish your eternal task of becomingperfect as God is perfect.

Realize that you yourself are everything:the Grail Seeker, the yet unawakened outerman; the Grail Knight, the man about toawaken; the Grail King, the awakenedinner man who knows himself as one withthe innermost; and the Grail Herald, theinnermost divine nucleus of Light, thespirit and power of eternal life.

Realize that the Grail is not an idealcreated by men but the divine ideal of man,first in his unconscious original form andlater in his future conscious perfection. ²

Endnotes1. In Arthurian legend, the Siege Perilous (also known as The Perilous Seat) is a vacant seat at theRound Table reserved by Merlin for the knight who would one day be successful in the quest forthe Holy Grail.

2. In Arthurian legend the Fisher King, or the Wounded King, is the last in a long line chargedwith keeping the Holy Grail. Versions of his story vary widely, but he is always wounded in thelegs or groin and incapable of moving on his own.

Men of the three Vedas, the soma-drinkers, purified from sin, worshippingMe by sacrifices, pray for the goal of heaven; they reach the holy worldof the Lord of the Gods and enjoy in heaven the heavenly pleasures ofthe Gods. They, having enjoyed that spacious world of Svarga, theirmerit (punya) exhausted, enter the world of the mortals; thus followingthe Dharma of the Triad, desiring (objects of) desires, they attain to thestate of going and returning. Those men who, meditating on Me asnon-separate, worship Me all around — to them who are ever devout,I secure gain and safety.

Bhagavadgit 9:20-22a-


Theosophical Link Officers and Peace Meditation: An Introduction

Theosophical Link Officers andPeace Meditation: An Introduction

AREND HEIJBROEK

Mr Arend Heijbroek is Chairman of the International Theosophical Centre, Naarden, the Netherlands.

THE work of the Link Officers is aunique and authentic activity of theInternational Theosophical Centre (ITC)in Naarden, embedded in its statutes:

The object of the ‘Link Officers’ is to pro-mote the objects of the Centre in the world.They foster Peace and Unity betweennations and peoples, with special regardto Europe. In order to achieve this object,they organize meetings and maintain con-tacts with ‘links’ in the different countriesin the world.

This particular work was started in1938 by the President of the TS, DrGeorge S. Arundale, who was muchconcerned with the increased tensionsbetween nations in Europe. Probablyhe foresaw the great need of morecooperation and regard between thedifferent nations in Europe in order toprevent the recurrence of catastrophesin the future. This concern for peaceis much in line with the aims of theITC since its foundation in 1925: ‘. . . tofoster the principle of UniversalBrotherhood and Peace.’ In those days

the activities of the ITC also includedpolitical discussions, with youngermembers in particular. Arundale thenselected a group of Centre Members —Link Officers — and instructed themin this work.

The work of the Link Officers:correspondence and meditation

In the original structure each LinkOfficer was assigned to a number ofcountries in Europe. Through corres-pondence with the national Links theyestablished a close connection withthe countries they represented. Thisconnection becomes deeper throughunderstanding of the political, economic,cultural, and theosophical aspects ofthese countries. Thus they tried toidentify with the inner soul of the nation.The soul of a nation is quite differentfrom its outside projections. This bringsthe Link Officers closer in contact withthe inner side of the work.

In the Angelic Kingdom there aremany different kinds of angels. Eachgroup has its own task. One of these

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groups is that of the National Deva-s, whostand for the welfare of the nations. Thework of the National Deva is said to makea blueprint of the qualities and idealsexpected from the people entrusted tohim and to stimulate positive qualities,and to promote harmony and cooperation.A very important factor is to stimulatethe development of the unique qualitiesof his specific people, as the soul of eachpeople is quite unique.

In the daily meditations at home andonce a month at the ITC, the LinkOfficers seek contact with the Angels ofthe different countries. The Link Officersmeet during the larger monthly meditationat the ITC, generally on Saturday, thefourth weekend of the month at 11.00 am.The Angels are saluted respectfully. Thusthe channels between the various nations,continents, and Theosophical Centresare strengthened, helping to transmitthe living powers of Unity and Peacewhich are constantly outpoured. Thedaily and monthly meditations end withthe following words:

There is One Life, One Will and OneBrotherhood of Nations. May the spirit ofUnity and the power of Love, which knowsno barriers, make Brotherhood in theworld a living Reality.

While the work of the Link Officerswas originally established to supportUnity and Peace among the Europeancountries, in the course of time membersin several countries all over the worldhave asked to join in this work, since thework of the ITC is not restricted to

Europe alone. With this broadening ofthe scope of the meditation, the work ofthe Link Officers has grown into a globalnetwork of Unity and Peace among allpeople and nations of the world.

Still relevant today?Today communication among TS

members, and information about differ-ent countries is much easier to realizethan in the past. Moreover the creationof the European Union has made itmore unlikely that European countrieswill enter into war again. So, from asuperficial point of view, it seems thatthe aims of the work have largely beenrealized. Today, however, we see the re-emergence of regional wars, nationalism,distrust, and ill treatment of minoritiesall over the world. There is still work tobe done!

It is remarkable that this line of workwas never broken. There has alwaysbeen a small group of dedicated workers,both at the ITC and abroad, who saw theneed for this special and deep work inan increasingly complex world, whichis not a ‘melting pot’, but a beautifuldiamond with all its shining colours,representing all the unique qualities ofthe individual countries.

Peace meditationThe meditation has recently been

modified — no longer being Europe-centric, using modern language — whilemaintaining its core and strength. It hasthus become available for all serious TSgroups and members interested in being



involved in this line of work. It is nowcalled Peace Meditation. Meditationsfor group work as well as individualmeditations are available. Since theenvironment — and therefore AngelicKingdom — is quite different in thecountries and regions of the world, somelocal adjustments may be required. Inthose countries without, or with a weak,national identity the angels may not yetbe functional.

