Happy Birthday Theosophical Society

[Dharmaatmaa]

"to develop all forms of intellectual activity — theorizing, debating, analyzing, seeing cause and effect, etc."

Maybe. But it's not so unanswerable as it seems to be prima facie.

On one hand, Mrs. Annie Besant, Blavatsky's pupil, was saying as you did. She said we must exercise to reach something as merit. She was right here.

But on other hand, this "preparing ourselves for enlightenment" should go another way. Look, one fine day Blavatsky told a story that she had known an Adept with very low intellectual development at the beginning of his Adept carrier. It shows very well that intellect is not necessary thing for "enlightment". And I know that Tibetian Buddhists living in South of Russia say other opinions. They insist on calming one's mind down as necessary level. Who's Buddha? - they ask. A calm mind - answer is. And for evolution of spirit inside us - you were talking about - we must practice something as shamatha or so, I think.

Although Besant's book about thought and mental body is also important, but for other purposes. And I have to say that Blavatsky was against practising of concentration without a teacher. We can't know everything necessary about these difficult problems of psychics. And it's very dangerously. For ex, I wanted to try myself in yoga of dream and sleep practice, about two years ago. One of points in it was to concentrate in a wheel of energy into our throat imagining red colour. That time I wasn't aware of danger - red colour being concentrated on makes this "lucky" agressive and sexually hyperactive. It happened because mental body was painted with red (i.e. with Kama). In manas it was too much kama. I was practising for two or more weeks.
What I am telling it for? To prove that it's dangerous to do without a teacher.

"this chart from a Theosophical book."

Interesting, why Buddhi's ignored in this table. Aspirations are coming usually from there.

[Nick the Pilot]

Dharmaatmaa.

You said,

"...intellect is not necessary thing for 'enlightment' ".

--> There are two opinions on this question. I would think that intelligence is very necessary for enlightenment. I guess we'll find out when we finally achieve enlightenment.

"They insist on calming one's mind down as necessary level. Who's Buddha? - they ask. A calm mind...."

--> The achieving of Buddhic consciousness requires many things. One of the most important pre-requirements is the complete quieting of the astral and mental bodies. This is impossible for most people today. A person cannot achieve Buddhic consciousness, not even elightenment, until they calm their mind. Your Tibetan friends are absolutely correct.

"...Blavatsky was against practising of concentration without a teacher."

--> Blavasky was against this for several reasons, but I think the most important reason was to avoid opening up the Chakras prematurely. Opening up the Chakras prematurely is a very dangerous thing to do, and should only be done under the supervision of a teacher that you trust your life to -- because that is exactly what you are doing.

"...to concentrate in a wheel of energy into our throat imagining red colour."

--> This is a technique to awaken the throat Chakra. I advise everyone not to do this.

"To prove that it's dangerous to do without a teacher."

--> Yes!

"...this chart from a Theosophical book. --> Interesting, why Buddhi's ignored in this table. Aspirations are coming usually from there."

--> It is fascinating to consider where aspirations come from. I think we can have aspirations originate on both the Higher Mental Plane and on the Buddhic Plane. Please remember that conditions on the Buddhic Plane are much 'better' than conditions on the Higher Mental Plane.