STRICTLY PRIVATE AND ONLY FOR E. S. MEMBERS.E. S. T. S.
Suggestions and Aids, No. 1.
CORRESPONDENCE GROUP.
Series A2.
THE PLEDGE FEVER -- Continued
Its Effect on the MembersIt is well known that all through the Section there are many members who have been struggling with the "pledge fever" and failing very often. They have criticised each other very harshly, have in certain instances refused to work with certain members, and put no check whatever upon evil- speaking and spreading of gossip and unfounded slander. Quite plainly they have carelessly passed by the warning of the Head of the Section, and would appear to think that they can gain knowledge from written Instructions without purifying themselves. Names are not given, but they are known. We all might as well look the matter squarely in the face and admit that it is quite unlikely the Section as a whole will receive Instructions for which on the moral as well as the intellectual plane it may be unprepared.
Those of us who do not profit by the warning given will find out too late that, without their knowing it, the Head of the Section will make selections of those who are worthy, and to those only will be given the keys to unlock the gates that bar the way to attainment.
All those members who desired to be tested and tried have been put to the tests already. That is, they have been watched by the hidden ones through each day, and themselves can tell whether they have stood the tests. If they have awaited some strange event or trying ordeal, it has not arrived, nor will it; but events of each life are enough in number to show how each one is trying to live the life. If they have failed, it is never too late to try; if they are sure they have not, they are on dangerous ground, for it is an old occult maxim: "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."
QUESTION FROM A. -- "How long do manifestations of 'pledge fever' continue?"
W.Q.J. -- So long as the disciple does not overcome that which it brings up, the "pledge fever" will continue. It is useless to sit down and wait for it to burn out. Pains must be taken to eradicate the defects which it brings to the surface.
Q. "Does the 'pledge fever' reveal defects only?"
What it does is to bring up to the surface the real character. This may as well be good as bad. In many cases the effect is to bring on a greater development of good character and earnestness. Hence we ought not to be expecting always evil; it may be that our hidden character is better than has ever shown on the surface. In such a case the person improves rapidly.
Q. -- "Is the effect of it immediate?"
As all persons differ from each other not only in appearance but also as to the rapidity with which impressions are felt, it follows that many may not have yet felt the "pledge fever." This is because their natures are slow in responding. But they will feel it. Let no one therefore rest contented, fancying that the battle is won. In this training there are battles always. Apprehensiveness of trouble to come must, however, not be indulged. There is no necessity for crossing a bridge before we arrive at it.
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AN IMPORTANT CYCLEIn the affairs of the Theosophical Society and of the E. S. there is an important cycle which comes to a conclusion in about ten years. It is broadly mentioned in the Key to Theosophy from p. 304 to 307.
CONCLUSION
THE FUTURE OF THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY
ENQUIRER. Tell me, what do you expect for Theosophy in the future?
THEOSOPHIST. If you speak of THEOSOPHY, I answer that, as it has existed eternally throughout the endless cycles upon cycles of the Past, so it will ever exist throughout the infinitudes of the Future, because Theosophy is synonymous with EVERLASTING TRUTH.
ENQUIRER. Pardon me; I meant to ask you rather about the prospects of the Theosophical Society.
THEOSOPHIST. Its future will depend almost entirely upon the degree of selflessness, earnestness, devotion, and last, but not least, on the amount of knowledge and wisdom possessed by those members, on whom it will fall to carry on the work, and to direct the Society after the death of the Founders.
ENQUIRER. I quite see the importance of their being selfless and devoted, but I do not quite grasp how their knowledge can be as vital a factor in the question as these other qualities. Surely the literature which already exists, and to which constant additions are still being made, ought to be sufficient?
THEOSOPHIST. I do not refer to technical knowledge of the esoteric doctrine, though that is most important; I spoke rather of the great need which our successors in the guidance of the Society will have of unbiassed and clear judgment. 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. You must remember that all our members have been bred and born in some creed or religion, that all are more or less of their generation both physically and mentally, and consequently that their judgment is but too likely to be warped and unconsciously biassed by some or all of these influences. If, then, they cannot be freed from such inherent bias, or at least taught to recognise it instantly and so avoid being led away by it, the result can only be that the Society will drift off on to some sandbank of thought or another, and there remain a stranded carcass to moulder and die.
ENQUIRER. But if this danger be averted?