We know the reality of creative imagin-ation and thought power. By seeing

this as a living reality, the participantscooperate in the building of a unitedworld. A network acting on differentlevels of existence and supportingcooperation, unity, and peace amongcountries continues to be crucial for thefuture of humanity.

For further informationThose seriously interested in becom-

ing involved with this work may obtainpractical and background information bywriting to <[email protected]>.

A group of like-minded thinkers, such as a group ofTheosophists, may do much to spread theosophicalideas in their own neighbourhood by agreeing to givea fixed ten minutes a day to thinking on a theosophicalteaching. It is not necessary that their bodies shouldbe gathered in one place provided that their minds aretogether . . . progress, out of all proportion to thephysical agencies employed, is made where earnestmen and women combine in this mental propaganda.

Annie Besant

Thought Power

²

27October 2015

Truth Alone Conquers

The Theosophist


RADHA BURNIER

Reprint from The Theosophist April 1988. Lecture delivered at the Annual Convention at Adyar, 1987.

WE are living in a world of intensestrife and turmoil. Perhaps the worldhas never been really peaceful. The storyof mankind has been one of war, con-quest, conflict, seizing other people’spossessions, enslaving populations,oppressing the weak, and so on. There isof course the other side, the culture,philosophy, and the arts: nonetheless onecannot ignore the continual strife andunending misery in human society.

The root cause of this situation is notreally political, economic or structural;it lies in the corrupt mind of man. We donot always realize what corruption im-plies. It is not merely a question of beingdishonest, or of acquiring what right-fully belongs to another. Corruption hasseveral different forms. Destructiveness,which has affected the human mind inall ages and peoples, is an aspect of cor-ruption. Man wantonly destroys hisfellow men, being uniquely aggressivein respect of his own species. He is alsorapidly destroying plants, animals, thepurity of the sky, thus putting an end toNature’s beauty, and the wonder andvariety of the earth.

Every form of self-interest is a symp-

tom of the decay of the mind. Why doesman do this? Why does he create conflictrather than bring about cooperation? Whyis he so prone to destroy, and so reluctantto be constructive? Perhaps because hehas so little knowledge of the nature ofthe universe of which he is an intrinsicpart. This amounts to saying that he hasno faith in the power of truth, becausetruth is the nature of things as they are,the universe as it is, each thing in itsessential nature, and ourselves as wereally are.

This is truth, but we do not know whatthe essential nature of ourselves or of any-thing else is. Therefore we are divorcedfrom truth, we do not believe in it, or trusttruth somehow to bring about the good.We are afraid of being true to ourselves,for we think we cannot attain materialsuccess that way. We doubt if we canbetter ourselves through benevolence,and because of this lack of faith, we haveto suffer.

Human society cannot exist with-out a certain amount of order in it. Ifthere is total anarchy and indiscipline,it would be impossible to live togetheras a community or a nation. Therefore,



everywhere people have tried to regulaterelationships and bring about some kindof order through such well-known meansas legislation, the police, the army,methods of rewards and punishment, anddeterrents of various kinds. That kind oforder is the lowest kind that one canestablish in a society, because it ischronically at the breaking point. Everycivilization collapses sooner or laterbecause order is sought to be establishedfrom outside. There is a tension betweenthe authority of the establishment andthe self-interest of individual citizens.There may also be a conspiracy of self-interest between a certain section of thepopulation and the authorities.

We must note on the other hand thatmost of the religions have made af-firmations about the supreme power oftruth. Truth is said to be above all things,above the will of man, his desires, hisideas and plans. The Christian scripturedeclares, ‘Great is truth and mighty aboveall things.’ Very similar is the sentencefrom the Upanishad, satyam eva jayate,‘Truth alone conquers’, which India hasadopted for its motto. But although themotto may be honoured in principle andalthough the Upanishads, the Bible, andother revered scriptures declare that truthis above all things, most people preferthe advice of the humourist Mark Twainwho said, ‘Truth is the most valuablething we have, so let us economize it!’

This is the principle on which mostpeople base their lives, not realizing thatliving in falsehood is an extremelycomplicated affair, whether it is at the

collective level or at the individual level.It has often been pointed out that ifyou tell a lie you have to go on coveringit up with more lies. Deceit is a slipperypath, and it is difficult to recover from itonce a person starts that way. Falsitygenerates mental stress, which is why lie-detectors are commonly used these daysfor testing. Apparently, when someoneindulges in lies, agitation and stress makethemselves evident. Conflict also createsstress. Knowing this, it would seemsensible to adopt a saner course!

Think of a world in which everyonecan be trusted; life would be so muchsimpler for everybody. But in a worldwhere almost nobody can be trusted,there is need for complicated proced-ures, checks and regulations. In manycountries, there are innumerable rules andlaws because corruption is pervasive.The more falsehood there is, the morecomplicated life must be. Life is muchsimpler when people are straightforward,cooperative and affectionate. This simplefact which even a child should be able tounderstand is what the large majority ofpeople do not want to grasp.

If you quarrel at home or anywhereelse, think of all the tension it creates,the thoughts and reactions it generates,the indigestion it causes and so forth;while when there is harmonious relation-ship, when you feel affectionate, thereis no problem. We can all live serenely,without whirlpools within our heads.A violation of truth is a violation of one’sself-nature, which is why there isagitation and stress; and when there is

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The Theosophist

contradiction inside the psyche it breedschaos outside. A person who is at oddswith himself creates problems for others.He misinterprets, he is very demanding;the frustrated individual is always asource of disharmony. Therefore, unlessthere is harmony and integrity within,there cannot be social order outside orhappiness and well-being for mankind asa whole. Shakespeare wrote:

To thine own self be true,And it must follow, as the night the day,Thou canst not then be false to any man.

