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Topic: THEOSOPHY (Read 2510 times)
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Bianca
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THEOSOPHY
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on:
July 24, 2007, 08:29:21 pm »
Formation
Theosophical Society's foundation act The Theosophical Society was founded in New York City in 1875 by H.P. Blavatsky, Henry Steel Olcott, William Quan Judge and others. Its initial objective was the investigation, study and explanation of mediumistic phenomena. After a few years Olcott and Blavatsky moved to India and established the International Headquarters at Adyar, Madras. There, they also became interested in studying Eastern religions, and these were included in the Society's agenda. By 1889 when Blavatsky wrote Key to Theosophy, the Society's objectives had evolved into
To form the nucleus of a Universal Brotherhood of Humanity without distinction of race, colour, or creed.
To promote the study of Aryan and other Scriptures, of the World's religion and sciences, and to vindicate the importance of old Asiatic literature, namely, of the Brahmanical, Buddhist, and Zoroastrian philosophies.
To investigate the hidden mysteries of Nature under every aspect possible, and the psychic and spiritual powers latent in man especially. (p. 39, Key to Theosophy)
In addition to the stated objectives, as early as 1889 Blavatsky had told a group of Theosophical students that the real purpose of establishing the Society was to prepare humanity for the reception of the World Teacher when he appeared again on earth. This was repeated again more publicly by Besant in 1896, five years after Blavatsky's death. (Page 12, Lutyens, 'Krishnamurti: The Years of Awakening')
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Bianca
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Re: THEOSOPHY
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Reply #1
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July 24, 2007, 08:38:01 pm »
Schisms
Theosophical Society, 1890After Helena Blavatsky's death in 1891, the Society's leaders seemed at first to work together peacefully. This did not last long. Judge was accused by Olcott and Annie Besant of forging letters from the Mahatmas; he ended his association with Olcott and Besant in 1895 and took most of the Society's American Section with him. The original organisation led by Olcott and Besant remains today based in India and is known as the Theosophical Society - Adyar, while the faction led by Judge is today known simply as the Theosophical Society, but often with the clarifying statement, "international headquarters, Pasadena, California". A third organization, the United Lodge of Theosophists or ULT, in 1909 split off from the latter organization, and various small splinter groups began to take shape including the Palmers Green Theosophical Lodge under the leadership of Thomas Neumark-Jones — which was influential among British New Liberal intellectuals.
In 1902, Rudolph Steiner became General Secretary of the German/Austrian division of the Theosophical Society. He maintained a Western-oriented course, relatively independent from the Adyar headquarter led by Besant and Olcott. After serious philosophical conflicts, primarily on the spiritual significance of Christ and on the status of the young boy Krishnamurti (see below), most of the German and Austrian members split off in 1913 and formed the Anthroposophical Society. The latter remains very active and influential today and has branches in almost all western communities, including the US and Canada.
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Bianca
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Re: THEOSOPHY
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July 24, 2007, 08:42:25 pm »
Krishnamurti
In 1909, an adolescent Hindu boy, J. Krishnamurti, was proclaimed to be the vehicle for a new indwelling of Maitreya Buddha by C.W. Leadbeater, one of the leaders of this movement. Krishnamurti's family had relocated to live on the site of the Theosophical Society headquarters in Adyar India in January 1909. This was when Annie Besant was the head of this organization in India.
Though he had been proclaimed to be the vehicle for the consciousness of Maitreya by the society, by 1925 J. Krishnamurti began his movement away from the organization. By 1931 he disavowed his status and left the Theosophical Society altogether. He spent the rest of his life as an independent spirtual teacher, though he was on friendly terms with some individuals of the Theosophical Society.
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Bianca
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Re: THEOSOPHY
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Reply #3
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July 24, 2007, 08:44:40 pm »
Related individuals and organizations
These people and groups claim origins or association with the Theosophical Society, its branches or leaders. Note that many of those listed are highly controversial in terms of their relation to Theosophy.
