Theosophy - general questions

[Avi]

Hi Nick,

Sorry to draw your thread off topic, here is my question on a new thread.

Theosophy has a very unique history and is a complex combination of diverse ideas. Your OP on the parallel thread is very connected to the Eastern philosophical ideas in theosophy.

If my understanding is correct (please correct me if I am wrong here), theosophy has an interesting historical connection to ideas of racial significance. Could you explain your ideas of how theosophy and race are related ?

Also, in my reading I have come across an intersection with an area called Ariosophy. Are you familiar with this idea ? What does it mean ?

By the way, are you really a pilot ?

Thanks, Avi

 

[Nick the Pilot]

Avi,

Theosophy teaches that there will be a total of seven races (Theosophy calls them Root-Races) on Earth. Five have already appeared, and two will appear in the future.

I had not heard the word Ariosophy before. I did a search, and I found that it means things like ethnic cleansing, killing homosexuals, etc. Theosophy does not teach such things. Theosophy's goal is:

"To form a nucleus of the Universal Brotherhood of Humanity, without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste or color." (The First Object of Theosophy)

Brotherhood is the first rule of Theosophy. It has been said that brotherhood is the only dogma in Theosophy. Racism is specifically forbidden in Theosophy. If a person is not willing to accept all humans as their brothers and sisters, and accept that they have equal rights, then that person will be told very dogmatically that they are not a Theosophist.

And, yes, I really am a pilot.

 

[Avi]

Nick, thanks for answering some of my preliminary questions about Theosophy.

The three declared objects of Theosophy are rather interesting and I like the idea of: "Universal Brotherhood of Humanity, without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste, or color".

The article that I read about Ariosophy was a wiki article:

Theosophy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In this article is describes that some of the less ethical people in history have distorted some of the core concepts of Theosophy for their own ends.

But thanks for giving me your perspective.

I am sure I will have more questions about it, so I will read some more and discuss further with you.

By the way, I have studied some of the engineering concepts which relate to aeronautics including: fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, combustion and other related topics. Is a truly a wonder that aircraft are able manuver as they do. But I would do better designing an airplane than flying one . It must be quite challenging and exciting to fly !!

-Avi

 

[Jenn]

Yes, much of the esoteric writings have been distorted, by people for their own ends. The same can be done to other sacred texts like the Bible or the Bhagavad Gita.

A lot of people think that discussing "race" or acknowledging our differences is not very PC ... and I have even been attacked myself for saying just simply that not all people are the same, and that not all races are the same.

This isn't a racist statement. It doesn't deny our inherent unity (ie we are all human) nor does it place a value on one race as "better" or "more evolved" than others.

When we deny our inherent differences (we are *not* all the same colour, the same gender, the same sexual orientation, the same family background or religion) then we cannot truly recognize our inherent unity.

Remember too that there are two kinds of "theosophy". There is the "theosophy" (divine/god + wisdom) hidden and part of all life, all things, all teachings, all experiences, etc. This is the Theosophical term for the same thing that other religions might call "Truth", the "Word", "Dharma" or the "Dao". Then there is Theosophy, as a movement which tried to look at the theosophy in all things, without bringing in dogma. Of course the Theosophical movement has its own flaws, as its members and external leaders are all human and finite.

So the Theosophical Society stresses its First Objective (as Nick quoted) ... this is not an objective of theosophy, but is an outward result when you take the inherent truths and wisdom all around you to heart, no matter who or where you are.

 

[wil]

I've always been told we are of the human 'race' and our genetic variations that we use to determine our social 'race' classes are not really distinctions. We are just like a litter of pups...some white, some brown, some in between.

Now our church speaks of a 'race' consciousness, which is more a collective mind material thing that we as a group abide by but which over time changes.

But this conversation has now got me to look and I found....we've got between 3-30 races, if you wish to think we are different depending on who you ask...and we've got about 3 million genetic variations between any two of that are unrelated...but over 90% of those differences we don't count as our 'race' determinants. Yes according the article only 6-10% of our actual genetic difference do we use to determine that we are 'different races'.

So if true, sure we are different as races....just as we are different by gender...just as we are differently skilled if we are flat footed, or right handed....

There has been a constant pressure from social and political practice and the coincidence of racial, cultural and social class divisions reinforcing the social reality of race, to maintain “race” as a human classification. If it were admitted that the category of “race” is a purely social construct, however, it would have a weakened legitimacy. Thus, there have been repeated attempts to reassert the objective biological reality of human racial categories despite the evidence to the contrary.

for those interested in the whole article

 

[Bruce Michael]

Yes, much of the esoteric writings have been distorted, by people for their own ends. The same can be done to other sacred texts like the Bible or the Bhagavad Gita. .

Yes, both those books have been used to justify war.

A lot of people think that discussing "race" or acknowledging our differences is not very PC ... and I have even been attacked myself for saying just simply that not all people are the same, and that not all races are the same.

Greetings Jenn,
I remember back in the 90s there were folk that put forward the idea that race didn't exist, that it was a "social construct". Then advancements were made in DNA testing and the race concept was back bigger than ever.
We can quite understand how racism and religious bias comes quite naturally to unevolved people. Anyone who has studied a little psychology will acknowledge this. That is why the Theosophical society sort to overcome such biases in its First Object.

One of the founders of the Theosophical Society, Col. Olcott, said way back in 1883:

I take this occasion to say that our Rules, and traditional policy alike, prohibit every officer and fellow of the Society, as such, to meddle with political questions in the slightest degree, and to compromise the Society by saying that it has, as such, any opinion upon those or any other questions.

No dogma, no political and religious dogma.

 

[Nick the Pilot]

"No dogma, no political and religious dogma."

--> The point needs to be made that Theosophists are encouraged to have strong political convictions, and even run for office if they so choose. But even such politically active Theosophists should not make political comments during Theosophical meetings. When someone gets up and make a presentation at a Theosophical study session, the audience should not be able to even tell if the speaker is liberal, conservative, etc. A conservative audience-member will automatically stop listening to a Theosophical lecturer who makes liberal comments and vice versa, which defeats the whole purpose of a Theosophical study session. Theosophy has us leave our political opinions at the door when we walk into a study session, and that is how it should be.