The Monad
I. The study of occult cosmogony, however infinite its changes, however varied in parts, can never be undertaken with success… Read More »The Monad
Article
Articles from various theosophical authors.
Forlorn Hope
“Should a wise man utter vain knowledge and fill his belly with the east wind?” (Eliphaz, in Job xv. 2.)… Read More »Forlorn Hope
The Theosophical Society, Its Mission and Its Future
[AS EXPLAINED BY M. EMILE BURNOUF, THE FRENCH ORIENTALIST] “It is another’s fault if he be ungrateful; but it is… Read More »The Theosophical Society, Its Mission and Its Future
Apollonius, Sage of Tyana
During the first century A.D. the lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea comprised the known Western world, where the Roman empire… Read More »Apollonius, Sage of Tyana
William Q. Judge and the Theosophical Movement
It would require a greater knowledge and more skill than the writer possesses, to portray truly the nature of the… Read More »William Q. Judge and the Theosophical Movement
Henry Steel Olcott and the Theosophical Society
To the mentally lazy or obtuse, Theosophy must remain a riddle; for in the world mental as in the world… Read More »Henry Steel Olcott and the Theosophical Society
Misconceptions of Theosophy
Theosophy is a name used at the present time to designate a body of knowledge of which humanity stands in… Read More »Misconceptions of Theosophy
The First Object of the T.S.
When the Parent Theosophical Society was formed at New York, U.S.A., in 1875, by H. P. Blavatsky, associated with William… Read More »The First Object of the T.S.
Some Unavoidable Deductions
Twenty-One years ago, the last message from Madame Blavatsky was written to the American Theosophists. At that time there was… Read More »Some Unavoidable Deductions
The Second Object
“The study of ancient and modern religions, philosophies and sciences, and the demonstration of the importance of such study.” On… Read More »The Second Object
Psychology of Ancient Egypt
In issue no. 14 of Le Lotus there is an article by Franz Lambert, translated from The Sphynx, containing the… Read More »Psychology of Ancient Egypt
Thoth, Divine Scribe
Who is this Thoth, of whom so many explanations are made, and who remains, even so, mysterious, inscrutable? We find… Read More »Thoth, Divine Scribe
The Wisdom of Emptiness
Understanding “emptiness” is presented in Buddhism as the culmination of religious training. It is attained through the systematic practice of… Read More »The Wisdom of Emptiness
Egyptian Teachings in the Light of Theosophy
Verily there was some truth in the old saying, “The Wisdom of the Egyptians.” . . . — H. P.… Read More »Egyptian Teachings in the Light of Theosophy
Three Fundamental Propositions of the Secret Doctrine
There are three fundamental conceptions upon which the Secret Doctrine (Theosophy) rests. They stand—as all truth stands—upon their inherent reasonableness.… Read More »Three Fundamental Propositions of the Secret Doctrine
Let the Work Go On
Perspective enables us to look back over the history of the Theosophical Society and to determine some of the causes… Read More »Let the Work Go On
A Svābhāvika School of Buddhism?
Part 1 As already discussed here, the alleged Svābhāvika school of Buddhism in Nepal that is spoken of in many… Read More »A Svābhāvika School of Buddhism?