We can now look at the other side.There is a spark of truth in everyoneand everything, perhaps hidden underlayers of self-interested thoughts andemotions. That spark is alive, ready toburst into flame. To use a differentmetaphor, it is an impetus, pushing likea tiny seed which grows into a mightybanyan tree. This concealed force hassometimes been called the Christ nature.Some say that the Buddha nature is in allthings; the flower, the plant, and everyatom contains it. It is so strong, so mightythat one cannot wish it away, or run awayfrom it, however hard one might strive,because it is the very depth of our-selves. From where to where can one runaway? This is the theme of the beautifulpoem of Francis Thompson, ‘The Houndof Heaven’:

I fled Him, down the nights and down thedays;I fled Him, down the arches of the years;I fled Him, down the labyrinthine waysOf my own mind.

Unfortunately for ourselves, we seekto run away, to lose ourselves in pleasure,in petty satisfactions, attaching ourselvesto families, relationships, becomingmaniacs for work, occupied all the time,so that we need not face what is within.Yet it cannot be escaped:

Nigh and nigh draws the chase,With unperturbed pace,Deliberate speed, majestic instancy.

There can be no peace, no happiness,no realization of the significance of lifewhen we are trying to escape what iswithin, the heart of ourselves. Becausewe do not realize this, we do what weconsider to be realistic or pragmatic. Thisis the bane of the human mind that it wantsto be pragmatic, for pragmatism so-calledis most unpractical. Obviously all the‘practical’ policies and actions so far havenot brought about human happiness or agood society. Each one is seeking to getthe best out of life through wealth andpleasure, in duties performed, and allkinds of other things. Indian traditionhas classifies the human aims as artha(possessions, property), kâma (pleasure,sensation, excitement), dharma (religiousduties) and moksha (inward freedom).The last is rarely sought. People preferimmediate gain, which the first threeaims promise. This seems more practical,yet it is nothing but short-sightedness —a fragmented, opportunistic attitude.

In recent years, expediency hasdictated the cutting down of vast forestsat an alarming rate. Thereby man isdestroying his own beautiful habitat, the



earth. By possibly altering its climateirreversibly, he is committing suicide.This is a speciality of mankind: tryingto put an end to itself through pollution,through the armament race, and de-structiveness in general. It may be im-mediately profitable to cut trees, but it isdisastrous in the long run. From the short-term point of view it is also advantageousfor people to arm themselves more andmore, but it makes for a cruel, violentworld of terrorism, child-battering, etc.

It is essential to know what the truegoal of man is in order to act wisely. Thisalso involves knowing oneself, asexplained earlier. What are we? Are wethe body, with its aches and pains, itssensations and desires, the body whichdecays so quickly, and which can be-come a source of misery? Are we ourinconstant emotions — disappointmentone day, hope another day, likingsomebody and then disliking him? Beingtossed around in the current of opposites,are we our disjointed, restless thoughts?There are all these contradictions within,and we pursue ends which cater to thosecontradictions — an impossible task. Weproduce turmoil inside and outside,because we do not know ourselves anddo not want to know ourselves. Self-deception has become second nature.

Madame Blavatsky said, ‘It is not thefear of God which is the beginning ofwisdom but the knowledge of Self whichis wisdom itself.’ One of the greatest ofhuman gifts is the power to comprehendvalues. A mind which is incapable ofrealizing values is not human. Even when

it is unevolved, the human mind sensesthat there is some such thing as truth; itknows the difference between harmonyand disharmony. It can consciously riseout of its finite interests to universalperceptions. The loftier and the moreuniversal the outlook of the mind, themore clearly does it see that many of thefacts which at one time seemed to beimportant and which it mistook for truthare not truth at all. Facts are not truth.There is an infinity of facts about theuniverse, and science is gathering suchinformation. There is no limit to thissearch or to information connected withsubtler fields relating to fairies, devas,astral bodies, auras and other thingsnormally invisible to others. But life isnot merely a collection of facts, of things,or of functions. It is far more significantand profound.

Why are people ready to think thatwhat they know now and the facts whichmay become available in the futureare truth? They do so only because thiskind of knowledge has produced com-forts, novelties, excitement and egosatisfaction. Journeying to the moon orpossessing electronic houses which bakethe food while the owner is in his officeor open the door of the garage beforehe arrives offer great satisfaction to theego. Therefore material achievementshave taken precedence over everythingelse. They have overshadowed concernfor values.

When success is disconnected fromrelationship, which is what is happeningnow, there is tragedy. Relationship does

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The Theosophist

not thrive in the mad race for achieve-ment. Kindness, tenderness and affectionwhich are intrinsic to relationship andtherefore to life have become irrelevantto a lot of people. Alienation, imbalancesof the mind, and violence abound in thepresent day because we do not care forrelationship. Life is relationship, asKrishnamurti pointed out. There is aloving intelligence, an ordered purposebehind all the processes of life, thephenomena which we see outside. Tohave a glimpse of that purposeful order,that intelligence and love at work, thecreative energy of this universe, may beto know truth. A fragmentary, distortedperception cannot see this. The mindmust shed its finite interests to reach awholeness of understanding and sym-pathy, the dimension of universality.Virtue is in that. Hence, truth is not somuch knowledge; it has to do withrelationship, with the wider vision,wholeness of perception, and thereforewith love.

