June, 2004
The Philippine Theosophist
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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. XLVIII, No. 2
April-June, 2020
CONTENTS 2
The King and the Rabbi
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From the National President
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Love in the Time of Corona
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Gems on the Path
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What’s the Most Important Thing in Life
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Befriending the Coronavirus
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Meditation Corner
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Mankind and a Living Earth
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A Letter to Humanity
12 Secret Doctrine Studies 13. Reincarnation: Fact or Fancy? 13
Question and Answer
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News and Events
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Directory of Lodges and Study Groups
“Step out of the circle of time and into the circle of love.” — RUMI
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qqq As the river enters into the ocean, so my heart touches Thee. KABIR Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do you know this is the experience you need? Because this is the experience you are having at the moment. ECKHART TOLLE
The King and the Rabbi
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nce there lived a king who delighted in his friendship – and friendly conversations – with a wise rabbi who lived in the kingdom’s capital. The rabbi always had a way of weaving into their conversations the idea of divine providence, or that everything has a beneficent divine purpose, and this pleased the king. Once, the king decided to go hunt ing, and in sisted that the rabbi hunt to gether with him. When they were already out in the woods, the king prevailed upon the rabbi to hold a rifle. The rabbi was so unfamiliar with the sport, however, that he fumbled with the weapon, and let a shot out by accident. The rabbi mistakenly shot the king, damaging his hand forever in the process by shooting off one of his fingers! Enraged, the king immediately commanded his guards to have the rabbi imprisoned in the castle dungeon. Months passed, and the king’s wound healed such that he could hunt again. Throughout his trips, he missed the wisdom and company of the brilliant. knowledgeable rabbi. In one particularly remote and ex otic lo ca tion, the king was warned by his guards not to leave the camping grounds because hostile natives lurked around. But the
king was so adventurous he forayed outside the camp until he was captured by cannibal tribesmen. As was their custom, they inspected their captive before cooking until they noticed the king’s
The rabbi mistakenly shot the king, damaging his hand forever in the process by shooting off one of his fingers! missing finger. They believed that this is a bad omen, so they decided to let the king go. The king was overjoyed, and he realized that the rabbi’s “blunder” actually saved his life! When the royal entourage returned to the capital, the king immediately set the rabbi free, and said: “Dear rabbi, you have always spoken of divine providence, and how everything is a blessing, no matter how bad it may seem. But I have a question: what is the blessing to you after having been in the dungeon for so many months?” The rabbi smilingly replied:
Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding. KAHLIL GIBRAN “Your majesty, if I wasn’t in the dungeon, I would have been with you, and I would have been the one eaten by the cannibals!” Astounded by the realization, the king then asked: “What lesson the can we take from all this?” After a moment’s reflection, the rabbi replied: “Your majesty, perhaps the lesson is that the Divine is like the ultimate King to whom every one is a beloved friend. Because divine love is like that, we must always have faith that all our experiences, even the seemingly negative ones, are ultimately for the best and for our own good.” (A summary of the article, “The King’s Friend” by Bentzion Elisha published in chabad.org)
The Philippine Theosophist Vol. XLVIII, No. 2
April-June, 2020
Published by the Theosophical Society in the Philippines, 1 Iba Street, Quezon City. Tel. No. 8741-57-40; 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 Antonio Manalo
April-June, 2020
The Philippine Theosophist
From the National President Chally P. Romero
The Ageless Wisdom Moves on Unimpeded by Volcanic Eruption and Pandemic January: As 2020 ushered in a new decade, I found myself stranded in the terminal of the Kolkata International Airport in India for two days. Flights were cancelled due to freezing weather. I had to take a roundabout route to reach Varanasi (formerly Benares) to attend the TS General Council meeting as well as the 144th TS International Conference. It was almost 30 years ago that the conference was last held in Varanasi. Since then, the conference had always been held in Adyar. But due to the ongoing renovations of the Leadbeater Chambers in the TS Adyar hq, the decision came to move the conference to Varanasi. It was an inspiring visit to Varanasi, with all the interactions I had with fellow Theosophists. Upon my return to Manila, I looked forward to discussing with the TSP Board the various plans for our national section. Most of these discussions were placed in the back burner last year when we had to concentrate on the preparations for the TS Indo-Pacific Conference, especially since the hosting of the event was a last-minute assignment for the Philippine section. February: Last February, the Taal volcano eruption rattled most of the mountain’s surrounding areas, including Metro Manila. It was an opportune time for the Theosophical Order of Service (TOS)-Philippines to do disaster-relief work, and go out to provide assistance especially to the evacuees. At the same time, we also scheduled a strategic planning meeting since our last 7-year strat plan had already elapsed.
