The Philippine Theosophist

Brotherhood, Study and Meditation

THE PHILIPPINE

Theosophist A publication of the Theosophical Society in the Philippines 1 Iba Street, Quezon City, Philippines, Tel. No. 8741-57-40

Vol. XLVII, No. 4

October-December, 2019

CONTENTS 2

The Empty Boat

From the National President

Why Do We Serve?

Meditation Corner

Gems of the Path

Keys to Social and Global Peace

Timeless

Keepers and Sharers of the Ageless Wisdom

Inviting the Angel Presence

On Reincarnation

Peace Work, Quantum Physics, and Mysticism

Winter Wish

Secret Doctrine Studies

Inner Light Quotes

Question and Answer

News and Events

Directory of Lodges and Study Groups

“The lamps are different, but the Light is the same. . . one Light-mind, endlessly emanating all things.” — RUMI

The Philippine Theosophist

October-December, 2019

qqq Just as parents care for their children, you should bear in mind the whole universe. DOGEN

You find peace not by rearranging the circumstances of your life, but by realizing who you are at the deepest level. ECKHART TOLLE

The Empty Boat You are the light at the end of the tunnel. LENON HONOR

T is an Ageless Wisdom teaching that no matter how much our lower selves might get the better of us and pull us into temporary darkness, we are always divine Light itself at the core of our being. Hence, however unseeming it is as we take a look at all the multivarious problems we have caused in our world, all human beings are inherently good, and ultimately destined for divine awakening after many lifetimes of learning lessons of “letting go and letting God,” so to speak. It is just that ignorance and suffering are obstacles that often prevent us humans from expressing our true loving nature. There is a famous Taoist story about “the empty boat” that points to this teaching. In the story, a man is happily sailing his boat one day. Moments later, he spots another boat from a distance. At first, he is delighted to know that he has company. Later, however, he notices that the boat is coming toward him at alarming speed. He yells and yells to call the attention of the sailor in the other boat but to no avail. The other boat eventually rams at his boat and he becomes exceedingly angry at the assailant until he calms down with the discovery that there is nobody in the other boat!

The point of the story is that it is unwise to get angry at people who hurt or cause suffering to us and others because the fact is that they are not being their true selves. As the peace writer and Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh would say, a person will not cause suffering to an-

The more we are able to live life from a place of acceptance and gratitude . . . the more we are able to let our light shine. other unless he is either ignorant of what he is doing, or suffering in one way or another – whether physically, emotionally, mentally, or otherwise. The offender is not being himself because he is being driven by the unconscious force of his inner suffering (often caused by childhood wounds) or lack of proper awareness. Hence, it would be sheer folly to retaliate against him for the hurt he is causing because this would only add to his suffering that is already overflowing and affecting others negatively. He really does not need punishment, but love and understanding. The truth is that there are num-

The Holy Land is ev erywhere. BLACK ELK

berless empty boats out there, and we become empty boats ourselves from time to time. Until we become constantly mindful of this, and learn to listen more deeply and more compassionately to our suffering and the suffering of others, it will be difficult for us to see things more clearly and act with greater wisdom and love. It should help us to always remember that every person, being, thing, situation, and event is sacred, for each is a manifestation of the Divine serving the pur pose of help ing us evolve and wake up to Who we really are. The more we are able to live life from a place of acceptance and gratitude because of this understanding, the more we are able to let our light shine. – JOSELITO B. CENDAÑA

The Philippine Theosophist Vol. XLVII, No. 4

Oct-Dec, 2019

Published by the Theosophical Society in the Philippines, 1 Iba Street, Quezon City. Tel. No. 741-57-40; Fax No. 740-3751. Views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of the editors. Editorial Board: Vicente Hao Chin Jr. Joselito B. Cendaña Digital Preparation and Lay-out: Lea M. May Circulation: Monaliza Brocoy

October-December, 2019

The Philippine Theosophist

From the National President Chally P. Romero Shining the Welcoming Light on All Participants of the TS Indo-Pacific Conference In behalf of all the members of the Theosophical Society in the Philippines (TSP), we would like to extend a warm welcome to all participants of the TS Indo-Pacific Conference to be held on Nov. 9-12. The last time the Philippine section hosted the conference was in 2007. Perhaps many of those who also joined us during that time will be amazed at how the venue area has changed. While our venue then was the SEAMEO- Innotech training center at Commonwealth Ave., Diliman, Quezon City, this year’s venue is the Microtel by Wyndham Hotel-UP Technohub which is only next door to SEAMEO-Innotech. The area around the venue may have transformed considerably over the years, but the changeless and eternal Light that fills and pervades us all will certainly shine ever so brightly as we convene our conference with the theme “Let Your Light Shine”! That said, we all look forward to a wonderful, inspiring and vibrant gathering of members and guests who will come from various parts of the Philippines, other Indo-Pacific Federation countries, and of course, our TS-Adyar headquarters during our much-awaited Indo-Pacific Conference. Let the Light shine!

Indo-Pacific Federation President’s Visit

Gerard Brennan after a public lecture at the TSP national hq

TS Indo-Pacific Federation President Gerard Brennan visited Manila last Oct. 2-11 to check on the preparations for the Indo-Pacific Conference. Gerard’s schedule was tight, but he took the earliest opportunity to inspect the main venue, the Microtel by Wyndham Hotel. In between inspections, Gerard was able to give lectures at some of our lodges such as the Logos Lodge in the southern part of Manila and the Vidya and Manila Lodges at the TSP national headquarters, as well as a public lecture before the faculty and administrative staff of the OB Montessori School in Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila. He was also able to visit the Golden Link College and some of the other venues planned for the conference participants. It was indeed a fruitful visit by Gerard, and we look forward to having all of our Indo-Pacific members and guests during the convention.

Finding the Perfect in the Imperfect During Lodge Visits Once the basic details of the Indo-Pacific Conference were laid out, we started sending out invitations to lodges and members. As your president, I did quick visits to our local lodges to drum up support and interest for the conference. As it would turn out, one of my trips would prove to be a test of patience, albeit as enriching an experience as any. My Cebu and Davao lodge visits were instances of Light in different ways. On my way to visiting the Satsang and Cebu lodges, my flight to Cebu was unreasonably delayed and the return flight back to Manila moved up. It was all a test of nerves because this left me with barely enough time to interact with our Satsang and Cebu lodge members at The Ching Palace in Lahug, Cebu who have been eagerly awaiting my visit, and even prepared a feast. We were all in such a rush that we even forgot to have our customary group photo! My sincerest apologies to point person Letty Lim, and to the rest of our Cebu members for the unfortunate turn of events – even as we know everything serves a divine purpose.

The Philippine Theosophist

In stark contrast to my Cebu visit, my visit to the Maharlika and Celestine lodges in Davao City allowed me enough time to provide a substantial presentation report to members and to interact well with them during an entire afternoon. As we later prepared ourselves for a sumptuous dinner meal, we were regaled with the splendid view of a rust-colored moonrise from the patio of Karen Horton at Las Terrazas in Davao. Amidst this beeline of travels to our lodges outside Manila, I was reminded again of the truth that every event in our lives, much more a gathering of people drawn together by the practice of the Ancient Wisdom, is always perfect in as far as we are always enriched by our experience in one way or another – yes, even after all the trouble of a delayed flight!

October-December, 2019

Chally with members of the Maharlika and Celestine Lodges at Las Terrazas overlooking Davao City during Davao visit.

Greetings from Other National Sections In line with our hosting of the 2019 TS Indo-Pacific Conference, allow me to fill this space with a few selected greetings from heads of other national sections of the Theosophical Society. From Barbara Hebert, president of the Theosophical Society in America: Dear Brothers and Sisters: on behalf of the members of the Theosophical Society in America, I send you warm and loving greetings. May the Light you manifest and which shines so brightly at your meeting reach across the world, and may all of us be surrounded by the Light and Love of Those whose work we endeavor to do. Best wishes!

wwwwwwwwwwww From Marie Harkness, Organizing Secretary, the TS in Ireland: On behalf of myself and all the Irish members, I wish you all, including our dear friend and associate, Gerard Brennan, heartfelt success and no doubt the guidance and blessings of The Holy Ones. What a beautiful and inspiring theme and reminder to us all, “Let Your Light Shine”!

Warmest fraternal regards and love from Ireland to all attendees! wwwwwwwwwwww From Manuela Kaulich, General Secretary of the TS-Adyar in Germany: Vorschlag! To all participants at the Indo-Pacific Conference from 9th-12th November 2019 in Quezon City, Philippines: You have chosen a wonderful theme for the Conference “Let Your Light Shine.” We are sure that the Conference will be very successful with interesting international speakers, leaders, members and guests together with workshops to share, interact, develop friendships and with plans for cooperative work in the future. Although we will not be able to attend the Conference, our thoughts are with you. We are wishing everybody a wonderful time together. With hearty greetings from the Theosophical Society-Adyar in Germany!

wwwwwwwwwwww From Esteban Langlois, General Secretary, TS Argentina Section: In behalf of the members of my section, I wish you all a very inspiring convention. Looking at the theme, I think it is a very challenging subject because we all know that the divine is inside us and the thing we have to do is to let it express itself – to let our inner light shine – but the problem is how to do it. That is the crux of the question because everyone would like to be more spiritual, more generous. and better people, but how do we do that when we are inclined to do the opposite things. I hope you find the answer to this ancient question, our universal problem. I hope that in the future, I will have the opportunity to attend one of your IndoPacific meetings!

