http://theosophist.wordpress.com/2008/03/16/practical-versus-theoretical-spirituality-or-theosophy-if-you-will/ blogs from the path Sat, 17 May 2008 07:02:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU http://theosophist.wordpress.com/2008/03/16/practical-versus-theoretical-spirituality-or-theosophy-if-you-will/#comment-25 latebrake Thu, 20 Mar 2008 03:42:46 +0000 http://theosophist.wordpress.com/?p=39#comment-25 not a fan of G. de Purucker. not a fan of G. de Purucker.

]]> http://theosophist.wordpress.com/2008/03/16/practical-versus-theoretical-spirituality-or-theosophy-if-you-will/#comment-24 Pablo Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:58:23 +0000 http://theosophist.wordpress.com/?p=39#comment-24 Yes Katinka. I agree with your post. The spreading of the teachings may help people change their perception about life and, as the Buddha said, right action comes from right perception. But sometimes there is a tendency to limit our theosophical activities to the intellectual level (may be because it is easier). That tends to happen more frequently with those who proclaim Theosophy as a system of knowledge, developed particularly by Blavatsky (HPB). However, HPB writings do not support that attitude at all. Just a little instance: she was once asked how the pranava (OM) should be pronounced from an esoteric point of view. And she answered: “through our actions”. [If you are interested in how HPB defined Theosophy see my article "What is Theosophy?" at http://pasender.tripod.com] The theosophical tradition (at least the Adyar-based one) emphasizes a more holistic approach than the mere studying, since it speaks of the spiritual life as a balance between study, meditation and service. And these three elements may again be taken in a very narrow sense, or they may embrace our whole life. Study includes a constant attitude of learning, not just from books, but also from our relationships, from nature, from our daily experiences. Meditation is not only meant to have place in a corner of our room, but to be a constant state of awareness during our day. And service is not limited to feed the hungry. It is the effort to live in a state of unselfishness, where we are more focus in the good of the whole than in our personal one. It is only when we take Theosophy in that way, I believe, that we will be really spreading the Theo-Sophia, that is, the Divine Wisdom. Yes Katinka. I agree with your post.
The spreading of the teachings may help people change their perception about life and, as the Buddha said, right action comes from right perception. But sometimes there is a tendency to limit our theosophical activities to the intellectual level (may be because it is easier). That tends to happen more frequently with those who proclaim Theosophy as a system of knowledge, developed particularly by Blavatsky (HPB). However, HPB writings do not support that attitude at all. Just a little instance: she was once asked how the pranava (OM) should be pronounced from an esoteric point of view. And she answered: “through our actions”.
[If you are interested in how HPB defined Theosophy see my article “What is Theosophy?” at http://pasender.tripod.com
The theosophical tradition (at least the Adyar-based one) emphasizes a more holistic approach than the mere studying, since it speaks of the spiritual life as a balance between study, meditation and service. And these three elements may again be taken in a very narrow sense, or they may embrace our whole life.
Study includes a constant attitude of learning, not just from books, but also from our relationships, from nature, from our daily experiences. Meditation is not only meant to have place in a corner of our room, but to be a constant state of awareness during our day. And service is not limited to feed the hungry. It is the effort to live in a state of unselfishness, where we are more focus in the good of the whole than in our personal one.
It is only when we take Theosophy in that way, I believe, that we will be really spreading the Theo-Sophia, that is, the Divine Wisdom.

]]>