Theosophical Siftings

A Glimpse Into Theosophy

Vol 2, No 13

A Glimpse Into Theosopy

by F.A. Brodie-Innes
Reprinted from "Theosophical Siftings" Vol me 2 The Theosophical ! "lishing Society, #ngland

" IT is the fashion to "elie$e in ghosts"% &ittle stra's sho' 'hich 'ay the 'ind "lo's, and the cas al remar( here ) oted is an indication of the 'idely*increasing c riosity in the direction of the so*called supernatural% +aterialism is prod cing its ine$ita"le reaction to'ards spirit ality, a reaction 'hich ta(es $ario s directions 'ith different minds% Spirit alism attracts some - the st dy of the old 'ritings of alchemists and astrologers others - and perhaps a larger n m"er are dra'n to #astern philosophy, 'hich really s pplies most of the (eys needed to any st dy 'hich goes deeper than the mere s rface of things% .a$es of tho ght creep o$er races and nations in a reg lar order - and, loo(ing "ac(, one may see at inter$als of a"o t one h ndred years the same t rning to'ards spirit al de$elopment after a long gro'th in a material direction% +esmer and /agliostro, in the eighteenth cent ry, and the old 'itchcraft trials in the se$enteenth cent ry sho' the same c rio s tendency, and no' e$en more strongly 'e may see it, creeping into e$ery form of tho ght and teaching, and reaching all minds according to the 'ay in 'hich each can "e affected "y it% This persistent and e$er*rec rring attempt to e0plore the n(no'n - this $ag e yearning after the infinite, has its place in nearly e$ery h man so l, and to the more ad$anced so ls in each s cceeding age this has "een no $ag e yearning merely, " t a splendid reality, a li$ing em"odiment of eternal tr ths called "y $ario s names% Theosophia - 'isdom of God - .isdom Religion% 1ere it has "een, here it 'ill "e, e$er ready and 'aiting for men to see and se, " t those 'ho need this 'isdom m st see( it, and only 'hen men ha$e come to that "lan( 'all 'here ends all p rely materialistic search, 'hen they ha$e reali2ed their o'n emptiness of satisfaction - then they t rn 'ith the empty hands and heart into 'hich 'isdom 'ill "e s rely p t% All forms of religio s "elief are "ased pon certain great tr ths, as old as man(ind% These relate to man3s nat re and his attit de 'ith regard to the so rce of his "eing% !ro"e e$ery form of religio s "elief to its inmost heart and there 'ill "e fo nd the tr th, ali(e in each one, from 'hich the di$erging lines of tho ght ha$e gro'n% The materialistic tendency of modern tho ght is one of the chief ca ses of the n mero s and $ario s sects 'hich from time to time detach themsel$es from the parent stem, their mother ch rch, and try to gro' and flo rish "y themsel$es% Their reason for "rea(ing a'ay from the larger "ody is s ally one of denial of some doctrine, and not a fresh assertion of a tr th, they separate "eca se they 'ish to limit, not "eca se they desire to e0tend [Page 10] their former "o ndaries% All materialism tends to limit and define, to "ring h man reason to "ear pon e$ery s "4ect and e$ery tho ght% This grad al narro'ing do'n ine$ita"ly prod ces a 'ithering *and decay, the lopped* off "ranches cannot gro' apart from the parent stem, they (eep a certain amo nt of $itality, 'hich lingers on for some time, " t the detached "ranch is doomed, for it has "een c t a'ay from the roots and the !age 1