Agni Yoga Society
Anthroposophy
Arcane School (Alice Bailey)
Annie Besant
Charles Webster Leadbeater
Order of the Temple of the Rosy Cross
Mystical Order of the Temple of the Rosy Cross
Church Universal and Triumphant
Hugh Dowding
Anna Kingsford
J. Krishnamurti
U.G. Krishnamurti
Liberal Catholic Church
New Acropolis
I AM Foundation
Elizabeth Clare Prophet
Rudolf Steiner
The Temple of the People
Share International
Warren Prall Watters
Brother XII
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Bianca
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Re: THEOSOPHY
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Reply #4
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July 24, 2007, 08:48:37 pm »
See also
Ascended master
Order of the Temple of the Rosy Cross
Mystical Order of the Temple of the Rosy Cross
Theosophical Society of the Arya Samaj
Arya Samaj
Religion and mythology
Further reading
Bruce F. Campbell: Ancient wisdom revived, a history of the Theosophical movement. University of California Press, Berkeley 1980, ISBN 0-520-03968-8.
Michael Gomes: The dawning of the theosophical movement. Theosophical Publishing House, Wheaton 1987, ISBN 0-8356-0623-6.
Henry Steel Olcott: Old Diary Leaves, Part 1. Kessinger, Whitefish 2003, ISBN 0-7661-3336-2. (Reprint von 1895)
External reference and link
FAQ on the theosophical movement
Shangra-la Mission
Theosophical movement 1875 - 1950
Esoteric World of Madame Blavatsky
Modern Revival of Ancient Wisdom
Beginnings of the TS
H.P. Blavatsky and The Theosophical Society
The Original Programme of the Theosophical Society
Retrieved from "
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theosophical_Society
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Bianca
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Re: THEOSOPHY
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Reply #5
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July 25, 2007, 07:42:55 am »
H E L E N A P. B L A V A T S K Y A N D T H E O S O P H Y
'There is No Religion Higher than Truth'
We live in a questioning and critical age when the religious and scientific dogmas of the past are increasingly being challenged. The idea, for example, of a personal, anthropomorphic God, a sort of magnified image of ourselves, a God who created the universe and ourselves from nothing, who listens to prayers, grants favours, forgives sins, and eventually consigns us to heaven or hell -- such a God finds fewer and fewer believers. At the same time, the idea of a soulless, mechanical universe governed by nothing but chance is not very compelling either. Many people are seeking a deeper and more meaningful vision of life.
This was also true of the Russian mystic Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, the 'mother of the New Age', when she set out on her quest for knowledge in the middle of the 19th century. Through her contacts with religious and mystical traditions in many parts of the world, and the instructions she received from her own teacher in Tibet, she learned of the existence of the ageless wisdom -- the fountain-source from which all the great world religions and philosophies have sprung.
The fundamental teaching of the ancient wisdom is the spiritual unity of all things. Blavatsky writes: 'not only humanity -- composed as it is of thousands of races -- but everything that lives is made of the same essence and substance, is animated by the same spirit, and consequently, everything in nature is bound in solidarity.' Rejecting the idea of a God existing outside nature, theosophy speaks of an all-pervading divine essence, an infinite ocean of consciousness, from which all things are born and to which they ultimately return. The human kingdom is one of the phases of experience that each god-spark must pass through during its long evolutionary journey through the worlds of matter.
The idea that each human soul lives just one short life on earth, and then spends the rest of eternity in heaven or hell is neither logical nor appealing. According to the ageless wisdom, we incarnate on earth many many times, and in each life we reap the consequences of the causes we have set in motion in previous lives, in accordance with the law of karma. In this way we gradually learn from our mistakes and unfold more and more of our spiritual potential. The twin doctrines of reincarnation and karma place the responsibility for our lives firmly upon our own shoulders. Instead of being the victims of chance and 'selfish genes' on the one hand, or of fate and some fickle God on the other, we have made ourselves what we are, and it is up to us to use our free will wisely, in order to help others and change ourselves for the better. And just as the quality of our thoughts and deeds largely determines the nature of our dreams during sleep, so they will also determine the states of consciousness experienced by the inner self after death.
