Ever since the rise of Greek rationalism, and probably long before that, myths have had bad reviews. In the early 5th century bce Xenophanes openly challenged Olympian… Read More »Plato’s Myths and the Mystery Tradition
The stream of an ancient wisdom flows out of a remote antiquity. At times traces of its existence are observable while at others, when dogmatism… Read More »Pythagoras’ Contribution
How the prehistoric Anasazi, the Ancient Ones, perceived the universe may not be so different from certain theosophic perspectives of the cosmos. The Pueblo Indians… Read More »Autumn Equinox at the World Quarter Shrine
People are sometimes surprised to hear that Theosophy is radically different from any of the popular blends of science and religion offered under a variety… Read More »Theosophy in Name and Reality
Opening Prayer: If you would walk the paths of the American Indian — be prepared. Walk softly, O My Sisters, O My Brothers. Tread lightly,… Read More »American Indian Vision Quest
Dennis Tedlock’s recent translation of the Quiche Mayan Popol Vuh* is one of the finest, and as such is attracting widespread attention. It, together with his introduction,… Read More »[Review:] The Mayan Popol Vuh
The words gnosis and gnosticism have come into our thinking these days largely because of the discoveries of a Gnostic library at Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in 1945, and of… Read More »The Gnosis according to Plato
Buddhism is known as a religion of enlightenment and emancipation or freedom. Buddha is a generic name given to one who has realized enlightenment or… Read More »Buddhism: The Path of Compassion
Laya is what Science may call the Zero-point or line, the realm of absolute negativeness, or the one real absolute Force, the NOUMENON of the… Read More »The Zero Principle
The ancient Egyptians conceived man and kosmos to be dual: firstly, the High God or Divine Mind arose out of the Primeval Waters of space… Read More »Light from Ancient Egypt
Brotherhood is generally accepted as a noble sentiment, a grand ideal, but personal and international events show how frequently it is disregarded. Our egocentricity and… Read More »Brotherhood: Pattern in Nature
These are the secret words Spoken by the Living Jesus, And recorded by Didymus Judas Thomas. 1. Jesus said: He who uncovers The significance of… Read More »The Gospel of Thomas
What does modern science know of the duration of the ages of the World, or even of the length of geological periods? Nothing; absolutely nothing.… Read More »Continuity of Consciousness
Father, give me the light of your mind, / that my mind may be strong; / Give me some of your strength, / that my… Read More »Monster Slayer’s Hero Quest—the Navaho Way
The idea that man has an immortal spiritual nature, or at least an ethereal body which survives death, has been expressed over the centuries in… Read More »The Papyrus of Ani—Initiation and the After-Life
Contents Illustration of Palm Leaf Manuscript Foreword Introduction Acknowledgments Canto I – The Twin Verses II – On Vigilance III – The Mind IV – The… Read More »Dhammapada, Wisdom of the Buddha
What is the native American’s view of death? Tribal traditions about the matter vary in expression but are not at variance one with another on… Read More »Death and the Tree of Life
Fix thy Soul’s gate upon the Star whose ray thou art, the flaming Star that shines within the lightless depths of ever-being, the boundless fields… Read More »Knowledge and Negligence
“Man is made From Everything” is a beautiful Navaho saying that is pregnant with implications. It means that we human beings are compound of every… Read More »Continuous Journey to the Sun
It is probable that people in general do not realize that all who betake themselves to philosophy in the right way are engaged in one… Read More »The Ancient Mysteries:A Great Light, A Force for Good
Before the beginning of the making-anew, only the Maker and Container of All, the All-father Father, had being. Nothing else whatsoever was, through the great… Read More »Children of the Rainbow
Pythagoras was revered in India as Pitar Guru, Father and Teacher, and as Yavanacharya, the Ionian philosopher. He was known by other names in ancient… Read More »Pythagoras and His School
If we consider man as composed of body, soul and spirit, then the sacred pilgrim in Greek thought is the human essence engaged in the… Read More »The Sacred Pilgrim in Greek Thought
Happiness comes to him, through whom happiness goes out to others. — Ushtavaiti Gastha Alexander’s conquest of the 4th century BC brought with it a… Read More »The Vision of Ardai Viraf
Mazdean teachings explain that because all creatures are equally important parts of one “Vast Individual,” whatever gives pleasure or pain to one, affects for good… Read More »The “Vast Individual”
Aid me by light, and vivify me by light, and guard me by light, and unite me unto light! I ask of Thee, O Worthy… Read More »The Prophet of Light
The Persian story of beginnings is of the rebecoming, the renovation, of what has ever existed and is repeatedly refashioned in manifested appearances. These appearances… Read More »The Story of Beginnings
The logic of discipleship is implicit in the fundamental law of cosmogenesis and cosmic evolution—the law of sacrifice. The disciple strives to gain critical knowledge… Read More »William Quan Judge
Here at hand is The Desatir, which Zoroastrians call the Book of God, the message-bearer and nourisher, not only of the wisest and best, but… Read More »The Book of God
On I Chuen our Lord took out from itself its Divinity, and made heaven and earth. On 2 Eb it made the first ladder to… Read More »I, The Great Mystery
The Tao that can be expressed is not the eternal Tao;The name that can be defined is not the unchanging name.Non-existence is called the antecedent… Read More »Renovation Follows Renovation Without Cease
The ancient Egyptians believed that the numerous gods of their pantheon were emanations from the First Cause of all life which, before the moment of… Read More »The Radiant Thread of Egyptian Myth
Atmanam atmana pasya Meditation and self-study are of immeasurable importance to every single person. They concern the longest journey of the soul, the divine discontent… Read More »Meditation and Self-Study
The teachings of Jainism are presented in their sutras and commentaries with such mathematical exactness and logic one can’t help exclaiming, how true, how clear,… Read More »The Logic of Jain Mystical Doctrines
Vast as is the legacy of the skilled and illustrious Jain scholars and artisans, equally extensive is the contribution of the humble and industrious aspirants… Read More »A Lamp of the True Light
The barefoot beggar who wanders through India sweeping the dust from his path lest unintentionally he crush by his step some beetle or seed may… Read More »The Twenty-four “Buddhas” of Jainism
The remains of Maya civilization were discovered during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by amateur archaeologists who came to Central America. Better prepared individuals in… Read More »Those Mysterious Maya?
