The Religion of India
I. When we come to India, the contrast with Egypt and Chaldea is strongly marked. Of the ancient Sumerian culture… Read More »The Religion of India
Charles Johnston
Theosophist, Author, Linguist. Translator of the Upanishads, Gita, Yoga Sutras, etc. Bio: Charles Johnston
The Logos Doctrine
Let us begin by trying to translate as literally as possible the opening passage of Saint John’s Gospel, retaining the… Read More »The Logos Doctrine
Theosophy (Lecture)
The purpose of The Theosophical Society is to keep alive the spiritual intuitions of mankind. Since we are here this… Read More »Theosophy (Lecture)
Gospels and Upanishads
“The principle which gives life, undying and eternally beneficent, is perceived by him who desires perception.” As the clouds are… Read More »Gospels and Upanishads
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
Self and Eternal
“As the web-wombed spider puts forth and draws to him, as trees come forth upon the earth, as from a… Read More »Self and Eternal
The Water of Life
“Narada came to Sanatkumara, saying: Master, teach me to know the Soul: for I have heard from the sages that… Read More »The Water of Life
Talks About Indian Books
I. Introductory “When to the session of sweet silent thought”, as Shakespeare says, “I conjured up remembrance of things past”—as… Read More »Talks About Indian Books
Taittiriya Upanishad 2 (The Lotus of the Bliss of the Eternal)
II.[Translation] The knower of the Eternal obtains the supreme; therefore this is declared: Real, wisdom, endless is the Eternal; he… Read More »Taittiriya Upanishad 2 (The Lotus of the Bliss of the Eternal)
The Doctrine of the Divine Man
Among the discourses of the Buddha there is one named the Lakkhana Suttanta. The first part of the Pali name… Read More »The Doctrine of the Divine Man
The Four Duties of a Dervish
The faith of Islam, the latest of the world-wide religions, is also, in many things, the most materialistic and dogmatic.… Read More »The Four Duties of a Dervish
The White of the Dawn
Long after the passing of Cuchullain, when the father of Oscar, the old man eloquent, had again become young in… Read More »The White of the Dawn
Chandogya Upanishad 4:1-2 (An Old Legend)
[Translation] Janashruti, the grandson of Janashruta, was full of faith, a giver of many gifts, bestowing much cooked food. He… Read More »Chandogya Upanishad 4:1-2 (An Old Legend)
Shankara’s Thought
The glamour of India; the hot, luminous sky; palm trees, with their metallic glitter, fringing her sacred rivers; heavy-curtained mango… Read More »Shankara’s Thought
The Gospels of the Kingdom
In much of our popular theology there is some danger that teachings about Jesus have somewhat overshadowed the teachings of… Read More »The Gospels of the Kingdom
The Religion of the Will
Contents The Will in the Body I. The Search for FoodII. Continuity of LifeIII. The Creative Will in Man The… Read More »The Religion of the Will
Isha Upanishad (By the Master)
By the Master all this is to be clothed and pervaded, whatever moves in this moving world. These words, like… Read More »Isha Upanishad (By the Master)
From the Upanishads
Wilt thou not open thy heart to know What rainbows teach, and sunsets show? Verdict which accumulates From lengthening scroll… Read More »From the Upanishads
The Lesson of Loneliness
We shall learn many good things that we have long forgotten, as we find our way back again to real… Read More »The Lesson of Loneliness
“The Birth of Space”
“Know, the stars yonder, the stars everlasting, Are fugitive also . . . .”—EMERSON. Waves of credulity and of mental… Read More »“The Birth of Space”
Sanskrit Study in the West
I. No event in the intellectual history of the nineteenth century is, perhaps, of so great importance, and likely to… Read More »Sanskrit Study in the West
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 Lessons of Karma
“There’s a divinity that shapes our ends, Rough-hew them how we will.” The idea most usually attached to the word… Read More »The Lessons of Karma
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
King Nala’s Rivals
[Translation] When a fair time had come, and a lucky day and hour, King Bhima called the lords of the… Read More »King Nala’s Rivals
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 Magicians of the Blue Hills
Mme. Blavatsky departed to the land of the unseen’ some seven years ago, but her books go marching along. A… Read More »The Magicians of the Blue Hills
The Genius of the New Era
There is first the intuition of the Soul; that haunting vision of might and joy that has been hovering over… Read More »The Genius of the New Era
Children as Teachers
When we talk of teaching children, of forming their minds and hearts by suggestions taken from the experience of our… Read More »Children as Teachers
Indian Chronology
“It holds through all literature, that our best history is still poetry. It is so in Hebrew, in Sanskrit, and… Read More »Indian Chronology
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?)
Pages from the Upanishads—Mandukya Upanishad
The Four Steps of the Self. The syllable OM is all; its expansion is what has been, what is, what… Read More »Pages from the Upanishads—Mandukya Upanishad
Rajput and Brahman
Aruna’s grandson Shvetaketu came to the gathering of the Panchâlas. He came to Pravâhana the son of Jibala, in the… Read More »Rajput and Brahman
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
Some Parables of the Buddha
It has been well said that when a great Master incarnates, his whole life is a parable. Not only does… Read More »Some Parables of the Buddha
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)
Shankara, Teacher of India
A short time ago, an esteemed friend of mine who has devoted much study to Buddhism in writing of Indian… Read More »Shankara, Teacher of India
The Guatemalan Secret Doctrine
Among students of occultism, there have been persistent traditions of a branch or branches of the Great Lodge in the… Read More »The Guatemalan Secret Doctrine
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
Vakya Sudha (The Essence of the Teaching)
[Translation] Seer and Seen The form is seen, the eye is seer; the mind is both seen and seer. The… Read More »Vakya Sudha (The Essence of the Teaching)
The Heart of the Mystery
[I.] “. . . Beheld the immortals sweatless, steady-eyed, their garlands fresh, and touching not the ground; but he, doubled… Read More »The Heart of the Mystery
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
Vestures of Consciousness
It will be remembered [see “States of Consciousness”] that the crowd of pilgrims who, with Pilgrim Potthapada, were in residence… Read More »Vestures of Consciousness
The Memory of Past Births
Contents PREFACE CHAPTER I. How the Teaching Came. CHAPTER II. The Tradition of the East. CHAPTER III. Where Memory Dwells.… Read More »The Memory of Past Births
The Three Gods of Man
Who could live, who could breath, if the heart of Being were not Joy. It is a shallow age, this… Read More »The Three Gods of Man
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 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
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