One of the best writers and thinkers in the TS, who joined the Esoteric Section in HPB's time. Many articles of his are sprinkled throughout the varied TS magazines online. Here is one booklet of his:
http://www.theosophy-nw.org/theosnw/world/christ/xt-edge.htmHow it begins:
| QUOTE |
1 -- MAN'S SECOND BIRTH
In Matthew iii, 11, John the Baptist says: "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with Fire." As some of the English words used here have acquired special doctrinal significance since they were written, it will be advisable to give meanings which represent the Greek better in modern English. The word translated 'repentance' means a change of mind, a reformation of life, and does not necessarily imply sorrow; the word translated 'Ghost' would better be rendered 'Spirit,' so as to avoid confusion with the theological conception of the second person of the Trinity.
Remembering that the canonical Gospels are a somewhat haphazard collection and selection of esoteric teachings, veiled in allegorical and apparently historical guise, we may expect to find in them many familiar teachings of the ancient Mysteries, which can easily be read in their right sense by those with any knowledge of such teachings; but which at the same time can be interpreted by theologians to suit the purposes of their religion. And nothing could be clearer than that we have here a reference to the double birth of man, and to its ritual symbolism in the ancient initiation ceremonies. Water is the universal symbol of the material side of nature, whether cosmic or human; fire is symbolic of spirit. There were two stages of initiation: the first, by an inferior Teacher, was the baptism by water, and signified the conferring of knowledge relating to the material planes. To quote from The Secret Doctrine, II, 566: "John, a non-initiated ascetic, can impart to his disciples no greater wisdom than the mysteries connected with the plane of matter (water being a symbol of it). His gnosis was that of exoteric and ritualistic dogma, of dead-letter orthodoxy; while the wisdom which Jesus, an Initiate of the higher mysteries, would reveal to them, was of a higher character, for it was the 'FIRE' Wisdom of the true gnosis or the real spiritual enlightenment."
Turn now to John, iii, where a Jewish rabbi comes privately to Jesus to ask questions. He wants to know what is meant by saying that a man must be born again; and is told: "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." But can a man enter the womb a second time? asks Nicodemus; and is answered: "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh: and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." Here reference to this twofold initiation is plain enough. The candidate for high initiation must be a complete man.
H. P. Blavatsky has staunchly championed the Gospels, in her articles on 'The Esoteric Basis of Christianity,' showing that this medley of sacred writings yields readily to an obvious interpretation by anyone able (as Theosophists are) to apply the requisite keys and disencumber their minds of prejudice. And the texts above quoted are supported by many others which recount the teachings and acts of an initiated Teacher of high degree, anxious only to set the feet of his disciples on the Path which he himself had followed; but who has been set up on a pedestal and worshipped from afar as the Second Person in the theological triune God. |
THEOSOPHY AS A MORAL SUPPORT
Those who think that people will instinctively behave themselves without the support of any belief or faith, usually forget that we are (in a moral sense) living on our capital. Because our ancestors had convictions and faiths, therefore they built up standards of order and self-control whose effect is not yet exhausted. The very security which allows us to indulge these radical views is founded on the influence of the ideas and customs which we would upset. But it will not always be so: the capital, if not renewed, will be exhausted; and it will then become manifest that behavior, in the individual or society, cannot rest securely on a basis of automatism, but that there must be inspiration, faith, knowledge, behind it.
When the authority of a moral sanction, a certainty of knowledge, is withdrawn, human beings are abandoned to the mercy of impulse. There being no higher authority than desire, desire becomes exalted into their god; and, since pride prompts us to justify our actions, we accordingly devise a philosophy of desire, and call it by some grandiose name, such as the right of self-realization. But there can be no coherence in a society which is swayed by individual caprice, instead of controlled by impersonal principles and ideals. Nothing has recently happened which can change the eternal truth that Duty, Honor, Love, are the cement of society and the wings whereon man can soar from the depths into which his unruly desires would drag him. These high impersonal ideals and incentives do not spring up automatically; and if we find them within us, it is because they have been cultivated in the past. The question is, upon what are we to rest them for the future?
