Theosophical Siftings

About the Secret Doctrine of the Initiates

Vol 4, No 11

About the Secret Doctrine of the Initiates

by Anonymous
From Papers on the Histor of !ulture " translate# from the S$e#ish %eprinte# from &Theosophical Siftings& Volume 4 The Theosophical Publishing Societ , 'nglan#

A()N* other things e+pecte# from can#i#ates for initiation, $as that the shoul# be willing, fearless, industrious, patient an# discreet, If not $illing ou cannot be fearless, if not fearless, ou accomplish nothing&, & He that #oes not $or-, neither shall he eat&, nor can he rec-on upon $ages, '.er sort of unnecessar care an# $orr must be banishe# from the circle of the Initiates, the must patientl $ait for their time to come, resting assure#, as $ell the ma , that one #a it will come, An Initiate has recei.e# instruction in the secrets of nature an# of the human heart, once the are morall an# ps chicall prepare# for these teachings, $hich ha# been communicate#, in the same or#er, to their teachers / pre.iousl , The rules for a#mission to the section of the Initiates are strict an# immutable, an# &man are calle#, but fe$ are chosen&, 0ecause &strait is the gate, an# narro$ is the $a $hich lea#eth unto life, an# fe$ there be that fin# it&, 1(atthe$ .ii, 14, 2 0ut that gate is open ne.er to be close#, an# that roa# stretches out for e.ermore, So it is, so it has been from the #a$n of time, The races of ore ha.e #isappeare#, but their $is#om still remains, an# can be gaine# b those $ho are willing, fearless, industrious, patient an# discreet, The men of the present, here in the 3est, ma , perhaps, to a certain e+tent reconcile themsel.es to the first four con#itions, but as soon as a 4uestion of silence an# secrec arises, the imme#iatel sen# up a lou# cr about the #anger of it, This is #one either out of stupi#it or out of spite, / stupi#it because the ignore that the (aster from Na5areth, himself en6oine# secrec upon the Initiates $hen among those not $orth , In that $ell"-no$n glorious Sermon on the (ount, he comman#e# his #isciples7 &*i.e not that $hich is hol unto the #ogs, neither cast e our pearls before s$ine, lest the trample them un#er their feet, an# turn again an# ren# ou&, 1(att, .ii, 8,2 )n another occasion the great (aster sai# to them, & 9nto ou it is gi.en to -no$ the m ster of the -ing#om of *o#, but unto them that are $ithout, all these things are #one in parables, That, seeing, the ma see an# not percei.e, an#, hearing, the ma hear an# not un#erstan#:, 1(ar- i., 11, 1;2 As pointe# out b us abo.e, the rule for Initiates has in.ariabl [Page 24] been to interpret to the outsi#ers, solel through parables those truths $hich the themsel.es ha# recei.e# un#er the seal of silence, Therefore the *ospel goes on, &All these things spa-e <esus unto the multitu#e in parables, an# $ithout a parable spa-e he not unto them, that it might be fulfille# $hich $as spo-en b the prophet, sa ing7 1Ps, l++.iii, ;,2 I $ill utter things $hich ha.e been -ept secret from the foun#ation of the $orl#&, 1(atthe$ +iii, =4, =>2, In %e.elation 1+, 1"4,2 an instance is gi.en ho$ Initiates $ere recommen#e# to -eep to themsel.es part of $hat the hear#, an# that the most important, &An# I sa$ another might angel come #o$n from hea.en, clothe# $ith a clou#? an# a rainbo$ $as upon his hea#, an# his face $as as it $ere the sun, an# his feet as pillars of fire7 an# he ha# in his han# a little boo- open7 an# he set his right foot Page 1

