Hpb wrote Isis unveiled and secret
doctrine – two magnum opuses before she
chose to write this little book of questions and answers which is the topic of
today's discussion- The book called The Key to Theosophy’. The first two books require such a powerhouse
of intellect to read and grasp, one theosophist told me, he took ten years to
read the Secret Doctrine alone. One can get an idea of Annie Besant's
brilliance , who not only managed to read it in two weeks, but also wrote a
clear review of it. But not all of us are thus capable and perhaps won’t be for
many more births to come. Even in this birth to make this deep study of
theosophy requires a person to remove himself from the path of individualism to
one of search and contemplation.
Perhaps HPB realized that there are
many many noble souls, who are doing their duties quietly and leading
blame-free lives, who simply by the exigencies of their circumstances, have no
time or energy to explore the whys and wherefroms of life. This book is a
precious gift to all such time and spiritually starved souls.
I had read this three years ago,
then two years back and then this summer. Each time when I read it, I was
reminded of what one of friend in theosophy said to me, when I first got into
theosophy-- don't be too proud of what you have read, you will have to read and reread and will discover something
new each time. How true that was. Am here today to share with you some of my
own latest discoveries from the book.
This book is divided into 14
chapters. What I am going to do tonight is to quote and discuss a few phrases, sentences
or passages that impacted me this time of the reread!
From the first chapter titled ‘Theosophy
and the theosophical society’, in answer
to 'What is the origin of the name?' (of theosophy), she answers, 'It comes
from the Alexandrian philosophers, called the lovers of truth'. It struck me
that the name of this system comes from people who were in love with the truth,
the Alexandrians here being Ammonius Saccas and his disciples. How many people
do we know can call themselves lovers of the truth? .. As Annie Besant famous
epitaphy went’She tried to follow the truth’. People speak of following
philosophies, having beliefs, following traditions, even accepting scientific
principles, how many can say they follow the truth? Why is it so? Is it because
truth has an ephemeral, changing quality to it, and its search is ridden with
uncertainities for what is true today seems but a veil to another tomorrow.
Then in the same chapter HPB gives a
definition of Samadhi-as defined by one of Saccas's disciples- Plotonius- 'the
liberation of the mind from finite consciousness, becoming one and identified
with the infinite'. Such a precise and
simple definition of a sublime state of consciousness. In the next chapter titled’ Exoteric and
Esoteric philosophy’, while differentiating between what is an occultist and a
theosophist, she says ( I quote)' ..a true Theosophist must put in practice the
loftiest moral ideal, must strive to realise his unity with the whole humanity,
work ceaselessly for others'. The word 'strive to', impressed me as, this is a
very difficult aspect as one can easily slip into the-‘ me and you’ or the
egoistic thinking. How does one constantly strive to realize the unity with the
whole mankind. One is easily swayed to ‘I’ness with the whiff of the smallest
problem. These words remind you that
perhaps at a lower level of the state called Samadhi-that of unity with the
infinite, is the unity with the finite- mankind..that these are the steps
forward.
In the third chapter while
discussing karmic laws, she says' that unless every man is brought to
understand and accept as an axiomatic truth, that wronging one man we wrong not
only ourselves but whole of humanity in the long run, no brotherly feelings
such as preached by all the great reformers, pre-eminently by Buddha and Jesus,
are possible on earth'. One thing that sprang out to me in this is
the use of the word 'reformer' for Jesus and Buddha as if they were normal men
and not the Gods that their followers may make them out to be. Those who have
studied know that these incarnations were of men who had tread the path to
their inner god in their past lives which explained their enlightened
teachings.
Chapter after chapter HPB explain
with clarity, answers questions, which are brilliantly framed and would cover
almost the entire gamut of what a lay-person would want to know about theosophy,
in easily graspable questions and answer. Even the framing of questions is so
brilliant. In a reply to what are the reasons why the state of death is
one of ' unalloyed bliss, in the chapter on 'Reincarnation and rebirth', she
says' crimes and sins committed on a plane of objectivity and in a world
of matter cannot receive punishment in a world of pure
subjectivity'. There has always been so much confusion on whether
there is anyway one can undo the wrong that one has already done, and for this
she says man 'will have to atone for every bad thought and deed', reincarnation
will gather round him all other egos who have suffered whether directly or
indirectly, at the hands, or even through unconscious instrumentality, of
the past personality. They will be thrown by nemesis in the way of the new man,
concealing the old, the eternal ego'. What this says to me is am very likely to
never even hear of these fundamental truths of ancient wisdom in my next birth,
if I don't work to face my inner realities and demons, in this one. I
heard this spoken on a webcast by Pablo Sender recently, that knowledge is
not enough, one has to perceive the truth- which means to personalize this
knowledge. In the gigantic presence of egotistic self, I am going perceive
nothing. Unless I open my inner eyes to the suffering of all that come my way,
I won’t be able to perceive the truth. Its simply that theosophy was
definitely a star light to follow, but if I think too much of my own self,
there- I have lost sight of the elusive truth.
