THEOSOPHY DOWNUNDER
Newsletter of the Theosophical Society (
No: 110 August 2013
Autumn
leaves and the easing weather of an autumn break are good news for Fly Agaricus
Toadstool (Amantia Muscaria) at one of the many lawns
in the
CONTENTS
The Importance of Being Happy – Andrew Rooke.
Australian News.
One God or Many? Where Did the Idea of One God Come From? – Jennifer Pignataro.
International News.
From
Desire Mind to Compassion Mind: Part 1: What is Desire? – Andrew Rooke.
From our
Readers: The Swastika Symbol.
Religious
Fundamentalism: What Can Theosophists Do About It?
A Carrot, an Egg, and a Coffee Bean – John Dore.
Book
Reviews: Agni Yoga – Helena Roerich.
Azlander: Second Nature - Gabriele Brunsdon.
The
Relationship Between the Ego and the Mind – Charles Reither.
Did
Ancient Indonesian Buddhists Reach
Obituary: Tine van der Ven.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING HAPPY – Andrew Rooke
How important is it to be happy? Everybody has their own ideas of what
it is to be happy and most people direct their life-long efforts towards that
end. In
Happiness and Health: Over the past 40 years, medical science has done some
serious research into the healing power of joy. Author, Norman Cousins, in his
famous book, The Anatomy of an Illness, gives his own experience of how
his severe bone and joint pain was driven from his body by regularly having a
belly laugh from watching old Marx brothers comedy
movies. Cousins described his theory of the chemistry of laughter in one of the
world’s most prestigious medical journals, The New England Journal of Medicine, His
article received more positive letters from readers than any other up until
that time in the journal’s long history. The famous ‘clown doctor’ Patch Adams
started a whole movement in the medical profession encouraging the use of
humour in hospital wards in the 1990s after a film on his life starring
comedian Robyn Williams was such a huge hit.
One of the best pieces of scientific evidence to support the
notion that the body has a chemistry of joy and sorrow,
is the chemical analysis of tears which reveals a very different molecular
make-up for tears of joy and tears of sorrow. As one researcher comments:
“…Another interesting discovery about the content of tears
was made by Dr. William H. Frey II, a biochemist at the St. Paul-Ramsey Medical
Center in
Happiness and the Soul: If the physical body responds so positively to the healing
influence of good humour, how much more important is a feeling for the joy of
life to the Inner Man? Our former Leader, Katherine Tingley,
tells the story of her meeting with a Master of Wisdom (HP Blavatsky’s
teacher) in
Further, he said one should not live in dread of life’s
experiences, but go cheerfully on our way coping with the tasks at hand rather
than being overwhelmed by distant goals. He said that a joy in the spiritual
life could actually make the very atoms of our body lighter! We should fight
the tendency to let the worries and anxieties of our everyday consciousness
weigh us down. The Master said that hopelessness and anxiety can bring our
body’s atoms…”half way to death; but they can be quickened to a kind of
immortality by the fire of the divine life, and attuned to universal harmony.
Men everywhere could get rid of all that burden of un-necessities, and carry
themselves like that young chela does, if they had the mental balance.” [The
story of the Master and his ploughman/chela is recounted in Katherine Tingley’s, The Gods Await.]
Happiness: some perspectives from Theosophy: A sense of humour indicates an
understanding of human nature and an ability to draw forth the positive aspects
from the difficulties of life. The
world’s great comedians have always played the role of placing ourselves and
sometimes our most cherished institutions into humorous and more balanced
perspective. Religious teachers throughout history have emphasized the joy
awaiting man on his path of inner discovery through the outer sufferings and
travails of daily life. They have often demonstrated the practical value of
humour and joy with their work in the world. Think of the infectious laughter
of the Dalai Lama when he is interviewed on even the most serious subject.
Likewise the writings of our theosophical Masters in the, Mahatma Letters,
often exhibit a keen sense of humour for the frailties of human nature on its
path of learning.
In particular, our former Leader, Katherine Tingley, often spoke of the need to hold sacred a real
sense of the joy of living even when besieged by the sorrows which come to
everyone in the course of daily life. In her book, The Travail of the Soul, she
writes:
“Let us open up our minds to the fact that life is joy: that
is, the real spiritual life, and that the disarrangements, the failures, the
discouragements, and the heavy, tearing, heart-shadows we must face in life are
our own to adjust. We have the opportunity, even in the ordinary lines of daily
activity, to think a little more, to let our souls break through to something
better, and to find ourselves out under the great blue sky in our aspirations,
in touch with nature’s wonderful lessons and its silent and marvellous beauty.”
