taijasi
Gnōthi seauton
We have had, asked, on another thread, What are the teachings of the various world religions on the question of infallibility of doctrine?
Also, we have seen a great deal of discussion about this issue of doctrine, and whether or not x group or religion insists upon various doctrines ... leading to dogmatism.
It has been made clear, that the official standpoint of the Theosophical, and later esoteric organizations and Schools is that dogma is inimical to the spiritual life of the sincere esoteric student, and that no doctrine or set of teachings should be spoken of as `infallible.' This being said, it nevertheless occurs that some ideas do receive a strong emphasis, and if we are not careful it is easy to begin speaking of such-and-such a teaching (or set of teachings) as infallible. I will do my best to avoid this mistake in this post, and thread.
One of the newest set of spiritual teachings which I have studied is referred to as `The New Thought-Form Presentation of the Wisdom,' or NTFPW/TFPW. These teachings, though more recent, follow very much in the same line as those given out by H.P. Blavatsky, later by Alice Bailey, and also by authors such as Helena Roerich, Geoffrey Hodson, David Anrias, Cyril Scott, Dane Rudyar, et al.
The difference, in terms of the content of TFPW, is that while HPB's writings, and those of the earliest generations of Theosophists, often dealt with Humanity's earliest and long-past cycles of spiritual and material evolutionary development, usually treating this from an esoteric viewpoint even while describing the exoteric changes which science has studied ever since Darwinian and Lamarckian evolutionary theory ... the TFPW is primarily interested in the changes which Humanity is undergoing currently, and which are bringing us through the most significant stage of growth which the Human Kingdom has ever experienced for 18 million years upon planet Earth.
Theosophy makes it clear that even dozens of millions of years ago, something we might call `Humanity' existed upon our planet. Science is finally beginning to agree with the esoteric teachings, some of these latter having existed among the Eastern Traditions (even EXOTERIC Hinduism) - and also the esoteric Western Traditions - for thousands upon thousands of years. H.P. Blavatsky's The Secret Doctrine, and other, related esoteric teachings, in the Stanzas of Dyzan, tell us that Humanity first became a physical being as related in the Biblical Genesis accounts ... about 18 million years ago. Prior to that, we were here on the Earth, but were evolving as a non-physical being, and we had nothing of the Intellect which we today characterize as a distinguishing human attribute.
From 18 millions years ago for several more million years, Humanity progressed slowly, eventually reaching a point of civilization which we can know geologically and anthropologically only in such traces as the Easter Island accounts, with the testimony of those gigantic monuments (stone statues) as to both our physical appearance, and stature. All of this warrants further investigation from the curious and sincere esoteric student, but as a highlight, it is pointed out that we are seeing traces only, and not anything at all like a complete, 100% accurate and infallible record.
Still, certain studies have been made, by many different types of clairvoyants and psychic investigators, these ranging from the amateurish and totally untrained, to the extremely highly gifted and carefully, expert-trained ... such as Geoffrey Hodson. In The Secret Doctrine, too, we have a wealth of information which takes us successfully up to, through and beyond the Atlantean stage of Humanity's spiritual and material evolution, dating back some 5 million years ago, up to the pinnacle of about 1 million years ago, and finally reaching its decline in a series of global catastrophes, as summarized (symbolized) in the Biblical Flood Myth, the same kind of tale in the Popol Vuh, and in various other examples of world mythology and religious literature ... including Plato's Critias.
We have learned, and can take it on good authority (without, however, claims of infallibility) ... that the major flood catastrophes toward the end of the Atlantean world civilization occured about 800,000 years ago, about 200,000 years ago - leaving only two large islands: Ruta & Daitya, again about 80,000 years ago - leaving only the small island Poseidonis, and finally in 9564BC, which was recent enough to survive in the records of the Egyptian priesthood at Sais, which was visited by Solon, who related the tale to Plato.
Plato, of course, is not the only philosopher, Theosophist or esoteric student (Initiate) to give out information regarding this most recent of major epochs of Humanity's development upon this planet ... but if we prefer to stick to scholarly accounts and scientific research we can pursue any number of other lines of investigation, including the work of the Association for Research and Enlightenment, Inc, founded by Edgar Cayce in 1931.
Cayce's organization, as many will know, actually discovered some of best physical evidence of Atlantis yet made widely known -- the famous Road of Bimini. A good place to start reading about Bimini, if that is what one is interested in, would be here - in an article by Dr. Greg Little entitled `Updated Report on May 2005 Bimini—Andros Expedition: Bimini Road-An Ancient Harbor.'
