To submit papers or news items, subscribe, or unsubscribe, write to: theos-world@theosophy.com. Please note that the materials presented in THEOSOPHY WORLD are the intellectual property of their respective authors and may not be reposted or otherwise republished without prior permission. This edition is republished and translated with the consent of THEOSOPHY WORLD editor Eldon B. Tucker.

The Mission of Theosophy or Theosophists in the Twenty-First Century can truly provide a bridge or footing for the curious human ego through which the serious and the spiritually gifted or the inspired may ponder the cosmic self evident within the body Theosophical truths in order develop and enhance the conception of human knowledge, a perception of one's own Spiritual abilities. And last but not least one's own connection with IT.

In such place or space, one may pursue and work with the imaging processes, within the Theosophical tenets to control this part of self with discipline so that he or she may clearly see or perceive beyond entrenched and enslaving musty ideas that corrode modern thought. It so obvious that ultimately the Theosophist or student of Theosophy not only reveals Theosophy to themselves and others but also in fact reveals one's own eternal mission in this lifetime and all others. This discovery brings the knowledge as to how to guide ones own empowerment, life experiences and path regardless of the problems or obstacles, which may arise in your environment.

Thus, with Theosophy as your tool or artists paintbrush you now become the creator of your own reality and life instead of being torn and dashed by negativism, which often bombards the student from the world outside of Theosophical thought, study, or lifestyle. Consequently, you remain the calm in the balanced center of your being.

What a gallant idea for 'In My View!' You may truly become the vessel, the vehicle, or the temple of Theosophy to shed the illumination and Light for humanity in this century and all others.

Theosophy is a philosophical world-view that offers me more nearly complete answers to the question, "Why is it that I am that I am?" The answers of theosophy I find more whole than do those of any other philosophy, science, or religion with which I am aware. The various disciplines of modern science offer only a stale slice of the answer that at best often becomes a dry loaf of information on "How" more than "Why." It is the same with the diverse religions. In a sense, it is the same within the divisions of theosophy itself. For me then, theosophy is more an internal state of affairs reflecting upon the nature of "Why." When my heart is open, my mind clear, my soul searching, and my spirit illuminated - then theosophy is active in me.

My reunion with theosophy this time was via the internet. Internet theosophy is growing. A great majority of the texts both ancient and modern are available online. New web sites are being started and the older ones are being updated regularly. There are several E-zines as well. The discussion lists are also multiplying and should the trend continue, perhaps awareness of theosophy will "mainstream" into the public consciousness.

In some ways, internet theosophy is quite distinct from brick and mortar theosophy. The internet allows me to experience and validate for myself the many facets of theosophy instead of just the one or few perspectives housed in a particular building. The internet allows me an opportunity to find theosophy where I last left it, to pick it up again and examine it from every angle, and through theosophy to regain my sense of balance and ultimately my sense of Self. Finally, the internet allows me to meet and exchange ideas with people of diverse backgrounds and unique theosophical interests on a much broader scale than I might expect to find in a lodge-type setting.

In the end, I recognize that theosophy is not a "thing" on the internet anymore than it is a "thing" found in books or a building somewhere. Theosophy is an internal process that gives my soul a voice originating from the monadic center of my being and affecting every aspect of my life with an appreciation for the unity of all things. It is the catalyst for recognizing the essence of my Self in all others and the essence of all others in my Self. Most of all, to me, it continually draws me inward to my own experiences on other planes for meaningful verification through Self-illumination. I believe that this illumination of the Self is the purpose of theosophy. As such, I find that theosophy fills the natural world in the forms of art, literature, poetry, music, comedy, and love, to list but a few forms. Whatever contributes, however great or slight, to the opening up of the self to the presence of the Self is theosophy. For this reason, I try to avoid arguments and debates that point to a particular external rendition of theosophy as being more "true" than others are. In my view, once the Self is illuminated, the potential for Truth is rediscovered internally. As such, all external renditions of theosophy, no matter the authority, are only shadows in comparison.

