WHAT IS THEOSOPHY?: Articles by H.P. Blavatsky, Lo Guest, Jennifer Pignataro, Tony Downey, and Andrew Rooke.  

THE ESSENCE OF THEOSOPHY by H.P.Blavatsky  Many who have never heard of the [Theosophical] Society are Theosophists without knowing it themselves; for the essence of Theosophy is the prefect harmonising of the divine with the human in man, the adjustment of his god-like qualities and aspirations, and their sway over the terrestrial or animal passions in him. Kindness, absence of every ill feeling or selfishness, charity, goodwill to all beings, and perfect justice to others as to oneself, are its chief features. He who teaches Theosophy preaches the gospel of goodwill, and the converse of this is true also – he who preaches the gospel of goodwill teaches Theosophy.             From HPB’s letter to the 1888 Convention of American Theosophists. 

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WHAT IS THEOSOPHY? by Lo Guest 

Theosophy is not just another dry and dusty philosophy for university academics! On the contrary, Theosophy is a bright living beam of light in our troubled world, for which all who may wish, can see and follow.  Why did Madame Blavatsky and her Teachers establish the Theosophical Society in 1875? With the upsurge of interest in the ancient Sanskrit literature in the West during the 19th century and the discovery of the profound knowledge and truth to be found in it, combined with the greatly increasing materialism, greed and lust for power that the mechanisation of industry that century brought with it, the need for restating the ancient Truths for a world in dire need of them had come. HPB was well aware of the fact that the ideas of compassion, tolerance and of a brotherhood of men were desperately needed in the world not only for the last quarter of the 19th century, but still more for the turbulent 20th century which lay ahead. In her very first issue of the magazine The Theosophist published in October 1879, HPB wrote an article explaining the meaning of Theosophy in detail, stating that it had been studied for many thousands of years. One of the definitions of the meaning of Theosophy she gives in this article as follows: 

“…The answer, as with all things, is really a hierarchy, a multilevel system that is limited only by our own inability to comprehend. In other words: “What is Theosophy?, is a Koan”… (a word used in Japanese Zen Buddhism, the same as a Mantra=Man=Latin, mense to think, Tra=Tool, therefore a Mantra is nothing else but ‘A tool to think’)…Theosophy in its fruition is spiritual knowledge itself – the very essence of philosophical and theistic inquiry”. [from The Theosophist Oct. 1879: 6] William Quan Judge, who was one of the co-founders of the Theosophical Society along with Madame Blavatsky, Col. Henry Olcott and others, said of the meaning of Theosophy:  “The strength of Theosophy lies in the fact that it is not defined. This means that evolution, slowly progressing will bring out new truths and new aspects of old truths, thus absolutely preventing any dogmas or ‘unequivocal definitions’. In this modern world, Theosophy serves the purpose of quietly, without power and glory, trying to keep alive the ancient Truths without which Humanity cannot survive intact for very long. There is nothing spectacular about Theosophy as stated by Madame Blavatsky. There is no promise of instant enlightenment, of contact with other worlds, or with spirits or ghosts or paranormal phenomena. 

There are no shortcuts to learning about the meaning of Theosophy, no help of mediums or spiritualists, for it is up to each student of Theosophy to try and understand by herself/himself. It is a fact that nobody can tell someone else what is right for them. Each one of us has to be his or her judge. It is well to remember that Life and Karma is an evolutionary process based on Cause and Effect produced by our own actions. One of the lessons that Theosophy teaches is the need to avoid excesses of any kind. The Middle Path, which the Buddha advocated, is perhaps the hardest path of all to travel, for it demands tolerance and understanding and above all love for our fellow men and compassion for them. It also demands of us that we keep our equilibrium, particularly under stress. In his book, Expanding Horizons, James A. Long summarised this task of Theosophy:  “…the present confusion of ideals has brought us to a dangerous pass – and I am not referring to the perils of missiles and rockets, satellites or bombs. They are symptoms, and alarming ones in the hands of the wilfully destructive; but they are symptoms only and do not constitute man. Should the much feared destruction of civilisation eventuate – which I very much doubt will occur- we will have to rely on the simple yet all inclusive truth that you may destroy the body, but you cannot kill life. Man will survive; he will face and surmount every cataclysm that may be in store for him, whether by flood, fire, outer space – or himself! Nations and races, as such have time and again passed out of existence, but the egos that once inhabited them incarnate anew in other lands and in other racial strains. If we grasp that larger vision as far as humanly possible, this will not remove the dangers, but it will help us to meet whatever comes with fortitude…”