We do not know the meaning of theword ‘love’, but love may be a deepknowledge of relationship. Dr AnnieBesant said:

That which can never come by argument,by controversy, by intellectual reasoning,will come when the heart of love withinus has awakened the spiritual nature. Forlove is deeper than intellect, love is greaterthan intelligence, and the love nature andthe divine nature are so closely blendedthat it will not be long ere the man wholoves his brother loves God.

What love can discover mind andthought cannot because love penetratesto the very heart of things. It discoversthe song, the fragrance within, not merelythe details on the surface. Discoveringthe truth of relationship, and comingto that profound understanding whenlove becomes part of our nature may beessential for the future of humanity.

The word ‘love’ like the word ‘God’is more known through misuse thananything else. It is confused with attach-ment. When a person clings to anotherand never allows that person out of sight,it is lauded as great love. So is a sense ofpossession in relation to a child, husbandor wife. But love is not any of thesethings. It cannot co-exist with jealousy,anger or suspicion. It does not breeddependence, break up integrity or imposefear. As all great teachers have pointedout, love is the absence of self.

As mentioned earlier, love is a formof knowing. In one of the great mysticworks of the West, it is said: ‘Of Godhimself no man can think; He may wellbe loved, but not thought.’ This echoesthe famous declaration of the Upanishadthat thought and word retreat fromReality (Brahman) without reaching it.Thinking a great deal about somebody,missing him, feeling unhappy because heis not there, and so forth are thought tobe a form of love. Many are the falsenotions about love. The Buddha pointedout that one is tainted by love thought,but made free by love. Thinking in termsof ‘love’ is merely the desire of the selfto have and to hold.



How is one to know love in the realsense, love which may be another wordfor truth? The Lord Buddha’s instructionswere simple and clear. He indicated thatdaily life itself provides the training. It isthere that we have to test ourselves, notby resorting to philosophers, magicians,gurus of various kinds. We cannot knowwhether what they speak is true or not.One can be easily deceived, as long asthere is self-interest. Everyone finds theteacher he wants. People flock to guruswho tell them to indulge in drugs,sex, and what not, and to pursue thegratification of their own appetites. Soeach one finds the ‘teacher’ he merits andwants. The teacher may be self-deceived,a fraud, or an ignorant man. One cannotfind a teacher unless there is some lightwithin, the light of discrimination.

Therefore it is necessary to begin bytesting oneself. Following the Buddha wecan reject as untruth

that which conduces to passion and notto dispassion, to attachment and not todetachment, to increase of gain and notto decrease, to greed and not to austerity,to discontent and not to serenity, to gre-gariousness and not to solitude, toindolence and not to energy, to delight inevil and not in good.

The religious fanatic, the dogmatist,or the believer thinks that he knows thetruth. He quotes the Bible, the Koran orthe Veda and goes to battle, slaughtersheretics, and does cruel things. He hatesthose who do not agree with him. Inpursuit of political ideology, millions have

been liquidated. So, that which stirs uphatred, envy or other selfish passion isnot truth. Each one of the phrases in theteaching of the Buddha tells us how dailylife can change.

There is no truth without love andcompassion. By the daily testing of one’sthoughts, actions and reactions when themind is led into a state of serenity andgoodness, there grows within the heart anew flower. It is the absence of self.Truth is grounded in silence; not thesilence of the tongue, nor the silence ofsuppression, but the deep silence of aself which is abolishing itself. There isno striving then to sustain this puny,fragmentary, transitory and illusory entitywe call the self.

Again the Lord Buddha said:

As a mother, even at the risk of her ownlife, protects her son, her only son, so letthe disciple cultivate love without measuretowards all beings. Let him cultivatetowards the whole world above, below,around, a heart of love, unstinted, unmixedwith differing or opposing interests. Andlet a man maintain this mindful lovewhether he stands, walks, sits or lies, forin all the world this state of heart is best.

This state of heart is truth. The secretis in the word ‘mindful’. Unless one livesa mindful life there can be no discoveryof the truth of love, which is the mostimportant thing for humanity. It is notthe accumulation of facts which will savethe world, but love, which must increaseuntil the wide universe is suffused withits radiance:

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The Theosophist

Tender, compassionate will we abide, voidof malice, loving, and with rays of loveshall we suffuse all that is, even with lovegrown great and measureless.

When there is increase of love in theheart of man it will solve all problems.The great king Asoka said that the con-

quest of dharma is greater than any otherconquest. Dharma here means true teach-ing. Nothing can shatter or destroy whatis true. It must conquer. The Latin sayingOmnia vincit amor,‘Love conquers all’,is the same as the Sanskrit saying satyameva jayate, ‘Truth alone conquers’. ²

Truth is Truth, one, alone; it has no sides, no paths; all paths do not leadto Truth. There is no path to Truth, it must come to you.

Truth can come to you only when your mind and heart are simple,clear, and there is love in your heart; not if your heart is filled with thethings of the mind. When there is love in your heart, you do not talkabout organizing for brotherhood; you do not talk about belief, you donot talk about division or the powers that create division, you need notseek reconciliation. Then you are a simple human being without a label,without a country. This means that you must strip yourself of all thosethings and allow Truth to come into being; and it can come only whenthe mind is empty, when the mind ceases to create. Then it will comewithout your invitation. Then it will come as swiftly as the wind andunbeknown. It comes obscurely, not when you are watching, wanting.It is there as sudden as sunlight, as pure as the night; but to receive it,the heart must be full and the mind empty. Now you have the mind fulland your heart empty.

Sayings of J. Krishnamurti


Books of Interest

Books of Interest

BEYOND THE PATHLESS, Anecdotesfrom the Life of J. Krishnamurti, byNandini Patnaik, SET Publications,Cuttack, India, pp. 462, Rs. 250.

