Kshatriya and Brahman
In the Pali Suttas the teachings of the Buddha are conveyed, not in philosophical abstractions, but in lively narratives with… Read More »Kshatriya and Brahman
Charles Johnston
Theosophist, Author, Linguist. Translator of the Upanishads, Gita, Yoga Sutras, etc. Bio: Charles Johnston
The States of Consciousness
“When the eyes that are beneath are closed, Then the eyes that are above are opened.” Orphic Mysteries. About two… Read More »The States of Consciousness
Eloquent, Just, and Mighty Death
It is part of the strange, deceptive quality of things, that nothing should teach us so much of life, nothing… Read More »Eloquent, Just, and Mighty Death
“For I Desired Mercy, and Not Sacrifice”
Toward the close of the nineteenth century, it was the custom among Occidental students of Buddhism to maintain that the… Read More »“For I Desired Mercy, and Not Sacrifice”
Cain and Abel
“The first step is Sacrifice; the next, Renunciation.” “’Es leuchtet mir ein, I see a glimpse of it!’ cries he,… Read More »Cain and Abel
The Meaning of OM
Mandukya Upanishad The unchanging Om is the All. Its expansion is, what has been, what is, what shall be. And… Read More »The Meaning of OM
The Logos and Life
E la sua volontate è nostra pace: Ella è quel mare, al qual tutto si move Ciò ch’ ella crea… Read More »The Logos and Life
“The Second Wave”
Have you ever stood on the shore, and watched the incoming tide? First a tiny ripple advances a few inches… Read More »“The Second Wave”
The Song of Life
The Gospels are the perfect flower of Palestine. The Upanishads are the chiefest treasure of most ancient India. The heart… Read More »The Song of Life
The Opening Eyelids of the Morn
“There is a small white lotus bud in this house of the Soul; in it there is a firmament, and… Read More »The Opening Eyelids of the Morn
States of Consciousness
One of the Buddhist Suttas is known as the Potthapada Sutta, so called in honour of the Brahman to whom… Read More »States of Consciousness
Chandogya Upanishad 1:1-7 (The Mysteries of Sound 1)
Note: It will be advisable to study the Commentary that follows, before reading this translation. [Translation] OM: let a man… Read More »Chandogya Upanishad 1:1-7 (The Mysteries of Sound 1)
The Religion of Chaldea
The land long known as Chaldea, wherein many nations successively grew and ruled, bears striking resemblances to the land of… Read More »The Religion of Chaldea
Theosophy (Lecture)
The subject of this lecture is Theosophy. One sometimes fancies that members of the audience who have come to these… Read More »Theosophy (Lecture)
Occultism in the Upanishads
“The true desires are overlaid with false; though true, there is a false covering-up of them. For if any one… Read More »Occultism in the Upanishads
The Vedanta in Daily Life
Every land has something to contribute to our life. In many cases we may recognize our indebtedness. Thus from Rome… Read More »The Vedanta in Daily Life
The Great War and the Great Initiation
Readers of the THEOSOPHICAL QUARTERLY who are acquainted with the Bhagavad Gita have been struck, again and again, with the… Read More »The Great War and the Great Initiation
Building on Recollection
While the Suttas record instances in which the Buddha spoke eloquently to groups of villagers, to large numbers of men… Read More »Building on Recollection
The Logos and Meditation
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say… Read More »The Logos and Meditation
Theosophy (Lecture)
The lecture given once a year is part of the Convention of The Theosophical Society, during which we hold meetings… Read More »Theosophy (Lecture)
A Rajput Sage
The story of this Rajput Sage is a very ancient and very significant one. We have two versions of it,… Read More »A Rajput Sage
The Fruits of Discipleship
The questions of King Ajatashatru, with the Buddha’s answers, make up the Sutta called The Fruits of Discipleship. There is… Read More »The Fruits of Discipleship
Giordano Bruno: A Martyr Theosophist
[Reference: “The Heroic Enthusiasts” (Gli Eroici Furori), of Giordano Bruno, translated by L. Williams. (George Redway, London, 1887.)] “My name… Read More »Giordano Bruno: A Martyr Theosophist
The Vedanta Philosophy
I. Two things seem to me to distinguish our philosophy in the West from the philosophy of India, especially in… Read More »The Vedanta Philosophy
Does Consciousness Evolve? The Answer of the Vedanta