Some say there have been profound shifts in perception since the founding of the Theosophical Society some 130 years ago. Others argue that these are minor, possibly cyclical shifts in the age-long understanding and practice of the perennial, Ancient Wisdom. I will touch briefly upon four aspects.

One element undoubtedly new today, or at least apparelled in new garb, is our perception of scientific knowledge and understanding. We accept, for example, that in the axial era of the Pre-Socratics and Plato, and of Lord Buddha and early Oriental thought, a similar openness of perception and keenness of insight existed. Today, significantly in the West, a mass of scientific application and technological advancement now provides an immensely wider field of vision for philosophy and metaphysics.

From the beginning of the last century through its first decades, the discoveries of relativity and quantum mechanics played a vital role in the shifting of metaphysical perceptions. While startling at the time, we now find popular science routinely dealing with parallel universes, multi-universes, string theory, and first causes, albeit material. (See the article by Tegmark in the May 2003 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN and many of the subsequent issues on similar topics.) The "laws of complexity," and complexity theory, commonly referred to by scientists and philosophers today, are similar, if not identical, to the laws of KARMA in their effect. When we study, as we are encouraged to do, comparative science and comparative philosophy, we are undoubtedly, and literally, in a brave new world.

Another element - one which, sadly, flags in creative energy - is constituted by some of the mass spiritual movements or religions. Anybody with an inkling of understanding of KARMA will perceive that the action and its consequences count, not the actor. You cannot, for example, have righteous evil, or unrighteous good; the laws of KARMA just do not function in that way. Just as the Creator Gods who, wrapped in meditative adoration of the Supreme, thus went lacking in their task of creation, were condemned to rebirth. (See THE SECRET DOCTRINE.) St. Paul rightly compared the righteousness of faith (ROMANS, Chapters 3 and 4) - or preferably the righteousness of conviction - and the righteousness of law. In our study of religion and theosophy, we must strive to understand and practice the righteousness of our conviction. That alone leads to our objective, the formation of the human brotherhood.

Understanding versus Practice

An issue that has long accompanied the declared theosophist is the relative roles of theory (the acquisition of learning and knowledge) versus the daily practice of brotherly theosophy. In this respect, Eastern cultures, particularly Buddhism, have always laid more emphasis on the DHAMMA, the practice of theosophy in everyday life, with which the probing mind of the Western occultist needs to be more in harmony. We need to find an ever-greater harmonious balance between study (the quest for knowledge), meditation (the "in-spiration" of divine insight), and service (the quest for and practical application of brotherhood). As the Hindu would say, we need to achieve the harmonious integration of Jnana, Bhakti, and Karma Yogas. (See THE SYNTHESIS OF YOGA by Sri Aurobindo.)

This leads us to the principal Object of our Society. It is far more important and encompasses the others, namely, "to form a nucleus of the Universal Brotherhood of Humanity, without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste, or colour" (first Object). "Nucleus" does not imply an elite sub-sect of the great Universal Brotherhood, but rather the recognition that everything cannot change overnight. We begin with a nucleus and work forward from there. In these terms, the exhortation of our Objects is still and perennially valid. We equip ourselves with learning and understanding, each to our own ability (second Object). We strengthen our spiritual frame in manifestation by insight, meditation, and detachment (third Object).

We operate integrally in this life in service to and within humanity, our brothers and sisters. Indeed, this service includes all sentient manifestation, as Annie Besant correctly recognizes. (Consider her invocation, "O Hidden Life.") We serve as best as we can perceive in executing the Divine Plan for Humanity and for the overall evolution of the manifest universe.

We Theosophists care a very great deal about the spiritual state of the world. In this topsy-turvy world of the Kali Yuga, we may look around and be quite distressed at the apparent immorality and injustice of the world around us.

Of course, it can be difficult for us to assess the state of the whole human race on this score. We know the affairs of man less well as we reach our minds to further and further removed places and situations on earth. We may sense that even the immediate world around us may not reflect well the larger whole. We hear various forms of remarks that the Theosophical groups have reasons to be discouraged about their abilities to attract and hold newcomers. Finally, there may come a time when, like Arjuna, we feel like dropping the bow. So the purpose of these few words is to offer a few ideas that may suggest a broader more underlying success for Theosophy in this world.

