March 2025 Newsletter
The following articles are reproduced from the March 2025 Newsletter to members. Non-members may or may not be able to relate to the contents.
Fundamental Truths of
Theosophy
“Fear not, the fundamental truths (of Theosophy) can never be successfully denied even though, perhaps, some people may doubt them. The planes of Nature, the devas, Ourselves, the privilege of Discipleship of a Master of the Wisdom, the existence of trained clairvoyance as a reliable instrument of research - cannot possibly be destroyed; for they are basic fundamental truths as you know and have proved only too well.”
A Master of the Wisdom
Spreading Theosophia
By Geoffrey Hodson
Extract from Light of the Sanctuary
THE Parent Theosophical Society itself has made available to the world Adeptic expositions of Theosophia (Divine Wisdom), a procedure which has been carried out since the founding of the Society, chiefly in the writings of H.P. Blavatsky and her valid literary successors. This practice, I venture to affirm, will continue so long as both the spiritual and the philosophical purposes for which-the Society was founded are positively and genuinely adhered to. My own studies have convinced me that Theosophia, its availability to mankind, and its acceptance and application to life’s problems are essential to the well-being of humanity as a whole.
I am also deeply convinced that the Adept-inspired Parent Theosophical Society will continue to be held within the consciousness of the great Masters and also that “so long as there are three men worthy of Our Lord’s blessing in the Theosophical Society, it can never be destroyed”. Granted the above conditions and complete honesty of character, purpose, and conduct of officials and regular members, I am convinced that this security and acceptance of the Theosophical Society as an agency in the world of the Great Brotherhood of the Adepts will not only continue, but that its work will increase in effectiveness as also will the responses from the Masters to the evocations from sincere truth-seekers and idealists amongst mankind. The above-quoted passage assures this, and I venture humbly to affirm - with due respect for the right to freedom of thought and opinion of others - that the Masters of the Wisdom will never withhold Their inspiration from Their “good ship”, the Parent Theosophical Society.
Fortunately, one part of the precious Theosophical “cargo” consists of survivals of the active Mystery Tradition. The Mystery Tradition, another presentation of Theosophia, is in these days becoming increasingly active as in the Orders of Chivalry, Freemasonry, and Co-Freemasonry (an Order that admits women) for example, and in the growing interest in the esoteric teachings of the Eastern religions. This ensures the added ability to serve to all who, with the essential quality of wisely applied selflessness, aspire to knowledge of Truth. For all those, the ever open portal of the Temple - whether material, psychological, intuitional (“not made with hands”), or a combination of all of these - is passed through and ceremonial training is bestowed. Thereupon may follow the touch of the Thyrsus placed upon the crown of the head of the candidate by the reigning Initiatory Official, a representative of the Hierophant of the Greater Mysteries. However secretly in modern days, this immemorial usage has continued to be an essential part of national, governmental, and personal life, as more publicly were the Lesser Mysteries of Egypt, Chaldea, Greece, and other lands – Eastern and Far Eastern, for example.
The above-mentioned original, esoteric, and symbolic Temples of the
Mysteries will, I believe, maintain their proffered direction and
leadership, and “open doors” to their “tyled” interiors, degree by
degree, until the goal of Superhuman Perfection or Adeptship is attained
by ardent, selfless, and determined aspirants.
I here repeat the great Master Morya’s words: “You have still to learn that so long as there are three men worthy of Our Lord’s blessing in the Theosophical Society, it can never be destroyed.” As I have throughout many years pondered this profound utterance, the following thoughts have entered my mind: The passage of the Adept-inspired “ship”, the Parent Theosophical Society, has not by any means been peaceful in character. On the contrary, it has sailed through stormy waters, some of the breakers of which unfortunately still strike against the “bow” and “sides” of the “vessel”, and especially its “stern”. Even so, because of its extreme importance to the human race, the Parent Theosophical Society will not be allowed to perish so long as the above-mentioned conditions prevail. Fortunately, they still do prevail in both the character and the motives of those who have not only remained faithful, but who have also “stayed aboard” and helped to steer the wonderful “vessel” on its voyage with its precious “cargo” of Theosophia. This, for me, is of immense importance for “the amelioration of the condition of man”. The Divine Wisdom is, indeed, I affirm, the ONE SAFEGUARD FOR HUMANITY AS A WHOLE. This surely is of critical importance as the human race passes through wavelike periods of war and peace, cruelty and humaneness, power-seeking and selfless service.