March: On March 8, we had our strategic planning meeting among the presidents and heads of lodges/study groups which comprise the National Council, as well as other members who wished to provide inputs. It was a tight, one-day activity; yet, a significantly productive one. Thereafter, several priority areas were identified by the Board. The following are the agreed programs for the next 7 years (until 2027): 1. Leadership, management and speakers training, and increased effectiveness in program implementation 2. To make TS presence felt through social media: 2a) meditation; 2b) lodge meetings; 2c) courses; 2d) public lectures; and 2e) online theosophy “radio” program 3. Create the TS “brand” – What should the TS be popularly associated with? 4. Im proved mem ber ship ser vices in clud ing membership education: 4a) Gather best practices among lodges (local and foreign) and put them in the website; and 4b) retreat center 5. Youth program: sustain and develop our youth base 6. Self-Transformation Seminar (STS) and other public engagements: 6a) create FAQ about theosophy or the TS (printed or in the website); 6b) interfaith dialogues; 6c) STS; and 6d) public lectures and seminars, 7. Establish the Center for Stress Management and Well-Being. 8. Establish a Resource Generation Team/Program (for funding projects) 9. Implement e-Commerce. 10. Put up more schools.
Strategic planning group photo taken on March 8, 2020 (some participants not present in photo due to their flight schedules, etc.)
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In this regard, we urge all TSP members to join in any of the aforementioned strategic directions so more can participate in mapping out specific goals and action plans. It is fortunate that we were able to conduct our strategic planning meeting before the metropolis was placed on lockdown and community quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic, although we were not able to immediately share the meeting’s outputs to the general membership. One thoughtful decision that we had to make in the face of the worsening coronavirus pandemic was to cancel all in-person activities at the TSP national headquarters. All the while that we adjusted to our circumstances and attended to immediate personal and family concerns brought about by the lockdown, we also checked on the well-being of TSP members and tried our best to provide those in need with assistance. As you might have guessed, the TOS was in the forefront of this. The TOS also mobilized and distributed food packs for families in the vicinity of the Camarin area. Generous donors, most of whom opted to remain anonymous, contributed essential funds and support. Several of our Golden Link College alumni, including those First online TSP Board meeting on 3/15/20. who were based abroad, also dished out generous financial donations. It was also at this time that we started contemplating on moving some of our regular activities online. On March 15, right after the lockdown announcement, we had our first online board meeting via Skype. The Board took advantage of the situation to go online and test how many of the usual TSP activities can be migrated to the internet considering that one of our new thrusts is social media presence.
April: By April, we were already running a weekly online Guided Meditation session via Zoom teleconferencing platform facilitated by Vic Hao Chin Jr. The initial session at once attracted around 95 participants, a number of whom are members of foreign sections. After a few weeks, we had the sessions live-streamed simultaneously through Facebook in order to address the capacity limits of Zoom. Weekly joint lodge meetings have likewise been conducted online. The first presentor was Celeste Sasuman who is based in faraway Davao. The lockdown turned out to be a blessing in disguise in that our members and lodges have become more connected across A screen shot of an online guided meditation session distances through these online meetings. Even foreign members most of whom are based in Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia, have joined the meetings. As we await when the community quarantine orders will be lifted, we look forward to more opportunities for service that are being opened up by the present situation.
Final Word. As a final word, let us draw our attention to a highlight in the “corona message� delivered by our TS international president Tim Boyd via Youtube last March 24. Among other wise reminders, he mentioned that this pandemic moment, like all other moments, will pass, to wit: This will end. And when it does, we will also navigate our way through the uncharted waters into which this virus is leading us. We can be sure that it will be a different world on the other side of this pandemic. In the confusion, uncertainty, and anxiety of this moment, one thing is certain. We are all in this together. Our interconnection, interdependence, in a word, our Oneness, has moved beyond the realm of Theosophical speculation to become an undeniable fact. Although many feel paralyzed by the enormity of the situation, this is a time of great opportunity for anyone who sincerely embraces the teachings and the life. Who we are speaks so loudly people cannot hear a word we are saying. The possibility of peace in the face of fear needs demonstration. Our continued cultivation of a center of peace within, and the conscious radiating of that peace into our shared mental and emotional stream, though unseen, has an enormous effect. Whether we find ourselves in isolation, or in the midst of the turmoil there is a work for us to do. One for which we have prepared.