The information presented here is of course not definitive. It leaves many questions. But hopefully it will raise many questions and, after some thought, encourage us to keep up the battle.

To me, the most striking data point is found on Amazon.com. Amazon gives there the sales rank of THE SECRET DOCTRINE. The paperback version of THE SECRET DOCTRINE as published by the Theosophical University Press is listed with a sales rank that to me is very high. At the moment of writing this, it is about

72,000. That means only about 72,000 other books are selling better at Amazon than THE SECRET DOCTRINE. Isn't that amazing? For some perspective, they offer about one million books. That means about 928,000 books sell worse that THE SECRET DOCTRINE. That suggests that there is a strong desire on the part of people to reach for the knowledge contained in that book. We know it is difficult reading. All the more striking that they purchase the book in that quantity.

Another suggestive indicator comes from google.com. We can visit that site, enter a variety of different terms, and see at the top of the resulting page, the number of pages on the internet that contain the given word. For example, I asked about the word "justice" and Google said there were 28,000,000 pages on the internet containing that word. Quite impressive! The total number of people concerned about the subject will of course be much larger. Some people don't put up web pages. Some don't have access to the internet. And some sites have more than one page on the subject. In this case, there is one caveat. Many of the references were to Departments of Justice and that was not quite what I had in mind. However, the word "ethics" seems just right. It yields 11,000,000 web pages! That seems to me dramatic.

The idea of ethics is so important to the internet world that eleven million pages have been put online containing that specific word.

So there is a conclusion. Yes, our organizations are having trouble sustaining their numbers. However, the interest level in the world at large in the subjects of concern to us is much larger than we might have suspected.

The appearance of the hundredth issue of THEOSOPHY WORLD is remarkable in our fast-living time. For a number of years, I happily find it in my email regularly on the first of the month. In the days of the esoteric and theosophical supermarket, this magazine stands for genuine theosophical information of high quality. Over many years, hundreds of selected articles have appeared. It presents hard-to-find quality articles without distinction of theosophical lineage. Its goal is to promote the truth of our pukka theosophical doctrines rather than the selfish ideology of party-liners who primarily want to make their organization look good.

That is the right way. We need access to unaltered source information, an insight growing among Blavatsky students, which is a good sign. Every 2,160 years, the Masters of Wisdom and Compassion send a Messenger from the snowy ranges to launch a new era, reminding human beings of the perennial wisdom, the divine knowledge. The keynote is struck once more. Although tuned to the special outer and inner conditions of humankind, the melody is always the same. In each era, those with ears to hear will hear.

So it was in the past and so it will be in the future. An Avatara came down to restore the lost heritage to us spiritual greenhorns of weak mind and will. Never before in recorded history has one of them opened the horn of plenty so widely. Also remarkable was that this outpouring was not simply oral teaching.

The Messenger himself - note I refer to her as male - and his chelas were allowed to write down the fundamentals of the occult science. The result is that since the last quarter of the nineteenth century we have in the West a quantity of esoteric literature never seen before. We can trace every modern esoteric group - under whatever name, be it Rosicrucian, freemason, kabalistic, new psychology, or whatever - back directly or indirectly to the last great messenger, whether they know and admit it or not.

We are now in the second century since Helena Blavatsky did her work. It is the most remarkable presentation in thousands of years. Honest critics admit it. From decade to decade, people understand her better. Part of what HPB taught orally is lost for the Theosophical Movement and humankind in general. Among the various theosophical lineages, there is even disagreement on those tenets that came down to us in written form. That is natural, as there is more than one form of reading in the occult realm.

Some claim to know all that HPB taught. Some believe the convictions of another theosophical lineage are wrong because they find this information missing in their own tradition. Nowadays, 113 years since HPB's physical passing, Theosophists do not even agree if she had a successor. The belief depends on which lineage's viewpoint we accept and whether we accept exoteric or esoteric insights.