October-December, 2019

The Philippine Theosophist

Why Do We Serve? Tim Boyd

Dar win ian think ing em pha sizes the survival of the fittest. From such a self ish, or evo lu tion ary sense, service could be seen as a questionable activity. What is the advantage of serving, of being the one who bestows an advantage to another? Yet, it seems that we are hard wired with an in es cap able urge to be compassionate. We cannot help it. Otherwise, why would it be that so much of our attention and effort is put into helping or aiding the very weakest among us? This is what we do instinctively, naturally. As we age and become weak and infirm, or as we become sick, the evo lu tion ary ad van tage would seem to be to look out for yourself and move on, but that is not what we do. Our energies, our attention, are inevitably focused on the weakest among us. Com pas sion. In Bud dhist terms, the word used is “compassion.” It has become a buzzword in the world today, and it should be. In Buddhism, there is a very specific definition of compassion. They would say that it is “the desire to alleviate the suffering of others.” So when we are behaving in compasONVENTIONAL

sionate ways, we are working toward alleviating the suffering of others H. P. Blavatsky’s The Voice of the Silence presents another way to look at compassion. In that short book, we find the enigmatic word: “Compassion is no attribute. It is the Law of laws.” This is a very

Compassion as the Law of laws is nothing less than the Law of Unity, the recognition of the indivisibility of All Life. broad statement which seems to be clear and unambiguous, but what does it mean? What is the compassion that rises to this level, superseding every other law we are aware of – gravity, thermodynamics, karma? Clearly, this is not limited to a behavior in which we are attempting to alleviate suffering. Conscious compassionate activity, which we name “service,” is a subset of this great compassion. It may be helpful for us to exam-

ine the inner dynamics of what is going on when we behave compassionately. For the normally selfcentered individual, it is as if they operate within a shell or bubble. There is an intense focus on those sensations, circumstances, and activities that benefit the self. What lies outside of the personal shell is of less concern. However, in those compassionate moments when we witness and feel a desire to help with the suffering of another, this shell of self-concern enlarges. It expands to embrace the needs of the suffering “other” in much the same way one addresses their personal need. This is the dynamic of compassionate activity. When we are compassionate toward an individual, our circle increases to that extent. When we feel compassion for our loved ones or friends, it increases even more. Carried to its extreme, we find that there are no limits to that circle – all beings fall within the range of this compassion. This is the example of all the great beings that come to earth – the Buddhas, Jesus, Krishna. Compassion as the Law of laws is nothing less than the Law of Unity, the rec og ni tion of the indivisibility of All Life. So why do we serve? Mainly because we do not re ally have a choice. We live in a world where all

things are interdependent. To the extent that we awaken, open our eyes, and look, then our options become few. Then compassion becomes an attractive pathway because it is necessary. The Theosophical Order of Service (TOS) has a motto: “A union of those who love in the service of all that suffers.” What is it that makes theosophical service different from other service organizations – the Red Cross, feeding the hungry, or an i mal pro tec tion? In es sence, nothing, except it is theosophical. What makes it theosophical is the recognition of union in the act of serving – the Union, the Oneness, the Unity of those who love. Love as a word is understood in m a ny d i f f e r e nt , s o me t i m e s strange, ways. Here Love is the expression of Oneness, of spirituality. We link ourselves in bonds of love. We serve because in some phase of our unfoldment we become awake, aware of certain undeniable facts of existence, the most obvious and immediate being that we are One, and our service and life flows from that. Service. But what is service? The dictionary will say something like action done in order to help

The Philippine Theosophist others. There is always a focus on the idea that we are acting on behalf of the other. There are infinite ways in which we can serve, but not all service is equal. There is a core idea in theosophical teachings that “motive is everything.” Our motivation completely colors the actions that we take, so much so that the same action taken by someone with a different motivation is a very different service than the action taken by another. For ex am ple, in the United States, whenever a political election is being held, a very common experience is that politicians who

What makes (service) theosophical is the recognition of union in the act of serving – the Union, the Oneness, the Unity of those who love. are seeking to be elected to office, want every opportunity to appear in front of a camera, so that they can be seen by potential voters. Politicians will engineer a photo opportunity, where they will come to a homeless shelter. On the other 364 days of the year, they will not be seen there. But when the cameras and the media announcement go out, they are right there in line at the “soup kitchen” seeming concerned about feeding the hungry and the poor. Yet standing next to the politician will be someone who is there regularly because their motivation is: “I’m here because I wit-

Meditation Corner Meditation is not the pursuit of pleasure and the search for happiness. Meditation, on the contrary, is a state of mind in which there is no concept or formula, and therefore total freedom. It is only to such a mind that this bliss comes unsought and uninvited. Once it is there, though you may live in the world with all its noise, pleasure and brutality, they will not touch that mind. JIDDU KRISHNAMURTI

October-December, 2019 ness suffering and I want to do my part to try to alleviate it.” So day after day, that person serves. Each hungry person gets his plate of food, each one eats and satisfies his hunger. To the person who receives the food from the politician, the effect on his appetite is no way different from the effect of the person who is giving it with love and compassion. For all those people the tightness in their stomach relaxes and they have a sense of satisfaction, of their hunger being amelio rated. From the point of view of the hungry man the same act produces the same result. The food from one man is no less filling than the other’s. The difference is the impressions that are developed in consciousness by acting in a certain way, predisposing us to act that way again. For the person of compassion, each bowl of soup and interaction expands the sense of connection with others. It influences their life in terms of how they will touch the world. In the person who is there purely for a political motive, the ten dency to ward self ish ness is strength ened. Mo tive is ev erything. So there is a motivation that is theosophical. How Do We Serve? As human beings, one of the things we gain from the theosophical approach is the clear recognition that we are multi-di men sional be ings. We function on many levels. We are able to serve on multiple dimensions. One of the beauties of Theosophy is that it addresses the cause of all human problems. That cause is our conviction, confirmed in every moment, that we are all fundamentally separate from one another. HPB called it the “heresy of separateness.” We believe it for very good rea son. I re mem ber Radha Burnier used to say: “If I tell my hand to open or close, that is what it does. If I tell your hand to do it, nothing happens.” This exemplifies the moment-to-moment confirmation that we are separate. However, our deeper ex pe riences confirm something quite dif-

October-December, 2019

The Philippine Theosophist

ferent – that our separateness is an It does not matter so much what appearance, superficial, whereas it is that we do, but how it is that we the reality beneath the surface is do it is all-important. Any consisone of interconnection. At the level tent service is a basis for profound of thought and emotion, we find a self-trans for ma tion. Gan dhi’s shared-thought atmosphere. In the words: “To a hungry man, a piece of presence of people who are de- bread is the face of God.” On whatpressed or down, our energy is af- ever level that hunger operates, to fected. When we are with uplifting, the degree to which we are able to inspired, enlightened people, we help quiet it, allows for something are similarly affected. The scrip- hid den to make it self known; tures of the world talk about this. something greater. In Christian scripture, it says: “If I As multidimensional beings, the be lifted up, I will raise all people to type of transformation we talk me.” That is what we do from the about in the TS world can take theosophical point of view. place from two directions: from the We also work at other levels. bottom moving upward, or from on high mov ing When we work todownward. I have gether as a group, known peo ple things hap pen stopped eatthat many would One of the beauties who ing meat because describe as miracof Theosophy is that they read it is ulous or as imposgood for their persible. It is not just it addresses the sonal health, that an arithmetic mulcause of all human it could help them tiplication of our problems. . . . HPB lose weight, and potentials; it is far beyond that. called it the “heresy h a v e mo r e e nergy. Ba si cally, Learning to work of separateness.” their reasons for together is a trainadopting a vegeing, even though tarian diet were we do not yet resoself-cen tered. Of ten these people, nate with everybody equally. We upon start ing their new diet, felt an have to come together in these groups that constantly challenge upsurge in their energy making it us to develop the capacity to unite. possible to connect with others First, we recognize, then submerge more actively. those aspects of our nature that we They found that their participamay feel are so important, but tion in a wider life increased. This which only serve to divide us. started them think ing more This is the prescription for the broadly about the universal and difuture, based on a certain principle. vine. So, a piece of food led them to The fact that groups have the ca- a dimension of spiritual awareness. pacity to do things that no individu- I have also seen the reverse hapals can, is rooted in a spiritual prin- pen. Where someone had a spiriciple. It has been stated in various tual experience and it filtered down ways, but perhaps the one we are to their physical behaviors and most familiar with is: “Wherever habits. It is all interconnected, and two or more are gathered in my to the extent that we try to divide it, name, there I am in the midst of we are mistaken. We are engaged them.” When we are gathered with in only one thing always – one life a certain focus, one of the results is undivided and everywhere present we find that there is something in its fullness. Unity is the one more around us, a presence; we feel thing we keep in front of our minds. What Do We Do? What is it ourselves expanding. It is one of the principles of the work that we do, that each one of us does when we and it is able to create changes of a find ourselves in this world with a remarkable kind. (continued no p. 20 )