God’s Arrival in India
Ancient India is considered to be the spiritual motherland of our planet. According to The Secret Doctrine, it was the… Read More »God’s Arrival in India
Book of Dzyan Research Report: Technical Terms in Stanza I
Serious students of The Secret Doctrine, and especially those who are Theosophical teachers and lecturers, will wish to know what… Read More »Book of Dzyan Research Report: Technical Terms in Stanza I
Book of Dzyan Research Report: Technical Terms in Stanza II
There are seven technical terms in stanza II of the “Book of Dzyan” as translated in H. P. Blavatsky’s The Secret… Read More »Book of Dzyan Research Report: Technical Terms in Stanza II
First Principles
One has to be thoroughly impressed with an idea, which I have in vain endeavored to impart to Theosophists at… Read More »First Principles
“A Comparative Failure”
From some of the incidents in the history of the Theosophical Society we can learn almost as much as from… Read More »“A Comparative Failure”
To the Man in the Street
Unless Theosophy has something definite to offer to the man in the street it may as well disappear from the… Read More »To the Man in the Street
Resurrecting the Dead
There is a doctrine which has prevailed in Western lands for many centuries, known as “The Resurrection of the Dead.”… Read More »Resurrecting the Dead
William Q. Judge
WILLIAM Q. JUDGE departed from his body on the 21st of March, 1896; so it is eminently fitting that this… Read More »William Q. Judge
Learned Barbarism
The March issue of Theosophy contained the reprint of an article by H. P. Blavatsky which was based on a… Read More »Learned Barbarism
The Purpose of Life
Who is there among men to whom a certain knowledge of the purpose of life would not be welcome? Probably… Read More »The Purpose of Life
Jainism
The mighty task of bringing together the various factions and of and revitalizing the great philosophy underlying the ancient Vedas… Read More »Jainism
The Fourteenfold Path of the Jains
Any one of you who has once felt the touch of the god within never is the same again. Never… Read More »The Fourteenfold Path of the Jains
Ahimsa
Ahimsa paramo dharma: Nonviolence is the highest religion Nonviolence, ahimsa, is the central doctrine of Jainism. It also plays an… Read More »Ahimsa
The Twenty-four “Buddhas” of Jainism
The barefoot beggar who wanders through India sweeping the dust from his path lest unintentionally he crush by his step… Read More »The Twenty-four “Buddhas” of Jainism
A Lamp of the True Light
Vast as is the legacy of the skilled and illustrious Jain scholars and artisans, equally extensive is the contribution of… Read More »A Lamp of the True Light
The Logic of Jain Mystical Doctrines
The teachings of Jainism are presented in their sutras and commentaries with such mathematical exactness and logic one can’t help… Read More »The Logic of Jain Mystical Doctrines
Unbroken Chain of Oral Tradition
Didactic ballads and folklore are the most precious remnants of a glorious culture that disappeared from the surface of our… Read More »Unbroken Chain of Oral Tradition
The Art of Writing in India
Part I Though the art of writing was known to the ancient Vedic sages, it was used extensively only in… Read More »The Art of Writing in India
The Vedic Schism
Somewhere in the third millennium BC a great conference was held on the slopes of the Himalayas to discuss a… Read More »The Vedic Schism
The Vedas: Soil of Buddhism
In ancient cultures, such as that of the Indo-Aryans or the Druids, literacy and education were not considered of general… Read More »The Vedas: Soil of Buddhism
A Wonder of Ancient India: The Mahabharata
Daunted by its size and a misconception that an intimate understanding of Hinduism was needed, I never considered taking the Mahabharata off… Read More »A Wonder of Ancient India: The Mahabharata
Evolution in the Vishnu Purana
In H. P. Blavatsky’s Secret Doctrine we find over 100 direct references to the Vishnu Purana, largely in her discussions of cosmic and… Read More »Evolution in the Vishnu Purana
Creation Stories: The Cosmogony Account from the Purāṇas
Part 1. On the Original Purāṇa-saṃhitā The first place that one would look when seeking knowledge of cosmogony from Indian… Read More »Creation Stories: The Cosmogony Account from the Purāṇas
The Seven Creations in the Puranas
The Seven Creations in the Puranas by Nancy Reigle H. P. Blavatsky tells us in the Proem of The Secret… Read More »The Seven Creations in the Puranas
Sāṃkhya and the Wisdom-Religion
The existence of the once universal Wisdom-Religion was made known to the modern world by H. P. Blavatsky, who called… Read More »Sāṃkhya and the Wisdom-Religion
Yoga in Daily Life
It is often thought that yoga, as expounded by the most famous authority on the subject, namely Patanjali, is something… Read More »Yoga in Daily Life
The Yoga of Dharana
Dharana is a Sanskrit word coming from the verb-root dhri — meaning to maintain, direct and resolve. Hence the term implies a… Read More »The Yoga of Dharana
Indian Yoga and the Modern World
In one of Dr. Paul Brunton’s earlier works, A Search in Secret India, he says that although Yoga “is one… Read More »Indian Yoga and the Modern World
Yoga and Enlightenment
There are several different schools of yoga. Best known in the West is hatha yoga. It involves bodily postures and… Read More »Yoga and Enlightenment