–
Andrew Rooke,
“The pursuit of happiness lies at the core of
human endeavours. People around the world aspire to lead happy and fulfilling
lives free from fear and want, and in harmony with nature….On this first
International Day of Happiness, let us reinforce our commitment to inclusive
and sustainable human development and renew our pledge to help others. When we
contribute to the common good, we ourselves are enriched. Compassion promotes happiness
and will help to build the future we want.” – Ban K. Moon, Secretary-General of
the United Nations, on the occasion of the first International Day of
Happiness,
AUSTRALIAN NEWS
Meetings in Melbourne April
through July 2013: all meetings
are held at the Theosophical Society Pasadena Library Centre located at
Sat. August 3rd,
Sat. September 7th,
Sat. October 5th,
Sat. November 2nd,
Sat. December 7th,
Wednesday
discussion group: at the TS
New on
our website: our
website is at www.theosophydownunder.org Newly added to the ‘Theosophy Downunder Library’ section of the
website are the following articles: One God or Many? Where did the idea of
One God come from? The enduring legacy of the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh
Akhenaton – Jennifer Pignataro;
Co-creation
with Nature by Roza and Margarita Riaikkenen ; Paganism,
Heathenry, Asatru, and Wicca: Echoes of the Ancient Wisdom
of Europe by Heathclyff St James Deville;
We are Consciousness:
Paganism, Heathenry, and Asatru contain the Purest
Ancient Wisdom and Theosophy by Guðrún Kristín Magnúsdóttir, Pilgrimages:
the Mystic Journey – Jennifer Pignataro; Did
Ancient Indonesian Buddhists Reach Africa? – Robert Dick-Read.
The
Thirty Years of the Newsletter: this year we celebrate 30 years of
the continuous publication of our newsletter. Thanks to everyone who has
contributed to our newsletter over that time. Now for the next 30 years!
Email
Addresses: in future years we will be sending this newsletter
by email, so if you have not already done so, could you please send your email
address to the Editor at: andrewrooke@hotmail.com
"Do not be afraid of your difficulties. Do not wish you could
be in other circumstances than you are. For when you have made the best of an
adversity, it becomes the stepping stone to a splendid opportunity." –
HP Blavatsky.
~
The
concept of a single God is called monotheism. Monotheism originates from the
Greek – Monos = single, and Theos =God.
Monotheism is a predominant feature of the Abrahamic
religions - these being: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Monotheism
is also a key feature of Baha’i, Zoroastrianism and Sikhism.
While many may consider monotheism as a modern Western concept, it is in fact, a practice which emerged in the ancient East. The scope of
this paper will not allow an overview of those religions listed above, but
rather to consider a particular moment in ancient Egyptian history when
Monotheism existed, albeit for a very brief period during the New Kingdom era
(1550–1070 BC : considered by many as the most glorious period of ancient Egyptian
history).
This
unique time when monotheism was a dominant feature of Ancient Egyptian
religion, art and societal custom and tradition is today known as Atenism.
This form of monotheism was so named after the Sun. When uttering the name
Amunhotep IV, unless one has a sound knowledge of the
lineage of Ancient Egyptian pharaohs, it is likely that this name will not
raise much interest. However, mention the name Akhenaton and commentary
abounds! The much maligned Pharaoh has been described as a deformed heretic, a megalomaniac,
and revolutionary. It is also noteworthy that he was the father of the boy King
Tutankhamen whose intact tomb found in the early twentieth century is one of
the most celebrated finds in archaeology. Regardless of one’s view of him, Akhenaton’s
legacy, like his reputation, has endured over the millennia and today we are
able to consider his contribution to Ancient Egyptian religion, worship and
art.
Statue of the Pharaoh Akhenaton showing his unusual
elongated features.
The
theological experiment, to which it is sometimes referred, was a revolutionary
belief system. It focussed on the notion of a single deity. In
this case, the Aten, or Sun-Disk.
Indeed, the Pharaoh believed himself to be the Son of the Sun. Within the first
few years of his reign, Amenhotep 1V had changed his
name to Akhenaton meaning “Radiant Spirit of the Aten”.
This radical approach to worship, that is, monotheism, predated the Hebrew’s
religion and that of Christianity. Whether this relatively short-lived theological
experiment directly influenced later religions such as that of the Israelites
is a matter of great, academic speculation. I will present some commentators’
opinions at the conclusion of this presentation, of which you may evaluate for
yourselves.
Akhenaton:
Pharoah of
The Pharaoh
was obsessed with the sun. He decreed that his
While Akhenaton’s revolutionary approach to everyday worship and
devotion of the divine may have been at odds against the previous prevailing
orthodoxy, other aspects of the period were indeed fresh and inspiring.
Religious representation changed from a stylised, iconographic manner to a more
realistic depiction of the Royal Family. However, many have viewed the representation
of the Royal Family as odd. Mostly the royal portraiture of Akhenaton
displays the pharaoh in unflattering light. Many historians have hinted that
the Royal portraiture was ‘realistic’ in that, the family was afflicted with a
genetic disorder (Marfan’s Syndrome) brought about by procreating amongst an
interrelated gene pool, as close family members often married each other and spawn
offspring.