H.P. Blavatsky devoted her life to spreading these and other ideas. She believed that they would help to eradicate ignorance and superstition, uproot separateness and selfishness -- the cause of so much suffering and misery -- and lay a sound basis for universal brotherhood. In her work, she had to cross swords with both dogmatic theology and materialistic science, and it was this that lay at the root of much of the opposition she encountered. Her eventful life, and the far-reaching influence she has had on modern thought are described in detail in the biography The Extraordinary Life and Influence of Helena Blavatsky; Founder of the Modern Theosophical Movement by Sylvia Cranston and Carey Williams, and also in H.P. Blavatsky and the Theosophical Movement by Charles J. Ryan.
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Re: THEOSOPHY
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Reply #6
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July 25, 2007, 07:49:26 am »
The first of the three objectives of the Theosophical Society, founded by H.P. Blavatsky, H.S. Olcott, and W.Q. Judge in 1875, is to form the nucleus of a universal brotherhood of humanity, without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste, or colour. The basic moral precepts that would make universal brotherhood a reality are very simple, but it is a constant challenge to apply them consistently in our everyday lives: we should try to be loving and forgiving, calm and patient, kind and altruistic; we should treat others as we would like to be treated ourselves, and concentrate on correcting our own faults rather than on criticizing others; and above all, we should live to benefit others. Blavatsky's work The Voice of the Silence is a beautiful expression of the ethics of brotherhood and self-sacrifice, in the tradition of Mahayana Buddhism. In it she writes: 'Sow kindly acts and thou shalt reap their fruition. Inaction in a deed of mercy becomes an action in a deadly sin.'
The second objective of the Theosophical Society is the study of the world's religions, philosophies, and sciences. Blavatsky played a pioneering role in introducing the west to the sacred traditions of the east. She also provided insights into the deeper meaning of myth, allegory, and symbolism. When stripped of their later dogmatic accretions, the world's religions are found to have more similarities than differences: they recognize that our essential self is fundamentally identical with the Universal Self; they advocate the golden rule of universal love; and they speak of enlightened teachers -- Krishna, Buddha, Christ, etc. -- who have appeared on earth at different times and restated some of the fundamental spiritual values.
The third objective of the Theosophical Society is the study of the hidden mysteries of nature, including the psychic and spiritual powers latent in man. A growing number of scientific investigators are admitting that many phenomena in the physical world cannot be satisfactorily explained in terms of standard physical and chemical forces alone. The growth of an organism from a seed or egg, the existence of instinct and selfconsciousness, the purposeful nature of evolution, and a wide variety of paranormal phenomena all point to the operation of nonphysical forces and influences. In her book, Cranston outlines some of the latest insights and discoveries in various fields of science, including research into out-of-the-body experiences, near-death experiences, and survival after death.
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Re: THEOSOPHY
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Reply #7
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July 25, 2007, 07:51:00 am »
Materialistic scientists regard consciousness as a mere byproduct of matter, and matter in turn is regarded as concentrated energy. Theosophy, on the other hand, says that consciousness is the ultimate reality, the highest form of energy, and physical matter is just one of its many manifestations. Hence the physical world is interpenetrated by innumerable other worlds, composed of grades of energy-substance invisible to our physical senses. And just as the physical world is organized and coordinated by inner worlds -- astral, mental, and spiritual -- so our physical bodies are animated and controlled by our own inner nature -- astral model-body, life-energy, thoughts and desires, and our more intuitive and spiritual qualities. And whether it is our higher nature or lower nature that holds sway is up to us.
H.P. Blavatsky was not interested in establishing yet another sect with herself as high priestess. She made no claims to infallibility, but called for 'free and fearless investigation', believing that, as the motto of the Theosophical Society puts it: 'There is no religion higher than truth.' In her view, all ideas -- whatever their source -- should be tested against our own knowledge, experience, and intuition. She strove to reawaken interest in the timeless, soul-strengthening ideas of the ancient wisdom, because she felt that they could help us to develop a healthy and positive philosophy of life, one which satisfies both the heart and the intellect, and which can help us to meet the trials and temptations of daily life. Her major works -- Isis Unveiled, The Secret Doctrine, The Key to Theosophy, and The Voice of the Silence -- have been continuously in print since her death in 1891. And it is because her writings are so full of stimulating, thought-provoking, and inspiring ideas, that they are likely to remain in demand for a very long time to come.