After all this the question still remains: WHAT IS THEOSOPHY? What does it mean in every day life? Is it hard to understand? Is it difficult to learn? Do we have to sit for hours studying books? I would say a resounding ‘NO’ to each and every one of these questions! Why? Because the main role of theosophy in our daily lives is to give us awareness of life, a feeling of compassion and tolerance for the joys and sorrows of our fellow men and to help remember the old maxim: “Do unto others, what you would like others to do unto you”. Perhaps to put the meaning of Theosophy into other words we would say – Theosophy is trying to teach us to be ‘humane’ in the fullest sense of the word. 

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AIMS OF THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY (PASADENA) by Jennifer Pignataro. 

I feel the following objectives of the Theosophical Society can give adherents a practical road map for living, if you like. What exactly do each of these aims mean and how does one attempt to aspire to such noble objectives? I would like to walk you through each of them with my interpretation and application of them in daily life or “the karmic script”. The Theosophical Society’s objectives: 

  1. To give people an awareness of the laws of the Universe.
  2. To spread the knowledge that there is unity to be found amongst all things, because unity is the basis of Nature.
  3. To promote an active brotherhood amongst people regardless of race, creed, or colour.
  4. To learn knowledge about ancient and modern religions, science and philosophies.
  5. To study the inner powers of people.

1/ To give people an awareness of the laws of the universe: The essence of the law of nature is, that all is unity. Everything originates from Spirit and returns to Spirit. Moreover, that the knowledge of “ancient truths” is timeless and universal. 

2/ To spread the knowledge that there is unity to be found amongst all things, because unity is the basis of nature: I like to think of this objective as meaning that everything is connected, that there is no such thing as “chance”. I believe that all civilizations over the eons have believed this, and grasping this principle may lead the seeker of truth to a sense of reconnection with the “divine”.

3. To promote an active brotherhood amongst people regardless of race, creed or colour:  I understand this to mean that a Theosophist is encouraged to consider every person that they meet as having a “divine spark”, that they have come from spirit and that every one is at some stage of evolving along their path of “becoming”, of reaching their potential. While some people that we meet may seem “unevolved”, they hone our power of discrimination.Yet, we must not let race, creed, colour, age or gender initially prohibit us from demonstrating one’s innate “divinity”. One should be able to help those among us by illuminating a path, by way of illustration; by acting with right intention, and mindful of one’s thoughts, words and deeds which daily create one’s karma. I feel that this is the road that leads to “divine ethics”. 

4. To learn knowledge about ancient and modern religions, science and philosophies: Even a cursory glance of past civilizations and their human endeavours in the fields of science, art, religion and philosophy points to timeless lessons of truth, for while man has evolved over millennia, his search has not altered. That is, the perennial questions remain, which, can lead the individual to search for meaningful truth. Such a quest, once the adherent encounters it, sets him on a journey of great discovery. The fruits of such a journey lead the seeker to a greater understanding of self, of those around him and that of nature and the environment in which he finds himself in his current incarnation. 

5/ To study the inner powers of people: This is the magical, alchemical process which occurs when a Theosophist earnestly searches for meaningful truth via the study over a life time, of “ancient wisdom” and universal laws. When the Theosophist applies some of the universal, ancient laws in the practical areas of his life, such as the aims espoused by this Society, then one’s sense of divine origins and strength become further refined. Ultimately, one is aware of creating his own Karma and so may become a beacon of light, hope and inspiration to others.

SYMBOLS OF THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY  by Jennifer Pignataro. 