Theosophical Siftings

About the Secret Doctrine of the Initiates

Vol 4, No 11

upon the sea, an# his left foot on the earth, an# crie# $ith a lou# .oice as $hen a lion roareth, an# $hen he ha# crie#, se.en thun#ers uttere# their .oices, an# $hen the se.en thun#ers ha# uttere# their .oices, I $as about to $rite? an# I hear# a .oice from hea.en sa ing unto me7 Seal up those things $hich the se.en thun#ers uttere# an# $rite them not &, & 0ut $hat is the goo# of all this secrec @& some ma as-, There are, of course, reasons for this, 3h $as the same sort of secrec connecte# $ith the initiation into the 'g ptian, !hal#ean an# 'leusinian ( steries@ An# $h , in #istant In#ia, #oes a *uru, up to this .er #a , #eman# from his Chela that he shall communicate $hat he has learnt, after probation, onl to such as engage themsel.es in the same manner to hi#e $hat the ha.e learnt of the hol m steries an# to re.eal these in their turn to such among their #isciples alone, $ho ha.e been trie# in the same $a @ It is because in the stu# of those m steries are in.ol.e# intensel earnest researches an# e+periments, it is because in occult information is containe# the -e to the secrets of Nature, Such things shoul# not be place# in the han#s of untraine# people? one shoul# not allo$ chil#ren to pla $ith fire or e+plosi.es, for the $oul# ris- thus to #o harm both to themsel.es an# others, )nce e.er centur 1accor#ing to our chronolog $ithin its last t$ent "fi.e ears2 the bul- of man-in# is affor#e# a glimpse into the meaning of those m steries, b the guar#ians of ancient lore, / in obe#ience to la$s go.erning their acts, At those perio#s the sen# one of their pupils, a <acob 0oAhme, a %obert Flu##, a Paracelsus or a Pico #i (iran#ola, $ith the ob6ect of turning a$a the attention of the $orl# from the trifling, mean, little (artha" troubles of e.er #a sensuous life to that &narro$ path: $hich lea#s to light, An# these emissaries al$a s #o succee# in some measure, During more conspicuous historical epochs, some of the Initiates go out into the $orl# to la the foun#ation of a ne$ cree# or cree#s, s mboli5ing part of the eternal truth, fitte# for the time an# localit , #ra$ing men from [Page 25] materialism an# selfishness, an# man a (oses has succee#e# in persua#ing his o$n people to aban#on the 'g ptian flesh"pots an# to set out on the toilsome 6ourne through the #esert to the glorious !anaan of .irtue an# truth, In the 0ible, the Babbala, the <i Bing, the Ve#as, the 0haga.a#"*ita, the Dhammapa#a, the Cen#"A.esta an# the Boran, the 'ternal Dight brea-s through the prism in #ifferent colours, but is ne.ertheless at the foun#ation one an# the same, In the $or-s of P thagoras, Socrates, Plato, Apollonius of T ana, Philo, Plotinus, Porph r , lamblichus, Proclus, Plutarch, (a+imos, Numinius, Ammonius Saccas, Hierocles, Philostratus, 0ishop S nesios from ! rene, )rigen, Albertus (agnus, Agrippa from Nettersheim, 'manuel S$e#enborg, etc,, etc,, portions of the Secret Doctrine are foun#, although the aspects ta-en #iffer some$hat from each other, During latter ears the Initiates ha.e gi.en information about themsel.es an# their teachings, more especiall through boo-s b A, P, Sinnett an# H, P, 0la.ats- , This apparentl pro.es the greater rea#iness no$ pre.alent for recei.ing the Secret Doctrine, about the fun#amental points of $hich a fe$ short e+planations ma here be offere#, 1 I 2 The Di.ine Po$er is the onl realit an# unalterabilit / all else is changeable, an# conse4uentl unreal an# illusor 1(a a2, from the Di.ine point of .ie$ an# $ith regar# to .ariet of manifestation, As to origin / or cause / all is real, 3e, ho$e.er, although being changeable an# illusor on our material si#e, are accustome# to loo- upon the purel ph sical as real / so long as $e remain at our present stage, *o# is all"concei.ing, but can be concei.e# b no one, Paul of Tarsus sai# in his a##ress from the hill of (ars at Athens7 &The Dor# is not far from e.er one of us? for in Him $e li.e, an# mo.e, an# ha.e our being? as certain also of our o$n poets ha.e sai#7 For $e are also His offspring& 1Acts +.ii, ;E, ;F2, Something similar $as $ritten b <esus Sirach, in Ale+an#ria in 'g pt7 & 0 Him the en# of them has prosperous success, an# b His $or# all things consist, 3e ma spea- much an# et come short, $herefore in sum / He is all: 1Sirach +liii, ;8, ;E2,

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About the Secret Doctrine of the Initiates