The famous statue of the beautiful Queen Nefertiti,
chief consort of Pharaoh Akhetaten.
A
revisionist view is that the Royal family were depicted in a less stylised
manner to demonstrate the notion that the family was different to mere mortals,
and that they were unworldly and extraterrestrial. Depictions of the Royal
Family abound and also testify to this idea. The family, though imbued with
familial tenderness and devotion, in the many royal scenes, also denote ‘other
worldliness’. For me, there is something, somewhat fascinating but
strange about the oddly-shaped face and body of the Pharaoh, with his beautiful
Queen Nefertiti and their children with their
extraordinary, elongated, shaped heads.
The Aten: So far as the new religion was concerned, the Aten
(Sun) was not portrayed with the usual human or animal attributes as had the
pantheon of Egyptian deities. The Aten was always
depicted as a geometric solar circle - but such representation was beautifully
rendered with little hands attached to the sun-rays. There are many depictions
of Akhenaton and his family having the loving, gentle rays of the Aten, figuratively toughing via the ‘hand and fingers’ of
the Aten’s rays.
What is
remarkable about Akhenaton’s Atenism, I feel, is that
this religion was accessible for every Egyptian. One did not have to have come
from the ruling class, nor of the elite
Priesthood to have contact with this God. The Aten,
the Sun, touched everything and everyone without distinction or favour. The
beauty of this religion was the brightness of it, for nothing was in the
shadows so to speak, as was the worship of Amun.
Every worshiper could have immediate, direct, illuminated commune with the Aten. The worshipper could always have his/her “time in the
Sun”.
Akhenaton’s
Influence: Not only
did Pharaoh’s influence extend into the Affairs of state but also how they were
conducted. The reign of Akhenaton was a relatively peaceful one as was the
social the structure. Cyril Aldred
has said of Akhenaton;
…”there was one aspect in which he was wholly original, and
that was his insistence upon a true monotheism, the worship of one god only,
whose incarnation he was, to the exclusion of all else. Where this idea came
from in the world of the fourteenth century BC, which widely recognised so many
different manifestations of godhead , is not known; but his own identification
with the Aten probably provides the key’’.p.260. - Aldred,
C. Akhenaton Pharaoh of
Another
author,
As stated
by Donald B. Redford:
…“There is little or no evidence to
support the notion that Akhenaton was a progenitor of the full-blown monotheism
that we find in the bible…(it) had its own separate
development.” -
At this
juncture it may be timely to consider that
Finally, an analysis of Akhenaton’s
legacy which appealed for me is that of Aldred, when
he says:
“In the
development of religion and thought, Akhenaton stands out as against the
momentum of traditional religion as the instigator of ideas which were in
advance of his time. As such, he seems the world’s first individual and the
world’s first idealist”. Aldred: Page 257. – Jennifer Pignataro,
…the same question stands open from
the days of Socrates and Pilate down to our own age of wholesale negation: is
there such a thing as absolute truth in the hands of any one party or man?
Reason answers, "there cannot be." There is
no room for absolute truth upon any subject whatsoever, in a world as finite
and conditioned as man is himself. But there are relative truths, and we have
to make the best we can of them. - H.P.
Blavatsky, Lucifer, February, 1888. See for full
article: What is Truth? H.P. Blavatsky
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Compassion in the business world: we don’t
often think of business and compassion in the same breath but an international Conference
at Stanford University on April 30 discussed this whole issue. The purpose of this one-day
conference was to present and create a dialog around cutting-edge research and
best practices on compassion and business by leading research experts in the
field, as well as business leaders who have successfully implemented
compassion-based programs in their organization. Further information is
available at: http://ccare.stanford.edu/event-registration/?ee=68
News from Germany: friends of the German Section have kindly sent us the first
issue of their Newsletter Theosophie for 2013
which features news of the German translation of Elsa Brit-Titchenell’s:
Once around the Sun – Einmal um de
Sonne, and G. de Purucker’s: Fountain-Source
of Occultism - Quelle des Okultissmus. In English-speaking countries we are apt
to forget how difficult it can be for theosophists who do not have English as
their first language to translate and make available theosophical books,
especially those rare books designed for children like this book.
Congratulations to all concerned with this publication.
Sick of hearing bad news on the TV all the time?: it seems that all the media is interested in are spectacular bad news
stories and negativity. If you want to know what good news stories are
happening for the majority of the people in the world why not check out The
Good News Network at http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/ If you send them an email, they can send you their top ten
good news stories from around the world each week. It makes for inspiring
reading to see ordinary people getting on and making the best of what are often
very difficult life circumstances that usually adorn our TV screens..
"We are not brought into
existence by chance nor thrown up into earth-life like wreckage cast along the
shore, but are here for infinitely noble purpose." - Katherine Tingley
FROM
DESIRE
[With this issue we commence a three-part series on the
transformation of Humanity’s current emphasis on ‘personal desire’, to being
more ‘other centred’ compassionate people. This is said by most religions to be
the core challenge to Humanity at this point of our spiritual evolution -
Editor]
There is a tremendous emphasis on Desire in our modern Western society.
