Self-Culture—in the Light of the Ancient Wisdom

Bro. Choong Chi Pin continues his review of the book of the same title by a prominent theosophist and author, I. K. Taimni. This session covers the development of spiritual will power and self-discovery of the unreal world we live in

Christian Rites & Origins in the Roman Tradition

This talk by Sis. Gertrude Weerekoon will highlight some of the Roman Catholic Rites, while explaining their origins. The inner/esoteric explanation will also be provided. Information will be given as to the reasons for the contemporary  belief in Resurrection, and for certain Festivals like Halloween, Good Friday, Christmas. There is also the explanation given for that old Carol – “the 12 Days of Christmas”. Some mention will also be provided regarding the Gospels of Judas Iscariot & M. Magdalen. found only recently by Archaeologists,  but still unaccepted by the Church. 

The Hidden Side of Things

Our Hon. Secretary, Lily Chong, will give a lecture on the hidden side of things based on the observation of clairvoyants. This talk was last given more than three years ago, in September 2004.

In his book of the same title, C. W. Leadbeater writes:

“Theosophical students are at least theoretically acquainted with the idea that to everything there is a hidden side; and they also know that in the great majority of cases this unseen side is of far greater importance than that which is visible to the physical eye.

To put the same idea from another point of view, the senses, by means of which we obtain all our information about external objects, are as yet imperfectly developed; therefore the information obtained is partial. What we see in the world about us is by no means all that there is to see, and a man who will take the trouble to cultivate his senses will find that, in proportion as he succeeds, life will become fuller and richer for him. For the lover of nature, of art, of music, a vast field of incredibly intensified and exalted pleasure lies close at hand, if he will fit himself to enter upon it. Above all, for the lover of his fellow-man there is the possibility of far more intimate comprehension and therefore far wider usefulness.

We are only halfway up the ladder of evolution at present, and so our senses are only half-evolved. But it is possible for us to hurry up that ladder—possible, by hard work, to make our senses now what all men’s senses will be in the distant future. The man who has succeeded in doing this is often called a seer or a clairvoyant.

A fine word that—clairvoyant. It means ‘one who sees clearly’; but it has been horribly misused and degraded, so that people associate it with all sorts of trickery and imposture—with gypsies who for sixpence will tell a maid-servant what is the colour of the hair of the duke who is coming to marry her, or with establishments in Bond Street where for a guinea fee the veil of the future is supposed to be lifted for more aristocratic clients.

All this is irregular and unscientific; in many cases it is mere charlatanry and bare-faced robbery. But not always; to foresee the future up to a certain point is a possibility; it can be done, and it has been done, scores of times; and some of these irregular practitioners unquestionably do at times possess flashes of higher vision, though usually they cannot depend upon having them when they want them.

But behind all this vagueness there is a bed-rock of fact—something which can be approached rationally and studied scientifically. It is as the result of many years of such study and experiment that I state emphatically what I have written above—that it is possible for men to develop their senses until they can see much more of this wonderful and beautiful world in which we live than is ever suspected by the untrained average man, who lives contentedly in the midst of Cimmerean darkness and calls it light.

Two thousand and five hundred years ago the greatest of Indian teachers, Gautama the BUDDHA, said to His disciples: ‘Do not complain and cry and pray, but open your eyes and see. The truth is all about you, if you will only take the bandage from your eyes and look; and it is so wonderful, so beautiful, so far beyond anything that men have ever dreamt of or prayed for, and it is for ever and for ever.’

He assuredly meant far more than this of which I am writing now, but this is a step on the way towards that glorious goal of perfect realisation. If it does not yet tell us quite all the truth, at any rate it gives us a good deal of it. It removes for us a host of common misconceptions, and clears up for us many points which are considered as mysteries or problems by those who are as yet uninstructed in this lore. It shows that all these things were mysteries and problems to us only because heretofore we saw so small a part of the facts, because we were looking at the various matters from below, and as isolated and unconnected fragments, instead of rising above them to a standpoint whence they are comprehensible as parts of a mighty whole. It settles in a moment many questions which have been much disputed—such, for example, as that of the continued existence of man after death. It explains many of the strange things which the Churches tell us; it dispels our ignorance and removes our fear of the unknown by supplying us with a rational and orderly scheme.”
 

Singapore Theosophical Order of Service Meeting

Meeting of the Singapore TOS, chaired by Bro. Danny Giron.

Interpretations of the Life and Teachings of Our Lord Jesus Christ

An appropriate program for the Easter weekend is a 1977 51 min. video recording of a lecture given by renowned seer and theosophist, Mr. Geoffrey Hodson, on esoteric interpretation of Christ and his teachings.

28th March 2008

Commencement of the Meditation Course

Basic Rules of Meditation

You will be taught the basic technique of meditation, what meditation really is and what kind of results to expect as well as not to expect! There will be a practice session.

Electing the International President of the Theosophical Society

The Constitution of the Theosophical Society provides for the election of the International President every seven years by the worldwide membership. Chong Sanne talks about the forthcoming presidential election and the candidates standing for election, giving background information about both candidates. All members are requested to attend this important meeting which is restricted to members only.

31st March 2008

Commencement of the 27th A Course in Theosophy

Lecture 1: The Different Planes of Nature

Knowing the different planes of nature; the different bodies of man and the different vehicles of consciousness.

Meditation class starts at 6:30 p.m.