The Philippine Theosophist - 4th Quarter, 2022

Brotherhood, Study, and Meditation

Theosophist THE PHILIPPINE

A publication of the Theosophical Society in the Philippines

Vol. L, No. 4 October-December, 2022

THERE IS NO RELIGION HIGHER THAN TRUTH

INTERNATIONAL HEADQUARTERS:

Adyar, Chennai, India

International President: Tim Boyd

International Vice-President: Deepa Padhi International Secretary: Marja Artamaa

International Treasurer: Nancy Secrest

NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS:

1 Iba St., Quezon City, Philippines

Tel: 8741-57-40 website: http://theosophy.ph email: philtheos@gmail.com

National President: Chally P. Romero email: theosophilpres@gmail.com

National Vice-President: Bebot Rodil email: bsrodil@gmail.com

National Secretary: Rekha Nahar email: pothikrekha@gmail.com

National Treasurer: Jean Lim email: jynlim2@gmail.com

Editorial Board: Chally P. Romero Vic Hao Chin Jr. Joselito B. Cendaña

Layout Artist: Joselito B. Cendaña Circulation: Monaliza Brocoy

The Philippine Theosophist is the official newsletter of the Theosophical Society in the Philippines.

CONTENTS

From the National President

The Experience and Integration of the Powers Latent in the Human Being

Gems of the Path

The Power of Habits The Power of Letting Go

Raja Yoga: An Integral Path for Self-Evolution

Also from the TSP Also from the TSP

GIVE a unique and special gift a year’s subscription of the Theosophical Digest, a quarterly magazine containing original as well as selected articles condensed from some of the world’s leading publications on mysticism, religion, science, paranormal research, and many other subjects. Each issue gives insights on the higher life, character building, interpersonal relationships, holistic health, Eastern and Western philosophies, and others. The Theosophical Digest seeks not merely to inform, but to help serious seekers explore pathways to inner growth.

GET your digital copies of Peace Ideas, a quarterly publication of the Peace Center of the Theosophical Society in the Philippines. Peace Ideas seeks to disseminate workable ideas that promote lasting peace and universal brotherhood based on the Unity of All Life (or Oneness). It is designed to be an easy, enjoyable, and yet valuable, read for students, teachers, and people from all walks of life.

The Philippine Theosophist

The Theosophical Society is a worldwide interspiritual community bound together by the common embrace of universal brotherhood based on the Unity of All Life, and of the Society’s Objects which ultimately serve to help enable its members to wake up to this transcendent Reality – or awaken to theosophia – through study, meditation, and service, among other spiritual practices of the Ageless Wisdom, so that such enlightenment may lead to the fuller embodiment of divine love in our world. It welcomes seekers from all religions and spiritual traditions, as well as those who come from none.

Theosophy, in its primary meaning as theosophia or Divine Wisdom, is a transcendental state of consciousness, or “a state of consciousness in which the sage or mystic goes beyond his or her mind and gets a direct, supra-conceptual, perception of Truth,” as the TS-Adyar website puts it. Theosophy also refers to the body of teachings derived from the accumulated fruits of human spiritual experience through the ages which have their common fountainhead in theosophia or mystical consciousness.

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

The Universal Invocation is a verse written in 1923 by then TS-Adyar president Annie Besant, that is recited during every TS international convention. Also called the Universal Prayer, it goes :

O Hidden Life, vibrant in every atom;

O Hidden Light, shining in every creature;

O Hidden Love, embracing all in Oneness, May all who feel themselves as one with Thee, Know they are therefore one with every other.

The Philippine Theosophist

From the National President

Chally P. Romero

Busy As Ever

We are in the last quarter of the year and things have been busy on all fronts as usual. For one, our volunteer associate editors and contributing writers keep up with their admirably steady and tireless work of helping produce issue after issue of our national section’s serial publications, namely: the Theosophical Digest, a theosophical magazine with an international readership; The Philippine Theosophist, the newsletter of our national section; and Peace Ideas, the official publication of the Peace Center of the TSP whose target destinations include central libraries of some of our country’s leading universities and colleges.

Call for Volunteers

Picking up on this, we encourage and extend our invitation to our members and volunteers to participate and be more active in any of our various Theosophical endeavors. There are a lot of areas that need your share of dedicated work. For example, we hope to be able to have volunteers in the digital area of our activities. It would also be of help if you can provide us your suggestions, comments, and feedback on anything that you consider significant in our Theosophical work.

Typhoons have relentlessly ravaged many parts of our country during these past months. Still on the matter of volunteering, we thank all those kindhearted souls who helped and supported us with the repairs of the leaking roof of our TSP National Headquarters. There was a wide area that had to be repaired, including the ceiling in the lobby area going to the second floor.

Upcoming TSP Activities

Keeping up to date with our regular online activities aside, please check out these two major events for this month of November: our TSP National Convention which will be held on Nov. 18-20, and the 15th Indo-Pacific Federation Conference of the Theosophical Society (IPFC15) which will be held on Nov. 12-14 with the theme “Finding Joy in the Midst of Uncertainty,” and hosted by the TS in Malaysia.

We also look forward to being part of the 147th TS International Convention which will be held on Dec. 31, 2022-Jan. 4, 2023 with the theme “Our Responsibility in the Interconnected World.” After being held online only for the past two years, the convention will provide us a face-to-face option at the International Headquarters in Adyar besides the online option that we have been used to. Among those who will give talks are TS International President Tim Boyd, National President of the TS in India Pradeep Gohil, Director of the School of the Wisdom Adyar, Greece Erica Georgiades, National President of the TS in Australia Stephen McDonald, former President of the TS in Australia Linda Oliveira, TOS National Secretary Nancy Secrest, and Director of the Adyar Theosophical Academy Sonal Murali, among many other distinguished theosophists. So please do register.

I also wish to let you in on an exciting project of the Golden Link College coming up in Bulacan. You can expect to hear more on this later in our forthcoming issues.

Finally, the members of the World Federation of Young Theosophists (WFYT) have chosen their initial set of leaders which include our very own Christopher See. Let us draw inspiration from this and provide our fuller support to revitalize the TS youth movement.

May Universal Love and Peace Prevail

This piece constitutes only a brief update of our TSP activities, but I certainly hope to get an opportunity to meet you soon in person while we remain upbeat in planning on how to transition slowly and cautiously to our post-pandemic activities in the new normal. All that said, may universal love and peace prevail always!

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Experience and Integration of the Powers Latent in the Human Being

by TIM BOYD

ISHOULD begin with a disclaimer:

I am President of the Theosophical Society (TS), an organization which has a long history in the exploration of the latent powers of humanity, and of the as yet unexplained laws. However, I claim no expertise. I do not deny exposure to the workings of some of the powers within us, neither would I deny some personal exploration, but I have little formal training or academic certification in such fields. It is also my habit to encourage in myself and others the openness and freshness of mind that accompanies seeing things for the first time. To the mind of the beginner there are many options.

The TS had its beginnings in the powers that are latent within the human being. It is an organization that was founded in 1875. Since then, the third of its three Objects has

been: “To investigate the unexplained laws of Nature and the powers latent in the human being.” In the late 1800s, an important focus for this investigation was the widespread occurrence of spiritualistic phenomena. Messages were being received from people who had died, objects were being materialized from seemingly thin air, apparitions, levitations, a whole range of inexplicable phenomena associated with spiritualism and mediums were the subject of daily newspaper reporting in cities throughout the US. On deeper investigation, many of the supposed phenomena were shown to be fake, but a significant number were irrefutable. An initial aspect of the TS’s work was to address these phenomena, to provide grounding in the Ageless Wisdom tradition, and stem the tide of the fanciful “explanations” and theologies that were being manufactured by believers. I was first attracted to the Ageless Wisdom tradition that the TS represents through a gentleman who

was highly regarded for a developed clairvoyant ability. Like me, many young people were attracted to him. I did not come to him for that, but rather because he was a person who had demonstrated profound wisdom in terms of the inner life as well as how to live outwardly. He never emphasized the psychic or clairvoyant component; it was just something that came with the package.