The question arises urgently in connexion with the upbringing of children. Bulwer Lytton in Zanoni tells the story of the atheist anarchist who brings up his foster son in his own principles; and is slain by that son for his money. What are we to give our children, if we have nothing ourselves? The 'modern child' may be simply another name for the modern parent. If we find our children turning elsewhere for guidance, the reason may lie in our own inability to furnish it. It is no use trying to replace this guidance by cajolery or subtil appeals to pride, vanity, and self-interest. If the child is not to be at the mercy of impulse and have his life wrecked thereby, he must have some surer support than his own whims and fancies. However much the modern child may differ from the ancient, it is to be supposed that he still craves light, help, and guidance, from thosc who stand to him in the relation of guardians.
All said and done, knowledge is at the root of all; and, let us add, faith, which is the anticipation of knowledge yet to come. More than ever before do we need knowledge today; because our progress in physical arts has so outstripped our progress in the solider qualities. If we can no longer find help in the old religious formulas, there is no need to throw away the baby with the bath-water: let us find true religion.
The source of knowledge is within; in the last resort we must be guided by our own judgment. The existing state of human faculty does not represent an ultimate. Man stands at a midway point in his evolution. There are, and always have been, men who havc reached a higher stage of evolution than the generality. The store of knowledge accumulated by such men, throughout the ages, is called the 'Secret Doctrine.' It formulates the structure, operations, character, origin, and destiny of the universe. In this definition the word 'universe' includes man; for, according to Theosophy, the universe is composed entirely of living beings, of which man is one kind. Knowledge, therefore, is to be sought through a development of human faculty.
Ideals are after all the bedrock. Let us be clear on that point. Because there have been so many idle idealists, a false value has been given to that which, by contrast, is called 'the practical.' The practical people carry out the ideals; but without ideals at the back there would be nothing for such people to carry out. Those who put principles into practice should not forget their obligation to those who have cherished and kept alive those principles in the past. We have plenty of people ready to do things, but the trouble is to know what they are to do; so they are following numerous and conflicting theories. Much of this perplexity would vanish of itself if there were a better understanding of the laws of the universe and the nature of man; for much of it is simply due to wrong notions on these subjects. Our theories are in conflict with our experiences; they fail to interpret life as we know it. They are the heritage of past years when things were different; and, though we may think we have abandoned many old-fashioned beliefs, nevertheless their shadow clings to us and colors our new theories. Scientists would perhaps be offended if told that their cramped views of the history of man are a ghost of the old narrow theological views based on a literal interpretation of the Old Testament. Yet so it is; for why otherwise should there be such a strenuous desire to dwarf mankind both in stature and in duration? But when we turn from theory to fact, the case is otherwise; for archaeology, despite our endeavors, fails to confirm our evolutionary speculations, and brings with each new day fuller confirmation of the extreme antiquity of civilized humanity.
Or take the attempts to represent the universe as a mechanism. So contrary to experience are theories so based, that the attempt is now being everywhere abandoned. Yet these mechanical theories of life have hag-ridden us for long years and still continue to show their baneful face in certain moral philosophies which treat man as a machine ruled by impulses.
Why not recognise the ancient truth of the duality of human nature? That man is essentially a divine spiritual being, but incarnate in a house of clay. In him meet two natures: the spiritual or divine, and the animal or terrestrial. This may seem a platitude - and is. But what are we going to do about it? It is true; and if it is true, we neglect it at our peril. As well try to defy the laws of health and get away with it. Take that child. In our plans and methods for rearing and educating him, how much thought do we give to the fact that he is first and foremost a spiritual being, passing through a vast experience, with a limitless past behind him, and a limitless future before him. It has become our lot to superintend his steps during a period of his experience when he is helpless and needs our aid. We do not refuse to feed and clothe him; we do not turn him loose to the tender mercies of nature, but recognise (in practice at least) that we ourselves are part of nature, and that as such we dare not forbear our function. But what of our duties as guardians of the higher nature of our child? How often do we realize that, in order to satisfy the higher nature, it is frequently needful to thwart the lower nature? Do we not, time and again, weakly yield to the desires of the child, thus failing in our loving duty, and in reality disappointing the child?