This is the second book of the authoron J. Krishnamurti. Her earlier book,J. Krishnamurti — The Making of aWorld Teacher, in a question-and-answer format, has been welcomed byreaders throughout the world. The bookunder review is a serious attempt by theauthor on the life of JK and on histeachings in the form of interviews,questions and answers, public talks,audio and video tapes, and so on. Allthese give direct access to readers to thecore of his message.

The modern world has the fortuneof listening to ‘K’ directly without anyinterpreters. The author rightly states:‘Writing this book has been a spirit-ual journey for me.’ Readers may havethe same experience going throughthis book.

It is noteworthy that at the end of eachchapter in this work, there is an excerpt,‘A Grain of Sand’, mostly collected fromKrishnamurti’s lectures, talks, discus-sions, commentaries, and notes. Thishelps readers to acquaint themselves withthe original message of JK. This hand-some volume also contains rare picturesof Krishnaji’s parents with his brotherNitya, in his twenties. The transformation

of a shy, dark, lean, vacant-looking boyinto a world teacher has been pictoriallydepicted. K’s pictures with his ‘guardians’Annie Besant , C. W. Leadbeater are veryfascinating and arouse nostalgic memo-ries in all who have listened to him.

The book is divided into two parts.The first twenty nine chapters containthe childhood and school days of JK,his discovery by C. W. Leadbeater andAnnie Besant, the ‘process’ which heunderwent during his initiations, andhis declaration that Truth is a pathlessland. Part II has eighteen chapters,mostly in the form of an enquiry into‘Who was Krishnamurti?’ and ‘How toread Krishnamurti?’

In the chapter ‘The Ladder of HumanProgress’ the author has taken pains tofamiliarize readers with Theosophy andits concept of the Scheme of Evolution.She has also mentioned about the WhiteBrotherhood, Arhans, initiations, and soon, hitherto unknown to the public tillthe advent of the Theosophical Society.The author has also devoted somechapters for the Theosophical Society,its three declared objects, its emblem,and its real work, unlike in many bookson Krishnamurti.

In the chapter ‘Theosophy: A Tower-ing Culture’ she says that there was alsoanother purpose behind the TheosophicalSociety — to welcome the World Teacher.

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The Theosophist

In The Key to Theosophy, H. P. Blavatskystates:

Not only so, but besides a large and acces-sible literature ready to men’s hands, thenext impulse will find a numerous andunited body of people ready to welcomethe new torchbearer of Truth. He will findthe minds of men prepared for his mes-sage, a language ready for him in whichto clothe the new truths he brings, anorganization awaiting his arrival, whichwill remove the merely mechanical, ma-terial obstacles from his path.

In this context Krishnamurti’s role in theworld scenario has great relevance.

The chapter ‘Fall and Rise in Love’contains a very interesting statementof JK:

Desire is the most precious possession ofmen . . . if you kill your desire, you are likethe withered branch of a lovely tree . . .each must discover his own way ofattainment. . . . In everyone there are threedifferent beings — the mind, the emotionsand the body. And if you observe youwill find that each of these beings has aseparate existence of its own and tries tocreate and act independently of the other,thus causing disharmony. Absolute hap-piness comes from the establishment ofharmony between these three. If you aredriving three horses — each trying to runindependently of the other two — unlessyou are able to control them and drivethem all together, you will not reachyour destination.

In the chapter ‘From Awakening to

Enlightenment’, the author raises a verypertinent question:

A question comes to mind: is such a stateof consciousness (enlightened) for all oronly a chosen few? If it is for the few, it isnot worth inquiring further, for ‘those few’may only be freaks of Nature. But if not,everyone has a right to it, and it is worthinquiring into the possibilities.

In the Chapter ‘The First Glimpseof Decline’, the author narrates Krishna-murti’s visit to the Adyar campus on 3November 1980 as requested by MrsRadha Burnier, President of the Theo-sophical Society. Krishnaji’s visit to theTS was after a gap of forty five years.The author describes:

His visiting the Theosophical Society waslike two mighty waves meeting oneanother on the vast expanse of the ocean,no regrets, no hurts. To many Theo-sophists, it was a great healing on theface of time.

He also visited the Indian Section Head-quarters in Varanasi and Dr AnnieBesant’s room in ‘Shanti Kunj’.

Krishnamurti made a landmarkspeech in 1927, ‘ Who Brings the Truth’,in which he unambiguously talked aboutthe Great Ones as his Beloved:

I have been asked what I mean by ‘theBeloved’. I will give a meaning, an expla-nation, which you will interpret as youplease. To me it is all — it is Sri Krishna,it is Master KH, it is the Lord Maitreya,it is the Buddha, and yet it is beyond allthese forms. What does it matter what


Books of Interest

name you give? . . . My beloved is the openskies, the flower, every human being. . . .Till I was able to say with certainty, with-out any undue excitement, or exaggera-tion in order to convince others, that I wasone with My Beloved. . . . It is no goodasking me who is the Beloved. Of whatuse is explanation? For you will not under-stand the Beloved until you are able to seehim in every animal, in every blade ofgrass, in every person that is suffering,in every individual.

Krishnaji was reiterating the messageof Theosophy — the Oneness of Life,clothed in a new language. For many,name and form are important, and‘Master’ is a two-dimensional pictureor a three-dimensional idol. Many TSmembers took iconoclastic statements asanti-Theosophical. But Krishnamurti wasonly emphasizing the Universal Brother-hood of humanity in a world worshipping‘icons’ and so-called gurus and god-men.

