Dear Member,
By Enquiries
Discovery and Action — a way of life
In this letter, two subjects are linked which at first glance may not seem to be related to each other, but which must be mutually interdependent.
Several persons have asked about the phrase 'the theosophical way of life' which they see in our literature, and have suggested that some comments on this might be helpful. There is sometimes a feeling that it means a withdrawal from normal ways of living, even from family responsibilities, and that it involves vegetarianism, non-smoking, and other disciplines.
The other question that may be seen as related to this first subject concerns how we present Theosophy to others, particularly to the public. Generally, of course, what one believes is expressed in one's way of life. From this it follows that what we present to others as Theosophy must flow from the way we live our own lives as well as from our beliefs. But let us look at these two aspects a little more deeply — what may be meant by the theosophical way of life and how we may present Theosophy to those around us.
It should be noted that we may run the risk of making psychological cripples of ourselves by trying to live at variance with our beliefs. We may not know what we believe - or be willing to make the effort to find out — and then we fritter away our spiritual energies in restlessness, insecurity, discontent. If we have arrived at some hard compromise with life, unwilling either to believe or to disbelieve, we are held in a static condition from which there is no escape. But if we are seeking to find the meaning of life and are willing always to modify our beliefs as new and deeper insights come to us, then we have found a dynamic way of living which allows for growth. And, what is more, we will communicate this fact to others, either by simply living so creatively that others will want to know what we believe, or by sharing directly with others our insights and understandings.
Now such a dynamic mode of living as we are speaking about here is found by moving inward toward the source of one's being, and by actively engaging in the encounter with life. Our seeking, in other words, must be accompanied by a commitment to live the truth we find. It seems hardly possible to overemphasise the importance of this continuous flow from inner to outer and from outer to inner. Such a way of life cannot be imposed by any outward authority. It is not to be found in a mere intellectual acceptance of what we read in books. What we read may point the way to inner discovery, but that discovery must be our own.
When one considers the basic principles of Theosophy, does it not seem that this way of discovery and action is, in essence, 'the theosophical way of life'? It cannot be a rigid pattern which all must follow, for we are not all pressed into the same mould. Each of us is unique. But we can invite others to share in the discovery, suggesting that the basic principles of this philosophy are worth looking at to see if they do make sense and give meaning to existence.
If the principle of unity, the One Life, and of brotherhood as its expression in the outer world is real to us, for example, that reality will find its way into our lives through compassion, through understanding, kindness, and tolerance — through our own individual expressions of these qualities. If reincarnation, karma, dharma, and the other concepts of Theosophy are real to us, they will express themselves in the order, design, law, and beauty of our own lives. 'Theosophy is not a far away sunrise that we must try to clutch', said Col. H. S. Olcott, 'but a lamp to light our feet about the house and in our daily walks.' It is really so very simple. But it seems sometimes that it is more difficult for us to be ourselves in a truly simple way than to try to be ourselves in a vastly complicated way!
Neither Theosophy as a philosophy, nor the Theosophical Society as an organisation, imposes specific beliefs or specific practices on anyone and we should take care to be sure that others to whom we may be talking understand this fact. In an earlier letter in this series, you will recall it was pointed out that Theosophy and the Society are not identical, and it is important to keep this distinction in mind in our contacts with the public. It may be well to repeat here the words of H.P. Blavatsky on this subject: 'Theosophy is the shoreless ocean of universal truth, love and wisdom, reflecting its radiance on the earth ... The Theosophical Society was formed to assist in showing to men that such a thing as Theosophy exists and to help them to ascend toward it by studying and assimilating its eternal verities.'
Some people in studying those 'eternal verities' have found in vegetarianism, non-smoking and the like an expression of their way, but it is not for them to say this must be true for all students. Nor should those whose convictions lie in the opposite direction try to impose their way upon others. We each have an inalienable right to arrive at our own conclusions and we should never do violence to ourselves by trying to force ourselves into practices which do not spring naturally from the truth of our own being.
So the function with which we are really concerned is that of 'showing that such a thing as Theosophy exists', and to a large extent, the success or failure of our presentations will be in direct ratio to how well or how poorly they reveal - or suggest - the all-embracing nature of Theosophy. The immediate application of the 'eternal verities' in our lives, and in the lives of others, must be a matter of individual decision, for just as we must be absolutely free to determine that way of life which is most meaningful (and so most theosophical) for ourselves, so we must leave others completely free to reach their own decisions as to how best to make Theosophy a living reality in their lives.