Fulfilling personal desires is the basis of much of our advertising,
entertainment, education, and even our very idea of what constitutes happiness.
The extent to which we satisfy our desires is a major measure of socio-economic
status and our measure of self-worth. Why are we so caught up in Desire often
at the expense of the finer qualities of our Being? According to Theosophy the
reason for our love-affair with Desire is because the majority of Mankind’s’
consciousness is centred currently in the ‘Desire Mind’ aspect of our inner
constitution rather than the ‘Compassion Mind’ aspect of our multiple and
mostly invisible nature.
Desires and how to deal with them have been a real problem for most
religions throughout the ages. Desire has usually been seen as the enemy of
those wishing to live a good life according to the dictates of many different
religions. Repression, Guilt, and even punishment have been inflicted on those
seen to be indulging their desires. Whole religious systems have featured the
question of temptation and resisting desires and this theme is central to
Puritanical and Fundamentalist forms of any religious tradition. But is Desire
really the Enemy of the Good?
Theosophical Definition of Desire: Theosophy
does not view Desire in itself as inherently evil. Theosophical writer Dr G.de Purucker defines Desire as a
colourless force which brings ideas into manifestation made evil or good
according to the motivation of the ‘Desirer’:
“…Desire: the fourth substance-principle of which the human constitution
is composed: it’s desire or the driving, impelling force. Born from the
interaction of Atman (Spirit), Buddhi (Compassion),
and Manas (Mind),
Where Did Desire Come From? If Desire is so important in
creating our manifest universe – where did it come from? According to
Theosophy, we all arose from the One Essence at the beginning of the
manifestation of our Universe. We are now on the road back to Self-Conscious
reabsorption with that Essence in the far future for most of us. Going back to
the dawn of creation (13.7 billion years ago according to modern science but
much longer according to Theosophy) in order for the ‘One-Ness’ to manifest itself
so we lesser beings can have an environment to learn in this Universe, ‘It’ had
to ‘step-down’ its energies from a higher plane to this comparatively low plane
of consciousness. To achieve this transformation of energy and thus, the
creation of the material universe from the ‘Idea’ of the ‘One’, it had to
energize the ‘Idea’ of the Universe, ie. it had to Desire that the Universe exist on the material
plane or as Theosophy says: “Desire first arose in It” – utilizing the
mysterious force known in Theosophy as ‘Fohat’ to
create the material Universe. Thus energized by Desire, the One became the
‘Many’ and we now live in a dualistic universe of spirit and matter where we
can chose to apply Desire in positive or negative ways as we progress on our
Path of spiritual learning.
What is Fohat? “…the Cosmic ‘Life’ or Vitality by which by which ideas become material
reality is known by its ancient Tibetan name in Theosophy – ‘Fohat’. It is the cosmic life or vitality; bipolar cosmic
vital electricity, equivalent to the light of the Logos, ‘Daiviprakriti’,
Eros, the fiery whirlwind, etc. As the bridge between spirit and matter, Fohat is the collectivity of
intelligent forces through which cosmic ideation impresses itself upon
substance, thus forming the various worlds of manifestation…” from G de Purucker Encyclopedic Glossary.
Getting Back to the ‘Oneness’: as we progress along the Path of spiritual evolution,
Humanity, over vast ages began to lose sight of our inner connection with the
Oneness as we became enmeshed in the attractions of the material universe. As
Theosophy would say, we became subject to illusion – ‘Maya’ – and the three ‘Gunas’ or three qualities/aspects of all things in the
manifest world – ‘Slothefullness (Tamas),
Passion (Rajas), and the Spiritual (Sattva) – all of
this enmeshes us further in the material world and directs our energies into
objects related to the material world instead of recognizing their innate
Oneness. We become ‘attached’ to objects of the senses and we are motivated
into the ‘Desire’ aspects of our mind catching us up further into materialism, ie human behaviour generally as we see it everywhere today.
Our job is to transcend this illusion of separateness from All-being, and self
consciously work our way back to the Oness again
starting with transferring our centre of consciousness from the ‘Me-Centred’
Desire Mind to the ‘Other-Centred’ Compassion Mind. – Andrew Rooke,
Next
Issue: So
what about practical ways to break the cycle of ‘attachment’ to the desires of
the senses? – Part 2: Managing Desires.
Learn that there is no cure for
desire, no cure for love of reward, no cure for the misery of longing, save in
the fixing of the sight and hearing on that which is invisible and soundless. –
Mabel Collins - Light on the Path.
FROM OUR READERS: please write with your ideas and comments on theosophy or
related subjects to the editor at: andrewrooke@hotmail.com
anytime.
