The Theosophical
Society in Australia

With this letter, we bring to a close the first year of our series of monthly letters to you as a new member. We deeply appreciate the interest that has been shown in these letters; your questions and comments have been read with great interest. Your response has been most helpful as a guide to the thinking and the needs of those who have recently joined the Society. So we hope that your first year as a member has been a rewarding one for you and that you feel your studies have well repaid you for the time and attention you have given to them.

In all but two of the letters which have been sent to you (letters number 2 and 11), there have been 'Creative Living Experiences' to accompany the discussion of various theosophical concepts (not included on the website as yet). Therefore, although there will be another ten letters sent to you on a monthly basis, it seems well to pause at this stage of the letters to consider briefly what Theosophy itself can mean to each one of us individually. We believe that this philosophy can so illuminate our experiences, our daily lives, the circumstances surrounding us, that we are enabled to meet with serenity and confidence whatever the days may bring. Many of our theosophical writers have given us splendid hints along these lines.

Annie Besant once wrote: 'The value of knowledge is tested by its power to purify and ennoble the life.' Many individuals have found that the supreme value of Theosophy lies in its power to transform every aspect of daily living. Indeed, it can be said that its ultimate principles become real for us only to the extent that they enter into the very core of our existence, giving purpose to life, meaning to our experience, and direction to our goals. Knowledge, then, is not a mere accumulation of information, but can and must be transmuted into wisdom by the use we make of it. 'To use knowledge with goodness', wrote N. Sri Ram, 'is to make it shine with a value which reflects Eternity in time.' It is to the use of 'knowledge with goodnes' that the theosophical philosophy is directed.

'Let Theosophy be put to the test of its effect on lif'", wrote Dr George S Arundale, 'and especially on the everyday life common to us all: a life made up of so-called trifles, yet always so potent for joy or for sorrow, for happiness or for misery, for hope or for despair.' This is to be eminently practical, determining first what are the ultimate principles of Theosophy, its fundamental 'truths', and then translating them into meaning for living.

Certain concepts have been discussed in these letters: reincarnation, karma, dharma, the Path, the Mahatmas, et cetera. It is hoped that the brief outlines which have been given, along with the studies you have pursued either on your own or in company with others, have helped to widen your horizons and deepen your understandings. At this time in human affairs, when darkness and confusion seem to be all about us on a scale almost without parallel in human history, it would not be difficult to become pessimistic. Many people are just that, despairing of human goodness, of justice and the triumph of truth over falsehood. But one who has glimpsed the reality of a divine purpose working through all things - even those things which seem to our limited view disruptive and chaotic - seeks only to become aligned with the positive, constructive forces which can bring new life out of the darkness of dissolution. Such a one seeks to promote the living principles of brotherhood and service. For as there is no place for pessimism in the theosophical ideal, so there is no place for lethargy or indifference. The ethical challenge is clear. One need only read the life of H. P. Blavatsky to realise the emphasis she placed on theosophical ethics!

Another fact is also quite clear: we must begin where we are. We cannot all be world saviours, glamorous and exciting as that destiny may seem. But each of us has an influence on our immediate environment, and if we meet successfully the tests or challenges which come to us, then we can be safely entrusted with the greater responsibilities. To be sure, the challenges often seem to come when they must be met completely alone, when we feel we have no strength with which to meet them, when all our defenses are down, as it were. Sometimes we come through with a certain measure of success. Sometimes we fail. But if we can pick ourselves up and start again, if we can fearlessly examine the failure for its real meaning, then we find new strength to persevere and we see a light on the way ahead. Remember, at such times, that night reveals the stars!

Theosophical living is made up not of mere experience alone, but of experience interpreted and made meaningful, experience mastered for the lessons it holds for us, lessons which then are built into the very 'substance' of our consciousness. A piano keyboard has all the notes to make perfect harmony or utter discord. Whether we make one or the other depends upon how we use the keyboard. So it surely must be with life. All the elements for both discord and harmony are present, and mastery of the 'keyboard' of life is not accomplished without sustained effort and application, without learning the laws of harmony and becoming increasingly adept at applying them. Theosophy shows us those laws. It gives us a clear explanation of how they may be applied. But it is we who must understand and apply those laws; no one can do that for us.

Now in succeeding letters, we shall be sharing with you a few more theosophical concepts as well as suggested answers to some of the questions which have often been asked of us. We shall not be continuing the Creative Living Experiences, for we feel it is time that you compose such exercises for yourself. Perhaps you will want to review those which have accompanied the earlier letters in this series. We invite you to share with us your own experiences in working with the concepts of the theosophical philosophy. If you have created some special 'Creative Living Experience' that we might share with others, do please let us know.

In concluding this first year's series of letters, these words from the book Conquest of Illusion by J.J. Van der Leeuw seem particularly appropriate:

Truly we cannot arrange our lives wisely unless we know the meaning of life; we shall but continue to seek our riches where no riches are, to waste our energies where they do but harm, forgetting all the while the wisdom of Ruskin's saying, 'There is no wealth but life.'

Some Questions for Study and Thought

• How can we learn to redirect our energy from harmful expressions such as anger, fear, jealousy, etc., to constructive manifestations that reflect compassion and love?
• In what ways does a knowledge of the human constitution and our evolutionary development aid us to evaluate ourselves and understand others?
• How can the theosophical philosophy be used toward building our own character?
• What do you consider to be the qualifications and self-training necessary for spiritual development?
• What 'Creative Living Experiences' can you design that will help you to make theosophical concepts relate to your daily life?
  
  

Suggested Reading

Again, there are so many theosophical titles that are relevant to understanding ourselves, developing our own potentials, and relating the concepts to daily life, that it is difficult to suggest only a few. However, the following works have been found especially helpful to many newer members of the Society.

From the Outer Court to the Inner Sanctum by Annie Besant
Seeking Wisdom by N. Sri Ram
Life's Deeper Aspects by N. Sri Ram
The Ageless Wisdom of Life by Clara Codd
Trust Yourself to Life by Clara Codd
A Way to Self-Discovery by I. K. Taimni
The Key to Theosophy by H. P. Blavatsky (Abridgement by Joy Mills)