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/dp5/hpb.htm
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Re: THEOSOPHY
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Reply #8
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July 25, 2007, 07:55:34 am »
K E Y C O N C E P T S O F T H E O S O P H Y
1) Infinitude
Nature is infinite in space and time -- boundless and eternal, unfathomable and ineffable. The all-pervading essence of infinite nature can be called space, consciousness, life, substance, force, energy, divinity -- all of which are fundamentally one.
2) The finite and the infinite
Nature is a unity in diversity, one in essence, manifold in form. The infinite whole is composed of an infinite number of finite wholes -- the relatively stable and autonomous things (natural systems or artefacts) that we observe around us. Every natural system is not only a conscious, living, substantial entity, but is consciousness-life-substance, of a particular range of density and form. Infinite nature is an abstraction, not an entity; it therefore does not act or change and has no attributes. The finite, concrete systems of which it is composed, on the other hand, move and change, act and interact, and possess attributes. They are composite, inhomogeneous, and ultimately transient.
3) Vibration/worlds within worlds
The one essence manifests not only in infinitely varied forms, and on infinitely varied scales, but also in infinitely varying degrees of spirituality and substantiality, comprising an infinite spectrum of vibration or density. There is therefore an endless series of interpenetrating, interacting worlds within worlds, systems within systems. The energy-substances of higher planes or subplanes (a plane being a particular range of vibration) are relatively more homogeneous and less differentiated than those of lower planes or subplanes.
4) Space and time
Just as boundless space is comprised of endless finite units of space, so eternal duration is comprised of endless finite units of time. Space is the infinite totality of worlds within worlds, but appears predominantly empty because only a tiny fraction of the energy-substances composing it are perceptible and tangible to an entity at any particular moment. Time is a concept we use to quantify the rate at which events occur; it is a function of change and motion, and presupposes a succession of cause and effect. Every entity is extended in space and changes 'in time'.
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Re: THEOSOPHY
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Reply #9
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July 25, 2007, 07:57:42 am »
5) Causation/karma
All change (of position, substance, or form) is the result of causes; there is no such thing as absolute chance. Nothing can happen for no reason at all for nothing exists in isolation; everything is part of an intricate web of causal interconnections and interactions. The keynote of nature is harmony: every action is automatically followed by an equal and opposite reaction, which sooner or later rebounds upon the originator of the initial act. Thus, all our thoughts and deeds will eventually bring us 'fortune' or 'misfortune' according to the degree to which they were harmonious or disharmonious. In the long term, perfect justice prevails in nature.
6) Analogy
Because nature is fundamentally one, and the same basic habits and structural, geometric, and evolutionary principles apply throughout, there are correspondences between microcosm and macrocosm. The principle of analogy -- as above, so below -- is a vital tool in our efforts to understand reality.
7) Relativity
All finite systems and their attributes are relative. For any entity, energy-substances vibrating within the same range of frequencies as its outer body are 'physical' matter, and finer grades of substance are what we call energy, force, thought, desire, mind, spirit, consciousness, but these are just as material to entities on the corresponding planes as our physical world is to us. Distance and time units are also relative: an atom is a solar system on its own scale, reembodying perhaps millions of times in what for us is one second, and our whole galaxy may be a molecule in some supercosmic entity, for which a million of our years is just a second. The range of scale is infinite: matter-consciousness is both infinitely divisible and infinitely aggregative.
