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Theosophy


Amita

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The whole of our literature proves that real Theosophists, worshipping universal wisdom, worship in reality the same wisdom which has been proclaimed by St. James in the third chapter of his Epistle [verse 17], i.e., “the wisdom that is from above (δοΦία ἄνωθεν [which] is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy,” avoiding, on the advice of the same Apostle [verse 15], wisdom that “is earthly, sensual, devilish (ψυχική δαιμονιώδης).”

Blavatsky supports the fact of the dual nature of our mind, which means this timeless notion of removing vice & fostering virtue cannot be ignored.  If one wishes to progress spiritually that is.

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1 hour ago, Amita said:

Blavatsky supports the fact of the dual nature of our mind, which means this timeless notion of removing vice & fostering virtue cannot be ignored.  If one wishes to progress spiritually that is.

Why not as a human, a person? Why does it always have to be spiritual.

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1 hour ago, Amita said:

Blavatsky supports the fact of the dual nature of our mind, which means this timeless notion of removing vice & fostering virtue cannot be ignored.  If one wishes to progress spiritually that is.

According to your dogma.

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Why would anyone think the human mind has a "dual nature"? And I'm pretty sure the "whole of our literature" doesn't prove anything, except, perhaps, that our worldviews are practically infinite in variation.

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7 hours ago, XenoFish said:

Why not as a human, a person? Why does it always have to be spiritual.

Then pick your own word for the higher mind of we humans.  

The main point is, that if the animal, selfish part of our mind rules over the higher selfless part of our mind, then we will never become human, much less godly or buddha-like.

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7 hours ago, Rlyeh said:

According to your dogma.

If you do not care for St James, the disciple of Christ, then study the 16th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.  That short chapter gives Krishna's more detailed explanation of the dual nature of humans.

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9 hours ago, XenoFish said:

Why not as a human, a person? Why does it always have to be spiritual.

Spirituality is an element within all humans  as part of our cognition.

It may not refer to religious spirituality but growing the person you are, and shaping your nature and  behaviours. 

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7 hours ago, DirtyDocMartens said:

Why would anyone think the human mind has a "dual nature"? And I'm pretty sure the "whole of our literature" doesn't prove anything, except, perhaps, that our worldviews are practically infinite in variation.

The human mind tends to think in dualities such as good/evil,  but I think this refers specifically to the duality of materialism vs spirituality That IS  recognised as an  age old issue, in human philosophy, theology, and literature.  

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6 hours ago, Amita said:

 

Then pick your own word for the higher mind of we humans.  

The main point is, that if the animal, selfish part of our mind rules over the higher selfless part of our mind, then we will never become human, much less godly or buddha-like.

https://www.sciencealert.com/first-evidence-for-a-higher-state-of-consciousness-found-by-scientists

I need drugs. All the drugs. Every single one of them.

 

Edited by XenoFish
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9 hours ago, Mr Walker said:

The human mind tends to think in dualities such as good/evil,  but I think this refers specifically to the duality of materialism vs spirituality That IS  recognised as an  age old issue, in human philosophy, theology, and literature.  

I don’t believe we think in dualities. Describe these things only in terms of good and evil- a dog; a lion; a homeless woman; a drug user; a crying baby; an architect; a pastor; a rock. Most of us are capable of describing these things along a spectrum of good or evil. “Duality” is a way to simplify writing so that the reader can find your subjects easily. It’s a rhetorical device. Also, consider Postmodern literature and the idea of the anti-hero. Or go way back to Achilles, who let his friends and fellows die because he was miffed. Good or evil? That’s the point of a lot of figures in literature- there are no absolutes. Gilgamesh- good or evil? The young Siddhartha- good or evil? Diogenes- good or evil? 

Edited by DirtyDocMartens
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9 hours ago, DirtyDocMartens said:

I don’t believe we think in dualities. Describe these things only in terms of good and evil- a dog; a lion; a homeless woman; a drug user; a crying baby; an architect; a pastor; a rock. Most of us are capable of describing these things along a spectrum of good or evil. “Duality” is a way to simplify writing so that the reader can find your subjects easily. It’s a rhetorical device. Also, consider Postmodern literature and the idea of the anti-hero. Or go way back to Achilles, who let his friends and fellows die because he was miffed. Good or evil? That’s the point of a lot of figures in literature- there are no absolutes. Gilgamesh- good or evil? The young Siddhartha- good or evil? Diogenes- good or evil? 

