THEOSOPHIC IDEALSTHEOSOPHIC IDEALS

O Hidden Life, vibrant in every atom;O Hidden Light, shining in every creature;O Hidden Love, embracing all in Oneness;

May each who feels himself as one with Thee,Know he is therefore one with every other.

A JOKE ATTRIBUTED TO A JOKE ATTRIBUTED TO JOY MILLSJOY MILLS

• A group of theosophists find themselves on a road, they follow it until they come to a fork in the road. There is a sign there. One arrow points to the right and says: Nirvana. The other arrow points to the left and says: lectures on Nirvana.

• One hardly needs to guess where they went: to the lectures, obviously.

Katha and Mundaka UpanishadsKatha and Mundaka Upanishads

Na ayam atma pravachanena labhyo

Na medhaya na bahuna shrutena

The self is not attained through discourses, nor by cleverness, nor by much hearing

The Theosophic Life must be a life The Theosophic Life must be a life of service – Annie Besantof service – Annie Besant

• Service is the great illuminator.  The more we serve the wiser we become, for we learn wisdom not by studying but by living. 

• To live the life of service clears the mental atmosphere of the distorting fogs of prejudice, passion, temperament.

The Theosophic Life must be a life The Theosophic Life must be a life of service – A.B. Contd.of service – A.B. Contd.

• Only those who serve are those who truly live.

• That theosophic ideal is one which must permeate the being of

every one of us.

A GUJARATI SONGA GUJARATI SONG

BY

A 15TH CENTURY SAINT-POET

NARASINH MEHTA

VaishNava jana to tene kahiye, je VaishNava jana to tene kahiye, je peed paraayee jaNe repeed paraayee jaNe re

He is a vaishnava who knows the pain of others.

Par dukkhe upkar kare toye, man Par dukkhe upkar kare toye, man abhiman na aaNe reabhiman na aaNe re

He serves all those who are suffering,

yet he does not let pride enter his mind.

SakaL lok maan sahune vande, SakaL lok maan sahune vande, nindaa na kare keni renindaa na kare keni re

He respects and praises everyone,

does not say bad things about anyone.

Vaach-kaachch-man nischaL Vaach-kaachch-man nischaL raakhe, dhan dhan janani teni reraakhe, dhan dhan janani teni re

He keeps his speech, deeds, and thoughts pure;

Blessed is his mother.

Sam-drushti ne trishNaa tyaagi, Sam-drushti ne trishNaa tyaagi, parastree jene maat reparastree jene maat re

Viewing all equally, he rids himself of desires.

He reveres every woman as though she were his mother.

Jihwaa thaki, asatya na bole, par-Jihwaa thaki, asatya na bole, par-dhan nava jhaale haath redhan nava jhaale haath re

His tongue may get tired, but will never tell untruth.

He does not even touch someone else's property.

Moh-maayaa vyaape nahin jene, Moh-maayaa vyaape nahin jene, draDh vairagya jena manmaa redraDh vairagya jena manmaa re

Material attachments do not occupy his mind,

it being deeply rooted in renunciation.

Raam-naam shu taaLE laagi, Raam-naam shu taaLE laagi, sakaL teerath tena tanmaa resakaL teerath tena tanmaa re

Every moment he is intent on reciting the name of the Lord.

All the holy places are ever present in his body.

VaNa lobhi ne kapat rahit chhe, VaNa lobhi ne kapat rahit chhe, kaam krodh nivaarya rekaam krodh nivaarya re

He has conquered greed, deceit, lust, and anger.

BhaNe Narsaiyyo teno darshan BhaNe Narsaiyyo teno darshan karata, kuL ekoter tarya rekarata, kuL ekoter tarya re

Says Narasi, the sight of such a Vaishnava saves a family

through seventy-one generations.

VaishNava jana to tene kahiye, je VaishNava jana to tene kahiye, je peed paraayee jaNe re ……peed paraayee jaNe re ……

He is a Vaishnava who knows the pain of others……

-------------------------------------------The true theosophist is a

philanthropist – not for himself but for the world he lives.

- Master K.H.

This song defines a Vaishnava.This song defines a Vaishnava.

In similar terms as a true Theosophist is described

Or does it describe a Mahatma?

Existence of MahatmasExistence of Mahatmas

• There are perfect beings

• Call them Adepts, Mahatmas, Rishis or by whatever name.

• Over a period, they have reached a state of perfection.

• A related concept is that every human being can reach that state of perfection.

What is an IdealWhat is an Ideal

•from idealis  "existing in idea“•from idea  in the Platonic

sense - A Tree is the ideal that each of us holds that allows us to identify the imperfect reflections of trees all around us.

• meaning "perfect person or thing"

What is an IdealWhat is an Ideal

• a conception of something in its perfection.