Hierarchy
All natural systems consist of smaller systems and form part of larger systems. Hierarchies extend both 'horizontally' (on the same plane) and 'vertically' or inwardly (to higher and lower planes). On the horizontal level, subatomic particles form atoms, which combine into molecules, which arrange themselves into cells, which form tissues and organs, which form part of organisms, which form part of ecosystems, which form part of planets, solar systems, galaxies, etc. The constitution of worlds and of the organisms that inhabit them form 'vertical' hierarchies, and can be divided into several interpenetrating layers or elements, from physical-astral to psychomental to spiritual-divine, each of which can be further divided. The human constitution can be divided up in several different ways: e.g. into a trinity of body, soul, and spirit; or into 7 'principles' -- a lower quaternary consisting of physical body, astral model-body, life-energy, and lower thoughts and desires, and an upper triad consisting of higher mind (reincarnating ego), spiritual intuition, and inner god. A planet or star can be regarded as a 'chain' of 12 globes, existing on 7 planes, each globe comprising several subplanes. The highest part of every multilevelled organism or hierarchy is its spiritual summit or 'absolute', meaning a collective entity or 'deity' which is relatively perfected in relation to the hierarchy in question. But the most 'spiritual' pole of one hierarchy is the most 'material' pole of the next, superior hierarchy, just as the lowest pole of one hierarchy is the highest pole of the one below.
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Re: THEOSOPHY
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Reply #10
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July 25, 2007, 08:00:46 am »
13) Birth and death
Nothing comes from nothing: matter and energy can be neither created nor destroyed, but only transformed. Everything evolves from preexisting material. The growth of the body of an organism is initiated on inner planes, and involves the transformation of higher energy-substances into lower, more material ones, together with the attraction of matter from the environment. When an organism has exhausted the store of vital energy with which it is born, the coordinating force of the indwelling monad is withdrawn, and the organism 'dies', i.e. falls apart as a unit, and its constituent components go their separate ways. The lower vehicles decompose on their respective subplanes, while, in the case of humans, the reincarnating ego enters a dreamlike state of rest and assimilates the experiences of the previous incarnation. When the time comes for the next embodiment, the reincarnating ego clothes itself in many of the same atoms of different grades that it had used previously, bearing the appropriate karmic impress. The same basic processes of birth, death, and rebirth apply to all entities, from atoms to humans to stars.
14) Evolution and involution of worlds
Worlds or spheres, such as planets and stars, are composed of, and provide the field for the evolution of, 10 kingdoms -- 3 elemental kingdoms, mineral, plant, animal, and human kingdoms, and 3 spiritual kingdoms. The impulse for a new manifestation of a world issues from its spiritual summit or hierarch, from which emanate a series of steadily denser globes or planes; the One expands into the many. During the first half of the evolutionary cycle (the arc of descent) the energy-substances of each plane materialize or condense, while during the second half (the arc of ascent) the trend is towards dematerialization or etherealization, as globes and entities are reabsorbed into the spiritual hierarch for a period of nirvanic rest. The descending arc is characterized by the evolution of matter and involution of spirit, while the ascending arc is characterized by the evolution of spirit and involution of matter.
15) Evolution of the monad
In each grand cycle of evolution, comprising many planetary embodiments, a monad begins as an unselfconsciousness god-spark, embodies in every kingdom of nature for the purpose of gaining experience and unfolding its inherent faculties, and ends the cycle as a selfconscious god. Elementals ('baby monads') have no free choice, but automatically act in harmony with one another and the rest of nature. In each successive kingdom differentiation and individuality increase, and reach their peak in the human kingdom with the attainment of selfconsciousness and a large measure of free will. In the human kingdom in particular, self-directed evolution comes into its own. There is no superior power granting privileges or handing out favours; we evolve according to our karmic merits and demerits. As we progress through the spiritual kingdoms we become increasingly at one again with nature, and willingly 'sacrifice' our circumscribed selfconscious freedoms (especially the freedom to 'do our own thing') in order to work in peace and harmony with the greater whole of which we form an integral part. The highest gods of one hierarchy or world-system begin as elementals in the next. The matter of any plane is composed of aggregated, crystallized monads in their nirvanic sleep, and the spiritual and divine entities embodied as planets and stars are the electrons and atomic nuclei -- the material building blocks -- of worlds on even larger scales. Evolution is without beginning and without end, an endless adventure through the fields of infinitude, in which there are always new worlds of experience in which to become selfconscious masters of life.