I found myself in a setting where many of the people surrounding this man we came to call “The Old Man” were either attracted by his clairvoyance, or who were themselves quite psychically sensitive. My upbringing had not exposed me to any of this, and so to step into this milieu was both fascinating and challenging.

In the early 1970s, there was a wave of Eastern gurus arriving on the American shores, and many, mostly younger people, found themselves turning their attention in that direction. For the first time, people were hearing a more

It is also my habit to encourage in myself and others the openness and freshness of mind that accompanies seeing things for the first time. To the mind of the beginner, there are many options.

expansive vision of latent powers. As is natural to the human population, there are a certain percentage of people who have genuine, awakened, or awakening abilities to see or hear things beyond the normal range of perception, often to foresee things. Some of these younger people found their way to Bill Lawrence, the Old Man.

Often, he would make the point: “Don’t believe that you’re crazy because your possibility for perception is different from others. These things are real. But also do not make the mistake of believing that this is some special gift that sets you apart from the rest of humanity, because it isn’t. It’s real, but don’t get caught up in it. These same “powers” and more are sleeping in everyone. Given the proper cultivation they appear, but to force their growth can be a tragic mistake.”

In the Chicago area, there were a number of people with highly developed abilities of this sort. Most were very much aware of him. On a couple of occasions, he called a number of these people with various psychic and healing abilities for a meeting at his home, which was where a number of us lived at that time. Before these meetings took place he would talk to us: “While these people are here, just observe for yourself, and then form your own opinions.”

On one of these occasions, there was a woman who was quite well known as a psychometrist. She would take a physical object that someone carried with them, a ring, a set of keys, and so on. As she held it and focused, she would be able to see and accurately speak about characteristics and activities of the owner. Seeing her in action that night, I was impressed with her level of vision, but very unimpressed with her level of discretion and kindness. For example, she was given one lady’s ring and started to talk about something very private, clearly not a subject for a group of strangers. She went into inappropriate and salacious details of this woman’s personal business. It turned out to be 100% accurate, but inappropriate for what we

would think of in a normal moral sense.

On another occasion, there was a conversation going on with a woman who was a very well-known psychic. During the meeting, she and I never interacted. At the time, I was a university student and there was a paper I had been struggling to complete which was overdue for submission. Somehow I just could not get it together. As we were leaving, I shook the lady’s hand and said: “Goodbye. It was nice meeting you.” She looked at me and said: “Why are you waiting to hand in that paper?”

And added: “It’s one of the best papers you have ever written!” When I did finally submit it, sure enough, it was the highest grade in that class.

What is the value of experiences such as this? What do they do for us? What does it really mean? We have experiences of all types all the time, but what is the factor that separates any normal experience from something that actually becomes integrated into our being, that moves us toward transformative experience. Do we have any level of participation in the process, or do things just happen to us?

This is my interest particularly because of this Ageless Wisdom tradition, which says that each one of us is responsible and can be proactive in our own unfoldment. We make choices. Whether we like to think that is true or not, we are continually choosing. If we choose to sit at home and interact with no one, we have made a choice, and conditions follow from it. So how do we choose? Is it even of interest to us that we have deeper potentials that are as yet unrevealed, but which can be? This is something we need to decide for ourselves and act accordingly.

A strong emphasis for the Old Man was that healing is one of the sleeping powers within us. It is resident in everyone.

A strong emphasis for the Old Man was that healing is one of the sleeping powers within us. It is resident in everyone. For some, it just pours forth with little effort, but for others it is something that can be developed. If we ever get to the point where we recognize that we are not merely physical, but energetic beings functioning on many levels, a pathway to effective healing opens for us.

We are all completely familiar with the bodily levels. We experience a variety of sensations in the body — painful, pleasurable, neutral. But everybody has emotions — sadness, happiness, anxiety.

We function on this energetic level perhaps even more so than the physical. We are also creatures of thought. With the dawning awareness that we are energetic beings, possibilities to link ourselves with deeper powers open up. Healing is one of them.

Over the course of the meetings with psychics and healers, one of the things I did observe was that not all, but many of the people who had these highly developed powers were uneducated. They did not have the formal educational training that might have shut them off from their potential. They had not been trained to believe that the capacities that were so natural to them did not exist.

One evening, the Old Man invited a profound healer, a lady named Evelyn, to come to one of the meetings. Many of the healers and psychics were deeply religious. For her, like many of these people, if you asked what was the source of her healing power, she would say it was a gift from God, or Jesus. Very few had any insight into ideas of energy, or the multidimensional nature of the human being.

Late that night, Evelyn had worked on a couple of people, when suddenly the Old Man stood up, left the room, and went out to the front porch. Later, he said that at that moment he did not know what made him go outside. A car pulled up in front of the house next door and the neighbor stepped out. He asked her: “Miss Jones, are you feeling well?”

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And she answered: “I’m feeling so sick. The day after tomorrow I’m due to go into the hospital for surgery.” He invited her to come inside. When Evelyn saw her, she immediately put her hand on the lady’s belly. Then she started to describe what she was seeing. She said: “I see a hole in your stomach! It’s bleeding.” Then she said in a commanding voice: “In the name of Jesus, I see it closing!” After a few minutes of this, she pronounced Miss Jones as healed. In those days, they were operating on bleeding ulcers. On the appointed day

Many of the people who had these highly developed powers were uneducated. They did not have the formal educational training that might have shut them off from their potential.

for her surgery, she insisted that she have an exam prior to the operation. After the exam, the doctors were uncharacteristically confused and diagnosed her condition as “a spontaneous remission.” I knew that lady for 30 years after that, and she never missed an opportunity to talk about this experience; for her, it was “a miracle.”

Healing is one of the latent powers that are readily available to anyone, even if not at the level of Evelyn. However, balancing physical distress is only one of the forms that healing takes. There are people that we find ourselves drawn to in times of difficulty, not for their verbal advice, but for their presence. Just being around them instills a sense of ease and strength to carry on. Connection to the present moment and a sense of peace are also powers.

When most people talk about powers, the tendency is to look to clairvoyance, seeing the future, seeing or hearing at a distance, seeing auras, but there are other powers of equal or greater significance — deeper powers in terms of their capa-

Gems of the Path

There are many ways that we grow, but there are two major ways: We shed what no longer works, or we’re broken open. If we’re unwilling to shed, then we will be broken open. Through shedding, we are worn down, just as nature is eroded to its beauty. I think that through suffering, human beings are eroded to our beauty.

MARK NEPO

Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself, and know that everything in life has purpose. There are no mistakes, no coincidences, all events are blessings given to us to learn from.

ELISABETH KUBLER-ROSS

So the single most vital step on your journey toward enlightenment is this: learn to disidentify from your mind.

EKCHART TOLLE

It is the child that sees the primordial secret of Nature and it is the child of ourselves we return to. The child within us is simple and daring enough to live the Secret.

LAO TZU

The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science.

ALBERT EINSTEIN

Love says “I am everything.” Wisdom says “I am nothing.” Between the two, my life flows.

NISARGADATTA MAHARAJ

The Power of Habits

by VICENTE HAO CHIN JR.

OUR destiny in our life is controlled by our habits in a very major way. Unless we master our own habits, they will control our lives.

Let us take health as an example. People get healthy or sick by the health habits that they have developed. The moment health breaks down, then practically everything stops. One may resign from work, no longer be able to travel, and dreams and ambitions can no longer be pursued. If they smoke, eat a lot of meat, drink liquor, sleep late, don’t exercise, etc., all of which are habits, what will they expect after the age of 40? I know of people who are already taking heart maintenance medicine at 40 years old, or have high sugar level, kidney problem, etc. All these are largely preventable. How? By forming the right health habits early in life.

Let us take happiness as another example. Some people have grown up developing the habit of being angry when there are problems. A few people don’t have that habit. What is the effect? Those prone to anger will have problems in their family life, work relationship and their state of happiness or unhappiness. Some are in prison right now for acts they did during moments of rage. They know that they want to be happy. Yet they cannot help but be overcome by the habit of anger. The older we are, the more difficult to change our habits.

But the good news is that habits can be changed. How can we do so?

