The Priestess of Isis and her Accusers
To the Editor of THE IRISH THEOSOPHIST. Dear Sir.,—Wide publicity having recently been given to attacks on the late Mme.… Read More »The Priestess of Isis and her Accusers
Charles Johnston
Theosophist, Author, Linguist. Translator of the Upanishads, Gita, Yoga Sutras, etc. Bio: Charles Johnston
A Visit to the Buddha
Something has been said of the relation of Siddhartha the Compassionate to the Masters, according to the Suttas and more… Read More »A Visit to the Buddha
A Trap for a Friend
Not exactly a trap, though even if a very valuable truth has allowed itself to be caught therein. It happened… Read More »A Trap for a Friend
Self-Glorification or Self-Conquest
I. In the first two Gospels, there is a story of gentle irony at the expense of the non-discerning disciples.… Read More »Self-Glorification or Self-Conquest
Taittiriya Upanishad 1 (The Lotus of the Teaching)
I. [Translation] Om Bless us Mitra; bless us Varuna; bless us Aryaman; bless us Indra, Vrhaspati; bless us wide-stepping Vishnu.… Read More »Taittiriya Upanishad 1 (The Lotus of the Teaching)
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
A Page of the Apocalypse
I. One of the purposes of the Theosophical Society is to pursue the comparative study of religions, with a view… Read More »A Page of the Apocalypse
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
Materialistic Science (A Summary)
In the August number of this Magazine, in an essay entitled “Two Thousand Years Ago,” I endeavoured to show that… Read More »Materialistic Science (A Summary)
Mundaka Upanishad (The Two Wisdoms)
I. [Translation] The Evolver first of the bright ones came into being, the maker of the whole, the guardian of… Read More »Mundaka Upanishad (The Two Wisdoms)
Chandogya Upanishad 1:8-2:21 (The Mysteries of Sound 2)
[Translation] Three, verily, were skilled in the up-singing Shilaka Shalavatya, Chaikitayana Dalbhya, Pravahana Jaivala. They said: In the up-singing, indeed,… Read More »Chandogya Upanishad 1:8-2:21 (The Mysteries of Sound 2)
Kena Upanishad (By Whom?)
By whom impelled flies the forward-impelled Mind? By whom compelled does the First Life go forth? By whom impelled is… Read More »Kena Upanishad (By Whom?)
Rajput and Brahman in Buddha’s Day
The understanding of Buddhism by Western scholars is in general marked by certain limitations. To begin with, they are inclined… Read More »Rajput and Brahman in Buddha’s Day
The Songs of the Master
I. In the Bhagavad Gita, first translated and best known of all the Sacred Books of the East, there is… Read More »The Songs of the Master
The Dream of Life
Dream, wherein the Self is mirrored, has two, powers,—to extend and to envelope; enveloping the habitual self and its world,… Read More »The Dream of Life
Lovers of the East: Anquetil Duperron (1731-1805)
Who opened the doors of the east to the west? Who brought to the west the light of the east?… Read More »Lovers of the East: Anquetil Duperron (1731-1805)
The Books of Hidden Wisdom
. . . Beheld the Gods all, sweatless, steady-eyed, their flower-wreaths fresh and dust-free, as they stood, touching not the… Read More »The Books of Hidden Wisdom
The Secret of Power
“He who, dwelling in the earth, is other than the earth. whom the earth knows not, for whom the earth… Read More »The Secret of Power
The Childhood and Youth of St. Paul
“When I was a child . . .” The religions of the Orient give us a wide view of life… Read More »The Childhood and Youth of St. Paul
The Indian Renaissance
At the close of the nineteenth century, the scientific ideal was already visibly losing its power. Very strange; yet an… Read More »The Indian Renaissance
Reminiscences [Clement Griscom]
One whose memory of The Theosophical Society goes back for thirty-four years, of necessity recalls many deaths, and, unhappily, many… Read More »Reminiscences [Clement Griscom]
“Two Professors.” Christian and Skeptic.
At the recent May Meeting of the Church Missionary Society, Sir M. Monier-Williams felt impelled to lay before the world… Read More »“Two Professors.” Christian and Skeptic.
“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”
Classification of Principles
[Note: for some background, see: Classification of “Principles”] It seems a pity that the time and energies of our brothers… Read More »Classification of Principles
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
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
The Buddha’s Teaching of the Logos
For millenniums the Brahman community has dominated the religious and intellectual life of India. It may be added that, today,… Read More »The Buddha’s Teaching of the Logos
Gleams from the Dawn-Land
The Peaks of Atlantis Frequent allusion is made, in the pages of the Secret Doctrine, to the reminiscences still existing… Read More »Gleams from the Dawn-Land
Tattva Bodha (Shankaracharya’s Catechism)
Introduction This charming little treatise bears in Sanskrit the title Tattva Bodha, which means “The Awakening to Reality,” or, to… Read More »Tattva Bodha (Shankaracharya’s Catechism)
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 Meaning of Om
According to the tradition of the Eastern Mysteries, the syllable Om is divided into three parts: a-u-m. These three parts… Read More »The Meaning of Om
The Sermon on the Mount
I. In studying the Teachings of Jesus, we shall do well ever to bear in mind his words to his… Read More »The Sermon on the Mount
Theosophy (Lecture)
Perhaps it would be an auspicious beginning, if we were to try to make clear what The Theosophical Society is,… Read More »Theosophy (Lecture)
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”
“Vita Brevis”
Whither are gone the great lords of the earth, with their might of chariots and armies? The earth, that witnessed… Read More »“Vita Brevis”
Aitareya Upanishad (Macrocosm and Microcosm)
I. Atma, verily, Universal Self, alone was this in the beginning, nor was aught else with opening and closing eyes.… Read More »Aitareya Upanishad (Macrocosm and Microcosm)
The Ideal Brahman
It has been suggested that the principal purpose of the Buddha, in all that he did and taught, was the… Read More »The Ideal Brahman
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
[True Poverty and True Wealth]
There is one Lord, the inmost soul of all beings, who makes visible one power in many forms;—they who behold… Read More »[True Poverty and True Wealth]
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 Sevenfold Counsels of Perfection
The manner in which the Buddhist scriptures came into being has set its mark on them in two ways. First,… Read More »The Sevenfold Counsels of Perfection
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 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
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
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
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 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