On one occasion Krishnamurti said:

One of the best things that can happen tothis country ( India) is to burn all the booksand start again. Then you are forced tothink for yourself, you have to work for

yourself, to find out — not quote ever-lastingly from some book. I do not knowwhy one particular book should have muchmore significance than any other book.

Krishnaji was emphasizing self-enquirywithout depending on any authority ofscriptures, gurus, and ideology. In thefuture also many books may come outon Krishnaji and ‘K’s teachings. Butthe reader should make every attempt toread beyond the words, as another greatsage said:

The scriptures consisting of many wordsare a dense forest which merely cause themind to ramble. Hence Men of Wisdomshould earnestly set about knowing thetrue nature of the Self.

Some typographical errors in the bookmay be corrected in the next edition. Onpage 77, the year in which Dr Besantbecame President of the TS should be1907 instead of 1906. Ernest Wood ismisspelt as Earnest Wood. Nevertheless,the book is worth reading and should bemade available to a large number ofreaders world over.

K. DINAKARAN

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no pathand leave a trail.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Theosophical Work around the World

The TheosophistOctober 2015 37


RussiaMr Pavel Malakhov, Presidential Rep-

resentative of the TS in Russia, reportsthat they organized three meetings fortheir Summer School (see https://vk.com/teomakaryevka) in the second half ofAugust in different parts of the country.The first two focused on deeper study oftheosophical teachings, e.g., The SecretDoctrine, meditation, moral and ethicalprinciples from different traditions, andpsychology. The third was intended forthose recently introduced to Theosophy,who studied Through the Golden Gateamong other materials.

Two joyful events at ITC NaardenOn 23 August the staff of the Inter-

national Theosophical Centre (ITC)at Naarden, the Netherlands, happilyreceived the international President,Mr Tim Boyd, his wife Lily, and daughterAngelique into their small community.A programme called ‘Another DutchDay’ attracted some 75 participants from

seven different countries. The aim wasto share together in the progress of thework of the TS. Mr Ingmar de Boerspoke first on sociological changes in theWest concerning spirituality. Mr Boydfollowed, stressing the need for inter-personal communication: ‘We are irre-sponsible when we are content with justtalking to ourselves.’ His second lecturedealt mainly with Adyar, which needs thesupport of all TS members. At theconcluding session, Mrs Patrizia Calvigave an introductory talk on the amazingwork of Theosophical Order of Servicein Italy. All lectures can be accessedat: <www.itc-naarden.org>.

Two weeks later the ITC organizedan Open Day for the twelve most activespiritual organizations at the Centre.Some of these were already presentjust after gifting of the Centre to the TSninety years ago, a fact celebrated duringDutch Day. These include the DutchSection of the TS, the Round Table, theLiberal Catholic Church, and Co-

New TS Adyar Website LaunchedWe are pleased to announce the launching of the new TS Adyar website. It iscompatible with mobile devices and will continue to be developed. The new sitehas been completely redesigned to make its wealth of information more accessibleand user-friendly. Let us know your thoughts via the ‘Connect’ Menu. The newwebsite address remains the same (www.ts-adyar.org).

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Vol. 137.138

²

Masonry. J. Krishnamurti had visited theCentre several times. With the Centre’simproved facilities, in the last fifteenyears, we have been able to welcome newactivities, e.g., Buddhist retreats and RajaYoga programmes. These were likedifferent facets of a shining diamond,contributing to an active Centre.

Open Day was very well received.The organizations had a fresh oppor-tunity to present themselves. Also, byworking together it appeared that theycould learn a lot from each other. Theday attracted over 150 visitors, with manynew faces and positive responses.

IndiaA study camp for two days was

conducted by the international Vice-President, Dr Chittaranjan Satapathy, on4-5 September 2015 in the Delhi TSFederation premises at the invitation ofthe Indian Section. The first day wasdevoted to studying two small books:Mr S. S. Varma's Yama and Niyama andMuriel Daw's book on the Pâramitas. Onthe second day, various ways of studyingThe Secret Doctrine and Krishnamurti'steachings were explored, emphasizingthe need for an intuitional approach.

The Himalayan Study Centre inBhowali was the venue of the newlyenvisaged School of the Wisdom innorthern India. Participants came fromthe US, Brazil, Spain, Australia andIndia on 7 September 2015 to attend thefirst course based on Ancient Wisdom –Modern Insight by Shirley Nicholson.

Dr Satapathy inaugurated the course.Twelve days of deep study and re-

flection followed in salubrious weather.The juxtaposition of the basic truths ofAncient Wisdom and modern thoughtsprovided deep understanding of Theo-sophical principles. Prof. R. C. Tampi,Director of the School of the Wisdom,guided the studies.

Theosophy in EsperantoIn July the 100th International Con-

gress of Esperanto was held in northernFrance with more than 2,600 participantsfrom eighty countries and over 100 asso-ciations and groups. Mr and Mrs Herbertand Margaret Welker, members of LodgeFênix in Brasília, represented the TS andthe group ‘Theosophy in Esperanto’.They displayed informative pamphletsabout the TS and a few writings inEsperanto, English, and French.

The TS in America has placed on theirwebsite a link to a site called ‘Theosophyin Esperanto’ (www.teozofioesperante.org) created by Mr and Mrs Welker.There is also an article by PiermicheleGiordano on the TS and the Esperantolanguage (https://www.theosophical.org/ts-network/theosophical-links).

Recent ChangesThe TS in France has a new General

Secretary, Mrs Jeannine (Nano) Leguay,succeeding Ms Tran-Thi-Kim-Dieu;and Mr Widyatmoko is the new GeneralSecretary of the Indonesian Section, afterthe passing of Mr Herry Ispoernomo.



