Dear Readers
Welcome to this month’s AQ, and thank you for all your contributions over the summer months. We start with “Degrees of realized knowledge” - its simple, direct theosophy speaks to the heart.
Have a look what else is inside:
Contemplating “What is War?” on p 3 … it comes to mind that the coming together of something good with something bad is a very creative moment.
“Oriental Philosophy & Literature” by H.P.Blavatsky p 3, “since human nature is ever identical and as there is but one Absolute Truth, it is possible to effect a reciprocal alliance for the research of that basic Truth.”
The rival to the Bible, p 6. The scattered parts of what is probably the oldest known Bible are being reunited for the first time. It is markedly different from its modern equivalent. What’s left out?
Solar Plane flies day & night with no fuel, no pollution, p 6. Swiss adventurer Bertrand Piccard has unveiled a prototype of the solar-powered plane he hopes eventually to fly around the world.
The Financial Crisis and the Role of Managers, p 10, a Correspondent writes from Austria on “Understanding the Human Element in Economic Crisis” and the role managers are playing.
Conference opening panel
On p 11 there a some early pictures from the ULT Conference in LA and a paragraph on ‘The AQ and you’ and other selections.
Wednesday Study class before the conference
Wisdom In Action, p 12, has the timeless advice ’Do not try to open up conscious communication with beings on other planes… danger lies that way and because of the power and disposition of the dark forces to simulate beings of Light.’
If you can, please do print off a copy (double sided, if the printer does it) and leave it out for others. Spread the word, we may only be a few, but “a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump”, or as science has it, ”the hundredth-monkey effect”.
Happy reading,
The Editors
Degrees of realized knowledge
“I have found that doing what comes, with all my heart, mind and strength, in time brought me to another place and opportunity and always to a better advantage.
“I have seen in many the attitude, “I don’t like this,” or, “I must have something better”, lead to perpetual change, dissatisfaction and poor results, invariably.
swan by ancient temple
“On the other hand, I have seen those whom neither sickness nor any other cause could deter, nor diminish their courage and efforts, gain success, the reason being that no opportunity was overlooked and no effort too great for them. It was really an unconscious fulfilling of karma on their part.
“Both are interwoven and interblended at every point. The student should see clearly that his present existence is his opportunity to live and learn as well as learn to live to the best advantage; it contains and presents the opportunities which, if rejected, will come before us in one form or another until we realize that a step forward can be taken in no other way than by over-coming obstacles and thus, defects. How wonderfully and perfectly this works.” (R Crosbie)
Robert Crosbie opened up a way for all students to work for Theosophy and Humanity regardless of conditions or abilities.
He showed us that we do not need to depend on leaders but that each one can take hold of the ideas and begin the journey on the path. The path of service, study and application.
The platform of U.L.T. is open to all who wish to work in promulgating and understanding the writings of H.P. Blavatsky and W.Q. Judge.
From whatever place our karma has put us we prepare for talks or presentations of Theosophy, we study to prepare to facilitate a group meeting, we contemplate the three fundamentals or declaration so as to be better able to answer questions.
This is difficult to do and Robert Crosbie aids the student.
“We can get rid of our hindrances only by following the Path…what we need to do is forget our estimation of ourselves, be that good or bad, and just work on. We shall find more strength and larger opportunities as we move along that road.”
He knew very well that our karma and our work in Theosophy are not separate and that there is great knowledge and progress when they are interblended.
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Robert Crosbie 1849 - 1919
It is the understanding of Theosophy that opens up the mind to see the truth in all forms and to discern that truth from dogma. Dogma feeds the personal man and makes him comfortable. This kind of comfort silences the inner life which depends on an unrelenting search for Truth.
Our evolution, our awakenings will be by individual effort. U.L.T. gives all students the opportunity to take up this work in earnest.
It is not about waiting for an adept, great teacher or leader to come in our midst, or to look about for such a being, but it is about each student taking hold of the Ideas presented by H.P.B. and W.Q Judge and working to be the better able to help in the cycles ahead.
It is not an easy path, this path of “self induced and self devised effort”. It takes into account all lives and beings visible and invisible and cannot exclude anything or anyone.
The weekly meetings and daily work of U.L.T. give a framework for this effort.
All can begin in some small way. Each one determining the effort for themselves. This kind of self-determined obligation and the mutual support offered by a group of students gives aid in checking, testing and verifying all the ideas presented in Theosophy.
“…ULT is more closely akin to a journal of ideas than to an organ given over to agreement as to duties, responsibilities, and opportunities. The ideal aim in ULT is to stir the initiative of anyone who may feel moved to contribute his thoughts to a journal, to seek to serve the ends for which it stands, from his own unique vantage point, just as anyone, likewise, may enter into the work of the ULT,….
“To implement this end… had best be a brotherhood symbolized by organically growing objectives, rather than by objectives fixed in constitutional definition. Just as Judge’s “Path” was an organic growth, a fruition of years of Theosophical study, so it is the aim of ULT to provide a place and an atmosphere conducive to the Theosophical unfoldment…
“This is in truth an “absorbing” and “lofty” work. Constant vigilance is necessary, but the vigilance of self-examination, not the vigilance practiced by those who feel the weight and destiny of a complicated organization upon their shoulders.
“Self examination when practiced by working members, serves automatically as encouragement to the pondering of philosophical principles. One who seeks truth concerning himself, also, learns that something new can be gained each day from a study of…. the Three Fundamental propositions in “The Secret Doctrine”.
“This sort of meditation – upon one’s own present stance in relation both to degrees of realized knowledge and degrees of self-admitted ignorance, in relation to Theosophy – constitutes the real strength of ULT.”
[from a contributor, with extracts from Theosophy Vol. 46 page 241]
To read PDF click link below or paste into browser:
http://aquariantheosophist.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/10-july-august-09-aquarian-theosophist.pdf