Gems of the Path The next message you need is always right where you are. RAM DASS

The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper. WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS

The spiritual journey is the unlearning of fear and the acceptance of love. MARIANNE WILLIAMSON

The personal life deeply lived always expands into truths beyond itself. ANAIS NIN When you realize there is no lacking, the whole world belongs to you. LAO TZU Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself and know that everything in this life has a purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences. All events are blessings given to us to learn from. ELIZABETH KUBLER-ROSS

This new day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on the yesterdays. RALPH WALDO EMERSON

Everything in the world is my guru. RAMANA MAHARSHI The real spiritual progress of the aspirant is measured by the extent to which he achieves inner tranquility. SWAMI SIVANANDA Your political views really denote your spiritual views. ALANIS MORISSETTE

The Philippine Theosophist

October-December, 2019

Keys to Social and Global Peace Vicente Hao Chin Jr.

was stressed. When he came home one night, he felt upset and unhappy. The children were playing and noisy, and he got irritated and shouted at them. The dinner food was not to his taste, so he snapped at his wife with critical words. The wife left the dining table and went to her room, not finishing her dinner. The next day, when John went to the office, he did not respond to greetings and got impatient with his officemate. Then late in the morning, his boss reprimanded him. He automatically shouted back. He was fired that day. He felt so angry that when he drove back home in his car, he drove so fast that he rammed his car to a vehicle in front which was slower and block ing him. The state of harmony in Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s family, workplace and community, was being disturbed by the agitated state of Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mind, emotions and stress. Had he been more cheerful, none of the unpleasant things around him might have happened. There are two kinds of peace: inner peace and social peace. The first one is more important than the second one because it is inner OHN

conflict that causes outer conflict. When an in di vid ual has in ner peace and harmony, then he will inevitably contribute to social peace, whether it is in his family, his company, in the community or in the world. He will not tend to commit acts of ag gres sion, in jus tice, oppression or violence.

There are two kinds of peace: inner peace and social peace. The first one is more important than the second one because it is inner conflict that causes outer conflict.

When we look at the various dimensions of social peace, we will find the same pattern. When people have fear and insecurity towards another group of people, there is a tendency to be hostile towards the other group. This hostility leads to words and actions that will only worsen the mutual hostility, such as creation of restrictive policies or barriers to trade. Untoward incidents may arise that may

eventually lead to violence, conflicts and wars. This was what happened between Pakistan and India, Israel and the Arab countries, Mexico and the United States. In Ireland, the dislike and insecurity was between Catholics and Protestants, both Christians, which led to violence and bombings between them. How can these be prevented in the fu ture? Through education. When children are taught to understand other groups without prejudice, whether between nations or religions, then they tend to feel more harmonious towards other groups. I have lived with families who belong to various nationalities and religions, and I find that people are more or less the same â&#x20AC;&#x201D; kind, hospitable and friendly. But when they have been taught bi ases against other groups, then they unconsciously develop hostility. Schools should be encouraged to teach the histories, cultures and religions of other people with an open mind. We must teach young people to become world citizens and not just citizens of a particular country. Due to ease of travel and communication, the earth has become a small place of 7 billion people, sharing the same resources, the same air and oceans, and the same dangers. We must learn how to live as

October-December, 2019 one family regardless of our culture and religion. But because of insecurity and mutual hostilities, countries spend so much money on weapons and defense systems instead of channeling those funds to fight hunger and poverty. The top five countries in military budget (US, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and India) spend a total of more than one trillion US dollars per year on weapons and defense systems. The United Nations estimated that it will only need US$116 billion a year, or just about 10 percent of what these five countries spend for defense, to eradicate hunger in the world and even remove global poverty. But such military buildup will continue so long as people distrust and dislike each other. We must build a world where people will no longer think in terms of national boundaries and self-interests. The example of Costa Rica is worth-

The Philippine Theosophist while to emulate. It has no armed forces and hence no military expenditures, according to its constitutional provision in 1949. It has never been at war with any other country since then and has been one of the most stable and progressive nations in Latin America despite the fact that it is neighbor to countries that have suffered from political turbulence, high crime rate and social violence in the past half century, namely, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. We need to think of ourselves as brothers and sisters living on one earth — the only habitable globe that we know. Vicente Hao Chin Jr. is the president of the Golden Link College Foundation and a past president of the Theosophical Society in the Philippines.

There is no way to peace, peace is the way. A.J. MUSTE Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without. THE BUDDHA Every act of love is a work of peace no matter how small. MOTHER TERESA

Poetry Timeless Jose Victor Peñaranda We are two faces of an old silver coin Saved from the legend of sunken galleons; We seem different but peculiarly the same. Your presence made me timeless: I became an island to your surrounding sea,

Wilderness to your expanding universe. Our existence depended on each other Like the shifting realms of dark and light Resting on one another in equinox. Some people said we should be similar Like one raindrop following another, But we knew better than the weather.

Having met each other by skin of touch, Combustible as kindling, our bodies turned In can des cent, weight less as palm wine. My memory giddy with priceless history, As we grew older we turned into lovers Restless for each other’s happiness. January 1, 2016

Q Q Q

The Philippine Theosophist

October-December, 2019

Keepers and Sharers of the Ageless Wisdom Jose Victor Peñaranda

em bodies both ancient and modern expressions of the Ageless Wisdom and it has been entrusted to theosophists as a heritage for preservation and dissemination. This body of knowledge can be archived in virtual reality and human memory; it can be accessed for interpretation; and it could serve as an agenda of action. By participating in this func tion, the os o phists have become “Keepers of the Ageless Wisdom” in whatever social context or in whatever political conditions they may be. A potent strategy in preserving this Wisdom is to offer it to a wider audience so the sacred teachings, which have remained hidden from public attention for a long time, are enriched by contemporary experience and become relevant to the lives of entire communities as modern Theosophy. By going public, there is greater chance of reaching people who are determined Seekers eager in unveiling mysteries and with creating meaning in life. Every theosophist and spiritual pilgrim begins as a seeker, someone who decides to follow an inner impulse to quest, to experience the HEOSOPHY

fullness of being alive. The theosophist as pilgrim, hopeful and bold, embarks on a journey hoping to find answers along the way. Many of us are already part of this great adventure. This quest for the hidden truth in the enigma of existence is encoded in the Ageless Wis-

At the core of all the major religions is the mystical experience and the goal of the mystic is union or communion with the Absolute. dom, and a crucial part of it is known to many Keepers as “mysticism.” At the core of all the major religions is the mystical experience and the goal of the mystic is union or communion with the Absolute. It is the realization of individual consciousness with the universal consciousness. This significant quality of the Ageless Wisdom has been explored and studied but has largely remained in the realm of the esoteric after being constantly side-

lined from the mainstream of religious teachings. In the current era when widespread social and political turmoil are fuelled by sectarian intolerance and violence, it is timely for the Keepers to reveal what has remained priceless and timeless; to share this prism of spiritual seeing and being. Mysticism implies that the world’s re li gious tra di tions share a universal truth that transcends the demands of dogma, the constraints of narrow factional interest, the popular appeal of rituals, and the impositions of power structures in institutionalised religion. The mystic core is often known as the Wisdom Tradition in every religion and is meant to provide a conceptual and practical framework for awakening the inner self, living a spiritual life, and the communion with the Absolute. It emphasizes an intuitive, experiential approach towards religion. In this light, the mystic is a pilgrim who undertakes a life journey to understand the fundamental divine gift in being human. Although not a popular facet in the world religions today, this Wisdom Tradition periodically manifests itself in different times, places and forms through the presence of great teachers who heavily influ-

October-December, 2019 ence their social milieu by practicing what they teach fearlessly and compassionately and by making the ethical a distinct standard of being spiritual. Every major religion has a mystical school or movement that inspires the seeker to discover the nature and source of the Divine. Being both gnosis (esoteric knowledge) and praxis (technique), mysticism involves a system of discipline. Typically, mystics view their experience as part of a larger undertaking aimed at human transformation: from fleeting to an abiding consciousness that accompanies a person throughout the days of his or her life. In her book Mysticism, Evelyn Underhill characterizes the mystical quest into five phases: awakening to the divine within; purgation of bodily desires; illumination of the mind; purification of the will; and unification or being with the divine. In many instances, the mystic experiences of various pilgrims are incoherent and confused before becoming focused and clearly defined. Two important factors influence their personal experiences: social context and individual temperament. Many who have chosen to quest are not able to complete the phases to the very end in one lifetime. Here is a summarized description of the phases based mainly on Underhill’s study. The boundaries between phases overlap. The previous phase is integrated to the next and gradually grows in fullness as the pilgrim proceeds. 1. Awakening. It usually starts with a feeling of “divine discontent.” The person realizes the inad e quacy of a way of life that merely satisfies superficially. This induces the person to be a pilgrim in search of the “true Path.” It is “the awakening of the Self to consciousness of Divine Reality. It is tawbah or conversion in Islam and metanoia in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. This experience, usu-