As for the esoteric accounts of Atlantis, anyone familiar with the literature will know that this is one of the darkest days in Humanity's experience upon this planet, in this cycle. During the golden era of Atlantis, when the vimanas of Hindu exoteric religious accounts ferried us across the skies (yes, a million years ago and more) ... the Occult Brotherhood, or Spiritual `Hierarchy' walked openly among us, teaching and instructing - as this was something which was overall desirable.
As yet, there was no materialism as we know it to oppose the Brotherhood's efforts, and the most elect of the Atlantean Priesthood were responsible, upright and capable of governing - in a true Theocracy - for the greatest good of the greatest number, in a form of Spiritual Government far superior to anything like the democracies of today. This sounds, and was/is in many ways quite desirable, but Humanity during the Atlantean era was nowhere near as intelligent as we are, overall ... so it is fairly true to say that the task of the Ruling Priesthood was very much like keeping order among well-intentioned children, with all the same, understandable - and basic - challenges which will arise.
In short, we know that things went tremendously wrong, and that materialism began to take over, leading to the lowest forms of sorcery and to the abuse of our creative spiritual powers ... such that the Priesthood utterly failed to keep the chain of Divine Teachings unadulterated. At first, it was possible for the Hierarchy to make adjustments and offset the materialism and selfishness, but Humanity has ever had `Free Will,' and this - in the end - will prevent even the Hierarchy, God's Ruling Heart-Center for the Planet, from intervening and FORCING us to evolve.
We chose to become mired in the swamps of our material condition, and instead of being able to walk freely among us, and to remain in our midst, the Hierarchy or Esoteric Brotherhood was forced to gradually withdraw. In effect, we simply banished them, through the worst forms of black magic imaginable, and this is a karma which Humanity carries with it to this day.
God does not forsake His children, however, and thus the Hierarchy, though removed from an immediate presence among us, continued to do their best to guide and instruct us ... this, always, where the one or two could be found receptive. And such a condition continued, even as Atlantis continued to decline, while during certain cycles it was always possible for direct incarnations and `Noah's' to walk openly amongst the Elect.
Noah does not refer to a single individual, just as Vaivasvata Manu (and the Chaldean Xisuthrus, from whom Noah is derived) refers to a stage in human development, rather than a person. Yet as definite individuals, this Presence of God has incarnated, and this is what enabled the elect among Humanity, even in later Atlantean days, after the various catastrophes, to emigrate - by Exodus - away from the centers of decadence and corruption.
The fabled City of the Golden Gates, even the city where it might be said that God Himself had a Throne upon our Earth ... eventually became overrun with corruption, and it dawns on the esoteric student that no effort of the Hierarchy even COULD have been otherwise - for although they certainly possess the Power to simply oppose the dark brotherhood, this would be in complete contradiction to the Laws of Evolution Itself -- God's Laws. It is the Divine Will, not that we come to God by any means or method available, but that we choose, each of us - and also collectively, to come to God of our own free will, recognition and accord.
So wickedness, selfishness, materialism and corruption were allowed to overrun the Atlantean people (us, long long ago) ... even including the City of the Golden Gates, wherein God Himself was (virtually, though not quite literally) enthroned. The wickedness and corruption would have even continued, yet God is not a God of cruelty, or without Mercy. Nor does God wish to see the work of literally MILLIONS, even BILLIONS, of years of preparation and slow, gradual building go to waste. Planets are hard to come by, as science-fiction author Douglas Adams put it ... and Lord knows, that's gotta be true.
Thus, as we know through the various world mythologies and religious literature, there were flood catastrophes, as mentioned above ... wherein only the Elect (this, too, being symbolized for us) were able to escape and survive. The Ancient Egyptian civilization was at its height many tens of thousands of years ago, and some records clarify that the Giza Pyramids were built around 200,000 years ago ... which we can see dovetails perfectly with the investigations of various occult researchers. The Sphinx, it is said, is even older.
Science, too, is starting to confirm this, as it is increasingly being accepted that we are not simply looking at 4 or 5 thousand year old tombs, but are, instead, exploring the Temples and Sacred Sites of a civilization which flourished AT LEAST 10,000 years BC ... this being when the Earth's precession of the equinoxes (Astrological Era) would have placed her in Leo. And I will venture that once we can establish this to the satisfaction of all reasonable individuals (the die-hard skeptics, and those fretful of the upset of conventional Egyptology are always the last to see the light) ... it will eventually occur that we need to look, not simply one half-cycle into the past ... but eight complete cycles ... and 1/2. That will place us, sure enough, earlier than 200,000 years ago -- for the original building of the Sphinx.