While we are capable of thinking in a spectrum, and indeed I use a value line which employs a spectrum, most humans think most commonly in dualities , The reason for this is that it is easier and simpler  and most humans are both a little bit lazy, and a little bit preoccupied, so they go for the easiest, simplest  solution 

You only have of think of the common phrases we employ to see how much opposites and dualities are a part of our thought process and language   hot and cold, black and white, good and evil  .Maybe it goes back to the essential qualities of gender  and self/non self 

The flawed hero is a deliberate exception, in myth and literature, but you will find that most readers will place the character as either good or evil in their own mind,  depending on their own values and perspectives.  One reason for this is the importance of predictability in human lives and safety.  We can't trust things or people who are unpredictable or two sided,   and thus they are a danger  (hence Janus) 

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My OP was aimed mainly at the dual nature of the mind of each of us, not so much good vs evil "out there".  The cartoon from GlitterRose says it clearly - our minds are composites of animal tendencies and angelic ones.  Whichever we indulge in most strongly & often, conditions our character in this lifetime and future ones.

For those who prefer to ignore or denigrate Blavatsky, here is Aldous Huxley beginning his classic The Perennial Philosophy:

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PHILOSOPHIA PERENNIS -- the phrase was coined  by Leibniz; but the thing -- the metaphysic that recognizes a divine Reality substantial to the world of things and lives and minds; the psychology that finds in the soul something similar to, or even identical with, divine Reality; the ethic that places man's final end in the knowledge of the immanent and transcendent Ground of all being -- the thing is immemorial and universal. Rudiments of the Perennial Philosophy may be found among the traditionary lore of primitive peoples in every region of the world, and in its fully developed forms it has a place in every one of the higher religions.

 

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Buddha, in the first two verses of the Dhammapada -- in the first chapter, titled "Twin Verses" -- gives the universal basis for being virtuous and not being wicked:

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All that we are is the result of what we have thought: all that we are is founded on our thoughts and formed of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain pursues him, as the wheel of the wagon follows the hoof of the ox that draws it. (1)

All that we are is the result of what we have thought: all that we are is founded on our thoughts and formed of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness pursues him like his own shadow that never leaves him. (2)

 

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Here is the Avatar Krishna in Bhagavad Gita chapter 16 giving some of the divine virtues that bring us closer to Divinity:

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The Blessed Lord said:

Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in Yoga of Self-knowledge, charitable gifts, control of the senses, sacrifice, study of the Sacred Scriptures, austerity and simplicity, [1]

Non-injury, truthfulness, absence of anger, renunciation, peace, absence of calumny, compassion to beings, non-covetousness, gentleness, modesty and absence of fickleness, [2]

Vigor, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, absence of hatred and pride, these belong to one born with the divine property. [3]

Krishna's list of characteristics of the demonic, I will post later.

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Here are some of the verses where Krishna describes the demonic nature:

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Ostentatiousness, arrogance and self-conceit, anger as well as cruelty and ignorance, belong to one born with the demonic property. [4]
The divine property is for liberation and the demonic for bondage. [5]
In this world there are twofold manifestations of beings; the divine and the demonic. The divine has been described at length. Hear from Me now of the demonic state. [6]
The demonic people know not how to follow right or how to refrain from wrong; there is neither purity, nor good conduct, nor truth in them. [7]
They say that "this universe is without truth, without a basis, without God, born of mutual union caused by lust.  What else is there?" [8]
Holding this view, these ruined souls, of small understanding and of fierce deeds, rise as the enemies of the world for its destruction. [9]
Filled with insatiable desires, possessed with hypocrisy, pride and arrogance, holding evil fancies through delusion, they work with unholy resolve. [10]

 

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On 9/8/2018 at 11:06 AM, Amita said:

Blavatsky supports the fact of the dual nature of our mind, which means this timeless notion of removing vice & fostering virtue cannot be ignored.  If one wishes to progress spiritually that is.

...just how reliable a source for spiritual wisdom is someone who is a known fraud? http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/colefraud.htm

And check the date. The person who wrote that did so in the 1890s. Didn't even need the internet to supply his knowledge.

--Jaylemurph

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Another source supporting the universal spiritual basis - ethics; in this case, Buddha:

7. The pleasure-seeker who finds delight in physical objects, whose senses are unsubdued, who is immoderate in eating, indolent and listless, him Mara (the Evil One) prevails against, as does the monsoon wind against a weak-rooted tree.

8. He who perceives no pleasure in physical objects, who has perfect control of his senses, is moderate in eating, who is unflinching in faith, energetic, him Mara does not prevail against any more than does the wind against a rocky mountain.

35. The mind is unstable and flighty. It wanders wherever it desires. Therefore it is good to control the mind. A disciplined mind brings happiness.

