The Theosophical Society is a world-wide organization which studies religious ideas, and tries to show ideas and beliefs that are common to all religions. Theosophy is also a collection of teachings that embodies a world-view, and a philosophy by which we can raise ourselves to a higher spiritual level.

The Theosophical Society was founded in New York City in 1875, and today there are Theosophical groups in some seventy countries. 30,000 people around the world call themselves Theosophists. Members (& non-members) have the opportunity to join in local discussions, study sessions, lectures, and self-study.

Here is my webpage explaining "What is Theosophy?" (A Besant/Leadbeater Perspective)

http://users.ez2.net/nick29/theosophy/lessons01.htm

There are other pages on the internet which take a slight different position as to what Theosohy is. They are all welcome here. As time permits, links to some of those pages will be listed here.

Beginners to Theosophy are welcome to post ideas and questions here. (That is what this thread is for!) Feel free to post your reactions.

I would like to hear other Theosophists post a short answer to the questions, "What is Theosophy?" I have heard things like it is a place to study comparative religions, but that does not seem to hit the nail on the head.

Try to answer the question, "What is Theosophy?" in four or five paragraphs (or less). I think we can get some good answers.

My version of an introduction into theosophy based on a selection of important theosophical articles.

I usually explain theosophy as 'divine wisdom'. This wisdom is something we seek by studying religious literature, theosophical literature, meditation, right action, etc. This divine wisdom is not something we have in the palm of our hand, but more like sand in a desert: one can only grasp a bit of it - most blows by.

Hi everybody!

Michael, a new member, is essentially asking what Theosophy is. I think it would be fun for everyone to contribute a definition of Theosophy. Theosophy is a large body of information, and each person can share a different perspective of it.

First, I would like to emphasize the Three Objects of Theosophy. The Three Objects of the Theosophical Society are:

1. To form a nucleus of the Universal Brotherhood of Humanity, without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste or color.

2. To encourage the study of Comparative Religion, Philosophy and Science.

3. To investigate unexplained laws of Nature and the powers latent in man.

"For real Theosophy IS ALTRUISM, and we cannot repeat it too often. It is brotherly love, mutual help, unswerving devotion to Truth. If once men do but realize that in these alone can true happiness be found, and never in wealth, possessions, or any selfish gratification, then the dark clouds will roll away, and a new humanity will be born upon earth".
HPB - "Our Cycle and the Next" - BCW II pg 202

Jon has the keynote!

As HPB said in a letter to the Americans:

Note it is the keynote not just for the TS, the organization; but for Divine Wisdom, Theosophy.

Hi everybody!

Certainly, Brotherhood is a central teaching of Theosophy. I remember hearing someone say Theosophy has only one dogma, and that dogma is Brotherhood. I thought to myself, "I like that."

One of the most difficult things for us is to be nice to people who are a different color, different religion, and different ethnicity. This is the goal that Theosophy strives for.

---

Time for another definition of Theosophy. Theosophy is a body of information called the Ancient Wisdom. The Ancient Wisdom is a vast storehouse of religious ideas that are the source of all religions. In truth, the answer to the question, “What is Theosophy?” is, “Theosophy is a recent (periodic) re-release of parts the Ancient Wisdom to the world, this release containing more than the last release, this release being the first one available to everyone.”

The Ancient Wisdom is just that — ancient. All of the ideas of the major religions come from the Ancient Wisdom. In this respect, all religions come from the same source.

The reader may find the previous sentence to be preposterous. “How can religions as different as Christianity, Buddhism, and Japan’s Shinto come from the same source?” may be asked. The answer is three-fold.

1. Religions become “ossified” and corrupt over the years. The original teachings become changed. This creates the need for religious information to be periodically re-released.

2. The religious Mysteries (also called esoteric teachings) are slowly being released to humanity as the centuries go by. Humanity is finally ready to hear some of the esoteric teachings — released through Theosophy and other sources. (But other esoteric teachings must still be kept secret.)

3. There are different types of religions, for different types of people. (But the source of information is still the same.) Different types of religions appear in a cycle.

Prem and Ashish, in their book Man, the Measure of All Things (p. 105), discuss how the Bible, Hermetic Corpus, Rig Veda, Kabbalic Zohar, and Upanishads all come from a common source.

Theosophy's goal is to show this commonality of all the major religions.

“... the motto adopted by the Theosophical Society [is] "There is no religion higher than truth." The chief aim of [Theosophy is] ... to reconcile all religions, sects and nations under a common system of ethics, based on eternal verities.” (H.P. Blavatsky, The Key to Theosophy, pp. 3-4)

To all readers


My views are:

Here are a few views on the subject.