French members at Monet's Giverny garden in Paris, France, in mid-August, withthe international President, Mr Tim Boyd, his wife Lily, and daughter Angelique (to his right),

where they toured and the President conducted a meeting

From left to right: Mr Tim Boyd, Mr Buphendra R. Vora, Mr Arend Heijbroek, andMrs Jenny Baker, General Secretary of the TS in England, under Annie Besant's portrait

at the International Theosophical Centre (ITC) in Naarden, the Netherlands

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Vol. 137.140

ITC Naarden Centre council members having a lunch meeting

ITC council members on the steps of St Michael's House in Naarden



Participants at the School of the Wisdom held at the Himalayan Study Centre in Bhowali, northern India

Mrs Margaret and Mr Herbert Welker, representing the TS and their website, ‘Theosophy in Esperanto’,at the 100th International Congress of Esperanto held in France in July

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Vol. 137.142

43October 2015 The Theosophist

Seeking to frame this day a verse for thee,

I mused in what fit image I might cast

The fashion of thy pow’r. The strong-wing’d blast,

The surging flood, the salt resistless sea,

All things whose soul is sovereign energy —

Throng’d thro’ my shaping brain, and as they pass’d

Each, for a flash seem’d thou; and then, as fast,

Seem’d not. For ever there would rise in me,

Thoughts of a rarer, gentler strength; the pow’r

Of little tasks accomplish’d perfectly;

Of little fragrant deeds of kindness shed,

Ev’n at a touch, like blossoms, silently;

The simple grandeur of that snowy head

Bent o’er its patient toil from hour to hour.

E. A. Wodehouse

To Annie Besant

From the Besant Theosophical College Magazine, Besant Centenary Number, Madanapalle, March 1948.

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Date Section General Secretary, etc. Address Magazine Email address

1947 Africa, East and … Mr Narendra M. Shah … PO Box 14525. 00800, Westlands, … The Theosophical Light [email protected]

Central Nairobi, Kenya1909 Africa, South … Mr Jack Hartmann … 9 Ronean, 38 Princesses Ave., Windsor E. 2194 … The South African Theosophist [email protected]

1956 Africa, West … Mr John Osmond Boakye … PO Box 720, Accra, Ghana … The West African Theosophist [email protected]

1929 America, … Mrs Beatriz Martinéz Pozas … Colonia Universitaria Norte, Calle Julio Mejía, [email protected]

Central * Polígono E-7, Mejicanos. San Salvador,El Salvador C. A.

1920 Argentina … Mr Jorge Garcia … Santiago 257 — 2000, Rosario … Teosofía en Argentina [email protected]

1990 Asia, East and … Mr Chong Sanne … 540 Sims Avenue, No. 03-04 … Newsletter [email protected]

Southeast † Sims Avenue Centre, Singapore 387 6031895 Australia … Mrs Linda Oliveira … Level 2, 162 Goulburn St., Surry Hills, NSW 2010 … Theosophy in Australia [email protected]

1912 Austria * … Mr Albert Schichl … Oberbaumgarten 25, 4204 Haibach im Mühlkreis … Theosofie Adyar [email protected]

2013 Bangladesh † … Mr B. L. Bhattacharya … B/4-3, Iswarchandra Nibas, 68/1, [email protected]

Bagmari Road, Kolkata 700 0541911 Belgium … Mrs Sabine Van Osta … Place des Gueux 8, B1000 Brussels, Belgium … Le Lotus Bleu [email protected]

1965 Bolivia † … Mrs Guillermina Rios de Sandoval … Pasaje Jauregui No. 2255, La Paz [email protected]

1920 Brazil … Mr Marcos L. B. de Resende … SGAS Quadra 603, N. 20, … Sophia [email protected]

CEP 70200-630 Brasilia (DF)1924 Canada * … Mrs Maryze DeCoste … 3162 Rue de la Bastille … The Light Bearer [email protected]

Boisbriand QC., J7H 1K71920 Chile * … Mr Cesar Ortega Ortiz … Casilla 11 Sucursal Paseo Estacion, … Revista Teosófica Chilena [email protected]

Estacion Central, Santiago1937 Colombia † … Mrs Nelly Medina de Galvis … Carr 22, # 45B-38 (Cons. 404), … Selección Teosófica [email protected]

Barrio Palermo, Bogotá1997 Costa Rica † … Ms Maria Orlich … Apartado 8-6710-1000, San José [email protected]

2007 Croatia p … Mrs Nada Tepeš … Krajiška ulica 24, 10000 Zagreb … Teozofija [email protected]

1905 Cuba … Ms Barbara A. Fariñas Piña … Apartado de Correos 6365, La Habana 10600 [email protected]

1987 Dominican Rep. † … Mrs Magaly Polanco … Calle Santa Agueda 1652 Les Chalet Col [email protected]

San Juan Puerto Rico Apartado 23 009261888 England … Mrs Jenny Baker … 50 Gloucester Place, London W1U 8EA … [email protected]

1907 Finland … Mrs Mirva Jaatinen … Teosofinen Seura, Vironkatu 7 C 2, Fin 00170, … Teosofi [email protected]

Helsinki [email protected]