April-June, 2020
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Love in the Time of Corona Nancy Secrest
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t will be interesting to see what stories come out of this time in history. A worldwide pandemic was something once written about in the annals of history, but not experienced in the lifetime of many of us. The thought of anything so “inconsequential” as a virus killing over 325,000 people (as of right now) belonged to writers of science fiction and suspense. Unbelievable to many of us, we assumed we are too intelligent a species not to be able to deal with it; after all, viruses have come and gone. We are still here and scientists have always found a solution. The reaction we have with science, and with scientists themselves, is a push-pull relationship between fascination and disregard. Scientists are not considered the sexiest people in the room. Science was a subject in high school only the “geeks” or “nerds” found interesting. Perhaps the ability to infer is something only a particular type of person feels comfortable doing. Perhaps we don’t trust deduction coming from anyone but Sherlock Holmes. But we often choose to ignore or distract ourselves when the news com ing from scien tists is overwhelming. Except when it comes to our own personal life. We don’t like being told we are living
on borrowed time, but we love knowing we are stardust. We care little about the destruction of the rain forests (the lungs of our planet), but don’t want anything destroying our own lungs. We are grateful to the scientists working around the clock to find a cure to Covid, but rarely do we pay attention to the numerous other discoveries scientists have worked so
Creation’s natural essence is love. And sometimes, as they say, tough love is needed. hard to produce, unless it is relevant to our own life. This is who we are. Now the hu man world has stopped. The economy in many countries has come to a standstill. There is no surety or security for anyone. Many are working harder than ever to figure out how to keep their businesses and organizations afloat. Technology, once taken for granted, has become a necessity and our best friend. Like any species on the planet, we are learning to adapt. No different from the number of species that have had to
learn to adapt because humans keep on producing, consuming and disposing. Today, the tables have turned. And with it, subtle but blatant les sons we need to pay attention to. Due to the lack of manufacturing, hu man con sump tion, and movement in China, there has been a dramatic increase in air quality. Without the boat traffic and congestion of the waterways in Venice, the canals have cleared allowing visibility of the fish below. In India, dolphins have been spotted off the coast of Mumbai, a rarity because of the city’s vast pollution and noise. And many people around the world talk about the number of birds that can be heard singing because of the decrease in traffic noise. Given these delights to our senses and well-being, it is wondered if this will have any impact on whether we commit to a more sustain able life. En vi ron men tal scientists hope so, but sadly doubt it. The question arises: Can love be our lesson in the time of corona? H.P. Blavatsky writes that all existence is One. Not all life — all existence. All beingness. The beingness of the virus that impedes us. The beingness of the impediment itself of our normal daily life and relationships. The beingness of our reaction to the disruption of our daily interactions. The beingness of how
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knowing and being and seeing. It is seeing what is happening around us, knowing we are not separate from others, and being in the moment and embracing all of it. The tragic and the joyful moments. The brutality of lives unknown and unclaimed being buried in pine boxes and the tender comfort given to those whose tears are unable to flow because of masks and plastic face shields. The difficulty many are facing without jobs or money while others refuse to let anyone go hungry. The demanding calls to open businesses while others fear we choose to respond to finding a leaving their houses. The struggle new way of living. It is all being- of isolation and the assurance one ness. It is the beingness of karma isn’t forgotten because of online for all of us, not as individuals but platforms and phone calls. This is as a humanity. Orphaned human- beingness. This is existence. It is ity which has lost its way from its the light and dark of everything. true purpose. Is it Every situation, possible that this e v e r y a ct i o n un thought of done, every worldwide pause Can love be our sav- word spoken. It is an as ser tive is us. ing grace? Can we prompt ing from Can love be learn to give more the Absolute? Not our sav ing a pun ish ment than we receive, take grace? Can we from God, but a learn to give only what we need, kar mic rebalanmore than we love our neighbors cing needed bereceive, take cause the penduwho are selfish . . . ? only what we lum has swung need, love our too far, too fast neigh bors who and too thoughtare selfish and lessly. Perhaps with our own indi- unkind as we love the stranger who vidual worlds coming to a halt comes to our aid? Can we teach worldwide, we have slowed the through noble deeds and generospendulum down. Perhaps we are ity? Can we be grateful for the being forced to reset ourselves, things we usually take for granted? take stock of our lives and the way Beingness is encouraging us to be w e l i v e . A n d mo s t l y , o f o u r patient, compassionate, and loving relationship with each other. to those who take comfort in not Creation’s natural essence is knowing and those who refuse to love. And sometimes, as they say, see. It is saying have fortitude, but tough love is needed. The exis- do not forsake love without meatence, the beingness of this virus, sure. Beingness is asking us to use must be considered as a part and our voices for those who cannot parcel of our own beingness, espe- speak, and speak for the right to cially if all existence is one. Every- live in a world of love, hope, and thing is part of everything. The charity. Can we do this? Can this be deaths, the lives saved, the sur- our response to the beingness of vival and the sickness, the strength this whole experience? and resilience of our healthcare Nancy Secrest is the president of workers to persevere, are all part of the Theosophical Order of Service us and we part of them. It is all one in the United States. existence. This is what love is. It is
April-June, 2020
Gems of the Path The flower doesn’t dream of the bee. It blossoms and the bee comes. MARK NEPO Letting go of our suffering is the hardest work we will ever do. It is also the most fruitful. To heal means to meet ourselves in a new way – in the newness of each moment where all is possible and nothing is limited to the old. STEPHEN LEVINE
Life is never incomplete if it is an honorable one. At whatever point you leave life, if you leave it in the right way, it is whole. SENECA
We are at our most powerful the moment we no longer need to be powerful. ERIC MICHA'EL LEVENTHAL
Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambi tion inspired, and suc cess achieved. HELEN KELLER It is the inner life that is to spark the change in consciousness that will permit us to advance. BRO. WAYNE TEASDALE
The nature of things is such that the unitive knowledge of the Ground which is contingent upon the achievement of a total selflessness cannot possibly be realized, even with outside help, by those who are not yet selfless. ALDOUS HUXLEY
We can only have what we give. CHIRANJIVI
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What’s the Most Important Thing in Life? Vicente Hao Chin Jr.