We must be clear first about the kind of life that we would like to live. Do we wish to be loving towards our family and other people? Is this really important to us? Then make a decision that we will practice daily habits of being kind or using positive words when we interact with members of our family or co-workers. In this example of one’s goal, here are suggested steps:

1. Decide on behaviors that you will do every day, such as smiling, saying thank you, saying neutral or positive words at least 95% of the time.

2. Create a powerful leverage so that you will be motivated to develop this habit. For example, (a) tell your wife or husband about your decision, and ask him or her to give you feedback if you are not being kind and positive. Ask them to remind you. (b) Visualize yourself constantly being positive, smiling and cheerful. It may feel awkward at the beginning. But remember that you are battling a negative habit

that had been formed for 10, 20 or 30 years. (c) List down the advantages if you are successful in becoming a cheerful and positive person. Then make another list of consequences if you continue to be prone to anger, resentment or being critical. This will encourage you to persevere even if there is difficulty.

3. Give it at least three weeks of constant practice. Do it every day. When the behavior is repeated for three straight weeks, you will notice a change. You no longer need to exert effort in order to be positive and cheerful. The habit has taken over and your spontaneous behavior has changed. But it must be sustained consciously even after it has become a habit.

4. Then choose another set of habits that you would like to develop in yourself, such as exercising everyday, stopping smoking, reading books regularly, etc. Do such habit development program one at a time. Make sure you succeed each time. Then you will gain confidence and your personality will become obedient to your decisions. Remember that our body, emotions and or-

dinary mind are like automatons. They follow the grooves of habit — how you think, feel and act. They behave unthinkingly out of habit. They determine in a significant manner the destiny of our life. We have higher levels of consciousness beyond habits, but many people have not sufficiently developed the powers of these higher levels, and hence are more subject to the control of habits. Take charge of your habits. You take charge of your life.

We have higher levels of consciousness beyond habits, but many people have not sufficiemtly developed the powers of these higher levels, and hence are more subject to the control of habits.

October-December,

11

The Power of Letting Go

by JOSELITO B CENDAÑA

ASpiritual Adventure. My beloved brother Edwin and I were teenage college students 45 years ago when he brought home this rather worn-out, safron-colored paperback one day that he borrowed from the UST central library entitled The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga by the Hindu guru and peace activist Swami Vishnudevananda. Inspired by all the newfound gems of Eastern wisdom that the manual contained, we practiced yoga diligently with careful attention to detail for the next couple of years or so, but with particular emphasis on pratyahara (Sanskrit for “sense withdrawal”).

When we look back to those memorable two years, sib Edwin and I are as one man that they constitute the happiest episode in our lives, during which, by the way, we couldn’t remember ever getting ill. Not that we’re not happy now with all the myriad blessings that we all have, but our happiness then was more profound in an almost inexplicable way. This may sound odd because our daily round during the time was quite austere, and how.

We woke up without the slightest aid of an alarm clock before we could hear the cocks crow. We slept for only about four hours nightly on the hard wooden floor of a shared bedroom, with only a straw mat with tattered edges for cushion. And we lived an abstemious, if not ascetic,

lifestyle during our busy waking hours in between dawn and dark.

For instance, we only had meals of boiled tofu and veggies without salt nor any other condiment. We only had a fruit a day, and more than that was an uncommon luxury. We often fasted not only from food but other things that we used to enjoy before our youthful spiritual adventure, like the boob tube and the rock radio. If we weren’t studying for school or doing some household chore, we were spending our time following Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga which included moral disciplines, breathing exercises, and mindful postures.

This was all well and good. Until alas, we would backslide terribly, nay go south of letting go, over the long haul when we started working as band musicians.

True Freedom and Happiness. It has oft been said that what we humans only really want in life is to be happy — just like all other beings. This brings to mind a line written by the late Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh in his book The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching: “Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness.” We reckon that it was our comparatively greater freedom from bondage — that is, from attachments and desires — that we managed to ring up to, that brought us relatively deeper levels of inner peace and happiness at the time. After all, moksha — that transcendental state of total liberation yogis aspire to that comes by letting go fully of everything — brings no less than infinite bliss!

“good old days” — but not as much in order to become happier though, as to do more in helping alleviate suffering in our world.

Our Wounded Earth. The divine unitive reality of our True Self notwithstanding, it is a cause for serious concern in this world of time, space, form and separation we nagivate that we humans have been enduring the self-inflicted scourges of “fire, flood, famine and plague” of late. Like our wayward ancient brethren we’ve read about in scripture, we brought ourselves into this terrible quagmire by going too far the way of greed and other forms of delusion, which behooves us to forego of our old unwise habits for the benefit of every being. Echoing Ageless Wisdom teachings, Sanbo Zen teacher, professor, Ecodharma espouser, and author of many books David Loy penned the following words:

— Thich Nhat Hanh

Today, we must awaken not only from the individual delusion of a separate self, but also from our collective “consume-and-grow” trance. Is the earth calling upon all of us to become bodhisattvas?

It is no mere happenstance then that monks are the happiest people in the world — or so brain science and MRI scans have uncovered. Now it may not be that sort of monkish discipline, but it is a lock on that the more we let go, the more we become happier.

The truth is that the ongoing plague has already done way more than any modern guru or spiritual teacher in giving us a grounding in letting go a bit on a worldwide level. It is wise to build on our new habits of the simpler life that speak of greater compassion for all beings.

Fasting in its multivaried modern variations, e.g., water fasting, intermittent fasting, fasting mimicking, and so on, has become a fashionable trend in the West nowadays. Come to think of it, it must be an auspicious time to practice pratyahara anew and all that, just like during the

“Creations are innumerable; I resolve to free them all,” goes the first bodhisattva vow that Mahayana Buddhist monks and initiates recite while reeling off the Four Great Aspirations. Fulfilling this promise of emancipating all beings from the sea of conditioned existence and suffering called samsara is no easy task, for it requires no less than achieving our highest human potential — the very unveiling of all our “latent powers” (as we call them in theosophyspeak), i.e., infinite wisdom, boundless compassion, absolute freedom and all, that comes with waking up entirely to our true nature . In the enlightened state, we see the Earth and all its inhabitants as no other than us by direct experience. But until that final awakening — that total liberation attained only by letting go of everything through and through — we humans are all in some measure broken by our wounds of separation. And this is a sad thing, for the mother of all our present human crises, whether social, ecological, political, economic and so on, is a spiritual crisis that needs to be resolved with a great sense of urgency. The fact of the matter is that we need to free ourselves so we can free all beings.

Our Wounded Self. Much has been said in spiritual circles about why we are broken, about our delusory sense of separation. But let us, for

“Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness.”

a change, dwell on a fascinating concept that exists in both Eastern philosophies and Jungian psychology — the wounded inner child — and what latent power we have that can heal it, if only in alignment with our Society’s Second Declared Object.

“Recognizing our ailment is the first step toward healing,” blares the Filipino-born roshi Ruben Habito at the very outset of his book, The Healing Breath. “Nobody escapes being wounded. We are all wounded people,” wrote the late Dutch-born Catholic priest, psychologist, professor, and prolific writer Fr. Henri Nouwen.

Indeed, there is a wounded inner child in well nigh all of us, and the pandemic has laid it bare into the open. Sometimes inflicted during even the slightest, painful moments of perceived deprivation of love, security, or control of environment during childhood (or perhaps an earlier incarnation), our inner wounds which drive our ego defense mechanisms, attachments, aversions, and insensitivity to the suffering of other sentient beings later in life, show in the very woundedness of our world.

To cite just one example that is tied with the Covid-19 outbreak: animal agriculture — a result of our disheartening disconnect from our dear evolutionally younger brethren in the animal kingdom — is a leading cause of deforestation on every side of our planet. (And the expanse of it is no joke, for only 15% of our world’s arrestingly beautiful rainforests remain!) Deforestation, in turn, cause killer viruses in wood-lot wildlife to get nearer to unsuspecting humans. In other words, this pestilence that has been wreaking havoc on us is unknowingly our own doing through the cruel

foods we put on our plates. Nature is defending itself!