16) Universal brotherhood
There is no absolute separateness in nature. All things are made of the same essence, have the same spiritual-divine potential, and are interlinked by magnetic ties of sympathy. It is impossible to realize our full potential, unless we recognize the spiritual unity of all living beings and make universal brotherhood the keynote of our lives.
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Bianca
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Re: THEOSOPHY
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Reply #11
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July 25, 2007, 08:04:29 am »
T H E N A T U R E O F R E A L I T Y
SOMETHING VS. NOTHING
What would be a good place to begin a discussion on the nature of reality?
It's essential to draw a clear distinction between concrete objects and entities on the one hand and abstractions on the other. Concrete things are made of substance or matter, and fall into two main categories: natural systems, such as atoms, humans, stars, and galaxies; and artefacts, such as cars, houses, and space rockets. All concrete things are finite in size, composed of smaller parts, subject to change, and ultimately impermanent. Anything that can be conceived of that does not have concrete existence is an abstraction, such as good and evil, happiness, colour, beauty, philosophy -- which are obviously not concrete objects. It's important to emphasize that concrete things do not have to be perceptible to us, or even detectable by our instruments.
You mean that there may be states of matter invisible to our physical senses?
Yes. The key difference between materialistic science on the one hand and the ageless wisdom or theosophic tradition on the other, is that the latter speaks of worlds and entities composed of grades of substance so much subtler or denser than physical matter that they're invisible and intangible to us, though they occupy the same space as our physical universe and interpenetrate it. So concrete things do not have to be made of physical matter. Wherever we are in infinitude, that cross-section of the universe that is visible to the senses of the body we are then inhabiting would be for the time being the 'physical' universe.
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Re: THEOSOPHY
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Reply #12
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July 25, 2007, 08:05:35 am »
You mean that there may be states of matter invisible to our physical senses?
Yes. The key difference between materialistic science on the one hand and the ageless wisdom or theosophic tradition on the other, is that the latter speaks of worlds and entities composed of grades of substance so much subtler or denser than physical matter that they're invisible and intangible to us, though they occupy the same space as our physical universe and interpenetrate it. So concrete things do not have to be made of physical matter. Wherever we are in infinitude, that cross-section of the universe that is visible to the senses of the body we are then inhabiting would be for the time being the 'physical' universe.
Are you saying that there are many universes?
If by 'universe' we mean 'all that exists', then obviously there can only be one, and there can be nothing outside it. But the infinite universe consists of countless finite universes, worlds, objects, and entities of every conceivable size. The infinite totality of all these worlds or systems makes up boundless space. The theory that space popped into being out of nothingness in a 'big bang' a few billion years ago and then proceeded to expand to its present vast but supposedly finite size cannot be taken seriously. Nothing comes from nothing, and if space is finite, where does it end and what lies beyond? Big bang theorists claim that space might curve back upon itself so that it is both finite and boundless -- but this is clearly just an illogical, mathematical fantasy. It's much more reasonable to assume that the universe is boundless, beginningless, and endless, but subject to constant transformations.
Does the infinite universe have concrete existence?
Only things that are measurable can have concrete existence; infinitude is immeasurable and is therefore an abstraction. An infinite universe basically means that there are literally numberless finite, concrete, substantial systems, which continue limitlessly and endlessly in all directions, inwardly and outwardly.
You've said that concrete things or systems are by definition substantial or material, but what exactly is substance?
Substance is that which can be perceived and touched -- though not necessarily by ourselves. Matter basically means the same thing, though it's often used to refer to only physical grades of substance. Concrete things are therefore something rather than nothing, whereas abstractions are in themselves nothing, though they may be represented in a concrete form, e.g. as words on paper, electrical patterns in our brains, or as ethereal thought-forms, which are visible to some clairvoyants.