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f you only have a month to live, how would you spend that one month? One Sat ur day, this ques tion suddenly popped into my mind while I was on my way to a christening of a one-year-old boy. Later on, I googled this question and found a lot of people tried to answer the question online. The bottom line is that almost all of them said they would spend the last one month with people close to them, especially with their family. None of them said that they will spend more time in their work. One said he would like to travel but with the company of his family and close friends. On that Saturday, I was attending the christening of my grandson, after which we would go for a family lunch, and thence I had to proceed to moderate a strategic planning meeting of a foundation, and then have visitors at the house. I was also trying to write articles on that day. I had so many appointments and things-to-do, but I realized as I was walking towards the church that when the chips are down, one thing stands out as more important than all the rest: the family and loved ones. There was an angle to this insight that was strik ing. I had “known” before about how important people are. I had spoken about it often in my talks. But I never saw
it from this angle. Our final choice in devoting the rest of our earthly life to a small group of people speaks volumes about our philosophy of life and the meaning of our lives. When Steve Jobs decided to seclude himself with his family when he was told he had a very short time to live, the reaction of people I know was one of approval, sympathy and agree ment. They would do the
“Happiness is love.” – Dr. George Vaillant same thing if they were in the same situation. The good news is that giving importance to positive relationships has been empirically found to be the most important ingredient towards the attainment to some of the most important goals in human life: happiness, health and long life. In 1938, Harvard Univer sity launched a ground-breaking research that is still ongoing till today, 80 years later. Called the Harvard Study of Adult Development, they studied 724 people, some of whom were sophomores from Harvard and others from the poorer areas of Boston. The research tracked their health, marriage, career, relationships, income, and other personal factors with interviews every other year. Three books have been
written on this study by its first director, Dr. George Vaillant. He made the fol low ing con clusion: “Warmth of relationships throughout life has the greatest positive impact on ‘life satisfaction’ . . . Happiness is love. Full stop.” The cur rent di rec tor of the study, Dr. Robert Waldinger, after reviewing the tens of thousands of pages of data, expanded the conclusion: “People who are more socially connected to family, to friends, to community, are happier. They’re physically healthier, and they live longer than people who are less well connected.” Dr. David Myers, an internationally famous author of textbooks on psychology and the author of the book The Pursuit of Happiness, wrote down what he considered as the “Ten Commandments Of Happiness.” The first one was that material success does not necessarily make people happy. The second was that close relationships with people around you contributes a lot to happiness. Next time that you find yourself so busy that you hardly have time for anything else, pause for 20 seconds and ask yourself what are the most important things in life. Then from deep in your heart, act accordingly. Vicente Hao Chin Jr. is the president of the Golden Link College and a past president of the Theosophical Society in the Philippines.