Later, in the 11th chapter on 'The Mysteries
of Reincarnation' –She says ' a man who, believing in karma, still revenges
himself, still refuses to forgive every injury, whereby he would render good
for evil, is a criminal and only hurts himself’. The chapter talks at
length about one of the most complex of theosophic theories -that of Karma
which she calls 'the ultimate law of the universe' -and 'that unseen and
unknown law which adjusts wisely, intelligently and equitably each effect to
its cause, tracing the latter back to its producer. Though itself unknowable,
its action is perceivable'. Such a clear definition. And what does that mean for me, well whatever
evil I wrought and continue to do so- as Julie Andrews sings in the Sound of
Music 'I must have done something good...' .
In
the same chapter she quotes from an unknown source that ‘ man must be his own
savior, must overcome self and conquer the evil that is his dual nature, to
obtain the emancipation of his soul’.
She then goes on to speak of another fundamental truth- saying –‘The law
of Karma is inextricably woven with that of reincarnation…It is only this
doctrine that can explain to us the mysterious problem of good and evil, and
reconcile man to the terrible and apparent injustice of life’. She quotes
another able theosophic writer Mrs P Sinnet– about the pointlessness of praying
for resolution of painful issues saying ' no amount of repentance can wipe out
their results in the future. Repentance, if sincere, will deter a man from
repeating errors: it cannot save him or others from the effects of those
already produced, which will most unerringly overtake him either in this life
or in his next birth'. All these holy
truths for each of us, who can easily slip back into the erroneous practices
that we see in the world at large- these simple truths, so easy to grasp, so
difficult to live by.
Apart
from the fact that our present lives are exactly what we deserve karmically, Everything
we experience in life tells us something about ourselves giving us an
opportunity for growth and change. You
think you are a kind/ spiritual person, until you hear the first criticism of
yourself, and a flame of anger gets invoked to tell you- you really don’t know
yourself well enough- else why did that happen. You see a younger prettier
person, you want to look for signs of immaturity/ inscompeteance. You really aren’t all sorted out yet. Our
emotions are our milestone markers to our inner growth.
Is it to experience and know our real selves
that we take so many births? This idea corresponds with the oft quotes saying
in theosophy-‘As above, so below’..perhaps just as we experience ourselves
through our life-experiences, the absolute immutable principle experiences
itself through this cosmos. That’s why we are exactly the mirror image of that
absolute in us. In The chapter ' On misconceptions about the TS' she talks
about another extremely important aspect of leading the correct spiritual life-
regarding ascetic practices, she explains the relation and mutual interaction
between the body or the physical sheath and the inner or true and that the inner
man has supreme importance over the physical body and blind unintelligent
ascetic is mere folly, that it is only moral asceticism which the perfect
equilibrium of the inner nature of man and complete mastery over the body with
all its passions and desires.
Another
answer regarding education asks ‘What is the real object of modern education?
Is it to cultivate and develop the mind in the right direction, to teach the
disinherited and hapless people to carry with fortitude the burden of life
allotted to them by karma, to strengthen their will, to inculcate in them the
love of one’s neighbor and the feeling of mutual interdependence and
brotherhood and form the character for practical life? Not a bit of it. …the
object of modern education is to pass examinations, as system not to develop
right emulation but to generate and breed jealousy, envy, hatred almost, in
young people for one another and thus train them for a life of ferocious
selfishness..’ How true all this is and how little has changed since this
observation.
Then
she later says’ A proper and sane system of education should produce the most
vigorous and liberal mind, strictly trained in logical and accurate thought not
in blind faith. Children above all must be taught self-reliance, love for all men,
altruism, mutual charity and more than anything else, to think and reason for
themselves’.
With these last remarkable words from an
extraordinary lady, I leave you to ponder over the few gems that has been
presented from the treasure chest called –The Key to Theosophy’ 
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