The message is as clear as daylight and has to be bruit far and wide: we cannot hurt the minutest part of our eco-system — whether human, animal, environment, or otherwise— already badly battered that it is, without ultimately harming the whole of it and all its parts, including ourselves. By a long way the most devastating force in our world today, animal agriculture incidentally is also the leading cause of climate change, mass species extinction, environmental destruction, and all our other ecological problems that have reached global proportions.

Hence, it should serve us humans well to take serious note of many a mystic’s realization, or many an everyman’s insight, that our natural world, nay even all that is, is no other than us. We simply need to let go more so we can be happier without having to wound dear Mother Earth. As Ruben Roshi sagely puts down elsewhere in his abovementioned book:

The conventional attitude of the “I” and “other” determines the way we project ourselves into the world. Upon the implicit premise that “I am here” and the rest of the world is “out there” — against me — we base our lives. . . .

Thousands of species are ceasing to be as a result of our way of living and relating to the Earth. We cannot but shudder at our “power” — all rooted in separateness and our misguided attempts to overcome it.

Dr. Russel Kennedy, the physician, neuroscientist, and bestselling author who has been dubbed the “Anxiety MD,” says that our “ego dragon” is our wounded inner child’s unreasoned attempt to protect our authentic selves from vulnerability. Our ego sweepingly denies our shadows — those parts in us we wish didn’t exist because we were taught that they are unlikeable, so that we repress them into our subconscious. And then it tends to project them unto those whom it perceives as “others,” hence unwittingly reinforcing our false sense of separation and consequential attachment to things that we think can fill the void we feel that is as big as infinity.

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We simply need to let go more so we can be happier without having to wound dear Mother Earth.

Healing Ourselves, Healing the Earth.

The thing is that vulnerability is of the essence to growth as well as healing. Inner child work is about healing our childhood moments of trauma or “negative” experiences of time past (or lifetimes past) with compassion. It is about recognizing and integrating whatever shadows are deeply embedded in our subconscious, by say, re-parenting ourselves, psychotherapy, our Self-Transformation seminars, and suchlike.

Of course, the gladsome truth is that there is really nothing to fix at all in the unbounded perfection of our True Self. Instead, the process — which, in sooth, jives well with our theosophic practice of meditation — is often largely about unconditional self-love and self-acceptance. Spiritual teachers throughout the ages in fact befittingly recommends meditation at the heart of a wider spiritual discipline for helping us bring forth our precious self-healing, where letting go of our ego fears and desires so we can eventually wake up to who we really are, is key. Ruben Roshi elaborates in his same book:

Only by recognizing and accepting our shadow side can we become whole, integrated, and reconciled — and therefore truly and fully ourselves . . . In the practice of sitting meditation, we place ourselves fully in the here and now by following our breathing. This enables us to become more and more transparent to ourselves. As our practice ripens and we become more transparent to ourselves, we see through the I-consciousness to both the bright and the dark side of our being. We may then be surprised by a voice telling us — gently but clearly, with no room for doubt — That thou are!

Of the importance of healing our inner child and recovering our original childlike state of awe and wonder, playfulness, and creativity, Ruben Roshi adds:

“Unless you become as those little children you shall not enter the kingdom of God” (Mt 18:3). Jesus’ words invite us to recover a mode of being, a mode of awareness that will heal our cosmic woundedness.

Let Go and Be Still. “In my deepest wound I saw your glory, and it dazzled me,” once wrote St. Augustine of Hippo. “The wound is the place where the Light enters you,” Rumi would push pen in poetry some 900 years later. Indeed, “Everything is God!” as the mystics say.

I just hit upon the interesting info a few days back that Rumi had two great inspirations for his mystical penillion. One of the two was the great Persian bard Hakim Sanai whose captivatingly beautiful master work The Walled Garden of Truth was also the first ever Persian mystical epic of Sufism. When I curiously listened to an audio recording of the said opus in YouTube, I was at once mesmerized by the stunning opening lines:

We tried reasoning our way to Him, but it didn’t work.

But the moment we gave up, no obstacle remained.

“Attachment to views is the greatest impediment to the spiritual path,” wrote Nhat Hanh once. Everything that is of the mind is just an illusion, an appearance. What we think is knowledge of something is really absence of knowing how that thing is connected with everything. Countless wars have been fought over duality. And we suffer in other innumerous ways because of the delusion. Even timeless wisdom teachings are only signposts we use along the path, and aren’t to be clung to lest we hinder ourselves in our journey of awakening.

The greatest occultist of our age H. P. Blavatsky speaks of the Dharma of the heart in her exquisite gem of a book, The Voice of the Silence. Letting go and being still ultimately lead to knowing by direct experience that we are Reality itself! That we are boundless divine Love shining at the very heart of all things!

The Philippine Theosophist

Joselito Belmonte Cendaña is the editor of Peace Ideas.

Letting go and being still ultimately lead to knowing by direct experience that we are Reality itself!

Raja Yoga: An Integral Path for Self-Evolution

by FERDINAND ARTHUR P. YULO

ANCIENT Yet Ever New. Since its pre-Vedic origins thousands of years ago, the entire yogic tradition has evolved into an elaborate foundational philosophy and methodical practice for self-transcendence, well-being and liberation. It is remarkable how an obscure esoteric practice of reclusive forest yogis from ancient India has now become a worldwide phenomenon and a multi-billion dollar industry popularized mainly by the West through media, celebrity practitioners, and famous personali ties who have mainstreamed it in modern secular society.

In the United States alone as of 2020, there were 40.93 million pilates and yoga studio businesses conducting training classes for the general public (IBIS World 2020). The global yoga industry in 2019 was worth $37.46 billion and is forecast to hit $66.23 billion by 2027. Today, there are 300 million yoga practitioners worldwide and by the end of the decade, it is predicted to reach 350 million (AP News, 2020). It’s an exponential uptrend considering that people practicing yoga are increasing at an average of 20-25% every year. Moreover,

statistics in 2019 show that it is one of the top 10 fitness trends in the world. Yoga has gained such favorable acceptance in public awareness that on December 11, 2014, the United Nations General Assembly approved a resolution establishing June 21 as “International Day of Yoga.” UNESCO has even recognized yoga as an “intangible cultural heritage.”

What comes to mind when we speak of “yoga”? Most of the time we think of stylish yoga gyms, yoga merchandise, yoga classes and of course well-toned “fitness buffs” who can do “difficult” stretching postures on a rubberized mat, let alone flaunt a difficult “head stand.” Hatha Yoga or postural yoga has become the sine qua non of today’s “cool” health and fitness lifestyle. As a result many associate “yoga” only with asanas (or postures for specific benefits). Yet, in the Hathayogapradipika (an ancient treatise on Hatha Yoga by the sage Svatmarama), asana really means the intense quality of meditative awareness in synchrony with every yogic act, an experiential harmony of body, mind and spirit. Popularized by Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, the “Father of Postural Yoga” who taught it in the West from 1924 until his death in 1989, Hatha Yoga is only one form of “yoga” which is the great spiritual art and science of the soul.

Today’s version of “popular yoga” has branded itself as something one does for relaxation, stress relief, happiness, mental-emotional wellbeing, weight reduction, enhancing self-image, improving one’s figure and attaining longevity. It’s understandable then why global demand for yoga equipment grew by 154% during the COVID-19 pandemic as more people tried to deal with prevalent stress and unbearable anxiety. While there is nothing wrong with these motivations (numerous medical studies prove yoga’s benefits to health and fitness), the Westernization or “McDonaldization” of Oriental spirituality has only glamorized the “form aspect” of yogic practice without sufficient training in or “mass marketing” (advocacy) of its deeper spiritual dimension. An ancient esoteric practice for radical awakening, self-transformation and genuine liberation has been overly secularized, a self-serving regimen for “earthly” purposes. Of course, there are judicious practitioners today who still adhere to the Orthodoxy (right theory) and Orthopraxis (right practice) of “classical yoga,” incorporating them into their way of life without falling into the trap of trendy extremes. Mainstreaming one form of yoga for a worldwide spiritual marketplace isn’t entirely wrong in itself but if the said “motivations” are the only purposes of ancient yoga then we are missing the point of this most auspicious gift of the gods to mortals.