The Philippine Theosophist ally abrupt and well-marked, is accompanied by intense feelings of joy and exaltation.” The pilgrim enthusiastically engages in studies and meet people who could provide clarity and meaning. 2. Purification of the Self. This is the stage of apatheia or “holy indifference” in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. This process involves removing unwholesome conditionings and de sires sheltered in personality (lower nature) hiding the truth about the spiritual life. It becomes an opportunity to cleanse ourselves of emotions that could harm others: anger, fear, hurt, guilt, envy and greed. The practice involves managing stress and emotional distress through self-awareness. This is actually the prelude to the practice of mindful-

The mystic core is often known as the Wisdom Tradition in every religion. ness (being always present in the moment) and mental concentration. The everyday action of the pilgrim is to follow a moral or ethical code, such as the Buddhist paramitas; avoidance of the seven cardinal sins in Christianity; the guidelines in Viveka-Chudamani (The Crest Jewel of Wisdom) by Sri Sankaracharya. It could also mean a change in lifestyle due to lack of physical exercise, unhealthy diet and other self-de feat ing hab its (e.g., impulsive temper, smoking, excessive consumption of liquor, and drug abuse). At this stage, one learns to acknowledge the gift of grace and to ex press grati tude through prayers and meditation, acts of charity and service. The pilgrim also turns to Nature for inspiration. “To look on trees, water, flowers,” says St Teresa of Avila of her own mystic beginnings,

“helped me to recollect the presence of God.” Plato also advised: “The true order of going is to use the beauties of the Earth as steps along which one mounts upwards for the sake of that other Beauty.” This, too, is the true order of Holy Poverty: the selfless use, not the selfish abuse of lovely and natural things. 3. Illumination. It is the awakening of the buddhi or the spiritual consciousness. In Zen, it is the experience of kensho (self-realization; seeing into one’s own nature) or satori (a state of intuitive enlightenment). “Illumination brings a certain apprehension of the Absolute, a sense of the Divine Presence, but not true union with it. It is a state of happiness.” The pilgrim experiences ecstatic moments in Illumination, similar to awakening. The term “ecstasy,” as used by psychologists and ascetics, defines that short and rapturous moment – a state well-marked by physical and psychical experience – in which the pilgrim loses consciousness of the phenomenal world and is caught up in a brief and immediate enjoyment of the Divine Vision. The awakening of the spiritual con sciousness, how ever, can be gradual and imperceptible, as the buddhi becomes part of a daily consciousness. In Christian literature, this is known as the contemplative consciousness or “the presence.” It forms with the two pre ced ing stages, the “first mystic life.” Not

all mystics go beyond it, although many seers and artists have shared to some extent, the experience of the illuminated state. 4. Purification of the Soul. It is the growth process after the spiritual consciousness has begun to be active. There are various stages and facets to it. There are certain conditions that arrest the progress in one’s spiritual life. St. John of the Cross wrote about the “dark night of the soul.” The “dark night of the soul” overtakes the pilgrim because he or she treads an unfamiliar path in life while approaching the mystery of God or the Absolute. With faith, the pilgrim persists and becomes the light in the darkness that brings him or her intimately closer to realizing the mystic goal. This second “night” of purification happens to those who have made contemplation a part of their life. According to St. Basil, when the individual advances in knowledge, he realizes his own weaknesses. This is remedied by continuous spiritual training (ascesis) in the renewal of character, when one

The Philippine Theosophist consciously engages in self-discipline to dissolve the imaginary line that separates the pilgrim from other beings. 5. Union. It refers to the merging of the individual consciousness with the Universal Consciousness (God or the Absolute). It is called fana in Islam, moksha in Hinduism, nir vana in Bud dhism and theosis in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. The pilgrim becomes theos anir (the human perfected in the likeness of God). Many known mystics have attempted to explain this ineffable experience: I and the Father are one. JOHN 10:30

All that one sees as a spectacle is still external; one must bring the vi-

(Illumination) is the awakening of the buddhi or the spiritual consciousness. sion within and see no longer in that mode of separation but as we know ourselves; . . . see divinity within. PLOTINUS Highly ought we to rejoice that God dwelleth in our soul, and much more highly ought we to rejoice that our soul dwelleth in God. Our soul is made to God’s dwelling place; and the dwelling place of the soul is God which is unmade. JULIAN OF NORWICH

According to Underhill: In this state, the Absolute Life is not merely perceived and enjoyed,

Reincarnation: Fact or Fancy? The souls must reenter the absolute substance whence they have emerged. But to accomplish this, they must develop all the perfections, the germ of which is planted in them; and if they have not fulfilled this condition during one life, they must commence another, a third, and so forth, until they have acquired the condition which fits them for reunion with God JALALU 'DIN RUMI

October-December, 2019 as in Illumination, but is one with it. This is the culmination of all previous oscillations of consciousness. It is a state of equilibrium, or purely spir i tual life, char ac ter ized by peaceful joy, by enhanced power, by intense certitude.

Despite difficulties and struggles, the mystic finds the inspiration to proceed and reasons to complete the quest: - God or the Absolute can be experienced by knowing and participating in one’s own divine nature; - To experience God or the Absolute re quires a pro cess of selftransformation that can be perceived through the development of human character, changes in behavior, and improved social relationships; - Love, expressed in various circumstances and degrees (through kind ness, em pa thy, com pas sion and altruism), allows the mystic to persevere and endure despite formi da ble ob sta cles, mak ing the quest an adventure of the pilgrim soul; - Whatever is the outcome of the journey in this life, the most important fulfillment is having tried his or her best to perform duties out of respect for life and devotion to the Divine. Mystics in the various phases of their spiritual development do not renounce action or avoid claims of love. In most cases, they dedicate themselves to a life of ser vice. Character determines one’s destiny. It is also true what an ancient maxim tells us: “One becomes what one loves.” One of the essential features of the Ageless Wisdom is the ability of human beings to become “perfect” at the end of the mystic process. To be a perfect human being does not mean that the pilgrim becomes an om ni scient or om nipo tent God. Self-Realization is the flowering of human potential that brings inner peace or liberates the pilgrim from unhappiness. Those who seek perfection make a vow to gain enlightenment in the shortest possible time so they can

October-December, 2019 be worthy of helping others in gaining enlightenment. Thus, the pilgrim chooses to take the Path of Hastened Attainment or the Path of Resurrection. In Theosophy, one who has attained human perfection becomes an “Adept.” The qualities of the Adept correspond with the qualities of the arhat in Buddhism, the rishi in Hinduism, and the saint or christos in Christianity. Upon attaining perfection, one may decide to forego eternal liberation or ascension from human condition. By doing so, he or she makes the supreme choice to reincarnate immediately in order to help others recognize the Path and to take the Path (i.e., the bodhisattva). The Perfect Human assumes this role without tampering with the duties of those being assisted in dealing with their own karma. The Christ triumphant becomes “savior” by sharing his life with us, and not by substituting himself for us. The Godhead or the Absolute is present in each one. The theosophist as mystic can address directly this Divine presence. In Islam, it is a great sin to forget one’s divine origin (ghaflah). It implies not knowing who you really are and why you are here. To “remember” the planes of human consciousness becomes an important step in cultivating wisdom. The theosophist, to be a Keeper, must also have basic knowledge on the constitution and planes of human consciousness to help oneself and oth ers ar dently en gage in self-transformation. In theosophy, the term “individuality” refers to the higher nature of the self (Atma, Buddhi, Higher Manas) and “personality” refers to the lower quaternary of the self (lower manas, astral, etheric and physical). In the mystic stages, it is the per son al ity that un dergoes purgation and purification. It is the mystic duty of theosophists to master one’s lower self through the higher self. Helena P. Blavatsky, in her Collected Writings, once stated: One only inflexible rule has ever been binding upon the neophyte, as

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it is binding now – the complete subjugation of the lower nature by the higher. Fr om Vedas and Upanishads to the recently published Light on the Path, search as we may through the bibles of every race and cult, we find one only way – hard, painful, troublesome, by which man can gain true spiritual insight.

By taking the Path, the theosophist becomes aware that adopting a process for Self-Realization is indispensable. The Buddha offered the Eightfold Path as a program of action for the community of seekers so they can test, learn from their experience and replicate the practice con fi dently. The Eightfold Path has been the subject of many commentaries, old and modern.