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Re: THEOSOPHY
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Reply #13
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July 25, 2007, 08:06:55 am »
But what is substance in and of itself? What's it made of?
We could say that matter particles of one grade are temporary, relatively stable condensations of an underlying medium, composed of finer particles which are condensations of a deeper substantial medium, and so on, ad infinitum. Ultimately everything can be resolved into motion or vibration, but motion is just an empty abstraction unless it is motion of something, and something by definition is substance. Every grade of substance is generated by motion of a more ethereal grade of substance, and consists of particlelike discontinuities, though it may seem relatively homogeneous and undifferentiated to beings on other planes.
Are the inner worlds or planes extra dimensions?
No. In its broadest sense, a dimension is any measurable property or quantity, such as length, mass, temperature, time, etc. Strictly speaking, infinite space has no dimensions because it can't be measured. Only finite units of space, or concrete objects and entities are measurable. It seems reasonable to suppose that on every plane of reality, size can be measured in only three directions, corresponding to length, width, and height -- which are often referred to loosely as 'spatial' dimensions. But the inner worlds themselves should not really be called dimensions.
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Re: THEOSOPHY
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July 25, 2007, 08:10:14 am »
O U R W O R L D V I E W S
How does consciousness fit into all this?
If the universe is one in essence, consciousness and substance must be fundamentally identical. This view is called objective idealism or materio-idealism.
What alternative points of view are there?
There are only a very limited number of basic worldviews, and the fundamental difference between them lies in their attitude to mind and consciousness. There are four basic positions:
1. materialism: consciousness is a byproduct of matter, an epiphenomenon of electrochemical activity in the brain;
2. idealism: consciousness is the ultimate reality and gives rise to matter (or at least the illusion of matter);
3. dualism: consciousness and matter are independent but complementary aspects of reality;
4. materio-idealism: consciousness and substance are fundamentally one.
Each of these positions has different variants. For example, dualists may regard consciousness either as a type of substance distinct from physical matter, or as a property of matter, but one which cannot be reduced to the activity of matter. Nonmaterialists can either follow materialists in postulating one basic grade of substance -- physical matter (existing in the four states known to science) -- or they can postulate many grades of substance. The theosophical brand of materio-idealism proposes that consciousness-substance is infinite and eternal, and exists in infinitely varied grades of materiality or ethereality, forming numberless interpenetrating and interacting worlds within worlds, systems within systems.
Is there any evidence for this?
Consider the electromagnetic spectrum: although we can detect only about 100 octaves of electromagnetic radiation, ranging from radio waves through visible light to x-rays, gamma rays, and cosmic rays, there's no reason to assume that there is any limit to the range of possible frequencies. An important property of electromagnetic energy is that waves of sufficiently different frequencies do not interfere or interact. If matter is condensed energy, it seems reasonable to suppose that the infinite spectrum of energy gives rise to infinite grades of matter, and that grades of matter of sufficiently differing densities or rates of vibration can pass through one another without noticeably interacting. This suggests that our physical universe is just one octave in an infinite spectrum of matter-energy, and is interpenetrated by innumerable other worlds, both denser and more ethereal than our own, but beyond our range of perception.
Paranormal phenomena provide plenty of evidence for nonphysical states of matter, forces, and entities. In fact, even our normal mental powers cannot be explained satisfactorily in terms of the physical brain alone. Further evidence for subtler levels of reality is provided by research into out-of-body and near-death experiences, and memories of past lives. And even the basic concepts of the scientific worldview -- matter, energy, fields, space -- point to the existence of other planes of being, unless we allow ourselves to be fobbed off with mathematical fictions and empty abstractions.
Take the concept of 'empty space' for example. If space were sheer nothingness, it would not exist, and nothing could be located in it or move through it. Logically, space must have some kind of structure and therefore consist of substance, and unless this substance is assigned impossible, abstract properties (such as absolute continuity and structureless homogeneity), space must consist of endless levels of consciousness-substance, in infinitely varied grades and forms. What to us is 'empty' space is simply those regions of space containing no matter perceptible to our physical senses; there is no such thing as an absolute void.
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