To the question, Does Consciousness Evolve? the Vedanta answers, yes, and no. Personal consciousness evolves, from childhood to maturity, from… Read More »Does Consciousness Evolve? The Answer of the Vedanta
Patanjali and His Disciples
Dr. J. Haughton Woods prints, in the November number of the Journal of the American Oriental Society, a translation of… Read More »Patanjali and His Disciples
Eastern and Western Psychology
I. A Theosophical Need Mr. Judge writes, in one of the closing chapters of The Ocean of Theosophy, that “there… Read More »Eastern and Western Psychology
The Buddha’s Cosmology
The teaching of the Buddha, particularly where it is most profound and spiritual, is for all practical purposes identical with… Read More »The Buddha’s Cosmology
The Symbolism of the Upanishads
I. Students of the Oriental Theosophy, which finds its highest expression in the Ten Upanishads, are met at the outset… Read More »The Symbolism of the Upanishads
The Turning Tide
“There are those who draw near to Thee through will, holding Thee ever in their hearts: there are those who… Read More »The Turning Tide
The Dangers of Psychism
A number of short treatises, in verse and prose, are attributed to the great Indian Teacher, Shankaracharya, though it is… Read More »The Dangers of Psychism
Madame Blavatsky’s Forbears
Through her grandmother, Princess Dolgoruki, Madame Blavatsky was descended from Prince Yuri Dolgoruki, that is, Yuri the Long-armed, who founded… Read More »Madame Blavatsky’s Forbears
The Antiquity of India
In previous articles on Primeval Man,1 we have tried to outline and develop a view of the unfolding of history,… Read More »The Antiquity of India
An Outline of the “Secret Doctrine”
In these papers an attempt will be made to give a clear account of the theory of life and development… Read More »An Outline of the “Secret Doctrine”
Sankara, the Teacher
The Upanishads, Buddha, and Sankara: these are the three great lights of Indian wisdom. The Upanishads far away in the… Read More »Sankara, the Teacher
The Early Races in the Popol Vuh
[I.] We have heard much of the Sacred Books of the East. It is time to say something of the… Read More »The Early Races in the Popol Vuh
Three Books on the Vedanta
1. The System of the Vedanta, by Prof. Paul Deussen. 2. The Philosophy of the Upanishads, by Prof. Paul Deussen.… Read More »Three Books on the Vedanta
Stories of the Mysteries
Besides the great Books of the Mysteries, we may recognize, in the spiritual records of all peoples and all times,… Read More »Stories of the Mysteries
Songs of the Master
[I.] Introductory Before all things remember that the Bhagavad Gita is a textbook of the Mysteries. It has seven keys,… Read More »Songs of the Master
Orcus; or Past and Future
It was almost midnight. I was sitting in the parlous of a quaint old ivy-clad house, over whose high-gabled, red-tiled… Read More »Orcus; or Past and Future
Dream and Dreamlessness
“What is he Soul? The Soul is consciousness among the powers of life. It is the inner light in the… Read More »Dream and Dreamlessness
The Guardian of the Gate
“Seeking the gifts of the gods, Vajashravasa of old offered up all his possessions. He had a son, by name… Read More »The Guardian of the Gate
The Religion of Ancient Egypt
Introductory We must study religions from within, not from without. If we ourselves genuinely believe in spiritual life and spiritual… Read More »The Religion of Ancient Egypt
The Buddha’s Former Births
[Introduction] Among the great religions of the world, none has been so greatly misunderstood in our day as the teaching… Read More »The Buddha’s Former Births
Dramas of the Mysteries
Let the king resolve to change the face of his court and forcibly evict the animal from the chair of… Read More »Dramas of the Mysteries
Nala and the Gods (Mahabharata)
And when the king of the Nishadhas had been chosen by the daughter of Bhima, the lords of the worlds… Read More »Nala and the Gods (Mahabharata)
The Great Upanishads
“From every page of the Upanishads, deep, original, lofty thoughts step forth to meet us while a high and holy… Read More »The Great Upanishads
Lovers of the East: Henry Thomas Colebrooke (1765-1837)
A satirical critic of our orientalists once said that their capacity, like the Word divine in the heavens, had three… Read More »Lovers of the East: Henry Thomas Colebrooke (1765-1837)