(Union) refers to the merging of the individual consciousness with the Universal Consciousness (God or the Absolute). Yoga, another program of action, embraces the principle of Oneness. The Sanskrit word yoga means identification or realize our identity with the Divine. It is a practice that pro vides the means to be aware of that relationship. It is based on the principle that the Spiritual Self within each one of us is of the same divine essence as the Spirit of the Universe. The hidden God within us has been so buried by the mundane and the profane that it is hardly noticeable. When yoga is practiced, the Divine Self is revealed, freed from all the pettiness of lesser things. It is an aid for the hastened unfoldment of the human consciousness. As a program of action, it consists of eight progressive steps: Yama means “harmless ness.” The real yogi never hurts anybody. Harmlessness also denotes internal pu ri fi ca tion through moral

training that builds the preparatory stage in advancing further. Niyama means “study, being in God’s presence, and contentment.” Since a person’s conduct is mainly responsible for creating the conditions affecting him, he intelligently accepts the results of his behavior. This inward calm and appreciation of the situation characterizes “contentment.” Asana means “posture.” Proper posture is not limited to sitting meditation but refers to the daily de mean or or dis po si tion of the practitioner. Pranayama means “controlling and di rect ing the breath and prana, the vital energy.” Pratyahara means “introspection.” It signifies the controlled withdrawal of the consciousness from the activities or business of the outside world and bringing it back to oneself. Dharana means “concentration.” The mind focuses on whatever topic or object or mantra is chosen. Dhyana means “abstract contempla tion,” ab so lute iden ti fi cation with what is being meditated upon. Samadhi is complete absorption of the entire consciousness with the Absolute. Because the spirit of divine life cannot die, the mystic with an awakened consciousness is not bothered whether one completes or does not complete the entire transform(continued on p. 20)

The Philippine Theosophist

October-December, 2019

Inviting the Angel Presence Preciosa S. Soliven

UST before the turn of the last

millenium in 2000, 21 books about angels were available at the National Bookstore. Angel Answers –A Joyful Guide to Creating Heaven on Earth, authored by Andrew Kramer, is a particular handbook which can help us “transmute ourselves from fearful, limited, destructive beings into the radiant children of God that we are.” Its companion book, Ask Your Angels: A Particular Guide to Working with the Messengers of Heaven to Empower and Enrich Your Life is co-authored by Kramer and Alma Daniela. Anne Besant, the famous lecturer on the Ancient Wisdom who was not just a distinguished theosophist but a social reformer and Indian independence leader, stated: At this period of human evolution, we are under the influence of a natural force, which works for cooperati o n be tw e e n a n g e l h o o d a n d humanity. It seeks to build bridges by which the two great races, human and angelic, may combine for their mutual good. These bridges are ceremonies, chiefly in religion.

Geoffrey Hodson, a well-respected mystic and clairvoyant, wrote the book, The Brotherhood of Angels and Men, a scientific treatise on angels. On the preface of its fifth reprint in 1991, he recalls: In the woods of the small village of

Sheepcombe in Gloucestershire in 1942, I was recording descriptions of the nature spirit life (gnome, fairies, etc.) until I suddenly found my consciousness changing by which I beheld the great member of the Angelic Hosts who named himself to me as Bethelda.

It was Bethelda who dictated to him the texts of five successive books, namely: The Brotherhood of

"At this period of human evolution, we are under the influence of a natural force, which works for cooperation between angelhood and humanity." — Annie Besant Angels and Men, The Angelic Hosts, Be Ye Perfect, Man the Triune God, and the Supreme Splendor. Following are the messages that Hodson received directly from the Heavenly Kingdom through Angel Bethelda: Since the Great One has drawn so close to our world and to the world of the angels, it is of importance that the bridge between the two should be fashioned, that the time may be hastened when it may be used freely from either side. The first essential on the side of men is a belief in the existence. To

that end, more information about angels must be given, and presented in such a manner that it will be acceptable to the scientist as well as to the poet, the artist and the dreamer. In the scientific studies of men, as they are taken deeper into the super-physical realms, they should be ever observant of the place of angels in the manipulation and adjustment of nature’s forces. The second essential is an increase in the number of human beings able to contact angels. Perhaps, the easiest means of approach will be found to be through the love of nature, which springs from a recognition of the presence of the Divine. From such an appreciation will arise naturally a realization of the sacred nature of all beauty, and a desire to draw near to the divinity within. Men and women with extremely practical and controlled minds, possessing capacities for idealism and pos i tive imag i na tion are ideal workers, in contrast to emotional or unbalanced individuals, who may not be safely brought into contact with the great force of angels. The former should seek for the initiation of schemes where human-angel cooperation is to be employed. The third es sen tial em pha sizes that the true artist must first gain the necessary technique of the laboratory and the textbook. Then, forsaking these for a time, he must be al lowed to med i tate, pref er a bly amid the beauties of nature. The fourth essential comes the way of ceremony where divine ideas, words of power and precision of action are combined.

For those persons or communities who want their work increased

October-December, 2019 in spiritual value, range and power, learn to recognize the presence of angels and practice of cooperation with them, Angelic Host Bethelda provides the instruction on how to set up the angel center in office, community, hospital, school, and home. The power would be greater and the angels’ presence more real if magnetized centers were provided in the home to include: 1. A single object of great beauty, mentally associated with the angels and with nature (like a statuette of a beautiful angel).

The Philippine Theosophist gle motive of cooperation for mutual help are essential. 5. Added to the simple ceremony might be an appropriate reference to the Founder of the religion of the house, and a prayer, perhaps, for His blessing upon both angels and men.

Herewith is the invocation to the guardian angels of the home: Hail Guardian Angels of the Home! Come to our aid, Be with us that we may hear your wings, Feel your breath upon our cheeks,

2. A bowl of flowers, freshly gathered everyday, and the use of incense.

Come close and sense our human love.

3. The use of a short prayer or invocation each morning, and benediction of each evening.

Lift us for a while from the burden of this flesh.

4. Complete cleanliness, an atmosphere of utter purity, and the sin-

Take our hands in yours,

Help us to work and play That the time may be brought near,

On Reincarnation Pradeep Gohil

means the same thing as re birth, re-embodi ment, trans migration and metempsychosis. The human soul returns to earth many times and takes up residence each time in a new physical body in order to continue the soul’s progressive journey of inner evolution, advance ment, de vel op ment and unfoldment. There are eleven causes of reincarnation: 1. The unfulfilled desires of the soul. 2. The soul still has lessons to learn, and has to evolve. 3. The soul still has “karmic debts” to work off to further balance its Karma. 4. The building of perfect humanity in which positive and negative elements must find complete equilibrium. EINCARNATION

5. To balance the soul according to its deeds and its needs for inner evolution, development and learning the lesson right. 6. To adjust the balance of the soul in possessing bodies belonging to one particular gender. 7. To make the soul fully realize its own divine nature. 8.To achieve evolution as its goal through individual experience, and making and experiencing choice. 9. The desire of the soul for active life and the thirst for sentient existence. 10. The soul needs to undergo a full range of experience which one life cannot provide. 11. To enjoy the fruits of good Karma. Souls do not normally reincarnate instantly after death. It is not a case of the soul leaving one body and then instantly entering that of a body which is about to be born. Usually, there is a period of several decades between one life and the

When all our race shall know you well, And hail your brother pilgrims on the Path of God.

Preciosa S. Soliven is the president of the Soliman-Raja Lodge of the Theosophical Society in the Philippines. next, during which the soul recuper ates, con sid ers the les sons learned from the last life and plans its next life. It is during this time when the soul experiences its own personal state of “Heaven,” created unwittingly out of its own consciousness and matching exactly the afterlife the person had believed in and expected, during the lifetime just ended. The teachings of Theosophy refer to this state under the Tibetan name of Devachan. This lasts in exact proportion to the amount and force of good or positive karma that the soul created during the lifetime just ended. When the soul has reaped the full fruit of this good karma in its blissful Devachanic experience, the process of reincarnation occurs. The rate at which this happens varies from soul to soul de pending on the amount of good Karma and how spiritual and pure the soul is. All human beings are, in reality, spiritual beings on a human journey. We reincarnate as human beings in order to evolve as souls. Pradeep Gohil is the president of the Indian Section of the TS.

The Philippine Theosophist

October-December, 2019

Peace Work, Quantum Physics and Mysticism Joselito Belmonte Cendaña

is hard not to be saddened by all the vi o lence go ing on around us because of the pain and suffering they bring and also because of the inner suffering behind these violence. For example, it is disheartening that in an era that takes pride in the existence of a united-nations organization and the implementation of international law, a war can still be waged on another nation at the impulse of a national leader’s whim. Or that even though religion, for the mystical treasure that is hidden in its heart, is supposed to be a vehicle of spirituality, some of the most horrific crimes and violent acts are committed in its name. Or that our society can allow the unnecessary brutal slaughter of tens of billions of our non-human brethren in the animal kingdom every year for food, even though this human activity is the leading cause of global warming, and a major cause of environmental degradation and world hunger, among many other problems. We get hurt by these transgressions against our fellowmen and fellow sentient beings and get hurt, yet again, by the knowledge that transgressors suffer in one way or another which lead them to violence. Because both victim and victimizer are us and the T

wounds of the earth are our wounds, we feel a stirring in our soul that moves us to commit ourselves to peace in this world. We can surmise from what mystic saints say about our essential Oneness, that our natural displeasure with violence comes from our instinctive knowledge of that time-