Forms and Essence. Yoga is one of the “Six Philosophical Schools” or darshanas of Orthodox Hinduism (astika or theistic Hinduism) together with Samkhya, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa and Vedanta. The non-orthodox schools (nastika or non-theism) are Buddhism, Jainism and Carvaka. The

(Yoga) is a way to “divine union” through an organized philosophy and system of spiritual development practiced by yogis since the distant mists of time.

word itself is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj which means to “join,” “unite,” “align,” or “fix the mind on.” It is equivalent to the English word “yoke” which refers to the binding or harnessing together of oxen or horses for ploughing. Hence, it is a way to “divine union” through an organized philosophy and system of spiritual development practiced by yogis since the distant mists of time. The forms of yoga have evolved over millennia into elaborate modalities emerging from the various beliefs, needs and purposes of its practitioners. In the Bhagavad Gita and Swami Vivekananda’s book Raja Yoga, yoga has been traditionally classified into: Jnana Yoga (intellectual development and spiritual inquiry), Bhakti Yoga (devotion), Karma Yoga (right action, selfless service) and Raja Yoga (Ashtãnga Yoga). Then we have Kriya Yoga (the “yoga of practice” by Paramahansa Yogananda), Tantra Yoga (the interplay of Shiva-Consciousness and Shakti- Energy), Japa Yoga (repetition of a mantra(s) sometimes an adjunct to Bhakti Yoga), Kundalini Yoga (awakening the dormant or “coiled” Serpent Power within), Hatha Yoga (postural yoga), Integral Yoga (the Supramental Yoga of Sri Aurobindo) and of course the popular forms which we have today: Laughter Yoga (popularized by Madan Kataria), Vinyasa Yoga, Bikram Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, pilates and so forth.

First, we join our awareness to our own essential being: the spirit whose nature is Pure Consciousness . . . Next, we join our finite consciousness to the Infinite Consciousness, God, the Supreme Self.

Various forms serve different needs and purposes. For this reason, yoga is an interconnected philosophy and spiritual practice not restricted to any particular “dogmatic” system. As a composite being of mind-body-spirit, the practitioner risks “lopsided development” when the yogic repertoire is limited only to a few preferences. For example, one can become an “expert” in Hatha Yoga, physically fit, robust in strength and flexibility, but without the wisdom of Jnana Yoga, the selflessness of Karma Yoga, the devotional piety of Bhakti Yoga and the mental discipline and comprehensive practice of Raja Yoga, one will lack adequate cognitive, emotional, moral and spiritual maturity. Or one who is a master of the intellect and mental discipline, but without sufficient physical potency and psycho-emotional intelligence, the yogi or yogini becomes vulnerable to poor health and other bodily ailments. Hence, while temperament and spiritual preferences are to be considered in practicing any yogic form, it is ideal that we adopt an integrated approach to our own spiritual practice. The forms are but complementary body-mind-spirit training systems which, when practiced properly, ensure our utmost health, well-being and spiritual evolution. As the Master Hilarion said through Mabel Collins in Light On The Path:

Seek it not by any one road. To each temperament there is one road which seems the most desirable. But the way is not found by devotion alone, by religious contemplation alone, by ardent progress, by self-sacrificing

labor, by studious observation of life. None alone can take the disciple more than one step onwards. All steps are necessary to make up the ladder.

What do we “join” in yoga? What kind of “union” do we mean and what is its actual experience? Swami Nirmalananda Giri in his book OM Yoga: Its Theory and Practice defines it thus:

First, we join our awareness to our own essential being: the spirit whose nature is Pure Consciousness. In yoga philosophy this is known as the Atman or Self. Next, we join our finite consciousness to the Infinite Consciousness, God, the Supreme Self (Paramatman). In essence they are eternally one. According to yogic philosophy the individual atman-spirit originally dwelt in the consciousness of that oneness. But in its descent into the material world the spirit lost its awareness of the eternal union, and lost the capacity to live in and manifest the union on a practical level. Through yoga the lost consciousness can be regained and actualized in the individual’s practical life sphere.

The Lord Christ, himself a yogi par excellence, described this “union” unequivocally to his disciples when he said: “I and the Father are one.” In other words, yoga is the union of the self with the Self, by the self, in the Self, freeing the self. In the process, it is the mystical transformation, emancipation and perfection of our physical existence into our primordial divine nature. This is not just a play of words or a nice metaphysical idea for “intellectual gymnastics.” We are dealing herein with “yoga” in mystical terms defined by direct “initiatory” experiences of genuine union with the Divine that, although occurring within the secret confines of subjective consciousness, generates self-divinization (theosis) and a radical transformation of one’s being. Hence, any form of yoga can be popular or trendy (ex.: “aerial yoga,” “prenatal yoga,” etc.) but unless “the dewdrop slips into the shining sea” (Sir Edwin Arnold’s The Light Of Asia), that spiritual exercise will be meaningless and worthless.

In my years of practicing Jnana, Bhakti, Karma and Raja Yoga, I have realized that “yoga,” in a dynamic sense, is essentially characterized by four interrelated “movements” toward “union” that define our evolutionary journey toward “perfection”: “Downward” (introspective

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union with our true self or Atman, a “diving into the ocean depths” which is the divine core of our being), “Upward” (transcendental union with The Great Self, Paramatman), “Horizontal” (union with all sentient beings; lateral expansion of unconditional love and compassion to Earth-Mother and all creation) and “Cosmic” (a multi-directional merging with Nature or Universe itself — “cosmic consciousness,” an embodiment of our Celestial Identity for we are the universe in human form, composite beings of the highest Spirit (“as above”) and the lowest Matter (“so below”). These fourfold “movements” really constitute One Great Movement evolving us toward the archetypal Cosmic Wo/Man symbolized by the pentagram – a five-pointed magical symbol so sacred to the geometrico-mystical systems of the Pythagoreans, Babylonians, Kabbalists, etc. and which, according to H.P. Blavatsky in Vol. II of The Secret Doctrine, represents Quintessential Wo/Man: “the pentagon is the symbol of Man — not only of the five-limbed, but rather of the thinking, conscious MAN.”

Raja Yoga: A Preeminent Form. While not undervaluing postural yoga completely, pioneering theosophists apparently placed Raja Yoga — also known as “royal yoga,” “royal union,” sahaj marg, “classical yoga” and “astanga yoga” (Eight Limbed Yoga) — in the limelight speaking about it in more affirmative terms. An in-depth study of devotional classics as the Voice of the Silence and Light on the Path, for example, reveals their conceptual structure according to Raja Yoga’s upward spiral of psycho-spiritual development. This form of yoga was even conceived as the proper working platform from which the siddhis or supernatural powers latent within every person could effectively flourish. Why? Its essential strength as a yogic system is the discipline of the mind and the evolutionary development of the core of one’s being. In her

book Yoga: The Hatha Yoga and Raja Yoga of India, Dr. Annie Besant described it with lucid eloquence: “that is why it is said that Raja Yoga is the thing to be sought after and why Hatha Yoga is discountenanced. It is not that no physical practices are ever needed. It is not that these psychic powers are not ultimately to be evolved; but it is that they are to be evolved as the natural result of the developing Spirit, and not as the artificially stimulated results of the body first and then of the astral form. To begin at that end means limitation to the psychic plane. To begin on the spiritual means the unifying of all planes into one. That is the essential difference between the two forms of Yoga. Raja Yoga is more difficult and it is the slower, but it is certain. Its powers are carried over from birth to birth, whereas beyond the psychic plane it is not possible to progress by using the purely Hatha Yoga methods.” Lest we misconstrue the two forms as “rivals,” we need to understand that “raja yoga” (more than its systematized form) also means the goal of yoga itself which is ultimate samadhic union with the Absolute. Hatha Yoga, when practiced properly in its truest form and esoteric spirituality, is really a preparation for Raja Yoga. Hence, in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the sage Svatmarama said: “I salute the primeval Lord (Shiva) who taught (Parvati) the HathaYoga-Vidya which is as a stairway for those who wish to attain the lofty Raja Yoga.”