THEOSOPHIST. Then the Society will live on into and through the twentieth century. It will gradually leaven and permeate the great mass of thinking and intelligent people with its large-minded and noble ideas of Religion, Duty, and Philanthropy. Slowly but surely it will burst asunder the iron fetters of creeds and dogmas, of social and caste prejudices; it will break down racial and national antipathies and barriers, and will open the way to the practical realisation of the Brotherhood of all men. Through its teaching, through the philosophy which it has rendered accessible and intelligible to the modern mind, the West will learn to understand and appreciate the East at its true value. Further, the development of the psychic powers and faculties, the premonitory symptoms of which are already visible in America, will proceed healthily and normally. Mankind will be saved from the terrible dangers, both mental and bodily, which are inevitable when that unfolding takes place, as it threatens to do, in a hot-bed of selfishness and all evil passions. Man's mental and psychic growth will proceed in harmony with his moral improvement, while his material surroundings will reflect the peace and fraternal good-will which will reign in his mind, instead of the discord and strife which is everywhere apparent around us to-day.
ENQUIRER. A truly delightful picture! But tell me, do you really expect all this to be accomplished in one short century?
THEOSOPHIST. Scarcely. But I must tell you that during the last quarter of every hundred years an attempt is made by those "Masters," of whom I have spoken, to help on the spiritual progress of Humanity in a marked and definite way. Towards the close of each century you will invariably find that an outpouring or upheaval of spirituality ―or call it mysticism if you prefer―has taken place. Some one or more persons have appeared in the world as their agents, and a greater or less amount of occult knowledge and teaching has been given out. If you care to do so, you can trace these movements back, century by century, as far as our detailed historical records extend.
ENQUIRER. But how does this bear on the future of the Theosophical Society?
THEOSOPHIST. If the present attempt, in the form of our Society, succeeds better than its predecessors have done, then it will be in existence as an organized, living and healthy body when the time comes for the effort of the XXth century. The general condition of men's minds and hearts will have been improved and purified by the spread of its teachings, and, as I have said, their prejudices and dogmatic illusions will have been, to some extent at least, removed. Not only so, but besides a large and accessible literature ready to men's hands, the next impulse will find a numerous and united body of people ready to welcome the new torch-bearer of Truth. He will find the minds of men prepared for his message, a language ready for him in which to clothe the new truths he brings, an organization awaiting his arrival, which will remove the merely mechanical, material obstacles and difficulties from his path. Think how much one, to whom such an opportunity is given, could accomplish. Measure it by comparison with what the Theosophical Society actually has achieved in the last fourteen years, without any of these advantages and surrounded by hosts of hindrances which would not hamper the new leader. Consider all this, and then tell me whether I am too sanguine when I say that if the Theosophical Society survives and lives true to its mission, to its original impulses through the next hundred years―tell me, I say, if I go too far in asserting that earth will be a heaven in the twenty-first century in comparison with what it is now!
-- Pgs. 304-307 of "The Key to Theosophy," by H.P. Blavatsky
The law is that the Adepts work with men (of the Caucasian race) directly and in large masses during the last twenty-five years of every century, and then stop for seventy-five years, beginning again in the fourth quarter of the next century. At this point this question has been asked:
Q. -- "Why do They not work without ceasing?"
They never cease working, but they do stop such present public efforts as began with the T. S. in 1875. Before that they were dealing with individuals.
The reply in brief is, that
if They continued beyond the twenty-five years such a tremendous reaction would be brought about that the very object in view would be defeated. Instead of destroying dogmatism, a new dogmatism would be created to take the place of the old one against which the attack has been made, and men would really be no better than before.
A careful reading of those pages of the Key to Theosophy which have been cited above will show just what the Masters desire us to do in view of the approaching end of this Theosophical cycle.
H. P. B. there says that what is needed is not so much a full, technical knowledge of esoteric science as clear and unbiassed judgment, so as to avoid the hard and fast conclusions as to men, things, and methods which are natural in the world.
If we succeed in carrying the T. S. well along into the twentieth century, there is a very great possibility that we can transmit it pure and undogmatic to such successors as will, after our death, keep it in being until the next twenty-five year cycle. At that time another messenger will come. In my opinion he will be the same being as now directs our efforts. In such an event there would be ready for his further work a Society that might be fit for greater things than our present T. S. is, and if so, all our efforts now will be crowned with success. If, on the contrary, the members fail now, great will be the responsibility upon every one of us then. In view of this, it is expected that the Section shall strive to become the life and core of the Theosophical movement, so that it may carry the spirit and genius of the movement through the seventy-five years which will begin at about the year 1900. If this shall be accomplished, then in 1975 there will be an instrument ready at hand for the returning Messenger to use during the last twenty-five years, instead of having to construct it anew amid jars and discords such as have surrounded H. P. B. for fifteen years. Now in the Key to Theosophy she plainly states that the strength and power of this ideal Section will not rest so much in the technical occult knowledge of the members as in the spiritual development, coupled with good common-sense, which they shall have attained.