Our deepest desire for peace really emanates from our inherent urge to realize our true nature, or to “return Home” if you will. less truth. With some resid ual memory of That from which we came from (as we perceive it as our Source in the world of time, but true Being during our deep experience), we feel a vague sense of kinship with others which makes us empathize with their suffering. Hence, our deepest desire for peace really emanates from our inherent urge to realize our true nature, or to “return Home” if you will, although we understand through our glimpses of this true nature that we have never really left Home but have only fallen asleep. And all the

vi o lence we hu mans com mit — whether against our selves or against others (humans, animals, environment, and so on) which are the same thing anyway because of our fundamental oneness and interconnectedness, and whether by thought, word or deed — arise from our forgetting who we really are at the core of our being and from taking the separation we see between and around us as absolutely true. Many, if not most, of us in our Society are drawn to mystical practice by the same inherent urge to “return Home” for the peace pilgrim and inner mystic in us are one and the same. The path of the mystic is necessarily a path of peace, and the path of peace is necessarily a path of the unfolding of the inner mystic in us. Every mystic aspires for “the peace of God that passeth all un der stand ing” And ev ery peace worker is moved by compassion to help his brethren. Because peace practice is an essential element of all au then tic spir i tual paths, mystical practice and embracing/creating peace are so intertwined with each other that any act done for one of the two is also an act done for the other. Our Society's stated mission of “(serving) humanity by cultivating an ever-deepening understanding and realization of the Ageless Wisdom, spiritual self-transformation, and the Unity of All Life” is one

October-December, 2019 that is motivated by universal love, peace, and com pas sion. Ev ery thought, word and deed that comes from a place of love and peace in our hearts supports mystical practice for it involves an emptying of the self. Every emptying of the self in the here and now of mystical practice is an act of creating true peace. It is not mere happenstance that one of the most revered peace workers of our day, Thich Nhat Hanh, is a mystic. The truth of the importance of mystical practice to the creation of peace in our world becomes even more glaring in the light of wisdom teach ings of mys tic saints and sages which tell us that our world is but a mirror of our own state of consciousness, and that there is no saner way to transform the dark images we see in that mirror before us we call the world than to transform them in ourselves. It is for these reasons that no less than Gandhi himself pronounced the words, “Be the change you want to see in the world” for the instruction of all peace workers. Unfortunately, the ideas that inner transformation is the surest foundation of social transformation, and that mysticism — the meeting with the Divine at the deep est and most fun da men tal level of being — is the ultimate method of positive inner transformation have not taken root in our social consciousness because of the understandably strong influence on it of Western science. For the past centuries until lately, Western science has been at odds with mysticism because it has been based on a materialistic cosmology, that is, one wherein the material world is seen as having independent objective existence apart from the mind or human consciousness, and as such, consisting of a myriad separate parts that are fundamentally made of matter. This cosmology, inspired by Cartesian thought (“I think; therefore, I am”), contradicts what mystic saints say about how we are related to our world: that we, as conscious beings, and the

The Philippine Theosophist phe nome nal world we per ceive around us are inextricably linked together as an undivided whole. Nevertheless, the good news is that of late, quantum physics has been doing away with this materialist cosmology. Thanks to the contributions of a phenomenal line of ge niuses in clud ing Al bert Einstein, Max Planck and Neils Bohr, quantum physics now tells us that objects are not determined things but possibilities which consciousness chooses to actualize. As can be gleaned from the results of quantum-mechanic experiments, quantum objects such as sub-atomic par-

Our world is but a mirror of our own state of consciousness . . . there is no saner way to transform the dark images we see in that mirror before us we call the world than to transform them in ourselves. ticles behave like waves of possibility when consciousness (as represented by the experimenter or an observer) is not looking and only when consciousness looks do the waves collapse into particles and become objects that we can experience. To cut the story short due to lack of space, everything that we experience in this world ultimately occurs this way with consciousness converting waves of possibility into actual events. Because material realities are but possibilities of consciousness, quantum physicists say that reality is fundamentally made of consciousness. At the deepest level, everything arises from nonlo cal cos mic con scious ness or God-consciousness — which David Bohm refers to as the implicate order where matter and conscious-

ness and all other pairs of opposites, including subject and object, are One — but we, as conscious beings or “children of God” as it were, participate in the creation of the lim ited world we ex pe ri ence through our own consciousness. Hence, because it is at the level of consciousness that we are more deeply connected with the world and every movement in our consciousness affects our entire universe in an instant through quantum entanglement, it is by transform ing our own con scious ness that we can best create peace in our world. And the ultimate act of creating peace is realizing our deepest nature at the level of God-consciousness or “finding the Kingdom of God within,” in Christian parlance, for it is in so doing that we transcend duality and separation, experience the living reality of our essential Oneness directly, and are more able to let “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” as we embody “the Peace of God that passeth all understanding.” We are blessed to live at a time when science has come full circle to meet mysticism at a place of shared vision of Oneness. With cuttingedge science now on the side of mysticism, it is easier to convince others (especially our youth who are our hope for a better tomorrow) of the paramount importance of embracing universal love, peace, compassion, understanding, forgiveness, and so on in healing our world because these spiritual ideals and principles are all based on

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the timeless spiritual, and now sci- war are a crude and violent form of entifically provable, truth of our es- this love (referring to Divine Love), sential One ness. We now know but we do not see that. We judge the that we cannot violate any part of creation through our human unthe Whole — human, animal, envi- derstanding, but in order to truly ronment — without harming our- understand, we have to transcend selves. But even more important our human nature.” In the timethan this is the fundamental peace less, spaceless, divisionless Kingwork of “being the change.” We dom of God, there is nothing but need not as much promote peace Love and Bliss. But in the infinity behind the pen or beneath placards of God-consciousness, all possible and streamers, as create it on our worlds exist — including our world meditation seats and bring it to ev- of time, space, separation, and sufery present moment of our daily fering. And yet, the Kingdom of lives. Other people will pick this God is in our midst. This is because up. But more importantly, every both worlds are One and the apthought, word, and act of love and pearance of duality we see between peace has an incalculably benefi- Heaven and earth is only an illucial effect on our universe. sion of our ego-consciousness. We We say “create peace” when the do not see this because “we are asleep,” to use truth is that we the Buddhist mereally do not cretaphor, and only ate it but simply have glimpses of allow it to unfold, The ultimate act of i t d u r i n g m ofor love, peace, creating peace is re- ments of partial and joy are in the wakening. alizing our deepest true na ture of things. It is just That said, nature at the level of that “we are the w a r s a n d v i oGod-consciousness. veil that cov ers l e n c e ar e j us t the Light,” to borwhat they are, row the words of like “moun tains the Sufi mys tic are moun tains” Llewellyn Vaughan Lee. Quantum and “rivers are rivers” in the Zen physicists and mystic saints now story. In our interdependence and agree on the importance of self- interconnectedness, all wars and trans for ma tion prior to so cial violence are there because of us. In change. Of transformation as a our oneness, all wars and violence function of religion, Ken Wilber, are us. In our Oneness, nothing can the bearer of one of the most com- be said. We just accept the entirety prehensive minds of our day, put it of all-that-is without resistance but succinctly: “Authentic transforma- in our place in it, our open heart tion is not a matter of belief but of speaks while our still mind is sithe death of the believer.” The lent. We care for all the pain and death referred to here is not that of suffering in our world and take to the physical body but that of what heart our bodhisattvic mission of we treasure most and yet is also liberating all beings. Whether we what ultimately separates us from seek to alleviate suffering in our blissful Oneness: our ego or false world behind the pen, on the field, sep a rate self. Be cause mystical on our meditation seat, or in the practice, is essentially a practice of here and now of our daily round, we emptying the self, it is our quintes- approach everything with love and sential method of creating true peace. peace in our world. Joselito Belmonte Cendaña is After all is said and done, “Every the chief editor of Peace Ideas. day is a good day.” The Hindu holy man Swami Amar Jyoti once wwwwwwwwwwwww wrote, “Even quarrels, hatred, and

October-December, 2019

A Winter Wish Silent Night, Holy Night, All is calm, all is bright . . .

he simple strains of Silent Night — magical, replete with promise, fill the silence of this Yuletide, keynoting the grander orchestration of all the other hearts who respond to its ageless call. The haunting melody once more beckons us to a dimly re mem bered abode we seem ever to seek as a place of refuge and refreshment on our journey through the light and so often dark days of our lives. The inn — the inward manger of our most true selves — is always there, alight with a steady flame, a source of warmth and compassion, an eternal guide along our way. Silent Night, Holy Night — its very simplicity sharpens to a poignancy that penetrates all outer forms; unadorned, it serves more surely than any selective symbol of harmony. Suggestive that the calm and the bright are there, every evening of our spent days: a time to reflect upon and to be rebound to that ancient injunction to love one another. In the stillness of the starlike night of the heart’s yearning, a hush falls over the frantic mind. Then peace — peace on earth in the souls of all. One Broth er hood across our broad land. Though the lamp is low, may it glow, may it glow! – RUTH K. SISSON

(Source: Theosophy Northwest View, December 2001, Volume 4 Issue 10)

October-December, 2019

Secret Doctrine Studies

The Philippine Theosophist

Now and then, this journal shall publish studies on the Secret Doctrine. Readers, whether members of the Philippine section or not, are welcome to comment or contribute to this section. Articles may be condensed or edited if length or clarity requires it, but such editing will avoid changing the meaning or distorting the emphasis of the article. — Editor

The Absolute Reality — The First Fundamental Proposition The following is the continuation of the section “The Absolute Reality — The First Fundamental Proposition” in Pablo Sender and Julia Cesano’s Study Course in The Secret Doctrine. While the first instalment dealt with the Absolute Reality in general, this second instalment deals with “Its two (Absolute) aspects.” — ED TS Two (Absolute) Aspects. II.6 This “Be-ness” is symbolized in the Secret Doctrine under two aspects: a) On the one hand, absolute abstract Space, representing bare subjectivity, the one thing which no human mind can either exclude from any conception, or conceive of by itself. (SD I, p. 14) II.7 The One All is like Space — which is its only mental and physical representation on this Earth, or our plane of existence — neither an object of, nor a subject to, perception. Space is neither a “limitless void,” nor a “conditioned fullness,” but both: being, on the plane of absolute abstraction, the ever-incog-

nizable Deity, which is void only to fi nite minds, and on that of mayavic perception, the Plenum, the absolute Container of all that i s , w h e t he r m an i f e s t e d o r unmanifested: it is, therefore, that Absolute All. (SD I, p. 8)

“Be-ness” is symbolized in the Secret Doctrine under two aspects: On the one hand, absolute abstract Space (and) . . . On the other hand, absolute Abstract Motion. . . .