Patanjali, the central figure of Raja Yoga, was an Indian sage who lived around 200 BCE to 450 CE. Considered by HP Blavatsky “one of the Trans-Himalayan Masters of the Ageless Wisdom,” Patanjali is credited to have codified in his renowned “Yoga Sutras” (also known as Yoga Darshana) the entire tradition of yoga from its ancient pre-Vedic origins, organizing “yoga” for the first time into a systematic and holistic spiritual development program for enlightenment and liberation (kaivalya). Contrary to popular opinion, however, Patanjali

Continued on page 26)

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The Lord Christ, himself a yogi par excellence, described this “union” unequivocally to his disciples when he said: “I and the Father are one.”

Experience and Integration . .

(Continued from page 9 )

city to influence the way we live our lives, and magnify the effect we have for uplifting others. It is not good enough just to live our 70, 80, 90 years and to leave this world having merely taken up space during our time here. A major part of our reason for being here is to contribute to the well-being and happiness of others.

What is it that assists in integrating experiences that can lead us to a broader, less separative view of the world? I have known a number of people who have had an NDE, or Near Death Experience. One of the common features of the experience is the “life review.” It may take a second, or even less, but the person sees their entire life in perspective and in review: the things they were right and wrong about, the people they helped or harmed, and the distilled, essential character of the life just lived, all flow across the screen of the mind. When people return from that experience, invariably they find that there are changes in their priorities.

For example, the Zen (Chan) tradition in Buddhism arose from a wordless teaching by the Buddha. His disciples had gathered to hear him preach, but instead of speaking, the Buddha simply held up a white flower and gazed at it. Kasyapa, one of his disciples, understood the meaning of this “flower sermon,” and Buddha signaled his understanding with a smile. In this way the Buddha’s teaching about reality was transmitted to Kasyapa and on to future generations, not through words, but by direct experience.

All of our ordinary activity confirms that we are separate. Love confirms the opposite.

I know people who have had complete changes of life and moved along a path that they would not have anticipated as a result of this near-death vision of their life.

There is a hierarchy of experience in terms of the degree to which they integrate into our personality and its behaviors. Profound experiences, such as an NDE, or even normal experiences to which we give focused attention can affect us deeply.

We tend to focus on the value of knowledge and we also tend to restrict what knowledge actually is. Most of us think of knowledge as data and its permutations — systems of thought. Out of that we develop a subset that we use in the world. There is a missing factor, or catalyst that transmutes mere knowledge into a power with universal application. What we think of as knowledge can be more accurately described as “love-deprived knowledge.” It can be as harmful as it is helpful. Knowledge infused with the quality that we describe as “love” changes its nature and use. The addition of love transforms to a perception of reality in which we are not the separated, isolated, contentious, competitive individuals that we accept ourselves as being. All of our ordinary activity confirms that we are separate. Love confirms the opposite. 

The Philippine Theosophist

Tim Boyd is the International President of the Theosophical Society Adyar.

Light

Air felt constant cool and clear Early evening in Ede. River of light streamed out Of the western sky and gathered At the edge of my forest. People became curious, Tired to discover the nature Of its luminescence.

Could it be from nameless current That strayed away from the ocean Or from a caravan refracted in time While crossing arid Uzbekistan?

Someone lifted a beam of light Hoping to uncover plots to steal time, Reflections of concealed passion. A group of people waded sadly In a pool lof brilliance

Like pilgrims on a long journey Detained by stranded whale One of them touched a cloud Brimming with crystal drops, Only to be reminded Of deep childhood secrets; Another claimed illuminated Memories of forgotten homeland; Someone insisted he was

Seeing the same shaft of light That struck his dying father In their broken-down ghetto. Then everyone started grasping Broken and ephemeral fragments.

Of other people’s suffering. Awave of loneliness possessed me. The woods fenced the lake Of stagnant radiamce with runners Dripping of moss and rain. Mist drifted out of nowhere To envelop particles of light, Enticimg luminous notes From a songbird perched In the heart of my wilderness. The moment was meant for strangers, An invitatiom to enter cathedral forest, To follow a trail streaked with gossamer And perhaps find the source Of brightness only my darkness can define, A flame waiting to be spoken. The ground was damp, thick with fallen leaves, Enchanted by each step taken.

E T R Y

Jose Victor Peñaranda was the previous Vice President of the Theosophical Society in the Philippines.

A Holistic View of Who We Are

by CARLOS PEREZ MENENDEZ

ONE of the most universal requirements expressed for those who want to develop their internal potential is that the candidates must know themselves. In the Apollo temple portal in Delphi, it was an inscription saying “Man know yourself.”

There is an agreement in every esoteric tradition on the need to know ourselves. Ramana Maharshi promoted self-inquiry with a question: “Who am I?” This question is not intellectual or conceptual, but one that will gradually produce deeper, more conscious answers.

Who Are We Really? We are used to introducing ourselves with our name, age, studies,

profession, hobbies, and so on. But all of this refers only to the facts of our lives and it does not reflect our psychological nature, our aspirations, or, more importantly, our internal reality. It is not easy to answer the question of who we are really. Are we the kind and tender mask that we show to the outside world, or perhaps the hard and severe one? Are we the fears and prejudices that accompany us from an early age? Are we the angry, envious, and competitive person? Or are we the kind, caring, and friendly person that we reveal at other times? Are we the child, the spouse, the parent, the sibling, the friend, or the coworker? These are all facets of our life and we display them all simultaneously.

The discovery of ourselves is the realization of the One Life in us

Are we the fleeting thoughts and emotions that are constantly changing, or perhaps the more persistent ones? According to the research of Dr. Fred Luskin of Stanford University, a human being has about 60,000 thoughts a day. Therefore, a thought lasts us on average 0.7 seconds, counting while we sleep. But the shocking discovery of this study is that 90% of thoughts are repetitive. Or maybe we are the ones who observe and reflect on this?

How to Know Ourselves? We try to know what we are by looking inside ourselves: our thoughts, our emotions, the greatness of the mystery that we are. But our psychological nature distorts what we observe and it is not possible for us to fully understand ourselves because there are some barriers to doing it:

• We design models of how we want to be, using preconceived ideas obtained from the family environment, education, or culture, to mention just a few sources. These acquired concepts do not allow us a clear vision of our own nature because they act like colored glasses, making us project an illusory reality.

relationships or are they conflicted and neurotic? Do we believe that our friends and relatives regard us with respect and affection?

The Influence of the Social Network. All of our relationships form a network, our social network. This does not mean Internet platforms for social networking like Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. The social network is made up of all the people with whom we have some kind of relationship: relatives, friends, coworkers, customers and suppliers, neighbors, and even the people we buy from frequently. It does not matter the channels we use for communicating with them. We can communicate face to face, by email, phone, or through a social network platform, as mentioned above.

Looking only inward gives us the illusion of an “I” separated from the world and this prevents us from seeing clearly.

• We mask those characteristics of our personality that we do not want to see or accept because they conflict with our ideas of what we should be. We throw them into the shadows of the unconscious. It is what the psychologist Carl Jung called the “shadow,” or hidden side of our personality — hidden for us. But they arise unexpectedly when we react to certain situations.

• Looking only inward gives us the illusion of an “I” separated from the world and this prevents us from seeing clearly. We need a “reality bath.”

Relationships Portray Us. To know ourselves, a part of the answer is to see how we relate to other people and the world in general. How are our relationships? Do we have lasting relationships? Or do we change friends and partners too frequently? No two relationships are the same, but let us look at the generality.

Are our relationships healthy and satisfying for ourselves and also for others? Are they based on freedom and mutual respect or are they plagued with mistrust and control? Are they win-win relationships? Do we love and are we loved? Do we feel life flowing through our

Between 2007 and 2010, two Social Sciences researchers, Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler, carried out a statistical analysis from the perspective of social networks of the “Framingham Heart Study,” initiated in 1948 and active until now, on lifestyle habits and cardiovascular diseases of people living in Framingham, Massachusetts, USA. They found that we influence people in our network to as much as a third degree of connection. What we do, feel, and think influence our social network up to a third degree.

That is to say, that we influence our friends but also influence the friends of our friends, and also influence the friends of the friends of our friends. Here the related people are called “friends” even if they are relatives or neighbors. In turn, the people who make up our social network, our friends, also influence us in the same way. We are all mutual influencers in real life.