By the time spoken of, those of us who are now in the Section will have passed beyond the limits of mortal life. But our lives and thoughts will live after us in those who shall through the next ten years become our associates, and they will carry on the succession just as we leave it to them.
Let everyone, then, who reads this listen to the call. A mental sacrifice is demanded, an abandonment of self, a complete renunciation, an entire devotion to this cause. Altruism must be made the line of our lives, for by that alone can the end in view be reached.
We are not associated in this Section for our own individual profit, nor for the glory of H. P. B., nor for the making of new mysteries or dogmas, but only that men and races of men after us may become brothers such as we should be.The Messenger will disappear ere long, and we must by that time have among us those in our own ranks who can point out the way. Such favored units cannot be developed out of our mass unless the total progress of the Section is up to the point which will permit their efflorescence.
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THE TABULAR DIAGRAM.B. KEIGHTLEY. -- Every science must have its own technical vocabulary; and many exact sciences possess in addition a notation specially adapted to express the facts and laws with which that science deals.
Occultism is of all sciences the most exact, since it is based upon absolute mathematical laws, and hence it possesses both an accurate technical vocabulary and an exact system of notation.The chemist uses H to express hydrogen, O to denote oxygen, etc. He then expresses the result of the chemical combination of these substances in the form of equations, e. g., Aq. =water = H20. Again, he groups together numbers of substances under some common head, classifying them into groups such as the "oxides," the "nitrates," the "sulphides," and so on. Now these names, oxides, nitrates, etc., call up before the mind's eye of a good chemist a long array of substances differing in most respects from one another, but yet having certain properties in common.
It is the first letters, the a, b, c of the notation needed to express the occult processes in nature, which is given in the "Tabular Diagram." The student therefore needs not only to learn the correspondences given there, but to make them as much a part of himself as the chemist does for the notation of his science. Besides this, all the information scattered through the Instructions, the Secret Doctrine, and Isis which bears upon the powers, properties, attributes, and functions of the seven Hierarchies of Forces in nature, should be collected by each student or group and classified and tabulated under the head of the respective hierarchies. Further, the legendary history of the gods and goddesses associated with the planets whose names and symbols are used to denote the hierarchies of which the physical planets are but the visible manifestations, should be carefully examined. For these legends express in symbolical form the relations and correlations of the various forces belonging to the different hierarchies. In other words, the birth and parentage, the loves and hates, of the "gods" contain scientific information regarding the relations existing among the occult forces of nature.Thus a thorough mastery of the Tabular Diagram in all its aspects and a conscientious study of the various hierarchies are indispensible requirements for any student who desires esoteric knowledge. But there seems to have been some question as to the way the correspondences given in this diagram should be understood. The question is asked whether, for instance, Mars rules the day of the week which we call Tuesday, or, since it stands first on the list, whether Mars ought not to correspond to, and rule over, the first day of the week, our Sunday. The answer to this is in reality given in the diagram itself. A glance will show that it is arranged according to the scale of colors in the spectrum and notes in music. In the other columns are given the Days of the Week, Human Principles, Planets, Metals, and Numbers, which correspond to the colors and sounds occupying the right-hand columns. In the appendix H. P. B. has explained how the present order of the names given to the seven days of the week came to be settled. But the diagram gives the correct correspondences for each day, meaning by Tuesday the day we call by that name, and so on.
Since the seven hierarchies are simultaneous emanations, there is no apparent reason why the days over which they rule should follow the same order as the colors or sounds. And further, when a given hierarchy or planet is said to correspond to and rule over a certain day, this must be understood as merely an approximation, meant to connect the idea of that hierarchy in our minds with the conception of time.G. R. S. Mead, -- The days in the Tabular Diagram are out of order because the colors are taken in their prismatic sequence; hence the order of the days is altered for that reason only. The first day remains Sunday, and so on.
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THE STUDY OF THE INSTRUCTIONSB. Keightley. -- Of course we must first of all make ourselves acquainted with the contents of the Instructions and the topics treated of therein. But this is soon done, and then the question arises, especially in group work, What is the best method of further study?