The Swastika Symbol: one of our readers has kindly written to point out an error
in the last (April 2013) newsletter regarding the Nazi Swastika. We have
corrected the internet version of the newsletter accordingly:
“In the article it said that the four arms of the Nazi
symbol point in a clockwise continuation whereas in fact the four arms were
orientated anti-clockwise which is directly against the
symbolic meaning of the original spiritual symbol.”
Religious Fundamentalism: What Can Theosophists Do About It?:
“The recent bombing of the Boston Marathon in May, and
murder of a British soldier on the streets of
Fundamentalism is the declaration that one's own point of view in
religious matters is supreme, and those of others are not of much value
compared to the revelation, including the sacred books, of the spiritual teacher
one follows. It is essentially a uni-dimensional view in an increasingly
multidimensional world. The term first arose to describe the American Protestant
churches in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when many such churches in
the
Modernism, with its emphasis in the supremacy of science, logic, and
materialism, has been perceived also as a threat to a religious way of life by
many societies in the developing world.
Initially, modernism was quietly accepted by many traditional societies which
were either overwhelmed by the apparent success of Western culture in
comparison with their own, or they thought that somehow the modernized world would
'go away' after political independence was achieved. However, gradually Western
culture began to be seen in some quarters in these countries, as directly opposed
to their religious life and a tremendous threat to the future of traditional
ways.
After the Iranian revolution in 1979, the backlash against rapid social and
economic changes introduced by Western society took the form of an aggressive fundamentalism
in Islam that now threatens world peace. Certainly, looking back at history all
over the globe, we see endless damaging conflicts in the name of religion. From
our theosophical perspective of reincarnation, we accept that we have all been
on this earth many times before. We have walked in many lands and worshipped
many different gods before incarnating in the here and now. How much sense does
it make then to criticize others, as religious fundamentalists do, when we may
have shared their beliefs in another life, or, indeed, may grow towards their viewpoint
in a future one? Theosophy teaches that all great religions throughout history
emanate from one source of being where truth is one. There, various
perspectives on reality coexist happily as facets of the single diamond of
truth. Through the ages, great spiritual teachers have brought facets of this
gem to various cultures, and people have clasped tightly to their little facet of
the truth diamond and said, "See, here I have the whole diamond of
Truth!" If truth shines like the sun from a single source, how much sense
does it make in condemning other brothers and sisters on the Path?
The images of the destruction of the twin-towers in
truth, and a respect for the many Paths to the One. In short, Theosophy has a
multidimensional but holistic approach to life, whereas fundamentalism is uni-dimensional
and separatist. So what can Theosophists actually do about fundamentalism and
its
disastrous consequences?
We can try to exemplify the spirit of universal brotherhood in what we do in
daily life and communicate as and when we can, the great laws of life which we
all share in common. In practice this means having tolerance and understanding
in a multi-cultural environment, and attempt to increase the level of
understanding between various communities and religious traditions. In all of
our communities, there are a multitude of opportunities to express such inner
attitudes from formal volunteering in community organizations promoting
multi-cultural understanding, to simply bringing peace and harmony within our
families so our children can develop with more enlightened attitudes to others.
At a national level, Western countries could offer increased
opportunities to study other religions at school and university and cultural
exchanges for young people to better get to know conditions in troubled parts
of the world and vice versa. From a greater level of empathy and understanding
between religions and an understanding of the cornerstones of the Ancient
Wisdom -- universal brotherhood, karma and reincarnation -- perhaps a better
world based on multidimensional understanding will grow for our kids.
When asked what is our work as theosophists now and in the future, theosophical
co-founder, William Quan Judge, said: "It is to
start up a new force, a new current in the world," so that wise ones from
long ago will "incarnate among men here and there, and thus bring back the
true life and the true practices.." "We have each one of us, to make
ourselves a centre of light; a picture gallery from which shall be projected on
the astral light such scenes, such influences, such thoughts, as may influence many
for good, shall thus arouse a new current, and then finally result in drawing
back the great and good from the other spheres
beyond earth." William Quan Judge
- Letters That Have Helped Me II, 8,9.
Great suffering is caused by attachment to views
of dogmatism and fundamentalism. And that is why, among the 14 mindfulness
trainings of the Order of Interbeing, the training on
freedom from views is in the first position. We have to free ourselves from
these views -- even the views of non-self, the view of impermanence, of
inter-being -- we have to let go of all of these. These are instruments to work
with, but they are not to be venerated in themselves. It is like using a raft
to cross the river. After you cross the river, you abandon the raft. You don't
carry the raft on your head and walk around like that. That is very popular,
carrying a raft around on your head. People are doing that all the time.
-- Buddhist monk, Thich
Nhat Hahn in Parabola Magazine, Winter
2005, page 21.