II.8 “What is that which was, is, and will be, whether there is a Universe or not; whether there be gods or none?” asks the esoteric Senzar

Catechism. And the answer made is — Space. (SD I, p. 9) II.9 b) On the other hand, [its second aspect, is] absolute Abstract Mo tion rep re sent ing Un con ditioned Consciousness. This latter aspect of the one Reality is also symbolized by the term “The Great Breath,” a sym bol suf fi ciently graphic to need no further elucidation. (SD I, p. 14) II.10 The appearance and disappearance of the Universe are pictured as an outbreathing and inbreathing of “the Great Breath,” which is eternal, and which, being Motion, is one of the three aspects of the Absolute — Abstract Space and Duration being the other two. When the “Great Breath” is projected, it be comes the Kosmos. When the Divine Breath is inspired again, the Universe disappears into the bosom of “the Great Mother.” (SD I, p. 43) (to be continued) Source: Study Course in The Secret Doctrine conducted by Pablo Sender and Julia Cesano (https://www.theosophy.world/)

The “Absolute Consciousness” . . . “behind” phenomena, which is only termed unconsciousness in the absence of any element of personality, transcends human conception. Man, unable to form one concept except in terms of empirical phenomena, is powerless from the very constitution of his being to raise the veil that shrouds the majesty of the Absolute. Only the liberated Spirit is able to faintly realize the nature of the source whence it sprung and whither it must eventually return. . . . The highest Dhyan Chohan, however, can but bow in ignorance before the awful mystery of Absolute Being; and . . . even in that culmination of conscious existence — “the merging of the individual in the universal consciousness” — to use a phrase of Fichte’s — the finite cannot conceive the Infinite, nor can it apply to it its own standard of mental experiences. H.P. BLAVATSKY

The Philippine Theosophist

Why Do We Serve?

Keepers and Sharers

(continued from p. 7)

(continued from p. 13)

whole palette of issues to choose from? What is our calling? There was a story in the scriptures about a very poor woman who had really little or nothing, and she heard that there was a great master who was coming her way, and she thought: “With this great being who is coming, what do I have to give? What do I have in my house?” That is the question for us: What physical possessions do we have, or what do we have in the house of our consciousness? No one is so poor that they have nothing. Then how do we learn to give? Whether we give of our thought, of our food, or our experience that might be helpful to another, all of those are gifts that we have to give to this world, which if we choose not to give, not only do the gifts die with us and do not pass on, but our potential to enhance the world also withers. There is power in a very simple word that we say every day, some of us more than others, so much so that we ignore it and its capacity and power, its potential for good. The word is “Yes.” It is not just a word. At its deepest level, it is a state of being that we can embrace. The mind that utters to this world, “Yes, I will; yes, I am open,” is connected. There is a greater life which we sense, but somehow cannot realize. In saying “Yes” to a suffering fragment of that greater life, we connect ourselves. We have to learn the openness, the freedom, and the power that comes from a spirit that can say “Yes.” These are just a few thoughts in terms of the work that we are here to do, and, more importantly, the work that we are actually capable of doing. Tim Boyd is the international president of the Theosophical Society Adyar. Your Self-Realization is the greatest service you can render the world. RAMANA MAHARSHI

ative process in this lifetime. Among Kabbalists, reincarnation or gilgul does not punish or reward. It is concerned with the process of individual transformation by giving significance to the life of each person, as each individual has particular tasks, based on karma, that only he or she can accomplish. Through reincarnation, the soul fulfills the divine plan. The challenge is to be engaged in the stages of mystical development and to use this pat tern of unfoldment in transforming human nature towards being one with the di vine. This spiri tual quest involves preparing ourselves physically, serious study, deep reflection and constant meditation, love for all beings, and dedication to serve. One’s duty is to determine in what stage of evolution one is at present so that one can develop the awareness to participate in the Cosmic Design or Divine Plan. It is not easy, but those who have gone before us or those tremendously advanced in this lifetime can offer guidance in taking the Path and in gaining a sense of wholeness or holiness while proceeding. Be cause in di vid u als can be weak repositories or transmitters of wisdom, they have to belong to a particular culture that aims to make them dedicated and competent Keepers. The theosophical organizations must provide this cultural experience, a reliable way of doing things based on con stant practice and communal learning. We have to invest in developing leaders who will be at the frontline of mainstreaming theosophy. The mentoring of potential leaders is crucially linked to character-building and to the Society’s mission in helping others proceed towards higher mystic stages. As Keepers, the theosophical culture impels us to engage in continuous study and to test what we learn in everyday activities. In this culture, the theosophist learns why

October-December, 2019

and how Wisdom appeals to the individual and is necessary to develop a sense of common well-being. One of the initial tasks of the theosophist, therefore, is to become familiar with and to recognize the significance of Mysticism. While undergoing studies, the theosophist attempts to integrate knowledge and practice, to confront life chal lenges de ci sively and life choices with genuine fervor. In the process, one experiences what is worth sharing: - a deeper understanding of life; - the potency of universal values and ethical principles; - increased capacity for selfawareness and for understanding life as it is; - sense of responsibility/commitment to nurture relationships; - empathy for those in need and compassionate desire to serve; - strong sense of interconnection with all beings; - developed faculties by integrating one’s divine nature with the human. The theosophical heritage undoubtedly can enrich our lives and those of others. We learn to become comfortable with our silence. We learn to apply the laws of nature in all facets of life. We seek, we keep, we share, and become who we really are. Jose Victor Peñaranda was the past vice president of the Theosoph i cal So ci ety in the Phil ippines.

October-December, 2019

The Philippine Theosophist

Question & Answer Inner Light Quotes You are the light of the world. . . . Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. THE BIBLE I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in darkness the astonishing light of your own being! HAFEZ Nothing can dim the light that shines from within. MAYA ANGELOU

There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. EDITH WHARTON How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE The darkness around us might somewhat light up if we would first practice using the light we have in the place we are. HENRY HASKINS

Stars don’t shine because they want to be seen. They shine because they are stars. ALEXANDER DER HEIJER When you possess light within, you see it externally.

ANAIS NIN

It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light. ARISTOTLE Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart. KHALIL GIBRAN

The more light you allow within you, the brighter the world you live in will be. SHAKTI GAWAIN

Q: What is the origin and esoteric meaning of the Christmas tree? A: The modern custom of the Christmas tree originated from Germany whence it eventually spread all over the Christmascelebrating world. The tradition started in the 16th century when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. It is, however, very difficult to trace the exact historic origin of the custom. Its origin belongs undeniably to the highest antiquity. In ancient philosophies and religions, the tree – especially the fir tree – has often been used as a symbol for the universe, whose roots sprang forth from the divine heart of all things and whose trunk, branches, twigs, and leaves were the different worlds and spheres. The colorful glass balls in the Christmas tree then really stand for the mani fold planets and globes, connected with everything else throughout the cosmos by the symbolic tinsel and festoons. And the lights: in one way, they represent the divine spark in every living being, linking us all together on a higher level. But they also denote light itself, which brings forth and is all life in the universe. Finally, the star at the top of the tree may symbolize our own highest self or even the divine essence of the cosmos towards which all of us as divine sparks are striving. (Source: Regina J. Thackara, “The Christmas Tree,” Theosophy Northwest View December 2011 – Vol. 14 Issue 10)

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The Philippine Theosophist

October-December, 2019

News and Events 2019 TS Indo-Pacific Conference in the Philippines The Indo-Pacific Federation of the Theosophical Society will hold its next triennial cconference this coming November 9-12 at the Microtel by Wyndham HotelUP Technohub, Commonwealth Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City in the Philippines. The conference, workshops and other pertinent activites will enable TS members from many countries to share, interact, and plan for cooperative work. Information regarding the registration, costs, accommodation, and other matters are provided in the TS Indo-Pacific Federation website: https://ipf-ts.org/

Self-Transformation Seminar Held at the TSP National Hq The Theosophical Society in the Philippines (TSP) held its last Self-Transformation Seminar last September 22, 28 and 29 at its national headquarters.The 3-day seminar on Self-Mastery, Awareness and the Awakening of One’s Higher Potential is designed to empower the individual to gain mastery over the factors that contribute to human fulfilment and happiness, and helps in the integration and deepening of the spiritual life. This seminar has been conducted in over 20 countries by Vic Hao Chin, Jr. and is one of the main offerings of the TSP.