• a standard of perfection or excellence.

• a person or thing conceived as embodying such a conception or conforming to such a standard, and taken as a model to follow.

What is an IdealWhat is an Ideal

• An ultimate object or aim of endeavor, esp. one of high or noble character: He refuses to compromise any of his ideals.

• Something that exists only in the thought or imagination: To achieve the ideal is almost impossible.

What is an Ideal - ABWhat is an Ideal - AB

• An Ideal is a right or true fixed idea possessed by the man, and living that it shall influence his character.

• To mould the character, to inspire the heart, to illuminate the mind, that is the value of an Ideal.

• We must meditate on such an Ideal in order to reproduce it in ourselves.

• For man, as the Upanishad says, is created by thought, and what he thinks upon that he becomes.

• Thought shapes the character, and living makes the thought productive.

FREEDOM OF THOUGHTFREEDOM OF THOUGHT

• There are two root-ideas which seem to lie at the very basis of our Society: -

• the idea of Intellectual Liberty - only when the intellect is left absolutely un-fettered, can man rise to his true greatness and realise his divine possibilities - all that you need for the finding of truth is a pure heart, an eager intellect, a clean life.

INSPIRING IDEALSINSPIRING IDEALS

• The second great idea upon which our Society is based is that the emotions of an evolved man are best guided by inspiring Ideals, rather than by any narrow creed or code of laws.

Ideals in TS ObjectsIdeals in TS Objects

• Three of the Ideals are enshrined in our three objects.

• First Object: To form a nucleus of the Universal Brotherhood of Humanity, without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste or colour

Ideal embedded in First ObjectIdeal embedded in First Object

• The first object offers us the Ideal of the Brotherhood of Humanity;

• Reincarnation and Karma, are implied in the ideal of the Brotherhood of Humanity.

UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOODUNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD

• This ideal embedded in the First Object is obligatory for joining the TS

• Not an emotional upsurge or being good to some people

• Love, when it is for special persons, is really based on self-interest - JK

UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOODUNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD

• There is a profound difference between co-operation and brotherhood, the former springs from an intelligent appreciation of the mutual relations of men, the latter from a realization in feeling that the same life is dwelling in all. - AB

UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOODUNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD

• The term “Universal Brotherhood” is no idle phrase. It is the only secure foundation for universal morality. If it be a dream, it is at least a noble one for mankind: and it is the aspiration of the true adept. – ML 4.

UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOODUNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD

• Howsoever impractical Universal Brotherhood may appear to be, it is the only ideal worth pursuing and all members of the Society must work towards this ideal. –Teachings on Discipleship

UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOODUNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD

• So shalt thou be in full accord with all that lives; bear love to men as though they were thy brother-pupils, disciples of one Teacher, the sons of one sweet mother.

- HPB, VOS, Third Fragment

Ideal Embedded in the 2nd ObjectIdeal Embedded in the 2nd Object

• The second object of the Society unfolds the Ideal of Tolerance.

• Second Object: To encourage the study of Comparative Religion, Philosophy and Science

TOLERANCETOLERANCE

• By tolerance is not meant that arrogant attitude which says : "You may think as you may like," all the while despising the thought of the other man.

• Right kind of tolerance which grows out of a recognition of the value of another man's faith and belief, and study of the various messages of the Divine to the world as shown in the world's religions.

TOLERANCETOLERANCE

• A tolerance which grows from the study of comparative religions, by which we learn their unity as well as their diversities, and by which we learn to respect the Self in every man, and see him as finding his own way to truth, with which none has any right to interfere.

Ideal Embedded in the Third ObjectIdeal Embedded in the Third Object

• Ideal of Knowledge, and the search for it is embodied in the third object of our Society.

• Third Object: To Investigate unexplained laws of Nature and the power latent in man.

Ideal Of KnowledgeIdeal Of Knowledge

• Pursuit of this Ideal involves the study of the super-physical as well as the physical side of nature, which includes the study of the latent powers in man and the hidden side of nature, as well as that which ordinary modern science has discovered.

Ideal Of KnowledgeIdeal Of Knowledge

• We spend a comparatively short life in the physical world and a comparatively long life in the other worlds, on the other side of death; and to know nothing of them to understand nothing of them, is as though a man who was going to travel in a far country refused all information of the geography of the country, of the manners and customs of the people of the country, of the laws that rule them, of the climate, of all that the man wants to know when he has prepared himself for travel in that far-off land.

5 Theosophic Ideals5 Theosophic Ideals

• Ideal of Living for the World

• Ideal of Perfect Beings

• Ideal of Universal Brotherhood

• Ideal of Tolerance

• Ideal of Knowledge

Connected IdealsConnected Ideals

Tolerance

Living for theWorld

Universal Brotherhood

Perfect Beings

Knowledge