Bodhicitta

Making use of the new PDF version of Damodar's book, here is a June 1881 letter to William Q. Judge. The triangle of dots does not display, but it stands for the Adept who met with Damodar. My dear Judge I will now begin where I stopped last. I told you there about my being at a certain place where they have their Council. After that I saw [triangle of dots] twice or thrice alone on the same business and very rarely he said to me a few words of encouragement and good advice as to how I should go on. Happy were those moments when alone at midnight we thus had conversation! Nothing or no body to disturb us! We were to ourselves during that time. Once he took me to some other place in Ceylon. In that particular village, H. P. B., Col. Olcott and myself were the only three persons that stopped one night, the rest of our party having gone to a further place. We were all busy there initiating people and forming a branch of our Society till about 12 in the night. H.P. B. and Col. Olcott went to bed at about one. As we had to stay in the village only one night we had got down in the Rest House where comfortable accommodation can be had only for two travellers. I had therefore to lay down in an arm-chair in the dining room. I had scarcely locked from inside the door of the room and laid myself in the chair than I heard a faint knock at the door. It was repeated twice before I had time enough to reach the door. I opened it and what a great joy I felt when I saw [triangle of dots] again! In a very low whisper he ordered me to dress myself and to follow him. At the back door of the Rest House is the Sea. I followed him as he commanded me to do. He brought me to the back door of the place and we walked about three quarters of an hour by the seashore. Then we turned in the direction of the sea. All around there was water except the place we were walking upon which was quite dry!! He was walking in front and I was following him. We thus walked for about seven minutes when we came to a spot that looked like a small island. On the top of the building was a triangular light. From a distance, a person standing on the seashore would think it to be an isolated spot which is covered all over by green bushes. There is only one entrance to go inside. And no one can find it out unless the occupant wishes the person to find the way. After we reached the Island we had to go round about for about five minutes before we came in front of the actual building. There is a little garden in front we found one of the Brothers sitting. I had seen him before in the Council Room and it is to him that this place belongs. [triangle of dots] seated himself near him and I stood before them. We were there for about half an hour. I was shown a part of the place. How very pleasant it is! And inside this place he has a sort of a small room where the body remains when the Spirit moves about. What a charming, delightful spot that is! What a nice smell of roses and various sorts of flowers! I wish I were permitted to visit that place again if I should go to Ceylon another time. The half hour was finished and the time for our leaving the place was near. The master of the place whose name I do not know, placed his blessing hand over my head and and I marched off again. We came back near the door of the room wherein I was to sleep and he suddenly disappeared there on the spot. And following his example as a true disciple I too will now disappear abruptly until the next mail when I shall resume the subject. Yours very truly & Sincerely DAMODAR K. MAVALANKAR

Theosophical Society Pasadena has made many of their HTML books into free PDF e-books; over 60 it appears! http://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/ts/tup-ebooks.htm

A recent title by an American Platonist T.M. Johnson. His translation of Iamblichus' Exhortation to Philosophy is still (I think) the only one in English: http://openingmind.net/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=206&zenid=dc4cb9d64df71b5481fef9ef03eb2993

An innate knowledge of the Gods is coexistent with our very essence; and this knowledge is superior to all judgment and deliberate choice, and subsists prior to reason and demonstration. It is also co-united from the beginning with its proper cause, and is consubsistent with the essential tendency of the soul to The Good. If, indeed, it be requisite to speak the truth, the contact with divinity is not knowledge. For knowledge is in a certain respect separated [from its object] by otherness. But prior to the knowledge, which as one thing knows another, is the uniform connexion with divinity, and which is suspended from the Gods, is spontaneous and inseparable from them. Iamblichus, On the Mysteries, I, iii.

A funny look at encroaching Sovietism... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjiUqb2SSw0

The 2016 International Theosophy Conference in Santa Barbara, is just about over. Here are the videotaped session that Livestream will keep for a time: http://livestream.com/blavatskyhouse

Britain has large increase in those wanting to alter their bodies to opposite sex: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jul/10/transgender-clinic-waiting-times-patient-numbers-soar-gender-identity-services

Theosophy, Platonism and Mahayana, for example, teach knowing one's self as unity with all Life. That is the first step to fulfilling our selfless duty to help others suffer less, & be more happy on their Way to wisdom - buddhahood.