As one who is curious about the use of symbolism in art and religion, it is of interest to consider how the emblem of the Theosophical Society integrates a number of the prominent religions in a single seal. On the basis of design to convey the multiple messages of the key spiritual movements, the Seal of the Theosophical Society adeptly conveys these. The seal of the Theosophical Society was adapted from the personal emblem of Madame Blavatsky before the Society was founded in 1875. The five prominent symbols in the Seal are: 

  1. The Star of David
  2. The Ankh
  3. The Swastika
  4. The Ouroboros (Serpent swallowing its tail)
  5. Aum.

Each of the symbols is very old. After some research into the origins and significance of them I was stunned to realise that all of them have been prominent throughout the major civilizations and religions of the world. Madame Blavatsky selected wisely from the ancients when designing her personal emblem which ultimately influenced the Seal of the Theosophical Society. Each of the symbols is representative of “divine, spiritual” principles.  The Star of David: Also known as King Solomon’s seal, in

India known as the seal of Vishnu and viewed by Pythagoreans as the symbol of creation. The interlaced triangles signify the polarity of nature and spirit, male and female, light and dark. The six points of the star reach toward the serpent of eternity, changing and evolving through time. 

The Ankh: This was an ancient Egyptian symbol of resurrection and immortality. The cross shape represents matter or the world of form, while the circle above it represents spirit. It can denote the embryonic universe, or spiritual egg or germ hovering over the cross of matter. Astronomically it is the sign of Venus, Earth’s sister-planet and guardian of humanity. The Ankh situated in the centre of the triangles suggests divine immortality.  The Swastika: The Swastika is a holy symbol in Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. However, this sacred symbol has been misrepresented in the eyes of most people by reversing it, and now it is widely known and used as a symbol of Nazism and other modern Fascist organisations. The Hindu version is often decorated with a dot in each quadrant. It is one of the 108 symbols of Vishnu and represents the sun’s rays. The motif was first used in Neolithic Eurasia and was also used in Native American cultures. The symbol has also been found in Greco-Roman and Gothic Art and architecture. Essentially it represents good luck. The Indian word Shubhtika meaning: good mark, first appears in the classical Sanskrit epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. It was incorporated into the Seal of the Theosophical Society due to its Hindu and Buddhist links. 

The Ouroboros (Serpent swallowing its tail): is Greek for the word “tail-devourer”. It is one of the oldest mystical symbols in the world. Plato described the serpent swallowing its tail when describing the first living thing in the universe. It is represented in Aztec, Chinese, Native American, Norse, Christian, Hindu, and Hermetic culture, mythology and literature. It symbolises the cyclic nature of life, the eternal unity of all things, the Absolute, unmanifested universe containing the potentials of all form, regeneration and reincarnation.  Aum or sometimes spelt ‘Om’: It is the most sacred syllable in Hinduism, representing the infinite Brahman and the entire universe. It is considered to be the first sound. In Hindu belief, the world is viewed as vibration or rhythmic waves. It is the sacred symbol of the Trinity of Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (the Sustainer) and Shiva (the destroyer). The written form of Aum signifies the triple state of man’s consciousness, the waking state, the unconscious state, and the dream state. Aum is the source of all existence. We are reminded of the statement in Genesis which says: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word is God”.  Aum is a word of power and should be uttered with great reverence. Encircled around the Seal is the Theosophical Society’s motto: “There is no religion higher than truth” which is the quest of every theosophist. I like the Seal of the Theosophical Society as it succinctly incorporates the validity of all the major religions. Each of the symbols point to the eternal, unity of all major quests, the search for divine truth and divine meaning.   _____________________________________________________________ 