Vol 4, No 11

%egar#ing the right mo#e of confessing Him the Acts 1+, =>2 ha.e it7 &In e.er nation he that feareth Him an# $or-eth righteousness, is accepte# $ith Him&, In harmon $ith this stan#s the $ell"-no$n utterance of 0rahma7 &I am the shrine for the $hole of the human race, Those $ho faithfull ser.e other *o#s $orship (e un$ittingl , I am the )ne participating in all $orship an# the re$ar# of all $orshippers&, In the hol Scriptures of the 0rahmans $e rea#7 Ha# the !reator of this 9ni.erse $ishe# to gi.e preference to an religion in particular, this one $oul# ha.e been reigning supreme on earth? the fact of there being se.eral pro.es the sanction to it of the Highest, for He has re.eale# to e.er nation the #octrine best suite# to them an# is please# to be $orshippe# [Page 26] after #ifferent forms, *o# is present 6ust as much in the mos4ues of Islam an# in the churches of !hristianit , as in the temples of 0rahma, 1;2, 9n#erneath all there is a hi##en homogeneit , an inner relationship, &)n earth as it is in hea.en& / so far as a $ea- cop resembles its mo#el, As belo$, so abo.e, an# &that $hich is on high resembles that $hich is in the #eep& / so runs the inscription on the emeral# boar# of Hermes Trismegistus, There is an affinit an# a constant interchange bet$een the #i.ine an# the human, The Hin#oo follo$ers of the Tara-a %a6a Goga Philosoph hol# that man consists of three earthl parts, Steelopadhi, Suksjmopadhi, an# Karanopadhi, correspon#ing to 0rahma, Vishnu an# Si.a, the three persons in the Hin#oo Trinit 1Trimurti2 / together $ith one hea.enl part, Atma / or the Spirit / $hich correspon#s to the un-no$n Di.init 1Parabrahm2, The 0rahman Ve#anta Philosophers #i.i#e man into four or fi.e earthl parts / in the latter case name#7 annamaya, pranamaya, manomaya, vignanamaya an# anandamaya cosa / an# Atma, the hea.enl spirit, Something correspon#ing to this #i.ision of three or four parts occurs $ith the In#ians in (innesota an# Da-ota, Le Sueur relate# nearl ;HH ears ago about the Da-ota In#ians ha.ing three souls / but their o$n hol men assert that the ha.e four, After #eath one remains in or close to the bo# ? the secon# settles #o$n in a bun#le of hair or clothes ha.ing belonge# to the #ea# man, $hich bun#le is carefull preser.e# b the relati.es until an occasion offers to thro$ it a$a on the groun# of an enem ? the thir# goes to spirit"Ian#? an# the fourth ta-es up its abo#e in the bo# of a chil# or animal, 1See %obert *rInbergerJs History of Minnesota 1(inneapolis, 1FFK2 page =F2 Parallels to this are foun# in the $orl# of their go#s, 3ah-in an, one of the higher go#s, is suppose# to li.e in a #$elling on the top of a high mountain in the far $est, This #$elling has four entrances, guar#e# b sentinels #resse# in re# #o$n, A butterfl $atches at the east, a bear at the $est, a #eer"calf at the south, an# a rein#eer at the north entrance 1page ;H2, An# the go# He o-a is represente# in four persons 1page ;12, The a#herents of the Secret Doctrine #i.i#e man in se.en principles an# the 9ni.erse also in se.en correspon#ing to these, The principles of man are calle#7 Sthula Sarira 1the bo# 2, rana 1the .italit 2, Linga Sarira 1the astral form2, Kama rupa 1the seat of #esire2, Manas 1the min#2, !uddhi 1the soul2, an# Atma 1the spirit2, 1=,2 The #i.ers principles 1or stages2 of the uni.erse are rightl un#erstoo# onl b the correspon#ing principles $ithin man, Paul sa s7 &the natural man recei.eth not the things of the spirit of *o#, for the are foolishness unto him? neither can he -no$ them, because the are spirituall #iscerne#& 1 1 !orinth, ii, 142, 3e / $ith our materialistic ten#encies / are not able to un#erstan# *o#, an# $e ought not to attempt confining Him $ithin the narro$ limits? of our con#itions? an# attributes, [Page 27] 14,2 <ust as there are sun#r grossl material species in !reation, li-e$ise there are man of more refine# -in#s of $hose e+istence $e cannot be a$are un#er or#inar circumstances, 3e ha.e to be transferre# to their o$n plane in or#er to be ma#e cogni5ant of their presence, b means of the oral an# Page =