Theosophical Siftings

A Glimpse Into Theosophy

Vol 2, No 13

so rce of no rishment% And 'hat is th s tr e of sects is tr e of indi$id als% #ach one 'ith this tendency to thin( and reason e$erything o t from a p rely e0oteric point of $ie', detaches himself from the root* ideas - the great nderlying tr ths, 'hich he has lost sight of in his endea$o r to reason a"o t e0ternals, this mental attit de is so general, so 'idespread, that it is "eginning to prod ce the ine$ita"le res lt - the reaction to'ards a more spirit al gro'th - a str ggle in a totally opposite direction% The po'er to retrace one3s steps is not gi$en to e$eryone, and for most people, the only 'ay is to approach the s "4ect from a different point of $ie', or 'e might say, open another door into the light of tr th% No ne' tr th is re) ired, all that 'e 'ant is there, only hidden nder a good deal of the d st and dross of h man tho ght and e0pression, or rather, 'e o rsel$es ha$e acc m lated all this d st and dross in front of one of o r doors into the light, and "eca se 'e cannot see that this heap is of o r o'n ma(ing and m st "e cleared "y o r o'n effort, 'e m st needs try another of the 'ays into the light% This see(ing into the heart of any system of religio s "elief can in no sense "e called an endea$o r to create a new religio s system, it is, as regards the religion, the same as ed cating a child, dra'ing o t and de$eloping the latent po'ers - helping the hidden so l to " d and "lossom and "ear fr it% #$ery form of religio s "elief has this so l, more or less o$erlaid 'ith the cr st of h man materialism, as the so l is 'eighted and "o nd 'ith chains of matter, and one of the chief o"4ects of Theosophy is to help the gro'th of this so l in religion, so that, "y its de$elopment, it shall thro' off 'hate$er of h man error had acc m lated pon and hidden the 5i$ine tr th% All, great religio s reforms ha$e "een accomplished in the same 'ay - from 'ithin o t'ards - no other 'ay is possi"le% 6 st as each indi$id al so l 'or(s from 'ithin o t'ards, so also m st each indi$id al system of "elief 'or( from 'ithin o t'ards% Therefore, one of the principal aims of Theosophy is to lead each one, no matter 'hat his creed, to loo( into the heart of that creed and find the tr th and "ea ty that lie 'ithin it, casting off 'hate$er e0ternal cr st may "e necessary to the clearer perception of, and the enlarged faith, in that creed% Theosophy is not a ne' religion% There can "e no s ch thing% It "rings ne' light, ne' enth siasm, ne' 2eal, ne' faith, " t only to concentrate all these pon the old eternal 5i$ine heart in the old religion% Theosophy is not, in any sense, antagonistic to the /hristianity ta ght "y /hrist% It is at 'ar 'ith the shams and hypocrisy and heathen selfishness [Page 11] 'hich so often r le the li$es of those 'ho ha$e the +aster3s 'ord on their lips, " t 'hose hearts are far from 1im% + ch of modern /hristianity may "e compared to a 4e'el hidden in a tarnished cas(et, 'hich fe' are 'illing or a"le to nloc(% There is the 4e'el shining radiantly as e$er, " t the cas(et is dimmed and soiled 'ith h man error and selfishness, men ha$e forgotten that it may "e opened, some ha$e thro'n a'ay the (ey, others say it is not meet to loo( at the 4e'el, others deny, that any 4e'el is there, some there are 'hose faith 'a$ers, and to 'hom a (ey, and one glimpse at the 5i$ine light hidden 'ithin the cas(et, 'o ld "e the commencement of their progress to higher things and firmer faith, and to these Theosophy especially appeals% It gi$es no fresh 4e'el, no ne' cas(et, " t a (ey to open the old one% .here in this can "e fo nd antagonism to, and denial and destr ction of pop lar "eliefs and doctrines 7 Theosophy meets and ans'ers some of the diffic lties of earnest see(ers after tr th, 'ho ha$e had none " t the o tside forms presented to them, and 'ho ha$e failed to see the inner meaning lying hidden in the forms% They feel the difference "et'een the theory and practice of religion, they see the perf nctory performance of religio s d ties a"sol tely separated from the spirit 'hich sho ld animate them, they see !age 2