WHAT THEOSOPHY MEANS TO ME  by Jenny Pignataro 

For me Theosophy and its application of strategies for living, as espoused by the Society’s five objectives, attempts to direct one’s endeavours towards a life of “divine ethics”. This is a personal, individual attainment. I hasten to add, difficult to live by, but a noble attainment, regardless.  What I particularly appreciate about Theosophy is the lack of dogma, any sense of an organised religion with its attendant ritual and regalia. I applaud the fact that it always encourages the individual to freely and personally consider what is “truth” and to discard that which one feels is irrelevant. It encourages one to be the seeker of truth for oneself. It fosters the quest of the independent search for this “truth”. There are no gurus, leaders, messiahs. In fact, the seeker of truth must determine for oneself what this “truth” is, and allows one, over time, to re-evaluate whether this “truth” has currency. This principle links directly to the notion that no god is responsible for one’s fortunes. I especially relate to the notion of being responsible for my own salvation, based on my thoughts, words and deeds. Being aware of this notion, one can not but be made consciously mindful. I find it useful in understanding this notion to regard past civilisations’ images. The one which is the most striking for me is that of the Egyptian “Weighing of the Heart” Judgement scene. In the ancient Egyptian belief system, even thoughts were scrutinized at the day of reckoning.  I also find it insightful and instructional considering the ‘wisdom, truth, knowledge, science and philosophy of civilisations over the ages’ as such information relating to human endeavour has much to teach us, and is current and universal. As a student of the ‘human condition’, wondering and searching for answers to the eternal questions such as “Who am I?”, “How did I get here?”, “Is there life after death?”, concepts and objectives of Theosophy greatly comfort my inquiring mind. 

While various philosophies such as Existentialism consider such questions, I don’t feel that they give valuable strategies for living a purposeful life. Nor do they offer adequate mechanisms for exploring responses from the ancients about what constitutes “truth” and the ancient wisdom.  

THEOSOPHY: A QUESTION OF WHY?  by Tony Downey 

One word has dominated my life and that word has been – WHY? I must have been a very irritating child! However, when I went to school I quickly learnt to bottle up most “whys” for the sake of not only my fellow students, but the teachers who were quite convinced for a time that by staying after school and doing some extra work, all my “whys” would be answered! They were not of course, in fact more whys came and less were answered.  Picture the battle front in

France, Christmas Day 1917. British, French, Australian, and

New Zealand troops in their trenches here, and the German troops in their trenches there. For days, weeks and months before they had each been shelling, shooting and bayoneting each other to their death in the thousands. Christmas Day, midday, a bugle sounds. Both sets of soldiers came out of their tranches, exchanged cigarettes, drinks and food ane even played football with each other. Bugle sounds again after a couple of hours - back to the trenches and with the battle – WHY? Let’s look at this from another angle. Are there injustices in life? There certainly seem to be plenty. The Bible tells us that man has but three score years and ten on this earth. O.K. Life expectancy in

Australia is something like 82 years for the ladies and 76 for the men – WHY? So this then is your allocated space to get it all together, do good works and get into Heaven. Well, is it tough luck, if you find yourself born in an African country where the life expectancy is 42 under normal circumstances? Tidal waves in PNG, earthquakes in

Columbia, tornadoes in

North America, floods in

India. How can we reconcile the terrible injustices in life with an all-loving God? We can’t reconcile them if we limit the experience of the soul to one short span of 70 or so years (42 or less for most people in the world today). Over the years and particularly, I have tried to find the answers to my whys and by studying Theosophy have been able to answer most of these vexing questions. From what I have already said let me share with you some of the basic ideas of Theosophy and from these ideas you will see how they have a profound impact on the answers to the questions I have been searching for over many years. 

Theosophy Outlined: Theosophy is part of a spiritual movement as old as thinking humanity. Its philosophy is a contemporary presentation of the perennial wisdom underlying the world’s religions, sciences and philosophies. But, these concepts are not dogmas nor is there a creed to summarise its principles, students accept only those ideas that have value for them – theosophical writings are considered not as revelation nor final authority, but as guides in the individual’s search. 

Reincarnation and Karma: are the most widely known ideas popularised in these writings. Whilst many people consider these ideas as Oriental, reincarnation was present in Platonic philosophy, Judaism and early Christianity and indeed was not excluded from the Christian church teachings until the 6th century. Together, reincarnation and karma explain the causes of each person’s character and circumstances, tracing them to thoughts, actions and desires in this or a past life. It is for this reason people are responsible for their own lives, and no-one else, divine or human can take away or neutralise the results of any of our actions. We are each the product of our accumulated past and evolve spiritually through self-directed and self-devised efforts over a series of lives. 