It should be noted that the probability of influence, or contagion, as the researchers called

Everything is wonderfully connected, making up a system. We are part of many systems. We are part of the Unity of Life.

it, is stronger the more direct the relationship is. For example, the friends of a person who becomes obese have a 45% chance of becoming obese if they are at the first degree of the relationship, 20% if they are at the second degree, and 10% if they are at the third degree. In degrees of relation- ship greater than three, the influence is negligible.

Influences on social networks are very important. British anthropologist and psychologist Robin Dunbar estimated that an average person in the world today can sustain 150 relationships, which is known as Dunbar’s number. In this way, one person influences and is influenced by about 1503 = 3.3 million people. The actual figure is likely to be less because many of our friends are also friends with each other.

The Global Brain. Some thinkers from different fields, such as Peter Russell, have proposed the idea that humanity is building a global brain. Due to the development of the Internet connecting many people and devices, an enormous amount of information is generated and stored, which flows between people like signals flowing between neurons in a brain. Social networks and the web with its hyperlinks, play a fundamental role in disseminating information. This is an example of collective intelligence. The intelligence of the network is distributed as in the neurons of our brain, and there is no central node that controls everything, although some people try to do it.

People with petty interests try to “poison” this collective mind by disseminating fake news and creating fake users on social networks with the sole purpose of manipulating the thoughts of many individuals who are not so clear about their own ideas. By doing so they can twist the direction of public opinion on a subject or they can win an election.

But we, the people who make up the global network have the tools to defend ourselves against these attacks if we are vigilant. A truth seeker should not spread lies without

first verifying their veracity. In the same way, our social network has its intelligence distributed. We make decisions influenced by it and we are also present in the decisions made by our friends even if we have not commented on them. James Fowler has said that “social networks influence us more than mass media.”

Interdependence with Nature. We depend on other beings such as bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals, and they in turn depend on us. In our body, there are bacteria that we need for our regular functioning. We need the oxygen that plants produce and they need our carbon dioxide. Insects and fungi break down our waste, returning the materials to the ecosystem. We are part of the innumerable life cycles of Nature.

Everything is wonderfully interconnected, making up a system. We are part of many systems. We are part of the Unity of Life. In a system, the whole is more than the sum of the parts. In each one of us, there is a reflection of the Whole.

By ignoring this reality that we are getting to understand more and more deeply, we are endangering the eco-system of the Earth, Gaia. Doctor James Lovelock elaborated the theory that the set, or collection, of all biological organisms, minerals, water, gases, rocks, and everything on Earth, is a self-regulating system which he called Gaia.

In Nature, cooperation is more important than competition. Nature gives us much evidence of how cooperation between individuals has been more important in evolution than the competition and the struggle for subsistence. Just by existing we leave a footprint in Nature.

food, and in turn, we leave waste. But if we understand that we are an inseparable part of Nature, we will try to do as little damage as possible, using resources consciously and discarding cruelty and exploitation of our smaller brothers, the animals.

We Are Not Apart. If we realize the Oneness of all Life, we can understand more about ourselves. We are a radiation of Life and within us is the potential of the One. All beings and matter are interconnected and interdependent. The self is dissolved — we realize more and more that although we are a singularity, no membrane or envelop separates us from the whole. The separation is only in our mind that has elabrated the structure of the separate “I.” So knowing ourselves is a quest, an adventure. It is the discovery of our essence, of what is sacred and permanent that is within us, but also outside. If we can see the potential greatness within us, we will also see it in other beings. And if we do not see it in them, we do not see it in ourselves either. Interior and exterior are concepts elaborated by the self because everything is related. We can believe we are very good, but how our relationships are will tell us a lot about who we really are. Others act as mirrors.

Self-Discovery. An inquiring, mindful attitude is required. How do we do it? Study and meditation are important, but it is through service that we can get to know ourselves better: how we relate, what we feel, and how we react. We may believe that we are very spiritual and elevated above ordinary human beings, but observing the difficulties of everyday life and our treatment of others is how

If we realize the Oneness of all Life, we can understand more about ourselves. We are a radiation of Life and within us is the potential of the One.

we realize where we are. Every act of life is in some way a service. It does not matter what we do. Whether we are caring for a family member, building a house, manufacturing a product, teaching in a school, working as a public servant, or solving a customer’s problem, we are always serving. There is something sacred in all our actions, feelings, and thoughts.

All life is constantly changing and transforming, and that includes us. It is not enough to obtain a static image of our psychological nature once and for all life, even if this were possible, because we change with life experiences and with learning. Self-discovery is an ongoing process and requires constant attention. An integrated vision is necessary, a holistic vision to understand ourselves, which is the same as understanding Nature, or Life. The vision we have determines our real scale of values, and this, in turn, determines our behavior on a day-to-day basis. The sense of oneness with Life and the compassion that derives from it makes us respect all living creatures, human beings, animals, plants, fungi, and even minerals or the landscape as something precious of which we are part.

J. Krishnamurti said:

Discovering oneself is endless and requires constant investigation, total awareness, choiceless awareness. In reality, this journey consists of opening a door for the individual in relation to the world.

When we contemplate the immensity of the Universe, our sense of self vanishes. Our admiration for the immeasurable, the infinite, allows us to overcome the illusion of feeling separate. So, rather than asking ourselves in the singular form “Who am I?” we must ask ourselves in the plural: “Who are we?” Because the discovery of ourselves is the realization of the One Life in us, like in the entire Universe.

(Source: The Theosophist, July 2022)

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Raja Yoga: An Integral Path . .

(Continued from page 19)

was not the “founder” of yoga but its foremost codifier and compiler in his Yoga Sutras just as Shankaracarya was the codifier of Upanishadic Wisdom in his Viveka Chudamani, Svātmārāma and Gheranda were the codifiers of Hatha Yoga in their Hathayogapradipika and Gheranda Samhita respectively, Lao Tzu was the codifier of Taoist philosophy in Tao Te Ching and St. Thomas Aquinas was the codifier of Medieval Scholastic Theology in the Summa Theologica.

Unlike other yogic schools, the Patanjalian system for kaivalya (Self-realization and liberation) is achieved through ashtanga (eight-limb) yoga defined by the following hierarchically interrelated practices: (1) Yama (moral restraints): Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truthfulness), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacarya (abstinence, moderation), Aparigraha (non-hoarding, non-covetousness), (2) Niyama (observances): Sauca (purity & cleanliness), Santosha (contentment & gratitude), Tapas (zeal, austerity, detachment and self-discipline), Svadhyaya (study of the “self” and the sacred texts), Isvara-Pranidhana (surrender, worship and devotion to a Higher Power or Deity. Herein, we encounter the “theistic bias” of Raja Yoga which is “astika” philosophy or orthodox yoga unlike “nastika” or the “non-theistic yoga” of Buddhism, Jainism and Carvaka), (3) Asanas (body postures): expounded in the classics of Hatha Yoga – the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Gheranda Samhita, etc., (4) Pranayama (breath control): respiratory regulation of the vital energy (prana) of the universe through various techniques of rhythmic breathing, (5) Pratyahara (sense withdrawal): retreating the senses away from the distractions of the external world toward

Raja Yoga is not just a mental discipline. It is a holistic training system incorporating all the other forms of yoga.

the interior domain of mind and Consciousness as a preparation for higher meditative yoga. Metaphorically likened in the Bhagavad Gita to a tortoise withdrawing into its carapace, (6) Dharana (concentration): narrowing the field of awareness into a single point. focused undistracted attention. “one-pointedness.” (7) Dhyana (meditation): the uninterrupted flow of concentration, the “object” of contemplative concentration (breath, mantra, etc.) slowly “disappears” and the meditator experiences spontaneous episodes of “no thought, no breath” or “no thought, no mantra,” an altered state of pure transcendental consciousness that effortlessly moves the meditator toward “samadhi,” the next stage of samyama practice (dharana, dhyana, samadhi). When the mind is focused and perfectly still in meditation, the glorious jewel of the soul (atman) shines forth just as the silvery moon reflects itself upon the surface of a placid lake, (8) Samadhi (total absorption or trance of union): “Super-consciousness,” the highest level of samyama. subject-object split disappears; Non-Dual, Pure Consciousness. Self-realization: Tat Tvam Asi meaning “Thou Art That” (Chandogya Upanishad 6.8.7). The merging of the subject (meditator) with the object of meditation just as a raindrop falls from a cloud and dissolves into the sea, becoming the sea, forgetting itself as “raindrop,” knowing itself only as the Boundless Ocean from whence it came. For in the highest state of consciousness, the egoic – “I” no longer exists. The self (atman) finds its true divine identity in the Great Self (Brahman), a timeless, dimensionless and transcendental “realm” of perfect union (yoga) and liberation (kaivalya).