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April-June, 2020
Befriending the Coronavirus Joselito Belmonte Cendaña
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odern-day spiritual teacher and best-selling author Eckhart Tolle echoed a fundamental Ageless Wisdom teaching nicely when he wrote, “Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness.” Indeed, even unpleasant karma and suffering have such great ed u ca tive value that our difficulties are really steppingstones in our spir i tual journey. Nothing manifests from the Absolute – as the sourceless Source of all life (in as far as everything is alive and sacred) – that is not designed to ultimately benefit all of us, for we are nothing less than that one same transcendent Reality itself at the core of our being! It just takes time for some blessings to be recognized as such. This timeless spiritual principle is one we might manage to embrace, but really difficult to act in accordance with by force of our ego habit of resisting life’s flow when we feel things are not going our way. For example, it is unnatural for us humans to respond from a place of gratitude to disease and dis-ease. Or maintain a stoic calm in the face of misfortune and loss. Hence, a global health crisis as grave as the current coronavirus pandemic – together with all the lockdowns the world over it necessitates – is not exactly the kind of
occurence that we would easily appreciate as a blessing. After all, the SARS-CoV-2 virus – as the deadly patho gen that is caus ing the COVID-19 pandemic is officially called – has already infected over 4.9 million (as of May 19, 2020), and taken the lives of over 325,000 worldwide, and counting. As if this
Nothing manifests from the Absolute – as the sourceless Source of all life . . . – that is not designed to ultimately benefit all of us, for we are nothing less than that one same transcendent Reality itself at the core of our being! were not enough, the pandemic is wreaking such great havoc on our global economy that economists are already certain it won’t recover fully for many years to come. The Blessings. But consider this: The mother of all blessings is the glorious reality that the timeless realm of Heaven is not separate from our world of time, space, and form. But even in our unen-
lightened state, certain blessings are coming to light as this crisis unfolds. For one, the coronavirus pandemic is teaching us humans many precious lessons – the folly of overconsumption, and the folly of indifference to the pain and suffering of other sentient beings among them. Why the folly of overconsumption? Because our insatiable desire for material things and consumer goods has a direct hand on why killer viruses are on the rise. The worst viral outbreaks of late – SARS, MERS, Ebola, and by all probability, the SARS-CoV-2 (or Wuhan corona) virus – originated in bats and other wildlife whose fierce immune systems drive viruses to mutate and become deadlier in humans. As we increasingly intrude into their homes, destroying rainforests for logging, mining, animal farming, and so on, the more forest animals become refugees and come nearer our places, enabling their viruses to get to us and infect us. And surely, over the past century, the number of new infectious diseases that emerge each year has nearly quadrupled, while the number of outbreaks per year has more than tripled. All this means the writing has long been on the wall for a viral pandemic of this magnitude to occur due to our overconsumption, but we simply ignored it. Why the folly of indifference to the pain and suffering of other sen-
April-June, 2020 tient beings? Because animal agriculture – also the leading cause of climate change, species extinction, water pollution, habitat destruction, and ocean dead zones – is the biggest driver of deforestation. For example, roughly 70% of the Amazon Rainforest – “the lungs of the earth” – has al ready been destroyed and converted to animalfarm lands. And of course, it does not help that wild-animal trading in China and other countries are also spawning outbreaks. Another blessing brought about by the pandemic and lockdowns is that we humans are generally being forced to focus more on our inner, spiritual life while we stay at home. Incidentally, we are being shown how important it is to slow down and want less of things of this world, as our planet is actually mending in proportion to our shifting from unwise human “doing” to mindful human “being” involving deeper connection to our true self, to life, our loved ones and others, our world, our true purpose, to meaningful work, and so on. Another blessing still is that the pandemic is bringing out the best in many among us humans – health workers, volunteers, donors, and others of us who help in whatever way we can – in terms of altruism and universal responsibility. Indeed, life keeps giving us the experiences we need to help us evolve – perhaps even more so today in the midst of this global crisis as we are being made more aware of our deeper interconnectedness with each other, and the natural world. Yes, as mystic saints would say, “Everything is a blessing! Everything is sacred! Everything is God!” Of course, it hurts us terribly that many are suffering and dying from COVID-19. Even we might be counted soon among the infected, or even the dead, for all we know – which means our family and loved ones may follow too. But we must not forget also that only life is; birth and death are just its doors. Suffering is karma’s loving tool for teach-
The Philippine Theosophist ing us to grow in wisdom and love from lifetime to lifetime. Disease and dis-ease might be causing us much pain. But humanity is healing in a deeper and more important way. Being raised as a Christian, this all makes me think how helpful and timely the revival of Jesus’ original teachings would have been today, after finding further confirmation from Keith Akers’ book, The Lost Religion of Jesus, that the great religious founder required the practices of simple, austere living, as well as utter non-violence and vegetarianism (not to mention meditation and loving service) in
Disease and dis-ease might be causing us much pain. But humanity is healing in a deeper and more important way. his disciples for their spiritual development and for the benefit of all beings. Imagine how of immense benefit to our world it would be if all 2.6 billion Christians in our world today can be re-educated about the Master from Galilee’s true teachings, realize their wisdom, and act accordingly! At any rate, nature is somehow helping make this materialize through the way she seems to be defending herself, as the world’s remaining rainforests has dwindled down to just 15% before the pandemic was unleashed.