Universal Brotherhood is a Reality: The basic theosophical idea is the essential oneness of all beings. Life is everywhere throughout the cosmos because all originates from the same unknowable divine source. Consequently, everything - plants, animals, minerals, humans, planets, stars, are alive and evolving. Each is divine at its root and expresses itself through spiritual, intellectual, psychological, ethereal and material ranges of consciousness and substance, depending on its own level of development. Our thoughts and feelings have a potent impact on others, by trying to live in harmony with the divine as best we can, we not only benefit our immediate surroundings but also humanity as a whole. We each have the ability to discover reality for ourselves. To progress we must learn to judge what is true and false, real and illusory, we do not grow blindly following dictates of authority, however high.

 No Dogmas in Theosophy: It was G. de Purucker, one of the foremost theosophical writers who said: “Have we not been told again and again that we must consult our conscience before we accept anything. In order to do that, we have to think. We also know that even in doing so we should, through our own blindness or incapacity reject a truth offered to us, we shall nevertheless have done aright, because we have been faithful to ourselves and to our conscience, the inner man understands, and the truth in time will dawn in faithful hearts”. In following our spiritual instincts and intuitions, we awaken our latent potential. For this reason, it is harmful to force others to adopt what we believe is the proper avenue of thought, each must follow his or her own unique path of unfoldment. We have all evolved at this point of our lives by our own volition – some have not, sadly, evolved too far - look at the wars in the Balkans, continuing unrest in the Middle East, and the drug lords in the Golden Triangle and in South America. So many of the people there are losers – they accept the dictates of their leaders’ dogmas. One day, however long it may take, and whatever generation may be on this earth then, they will be winners – as winners are those who think and thinking leads to change.  Self Directed Evolution: Man is in charge of his destiny if he choses to exercise his Divine capacity for thought and morally directed action. As a famous author said long ago: “Man is but a reed, the most feeble thing in nature, but he is a thinking reed. The entire universe need not arm itself to crush him. A vapour, a drop of water, suffices to kill him. …All our dignity, then, consists of thought. By it we must elevate ourselves, and not by space and time which we cannot fill. Let us endeavour then to think well: that is the principle of morality. By space the universe encompasses and swallows me up like an atom; by thought I comprehend the world”. Blaise Pascal from the Philosophers 1670.   ______________________________________________________________________

IS THEOSOPHY ONLY FOR INTELLECTUALS?  by Andrew Rooke. 

Somebody said to me the other day that their impression of the Theosophical Society was of a group of well-meaning people sitting around abstractly discussing religion without much idea of how the “real world” operates! Somewhere in the back of my mind I remembered that theosophical founder HP Blavatsky said: “Theosophy is who Theosophy does”. In other words, the principle founder of the TS had quite the opposite idea of Theosophy – that is a living philosophy to be incorporated into one’s life and expressed in everything we say and do. This line of thought set me rummaging about in the theosophical literature to see what more the theosophical founders had to say on the subject of whether theosophy is only for intellectually inclined people. Here are a couple of comments from William Quan Judge, the first Leader of our Society, on this subject:  “…High scholarship and a knowledge of metaphysics are good to have, but the mass of people are neither scholars nor metaphysicians. What we need is such a Theosophical education as will give us the ability to expound Theosophy in a way to be understood by the ordinary person … We should do as the Buddha taught his disciples: preach, practice, promulgate and illustrate our doctrines. He spoke to the meanest of men with affect, although having a deeper doctrine for the greater and more learned minds. Let us, then, acquire the art of practical exposition of ethics based on our theories and enforced by the fact of Universal Brotherhood”. A few months before her passing, HP Blavatsky said to her inner group of students: “The white Adept is not at first of powerful intellect. In fact, HPB had known Adepts whose intellectual powers were originally below the average. It is the Adept’s purity, his equal love to all, his working with nature, with Karma, with his “Inner God”, that give him his power. Intellect by itself alone will make the Black Magician. For intellect alone is accompanied with pride and selfishness: it is the intellectual plus the spiritual that raises man. For spirituality prevents pride and vanity”. This certainly gives us plenty to think about in approaching living and teaching Theosophy within the original spirit of the founders of the TS.         ____________________________________________________________________

THEOSOPHY AND DOGMA by Lo Guest   

What is Dogma and how do we define it? I looked up the word in the Concise Oxford Dictionary for a succinct explanation and this is what I found: “Arrogant declaration of opinion”. Surely nothing could be further from the teachings of Theosophy. 