After each outpouring of Wisdom, it fades away, increasingly misunderstood or lost over time. That is the karma of every Messenger and of every human generation. We saw this happen when the Christ and the Buddha did their work. Party-liners, those taking all in a blind-letter way believing they understood best, aggressively persecuted the early Christians (Gnostics) that still knew most of the occult tenets.

We Theosophists of today must not repeat the errors of old. We must not follow the same astral tracks. The Blavatsky Tradition is the middle way, the way of the Bodhisattvas. To be of benefit for the world, we must face its problems and needs. We must speak out. Theosophists must lead, preventing the world from dangers, by stirring up the interest of the highest minds, as one of HPB's gurus wrote so well. Theosophy ensouls us and makes a better world.

The Great Ones do not work from to time. They are always working for us, but do not do our homework. We must become responsible and wise. We must learn our lessons and do our duties. All they can do is help us help ourselves. That archaic truth never changes. We do not draw them down to us. We rise up to them by becoming increasingly ensouled, ever-more wise.

That is the way out of our moral crisis, not by a lower desire to become a clairvoyant or to learn other lower siddhis. The astral world is in opposition to the spiritual world. The Masters of Wisdom and Compassion call us up to them. Do we heed their calling?

The time is ripe for a revitalization of theosophy. I dare say that a radicalization is necessary for theosophy to become a force for the transformation of the world once again. Radicalization is most literally a return to roots and in this aspect superficially resembles reactionary movement. These are in fact the two choices facing the stewards of theosophy today: continue echoing the utterances of a century ago with thinly veiled faith in a theosophical dogma, or reinvoke the spirit that propelled the original voices on to the world stage. We can be reactionaries, or we can be radicals.

It has been said that every institution, in order to perpetuate itself, must betray the impulse that founded it. Individuals are charismatic, dedicated to growth, even self-transcendence, and capable of challenging norms; institutions are not. Theosophy today is as the state of Israel in Jesus’ time, an ossified spiritual impulse impotently acting out the letter of the law in a land dominated by forces antithetical to higher callings.

Blavatsky was in her time a voice crying out in the wilderness, but who has the ears to truly hear?

Theosophy, in its institutionalized form, has betrayed itself. This betrayal is undoubtedly rooted in a compassionate spirit for it wishes to live on to share the teachings it has found so valuable. In its drive to stay alive, however, it risks forgetting the reason for its existence. Theosophy is nothing if not a call to awaken, but can we really awaken others with nothing but recitals of insights from past generations?

We must remember that the founders of theosophy sought to create a nucleus of the universal brotherhood, show the truth behind religion, philosophy, science and the arts, and explore the richness of human potential. To do so they had to combat the dogmatism and materialism of their day. If we want to be true to the theosophical mission, if we wish to be radicals rather than devotees, we must return to this spirit rather than the letters they carved. Our resources, in every possible way, should be put towards developing and embodying spiritual community, encouraging quality scholarship on the commonalities underlying the sciences, philosophies, religions, and arts of both history and today, and actively acclaiming and heralding advances in transpersonal psychology, paranormal studies, and any other field pushing the boundaries of what we know about humanity and nature. In doing so we would be challenging the still dominant cognitive paradigm of scientific materialism and offering an alternative to the increasingly dangerous world of religious fundamentalism.

As theosophists, we are well schooled in the law of cyclicity. Further, theosophical teachings provide us with a historical perspective that slows the movements of time to glacial speed. Given this, we can be prone to a dangerous passivity, a too quiet faith that theosophy will survive. And yes, in as much as it is a perennial truth, theosophy will survive, even if it must hibernate in a pralayic slumber, patiently dreaming while it awaits a new Spring of human consciousness.

I, for one, sense winter’s thaw and a new dawn. I, like many, believe the new generation of theosophists has returned to aid humanity in a crucial period. I, like everyone else, know that theosophy is uniquely equipped to sow seeds of transformation. We each have a grave responsibility to participate. What shape will that participation take? For my part, it will be radical theosophy.

