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Starts and Stones On The Path

By C.A. Bartzokas

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Charity And Mercy, Harmlessness And Humbleness, Kindness And Gentleness Define The Right Approach

Give us something to admire in yourself,
 Not in your belongings. 
— DECIMUS JUNIUS JUVENALIS 1 
Live with men as if God saw you: 
Converse with God as if men heard you. 
— LUCIUS ANNAEUS SENECA 2 
Socrates gave no diplomas or degrees, and would have subjected 
any disciple who demanded one to a disconcerting catechism on 
the nature of true knowledge. 
— GEORGE MACAULAY TREVELYAN3

Before you even think of treading the path, purify the material self. Otherwise you will end up degrading the spiritual. . . . “we Hindus . . . are trying to spiritualize our grosser material selves — while the American and European Spiritualists are endeavouring in the séance-rooms to materialize Spirits.” These words of wisdom well show the opposite tendencies of the Eastern and the Western minds: namely, that while the former are trying to purify matter, the latter do their best to degrade Spirit. 4

You have to fathom the mysteries of the heart, before you can hope to unravel the mysteries of the soul. He who wants to follow the working of his inner self and nature for the purpose of self-mastery, has to . . . strive to fathom the mysteries of the human heart in general, before he can hope to learn the whole truth about the mysteries of his own soul. The power of Occult self-introspection is too limited in its area if it does not go beyond the Self, and the investigation of isolated instances will remain forever fruitless if we fail to work it out on firmly established principles. We cannot do good to ourselves — on a higher plane — without doing good to others, because each nature reacts upon other natures; nor can we help others without this help benefiting ourselves.5

Superhuman powers are stones on the path. Siddhis, superhuman powers and accomplishments, are only so many obstacles in the way of the jiva, which longs for moksha.

Faculties and abilities will come naturally to those who are mentally and ethically fit to use them for the common good. Mere desire for powers is a form of selfishness, and receives no encouragement from our Teachers. . . . When persons without a large preliminary training in the real Wisdom-Religion seek knowledge on the Occult plane, they are very apt, from inexperience and inadequate culture, to drift into black magic. I have no power to put you into communication with any adept to guide you in a course of Occult study, nor would it be a service to you if the thing were possible. The Theosophical Society was not established for any such purpose, nor could anyone receive instructions from an adept until he was ripe for it. In other words, he must undergo a long preliminary training in knowledge, self-control, and the subjugation of the lower nature before he would be in any way fit for instruction on the higher planes. What I recommend you to do is to study the elementary principles of Theosophy, and gain some idea of your own nature as a human being and as an individual, but drop entirely all ambition for knowledge of powers which would be inappropriate to your present stage . . . 1

If aroused prematurely, they will hinder rather than help. . . . every member of our [theosophical] society who earnestly makes researches in every lawful branch of occult science, has the chance of help from not only “chelas” but those who are higher than they. Provided always that they are themselves “living the life” described in Hints on Esoteric Theosophy.

Self-interest can neither reveal the powers latent in man, nor can it alleviate the woes of the “Great Orphan.” “It may be stated, however, that even those natural forces cannot be discovered by any man who has not obtained the power of getting rid of his personality in some degree. That an emotional desire to help others does not imply this freedom from personality may be seen by the fact that, if you were now perfected in unselfishness in the real sense, you would have a conscious existence separate from that of the body and would be able to quit the body at will: in other words, to be free from all sense of self is to be an Adept, for the limitations of self inhibit progress.” 3

Take heed of the words of a Master of Wisdom. “Hear also the words of the Master, taken from Sinnett’s The Occult World. ‘Perhaps you will better appreciate our meaning when told that in our view the highest aspirations for the welfare of humanity become tainted with selfishness if, in the mind of the philanthropist, there lurks the shadow of a desire for self-benefit or a tendency to do injustice, even when these exist unconsciously to himself.’ ”
“While setting forth these facts, as well as the dangers and difficulties — both those set ones appointed by the laws of the Lodge and the more innumerable ones adjudged by Karma and hastened by the efforts of the neophyte — it should also be stated that the Masters desire to deter no man from entering the path. They are well aware, however, from the repeated trials and records of centuries, and from their knowledge of our racial difficulties, how few are the persons who have any clue to their own real nature, which is the foe they attempt to conquer the moment they become pupils of the occult. Hence They endeavour, so far as Karma permits, to hold unfit individuals back from rash ventures, the results of which would recoil upon their unbalanced lives and drive them to despair. The powers of evil, inadequately defied by the ignorant man, revenge themselves upon him as well as upon his friends, and not upon those who are above their reach. Although these powers are not hideous objective shapes coming in tangible ways, they are none the less real and dangerous. Their descent in such instances cannot be prevented: it is Karma.” 1

Even virtues can be vices in the eyes of the beholder. “The duty of the servant is difficult for even a perfect yogi to discharge successfully. If he speaks little, he is a deaf-mute; if he talks freely, he is a flatterer or a chatter-box; if he keeps near, he is impertinent; if he keeps at a distance, he is a shy clown; if he is quiet and forgiving, he is cowardly; if he does not endure quietly but answers back high-spiritedly, he is illbred and low-bred and lacking in manners” (Bhartrhari: Niti Shataka, 8) Vices and virtues correspond and go in pairs, and are apt to change into each other according as the angle of vision, or rather the quality of the vision, of the beholder changes. The Persian proverb says, “har kamalé ra zawalé,” i.e., every merit goes with a defect, every virtue goes with a fault. The grand myth of the Churning of the Ocean symbolises the metaphysical truth about the Worldprocess being made up of pairs of opposites, by describing how venom and ambrosia both came out from that churning.1