A CARROT, AN
A young
woman went to her grandmother and told her about her life and how things were
so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and
struggling. It seemed that as one
problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her grandmother
took her to the kitchen. She filled
three pots with water and placed each on a gas burner. Soon the pots came to a
boil. In the first, she placed carrots,
in the second she placed eggs, and the last she placed ground coffee
beans. She let them sit and boil,
without saying a word. In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in
a bowl. She then pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it
in a bowl.
Turning to her
granddaughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you
see?" "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. She brought her
closer and asked her to feel the carrots.
She did and noted that they were soft.
She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the
hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her
to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled
as she tasted its rich aroma.
The granddaughter
then asked, "What does it mean, Grandmother?"
Her grandmother
explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity - boiling
water, but each reacted differently. The
carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting.
However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and
became weak. The egg had been
fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected
its liquid interior. But, after sitting
through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique,
however. After they were in the boiling
water, they had changed the water.
"Which are
you?" she asked her granddaughter.
"When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee
bean?"
Think of this: Which am I?
Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity? Do I wilt and become soft and lose my
strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the
heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but
after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or
some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the
inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart? Or am I
like the coffee bean? The bean actually
changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the
fragrance and flavour of your life. If
you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and
change the situation around you. When
the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate to
another level?
How do you handle
adversity? Are you changed by your
surroundings or do you bring life and flavour to them?
Are you a
carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean? - 
from
the internet, and kindly sent along to
us by John Dore,
BOOK REVIEWS
AGNI YOGA:
transcribed by Helena Roerich from 1920 to 1938 –
17 volumes plus 5 volumes of commentary and indexes, available for free
download at: http://www.agniyoga.org/ay_downloads.html
or for purchase as books.
Yet again we are turning
the pages of the books of Agni Yoga. Like many times before, at the turning
moments of our personal life or of the world around us, we are searching in
these books for solace, encouragement and wisdom. And we are finding all we
searched for and much more.
Agni Yoga, which is known also as the teaching of Living Ethics, is a
series of books recorded by Helena Roerich, channeled from her spiritual Teacher. The books were
dictated to Helena Roerich starting from 1920 and
were recorded for more than a decade, presumably until 1938. Agni Yoga operates
with the finest fiery energy of the universe – Agni.
Helena Roerich, the wife and collaborator of a renowned artist
Nicolas Roerich, was a remarkable representative of
Russian mystics in the line to which Helena Blavatsky,
the founder of the Theosophical Society, belonged. There are other similarities
between the two
Agni Yoga is a teaching of
spiritual philosophy, a teaching of synthesis that embraces science, ethics,
arts and culture, as Oriental as Western, from the point of view of esoteric
knowledge. It gives a multi-facet view of life, as on Earth as in different
places and dimensions of the universe, and lights up many aspects of universal
Truth.
The very goal of Agni Yoga
is to show us the way of inner transformation and evolution into the higher
state of spirituality. You can just open any of the books and find advice on
your spiritual path, on health and spiritual practice, on your possible
psychological problem with explanation how it is connected with the current
world condition, and much more.
Agni Yoga doesn’t feed us
with niceties, but we can find there keys to a lot of our questions. It is a
rigorous teaching of selflessness, courage, compassion and sacrifice. And also of collaboration and co-creation. Of collective action and personal heroism, of scientific
discoveries and self-discovery, of aspiration and achievement. And also
of Joy from the participation in this inspirational work, spiritual joy, fiery
joy: “Understand the beneficence of fiery joy. It expands the consciousness,
and draws all the best accumulations toward itself, as a fiery magnet. The
essence of man is transformed and his outworn nature is burned away”
(Supermundane IV).
This is a teaching of
esoteric science, with its strict laws and mechanisms, with the abundance of
treasures of wisdom here and there. And the Heart (the Heart Chalice behind the
physical heart), full of Love energy, is proclaimed as the source of everything
a human being is able to achieve.
Agni Yoga gives us also
some glimpses into the future of humanity, and it is of particular interest
because the Master is speaking from the strata of existence where time is
different than here in our Solid World. His position therefore allows him to
see the future much more clearly than us, though we also have the potential to
become conscious observers and co-creators of the future. However, “Only
devotion and understanding of the wisdom of the Plan insure the reality of the
pictures of the future” (Leaves of Morya’s Garden , Illumination). Understanding of the Plan helps us
to become aware of the wholeness and meaningfulness of our life with its past,
present and future.
It is impossible to cover
in a review all the aspects of Agni Yoga. But there is a possibility for
everyone to read and enjoy it in its fullness, either as a hard copy or by
downloading it from the webpage of Agni Yoga Society. We highly recommend these
books for the spiritual student and also for anyone interested in understanding
the working of the world. – reviewed by Roza and Margarita Riaikkenen,
There are many groups dedicated to, among other things, the
study of the Agni Yoga teachings. One of them is TRIUNE OF LIGHT, an
Ashram of Synthesis. Please feel free to visit their website at www.triuneoflight.org.