Altruism is the keynote of Theosophy and the cure for all ills; this it is which the real Founders of the Theosophical Society promote as its first object—UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD. Thus even if only in name a body of Altruists, the Theosophical Society has to fight all who under its cover seek to obtain magical powers to use for their own selfish ends and to the hurt of others. Blavatsky in Collected Writings XI:164

There is video of the presentations, some live through Sunday 14 Aug., but all are recorded and available at Livestream for some days or longer... http://livestream.com/blavatskyhouse

Why is an 'adept' - what is the intent or motivation to become one and does it matter?

David Reigle's 31 July blog post on fundamentals of Dzyan book (basis of The Secret Doctrine) is profound and requires some meditation: http://prajnaquest.fr/blog/

National Captive Nations Week: http://dailysignal.com/2016/07/18/communism-still-persists-we-must-remember-nations-where-people-are-not-free/

The 2016 International Theosophical Conference goes from 11 to 14 August, here is the Program and readings related to it and the Study Circles: http://itcconferencesantabarbara.org

Do not seek for truth in any place except in the faculty which cognizes truth which is your inmost self, for it alone can cognize truth. It is the active brain-mind, filled with thoughts of the day, filled with desires of the hour, filled with the prejudices and opinions which are so transitory — and which more than anything else this active brain-mind is afflicted with — which prevent your visioning of the truth, prevent your obtaining the vision sublime. Purucker, Golden Precepts

A major force on the path to buddhahood is the altruistic intention expressed by vowed actions. This chapter 40 of the Avatamsaka Sutra covers the ten vast vows of Samantabhadra Mahasattva. He practiced them and suggests them to any aspirant on the bodhisattva path to buddhahood. http://www.sutrasmantras.info/sutra21.html

The TS Pasadena now has both volumes of References to Blavatsky's The Secret Doctrine online; they are a big help in understanding many passages: http://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/sdrefs/sdrefs-hp.htm

Rapid onset of GD happens; so this survey is designed to learn more about this phenomena. See the July 2 blog entry: 4thWaveNow

A doctor looks at the protocol used to treat gender dysphoria in children: http://www.jpands.org/vol21no2/cretella.pdf Dr Cretella's conclusion: "Conclusion Gender dysphoria (GD) in children is a term used to describe a psychological condition in which a child experiences marked incongruence between his experienced gender and the gender associated with his biological sex. There is no rigorous scientific evidence that GD is an innate trait. Moreover, 80 percent to 95 percent of children with GD accept the reality of their biological sex and achieve emotional health by late adolescence. The treatment of GD in childhood with hormones effectively amounts to mass experimentation on, and sterilization of, youth who are cognitively incapable of providing informed consent. There is a serious ethical problem with allowing irreversible, life-changing procedures to be performed on minors who are too young to give valid consent themselves." Another site questioning the latest fad... https://youthtranscriticalprofessionals.org

A newsletter from the Friends of Theosophical Archives, with much of historical interest regarding Theosophy. http://hypatia.gr/fota/index.php/newsletter They are also on Facebook.

For if we are temperate, we shall still continue to be so, though these calamities may befall us, and if we are contemplators of true beings, neither shall we be plundered of this habit; but all these dreadful events taking place, we shall still persevere in celebrating the rulers of all things, and in investigating the causes of effects. - Proclus, On Providence, Fate, and that which is in our Power, 22, 20

A very funny piece, except the State's enforcers are not laughing. http://thefederalist.com/2016/06/17/transgenderism-is-a-fake-legal-construct/

Giovanni Pico della Mirandola on free will and our divine destiny, if we work for it: http://bactra.org/Mirandola/

Not every Trans is or was happy with the results: http://dailysignal.com/2016/06/09/i-wish-i-had-been-told-about-these-risks-before-i-had-gender-surgery/