Here is some practical advice for aspirants from Lords Buddha and Christ: Since happiness is but a dream on earth, let us be resigned, at least. To do this, we have but to follow the precepts of our respective great and noble Masters on earth. The East had her Shakyamuni Buddha, “the light of Asia”; the West her Teacher, and the Sermon on the Mount; both uttered the same great, because universal and immortal, truths. Listen to them:
“Crush out your pride,” saith the One. “Speak evil of no one, but be thankful to him who blames thee, for he renders thee service by showing thee thy faults. Kill thine arrogance. Be kind and gentle to all; merciful to every living creature. Forgive those who harm thee, help those who need thy help, resist not thine enemies. Destroy thy passions, for they are the armies of Mara (Death), and scatter them as the elephant scatters a bamboo hut. Lust not, desire nothing; all the objects thou pinest for, the world over, could no more satisfy thy lust, than all the sea water could quench thy thirst. That which alone satisfies man is Wisdom — be wise. Be ye without hatred, without selfishness, and without hypocrisy. Be tolerant with the intolerant, charitable and compassionate with the hard-hearted, gentle with the violent, detached from everything amidst those who are attached to all, in this world of illusion. Harm no mortal creature. Do that which thou wouldest like to see done by all others.”
“Be humble,” saith the Other. Resist not evil, “judge not that ye be not judged.” Be merciful, forgive them who wrong thee, love thine enemies. Lust not; not even in the secrecy of thy heart. Give to him that asketh thee. Be wise and perfect. Do not as the hypocrites do; but, “as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.” 
Noble words these.

And from William Quan Judge: “There is never any need to worry” if you surrender yourself to the Law. The good law looks out for all things, and all we have to do is our duty as it comes along from day to day. Nothing is gained by worrying about matters and about the way people do not respond. In the first place, you do not alter people, and in the second, by being anxious as to things, you put an occult obstacle in the way of what you want done. It is better to acquire a lot of what is called carelessness by the world, but is in reality a calm reliance on the law, and a doing of one’s own duty, satisfied that the results must be right, no matter what they may be. Think that over, and try to make it a part of your inner mind that it is no use to worry; that things will be all right, no matter what comes, and that you are resolved to do what you see before you, and trust to Karma for all the rest.1

Silently and quietly endure what life brings, Silentio, my dear, is almost as good as patience. He laughs best who does it last, and time is a devil for grinding things. . . . Use the time in getting calmness and solid strength, for a big river is not so because it has a deep bed, but because it has VOLUME. 2

Without expecting neither plaudits nor feedback. It is not necessary to be conscious of the progress one has made. . . . We make a good deal of progress in our inner, hidden life of which we are not at all conscious. We do not know of it until some later life. So, in this case, many may be quite beyond the obstacles and not be conscious of it. It is best to go on with duty, and to refrain from this trying to take stock and measuring of progress. All of our progress is in the inner nature, and not in the physical where lives the brain . . . The apparent physical progress is evanescent. It is ended when the body dies, at which time, if the inner man has not been allowed to guide us, the natural record against us will be a cipher, or failure.” Now, as the great Adepts live in the plane of our inner nature, it must follow that they might be actively helping every one of us after the date referred to, and we, as physical brain men, not be conscious of it on this plane.3

For, “Brave soldiers need neither orders” . . . . . . nor constant encouragement. Pursue the lines laid down long ago and “we will look out for results.” 1

Pristine efforts cannot be thwarted by criticism and apathy. The efforts of those members who benefit the Cause should never be impeded by criticism on the part of others who do nothing, but all should be encouraged and as much help given as is possible, even if that assistance be limited through circumstances to mere encouragement. Every sincerely based work for theosophy will bear good fruit, no matter how inappropriate it may appear in the eyes of those members who have set to themselves and everybody else only one definite plan of action.2

Nor can anyone hide from the all-seeing Law. But in the presence of Virtue men do many evil and ugly things, supposing that they are not regarded by her because they do not see her. Yet she is present everywhere because she is immortal, and she honours those who are good to her, but casts off the bad. Therefore, if men knew that she is watching them, they would be impatient to undergo the toils and the discipline by which she is hardly to be captured, and would achieve her.3
“Are you willing to have great honour? I will give you a great empire: obtain dominion over yourself.” 4

Woe to those who live without suffering. . . . Stagnation and death is the future of all that vegetates without a change. And how can there be any change for the better without proportionate suffering during the preceding stage? Is it not those only who have learnt the deceptive value of earthly hopes and the illusive allurements of external nature who are destined to solve the great problems of life, pain, and death? . . . If our modern philosophers — preceded by the mediaeval scholars — have helped themselves to more than one fundamental idea of antiquity, theologians have built their God and his Archangels, their Satan and his Angels, along with the Logos and his staff, entirely out of the dramatis personae of the old heathen Pantheons. 5