Theosophy, as the word implies, is searching for the ultimate Truth and Wisdom. It is not a religion, yet today there are many people who are trying to interpret Theosophy as a religion, using old and new texts in an attempt to make the words in them say that theosophy is searching for the “God above all other Gods.”  We must be clear in our minds however, that Theosophy’s main object is to work for a Universal Brotherhood of Man, with compassion, tolerance and love. To be successful in its quest, Theosophy is striving to understand that mysterious something which is greater than us, yet is part of us, for it is this mysterious something which is the all-pervading, unifying factor of all life which makes us all brothers. In the ancient Upanishads of India, this One-Ness was recognised, and to express this One-ness the following phrase was used: TAT T’VAM ASI meaning THAT ARE THOU, recognising that the mystery we call God is within us, is our true Self, is the spark that never dies and this spark is part of Atman, the World-Soul.We are reluctant to acknowledge this fact, for it is a hard step to take. Suddenly we cannot say any more: “My God what have you done to me!” when something goes wrong. Our Western traditions have not prepared us to know and understand the mystery of the world, nor has it prepared us for the fact that we ourselves must seek the truth by our own efforts. However, to seek for the Truth by our own efforts, we cannot be bound by any Dogma. Dogma is imposed upon us by others and denies us our birthright of being allowed to think for ourselves and therefore stunts our mental and spiritual growth. Theosophy in its search for Truth has taken as its motto: “There is no Religion Higher than Truth”. It acknowledges that everything in the Universe, as well as all the other universes which we are gradually getting to know, is pervaded by the one life-force, including the smallest of atoms. 

Perhaps this sounds strange to us, but we have only to read a poem written by the English poet and mystic William Blake, to realise that this idea is not foreign to our way of thinking: “To see a World in a grain of Sand and Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the Palm of your Hand An Eternity in an Hour”. In a small booklet published by the Theosophical University Press of Pasadena, the objects of the Theosophical Society are stated as follows: 

1/ to diffuse among men a knowledge of the laws inherent in the Universe

2/ to promulgate the knowledge of essential unity of all that is fundamental in Nature.           

3/ to study ancient and modern religions, science and philosophy.  

4. To learn knowledge about ancient and modern religions, science and philosophies:         

5/ to investigate the powers innate in man. 

All of these objects of the Society are learning ones, all of them are demanding that we attempt to practice tolerance and compassion towards our fellow men if we would like to achieve the aim of the Society: a Brotherhood among men. All of these subjects demand of us awareness of the need of our fellowmen, a broadening of the mind, a thinking out of ideas for ourselves and not simply accepting and believing because we are told to do so. One thing is certain, these objects of the Society do not allow for Dogma, “an arrogant declaration of opinion”. Nobody was more aware of the danger of Dogmatism than Madame Blavatsky. In the conclusion to her book The Key to Theosophy when asked about the future of Theosophy and how much knowledge the people who carry it on into the next (i.e. 20th) century would have to have, she said: “I do not refer to technical knowledge of the esoteric doctrine, though it is most important: I spoke rather of the great need which our successors in the guidance of the Society will have of unbiased and clear judgement. Every such attempt as the Theosophical Society has hitherto ended in failure, because, sooner or later it has degenerated into a sect, set up hard-and-fast dogmas of its own, and so lost by imperceptible degrees, that vitality which living truth alone can impart”.  Dogma does not allow clear thinking, tolerance or compassion for it demands blind belief in what we are told to believe. Let me conclude with the last two verses of the ancient creation hymn from the Indian religious text, The Rig Veda, which opens up the quest for searching after the Truth inherent in every human being. In the beginning this creation Hymn is very similar to our Genesis until suddenly in the last two verses the question is asked: “Who really knows about creation?” These verses read as follows: “Who knows truly? Who can declare it? Whence this emanation has arisen, Whether God created it, or whether He did not. Only He, who is the overseer in the highest heaven knows. He only knows, or perhaps even He does not know!” (quoted from Hindu Scriptures, edited by R.C. Zaehner) 

There will come a day when we will know, but that day will only come by our own efforts.  

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