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Befriending the Virus. Inner guidance often comes during our deepest moments of meditation. But before we can settle into the depths of our inner silence, random, surely “non- guid ing,” thoughts first keep arising while our monkey mind holds sway. So I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it when the whisper “Befriend the virus” arose halfway between breathing “healing our world” intentions and descending into greater mental stillness during one recent sit. Then it all dawned upon me later. Not that we shouldn’t try to contain the coronavirus, but perhaps we humans tend to treat it too much as “the enemy,” when the truth is that everything – perceived foe or otherwise – is really inside us and part of our True Self. As long as we feed the illusion of separation that ails us and is the root of all our social and ecological problems, we cannot hope for a lasting remedy for the worsening ills in our world. After all, bats and viruses have been around for tens of millions of years and nature had flourished along the way – until, that is, we humans came along. (continued on p. 13)
Meditation Corner If you just sit (in meditation) and observe, you will see how restless your mind is. If you try to calm it, it only makes it worse, but over time, it does calm, and when it does, there’s room to hear more subtle things – that’s when your intuition starts to blossom and you start to see things more clearly and be in the present more. Your mind just slows down, and you see a tremendous expanse in the moment. You see so much more than you could see before. STEVE JOBS
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Mankind and a Living Earth Sarah Belle Dougherty
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o many of the terrestrial and solar influences which form our being and shape our lives remain invisible to us because we do not see ourselves as part of a living system. To think of the earth as a conscious entity does not harmonize with the traditional Western mindset which equates physical with real. Nevertheless, the earth as a self-regulating, living system which can react to maintain a critical balance is beginning to receive serious consideration in certain scientific circles. Such a concept cuts at the heart of the long-held axiom that the earth is an unconscious, fortuitous lump of matter with no overall life or being of its own. Yet why should we suppose that the earth is an insensate stage upon which chance organic and inorganic activities are played out? There is nothing improbable about the earth being an evolving entity whose growth is intimately linked to the development of the human and other kingdoms of nature, as well as to geological and climatic changes. Seen from space, our planet does not look like a lifeless thing; it has an organic quality that we feel, quite independent of the lifeforms on its surface. The ancients held that invisible energies underlie the earth’s physical activity and that its structure sets the pattern for man’s being. Everything is built on the same
general principles, applied to various evolutionary stages and conditions, and life and consciousness are universal. Man is not unique in his makeup and attributes: he is a microcosm and the planet, solar system, and universe are macrocosms. This does not imply that the earth is an enlarged human being. What a planet is analogically clos-
The earth then is far more than its physical crust, interior, atmosphere, and magnetosphere; it is a being with vitality and consciousness. est to – a divinity, an animal, or an electron – we can only speculate. But whatever earth’s consciousness may be, we physically form part of its body, just as cells and atoms make up the hu man body while remaining individual organisms with their own evolutionary history, life cycle and, indeed, consciousness. Our cells and organs live and evolve under the overall stamp of our humanhood, often affected by our mental and emotional states and by con tact with the world surrounding us: bacteria and viruses, food, fire, the sun’s rays, other people, and so on. In the same way, the earth’s denizens are af-
April-June, 2020 fected by its life processes and consciousness, by the other planets and its solar and galactic environment. The ancient wise men who cast their consciousness forth into the universe and into the depths of their being, built up and confirmed a body of knowledge about the interconnections of man, earth, and solar system which they taught in the Mystery-schools of antiquity to those spiritually and intellectually prepared. The earth then is far more than its physical crust, interior, atmosphere, and magnetosphere; it is a being with vitality and consciousness, existing in an environment filled with matter and energies, astral and vital outflowings, and the consciousness of planets, suns, and galaxies. To exist as an individual entity, the earth must deal with imbalances brought about by its environment and by the activity of the minutiae forming its body. One would expect man, the other kingdoms of nature, earth itself, and the other planets all to have roles in provoking or contributing to the earth’s “immune response” to what threatens its well-being. Looking at mankind, we see that time and again concentrated physical and psychological activity has eventually led to barrenness, a period of rest and recuperation for portions of the globe where civilizations once flowered in what are now deserts. Traditions tell of repeated destruction of lands and of much of ancient humanity who worked too strongly against the natural currents of the planet. The birth of new lands and races is also a recurring theme. These races come and go, according to Hindu figures, at regular times which derive from the planet’s evolutionary course. For we, after all, are an integral part of earth’s being, rather than it being a mere prop for our activities and evolution. Sarah Belle Dougherty is a writer for Sunrise magazine and other theosophical magazines.
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And I made the world stop.
Poetry A Letter to Humanity Vivienne R. Reich The earth whispered but you did not hear. The earth spoke but you did not listen. The earth screamed but you turned her off. And so I was born. I was not born to punish you. I was born to awaken you. The earth cried out for help . . . Massive flooding. But you didn’t listen. Burning fires. But you didn’t listen. Strong hurricanes. But you didn’t listen. Terrifying tornadoes. But you didn’t listen. You still didn’t listen to the earth when Ocean animals are dying due to pollutants in the waters. Glaciers melting at an alarming rate. Severe drought. You didn’t listen to how much negativity the earth is receiving. Non-stop wars.
Non-stop greed. You just kept going on with your life. No matter how much hate there was. No matter how many killings daily. It was more important to get that lat est iPhone than worry about what the earth was trying to tell you.
And now China has better air quality. Skies are clear blue because factories are not spewing pollution into the air. The water in Venice is clean and dolphins are being seen. Because the gondola boats that pollute the water are not being used. You are having to take time to reflect on what is important in your life. Again, I am not here to punish you. I am here to awaken you! When all this is over and I am gone, please remember these moments.