If you feel that your heart resonates with their message and work, you may wish
to become a member. Members of TRIUNE also have the opportunity to participate
in a monthly online study group with each other, which examines various aspects
of the Agni Yoga teachings.
AZLANDER:
SECOND NATURE (2012)
by Gabriele Brunsdon. ISBN-10: 0987465651
This fantasy novel is by our long-standing
Melbourne-based member, Gabriele Brunsdon, and is at
once an exciting ‘sword and sorcery’ fantasy story, and an introduction to many
genuine concepts of the ancient wisdom tradition.
The story: “…Puck was an Elven
prince who fell into love with a mortal girl, one Christmas day as she lay
dying. He followed her soul into the Heavens and beyond ... King Richard sought
the mysteries of the other-worlds. His story is of the demons he antagonised,
of ghosts that pursued him into his lifetimes to follow, and of his pious
search for the one true Sovereign. An account is given of his friendship with
Puck, as it began in the forests of
Yet, following the time-honoured tradition of using stories
to communicate cosmic ideas, this story is much more that a rattling good
fantasy tale. Using characters from many different historical and mystery
traditions – Puck (Shakespeare), Maat (Ancient
Egypt), Azlan (from CS Lewis), King Richard, King
John and the Sheriff of Nottingham (English history) – and many others, the
author bases her story on universal concepts such as Reincarnation,
interpenetrating spiritual worlds, spiritual guides and guardians, the nature
of spiritual purification versus punishment, Hell as a place of learning and
purification, the existence of spiritual masters – both good and bad, and
eventual fate of those who pursue the ‘left-hand path’. The story is easy to read
being presented in short chapters of one to three pages, and the book is a
convenient size for reading on the move so I can imagine seeing train carriages
full of Azlander covers when this book becomes better
known!
As a fantasy-love-historical story, or as a gentle
introduction to universal spiritual concepts, this book deserves the attention
readers with imagination and a sense of the mysterious. – reviewed by Andrew Rooke,
With every effort of will toward
purification and unity with that `Self-God,' one of the lower rays breaks and
the spiritual entity of man is drawn higher and ever higher to the ray that supersedes
the first, until, from ray to ray, the inner man is drawn into the one and
highest beam of the Parent-Sun. - H.P.Blavatsky, S.D. I-639.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE EGO
This article is written for those who believe in
reincarnation and the purpose of our evolutionary process which is designed for
us to become enlightened spiritually conscious beings.
We are, essentially, divine units of consciousness ‘Monads’,
undergoing the process of involution and evolution to obtain divine SELF
consciousness. However, because the Monad never leaves its exalted plane
of existence, which sits between the plane of the divine and the spiritual plane;
it creates the existence of an Ego which is its reflection or progeny to
undergo the process of evolution on its behalf. Psychologist
use the term ‘Ego’ to reflect the mortal conscious ‘personality’ aspect of our
existence. However, the term ‘Ego’
also has an immortal aspect which is synonymous with the term Soul used in its
higher ‘spiritual’ perspective.
The Mind may be looked at from two perspectives:
- The seven planes of mind.
- The personal perspective each
of us has of the mind.
The Seven Planes of Mind are:
Instinctive, Desire, Intellectual,
Intuitive/Illuminated, Buddhic, Atmic,
and Monadic. The degree of our
consciousness ‘spiritual awareness’ determines which of the levels of mind we
are able to access consciously. And, as our consciousness ‘spiritual
awareness’ expands, so does our ability to reach into the next higher level of
mind. In this process, however, the expansion into a higher plane of
mind, of necessity, diminishes our conscious control over the plane of mind
from which we are emerging.
The Personal Perspective each of us has of the Mind
Firstly, this perception of the mind must be understood to
be a subjective and a separate instrument to the brain. The brain being
purely an organ of the physical body; so, its activity is purely related to
physical connotations; while the mind’s activity is related to subjective
connotations.
We know that our physical body has layers of subjective
‘aura’s surrounding it. These auras – vital/etheric,
astral and mental – reflect our individual strengths and weaknesses, and our
state of consciousness. The mental aura can only consciously accommodate
and process the thoughts arising from that particular plane of mind we are
primarily polarized in. The planes of mind lower than that particular plane, function automatically; while those above our
conscious recognition are consciously inaccessible.
Our mind is like a photographic plate upon which every
thought from both internal and external sources impinge. Therefore, we
have to learn to separate the thoughts that come from within, from those
emanating from the thoughts of desire emanating from the mass of humanity.
We must endeavour to use the Will of the higher aspect of
our Ego to control our mind and not allow our mind to control our Ego.
This is prerequisite to, and the only way in which we
may work towards become the Masters of our destiny instead of its Victim.
Brain, Mind, Ego, Soul and Causal Body Interrelationships
We must keep in mind that our brain only exists for so long
as we happen to be in a physical body while we are on earth; while our mind, or
rather the non-personality elements of our mind, that encompasses our higher
mind – the mind of our reincarnating Ego – is retained throughout our
evolutionary journey.
