Nick,

The theosophical path or spiritual path etc. is not exactly a "concept" but a practical way of living & thinking. So consider adding "The Path" or some such title for a new topic.

Nicholas-san!

What would you discuss there? How to get on the Path? How to make faster progress on the Path?

My first post, titled "The Path", is in the Beginners section. But the subject does need its own section.

You have an objection to adding such a section?

The Path is an important concept, so we can give it its own sub-forum for now. Hopefully, there will be enough postings in that area to justify the continued existence of its own separate sub-forum.

You will see the topics that now exist under the Path forum.

Feel free to start up a textual study; but there are not too many active members here now.

(Bupanishad's post was moved to its own thread in The Path section.)

Nick, I hope this Forum succeeds, but it does not seem to be picking up much speed. Can it be that with the "New Age" teachings out there that the Theosophy ship has "already sailed" (has already too many sites)? I will support this forum as much as I am able, but I sometimes despair of getting anything new going about Theosophy. Are you strong enough (psychically) to keep this going until it really picks up some support? Just musing.

Andrew

Andrew,

Yes, we will keep the ship sailing no matter what. If Blavatsky and Kuthumi (Koot Hoomi) could keep on going no matter what, so can we.

Blavatsky had a great quote about Theosophy. She predicted that Theosophy would not be popular because it is not what the people want to hear, and it requires too much work. (Does anyone have that quote...?)

Glad to hear that! I really like this Forum and how it's handled. I can't find the quote you are looking for, but "popularity" is not that important---TRUTH is! For one instance, most of the Christian churches, especially Protestant, are selling out "truth for youth," that is they are seeking popularity instead of souls. Bad for them, and good for us, I have to say. "There is no religion higher than truth," is a simply amazing and dynamic statement!

Here is the quote I was looking for, in The Key to Theosophy:

http://www.theosophical.ca/keytheos.htm

Q. ...If truth is as represented by Theosophy, why has it met with such opposition, and with no general acceptance?

A. For many and various reasons again, one of which is the hatred felt by men for “innovations”, as they call them. Selfishness is essentially conservative, and hates being disturbed. It prefers an easy-going, unexacting lie to the greatest truth, if the latter requires the sacrifice of one's smallest comfort. The power of mental inertia is great in anything that does not promise immediate benefit and reward. Our age is preeminently unspiritual and matter of fact. Moreover, there is the unfamiliar character of Theosophic teachings; the highly abstruse nature of the doctrines, some of which contradict flatly many of the human vagaries cherished by sectarians, which have eaten into the very core of popular beliefs. If we add to this the personal efforts and great purity of life exacted of those who would become the disciples of the inner circle, and the very limited class to which an entirely unselfish code appeals, it will be easy to perceive the reason why Theosophy is doomed to such slow, uphill work. It is essentially the philosophy of those who suffer, and have lost all hope of being helped out of the mire of life by any other means. Moreover, the history of any system of belief or morals, newly introduced into a foreign soil, shows that its beginnings were impeded by every obstacle that obscurantism and selfishness could suggest. “The crown of the innovator is a crown of thorns” indeed! No pulling down of old, worm-eaten buildings can be accomplished without some danger.

Christian,

You said,

"Forgive my jumping in here unannounced with a comment."

--> Do not worry. It is perfectly OK to jump in. That is the purpose of this Forum.

"Is he referring to Path in the context of Blavatsky/theosophists, or path as used in the New Age context?"

--> We are referring to the Theosophical Path of Sotapanna, Sakadagami, Anagami, Arhat, and Adept. "There are four grades of initiation mentioned in exoteric works, which are known respectively in Sanskrit as "Srotapanna," "Sagardagan," "Anagamin," and "Arhan" -- the four paths to Nirvana...." (SD I p. 206) I was not aware of a Path in the New Age Movement that has its own definition.

"I understand the former, which is Blavatskyk/et 'al, to be in the context of “ascension.” "

--> Is that the same as the five steps mentioned above?

"For the latter, New Age, it would be more of a personal proclivity towards the fulfillment of a “purpose” unique, special and predestined to them."

--> To me, the Theosophical Path is all about moving towards Enlightenment, and becoming a Nirmanakaya or a Nirvanee. (I believe the debate over having a goal of becoming a Nirmanakaya or a Nirvanee has been mentioned in a different thread.)

"...most of what ascension might be or mean to be something rather easily accomplished by “intent,” with a little dabbling of meditation and incense thrown in to complete the magic."