What is here said of the child applies generally. The higher nature of man is not sufficiently recognized. Politicians vie with each other in appealing to the lower nature; and press and platform cater for pleasure and amusement. Science and religion are both dragged into the stream, and become, in spite of themselves, materialistic. Man's real working philosophy of life is neither his religion nor his science - those are extras. His real working philosophy is what he believes.
Theosophy formulates and explains the structure, operations, character, origin, and destiny of the universe. We do not say 'the universe and man,' because the universe includes man; the one word does for both, and avoids a misleading distinction. Theosophy has existed in all ages, under various names, having been preserved and handed down by the great seers and sages. If you doubt whether such a body of knowledge exists, let the matter alone and go your own way. If you wish to learn more about it, study Theosophy. It brings order and reason into our philosophy of life; and without that, there can be no order and reason in the outer world. Theosophy, during the years it has been promulgated, has already greatly modified the ideas of people; and, apart from its unperceived effect, some of its definite teachings are now quite familiar and acceptable, such as those of Karman and Reincarnation.
What we desire here to insist upon is that, back of all the unrest and uncertainty in the world, lies the background of erroneous ideas concerning the nature, origin, and destiny of man; and that our plans and forecastings are all colored and vitiated by this dark background. From this it seems to follow that our foundations of belief need relaying, and that, if we can relay them, the effect will become visible in the life of humanity.
Let us get into the minds of men the idea that the life of each individual man is of immense duration, his present appearance on earth being only one scene in the drama. This idea will get rid at once of the sceptical materialistic attitude on the one hand, and the vague and unsatisfactory theological dogmas on the other. Both of these attitudes put man to sleep by discouraging him and teaching him to undervalue himself. Every man should realize that, by virtue of his human nature, he holds within himself the key to knowledge. And thus we may return to the point brought up at the beginning of this article: from knowledge comes certainty, which means the ability to control oneself, and so control others who look to us for guidance.
HT Edge - The Theosophical Path, July 1931
Rights, Duties, Privileges
On August 4, 1789, a large and unruly Parliament of excited men sat in a hall at Versailles. It was the National Assembly of revolutionary France, and it was framing a new constitution for the country. But what was agitating the assembly at the moment was the preamble to that constitution -- a Declaration of the Rights of Man. Suddenly one of the members interposed with an amendment. He proposed that the Declaration of the Rights of Man should also be a Declaration of the Duties of Man. His amendment was impatiently rejected, the majority being 575 against 433; and the assembly proceeded to adopt almost unanimously the motion that the preamble should consist only of a Declaration of Rights.
Human nature has not changed much since then. We still hear much about the rights of man. About the duties we do not hear quite so much. The lesson is applicable to the present situation, if at all.
When we demand our rights, or promise other people their rights, the motive concerned is self-interest, the self-interest of an individual or of a class. When duties are spoken of, it is conscience that is appealed to. Which is the better for the welfare and progress of the individual -- self-interest or conscience? Which is better for the welfare of the community?
This mention of rights and duties suggests that they are opposed to each other. Rights are pleasant things, and duties are painful things. Rights are what we want and can't get, and duties are what we get and can't want. So perhaps it is advisable to find another word that will suit the case better. That is why the word `Privileges' was chose for the third of our title.
What are the Privileges of Man? Do they include the Rights or the Duties or some of both?
I believe that a man's Rights and Duties and Privileges are really all one and the same thing. But the word `Rights,' in this case, means something that cannot be taken away from a man. He does not have to clamor for this kind of Rights; no one can do him out of them.
To be a Man, a human being -- is not that privilege enough? Does it not confer power enough? For what is Man?