- The first function of our mind
which we use automatically is to transmit information gathered from our
senses via the brain to the mind for analysis; and then to transmit that
information from the mind to the Ego; that is, the lower aspect of the
Ego. This is what produces the sense of personality.
- The second function of the mind
is to transmit to the brain the thoughts, will and purpose of the higher
aspect of the Ego/Soul.
- The third function of the mind
is its use by the higher aspect of the Ego/soul as an organ to see the realm
of the Ego or spiritual soul.
When we reincarnate, that higher mind of the immortal aspect
of our Ego is confined to our personality, and is subjected to the physical
plane consciousness of our personality, until such time as our spiritual
awareness transcends the purposes of our personality and conforms to the will
and purpose of our reincarnating Ego/Soul.
While there is only one Ego/Soul, that Ego is best perceived
as having two aspects: a higher and lower aspect. The
higher aspect being the reincarnating immortal aspect; and the lower aspect
being the mortal, non-reincarnating aspect. The higher aspect
governs our immortal life, while the lower aspect governs our mortal life and
its reflection – our personality.
The term ‘Soul’ refers most often to our immortal self, and
is often confused with the Ego, particularly, with respect to the immortal
aspect of the Ego; but the term ‘soul’ should best be understood as the causal
component of our existence. Firstly, as the repository of all of the karmic
issues we have accumulated and have to overcome, in this life or another; and
consequently, referred to as the animal component of our soul; and secondly, as
the vehicle or medium of expression of the immortal aspect of our Ego or
Spiritual soul.
So, the constitution of the Causal consists of two basic
components:
·
The
lower aspect of which is created by the lower aspect of our Ego (our
personality); and constitutes the substance of the Animal aspect of our
soul. It contains the seeds of all our karma and our destiny which impels
us to reincarnate until these seeds are eradicated.
·
The
higher aspect of our Causal body is created by the higher aspect of our Ego
responding to the Buddhic plane of influence, and
constituting: firstly, the substance of our human soul; and then, the substance
of the spiritual soul devoid of all impurities, reflecting pure reason and
knowledge. –
Charles Reither,
DID
ANCIENT INDONESIAN BUDDHISTS REACH
[The ancient wisdom traditions of many lands speak of
ancient civilizations stretching back into the past beyond the scope of
currently accepted archaeological time-scales. In addition, it seems that
ancient peoples travelled more widely than has been suspected until recently as
is described by Robert Dick-Read’s original research
on the ancient seafaring people’s of our northern neighbours from
Round about 1,000
Furthermore it is also probable they might have reached
In 2003 to 2004 a replica of an 8th century
Indonesian ship sailed across the
By coincidence (or is it?) the Nok
sculptures were found close to the village of Taruga,
famous for some of the earliest (c.450
As for artworks in bronze, of the 65 Arab chroniclers who
wrote about sub-Saharan West Africa between the 9th and 17th
centuries, none came within 1000 miles of Igbo Ukwu,
near the Niger delta, where the most significant (9th c.) Nigerian
bronze castings have been found. It is
virtually inconceivable that the mining and supreme cire perdue technology displayed in some
of the incredible works found at Igbo Ukwu were
developed locally. So from where did
the technology come? Was it overland
from the North? … or
across the oceans from the
It should not be overlooked that Igbo Ukwu’s
dates are contemporaneous with those of the great Buddhist
The technology displayed at Igbo Ukwu
was the same as that used later at
The last link with Buddhism may be the hugely important
Yoruba ‘religion’ – the divination system known as ‘IFA’, wrongly thought to
have been introduced by Arabs, but more likely to trace its origins to the I-Ching based system used by the Mahayana Buddhists of
India and Southeast Asia, (and closely similar to the system of divination used
as far away as the Caroline Islands in the Pacific). As the Mahayana Buddhist state of Srivijaya was dedicated to spreading its religion far and
wide it would indeed be strange if no part of it reached the shores of
Editor’s note: A different view of the origins of
civilisation in
Let the beauty we love be
what we do -- Rumi
OBITUARY: Tine Johanna Wilhelmina
van der Ven: 1919 – 2013.
We have recently heard of the
passing on May21st 2013 of Tine van der Ven, a
long-standing member of the Dutch Section known to many members of the
Australasian Section. Besides her work for theosophy in Holland over many
years, Tine was an accomplished artist and most of our members will know her
picture of our Headquarters building ‘Deodars’ by in our Library Centre meeting
room in Melbourne. She rests peacefully amongst the stars – ‘Dormit in Astris’ – Editor.
Theosophy
Downunder is issued three times per year in April,
August, and December and is edited by Andrew Rooke.
We can be contacted at the Theosophical Society (Pasadena) Australasian Section,
Library Centre, 664 Glenhuntly Rd., South Caulfield,
Our International Leader is Randell C.
Grubb.