David M. Grossman – USA
The author, David Grossman, is a professional photographer and lives in Brooklyn NY. He is a life-long student of Theosophy, a regular contributor to Theosophy Forward and his articles have also appeared in The Theosophist. The Sunflower is his favorite flower.
Douglas Keene – USA
As we plunge into the darkness and the cold of winter (now in the northern hemisphere) and then begin to climb out again we can’t help but think of the cycles we experience in life. The annual verdant explosion of spring, the gentle breezes of summer and in the involution and withdrawal of autumn touch most of us. The annual trip around the sun causes reflection on past seasons, but begets questions about the future. Day and night, birth and death, and other natural revolutions are constant reminders of the impermanence of all life, including our own. Theosophy teaches that cycles are even more extensive, including root races, rounds, and chains. Planets are born and stars die.
Jan Nicolaas Kind – Brazil
His Holiness the Dalai Lama with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican, November 27, 2003
In her introductory to The Secret Doctrine HPB tells us:
“The Wisdom Religion” is the inheritance of a-ll the nations, the world over……
…..-Esoteric Philosophy reconciles all religions, strips every one of its outward, human garments, and shows the root of each to be identical with that of ever other great religion.
Gottfried de Purucker – USA
[Taken from Fundamentals of the Esoteric Philosophy , First Edition. Relevant pages are mentioned]
... if ... our thoughts are running downwards, and we wear away the ... "golden thread" which binds us to our Higher Nature, ... at last the final rupture ... comes, and the soul becomes the "lost soul" ... (167- 68)
There are two classes of this kind of soul ... first ... those ... who through native weaknesses of soul and from lack of spiritual attraction upwards, go to pieces after a certain interval of time ...
Tim Boyd – India, USA
The author
The author, Victor Hugo, expressed a thought with which most of us have become familiar: “Nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come.” Then he added: “Not all the armies in the world are more powerful.” Whenever such far-reaching, strong thoughts are shared, we need to examine them to see if they are true, whether our own experience supports it.
On the spiritual path if we try to arrive at some particular place then our mind will start creating a “place.” It is not about giving up one level of hallucination and moving into another level, but to learn to live with reality by giving up hallucination altogether. We need to make an effort to get the Truth and that Truth is existential and not what we make up in our mind. We may see things in terms of culture and what we may be exposed to. It may be that we are optimists or pessimists and may see god or devil in a person, but all these have nothing to do with the reality. To be concerned with reality would mean knowing why we are here, where we have come from and where we will go.
William Quan Judge – USA
Some years ago one of those Masters in whom so many of our members believe directed HPB to write a letter for him to a certain body of Theosophists. In this he said that each member could become, in his own town or city, if earnest, sincere and unselfish, an active center from which would radiate unseen powerful forces able to influence men and women in the vicinity for good; and that soon enquirers would appear, a Branch in time be organized, and thus the whole neighborhood would receive benefit. This seems just and reasonable in addition to its being stated by such high authority. Members ought to consider and think over it so that action may follow.
Michele Sender – USA
Michele Sender *
Members of the Theosophical Society (TS) are entrusted with the task of sharing the living power of Theosophy. In a letter to the American Convention, H. P. Blavatsky (HPB) instructed us to “teach, practise, [and] promulgate that system of life and thought which alone can save the coming [humanity]”. This statement is a useful and inspirational guiding principle, but in order to follow it effectively we must examine something that is essential in all collective effort — how we communicate with each other and how this affects our ability to work together.
Tim Wyatt – England
The author and some cats ... somewhere in Greece
There’s a shadow war and covert fightback unfolding against soul-corroding modernism and mass technophilia. It may soon erupt into a full-scale conflict.
It’s been happening for a while as a growing minority of people intuitively recoil from a machine-driven, digitised world and all the dangers and addictions this imposes on its eight billion plus inhabitants.
Tim Boyd – India, USA
Annie Besant was a great individual, not just in terms of her impact on the work of the Theosophical Society (TS) worldwide. She was one of those people who periodically come into the world and touch it in a way that changes things. The changes that came out of the mature portion of her life, when all of the skills, abilities, and experiences were in place, manifested here at the TS and in India. I would like to celebrate her life just a little bit through remembering some of them.
David M. Grossman – USA
A Robin Red breast in a Cage
Puts all Heaven in a Rage
William Blake
In the world of esoteric ornithology that beautiful bird we call the swan is rather unique and has captivated the human imagination for literally thousands of years. The fact is we seem to have a fascination for birds in general, partly because they can do what we can’t ….FLY.
Birds also possess other qualities of note which we pay tribute to; some sing beautiful songs, or exhibit grace in flight, show strength and courage, while others are amazing pilots, navigating great distances in disciplined formations as we see with geese. Birds have impressive engineering abilities in building nests, along with their agility and beauty.
Pekka Ervast
Translated and edited by Antti Savinainen – Finland
Brothers,
I want to advise you on a few old occult skills suitable for every person who takes life seriously. When one becomes an esotericist, that is, when one has been a seeker after truth and then has made up one’s mind to walk in life towards the ideal which one has seen as a seeker after truth, almost without exception, one discovers that the so-called esoteric work which one has started to practice and perform becomes so important and wonderful a task that one almost feels the desire to neglect some of those other duties which belong to one as a human being. This is a very interesting observation to make about most aspiring occultists. It is quite a natural phenomenon and forgivable. No Master would condemn or criticize an aspirant who so completely, so wholeheartedly devotes themselves to the esoteric life that they forget and give less importance to everyday duties. No Master will judge them spiritually. But the Master who looks at them with gentleness knows that the great enthusiasm and zeal of the aspirant will sooner or later be reciprocated. The old occult rule says: “The one who wants to become an occultist in the practical and real sense of the word will first have to free oneself from the old karma.”