My earliest exposure to theosophy was through its primary emphasis on Universal Brotherhood and the lack of any formal dogma or blind beliefs and this has not changed over the years. Keeping this idea in mind in our everyday activities, we make theosophy a way of life rather than a theoretical and intellectual speculation.

Advances in transportation and communication have dramatically changed the world environment in the last couple of decades. Distances have shrunk due to airline transportation. Communication with instant access to anyone in any part of the world is eliminating geographical and national boundaries. The Internet is providing a means to access a vast amount of information instantaneously on any subject, at little cost, from any part of the world. In the past, vested interests controlled information using various tricks and techniques, all of which are crumbling before the juggernaut of the Internet.

With the shrinking of the world, men and women are getting interested in other cultures and philosophies. This is slowly getting them out of their blind belief systems. Today, no one questions the idea of Universal Family (Brotherhood and Sisterhood). Who can tell what the visible or invisible contribution of theosophy is in the dissemination of this idea? With the increased interest in everything eastern, individuals are exploring eastern philosophy, leading to various ideas theosophy has expounded. While we may not find much attention paid to ideas formally labeled "theosophy," these ideas are bound to affect people, however slowly. Indeed, the fundamental objective of the modern presentation of theosophy is to better the world thorough changing human nature. While we may not see dramatic evidence of this change, it is happening. In the changing environment, formal organizations with their vested interests are increasingly ignored. One day, we may wake up and be pleasantly surprised to find a radically changed world. Who can foresee what that would be it and how long it will take?

Theosophy is experience of life through a method of dealing with life and human relations. This method is based on an understanding of man, which places at one's disposal the means to organize one's relationships and one's learning systems. So instead of saying that Theosophy is a body of thought in which you believe certain things and don't believe other things, we say that the Theosophical experience has to be provoked in a person. Once provoked, it becomes his own property, rather as a person masters an art. Theosophy is a learning about how to provoke the Theosophical experience and learning how to learn.

Theosophy is to be aware of, that before man can know his own inadequacy, or the competence of another man or an apparent institution, he must first learn something that will enable him to perceive both. Note well that his perception itself is a product of right study; - and not a product of instinct or emotional attraction to the individual, nor of desiring to 'go it alone'. This is Learning How To Learn. And this is truly Theosophy.

Theosophy is also altruism, whereby we theosophists always manifest our compassionate nature. Theosophists understand with their hearts what the most learned scholars cannot understand with their minds. Theosophical thoughts always come from the heart of compassion. The deeply rooted energy of compassion pours out from our spiritual hearts and grows up through our heads as wisdom. Then out the top of the heads, it spreads to benefit all beings in our boundless spiritual universe.

The use of Theosophical ideas and teachings are to shape a man or woman and life in general, not to support a system - which is viewed in a limited manner. This is one way in which the Wisdom Teachings are 'living' and not just by the perpetuations of ideas and movements like for instance The Theosophical Society or similar groups.

Theosophy is the Wisdom Teachings of all ages. It adapts it self to time, place, people and circumstances. It is not the promotion of materialism, but it is the promotion of esoteric matters. It is however aware of the need for attracting individuals when they are in need for such an attraction. We also know that Theosophy is at its core spiritual quality much more than it is spiritual quantity. Quality members and quality teachings are best.

Theosophy, as well as other paths of wisdom, looks to me as an inspirational tool which can help the sincere person to find his or her way to living a life of harmonious activity with the Cosmic Divine Impulse. It took many years of assimilating the basic truths, which I have received, and how to implement them in daily life. Today I would call it a transition from darkness to light, from ignorance to knowledge, from a source of suffering to a cause of healing.

It worked out simultaneously with a deeper and deeper feeling that I am part and parcel of a vast *Divine Machinery*, and I have a part to play. I had to learn basic truths: That a person on Earth, in this phase of spiritual evolution, can obtain only a fraction of the picture, i.e. a human vision is always limited. A broader picture can be seen only when humans cooperate and work together with harmony. Their limited understandings are being brought together, and together, as a unified body, their collective vision is being broadened.