36. The mind is incomprehensible and exceedingly subtle. It wanders wherever it desires. Therefore, let the wise aspirant watch over the mind. A well-guarded mind brings happiness.

46. Recognizing this corporeal body to be evanescent as foam, comprehending this worldly nature as a mirage, and having broken the flower-arrows of Cupid (Mara), the true aspirant will go beyond the realm of the Evil One.

47. The hedonist who seeks only the blossoms of sensual delights, who indulges only in such pleasures, him the Evil One carries off, as a flood carries off the inhabitants of a sleeping village.

Dhammapada

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Not every theosophist has an identical understanding of the nature of man & the universe.  But here is how Blavatsky saw it:

"Far from us be the thought of the slightest irreverence — let alone blasphemy —
toward the Divine Power which called into being all things, visible and invisible.
Of its majesty and boundless perfection we dare not even think. It is enough for us
to know that It exists and that It is all wise. Enough that in common with our fellow
creatures we possess a spark of Its essence. The supreme power whom we revere is
the boundless and endless one — the grand "Central Spiritual Sun" by whose
attributes and the visible effects of whose inaudible will we are surrounded — the
God of the ancient and the God of modern seers. His nature can be studied only in
the worlds called forth by his mighty fiat. His revelation is traced with his own
finger in imperishable figures of universal harmony upon the face of the Cosmos. It
is the only infallible gospel we recognize."

Blavatsky, Isis Unveiled

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On 9/8/2018 at 11:16 PM, Amita said:

 

Then pick your own word for the higher mind of we humans.  

The main point is, that if the animal, selfish part of our mind rules over the higher selfless part of our mind, then we will never become human, much less godly or buddha-like.

So we have to give up our survival instinct? 

You have to balance your mind. The "animal" part provides the instinct of self preservation and reproduction. If we eliminated our "animal" selves we would go extinct. We just have to control those drives so they don't reach the point of danger to ourselves and others. 

Buddha later preached "balance" after he realized full asecticism was counter productive. 

 

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19 hours ago, jaylemurph said:

...just how reliable a source for spiritual wisdom is someone who is a known fraud? http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/colefraud.htm

And check the date. The person who wrote that did so in the 1890s. Didn't even need the internet to supply his knowledge.

--Jaylemurph

A known fraud?? Case closed, eh? I think we should hear both sides to any story to make an informed judgment. 

I think what you are showing in the above post is how a person with an anti- attitude to something quickly accepts as facts things they want to hear. And will of course challenge into infinity what they don't want to hear.

That is not informed judgment. I for one realize about any person of some fame has their enemies. 

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24 minutes ago, papageorge1 said:

That is not informed judgment. 

It's a known fact she could neither read nor write in Sanskrit or any Sino-Tibetan language. 

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20 minutes ago, papageorge1 said:

A known fraud?? Case closed, eh? I think we should hear both sides to any story to make an informed judgment. 

I think what you are showing in the above post is how a person with an anti- attitude to something quickly accepts as facts things they want to hear. And will of course challenge into infinity what they don't want to hear.

That is not informed judgment. I for one realize about any person of some fame has their enemies. 

PapaG, it is a known fact she was a fraud. There is no both sides to her since her tricks and frauds were exposed.

Anyone still believing this woman was not a fraud are equal.to those believing the Earth is flat.

Here is some more on her, please read it all.

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“For our part, we regard her as neither the mouthpiece of hidden seers, nor as a mere vulgar adventuress; we think that she has achieved a title to permanent remembrance as one of the most accomplished, ingenious, and interesting imposters in history.”

With these words, published in 1885, the Cambridge-based Society for Psychical Research brought an end to a scandal that that had been brewing for years.

The imposter in question was Madame Helena Blavatsky.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-unmasking-of-the-19th-centurys-seance-queen.amp

 

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33 minutes ago, Piney said:

It's a known fact she could neither read nor write in Sanskrit or any Sino-Tibetan language. 

Where I shouldn't be no doubt HA!

fyi:  90% of certain exceptional postitions of some country given to elites that can speak it .... but can in no way shape or form write or even read very well said language of post/job, yet they say mutliple times on any and all paper that they are fluent, what a joke, like half the pop of blonde saying Cherokee: >> knot teh meh, way shian -- ma! |
No no I've no Chinese characters to paste in here and only like 4% would grasp the Cherokee meaning HA!
Csan world. Cryptic? oh really, yes in a fashion HA! eeeh I had better quit talking now hahahahahaaha!

Edited by MWoo7
added [ : ] < more appropriate.
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