1899 France … Mrs Jeannine (Nano) Leguay … 4 Square Rapp, 75007 Paris … Le Lotus Bleu [email protected]

1902 Germany … Mrs Manuela Kaulich … Hauptstr. 39, 93138 Lappersdorf … Adyar [email protected]

1928 Greece … Mr Antonios Papandreou … 25 Voukourestiou St., 106 71-Athens … Ilisos [email protected]

1907 Hungary † … Mr Thomas Martinovich … Hunyadi Janos ut 17. II. 8, H-1011 Budapest … Teozófia [email protected]

1921 Iceland … Mr Halldor Haraldsson … PO Box 1257 Ingolfsstraeti 22, 121 Reykjavik … Gangleri [email protected]

1891 India … Mr S. Sundaram … The Theosophical Society, Varanasi 221 010 … The Indian Theosophist [email protected]

1912 Indonesia … Mr Widyatmoko … Jalan Anggrek Nelimurni A-104, … Theosofi [email protected]

Jakarta 11410, Timur

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1919 Ireland * … Mrs Marie Harkness … 97 Mountsandel Road, Coleraine, … [email protected]

Co. Londonderry, UK BT52 ITA1954 Israel p … Mr Abraham Oron … PO Box 9114, Ramat-Gan, Israel 5219002 … Or [email protected]

1902 Italy … Mr Antonio Girardi … Viale Quintino Sella, 83/E, … Rivista Italiana di Teosofia [email protected]

36100 Vicenza1997 Ivory Coast * … Mr Pierre-Magloire Kouahoh … Yopougon, 23 Rue Princesse … Sophia [email protected]

B. P. 3924, Abidjan 231919 Mexico … Mr Enrique Sanchez … Ignacio Mariscal 126, Col. Tabacalera [email protected]

Mexicana, Mexico, D.F. 06030 [email protected]

1897 Netherlands, The … Mr Wim Leys … Tolsraat 154, 1074 VM Amsterdam … Theosofia [email protected]

1896 New Zealand … Mr John Vorstermans … 18, Belvedere Street, Epsom, Auckland 1022 … TheoSophia [email protected]

1913 Norway * … Dr Saleh Noshie … N-6873-Marifjora [email protected]

1935 Orlando p … Mr Carl Metzger … 1606 New York Ave. Orlando, Florida, Theosophical [email protected]

32803-1838,USA1948 Pakistan † … … Jamshed Memorial Hall, M. A. Jinnah Road, … The Karachi Theosophist [email protected]

opp. Radio Pakistan, Karachi1924 Peru † … Mr Julio Pomar Calderón … Av Republica de Portugal 152, Breña, Lima 5 … Búsqueda [email protected]

1933 Philippines, The … Mr Rosel Doval-Santos … Corner P. Florentino and Iba Streets, … The Philippine Theosophist [email protected]

Quezon City, Manila1921 Portugal … Mr Carlos Guerra … Sociedade Teosófica de Portugal, … Osiris [email protected]

Rua José Estevão, 10 B, 1150-202 Lisboa1925 Puerto Rico † … Mrs Magaly Polanco … Apartado 36-1766 Correo General. … Heraldo Teosófico [email protected]

San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936-1766.2012 Qatar p … Mr Dom Escobido . . . Teyseer security services Doha, Qatar [email protected]

2013 Russia † … Mr Pavel Malakhov … Molodyozhny pr., 10-221, 650070, [email protected]

Kemerovo, Russia1910 Scotland * … Mr Stuart Trotter … 28 Great King Street, Edinburgh, EH3 6QH … Circles [email protected]

1992 Slovenia * … Mrs Breda Zagar … Kunaverjeva 1 SLO-1000 Ljubljana … Teozofska Misel [email protected]

1921 Spain … Mrs Angels Torra Buron … Av. Vall d’or, 85-87 … Sophia [email protected]

08197 - Valldoreix(Spain)1926 Sri Lanka † … Mr M. B. Dassanayake … 2-C/60, Maththegoda Housing Scheme, … The Sri Lanka Theosophist [email protected]

Maththegoda1895 Sweden … Mrs Ing-Britt Wiklund … Kalle Posts väg 48, S-702 29 Örebro, Sweden … Tidlös Visdom [email protected]

1910 Switzerland † … Mrs Eliane Gaillard … 17 Chemin de la Côte, CH -1282 Dardagny, … The Lotus [email protected]

Genève1997 Togo * … Mr Kouma Dakey … S.O., A.R.T.T., BP 76, Adeta2013 Ukraine * … Mrs Svitlana Gavrylenko … Office 3, 7-A Zhylianska St., Kiev 01033 … Svitoch [email protected]

1886 USA … Mr Tim Boyd … PO Box 270, Wheaton, IL 60187-0270 … The Quest [email protected]

1925 Uruguay * … Mr Ramon Garcia … Javier Barrios Amorín 1085,Casilla de Correos 1553, Montevideo [email protected]

1922 Wales * … Mrs Julie Cunningham … Bryn Adda, Brynsiencyn, Llanfairpwll, … [email protected]

Anglesey, LL61 6NX UK

Date refers to the date of formation * Regional Association † Presidential Agency p Lodge attached to Adyar

The Council of the European Federation of National Societies: Chairman: Miss Trân-Thi-Kim-Diêu, 67 Rue des Pommiers, F-45000 Orleans, France. Email: [email protected]

Inter-American Theosophical Federation: President: Mrs Isis M. B. Resende, SGAS 603 conj. E s/n. Brasilia-DF, CEP 70200-630 – Brazil. Email: [email protected]

Indo-Pacific Theosophical Federation: President: Mr John Vorstermans, 60B Riro Street, Point Chevalier, Auckland 1022, New Zealand. Email: [email protected]

Pan-African Theosophical Federation: Chairman: Mr Jack Hartmann, 9 Ronean, 38 Princess Avenue, Windsor E 2194, South Africa. Email: [email protected]

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Freedom of Thought - TS Adyar · sophy’s deeper teachings. It seems that we honour and accept...

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Transcript of Freedom of Thought - TS Adyar · sophy’s deeper teachings. It seems that we honour and accept...