Theosophical Siftings
.isual senses,

About the Secret Doctrine of the Initiates

Vol 4, No 11

1>,2 There is a root"religion, out of $hich all the others ha.e sprung, The #i.ine re.elation, altogether absent from none of these #octrines, constitutes $hat is true in them all, The encroachments of #ogma, ho$e.er, ha.e either conceale# or altere# most of these truths, An# the motto of the Initiates is7 & there is no religion higher than truth&, & If ou $oul# fin# the origin of all religious s stems, ou must loo- for it in Tibet an# *reat Tartar ,& $as the assertion of our compatriot, S$e#enborg, It is in Tibet the supreme lo#ge of the Initiates is place# e.en at this moment, In fun#amental religion is foun# a -e to all the #ifferent cree#s, '.er one of the ancient #octrines points to a theosoph ol#er than all of them, &The -e $hich unloc-s one must unloc- the rest, other$ise it cannot be the right one&, Dr, Ale+an#er remar-s in his "clectic hilosophy, 18,2 The $hole of manifestation must pass through man stages from a lo$er to a higher, e.er circling on$ar# in spirals, (an is un#ergoing continuous #e.elopment into something higher, from one incarnation to another, Di-e the 'g ptians an# the <e$s in b gone #a s, 0rahmans, 0u##hists an# !onfucians belie.e up to this #a in re"incarnation, $hich #octrine among the ignorant masses ta-es the shape of metemps chosis, $here not unfre4uentl is met the notion, e4uall absur# an# illogical, of the human soul entering the bo# of a beast, The theor of re"birth #oes not impl a retrogression from human to animal forms, but an uninterrupte# e.olution to something higher, In the Ne$ Testament this is taught $ith positi.e assurance in se.eral places, <esus spea-s unreser.e#l of his pre"e+istence 1& before Abraham $as, I am &,,,,, 2 li-e $hat 0u##ha, half a centur earlier, ha# #one about his o$n, <ohn the 0aptist $as generall suppose# to be either (essiah or one of the Prophets, 'li6ah or <eremiah, The Angel *abriel ha# pre#icte# about <ohn 1Du-e i, 1;2 that he shoul# ha.e &the spirit an# po$er of 'li6ah&, an# <esus once pronounce# about him7 & if e $ill recei.e it, this is 'li6ah, $hich, $as for to come& 1(att, +i, 142, A proof of ho$ general $as the belief in re"incarnation at the time of !hrist, is furnishe# b the 4uestion of the #isciples, $hen <esus once cure# a man $ho ha# been born blin#7 ,&%abbi, $ho #i# sin, this man or his parents, that he $as born blin#& 1<ohn i+, ; 2, 1E,2 Special emphasis is lai# b the Secret #octrine on Karma, or the immutable la$ of cause an# effect, unfol#e# through successi.e perio#s of manifestation #uring $hich Barma #eci#es of the in#i.i#ualJs position in earth life, his temperament, etc,, etc,, accor#ing to merit an# #emerit in past [Page 28] incarnations, Thus it is the 6ust la$ of Barma, an# no in6ustice, that places one man in a lo$ sphere of societ , an# another in a high one? all #epen#s of themsel.es, of their acts in a former re"birth, & 3hat a man so$s, he shall also reap,& The mechanism of the $hole uni.erse is all regularit an# la$, '.er thing, per se, is natural an# necessar / has its o$n &raison #JLtre&? it all can be e+plaine# b something else / in one $or# nothing on earth is in#epen#ent enough not to be mo#ifie# b some other thing, An effect points to a cause, this ma be hi##en an# not eas of #isco.er , but ne.ertheless #oes e+ist, In or#er to pro#uce a photographic picture, there is nee# of sufficientl strong light, a camera, chemicals, an# a clichM prepare# 6ust the right #egree of susceptibilit , If all these con#itions are not present an# utilise# after a certain manner, no picture $ill be pro#uce#, It is the same $ith e.er thing else, All that happens or is #one in this $orl# testifies to the la$ of cause an# effect an# is sub6ecte# to its o$n specific regulations, Thought"rea#ing an# thought"transmission, ps chometr , clair.o ance an# other phenomena, hitherto Page 4

Theosophical Siftings

About the Secret Doctrine of the Initiates

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little -no$n b the public at large, ha.e all their o$n proper causes an# appear un#er certain fi+e# con#itions, So also $ith the .arie# electro"magnetic an# h pnotic phenomena, $hich are no$ being stu#ie# $ith such great interest, In the lo#ges of the Initiates, these natural phenomena, as et so little obser.e# b our times, form to themsel.es a branch of in.estigation, among others, Not all men ha.e been born thought"rea#ers, nor are the all gifte# $ith the clair.o ant far"sighte#ness, Nuite trueO 0ut no more $as there e.er an one born $ith -no$le#ge of 'nglish or mathematics, etc$, etc, It has to be learnt / pro.i#e# the capacit for learning is there, For not all $ere gifte# b nature $ith linguistic talent or a -nac- for sol.ing mathematical problems, There is, ho$e.er, no #oubt that man might be taught both, at least in a measure, if onl the $ere persistent in tr ing, 0ut tr ing is in#ispensable, The Hin#u Gogis, the (ahomme#an Sufis, the &sorcerers& of 'g pt, the !hal#ean magi, the Babbalists, the 'ssenes, the P thagorians, an# Neo"Platonists, $ho ma#e natural an# ps chic phenomena an ob6ect of careful, practical in.estigation, #eclare# a plain mo#e of li.ing necessar for attaining an mar-e# success, Diberation from attachment to the $orl# of sense an# unceasing aspiration to$ar#s the pure realm of spirit, is the most essential, from $hich, as an ultimate result, $ill follo$ a cessation of further rebirth, This, conse4uentl , shoul# be the goal an# aim for $hich $e are, all of us, struggling all the more as the struggle is, in itself, beneficial for e.er purpose, It brings about a 4uic- #e.elopment of all the higher faculties of the min#, the far"sighte#ness 1clair.o ance2 becomes [Page 29] immensel increase#? ne$ #omains are opene# up to the e+cessi.el sharpene# senses, an# the man thus en#o$e# ac4uires a #eeper insight into the truth $hich is the foun#ation of all, This $e ought to be stri.ing for P0e e therefore perfect, e.en as our Father $hich is in hea.en is perfect,& 1(att, .,, 4F,2 A simple, natural #iet is the i#eal one, an# its result is $on#erful, 3e -no$ from (oses that .egetarian foo# $as or#aine# for the primar inhabitants of the gar#en of '#en, 1*en, ii,, 1F, 1K,2 At the time of histor $hen human beings attaine# the greatest age the $ere .egetarians, Noah $as the first to recei.e the comman#7 P'.er mo.ing thing that li.eth shall be meat for ou? e.en as the green herb ha.e I gi.en ou all things&, 1*en, i+,? =2, )nl the Na5arenes, those mar.ellous men of *o# $ere #irecte# to ta-e una#ulterate# nourishment, to lea# an ascetic life an# to abstain / together $ith their mothers / from tasting P$ine an# strong #rin-&, 1Numbers .i,, ;"4? <u#ges +iii,, 4>? I Saml, i,, 11? Du-e i,,1>,2 The same en6oinment regar#ing into+icating #rin- $as gi.en to the priests of Israel 1Numbers +,, K"1H2, an# trul occult societies of all epochs ha.e follo$e# their e+ample $ith great profit to themsel.es an# to their members, Among other rules consi#ere# important, are lo.e of man-in#, chastit , the con4uering of all the lo$er passions 1.iolent temper, in#olence, $ea-ness, etc,, etc,2 an# others of similar ten#encies, The greatest stress is lai# b the Initiates on ethics, 3ithout ethical progress no spiritual insight, no real perception of the occult po$ers in nature, The s-etch of the Secret Doctrine attempte# in these lines is, una.oi#abl , most incomplete, If, not$ithstan#ing its brief outlines an# short hints 1ma be obscure2, it coul# con.e e.en the faintest notion of the Initiates an# their Secret Doctrine, the ob6ect $ith $hich this paper $as $ritten $oul# ha.e been reache#,

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A !"#P$IA A%%!"&'# 1From P%he !ook of the #ead&2 ).er the #ar- fiel#s, hea. as a palO, Dit b no gleam of sun, or moon, or star, Hangs the #ar- air, nor an soun#s at all The sombre silence 6ar , Still as the $ee# belo$ a fro5en sea, The pale shea.es of the ghostl har.est stan#, An# through the serrie# ro$ unceasingl There mo.es a spectral ban#, All that ha.e li.e# are there, an# from their e es Q 3hether of -ing or beggar, mai# or $ife" *leam terror, an# #isma , an# $il# surprise, At the result of life, For this the har.est is of all their #ee#s, This Pcorn of Aanroo, se.en cubits high&? Their goo# an# e.il actions so$e# the see#s The reap $hen once the #ie, *leaning their shea.es the go, $ith restless feet, 'ach for himself pl ing the crescent -nife? An# if their #ee#s $ere goo#, the grain the eat *i.es them eternal Dife, 0ut if Jt$as e.il, that their life #i# so$, The grain is poison, an# the ghostl breath The #re$ in Aanroo ceases, an# the go To e.erlasting Death,

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