Also, we have seen a great deal of discussion about this issue of doctrine, and whether or not x group or religion insists upon various doctrines ... leading to dogmatism.
It has been made clear, that the official standpoint of the Theosophical, and later esoteric organizations and Schools is that dogma is inimical to the spiritual life of the sincere esoteric student, and that no doctrine or set of teachings should be spoken of as `infallible.' This being said, it nevertheless occurs that some ideas do receive a strong emphasis, and if we are not careful it is easy to begin speaking of such-and-such a teaching (or set of teachings) as infallible. I will do my best to avoid this mistake in this post, and thread.
One of the newest set of spiritual teachings which I have studied is referred to as `The New Thought-Form Presentation of the Wisdom,' or NTFPW/TFPW. These teachings, though more recent, follow very much in the same line as those given out by H.P. Blavatsky, later by Alice Bailey, and also by authors such as Helena Roerich, Geoffrey Hodson, David Anrias, Cyril Scott, Dane Rudyar, et al.
The difference, in terms of the content of TFPW, is that while HPB's writings, and those of the earliest generations of Theosophists, often dealt with Humanity's earliest and long-past cycles of spiritual and material evolutionary development, usually treating this from an esoteric viewpoint even while describing the exoteric changes which science has studied ever since Darwinian and Lamarckian evolutionary theory ... the TFPW is primarily interested in the changes which Humanity is undergoing currently, and which are bringing us through the most significant stage of growth which the Human Kingdom has ever experienced for 18 million years upon planet Earth.
Theosophy makes it clear that even dozens of millions of years ago, something we might call `Humanity' existed upon our planet. Science is finally beginning to agree with the esoteric teachings, some of these latter having existed among the Eastern Traditions (even EXOTERIC Hinduism) - and also the esoteric Western Traditions - for thousands upon thousands of years. H.P. Blavatsky's The Secret Doctrine, and other, related esoteric teachings, in the Stanzas of Dyzan, tell us that Humanity first became a physical being as related in the Biblical Genesis accounts ... about 18 million years ago. Prior to that, we were here on the Earth, but were evolving as a non-physical being, and we had nothing of the Intellect which we today characterize as a distinguishing human attribute.
From 18 millions years ago for several more million years, Humanity progressed slowly, eventually reaching a point of civilization which we can know geologically and anthropologically only in such traces as the Easter Island accounts, with the testimony of those gigantic monuments (stone statues) as to both our physical appearance, and stature. All of this warrants further investigation from the curious and sincere esoteric student, but as a highlight, it is pointed out that we are seeing traces only, and not anything at all like a complete, 100% accurate and infallible record.
Still, certain studies have been made, by many different types of clairvoyants and psychic investigators, these ranging from the amateurish and totally untrained, to the extremely highly gifted and carefully, expert-trained ... such as Geoffrey Hodson. In The Secret Doctrine, too, we have a wealth of information which takes us successfully up to, through and beyond the Atlantean stage of Humanity's spiritual and material evolution, dating back some 5 million years ago, up to the pinnacle of about 1 million years ago, and finally reaching its decline in a series of global catastrophes, as summarized (symbolized) in the Biblical Flood Myth, the same kind of tale in the Popol Vuh, and in various other examples of world mythology and religious literature ... including Plato's Critias.
We have learned, and can take it on good authority (without, however, claims of infallibility) ... that the major flood catastrophes toward the end of the Atlantean world civilization occured about 800,000 years ago, about 200,000 years ago - leaving only two large islands: Ruta & Daitya, again about 80,000 years ago - leaving only the small island Poseidonis, and finally in 9564BC, which was recent enough to survive in the records of the Egyptian priesthood at Sais, which was visited by Solon, who related the tale to Plato.
Plato, of course, is not the only philosopher, Theosophist or esoteric student (Initiate) to give out information regarding this most recent of major epochs of Humanity's development upon this planet ... but if we prefer to stick to scholarly accounts and scientific research we can pursue any number of other lines of investigation, including the work of the Association for Research and Enlightenment, Inc, founded by Edgar Cayce in 1931.
Cayce's organization, as many will know, actually discovered some of best physical evidence of Atlantis yet made widely known -- the famous Road of Bimini. A good place to start reading about Bimini, if that is what one is interested in, would be here - in an article by Dr. Greg Little entitled `Updated Report on May 2005 Bimini—Andros Expedition: Bimini Road-An Ancient Harbor.'
As for the esoteric accounts of Atlantis, anyone familiar with the literature will know that this is one of the darkest days in Humanity's experience upon this planet, in this cycle. During the golden era of Atlantis, when the vimanas of Hindu exoteric religious accounts ferried us across the skies (yes, a million years ago and more) ... the Occult Brotherhood, or Spiritual `Hierarchy' walked openly among us, teaching and instructing - as this was something which was overall desirable.
As yet, there was no materialism as we know it to oppose the Brotherhood's efforts, and the most elect of the Atlantean Priesthood were responsible, upright and capable of governing - in a true Theocracy - for the greatest good of the greatest number, in a form of Spiritual Government far superior to anything like the democracies of today. This sounds, and was/is in many ways quite desirable, but Humanity during the Atlantean era was nowhere near as intelligent as we are, overall ... so it is fairly true to say that the task of the Ruling Priesthood was very much like keeping order among well-intentioned children, with all the same, understandable - and basic - challenges which will arise.
In short, we know that things went tremendously wrong, and that materialism began to take over, leading to the lowest forms of sorcery and to the abuse of our creative spiritual powers ... such that the Priesthood utterly failed to keep the chain of Divine Teachings unadulterated. At first, it was possible for the Hierarchy to make adjustments and offset the materialism and selfishness, but Humanity has ever had `Free Will,' and this - in the end - will prevent even the Hierarchy, God's Ruling Heart-Center for the Planet, from intervening and FORCING us to evolve.
We chose to become mired in the swamps of our material condition, and instead of being able to walk freely among us, and to remain in our midst, the Hierarchy or Esoteric Brotherhood was forced to gradually withdraw. In effect, we simply banished them, through the worst forms of black magic imaginable, and this is a karma which Humanity carries with it to this day.
God does not forsake His children, however, and thus the Hierarchy, though removed from an immediate presence among us, continued to do their best to guide and instruct us ... this, always, where the one or two could be found receptive. And such a condition continued, even as Atlantis continued to decline, while during certain cycles it was always possible for direct incarnations and `Noah's' to walk openly amongst the Elect.
Noah does not refer to a single individual, just as Vaivasvata Manu (and the Chaldean Xisuthrus, from whom Noah is derived) refers to a stage in human development, rather than a person. Yet as definite individuals, this Presence of God has incarnated, and this is what enabled the elect among Humanity, even in later Atlantean days, after the various catastrophes, to emigrate - by Exodus - away from the centers of decadence and corruption.
The fabled City of the Golden Gates, even the city where it might be said that God Himself had a Throne upon our Earth ... eventually became overrun with corruption, and it dawns on the esoteric student that no effort of the Hierarchy even COULD have been otherwise - for although they certainly possess the Power to simply oppose the dark brotherhood, this would be in complete contradiction to the Laws of Evolution Itself -- God's Laws. It is the Divine Will, not that we come to God by any means or method available, but that we choose, each of us - and also collectively, to come to God of our own free will, recognition and accord.
So wickedness, selfishness, materialism and corruption were allowed to overrun the Atlantean people (us, long long ago) ... even including the City of the Golden Gates, wherein God Himself was (virtually, though not quite literally) enthroned. The wickedness and corruption would have even continued, yet God is not a God of cruelty, or without Mercy. Nor does God wish to see the work of literally MILLIONS, even BILLIONS, of years of preparation and slow, gradual building go to waste. Planets are hard to come by, as science-fiction author Douglas Adams put it ... and Lord knows, that's gotta be true.
Thus, as we know through the various world mythologies and religious literature, there were flood catastrophes, as mentioned above ... wherein only the Elect (this, too, being symbolized for us) were able to escape and survive. The Ancient Egyptian civilization was at its height many tens of thousands of years ago, and some records clarify that the Giza Pyramids were built around 200,000 years ago ... which we can see dovetails perfectly with the investigations of various occult researchers. The Sphinx, it is said, is even older.
Science, too, is starting to confirm this, as it is increasingly being accepted that we are not simply looking at 4 or 5 thousand year old tombs, but are, instead, exploring the Temples and Sacred Sites of a civilization which flourished AT LEAST 10,000 years BC ... this being when the Earth's precession of the equinoxes (Astrological Era) would have placed her in Leo. And I will venture that once we can establish this to the satisfaction of all reasonable individuals (the die-hard skeptics, and those fretful of the upset of conventional Egyptology are always the last to see the light) ... it will eventually occur that we need to look, not simply one half-cycle into the past ... but eight complete cycles ... and 1/2. That will place us, sure enough, earlier than 200,000 years ago -- for the original building of the Sphinx.