Theosophical Siftings

A Glimpse Into Theosophy

Vol 2, No 13

r les of life and cond ct, framed in accordance 'ith the highest ideals, a"sol tely disregarded and diso"eyed, and those 'ho attempt to follo' them lightly scorned as " npractical" and "8 i0otic"% Then they re"el against the form, thin(ing that alone is to "lame, and so ) arrelling 'ith e0ternals, c t themsel$es off from the possi"ility of grasping the spirit 'hich is still in the form, 'aiting to "e called forth "y the one 'ho call see and feel it, and 'ho is ready and 'illing to ta(e "oth spirit and form, and ma(e them the means of li$ing ane' life% So any system of philosophy or religion 'hich dra's o t and ma(es more clear and percepti"le the spirit 'hich animates it, sho ld "e 'elcomed "y the see(er after tr th, 'ho has in his "lind endea$o rs p shed aside the $ery tr th he 'as see(ing, "eca se he failed to recognise it, and this is 'hat Theosophy is doing in a large meas re for /hristianity, not denying its tr ths, " t ma(ing them more clear to those 'ho ha$e failed to percei$e% The first great aim of Theosophy is 9nity% The proclaiming of nity in e$erything: ";ne God, one la', one element% "And one far*off di$ine e$ent to 'hich the 'hole creation mo$es%" To find a common gro nd on 'hich all spirit al "elief rests, a common moti$e for all action, a common la' of righteo sness% 1ence, in tr e Theosophy is no room for denial% It insists on the positi$e teaching of all religio s systems, the negati$e side it lea$es alone% Tr th 'ill li$e, falsehood need not "e (illed - it 'ill die% And the speed of its death 'ill "e in e0act proportion [Page 12] to the strength of the positi$e assertion of tr th% So, indi$id alism, sectarianism, separateness of e$ery (ind, is diametrically opposed to the tr e spirit of Theosophy, 'hich 'ill, if 'e act p to that spirit, " t "ind s more firmly and closely together, minimising o r differences, magnifying o r agreements, and so "ringing a"o t a greater harmony of tho ght and feeling, 'hich is the only 'ay to nity of action% 9nity leads to goodness goodness in its largest, 'idest, sense, not o t'ard propriety of cond ct or "lamelessness in the eyes of o r neigh"o rs, " t the endea$o r after a"sol te p rity of mind and heart, the effort to'ards self* sacrifice, self*(no'ledge, and self*control% All this is all essential part of Theosophy3s first great aim% And in no 'ay is the rgent necessity for p rity of life and tho ght more (eenly "ro ght home to each indi$id al mind than in the teaching em"odied in 'hat is called "the la' of Karma"% The ine$ita"le, ine0ora"le 4 stice of the di$ine la' of conse) ences% "As a man so's, so also shall he reap"% #$ery tri$ial tho ght or action entailing a good or e$il res lt - it is the payment of the < ttermost farthing=% To reali2e this la' f lly, its a"sol te 4 stice and ltimate end in$ol$es that earnest endea$o r after self*(no'ledge, 'hich leads to self*control and effort to'ards higher things% Not the mere selfish tho ght that right*doing 'ill prod ce personal satisfaction, " t that higher reaching after goodness - that h nger of so l, 'hich has for its final end the loss of self in the great All or ;neness% So goodness and nity are one, and nothing is good " t 'hat leads to nity% And the o tcome of "oth is (no'ledge, not the mere intellect al attainments the 'orld co nts (no'ledge, " t that higher 'isdom, that (no'ledge of di$ine things 'hich is indicated in the term Theosophy - 5i$ine 'isdom, science of di$ine things% And science it is, in the most e0act meaning of that m ch mis sed 'ord, 'hich has come to mean only (no'ledge of material things, only to "e pro$ed and percei$ed "y the e$idence of man3s fi$e senses% There are t'o methods of apprehending this di$ine science% >irst, the in'ard con$iction of a tr th, the int iti$e perception of it% This is faith in its 'idest aspect, and in$ol$es reason% St% !a l, spea(ing of it in !age 3

