Very few members perhaps understand that the Theosophical Society has an inner significance which unites all true members throughout the world, and keeps the structure safe and whole. This time, those who were voting had a choice between someone living in Adyar, which has been called ‘The Master’s Home’, and others who felt that the President can function just as well, even though he may not reside at Adyar.
The election is over. Dr John Algeo was able to get 4323 votes in his favour, while I received 8560 votes. The number of votes is not important, but as far as I can see it is of much importance to decide from where the President should function.
Adyar should not be seen and thought of merely as an entity without a living force. It seems essential to me that Adyar, and to a lesser extent every Section Headquarters, should demonstrate the essential character of the Society, lifting it above petty concerns. We all have an opportunity to proceed according to the wishes of those higher beings on the ladder of evolution who are watching over the events of earth. It must shake off what has been useful to people at the time before human incarnation, but have less and less value as they become truly human. This is important for the real human being, not those who are still tainted by the past, to perform its role in evolution. It is the special duty of those who see the mid-point, and appreciate its importance. They learn to abandon all lower concerns, and work towards the heights to which humanity will rise. An election therefore, in the Society, must not be grounded in notions that may take a person into ways that do not help.
What is the way for human beings to rise above to the human stage? The first fact of importance is to realize that many of the thoughts, feelings and actions which surround and instigate us are not compatible with the real work we have to do. As The Voice of the Silence says, every person needs ‘the gentle breezes of Soul-Wisdom to brush away the dust of our illusions’ and blend mind with soul. ‘The rose must re-become the bud, born of its parent stem, before the parasite has eaten through its heart . . . The self of matter and the Self of Spirit can never meet.’ We human beings must live in such a way that during each incarnation we live purer lives. Therefore we have to strive, not do the contrary.
The human stage is of great importance because from the beginning it is a stage where the animal nature of the candidate is overcome altogether. This conscious work must be carried out, then progress takes place by itself. The student of Theosophy belongs to a category which is very important for this reason; then at least a few responsible persons will act in a manner which exercises an influence which is spiritual.
The spiritual is different from the material, social, intellectual and religious fields. ‘Religion’ can be more harmful than helpful if people misunderstand it. It often demands that a person does what he is told to by people who seem very different. But actually, if one does not cling to anything, but seeks only to know in a deeper way life’s meaning, it does not matter whether one is Christian, Hindu, Zoroastrian or Muslim or any other category. The truly religious mind is a pure mind.
In the early days of the Society the members had the opportunity to learn rightly what religion is. The motto of the Society (satyât nâsti paro dharmah) ‘There is No Religion Higher than Truth’ often brings to our mind the Truth about this way of living. The way anyone claims to be on the religious path — behaviour, interest, and so on — indicates what he is. If he is truly religious he learns to be affectionate to all people, not considering whether the other person is poor, rich, well read or simple. The truly religious person and the real Theosophist are not different. Often we think that the religious consciousness depends on words and phrases, but that may be completely wrong; and religion is not dependent on what a person says, but on how a person lives. The person may be a weaver or a tailor dealing with clothes, but essentially pure and carrying purity with him.
In modern days, especially among Indians, superficiality is stressed. The whole of society depends on the people who are part of it, and on their attitudes. So we can on the whole think of modern society as materialistic as most people are concerned with material values, which is quite opposed to the religious life. The religious person on the other hand applies the values he knows theosophically; he is more concerned with his heart, not with his hands. The hands, the feet, the whole body responds to what the mind requires. Can one do one’s work in the world which may be weaving or anything else, but with the religious quality necessary for raising the consciousness?
As Theosophists, we must, each one of us, be a person showing to those who come along that one can be engaged in almost any work, not involving slaughtering, or cheating and so on, and yet be religious, because the one thing that matters for everyone is the condition of the heart and mind. A Theosophist therefore, tends to be someone different from the ordinary man or woman.
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We learn from Theosophical literature that the universe is made up of vast, in fact unknown, areas and these are related to everything that we know at this external level. Scientists may acknowledge this fact, because the more they discover of the limitlessness of the universe, the more appears to be ahead of them. But the scientist has as yet no knowledge of this. Throughout the vast course of evolution everything has converged to bring about more and more intelligence; it is like a flower that opens itself ever more beautifully. We know that there is a great difference in intelligence between living creatures, but we are unable to say why. The difference between the intelligence of ants and bees and the larger intelligence of the elephants or dogs, between rather primitive human beings and the brilliant man or woman, has no explanation. They all seem to be developing, but are not the same. We have to open our inner eyes to understand this.
We learn while studying Theosophy about the Great Plan. It is a mode in which the divine mind makes known something of its own nature. Real knowledge may have something to do with knowing how the mind becomes divine. Knowledge is unlimited when it can understand all this. In the philosophical literature of India they say that knowing the external includes not only the phenomenal but also noumenal. When we live in desires and thoughts stimulated by sense-experience, we are unable to be aware of subtler dimensions.
The Masters wrote about something which seems simple, but is difficult to follow. This is knowledge of our neighbours. Who are they? In The Key to Theosophy Madame Blavatsky indicates that the book contains not only what the reader may require, but the basis of Theosophy, and this can be passed on to our neighbours. A philanthropic attitude must go side by side with an altruistic spirit. Knowledge cannot be an objective by itself. This is clearly stated in one of the letters from the Masters, ‘Be a missionary of love and charity.’
We tend to look charitably at ourselves, and ignore weaknesses, but harp on about the weaknesses of other people. But the others are struggling as much as ourselves. Therefore we must try to be more open, and widen our feelings. Obstacles to understanding are many, and include lust, illusion and hatred, which do not help us to understand. Hence, never add fuel to the fire.
When we are more in harmony with the divine mind, we make room for a little part of the knowledge to come down here. An uncharitable attitude indicates ignorance about the divine mind. In Indian tradition, listening with the heart is said to be part of learning. If once we begin to learn of the presence of what we may call God, the consciousness becomes deeper and knows more. The Voice of the Silence says: ‘Before the soul can see, the harmony within must be attained.’ A condition of being awake to the spiritual more and more, the harmony ‘within’ may be achieved. The preparation may be more important than getting wisdom, because the condition of the heart and mind allows contact, or fails to do so, depending on ourselves. Let us ponder and learn.
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