Objectives & Fundamentals
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THE THREE OBJECTS OF THE SOCIETY |
| 1. To form a nucleus of the Universal Brotherhood of Humanity without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste or colour. 2. To encourage the study of Comparative Religion, Philosophy and Science. 3. To investigate unexplained laws of Nature and the powers latent in man. A distinction between the Objects of the Society and the teachings of Theosophy should be kept in mind. Theosophy is a specific body of knowledge comprising the esoteric tradition, sometimes variously called the Wisdom Religion, Occultism, the Ancient Wisdom, etc., of which the broad principles were made available to the public for the first time in the Society's early classical literature, e.g. the works of Madame Blavatsky, etc. The primary purpose of The Theosophical Society is to encourage altruism and compassion. The Society does offer for consideration some basic theosophical concepts which lie at the root of the world's philosophies and religions; but beyond supporting its objectives, those wishing to join need not accept any particular beliefs, and members may belong to any religion or to none. While members may pursue whatever activities they wish, the Society itself is non-sectarian and non-political, open to all people regardless of race, nationality, class, creed, or gender. Its endeavour is to aid humanity rather than promote or strengthen the self-interests of its members. Blavatsky held that "the very root idea of the Society is free and fearless investigation." She addressed the question "What is a theosophist?": "one need not necessarily recognise the existence of any special God or a deity. One need but worship the spirit of living nature, and try to identify oneself with it. . . . Be what he may, once that a student abandons the old and trodden highway of routine, and enters upon the solitary path of independent thought - Godward - he is a Theosophist; an original thinker, a seeker after the eternal truth with 'an inspiration of his own' to solve the universal problems." - The Theosophist, October 1879, p.6 |
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What, then, are the mains tenets of Theosophy? Consciousness, Universal and Individual
The next great truth is that the nature of the Logos resides in every man and woman. We are not those bodies which perish; they are only garments which we wear for a while and cast aside. We are immortal souls. The perfection of Logos dwells in us also, for we live and move and have our being in Him. But we are unconscious of our Divine Nature, till we awaken to it.
As we live and act, sometimes we succeed, sometimes we fail. We do good and we do evil, guided by our altruism or our selfishness. When we do evil, we create discord in the universal harmony, and we must restore that harmony. The evil we did must be balanced by new good; the good we add must be reshaped to a more far-reaching good. This process of sowing and reaping is called Karma. It is the law of readjustment, which a man puts into operation by every one of his thoughts, words and deeds. ONLINE: Aspects of Divine Law - Geoffrey A. Farthing Since all souls are divine, all souls are equal. There are young souls and old souls, but all are brothers. In spite of every difference (of birth, capacity, and environment; of race, creed, sex, caste or colour; of goodness or wickedness) all people form an indivisible brotherhood. All of us, high or low, ignorant or wise, make a chain, and the stronger grow by helping the weaker. Brotherhood is the law of growth for all persons. There are two eternal mysteries: the mystery of Logos and the mystery of Man. All that we postulate concerning Logos, of goodness, holiness, truth and beauty, resides in man. Religion, philosophy, science, the arts, commerce, industry, philanthropy, all these are channels along which the Divine Nature descends to reveal its Beauty. And our human nature ascends to Divinity by growing in the virtues and capacities associated with these channels. |
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Theosophy is the body of truths which forms the basis of all religions, and which cannot be claimed as the exclusive possession of any. It restores to the world the Science of the Spirit, teaching man to know the Spirit as himself and the mind and body as his servants. It illuminates the scriptures and doctrines of religions by unveiling their hidden meanings, and thus justifying them at the bar of intelligence, as they are ever justified in the eyes of intuition. It puts death in its rightful place, as a recurring incidence in an endless life, opening the gateway to a fuller and more radiant existence.
First, that the universe is not just a place where nature's forces operate by chance. Every event that has happened from the beginning of time has happened according to certain laws inherent in the universe. These laws are the expression of a Consciousness. Everything that exists, from the electron to the largest star, is impregnated with Consciousness. This Fundamental Reality is so far beyond our grasp that sages and saints have called it by contradictory terms. Many have termed it 'God;' but some have called it Law, Heaven, the Great Architect, Evolution. Each man, according to his temperament and his experience, must determine how he will regard this Consciousness which directs everything. Let us call it Logos.
It is to realise our true nature that we are born. Our birth is as the entrance into a workshop or laboratory, where by work we slowly unfold our faculties. But it is not possible to rails the Divine Nature in us by the experiences of one lifetime. So we reincarnate again and again. We enter into life, we are born, we grow, we act, we finish our work and we return. Our return is death. After a rest in heaven, growing by realising the joys we planned but did not achieve, we are born again, more purified, stronger, wiser, to work again, so as to become more expert in thought and feeling and action. This is Reincarnation.