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A Glimpse Into Theosophy

Vol 2, No 13

this sense, says, ">aith is the s "stance of things hoped for, the e$idence of things not seen"% 9pon this int iti$e perception the intellect may "e "ro ght to "ear - not to confirm, for con$iction is there already, " t to partially 'or( o t the steps leading to it "y 'ay of the intellect% The second method is "y appealing entirely to the intellect, and "y la"orio s reasoning 'or(ing o t the perception of this di$ine science, " t it m st "e the higher reason and not mere logic% >or "oth these methods the modern e0position of #astern philosophy is an almost necessary st dy% >or this (no'ledge, hidden in the sacred "oo(s of the #ast, is, to a certain e0tent, almost latent in e$ery form of religio s "elief that has mo$ed and g ided the 'orld% It contains the great tr ths of e$ery great [Page 1 ] religion, the roots from 'hich that religion has spr ng, and apparently ne' forms are " t a casting of ne' light on the old tr ths% Theosophy p ts for'ard the #astern forms of tho ght in a manner apprecia"le to the .estern mind, at a time 'hen the .estern mind, 'eighed do'n and degraded "y the so*called ad$antages of ci$ili2ation, the materialistic tho ght and the selfish l 0 ry of life, is specially in need of ne' light on " ried tr ths, ne' life inf sed into old forms of "elief, and an a'a(ening to the terri"le di$ergence "et'een its religio s professions and its e$eryday life% Theosophy regards all li$ing faiths e) ally, " t they m st "e ali$e, they m st "e rooted in the tree of di$ine 'isdom and parta(e of its sap% ?no'ledge of di$ine things leads to po'er% !o'er to de$elop the higher nat re of man, po'er to control his animal nat re "y the di$ine self 'ithin him, po'er to 'or( o t his o'n sal$ation, and po'er to (eep him in the path leading to the final goal% This po'er increases in proportion to the p rity of aim and singleness of p rpose of those 'ho 'o ld ac) ire and de$elop it% All ideas of self*aggrandisement 'ea(en and destroy it, all selfishness con$erts it into a terri"le 'eapon to 'o nd him 'ho 'ields it% Rightly sed, it 'ill o$ercome the la' of ?arma - that is, it 'ill ta(e the so l on to that higher plane 'here ?arma ceases to "e necessary, into that p rer air 'here self in its lo'er meanings is cast o t and the spirit of nity alone animates the so l% This is a "rief statement of some of the points of Theosophy% S ch a philosophy, 'ide and far*reaching and all*em"racing, is a mighty po'er for good% It incl des all "ranches of (no'ledge, thro'ing clearer light on each one, and "y helping man to reali2e his threefold nat re, for'ards the e) al de$elopment of each part, for only in e) al and harmonio s gro'th is tr e progress possi"le% The tendency of all ci$ili2ation is to'ards perfecting materiality, to'ards concentrating the conscio sness on material things, and this directly leads to selfishness in its 'orst aspect - to'ards the separation of the indi$id al from the mass - to'ards di$ision and discord% Spirit ality is the direct opposite of this, self*a"negation in its highest form "eing the aim - nity and harmony the necessary accompaniments% All e0cess of materiality prod ces a corresponding reaction to'ards spirit ality% And to those 'ho loo( "eneath the s rface there is no' a gro'ing spirit al effort, a greater earnestness in all systems of religio s tho ght, an enlarged (no'ledge of higher things, and a translation of this (no'ledge into moral po'er% And here is 'here Theosophy appeals at once to those earnest " t half*star$ed so ls, gro'ing, stri$ing, str ggling, !age @

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A Glimpse Into Theosophy

Vol 2, No 13

to the light, " t not seeing the 'ay to it clearly% Some of the ideas it em"odies ha$e already spr ng p in co ntless minds and hearts, scarcely conscio s as yet of their e0istence, " t 'hen they are once recognised and carried into action, the " d gro's to a "lossom and the "lossom 'ill "ear fr it% A t all in) iry into Theosophy m st "e done earnestly% There m st "e [Page 1!] no idle c riosity, a"o$e all, no idea that it is merely a short c t to the 'or(ing of mar$els and o"taining of a"normal po'ers% The aim of those 'ho 'o ld learn this philosophy and follo' its teachings m st "e a"sol tely a p re and nselfish one, the regeneration of themsel$es as the first step in that ladder 'hich leads to the regeneration of the 'orld, that "ringing of light o t of dar(ness 'hich 'e all desire, and for 'hich 'e sometimes so "lindly stri$e% The path is a diffic lt one, ho' diffic lt no one (no's " t those 'ho ha$e ta(en the first steps, and there is no retreat - no going "ac(, " t to the tr e aspirant, no danger and no terror can clo d the glory of that mo ntain top 'hich he percei$es so dimly 'ith his inner sight, " t 'hose piercing radiance thrills his 'ea( po'ers 'ith 5i$ine strength, a strength 'hich is a certain promise of $ictory%

!age B