Our movement is, at this time of writing, apparently being attacked by one of its “storms” or “storm-waves”. The nature of one of these appears to consist of the diversion of the interest of a very large number of members (all being free, of course) away from fundamental Theosophy, especially The Secret Doctrine. These people find themselves attracted to the literature and activities of seemingly associated societies. This reduces the efficacy of Sections, Branches, and individual members, as teachers of basic Theosophia. I am permitted to express these personal views because of the Chartered Statement that for members of the Theosophical Society, “our bond of union is not a common belief, but a common search for Truth”. As I advance these views - if I may so presume, warning myself as I do so - I find myself remembering Aesop’s fable of the dog which, whilst crossing a stream with a bone in its mouth, saw its own reflection in the water. The bone seemed larger, and thus deluded, the dog dropped and lost the real bone as it sought to grab the reflection in the water.
Greatly favoured are those who, with never the slightest thought of self-gain for either their present or their future lives, join the Parent Theosophical Society, and throughout the years of their membership remain steadfastly - immovably indeed - faithful to the original principles and purposes, and to the time-adapted methods of their fulfilment. These were agreed upon when the Society was founded and firmly established according to the original ideas, ideals, provisions for its progress, and for the outworking of its objective, which was “TO POPULARIZE A KNOWLEDGE OF THEOSOPHY”
During the now-completed first century of its life, the mission of the Parent Theosophical Society has been - and, I submit, must continue to be - the sharing with fellow human beings of the unchanging age-old foundation doctrines of Theosophia. The Greek name for these, Theosophia (Divine Wisdom), was most appropriately given by Ammonius Saccus, the great Neo-Platonic teacher in Alexandria between the second and third centuries A.D.
If, and as long as, this ideal of faithful fulfilment of the Adeptically affirmed plan and uttermost loyalty to the intelligent outworking of the basic task of our movement is adhered to, then, I submit, the Society will continue to fulfil its twofold function: to make available the ageless truths and their applications to human living; and to offer invaluable opportunities to all so moved to find and tread the ancient Pathway leading to Discipleship of a Master of the Wisdom, the great Initiations, and to the final liberation from all human limitations, or the attainment of Adeptship.
Before I close my
contribution to this Introduction, fully aware of my limited ability in
these fields, I hereby vow that every account of an occult experience
shared with and recorded in this story of my inner life and here
presented by Sandra, is not only truthful in itself, but is as
accurately described as was possible for me. May these offerings of my
inwardly inspired visions, experiences, and understanding, and also my
greatly privileged associations with the deva kingdom, fulfil the
purpose for which Sandra has undertaken to produce this very partial
description of my occult life.
New Book
The Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar, has just published an introductory booklet for new members and the public at large.
Entitled Exploring Our True Nature, it introduces Theosophy as the awakening journey of our spiritual potential. Theosophical investigators studied an infinite range of subjects, based on their vision of the eternal wisdom. The compilers of this book particularly selected those subjects which have impact on our daily life. These theosophical ideas have been described in five short chapters. The aim of this book is to encourage further enquiry. Chapters therefore end with questions for consideration. The contents of the book are as follows:
1 Introduction
The challenges we are facing and the Wisdom Tradition
The Wisdom Tradition; the fundamental unity of all that exists
Our true nature is divine
An introduction of subjects related to our own spiritual life
Words give the direction to the moon, are not the moon itself
Study and the practice in daily life
Embracing new ideas
Gender neutral language
Use of Sanskrit words
This book invites further exploration
Truth cannot be organized
2 A few basic theosophical propositions
Fundamentals from the Prologue of the Secret Doctrine
HPB’s advice for the study of the Secret Doctrine
3 You are more than you think; seven states of constitution
The sevenfold constitution of the human being
The different aspects of the human constitution.
Desire and will; a fundamental difference
Desire is the original divine desire to do good
The monad; the pilgrim.
Personality and individuality
The individuality
A visualization exercise
Remark on the visualisation:
4 Karma and reincarnation
What creates karma?
Karma is the universal law of the restoration of balance, harmony
The law encourages us to restore balance
The universal law works on all levels
Evolution is always forward
Which states of consciousness relate to karma?
Karma and reincarnation
A new incarnation is the result of past lives
Can karma be changed?
5 Between death and birth
An after life; is desire the father of thought?
Near death experiences
The dying process; the esoteric traditions
Towards the astral plane of feelings
The second death
What do we take with us?
Rest in devachan, the heavenly world
Time between death and new incarnation
Universal love endures
Memories of past lives?
Help at the moment of death
Preparation helps with the ‘last initiation’
Birth is a new creation
Summary: The Great Journey