I could feel a deeper and deeper communion, deep in the heart, with majestic Divine Beings, infinitely intelligent, compassionate and wise. Willing always to help ignorant humanity, but humanity, excluding very few, has turned her back to the light and sank into darkness.

I see that my role is staying attuned to these Loving Divine Beings; the key for healing humanity is with their hands. Humanity will never be able to heal itself independently, in spite of all the knowledge she is accumulating through the physical science. I always can choose to stay tranquil and loving amidst the tumult of desperate humans, who try to find a sane corner in this mad asylum which they have created for themselves. I can always keep silently my focus on the Divine Beloved, whose residence is within the heart, but a heart which reached a certain degree of stability, a heart that the wild winds of the world cannot disturb. The assimilation of divine Truths can help us reach this state, a tranquil mind and a stable heart, and this seems to me at present as the highest form of service on Earth, and of course, the more people will join, the bigger the hope for the New Humanity. Theosophy can serve as a great help here.

I do not pretend to be an expert on Theosophy. It has held a special place in my heart, however, for at least 20 years. For some time, I corresponded with my grandmother, the beloved (now passed) theosophist Virginia G. Hanson, about various spiritual and mystical topics, and she sent me some books, magazines, and wisdom. I always felt a great sense of peace when reading these. Theosophy addressed issues that I did not feel received adequate attention in modern mainstream religions, and that experience - combined with the shining example of two people who seemed to have found their niche in life, my grandmother and her longtime friend, Joy Mills - led me to become a member. I felt at home with the idea that not only humans but also other creatures were all part of one interrelated Whole, something I had always instinctively felt but that had not been reinforced. I heard later that my grandmother had said she knew I was a theosophist and wondered how long it would take me to realize it. In my last letter to her, which Joy read at her bedside, I told her I had joined. The reply, "Tell Christine I am thrilled." That was the last time I heard from her.

At this disturbing time in world history, an approach like Theosophy has much to give us. Its own history is a story of pioneering spirits who broke new ground in realizing and illustrating the ways in which various mythologies around the globe share a common essence and goal - that of uniting us with Spirit. I believe that philosophies such as Theosophy, Unitarian Universalism, and the human rights movement represent the earliest dawn of what I think of as "Global Man." This is the natural result of the evolution of human consciousness in a shrinking world, as we bump into the Other more and more and the thinkers among us begin to realize how much he or she, though different, is like us in so many ways. In former times, it made sense in terms of sheer survival for tribes to draw a bright line in the sand and say, "No further." The small world in which we now find ourselves no longer fully supports such an approach. Self-defense is sometimes required, of course, but surely, the Spirit from which we emanate would not want Its creations to kill and maim each other in Its name - the logical end result of an arrogant certitude.

The only philosophies that can save us from mutual annihilation (or at least constant threat of it) are those that support mutual respect. We can be proud that Theosophy has always stood tall in this regard, and we can rededicate ourselves to carrying into an uncertain future the torch of understanding and humility in the face of the mysteries of the Divine. The effort will be a long road that will stretch many centuries into the future. Our work is just beginning.

Theosophy refers to a special knowledge of both the material (the cosmos) and the non-material (the divine) realms. This special knowledge reveals not only a connectivity between the two realms but also a special power to transform the individual. However one wishes to explain the origins of the Theosophical Society, it must be concluded that many, if not all of the founders of the society expected to acquire not merely theoretical Theosophical knowledge but also a practical result of leading to individuals' existential transcendence.

The Theosophical Society was founded at a crisis in the evolution of humanity. Several cycles, some very large, had come to a conjunction that made it possible for the Masters of Wisdom to bring together on the plane of manifestation a small handful of people who had earned the right to try to bring to earth the force that could raise the vibration of all humanity to the next higher level, to the level of the consciousness of Brotherhood, the Unity of all Life.