What makes Patanjali’s form of yoga “royal” or “monarchical”? The answer is evident when we consider how Patanjali defined “yoga” in the first chapter of his Yoga Sutras: yogash chitta-vritti-nirodhah which means “yoga is the restraint of the modifications of the mind.” Technically, “restraining” the mind (nirodhah) is synonymous to the following ideas: “suppres-

The Philippine Theosophist October-December, 2022

sion” (Bhasya Commentary of Vyasa), “hindering” (W.Q Judge), “inhibition” (I.K Taimni), “restriction” (James Haughton Woods), “control” (Charles Johnston), “regulation”, “mastery,” “stilling,” “quieting,” “integration” and “setting aside” (Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati). Notice what follows next as a result of a quiescent mind. Patanjali says: “tada drashtuh svarupe vasthanam (“then The Seer is established in his own essential nature”). The logical sequence of ideas in the first seven verses of the Yoga Sutras clearly state that when the mind is totally “emptied” of its usual “mind-stuff” in meditation, “The Seer” or Eternal Witness – our divine essence – is finally revealed. Yoga is the complete cessation of all mental activity (vrittis), the absolute conquest of the “monkey mind” so that self-radiant Pure Consciousness shines forth like a motionless candle flame in a windless place. When this ideal state is attained, one becomes “Self-realized” and perfect yoga or union is achieved. Then one truly recognizes the Supreme Self as his or her very own Immortal Self. This core Patanjalian concept is actually a surgically precise diagnostic of and prescription for liberating the human condition like a surgeon’s scalpel that removes the very root of all culpable weakness, foibles and problems – the untamed human mind. Raja Yoga, therefore, is “monarchical” because once the yogi has attained complete self-mastery of the lower mind and developed the Higher Mind – freed from the darkness of ignorance (avidya) and the ferocious passions of the Lower Self – the yogi becomes established in his or her Higher Self, the ever abiding Supreme Monarch governing oneself until evolutionary perfection is reached. From this Divine Center within – the limitless source of a radiant spiritual life – the yogi conquers and directs the vehicles of the lower nature

just as a king (raja) commands his army in battle or a queen gives orders to her docile servants. As it is said in HPB’s The Voice of the Silence: “restrain by thy Divine thy lower Self.”

Raja Yoga is not just a mental discipline. It is a holistic training system incorporating all the other forms of yoga in its eight–limbed path (astanga yoga) of multi-level human development. It is, I believe, the most comprehensive “spiritual technology” available for the hastened self-directed evolution of our mind, body, soul and Spirit. For example: Character building, moral discipline and ethical practice (achieved through (1) yama and (2) niyama), (3) physical fitness, health and vigor (asana), (4) proper breathing and pranic wellbeing (pranayama), (5) introspective awareness, interiority and mastery of sense-perception (pratyahara), (6) focus, composure and attentional stability (dharana), (7) self-transcendence, knowledge and wisdom (dhyana) and (8) perfect bliss and divine union (samadhi). Most of all, deep meditation – being the heart of Raja Yoga itself – is the inexhaustible source of spiritual vitality for a truly Self-realized, Self-actualized and self-transcendent life. Raja yoga unifies and evolves the lowest gross physical to the loftiest spiritual dimensions of one’s being. What form of “yoga” do you follow? Our daily practice becomes meaningful and fruitful only when we truly realize that:

Yoga is an art, a science and a philosophy. It touches the life of man at every level: physical, mental, and spiritual. It is a practical method for making one’s life purposeful, useful and noble. As honey is sweet from any part of the honeycomb, so is yoga. It enables every part of the human system to become attuned to its essence, the conscious seer within. Yoga alone enables the practitioner to perceive and experience the world within and around himself, to touch the divine joy of all creation, and then to share that nectar of divine wealth and happiness with his fellow beings. (B.K.S Iyengar, Light On The Yoga Sutras Of Patanjali).

The Philippine Theosophist

Ferdinand Arthur P. Yulo is the President of the Bacolod Lodge of the Theosophical Society in the Philippines.

2022 TSP National Convention

The 2022 TSP National Convention will be held on Nov. 1820 with the theme “The Quest for Truth: The Challenge for Our Times.” As usual, the election of the TSP’s Board of Trustees will be held on the last day of the convention.

GLC to Open Branch Campus in Bulacan

The Golden Link College (GLC) will open another branch campus in Sta Maria, Bulacan by next school year. In a related development, Argentinian educator Erika Chavez is presently immersing herself in GLC to learn about Golden Link educational philosophy and system. She will stay for three months or so. The TS in Argentina is also planning to start a theosophical school in their country.

Rekha Nahar Chosen TOS Ass’t Int’l Secretary

Nancy Secrest, International Secretary of the Theosophical Order of Service (TOS)-International, recently appointed our very own Rekha Nahar as Assistant International Secretary of the TOS-International, the main compassionate arm of the TS whose motto is “A union of those who love in the service of all that suffers.”

Christopher See Elected as WFYT Officer

Among the officers elected recently by members of the World Federation of Young Theosophists (WFYT) is our very own Christopher See. The WFYT was formed in 1935 with George Arundale as ex-officio prexy to spread the teachings of theosophy among the youth.

147th International Convention of the TS

The147th International Convention of the Theosophical Society will be held on Dec. 31-Jan. 4 in Adyar, Chennai, India with the theme “Our Responsibility in the Interconnected World.” To be partly webcasted, it will also be held in person.

Online Meditation and Yoga Sessions Continue

The TSP continues to conduct regular meditation and yoga sessions online. Vic Hao Chin Jr. conducts the Classic Guided Meditation session every first Sunday of the month at 3 pm. Every Wednesdays, the Midweek Meditation session is conducted by different facilitators from 8-8:30 pm. Yoga sessions are facilitated every 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month by Trish Ealdama.

TSP Talks Feature Distinguished Speakers

TSP talks continued to feature notable speakers these past months. Among these were Ananya Sri Ram Rajan, President of TOS America; Kerry Oldfield, President of the Sunshine Coast Lodge Australia; and Prahlad Debnath of the TOS, Bangladesh,

The Philippine Theosophist

Directory of TSP Lodges and Study Groups

Provincial Areas

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 Arthur P. Yulo Meeting: Every 1st and 3rd Sunday

Venue: 82 St. Ignatius Avenue, Doña Juliana Heights, Bacolod City Tel.: 0919-3271473

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: Celeste Sasuman Meeting: Every Sunday 2:00 p.m. Venue: Abalayan Subd., San Jose 8002 Digos City

Tel.: Res. - (082) 553-2839/ Off. - (082) 2911021

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

Metro Manila Area

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

H.E.A.R.T.S. Lodge

Venue: Blk 74, lot 25, Kauai st., South Pacific Golf and Leisure Estates, Bgy Sto. Nino, Catalunan Pequeno, Davao City, Davao del Sur, 8000.

Tel: Contact Dra. Anjeli Sta. Teresa at Cel. No. 09166248538.

Golden Link Theosophical Lodge

President: Bebie Jane S. Dignos 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

Logos Lodge

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

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.: 87415740; (Cel.) 0927-4034983

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

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

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

President: Maria Flor Garcia

Meeting: Every 1st and 3rd Thursday, 6:30 p.m.

Venue: TSP National Headquarters Tel.: 8741-5740

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.

“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 Key to Theosophy)

The Theosophical Society in the Philippines

1 Iba St., Quezon City, Philippines

TO: