LIVING THEOSOPHY

Delivered on 20 January 2002
by Mo Mitchel
At Unitarian Universalist Church of Pensacola

I am here this morning to introduce the ancient Wisdom known as theosophy. I will present Theosophy in a conceptual way, but also in a personal way.
By sharing the story of my involvement with theosophy, I hope the value of this philosophy and way of life will become apparent. A second objective is to describe an alternative to the opposite ends of the religious spectrum we 'UU's are familiar with. One end is the strictly humanist approach, and the other is the traditional religious approach followed in the mainline Christian churches of this country. Third, I will outline a number of areas of agreement between theosophy and the Unitarian-Universalist movement.
In the course of my presentation, I will share a number of readings and quotes that have spoken to me in a special way. Some are expressions of things that I have come to understand; others are possibilities that I find attractive and worthy of consideration. I hope you enjoy them as I do.
What motivated me to pursue theosophy? I consider it a failure of my own making that I did not address life's basic questions in any organized way until just before my retirement from the aerospace industry in 1996. At that time in my life, I felt a growing dissatisfaction with the traditional goals I had accepted, a sense of something missing.
I was under no illusion about finding all the answers, I only new that consideration of the basic questions of life meant a search for meaning and that was where I wanted to devote time and energy.
Where to begin? I knew about the Theosophical Society because of one of my aunt's lifelong association with the organization. Through her, we had come into contact with some fascinating and unusual people; well-educated people who held ideas about life that were unfamiliar to me. These were gentle, peaceful and compassionate people. They had realized something of value and I wanted to find out about it.
A number of key concepts were critical from the beginning. The motto of the Theosophical Society is, "There is no religion higher than Truth." It is seen as the responsibility of each person to find truth for him or herself. Life is viewed as an evolutionary process in which each person makes choices and lives with the results. The challenge is to learn from these results. This is consistent with life experience - so far, so good. Free will & choice are very important to me. With free will & choice, the occurrences of life are not what matter so much; what matters is how we choose to respond to them. We can shape the person we wish to become tomorrow through the choices we make and the practices we follow today. This is the greatest source of hope that I can conceive of.
Truth, personal responsibility, evolution, choice – these are some of the basic principles of theosophy. However, although there is a large body of thought associated with theosophy, there is no final and complete characterization of it. The reason theosophy is difficult to describe is that theosophy is about truth and we humans do not have truth collected and neatly packaged.
We UU's would be among the first to assert that not all truth is known. Today's perceptions about life give way to deeper and more comprehensive understanding tomorrow, and this process continues. It seems wise to try to maintain an open mind. Thich Nhat Hahn, the gentle Vietnamese Buddhist monk and popular author, reminds us to ask ourselves, "Are you sure?" I recognize that if the answer comes back, "Yes," I had better be careful.
Theosophy points us to that which is true and important in the process of living, but makes no claim of exclusive knowledge. No group owns the truth, no religion, no philosophy and certainly, not the Theosophical Society.
Theosophy goes to the heart of the fundamental questions of life. Valid questions like, "What is the meaning of life? What is the purpose of life? Why was I born? How do I accept and make sense of my own mortality?" And, so on. Modern Theosophy presents a view consistent with what has become known as "The Perennial Philosophy."
William H. Houff, professor, research chemist, UU minister and author of the book, "Infinity in Your Hand," describes how he makes sense of the cosmos in a beautiful way that is consistent with this "Perennial Philosophy." It is included in your order of service (for later reading). Now we have a UU reference for that which is often seen as a philosophy grounded only in eastern religion. Theosophy is grounded in human experience.
 
British author, Aldous Huxley explains the Perennial Philosophy in detail in his book of that title. Huxley writes that rudiments of the Perennial Philosophy may be found in the lore of primitive peoples in every region of the world, and in its fully developed forms, it has a place in every one of the higher religions. He goes on to provide support for these claims. To quote Huxley,
"This Perennial Philosophy is the metaphysic that recognizes a Divine Reality substantial to the world of things and lives and minds. It is the psychology that finds in the soul something similar to, or even identical with, Divine Reality. It is the ethic that places man's final end in the knowledge of the immanent and transcendent Ground of all Being."
Divine Reality, Ground of all Being - is this a way of saying God? Before going further, let me be clear about this. Writing about "The Ever-Present Reality," international president of the Theosophical Society, Rhada Burnier puts it this way:
(1) "There is something beyond the purely material, beyond the scope of human thought and human senses, but what is this, ever-existent Reality?
There will always be mystery. We know in increasing detail how nature works. We recognize gaps in our understanding, but we continue to make great progress in learning about our universe. However, we know very little about why things work as they do. Gravity is a case in point.
What we do know points to an ordered complexity, a universe of law, an ongoing evolutionary life process. What is this reality?
(2) Burnier goes on to assert that the bitterly destructive hatreds and wars between the faithful of different religions around the world bear witness to the folly of humanity's continued belief in a mind-projected God.To me, a mind-projected god is an imagined super-being with human-like characteristics that supposedly created the world and is involved in its operation. This super-human wants, loves, is angered, and supposedly favors his chosen people and supports them in conflict with others when they obey his commandments. We need only consider Northern Ireland, Bosnia, the Mid-East, and now suicidal terrorism to see the folly of such beliefs.(3) H. P. Blavatsky, one of the founders of the Theosophical Society tells us, "To be a theosophist, it is not necessary to believe in or pay allegiance to any special god or deity. One need but revere the spirit of living nature, and try to identify oneself with it…"
(4) Blavatsky's spiritual teachers tell us that the God of theologians is simply an imaginary power, a bogyman. They say, "Our chief aim is to deliver humanity of this nightmare, to teach man virtue for its own sake and to walk in life relying on his own self instead of leaning on a theological crutch that for countless ages has been the direct cause of nearly all human misery."
 
(5) Rhada Burnier concludes with,
"In the outer universe, the worlds around us, we can see the extraordinary beauty, the wondrous and inexhaustible creativity, the harmony and order of Life. (We see this) even in this small part of existence in which Reality is manifest to our perception, that is, in Nature and in human consciousness. Why invent anything further?
This was not intended as an attack on traditional religious views. It was intended as an explanation of the views of many theosophists, not necessarily all. Just as in Unitarian-Universalism, in the practice of theosophy, there is no creed, no required set of beliefs.
I think it is important to recognize the possibility of finding truth through organized religion. My beginning study has convinced me that an open-minded search for Reality has been successful within the context of all the world's major religions. There have been enlightened spiritual teachers in many faith settings. The recorded experiences of mystics of all traditions seem to point to the same Reality.
The words and rituals of a religion are not so important. The degree to which that religion leads one to self-knowledge and conscious involvement in the evolutionary processes of life is important.
 
Back to the Perennial Philosophy - Modern Theosophy is a contemporary statement of that tradition; it embodies a world-view and a way of life that includes a vision of self-transformation. First, the world-view: I will present six aspects and comment briefly on each. 
1. The universe and all that exists within it are one interrelated, interdependent whole. (Duane Elgin, former SRI senior researcher and author, writes about this in the article, "Our Living Universe." He reports experimental evidence that the cosmos is a unified system in which things that seem to be separate are actually connected in fundamental ways that transcend ordinary space and time. Described as non--locality, this is one of the most stunning insights from quantum physics."
 
2. Every existent being, from atom to galaxy, is rooted in the same universal, life creating, Reality. This Reality can never be summed up in its parts since it transcends all its expressions. It is revealed in the purposeful, ordered, and meaningful processes of nature as well as in the deepest recesses of the human mind and spirit.
A wonderful example of the purposeful, ordered and meaningful processes of nature is revealed in the complexity of the human genome, the self replicating mechanism that carries not only the instructions for every characteristic of our physical self, but also a record of our evolution through the stages of living organisms. Everywhere we look in nature, we see incredible complexity, highly structured laws and always, mystery.
 
3. The essence of this Reality resides within the heart of every living thing.
Again, from "The Living Universe," renowned physicist, Freeman Dyson, is quoted about consciousness at the quantum level. "Matter in quantum mechanics is not an inert substance but an active agent, constantly making choices between alternative possibilities… It appears that mind, as manifested by the capacity to make choices is to some extent present in every electron. This does not mean that an atom has the same consciousness as a human being, but rather that an atom has a sentient capacity appropriate to its form and function."
 
4. Humanity is capable of knowing something of this Reality, first through inference, and then through direct intuition. That insight unites the one who knows with that which is known.
By inference, we conclude that we live in an ordered and purposeful universe. The purpose seems to be the evolution of ever more conscious life, stating with single-celled organisms, then multi-celled organisms, simple plant and insect life and so on. There is no evidence that we humans have gone as far as we can go.
Intuitive knowing or insight is something we must develop and experience for ourselves. I can report only glimmerings. Yet, I know there is more. The lives of people of history and people present in the world today attest to this fact. Consider the Buddha, Jesus of Nazareth, Sir Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Mozart and Mother Theresa.
If you want to experience a person with this kind of insight, read TNH.
 
5. Life is an evolutionary process in which one comes to recognize ones unity with all life and to experience unity with the Source of all life.  
The evolution part is clear! In his book, "Genome, The Autobiography of A Species in 23 Chapters." Matt Ridley writes about the molecular structure of DNA,
"Wherever you go in the world, whatever animal, plant, bug or blob you look at, if it is alive, it will use the same dictionary and know the same code. All life is one. Seaweed is your distant cousin, anthrax one of your advanced relatives. The unity of life is an empirical fact."
A growing realization of the unity of life leads me to greater empathy for other people; it leads me to be more caring of living things; it leads me to a greater sense of responsibility for the life around me.
On a personal level, there are moments when I experience a deep sense of belonging, a sense of wonder, a sense of what I seek being right here.
 
(6) A person's life on earth has that end and purpose, to come to the recognition and realization of one's unity with this Reality
This realization is the Nirvana of the Buddhist; it is the extinguishing of the sense of the separated self. It is the realization of the Tao. It is the common experience of mystics of all faiths. It is what we seek through the processes of life.
For this reason, Theosophy is, first and foremost, a way of life.
How does one proceed? The directions are simple; one engages in study, meditation and service. The implementation is not simple. All three are incorporated in ongoing daily practice.
First, study. Consider the second object of the Theosophical Society - To encourage the comparative study of religion, science and philosophy. Why religion? Find out for yourself if there is a core set of truths within the world's major religions. I have found it so. I have been even more interested in evidence within scientific areas of investigation that support the Perennial Philosophy.
Listen to Albert Einstein. "A human being is part of the whole, called by us, 'Universe'; a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. The delusion is a prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is, in itself, part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security."
Second, meditation. For me, meditation is very important. It gives me a sense of peace. It is a way of focusing one's mind, learning one-pointed concentration, and I am working on that. Most importantly, as I try to still the restless, sometimes disconnected sequences of thoughts running through my mind, the path for intuition, for insight, opens. The small successes I have had with this strengthen my resolve to continue.
Third, service. I am not talking about saving the world; I am talking about being helpful. I am talking about learning what Taoism calls non-doing. Non-doing is the natural response of a sensitive person to what is needed in the moment, and it is done in an unpretentious, but effective way. It just seems to happen.
H. P. Blavatsky writes: *
Should thou abstain from action, not so thy soul shall gain her freedom.
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To reach nirvana, one must reach self-knowledge.
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Self-knowledge is, of loving deeds, the child.

(Repeat, "Self…") Don't we feel most fully alive when we reach out and touch someone in a helpful & compassionate way, or in a common effort for the good of all, or in a shared effort for something of value? My experience says it is so.
4) Confucius is credited with saying that there is no true learning without a change in behavior. So, this way of life leads to self-transformation, a transformation that cannot come without living one's beliefs. Self-transformation is the object of living. We are constantly changing. We seek that transformation that brings us to a realization of unity with all reality.
Contemplation of the unity of all life is the basis from which the ethical principles of theosophy are derived.
a. This understanding leads to a reverence for life, from which compassion, harmlessness and an active concern for the welfare of others are natural outcomes.
b. Respect for others includes respect for every religious tradition.
c. Self-centered desires and actions, which separate one from another, are recognized as harmful. Theosophy teaches that we evolve through self-induced and self-directed effort. When we choose to actively pursue Reality, we are entering a new phase of life, a new way of life. It is the consciously intentional part of life’s evolutionary journey. It is what is often called the path. There are many ways, many paths to achieve understanding.
 
a. I find wisdom in the authentic teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. The Jesus Seminar begins to open our eyes to the historical Jesus and remove prejudices engendered by the early Roman Church and the conservative fundamentalism of our time.
 
b. I find wisdom in the Tao Te Ching. Ray Grigg's, "The Tao of Zen" is a wonderful book on Taoism. But after the books, there is the practice.
 
c. The best statement on religious tolerance I have ever come across was from a follower of the Sufi tradition of Islam.
 
d. The Buddhist teachings of Thich Nhat Hahn are wonderful, and they are practical. The Miracle of Mindfulness teaches meditation and mindful living. The Heart of the Buddha’s Teachings shows how to begin to live in ways that heal us; ways that help relieve the suffering of others. In both books, the emphasis is on daily practice and daily life.
 The wisdom of teachers everywhere is a source of inspiration for the theosophist.
I suspect that some, if not many of you have the sense of life as a journey, of being on a path. You know that progress is not linear; we move ahead a little; on occasion, we revert to old behaviors we hoped were a thing of the past. The challenge is to continue, to find that which speaks to you and make it yours. The sometimes difficult, sometimes-painful growth process leads to meaning and a sense of becoming.
     Is it easy? Cristina Rosetti says it well:
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Does the path wind up hill all the way?
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To the very end.
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Does the day’s journey take the whole long day?
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From morn to night, my friend.Can this be done within the Unitarian movement? YES!
It should be obvious from Lucy's and my active involvement in the church that we see no conflict between our practice of Theosophy, the UU principles and the things this church stands for. As we look at our UU mission statement and covenant, we find significant areas of agreement. This is no accident. Every valid system of seeking meaning and understanding is destined to lead the earnest seeker toward the same place, for all valid systems have the same goal, that of helping one discover and realize fundamental truths about life. To realize a truth is to be a living example of that truth, to become that truth. In that sense, we are all works in progress.
 Just as in Theosophy, in the Unitarian-Universalist Church, we have freedom of thought and personal responsibility for our own future.
In the Unitarian-Universalist movement, we affirm the inherent worth and dignity of every person. Theosophists affirm the precious nature of every living thing.
Do not ask me which is more important, Theosophy or Unitarianism. There is no conflict, no need to choose.
For me, in the practice of theosophy, the mutually supportive triad of study, meditation and service are important. Practices that increase my sense of unity with others are important. Practices that lead to a sense of peace are important. Our covenant is consistent with these practices. This morning, among other things, I have referred to (1) living one's beliefs, (2) tolerance, (3) personal and spiritual growth, and (4) service. These are the elements of the mission statement of this church.
 There have been words about compassion, truth and peace. We return to them with the covenant of this church. Please stand and join me in reciting our covenant.*     Love is the spirit of this church, and service its law
*     This is our covenant
*     To live together in peace,
*     To seek the truth in love,
*     And to help one another.

That is Theosophy.
Please remain standing and join me in singing Hymn #175, WE CELEBRATE THE WEB OF LIFE