The evolution of humanity is the evolution of consciousness. "In the last analysis, Consciousness is everything," said William Quan Judge. Let's not forget it. We are what we think. The mind of humanity is a tremendously powerful force, capable of creating any reality it can imagine.

All of which tends to separate human beings belongs to the dark. All of which tends to unite us belongs to the Light. That is quite a useful yardstick to use to measure our own private behavior. Do we seek by our thoughts, words, and deeds to separate and divide, or to unify? It's sometimes a pretty uncomfortable question. However, it offers a promise. This is the best of all possible worlds because it presents us with the opportunities to redress past errors and mistakes, to recreate the past in the present, and to create a more positive harmonious future.

Why is the consciousness of Unity important? Each individual human being is a tiny universe, complete with all the elements in miniature that comprise the Universal Man, the Christos, the Watcher on the Threshold who sacrificed himself that we may live and learn to Love. All life comes from the unnamable One and to that Source it returns, bringing with it the fruits of its eons of labor, the increased consciousness that enables it to evolve along the eternal path from ignorance to cosmic consciousness.

We tread this path alone, and yet we are never alone. Our brothers and sisters of fire, earth, air and water surround us, indeed compose our very bodies, and the Father Sun shines down on us daily, renewing our will to carry on, to keep on trying, as the Mother Earth supplies us with all our needs. We are not separate, not on any level.

Here we are, at a crossroads in history, living in "interesting times," poised on the brink of something, we hardly dare imagine what. We can see that there is much that needs fixing, adjusting, realigning. The task is immense, beyond our comprehension really, let alone our capacity to control. And we are so small. Or are we? Every one of us was born here and now because we have some particular task to perform. We belong to this time. We may feel small and helpless, but we have the infinite power of destiny behind us. We are perfectly suited to make a difference. It doesn't matter that corrupt powers and principalities seem to dominate the structure of our world. It doesn't matter that we are invisible, that nobody knows or cares what we think or say or do. It doesn't even matter that we are imperfect and flawed, even tragically so. All that matters is that we try to keep trying to live according to our own highest ideals. It doesn't even matter what those ideals are. As long as we sincerely search our hearts, find the place of peace therein, devote our lives to trying to live according to what our heart counsels us to do, we are serving the cause for which we were born.

If we begin to doubt our ability to make a difference, we have only to remember that all Life is One. Nothing we do is without effect. Nothing. Everything affects everything else. We don't have to figure out what should happen. We just have to keep on trying to do the right thing. It's all geometry. If one tangled line is straightened out, others are straighter too. And we may as well accept and embrace the world we find ourselves in with joy and gratitude. As a student of the mysteries has recently been heard to say, "You can't be unhappy when you are grateful."

Theosophy offers FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES that enable us to approach an understanding of the universe and ourselves. These principles open an inclusive connection and UNITY WITH LIFE; they reveal a HARMONY of physical and moral law and affirm meaning; they give recognition to the CONTINUOUS JOURNEY of each being through greater levels of awareness. With this philosophy, we embrace life and LOSE FEAR OF DEATH. Its vision of time and space are so great we release all feelings of limits. Our essential task is the TRANSFORMATION of the material to the spiritual, the lower sense of separateness to a higher sense of oneness, a SHIFT OF OUR IDENTITY from the personal to an individuality that rests on that which is truly indivisible. The tool of this transition is "the law of laws" - COMPASSION. These fundamental principles of theosophy have now taken their place and are demanding attention on the world stage. They are in the form of ENVIRONMENTALISM as our home is truly threatened. They point to a common bond and esoteric BASIS FOR ALL RELIGIONS even as followers of several Western religions begin to engage in mortal combat. They have and are providing an open portal for the spiritual ideas of the East in the form of Buddhism and Hinduism to arouse a latent Western mysticism. They offer and provide a link of PHYSICS TO METAPHYSICS. They are connected to the best of Western psychology as exemplified in HUMANISTIC AND TRANSPERSONAL SCHOOLS. The stimulus for the NEW AGE MOVEMENT can be directly traced to the philosophy of theosophy. The very survival and inspiration for our world rests on these principles.