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Someone might say that theosophy is a method of dealing with life. True, but it also is a body of thought based on fundamental principles. It concerns the origin and genesis of the Cosmos, its reflection in the evolution of humanity, and the nature of being in general. One does not have to believe in it without thoughtful consideration, but rather verify it as a true synthesis of science, religion and philosophy. How does one do this? One looks within, studies the fundamental ideas about the actual metaphysical nature of reality, practices "living the life" and fulfilling one's duties - while also meditating on those truths in relation to one's own inner nature - all the time empowered by self-devised and self-determined efforts. Through these means, one finds and follows one's Teacher of the art of living and being that is one's own higher self - the direct reflection of the all wise and all knowing universal soul. Otherwise, one might spend a whole life following the gurus and doing good works only to find in the end that the real teacher is within.

The theosophical experience leading to an understanding of Universal Brotherhood and its expression in relationships with others can only come about following a budding relationship with that true Master within. That is the only learning system of value in the end. "Theosophy is as theosophy does" and "Physician, heal thyself" perfectly reflects this.

Theosophy has no relationship to organized groups or the idolatry they might or might not promote. It directs solely to the self within. This is so we attain our individual self-realization or enlightenment, which has no dependence on authority, beliefs, rituals, or faith in idols or teachers.

Consider issues of interdisciplinary rivalry. Whether or not the gnosis of sages is qualitatively superior to the knowledge of scholars is far beyond my grasp. What interests me is one-upmanship among different branches of scholarship, and how that applies to the Kantian "das ding an sich."

When I brought up the date of the Book of Mormon on a mailing list devoted to American religious history, the intensity of the objections was astonishing. Several participants were distinctly bullying, expressing their righteous indignation. The bottom line was, "How dare you touch the sacred scripture with your dirty historical hands?" (This is also the bottom line of some objections to a historical investigation of the theosophical Masters.)

The indignation on the mailing list came from people that disbelieved that the Book of Mormon was a translation from Reformed Egyptian. It was enlightening to observe them feigning outrage at my allusion to that fact and to get private email from historians saying in essence, "you go, guy."

Clearly, the disciplines of religious studies and history are engaged in a turf war. One could add psychology, sociology, and parapsychology, all of which can offer yet other reductionist accounts.

This leads us to the following template for considering Theosophy We state, "One cannot possibly begin to understand the Theosophical Masters," then pose many possible answers.

* without a lifelong religious devotion to them (the religious studies model)

* without accepting the genuineness of the paranormal phenomena attributed to them,

* without rejecting their genuineness,

* without understanding Blavatsky from a psychological point of view (in terms of multiple personalities), or

* without detailed information about Blavatsky's associations with Western secret societies, Indian political leaders, and religious reformers (my own viewpoint).

This list can go on and on; there are many other possible answers. It can apply to any figure in religious history.

I wish we would allow a thousand flowers to bloom without trying to destroy one another's flowers, saying they have no right to coexist with the others.

Not only academicians create problems by the application of rigid categories and insisting we understand a phenomenon only in terms of those categories. People come hard-wired that way. We have a build-in reaction of fight or flight, of eat or be eaten, in what is called the reptilian brain. But thanks to the neocortex, we also come hard-wired to perceive nuances and entertain multiple perspectives. Perhaps only sages can maintain that level consistently but therein we can find our future evolution.

It has become a platitude to say that we live in an age of darkness. At times, it looks like an endless night, in which dawn is indefinitely postponed. Some would insist in characterizing this as a "post 9/11" world, as if every kind of horror didn't exist before the attacks on the United States.

The struggle between light and darkness within the human mind is all too evident today. There are those of who kill, torture and maim indiscriminately as a form of "ideological statement" about their own causes, the pronoun 'they' being very much a highlight of their own mindset. There are many others who exploit, abuse and traffic women and children not because of any ideological reasons, but out of sheer greed for quick wealth. Still others are there who make of their religion the last bastion against 'heathens', 'pagans', 'nastikas,' fiercely holding on to the notion that only THEIR tradition is the true one. They all do so while blissfully ignorant of the fact that an infinite cosmos is staring at them from every possible direction, making a mockery of every exclusivist view on the Eternal Order.