An examination of the method pursued by our teacher, H. P. B., shows that since she is not permitted to give out the complete teaching, nor to make known even a perfect outline of the doctrine on any one plane, she omits such parts and mixes up the remainder to a certain extent, like the pieces of a child's puzzle. For were she to state all that she gives out in its correct relation and order, we could readily fill in the gaps ourselves, and men would thus obtain knowledge, and therefore power, on the occult side of nature, before their moral natures were fitted for the trust. Therefore she conceals the clue by removing the pieces of the puzzle from their proper context, and so obliging us to have recourse to the light of intuition in order to restore them to their proper places in the perfect scheme.Hence, after a general acquaintance has been obtained, the best method of studying her works, especially the E.S. Instructions, is to study them by topics, not as consecutive treatises. For instance, in the three sets of Instructions so far issued some of the main topics may be stated thus: (1) Aurio Egg, (2) The Double-page Diagram, (3) The Tabular Diagram and the study of the seven Hierarchies or classes of Forces in nature, (4) The seven Tatwas.
Now such main topics as these should be selected, especially for group study, and the members should not only bring together on paper all that is said in the Instructions on that topic, but they should also collate in a similar way all they can find in the Secret Doctrine and Isis. It is only by hard and systematic work that real progress in esoteric study can be made. Another point is that all unsolved difficulties, whether individual or common to a group, should invariably be written down in a book and taken up for discussion from time to time. Eventually, if still unsolved, they may be referred to Mr. Judge or to H. P. B. herself.
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THE AURIC EGG.B. Keightley. -- In spite of the emphatic manner in which H. P. B. speaks of the Auric Egg, it does not seem to have received as much study and thought at the hands of Esotericists as it deserves.
Philosophically,
its importance lies in the fact that it is the "principle of individuality," since it is only in virtue of the limiting function of the Auric Egg that man can be said to possess any individuality whatever, whether on the physical or any higher plane. For the Auric Egg is the abstract root, the germ of all limitation and finiteness, i.e., of
that distinction between units which we term individualization. All the principles in man differ in no respect from their macrocosmic prototypes except by being enclosed in the Auric Egg, and were that ever to cease to exist, the "principles" that compose us would merge back into the general stock, and we should cease to have any existence as individuals. It is this function of the Auric Egg which would seem to be pointed at in the beautiful Buddhist simile for the attainment of Nirvana, -- "the dewdrop slips into the shining sea." This shows that Nirvana is attained not, as some think, by the annihilation of the individuality, but by its indefinite expansion. In other words, when Nirvana is attained, the Auric Egg, the boundary of the individuality, expands until its limits become coextensive with those of "Brahma's Egg" -- which last is the particular Universe on which that individual has been performing his cyclic pilgrimage.
Scientifically, it is through vibrations transmitted by the Auric Egg that we become conscious of the external or objective world on any plane.
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OF PRONOUNCING THE WORDW. Q. Judge. -- The word which has been given in the Instructions to be pronounced by the student has, like all other practices in this system, an imperative condition precedent attached to it. This is that the student shall not pronounce it in a spirit of levity, nor with the motive merely of finding something out that has not been known before.
The impulses which rise from curiosity or spring from a desire to know for one's self alone are equally to be shunned. The reason may not be at once obvious to the person who is blinded by self-interest, but it exists, nevertheless, and will work out at some time with detriment.
Another caution to be observed is that given in the Instructions, to be sure not to pronounce the word when one has evil thoughts or has not recovered yet from a fit of anger. In the first case, the evil thoughts act as magnets of great power by means of the word, and draw to our sphere forces of a sort that are inimical to man and lay us open to the very worst results. So, if any of the members find themselves as yet unable to keep thoughts like those away from their minds, the best they can do is to avoid the use of the word until such time as they shall have purified themselves. In the second case -- that of anger -- the same thing happens, with the addition of a loss of power due to the disrupting force of anger, which, in a sense, destroys the form of the inner man.
The repetition of this word is directed in nearly all of the Hindu religious books, and is, indeed, not unknown to some secret societies of Europe and America, but is by them jumbled up with many other things in the same degree, and, in fact, is only referred to by them, as, for instance, in the Scottish Rite, for the mere purpose of showing a power to compile from all sources, and not because this word is made the key-note of any degree.But although with us the sounding of the word will have some effect, a greater one, and the one that is to be desired, will only come when we, at the time of using it, fix our minds on the word itself and on the idea which it represents. At first it is not easy to do this, but by constant effort it may be accomplished.
The first step is to acquire the habit of using the word, and the next is to combine that with the simultaneous reflection upon its significance.
It should be used, if possible, at the same time every day, so as to take advantage of the law of habit working in the organism, which is almost the same as the law governing the tides in the ocean. [For more Suggestions and Aids, see William Quan Judge's Echoes of the Orient, Volume III, starting on page 301.]