An ancient emblem represents him as having a human head, the body of a lion, and the wings of an eagle. The human head represents man's intellect; the lion's body, his daring and will-power; the eagle's wings, his power of aspiration. With these divine gifts, man can make himself what he will; and yet he abrogates them and clamors for lesser things he calls his rights.
We do not need to clamor for our rights; we only need to recognise them. The real Rights of man are his birthrights, and we know that he is born of the Spirit as well as of the flesh. Leastwise, however the doctrine and theology may run, it is an indisputable fact that you and I are somehow mysteriously endowed with a Mind and a Heart and a Will and good many other things that money cannot buy and thieves cannot steal. The sooner we recognise these gifts, the sooner we shall have our Rights. The sooner we exercise these gifts, the sooner we shall do our Duties. And, as to Privileges, all this will be privilege enough and to spare. Let us claim our Birthrights.
Would you like to be a strong man or a weak man? A strong man is self-dependent, but a weak man is always leaning on other people. The weak man has his eyes fixed on the past and on the future, but never on the present. The future is always getting away from him as he goes, like his shadow thrown before him; and the past is always receding from him. Only the present stays with him, but this he seems to have no use for. He is the unpractical man. The weak man is affected by the opinions of others, by praise and blame; he is alternately exhilarated and depressed by the turns of fortune. He lives in an atmosphere of expectation and fear and is a creature of vain emotion. The strong man simply takes his life as he finds it and acts strongly here and now in the present place and the present moment.
Why be a weakling? Why not face boldly the life in which you find yourself and determine to utilize you wonderful resources to the full?
Surely it is the venturous man who discovers things. The man who waits for a lead never starts at all. Yet how many people there are today who say feebly that they do not know the mysteries of life, and that they can never know; people who demand to be shown before they will move; people who will stay where they are until they can see something better? These people do not realise that it is often necessary to take a step first before you can see where to plant the next step.
If you would discover something about the mysteries of your own nature, you must have faith enough and grit enough to start. You must not wait for knowledge to fall into your lap. The kingdom of heaven has to be taken by might; it will not throw itself at our heads.
When we try to imagine the future of humanity, and can think of nothing better than a lot of people, of different classes, all clamoring for what they consider their rights, we do not get a very edifying picture. What is needed is that people should be taught to recognise their privileges -- the rights that they have, not the rights that they think they ought to have. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you," means that, if you attend to your duties, your rights will take care of themselves.
Surely it is a privilege to take care of duties!
Man has many more rights and privileges than the thinks he has. What he is clamoring for is mere pittance. There are rights and privileges waiting to be claimed; but they are the price of duty. A man who has not the faith or the grit to do his duty will stay where he is and will go on hungering for his rights. But the man who recognises that duty is his privilege will obtain all the rights he expects -- and more.
And remember that your better nature has its rights as well as your inferior nature. Why not give it a chance? And it is just because you will not give it a chance that `Fate' steps in and does it for you. The human race would soon perish from self-indulgence if it were left to choose its own fate according to its selfish desires. Fortunately, a power wiser and stronger than our selfish desires steps in and gives us what is good for us. What is this power? It is the power that rules our destiny; it is our own real Self, the light behind our mind, the guiding star of our lives. Why not recognise its claims and admit that our higher nature has also its rights and privileges?
To follow duty is simply to recognise the claims of our higher nature. What we call duties are the rights of our higher nature; and when we sacrifice a duty to a personal pleasure, we starve our higher nature to feed our lower.
So much has been dinned into our ears about our animal nature that it is time a little more was told us about that spark of divine creative fire that is in all of us. Then perhaps we would have more self-reliance and not be expecting so much from systems and regulations. If you think you are as good as the other man, it is up to you to show it. No doubt social conditions are wrong in many points; but they would stand a better chance of righting themselves if a little more of the spirit of true self- reliance and self-respect were abroad in the world.
-- The Theosophical Path, Jan. 1923