Yet, in every country, certainly in every city, there are those who renew in their hearts everyday the fresh realization of being related to everyone and everything, and who offer themselves in acts of service for no apparent reason other than to share the glory and awesomeness of life in every form. Some of them become volunteers for an ever-growing number of non-government organizations across the world that work for the alleviation of human suffering. Others serve in many other capacities, sometimes silently when they send out their affection, compassion and healing to many in sore need of non-physical help.

If it is true that the essence of Theosophy is altruism, then we need to recognize that there is quite a great deal of active Theosophy in the world. If theosophical studies cannot, or fail to, awaken a steady passion for altruistic action then perhaps the approach to them may be wrong or we are failing to reach their essential principles. Every fundamental theosophical principle is an eloquent statement on the profound relatedness that is at the very core of every expression of life.

We are all familiar with book-centered Theosophy. Can we now learn Theosophy from the classroom that is the world? Can we see how the spirit of the Wisdom-Teaching is informing many lives and organizations today, proclaiming with actions the essential oneness of all humanity? Or shall we maintain that Theosophy is for the few and that the Wisdom of the Ages is now under copyright?

Can the world teach us Theosophy?

Unperceived by most, there is a stream of Truth or Knowledge that runs through the foundation of all major religions, philosophies and ancient lore: from the infant days of humanity to the present day. Philosophically, It has been variously referred to as Archaic Wisdom-Religion, Atma-Vidya, Eclectic Philosophy, Esoteric Knowledge, Philaletheia, Heart or Secret Doctrine, Theosophia.

Its veracity has been corroborated by the experience of an unbroken line of adepts and mystics, who are promulgating It from generation to generation by word of mouth, ideograms, and texts. Irrigated by Their compassion and charity immortal, It explains the mysteries of Universe and Man.

Existentially, It unravels the mystery of consciousness and helps sincere enquirers to learn about the Science of Life, practice the Art of Living, and perceive the Wisdom of Being. It is the quintessence of our spiritual inheritance.

When by study and unselfish conduct sincere aspirants begin to ascend towards Its Eternal Verities, it can be said that the quest for personal development has begun in earnest. However, mystically speaking, only those of exceptional moral purity may approach It and hear the Voice of the Silence.

Dark clouds began to gather well before the archaic wisdom-religion was re-launched in the nineteenth century. It is a sad reflection of the human condition that the noble organisation whose declared aim was brotherhood itself has brought on unbrotherly attitudes towards its principal exponent. And towards those who wished to remain true to the Cause, even in this day and age.

In spite of the odds (and, perhaps, because of them), Theosophy has outlived a long and painful dystocia. It has been sprouting in the most unlike places, unconstrained by the old outfits most of which are dying shells. Its message is now available to all. H.P. Blavatsky’s COLLECTED WRITINGS are standard reference texts in public libraries; they are displayed in mainstream bookshops; and thanks to our American Brothers, they figure prominently in the world-wide web.

Increasing numbers of intelligent people are becoming active and loyal advocates of the Theosophical Cause. They work effectively but without much pomp and ceremony. Similarly to those Great Souls, who revived the old teachings, they remain unacknowledged and unthanked by anyone. A nucleus of universal brotherhood has been firmly established. The future is bright.

Damn, that is a tough couple of questions, especially since I have to take off my court jester hat and be serious. So here goes.

I am of the opinion that the definition of Theosophy and its direction are so intertwined that it is impossible to consider one without the other. Theosophy, as we know it, was a creation out of the nineteenth century, the time of Queen Victoria. We no longer live even in a shadow of that time, and our cultural perspective, at least in the American Empire, is not inclined to view the structure of the Cosmos with the same assumptions. The concept of a spiritual Hierarchy, as exemplified in the Mahatma Letters for example, is not merely alien to us. It is in some ways an unspoken abomination. Hence, any appeal to that hierarchical concept meets not only with conscious skepticism, but also with a culturally determined unconscious objection. (Theosophy is not the only victim of that. The Pope has to deal with it as well.) What has occurred in the last 50 years is that Theosophy has ceased to be cultural, in its own peculiar way, and has become counter-cultural, but not in a way that has appeal to the broader society.

This is not to say that Theosophy is doomed to be an institution made up of doctrinaire misfits, no matter what it may look like on the various mailing lists. It has shown a remarkable ability to evolve and adapt, sometimes in ways that the member of the Theosophical Society find disturbing and sometimes in ways they find utterly hilarious, but the process of evolution continues for all its occasional blunders and dead ends. It has learned to recognize its limitations. It is not going to be a world religion or any sort of world power as an institution and the older materials that promoted that are greeted now with justifiable revulsion from a goodly number of Theosophists, at least those who have even bothered to read them. The rejection of the dogmatic, at least in the Adyar society, has opened the doors for all manner of speculation and thought and this is a good thing for by being as open as it is, by allowing for spiritual experiment, it has created a zone of tolerance and freedom which is unlike any other spiritual organization.

When I first joined the Theosophical Society, over 25 years ago now, there was a little phrase on a bookmark in the Olcott Library. It said, "Find your path, dare to live it." Theosophy has become a safe haven for folks to do just that and that can only bode well for its future.

That "Theosophy World" is reaching its 100th issue is proof that there is health in the Theosophical world and that it has a future. E-zines such as T World, the "Aquarian Theosophist," and others reach thousands and have proved themselves of public appeal as they are still in existence after a trial of some years. These are esoteric publications mostly, or that one wouldn't understand what they are about without some previous philosophic delving. This is OK. I know I wouldn't have understood it either, or at least be attracted, without several years of interest and being enthralled by other systems and specialities. What I realize now is that Blavatsky Theosophy is in a class by itself.

What does the Future hold? It seems an odd occurence that one happens to be born in a time when such Philosophy as Blavatsky's is readily available. Why now?, one wonders. Such avatars come often previous to a time of chaos for civilization in general, one can gather from the literature. Look at Jesus coming just a few centuries before the medieval European period, the destruction of all the mystery-schools, and the plunging of Europe into a dark age. Is something similar or a grander scale about to happen to our present civilization?

There's a Theosophical claim that an effort is made since the time of Tsong-Ka-pa by Blavatsky's Trans-Himalayan school to elevate we western barbarians in the last 25 years of each Century. We're now in the negative automatic reaction to that effort. It was perhaps poorly expected that such an effort would be made through the Theosophical movement, and this did not overtly happen. We did, however, have a huge surgence in interest in Buddhism and the Dalai Lama becoming a world figure and winner of a nobel prize. This is satisfying of the Theosophical prophecy fulfilled, I think. What may happen at the end of this century, one wonders - a democratic world-fulment, a new religion that arises out of computer science and the internet, a resurgence of Druidism, evidence and contact with a civilization on a planet of Alpha-Centauri, or a resurgence and purifying of Hinduism?

Or our civilization may descend into chaos. First and second world countries are relying nearly totally on computers, and will more so in the future. Computers require a very high degree of perfect order to work at all, and thus the corresponding potential for complete chaos exists as well. The likelyhood of an underground technocracy also exists, and possibly already does exist to some extent. Science Fiction novels and movies (Mad Max, The Terminator, etc.) of "life after the fall" are omniprevalent. Perhaps this is the voice of the subconscious seeing the future, and what has occured many times before in our own and Atlantean civilizations. The future of Blavatsky Theosophy, the wisdom-religion, may be the property of isolated books here and there, of computer files saved haphazardly and ending up at anarchistic communities.

Why worry about it, one wonders. Well, for one thing, from a quasi-selfish viewpoint, one passing on the information to following generations may increase the likelyhood that when he is reborn again, that the information may be available, and lives saved and improved in a real sense. So that web file of those

Blavatsky articles you decided to take the time to save to disk, might inadvertently save a civilization down the road, or even a few more lives.

As is well known to all students, the word "Theosophy" has never been defined in any official document of the Theosophical Society, but this does not mean that Theosophy itself is simply an amorphous "something" nor is it a "catch-all" term for anything one wishes to believe. Rather, then, than saying what Theosophy IS, I prefer to suggest certain distinguishing characteristics of the term.

First, Theosophy as a word which can be explored either in terms of its roots or in terms of whatever has usually been understood as its content. Second, as a "doctrine" or "teaching," a philosophy or a metaphysic embracing a specific worldview. And third, as a way of life, a mode of being in the world. Each of these characteristics may be examined separately or seen as interdependent, one leading to and including the others.

As a word, then, Theosophy is usually defined in terms of its Greek origins, THEOS and SOPHIA. Theos we consider as the basis for such words as god, the gods, divine, sacred, but when examined more deeply, we may note that its verbal root has the essential meaning of that which grows or expands from within, a creative energy or force. Sophia as wisdom or discriminative intelligence is then inherent in the creative process, and one may recall the Scriptural text that "By wisdom God created all things," which by implication tells us that not only did intelligence or wisdom come first but that it inheres in all that exists in a manifested universe, hence all things are sacred. This has always been, for me, the fundamental premise of Theosophy: the universe and all that it contains is not only one substance, one "thing," however diverse may be the forms through which that one-ness exhibits itself, but in its manifoldness is everywhere sacred, participating in the divine.

As a doctrine or teaching, Theosophy comprises fundamental principles, among which may be numbered unity, polarity, cyclicity, lawfulness, etc. A full detailing of Theosophy as teaching would take us far beyond the bounds of this brief exposition and, of course, has been the subject matter of numerous books from ancient times to the present, with modern Theosophy dating more explicitly from the time of the publishing of the works of H.P. Blavatsky.

Especially significant, I believe, is the recognition that Theosophy, to be truly meaningful as a doctrine, must be exhibited in one’s life. It is, essentially, a way of life, which means a way of being, of acting, of thinking, of feeling, in the world. Theosophy, from such a point of view, is not so much a noun as a verb. It is not so much a teaching to be learned as a process to be experienced, just as in the mystery schools of old, the neophyte was led to the experience of an inner reality that could never be fully explicated in any language, but which by its very nature transformed the initiate, a new birth revealing a new being. This is the age-old process known as theurgy, for we are called on to perform a work of the gods, by so transforming ourselves that we transform the world.

And it is because of this third characteristic of Theosophy that we can perceive where it may be going. First, Theosophy as a wisdom reveals itself in our being as we grow into it; until we do grow into it, transforming ourselves in the process, the principles and concepts remain fragmentary. We must accept, in all humility, that no written text or scripture, however profound, could ever contain the whole of a wisdom which is as vast as the universe itself. As a wise sage once said, "You must not only learn the truth, you must suffer it." And to suffer the truth, to bear it, is to live it in such a way that even as we discover deeper and deeper aspects of truth, our lives are transformed. So where is Theosophy going? It must pierce the very essence of our being until we become the carriers, the embodiment of that wisdom, becoming in some mysterious and perhaps limited manner co-creators with the Ultimate One, with the responsibility for aiding the upward ascent of all life. If we are true to the inherent meaning of Theosophy, as a word, as a teaching, as a way of life, we - like those great ones who have gone before us - may become by our presence a blessing on the world, we may become authentic Theosophists.

What is Theosophy? Its Greek derivation, THEOSOPHIA, literally, "wisdom of the gods" or "God" is often presented as a definition of sorts. However, it does not include the fact that there are many theosophies - or, to put it another way, theosophy takes many forms, and did not begin with the Theosophical Society. For instance, the German mystic Jacob Boehme called himself a "theosopher" over two centuries before the Theosophical Society was established. The seventeen or so founders of the Theosophical Society, who discovered (says Olcott) the word in Webster's dictionary, would have noted that Webster's definition speaks of theosophy as a quest for the divine through certain practices, and includes the Kabbalists and Fire Philosophers among the practitioners of theosophy. From that definition, we can easily add the Gnostics, Jnana and Raja yogis, Christian mystics (including Boehme), Buddhists, Sufis and so on.

Is the development of a technique or practice for exploring the divine secrets of nature what the founders had in mind? I suspect so - at least partly. However, within twenty years the Theosophical Society began to splinter into numerous traditions. So even the Theosophical Society has spawned many theosophies.

HPB required daily meditation for her E.S. members. Near the end of her life, she had a meditation room constructed that featured a skylight of blue glass. It appears from her actions and from Alice Cleather's testimony that HPB was preparing to further initiate one or more of her closest followers into some kind of practice. So, I would conclude that practice formed an aspect of what HPB meant by Theosophy. Of course, HPB's voluminous writings also suggests that her Theosophy has a knowledge aspect - that is, the kind of knowledge, that when properly understood, would lead one toward the divine.

Therefore, I define theosophy as any system of knowledge or practice, or combination of both, designed to, and when properly executed, leads one towards a realization of the divine.

Where is Theosophy going in today's world? If you mean the theosophies spawned by the Theosophical organizations, they appear to be in decline everywhere except in South America. At their height of popularity, those groups, even taken together, never numbered more than fifty thousand or so followers. I suspect that the karma these organizations created for themselves has and will continue to dampen their growth for the foreseeable future.

More important, are the ideas the Theosophical organizations put into the thought atmosphere. These ideas seem to be reappearing everywhere and, I believe that, in their various manifestations, have been an important factor in moving, at least the Western world, towards a greater tolerance and inclusiveness - though there is much more to be done. Then again, if one means theosophy in the more universal sense that I defined above, humanity as a whole, is evidently already "hard wired" to respond to this theosophy, and this theosophy will continue in its numberless forms as long as there is a humanity to respond to it.

I think we first need to draw a line between how we see the future of Theosophy and how we see the future of the TS, though many of us who've been in the movement a long time sometimes confuse the two! Theosophy being an attempt to describe the 'Truth,' 'God Wisdom,' or 'Nature as it is in Itself' is eternal - past, present, and future. There will always be students yearning for this Wisdom, and friends of the 'Light' who will seek to apply it in a troubled world to alleviate suffering as our forebears have done in ages past. Here in Australia, we have recently been the subject of terrorist attack on our citizens in neighboring Indonesia and we have the heart-wrenching spectacle of the recent atrocities of the school hostage crisis in Russia. These spectacular events drive home how much the message of Brotherhood as a fact in Nature is needed in the world and how much work we have to do individually and as a group to make brotherhood a living reality and not just a platitude in today's and tomorrow's world.

The TS on the other hand, is one of many organizations throughout the ages and today that has attempted to provide the living message of the Hierarchy of Compassion to the world as long as it remains a sincere and vital instrument to do so. Many people within the TS watch with alarm at its declining membership and influence in the world. In Universities and amongst informed readers of our vast literature, the TS is generally looked upon as an historical phenomenon rather than a living force for spirituality and alleviation of suffering in today's world. How are we in the TS to deal with this perception and remain enthusiastic and vital servants of the Hierarchy of Light through the TS? Ask each TS worker and you'll get a different answer! Some see it as a question of becoming more 'relevant,' 'modern,' or 'popular' in terms of the subject matter of our meetings and literature. Others, in using the Internet and other modern communications technology more effectively.

For me, I would see it in remaining sincere and capable outlets for the 'Light' into the world for the sake of alleviating suffering. To do this we need to reach for the original 'Fire' that animated and characterized the work of the TS Founders. This is an inner work largely, which reflects itself in the outer world in many ways including service to the TS. It also means remaining open-minded and responsive to the many ways in which the 'Fire' reaches the outer world. This requires an open-mindedness, enthusiasm, and questing spirit characteristic of the early years of the TS and not to become too comfortable with what we have achieved within the walls of our TS temple, so carefully constructed over the past 130 years.

In essence, I don't believe we can look to the TS as a popular spiritual movement attracting multitudes of devotees. To me we should look to ignite the 'Fire' of brotherhood and spiritual knowledge in the hearts of all we encounter in our daily life inside and outside of the TS. We should also attempt to provide philosophic depth when appropriate, as far as we can, to the spiritual experiences of those we encounter, rather than looking to build yet another monolithic spiritual organization. In the words of The Buddha, I believe we should do what we can to 'Light a thousand lamps' in the hearts of individuals and the light will gradually grow to illumine a dark world.

I have known the quest for Theosophical truth most of this life. It has been the high point of this life and perhaps its focus. In truth, although there is family and the work-a-day world, which are of strong significance, the search for truth in each of those is always in the background. For how can an individual really understand himself well enough to make decisions that are meaningful and with consistency and integrity, if the truth be left out of these worldly concerns.

However, this does not mean that love, humor, and malleability are overlooked, as if they were somehow secondary to an honest life. And, let know one think that such an aim implies the ability to be all that one would. Here Paul's phrase from The New Testament is useful to recall, regarding the problem; that which one would do, one does not, and that which one would not do, one does.

There is the Karma of the past, in all three modes of Spiritual, Psychological, and Physical to contend with. This karma will fight one for the high ground of control over ones thoughts and actions. Here is precisely where Theosophy is needed to be brought into the fight, and that is the message of the Bhagavad-Gita, where Krishna might be seen as Theosophy in Arjuna's life.

First, so that one can apply Theosophical concept in the world, one needs to know the field of application. To that end an individual needs to admit that this field is first himself, for this karma is their own. During this process, they may become fit to assist others to do the same. Yes, this should be the aim of an altruistic life from the beginning, and to this, the following quotation from THE VOICE OF THE SILENCE comes to mind,

"Self Knowledge is of loving deeds, the child."

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