--> I think Blavatsky would be the first to agree that, anything that takes us closer to Adeptship is time well spent. If these New Age activities speed up our trip to Enlightenment, then they are good activities.

This reminds me of the First Proposition of Theosophy. One of the most important words in the Enlgish language is tolerance. It can said that the Goal is one, but the Paths are many. We are on different Rays, and I cannot expect peopld of different Rays to take the same Path I am on. (This, I feel, is the big mistake of Christianity.)

"Although I can acknowledge some true substance to the “original” things of their belief, I find that followers eschew any need to understand “principles” or fundamentals."

--> That is why Thosophy is here, that is what HPB devoted her life to, and that is why the Ancient Wisdom need to be periodically re-released.

"...I am dripping wet with encounters with what I call "New Age Notions."

--> I hope to hear more about how they fit in with Theosophy.

"...the NAM perspective on Path is going to, on a person-by-person basis, reduce to “What Feels Good,” or “What Feels Right,” or “What Resonates For Me.”

--> This can be both good and bad. (Is the goodness and badness of such an idea addressed in the NAM?)

I am constantly reminded how people in the NAM completely reject the idea of Hell, yet embrace the idea of Karma. Theosophy addresses this issue in a way that I have not found anywhere else.

"We would all experience “truth” to be that which resonates personally. “We all have our own truth,” etc, etc."

--? We have a "What is Truth?" thread. Feel free to jump in.

"...the NAM finds all the principles, history, interpretations, laws, “order”, structure, hierarchy simply too much trouble, when they can just “decide” they have “set the intent;” ergo, “all that is needed is immediately manifest.”

--> All we can do is wait for questions to arise, give the Theosoophical answer, and see if such an answer resonates with the questioner.

I do remember a Theosophical admonition (from At the Feet of the Master?) that we must learn to listen diligently, because when a Master offers a peice of advise or information, he does not offer it twice.

On the other hand, I am a BIG proponent of people going with what "resonates" with them. Quite frankly, there is a lot of crap out there that goes by the name of religion. The best way to help people trapped in religious fundamentalism is to appeal to what resonates with them.

" “I/We are one with the Divine, so we are all-powerful.” See what I mean? These perspectives are going to feel somewhat empty to the theosophical mind."

--> It is all amatter of perspective. We ARE one with the Divine IS a Theosophical concept. More and more people will see that as the centuires go by. (Are we patient enough to allow that to happen...?)

"...I think this website forum here is a good thing, but it is FINDING THE INTERESTED PARTIES (ports) that may be the problem."

--> We can only hope in the old adage, "When the student is ready, the teacher will be provided.

"There a plenty of people out there, that hear a Theosophical “take” on New Age forums and comment that there seems to be something there. Others still are finding the NAM concepts do not work (ie: Well, I am holding the “intent” but I did not find a new man this week. What went wrong?...)"

--> Theosophy is very relevant to these people. We just have to show them how.

"I am attracting those who have questions, or are seeking help in their personal situations, but have not reached those that have some research and reading under their belt which would allow them to offer formal views; be they Theosophical, Buddhist, Free-masonary, agnosticism, Christianity or whatever."

--> Perhaps this is why other Masters besides M and KH were against the release of Theosophy via Blavatsky?

"...Theosophy has left the limelight, as have religions in general."

--> Which is why we can depend on Master M and Master KH to periodically re-release Theosophy as the centuries go by.

"We have to find a way of “packaging” the theosophical concepts and principles, as well as the ancient wisdom, in a way that has appeal to middle-age and younger mentalities of this second millennium."

--> To me, the most basic Theosophical concepts are karma and reincarnation. All other Theosophical concepts arise from these two concepts. It is our job to show that ideas like Karma lead to ideas like Non-attachment.

In closing, I feel that helping people (1) to enter the Path or (2) make speedier progress along the Path is the most important thing we can do as Theosophists. (I sometimes wonder if most Theosophists disagree with me on this point....)

Christian,

There is nothing special regarding the theosophical path, as this first quote from one of Blavatsky's gurus says in in The Mahatma Letters . Here is a concise layout of the prime elements in the Path.

Of course HPB & her bodhisattva gurus were of the Mahayana and thus encouraged theosophists to follow an altruistic path.

The Path is called an "obligatory pilgrimage" in The Secret Doctrine:

See the Purposes & Key Elements thread under the Path sub-forum.