In our theosophical literature there are a number of beautiful and simple books which may serve as guides for living what has been called 'the theosophical way of life'. Such books are indeed only guides; they are not inflexible sets of rules which say we must do this or that thing, conform to this or that discipline. Rather they are simply oil for the lamp of Theosophy which can light our daily tasks. In Letter No. 10, we mentioned the three little devotional texts, At the Feet of the Master, Light on the Path, and The Voice of the Silence. A wise and very understanding little book is that by Clara Codd, Techniques of the Spiritual Life. Two helpful books by N. Sri Ram are Seeking Wisdom and The Way of Wisdom.
So having discovered for ourselves that way of life which reflects our own understandings, that way of life which we see as 'theosophical' in accordance with our own insights, beliefs, and convictions, we do want to communicate it to others. Therefore our second question arises: How do we present Theosophy to others? The following suggestions are offered for those who do want to take a truly active role in the presentation of those "eternal verities" which constitute the Ageless Wisdom of Theosophy. Not everyone will wish to be a lecturer, a class leader, or even to facilitate a discussion, but at some time or other every member is asked about Theosophy and the Society. Whenever one is called upon to communicate one's ideas, these few suggestions may prove useful for consideration.
Probably one of the most important considerations in presenting Theosophy is to begin where people are. We do not step onto the lecture platform, lead a class, or even speak out in class discussion, for the purpose of displaying how much we know. If we must use technical terms - and perhaps sometimes we must - we can be careful to explain them and bring them within the comprehension of those to whom they may seem new or strange. Our whole purpose is to be helpful, to try and point the way for those who are seeking answers to their own questionings or solutions to their critical life problems. This is perhaps easier to keep in mind in our individual conversations with others than in our public presentations, but the same principle applies. If we try to be inwardly perceptive - to listen with the 'inner' ear - we find that we begin to be aware of the needs of those to whom we are speaking. Simplicity and directness should be our keynote.
Another extremely important thing is that we should never be dogmatic in our approach. We can speak from our own convictions, honestly and sincerely, without attempting to impose those convictions upon our hearers. A natural resistance is aroused in others when we say, in effect, 'This is it; there is no other.' We may even have a tendency, in our personal contacts, to 'buttonhole' others and try to force theosophical ideas upon them. This can do inestimable harm. We offer a concept, we do not prescribe. It is perhaps human to want others to believe as we do, but if our beliefs must have the support of others they are not firmly rooted in our own being. We need always to re-examine our motives before we step upon the theosophical platform. As expressed by an early theosophical writer, Dr. J. J. Van der Leeuw, 'The dogmatist can but analyse and classify the shrivelled remains of what once were flowers of living teaching.' Unless we speak from a centre within ourselves which is constantly in the process of renewal, which is constantly revitalised because it draws continuously and effortlessly upon the 'shoreless ocean of universal truth and wisdom' which is pure Theosophy, we shall not make Theosophy a living truth to others.
A valuable aid to those who would develop the art of speaking is to first develop the art of listening. This may require some patience and self-discipline, for we are often too ready to speak before we know what we are going to say or how we are going to say it. But when we can learn to listen to others with complete attention and sympathy (not necessarily with agreement, but with respect for their opinions) we shall begin to acquire the art of speaking effectively.
So far as specific methods of presentation are concerned, each of us must develop our own. We gain nothing by trying to imitate the methods of others. Again and again the whole matter comes back to ourselves. If Theosophy acts within us as a flow of truth from moment to moment, if it is a living experience rather than a rigid system of teaching, we may take any approach which is appropriate for us and it will carry its own conviction.
Finally, then, when Theosophy becomes for us a way of life, when the immortal principles of the Wisdom are embedded in the very fabric of our daily existence, it will not matter whether we are speaking to one or to one hundred, for we will communicate not only our insights and understanding of the theosophical philosophy, but even more significantly we will speak directly to the heart of the other. We will communicate with love and compassionate respect, granting to the other, and others, the same full freedom to discover truth which we have demanded for ourselves. That ultimately is a very essential part of the theosophical way of life, for others will recognise that we say what we believe and we believe what we say!