But now I am here. And I’ve made the world stop on its tracks. I’ve made you finally listen. I’ve made you take refuge. I’ve made you stop think ing about materialistic things. Now you are like the earth. You are only worried about your survival. How does that feel? I give you fever As the fires burn on earth. I give you respiratory issues As pollution fill the earth’s air. I give you weakness as the earth weakens every day. I took away your comforts. Your outings. The things you would use to forget about the planet and its pain.
Listen to the earth. Listen to your soul. Stop polluting the earth. Stop fight ing among each other. Stop caring about materialistic things. And start loving your neighbors. Start caring about the earth and all its creatures. . . . Because next time, I may come back even stronger. Signed, Coronavirus
Vivienne R. Reich is a certified life coach specializing in Stress Coaching/Grief Coaching and Spiritual Coaching.
The Philippine Theosophist
Secret Doctrine Studies
April-June, 2020
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 (Continued from last week’s installment which delved on a) The Absolute Reality — Ed.) b) Its 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-incognizable Deity, which is void only to finite minds, and on that of mayavic perception, the Plenum, the absolute Container of all that is, whether manifested or unmanifested: it is, therefore, that ABSOLUTE ALL. (SD I, p. 8) 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) 16 II.9 b) On the other hand [its second aspect, is] absolute Abstract Mo tion rep re senting 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
Parabrahm (the One Reality, the Absolute) is the field of Absolute Consciousness. 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) c) Pre-cos mic Dif fer en ti ation II.11 Parabrahm (the One Reality, the Absolute) is the field of Absolute Consciousness, i.e., that Essence which is out of all relation to conditioned existence. (SD I, p. 15) II.12 If one could suppose the Eternal Infinite All, the Omnipresent Unity, instead of being in Eter-
nity, becoming through periodical manifestation a manifold Universe or a mul ti ple per sonal ity, that Unity would cease to be one. (SD I, p. 8) II.13 But once that we pass in thought from this (to us) Absolute Negation, duality supervenes in the contrast of Spirit (or consciousness) and Matter, Subject and Object. Spirit (or Consciousness) and Matter are to be regarded, not as independent realities, but as the two facets or aspects of the Absolute (Parabrahm), which constitute the ba sis of con di tioned Be ing whether subjective or objective. The great Breath assumes the character of precosmic Ideation. It is the fons et origo of force and of all individual consciousness, and supplies the guiding intelligence in the vast scheme of cosmic Evolution. On the other hand, precosmic rootsubstance (Mulaprakriti) is that aspect of the Absolute which underlies all the objective planes of Nature. Just as pre-Cosmic Ideation is the root of all individual conscious ness, so pre-Cos mic Substance is the substratum of matter in the various grades of differentiation. (SD I, p. 15) (to be continued) Source: Study Course in The Secret Doctrine conducted by Pablo Sender and Julia Cesano - (https://www.theos o phy.world/sites/de fault/files/ studyguides/)
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April-June, 2020
The Philippine Theosophist
can embody divine love fully for the welfare of our world and all beings. (Continued from p. 9) In the meantime that we are Karma is such that every action asleep, we just have to do what is we perform generates energy that necessary to help alleviate and prereturns to us, and one purpose of vent suffering in our lockdowned this divine process is to help us world – keeping distance, wearing realize and understand the unitive mask, washing hands, disinfecting na ture of all things. If we are things, helping others, and so on – honest with ourselves, we humans but in a way of accepting life as it haven’t been treating nature kind- comes, just focusing on the present ly at all, and it is only fair that we moment and emptying the self, for are suffering from our own unwise it is from this place of non-resisactions. tance, non-du al ity, equa nim ity, So to “befriend the virus” means and peace that we can best act wiseto approach the problem of this ly and compassionately, as well as possibly awaken to pan demic from a our True Self. place of love and compassion for all – The more we let understanding that go of what we take If we look deeply the coronavirus is as our sep a rate into all this, we only doing its saself, not only do we cred work. As the suffer less but the can recognize the Buddha once coronavirus as our more we see the preached, ev eryWhole in every befriend, our teacher, ing, and know that thing is empty of inher ent, in de pendour ally, reminding each is sacred and ent ex is tence; we us that the healing worthy of our love. are all one inter-beCling ing less to of our world must fleet ing form for ing. Hence, if we look deeply into all the eternal divinstart within ourthis, we can recogity in all that is, selves. nize the corona-viand widening our rus as our friend, circle of love to inour teacher, our clude all beings, ally, reminding us that the healing we do nature a favor and lessen her of our world must start within our- need to defend herself. If we huselves for the world we see around mans can do this, then perhaps the us is but a mirror reflection of our experiences we need in our forthown state of consciousness. coming years to evolve in consciousBecause no true separation ex- ness will no longer include too seists between us and our world, no vere a pandemic, if any at all. And matter how our senses and dividing many of our world’s ills will heal as mind tell us otherwise, it is of para- well, while we keep advancing in mount importance that we exert our journey of awakening. our best efforts to wake up to the Joselito B. Cendana is the chief living reality of our essential Oneeditor of Peace Ideas. ness by direct experience so that we