Barbara Hebert – USA
There are many difficulties that individuals deal with in this world of physical manifestation. Mental health is just one of those difficulties. It is a huge topic, and one that concerns each and every one of us. It has been said that the after-effects of the global pandemic continue to impact the mental health of many. As we follow the events that are occurring in various parts of the world right now–divisiveness, war, oppression, death, continued surges of Covid19 and other viruses–we can only assume that struggles with mental health will be exacerbated.
Catalina Isaza Cantor – Colombia, India (Adyar)
The author
[Based on a Zoom presentation delivered on Saturday September 21 for the United Lodge of Theosophists, San Diego, as a part of their Aquarian Series.]
Before going into the subject, I feel compelled to make the disclaimer that I am not anything closer to an astrology expert, but just a student of theosophy, a learner on the path. However, I have always felt fascination for the intricacies of astrology and the zodiac, the symbolism which is proper to it and the possibilities of a practical application of the astrological insights to the daily life. That is why I delved into it, seeing it as a challenge and an opportunity of learning. I really believe that the study of any science, from the esoteric point of view, has the big purpose to trigger in us possibilities of reflection insofar as all esoteric study reveals possibilities of understanding our human journey from the point of view of the universal and immanent.
Douglas Keene – USA
As most would agree, the world seems to be in a state of upheaval. Violence, and nearly as upsetting, the threat of violence, seems to be everywhere. The Middle East is on the verge of a regional war and total collapse, the conflict in Ukraine is unrelenting, the major powers creep toward confrontation. Domestic politics in many countries are divisive and there is deep passion and commitment on both sides with an uncertain outcome. Food shortages, potential pandemics, degradation of our natural resources and the consequences of climate change are largely unmitigated.
Tim Boyd – India, USA
Responding to a recent interviewer who asked me for a “Message in a Bottle”, I offered a brief reply: “Trust. Be open. Do something.” Having considered the first two statements in previous articles, it is time to expand on “Do something”. The three parts of the message are brief, and the common question which they invoke is equally brief. Trust. In what? Be open. To what? And for “Do something”, the briefest question of all, “What?” It is a fair question, but a reasonable answer must be something more than a list of “Thou shalt . . .” activities.
Marly Winckler – Brazil
The author, founding president of SVB (2003-2015), president of IVU (2011-), translator of the H. P. Blavatsky Collected Writings
The contact with the Theosophical ideas awakened vegetarianism in me. It was the early 1980s. I had already lived in London for about two years and visited more than twenty European countries without noticing anything related to vegetarianism there. Before going to Europe, I had learned about Helena Blavatsky. I bought a few books, including Fernando Pessoa's translation into Portuguese of The Voice of the Silence. However, I would only delve deeper into the subject later when I returned to Brazil. These readings made a lot of sense, and I began to ‘devour’ everything I could find.
Antti Savinainen – Finland
Henry Steel Olcott
Introduction
It is generally thought among theosophists that the Masters of Wisdom, Morya (Master M.) and Koot Hoomi (Master K.H.), inspired the founding of the Theosophical Society and the subsequent Theosophical movement. To people outside Theosophy, talking about the Masters seems to be a figment of the imagination or even a hoax. Why do we think that there is such a thing as a Master? There are at least three reasons. First, the existence of Masters is not based on the testimony of one individual. In the early years of Theosophy, many people dealt with the Masters through written correspondence, and some of them met them physically and supra-physically. Secondly, the existence of historical Masters – such as Buddha, Zoroaster, and Jesus Christ – in the world is rarely disputed. There have, therefore, been exceptional individuals who have been founders of religions (or central figures of religions, if one considers that it was the followers who founded the religions) and who have represented a higher humanity. Third, if the spirit of a human being evolves from one incarnation to another, it is perfectly logical to think that some individuals are more advanced than others. Thus, theosophists have good reasons to believe in the existence of Masters. In short, Masters are real people who have overcome the shackles of selfishness and live eternal lives. Moreover, they are helpers and servants of humanity.
Robert Crosbie – USA
There is only one Perceiver; the sights are modified by the channels through which the Perceiver looks. It is the same Soul in any and all modifications. The power of seeing is the Soul; the power of the Soul goes into the seeing, hence what It “sees” is to It real because seen; as sights each is a reality; but the nature of Soul is different from any and all “sights.”
Tim Boyd – India, USA
In last month’s article I mentioned a question that I was asked during an interview, “If you were to write a message in a bottle and entrust it to the sea, what would you write?” My answer was five words: “Trust, Be Open, Do Something.” Having given attention to “Trust” in the previous article, I would like to give some thought to “Be open”. A good starting point might be to ask what it means to be open.
Vinoba Bhave – India
We should think constantly of our svadharma and devote all our energies to it; we should have no thought for anything else. This is the touchstone of svadharma. Karma Yoga is not action which is great or weighty. The Karma Yoga of the Gita is something quite different. Its distinctive virtue consists in progressively acquiring chittashuddhi, inner purity, through performing, without any thought of fruit, the svadharma that comes to one naturally and inescapably. Endless activities go on all the time throughout creation. But Karma Yoga means performing all actions with a special mental attitude.
Muneeb Ahmad – India
Theosophy, a spiritual and philosophical tradition that seeks to explore the underlying unity of all life, offers profound insights into the urgent task of conserving our environment. This comprehensive worldview emphasizes the interconnectedness of all beings and the importance of living in harmony with Nature. By understanding and applying theosophical principles, individuals and communities can be inspired to adopt more sustainable practices and contribute to the preservation of our planet for future generations.