Try to consider this sentence for a few moments of your lifes:
The question is not "what is Theosophy?', but "what can be said and taught about Theosophy?'



Yet, I will give it a try:

The most obvious question of all is for us the most difficult question. But I'll try to answer. Theosophy is known as Divine Wisdom. There is no wisdom without altruism, and no altruism without wisdom. Divine Wisdom is experience of life through a method of dealing with life and human relations. This method is based on an understanding of man, which places at one's disposal the means to organize one's
relationships and one's learning systems. So instead of saying that Divine Wisdom is a body of thought in which you believe certain things and don't believe other things, we say that the Divine Wisdom experience has to be provoked in a person. Once provoked, it becomes his own property, rather as a person masters an art.
(Rewritten from the Idries Shah corpus of books.)


So my job is to provoke a theosophical experience in the readers.


Here is an option:

1.

Question:
One can't help getting the feeling that not all gurus or certain members of
various forums are trying to serve their fellowman?

Answer:
Some are frankly phonies, and they don't try to hide it from me. They
think that I am one, too, so when we meet they begin the most disturbing
conversations. They want to know how I get money, how I control people, and
so on.

Question:
They want to swap secrets?

Answer:
That's going a little too far. But they feel safety in numbers. They
actually feel there is something wrong with what they are doing, and they
feel better if they talk to somebody else who is doing it. I always tell
them that I think it would be much better if they gave up the "guru" role in
their own minds and realize that they are providing a perfectly good social
service.



2.

The following by Blavatsky might help some of you:

WHAT ARE THE THEOSOPHISTS?
Article by H. P. Blavatsky

"Our object now was but to prove to the reader that Theosophy is neither "a new fangled doctrine," a political cabal, nor one of those societies of enthusiasts which are born today but to die tomorrow. That not all of its members can think alike, is proved by the Society having organized into two great Divisions--the Eastern and the Western--and the latter being divided into numerous sections, according to races and religious views. One man's thought, infinitely various as are its manifestations, is not all-embracing. Denied ubiquity, it must necessarily speculate but in one direction; and once transcending the boundaries of exact human knowledge, it has to err and wander, for the ramifications of the one Central and absolute Truth are infinite. Hence, we occasionally find even the greater philosophers losing themselves in the labyrinths of speculations, thereby provoking the criticism of posterity. But as all work for one and the same object, namely, the disenthralment of human thought, the elimination of superstitions, and the discovery of truth, all are equally welcome. The attainment of these objects, all agree, can best be secured by convincing the reason and warming the enthusiasm of the generation of fresh young minds, that are just ripening into maturity, and making ready to take the place of their prejudiced and conservative fathers. And, as each--the great ones as well as small--have trodden the royal road to knowledge, we listen to all, and take both small and great into our fellowship. For no honest searcher comes back empty-handed, and even he who has enjoyed the least share of popular favor can lay at least his mite upon the one altar of Truth.

Theosophist, October, 1879 "


Did it help you?

Theosophy is Divine Knowledge or Science. The real meaning of the term is "Divine Wisdom," (Theosophia) or Wisdom of the gods, as (theogonia), genealogy of the gods. The word theos means a god in Greek, one of the divine beings, certainly not "God" in the sense attached in our day to the term. Therefore, it is not "Wisdom of God," as translated by some, but Divine Wisdom such as that possessed by the gods.

Based on The Key to Theosophy

Hi everybody!

Nicholas' post, directly above, reminds me of the difference between Pantheism and Monotheism. Theosophy is a form of Pantheism.

Here is a good definition of Theosophy from austheos.org.au

"What is Theosophy?"

http://www.austheos.org.au/theosophy.htm

To all readers


Thanks to Nick the Pilot. I enjoyed that version at
http://www.austheos.org.au/theosophy.htm
I find it to be among the best I have ever come across.


Here is another angle

We know, that there is a theosophical motto known as:

THERE IS NO RELIGION HIGHER THAN TRUTH

1. Truth has no form;

2. The means through which people may perceive Truth have forms;

3. All forms, writing included, are limited. Some of the limitations are time, place, culture, language;

4. Different forms are not necessarily antagonistic, for the above reasons;

5. Forms have changed through the centuries in obedience to the external
world to which all forms belong;

6. When people believe that form is more important than the Truth, they will
not find truth, but will stay with form;

7. Forms are vehicles and instruments, and vehicles and instruments cannot
be called good or bad without context;

8. Forms outlive their usefulness, increase or diminish in usefulness;

9. Theosophy is truth without form.

10. Truth is love.

11. Love is Parabrahman as not This, not That.

12. These statements are abundantly to be found in the writings of
theosophical teachers through the ages.



M. Sufilight