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Befriending the Corona
Reincarnation: Fact or Fancy? Every soul . . . comes into the world strengthened by the victories or weakened by the defeats of its previous life. Its place in this world as a vessel appointed to honor or dishonor is determined by its previous merits or demerits. ORIGEN (EARLY CHURCH FATHER)
Question & Answer Q: Can self ish ness af fect our physical health? A: Poor health in a person is not necessarily a sign that he is selfish. In fact, many saints were sickly. However, selfishness can negatively affect physical health. Throughout history, the wise have taught that the one fundamental sin against life is separateness. Life be ing One, the all-liv ing wholeness is weakened when any individual focuses upon himself. His selfish concerns cause chaos, strife, dis-ease, and pain for him and for the whole he helps to form. These disruptive thoughts and feel ings can range from hate, greed, and intolerance to various kinds of self-pitying depressions and dissatisfactions. When we allow our minds to engage in this type of thinking, we invite these thoughts and feelings to imprint themselves on our inner mental fabric where they become poisonous thought-substances wreaking all sorts of havoc, and eventually working themselves out through various ailments and troubles. (Source: Doreen N. Melbrod, “The One True Healer.” Sunrise magazine, August/ September 1997)
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The Philippine Theosophist
April-June, 2020
News and Events TSP HQ Activities and Lodge Meetings Go Online After suspending all gatherings at the Theosophical Society in the Philippines (TSP) headquarters due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Board has launched online meetings and lectures using the Zoom teleconferencing platform. An online Joint Lodge Meeting is held regularly every Saturday at 3 pm (Manila time) through Zoom which is attended not only by TSP members but by foreign theosophists. Special meetings were also held for White Lotus Day and on “The Esoteric Significance of Wesak.” The latter was conducted jointly with the Theosophical Society in Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
Guided Meditation Session through Zoom and Facebook Live The Guided Meditation session conducted by Vic Hao Chin Jr. at the TSP headquarters has been converted to a weekly online session through Zoom every Sunday at 3 pm (Manila time). The session was formerly held every Tuesday (up to May 12). The said meditation session is now also being live-streamed through Facebook (http://facebook.com/theosophicalsociety/). Each session consists of actual meditation practice with guidelines, a short talk on meditation, and a question-and-answer forum portion. TSP Bulletin Board Launched via Messenger The TSP National Board has launched the TSP Bulletin Board through Facebook Messenger mobile app last April 23 for the purpose of posting announcements, events and activities of our section. Also created is the “Theosofriends” Messenger Chatbox where members can post chats, opinions and other matters that they may wish to share. TSP members who are not yet included in the said Fb Messenger groups may email philtheos@gmail.com, and ask to be included. The TOS Delivers Food Packs to Poor Families The Theosophical Order of Service of the Philippines, headed by Rekha Nahar, has initiated giving rice and other foods to poor families in North Caloocan in several batches. The first batch was distributed through the barangay volunteers of Barangay 178. The second was given through TOS volunteers and officers of the San Vicente Ferrer Women’s Association. Another round of donations was given to families of Barangay 177 near Golden Link College. Additional donations were given to Barangay 178 families. These were funded by donations from many members of the TSP and alumni of Golden Link College from Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and abroad. Vice President Deepa Padhi Reelected Dr. Deepa Padhi, the TS International Vice President, has been reelected by the General Council for another three-year term. She was renominated by TS President Tim Boyd. In the meantime, all in-person conferences and events of the international society have been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pranava Lodge Holds Online Lodge Meetings The Pranava Lodge continues to hold its lodge meetings online via Zoom app. On the 1st and 3rd Sundays, the time schedule is 1:00 - 2:30 pm (Manila time), and the study covers Introductory Theosophy. On the 2nd and 4th Sundays, it is conducted from 11:00 -12:30 pm, and the study is based on the book, The Masters and the Path.
April-June, 2020
The Philippine Theosophist
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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
Pranava Lodge President: Christopher See 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.: 0917-5731901; 0922-8494395 Email: Aristaeus777@yahoo.com
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 Lodge & 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
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The Philippine Theosophist
April-June, 2020
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 Key to Theosophy
The Theosophical Society in the Philippines
1 Iba St., Quezon City, Philippines
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ENTERED AS THIRD CLASS MAIL MATTER AT THE MANILA CENTRAL POST OFFICE UNDER PERMIT NO. 751, DATED MAY 24, 1995 POSTAGE PAID