TSP Youth Center to be Opened The TSP will soon open its official youth center called FreeSpace. Once opened, FreeSpace will be the central hub of all TS youth activities nationwide. It will feature online connectivity, spaces for study, work, games and reading, a counseling center, and a TV-and-video area for watching mind-expanding films. It will also regularly host events including group meditation, spiritual poetry nights, musical sessions, dance workshops and mountain hiking.

TOS-Philippines Donates Library to ANHS In one of its humble steps to promote quality education to the underprivileged youth of our society, the Theosophical Order of Service (TOS) in the Philippines recently donated a library to the Ardemil National High School (ANHS) in Sara, Iloilo. Barangay Ardemil is a mountainous barangay that is far from Iloilo City. The TOS donated the library since the students don’t have enough access to educational facilities, and the school’s students and teachers need more access to books.

Back-to-back Weekend Lectures by Wisdom Park’s Billy Tan Bro. Billy Tan of Wisdom Park shared back-to-back presentations with the Logos Lodge at the Page 1 bldg., Ayala-Alabang last Sept. 1 and the Soliman-Raja Lodge at the OB-Montessori school, Greenhills on Sept. 2. Billy gave a talk about the Buddhist attitude of free inquiry and the pursuit of truth with members of the Logos Lodge. Right the following day, he was with the Soliman-Raja Lodge giving a lecture entitled “Relinquishing Evil Thoughts.”

TSP Joins Manila International Book Fair The TSP, in collaboration with Megatext Philippines Inc., featured books on mindfulness, consciousness, and spirituality in its Theosophical Publishing House booth at the Manila International Book Fair (MIBF) held last September 11-15 at the SMX Convention Center in the Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City. Among the biggest, most sought after, and longest running fairs in the country, the MIBF attracts more than 150,000 visitors during its 5-day run.

October-December, 2019

The Philippine Theosophist

Directory of TSP Lodges and Study Groups Provincial Areas Ahimsa Study Group Coordinator: Norma Garbanzos Meeting: Every Saturday 6:00 p.m. RVS Building, La Salle Avenue Bacolod City Amor Study Group Coordinator: Michael C. Andrade Meeting: Weekends 2:00 p.m. Venue: Sabino Residence c/o Bro. Joyce Cary Sabino, Damula-an, Albuera, Leyte Tel.: (Cel.) 0916-5427153 Bacolod Lodge President: Ferdinand Yulo Coordinator: Norma Garbanzos Meeting: Every 1st and 3rd Sunday Venue: 82 St., Ignatius Avenue, Dona Juliana Heights, Bacolod City Bataan Study Group Coordinator: Norve Cruz Meeting: Every 2nd and 4th Sunday Venue: East Calaguiman, Samal, Bataan Tel.: (Cel.) 0917-5762407; 0929-7256762 Bohol Lodge President: Ludwig Quirog Meeting: Every Thursday 6:00 p.m. Venue: Cora Ponteres residence, 120 P. Garcia Avenue, Mansasa District, 6300 Tagbilaran City Cebu Lodge President: Lovorn Ang Meeting: Every Saturday 6:30 p.m Venue: 2nd Floor, Pan de Malunggay, Juana Osmena St., Cebu City Tel: (Cel) 0943-5202891

Celestine Lodge President: Lucia Alerta Meeting: Every Sunday 2:00 p.m. Venue: Abalayan Subd., San Jose 8002 Digos City Tel.: Res. - (082) 553-2839/ Off. - (082) 291-1021 Godea Lodge President: Anita Sescon Meeting: Every Saturday 7:00 p.m. Venue: No. 3-A Concepcion Apt. San Miguel Village, Pala-o, 9200 Iligan City Tel.: (063) 351-7081, 223-0126 Email: bbtrodil@yahoo.com Iloilo Lodge c/o Lisa Montero, Lily Que Meeting: Every 1st and 3rd Sunday, 6:00 p.m. Venue: Au Wong residence, Diversion Road, Manduriao, Iloilo City Tel.: (033) 320-3950; (Cel.) 0919-8592504/ 0919-3027998 Maharlika Lodge President: Dionisio S. Cervantes Meeting: Every 2nd and 4th Thursday Venue: Josie B.D. Cartago residence, Road 4, Dona Vicenta Village, Davao City (near Ponce Suites Gallery Hotel) Tel.: (Cel.) 0923-5714743/ 09255120523/ 0917-7211130 Muñoz Lodge President: Clemente Madarang Meeting: Every Sunday 1:30 p.m. Venue: Purok Curva, Bgy. Bantug, Science City

of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija Tel.: (Cel.) 0908-2889821 Ormoc Lodge President: Arnulfo Lumangtad Meeting: Every Sunday 5:00 p.m. Venue: District 4, Aviles St. corner Juan Luna St., Anilao Riverside Ormoc City Tel.: (Cel.) 0905-5036527/0928-9509412 Palompon Study Group Coordinator: Arnold A. Arapoc Meeting: Saturday 3:00 p.m. Venue: 635 Lopez Street, Bgy. Guiwan 2, Palompon, Leyte Tel.: (Cel.) 0926-2213388 Satsang Lodge President: Dr. Mary Anne Cabrera Meeting: once a month, always on a Thursday, 6:00 p.m. Venue: Cafe Georg, Banilad or Persian Palate, Mango Square, Mango Ave., Cebu City Tel.: (032) 253-7098 Toril Study Group Coordinator: Jun Aling Meeting: Every Saturday 4:00 p.m. Venue: Blk 5, Macleod, Daliao Toril, 8025 Davao City Urdaneta Study Group Coordinator: Ramil San Juan Venue: Blk 3, Lot 21 Doña Loleng Urdaneta, Pangasinan

Metro Manila Area Golden Link Theosophical Lodge President: Rekha Nahar Meeting: Every 2nd and 4th Saturday, 4:00 p.m. Venue: Conference Room, 2nd floor, Main Building, Golden Link College, Camarin, North Caloocan City Tel: (Cel.) 0918-9146901

Pandacan Lodge President: Luke M. Ironside Meeting: Every 2nd and 4th Sunday, 11:00 a.m. Venue: TSP National Headquarters 1 Iba St., cor. P. Florentino St., Quezon City, 1114 Metro Manila Tel.: (02) 7415740/ (Cel.) 0919-6477503 Email: lukeironside@tutanota.de

Logos Study Group President: Bert Cabrera Meeting: Every 1st and 3rd Saturday, 3:00 p.m. Venue: Unit 304 Page 1 Building, Acacia Ave., Madrigal Business Park, Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila Tel.: (Cel.) 0917-9451758

Rizaliana Lodge Meeting: Every Saturday 6:00 p.m. Venue: TSP National Headquarters 1 Iba St., cor. P. Florentino St., Quezon City, 1114 Metro Manila Tel.: 741-57-40

Manila Lodge President: Mona Brocoy Meeting: 1st and 3rd Sunday, 11:30 a.m. Venue: TSP National Headquarters 1 Iba St. cor. P. Florentino St, Quezon City Tel.: (02) 7415740; (Cel.) 0927-4034983

Saturday Inquirers Group Coordinator: Luke M. Ironside Meeting: Every 1st and 3rd Saturday, 3:00 p.m. Venue: TSP National Headquarters 1 Iba St. corner P. Florentino St., Quezon City, 1114 Metro Manila

Tel.: (02) 741-5740; Email: lukeironside@tutanota.de Soliman-Raja Lodge President: Dr. Preciosa Soliven Meeting: Every 2nd and 4th Sunday, 1:30 p.m. Venue: Room 601 or Rooms 704-705, Operation Brotherhood (OB) Montessori School, 3 Eisenhower St., Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila Tel.: (Cel.) 0917 945 1758 (text only) Theosophical Research and Study Group Meeting: Sunday 6pm; inquiries Venue: TSP National Headquarters 1 Iba St. cor. P. Florentino St., Quezon City, 1114 Metro Manila Tel.: 741-57-40/09178987794 Email: president@ts-pandacan.org Vidya Lodge Meeting: Every 1st and 3rd Thursday, 6:30 p.m. Venue: TSP National Headquarters Tel.: 741-5740

The Philippine Theosophist

October-December, 2019

The Theosophical Society The Theosophical Society was formed at New York on November 17, 1875, and incorporated in Chennai (Madras), India, on April 3, 1905. Its three declared Objects are: To form a nucleus of the Universal Brotherhood of Humanity, without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste or color. · To encourage the study of Comparative Religion, Philosophy and Science. · To investigate unexplained laws of Nature and the powers latent in man. ·

The Theosophical Society’s Mission Statement is: To serve humanity by cultivating an ever-deepening understanding and realization of the Ageless Wisdom, spiritual self-transformation, and the Unity of All Life.

“Theosophy is the shoreless ocean of universal truth, love and wisdom reflecting its radiance on the earth, while the Theosophical Society is only a visible bubble on that reflection. Theosophy is divine nature, visible and invisible, and its Society human nature trying to ascend to its divine parent.” H. P. BLAVATSKY

The Theosophical Society in the Philippines

1 Iba St., Quezon City, Philippines

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