[Part 1] There was an ancient American theosophy which taught conceptions of the universe and of man just as lofty, profound, and spiritual as any… Read More »The Theosophy of Ancient America
Part One The question of how and when man first arrived in the Americas is far from settled, for the whole Western Hemisphere is covered… Read More »Where Did the ‘Americans’ Come From?
A student at one of the Eastern colleges of the United States writes in that he has more questions than time to ask, and these… Read More »On Plato’s Theory of Ideas
The mighty task of bringing together the various factions and of and revitalizing the great philosophy underlying the ancient Vedas was undertaken by two great… Read More »Jainism
Imagine, if you will, a people who had a complex written language that suffered no major changes for more than a thousand years; whose cultural… Read More »Ciphers and Civilizations
Somewhere in the third millennium BC a great conference was held on the slopes of the Himalayas to discuss a problematic Vedic injunction which was… Read More »The Vedic Schism
In ancient cultures, such as that of the Indo-Aryans or the Druids, literacy and education were not considered of general major importance, because they were… Read More »The Vedas: Soil of Buddhism
The following impromptu address was given during a long trip on a Chinese Cargo Liner. Each Sunday morning there was a short religious service during… Read More »The Three Noble Teachers of Ancient China
Part One In a just published book, Before Columbus (Crown Publishers, Inc., N.Y. 1971; 224 pages, $6.50; see review article, “A Question of Maps,” Sunrise August 19, 1967), Dr. Cyrus… Read More »Ancient America
The resurgence of life during the vernal equinox has been celebrated by all peoples who have inherited from remotest antiquity the meaning of what occurs… Read More »The Two Faces of Egypt
Part I Though the art of writing was known to the ancient Vedic sages, it was used extensively only in the inscriptions of the Indus… Read More »The Art of Writing in India
The most precious relic of Pre-Columbian culture in Mexico is the Aztec Calendar Stone. This immense object of basaltic porphyry measures thirteen feet in diameter… Read More »Aztec Calendar Stone
Didactic ballads and folklore are the most precious remnants of a glorious culture that disappeared from the surface of our globe many centuries prior to… Read More »Unbroken Chain of Oral Tradition
The ancient Egyptian civilizations is still strange to us after many decades of research into its features and history. It seems so contradictory and presents… Read More »The Riddle of Ancient Egypt
“In thus affording even the superficial thinker and the weak or illogical reasoner a perfect basis for ethics and an unerring guide in life, Theosophy… Read More »Is Theosophy a “Revelation”?
In the ocean of worldly life man strives for happiness. His knowledge and experience of the past years of the present incarnation are consubstantial with… Read More »The First Step
Evolution is the oldest teaching in the world, and misconceptions and misunderstandings of it are as old as man. To many people, doubtless, the ideas… Read More »Seeds and Seedlings: Evolution and the Evolver
It would be natural enough, perhaps, to suppose that a subject such as Basic Principles of Theosophy—or “basic principles” of anything else—would be a subject… Read More »Basic Principles of Theosophy
This doctrine of the perfectibility of man is easily comprehended by some men, but is extremely difficult for others—due to centuries of dissemination of the… Read More »Seeds and Seedlings: The Doctrine of Perfectibility
I will give you the story of Creation, as it was taught by the ancient Druids in Wales. It is to be taken as symbolical,… Read More »War-Cry of the Soul
Use of the term evolution has gone through many interesting stages. Following the advent of Darwin, this word served as a rallying cry for all… Read More »Word Puzzles: Evolution
How are we to make practical use of our faith in universal brotherhood? One answer is by adventuring in brotherhood. Perhaps you object: “I have… Read More »Adventuring in Brotherhood
From a manuscript entitled “Aryan Philosophy, etc.,” in the handwriting of William Q. Judge, and preserved in the archives of the Theosophical Society. The Bhagavad-Gita is… Read More »The Yoga of Self-Discipline
“This is not a new translation. It is only a rendition. Over a score of translations have been consulted in its compilation and of course… Read More »Dhammapada (Theosophy Co. Rendition)
A realization that all men are brothers is the greatest need of the world today. No “ism” or ideology, no social, economic or political system,… Read More »World Brotherhood—In Spite of Ourselves
Pythagoras was born about 528 B.C., and his parents, Mnesarchus and Pythais were citizens of Samos and descendants of Ancaeus, who, it is said by… Read More »On Pythagoras
Asked, “What is Zen?”, there is only one truthful answer, “That’s it!” For Zen is beyond description. It is the life within form and only… Read More »In Search of Zen
There are men, and plenty of them, who think that when something has been classified in accordance with the prevailing system of filing, they know… Read More »The Nature of Zen Buddhism
It is said — and what is tradition but truth in the robes of poetry? — that once, when the Buddha was seated with his… Read More »The Birth of Zen Buddhism
H. P. Blavatsky declared quite candidly to theosophists that Theosophy, alone, would enable them to form a nucleus of a universal brotherhood of humanity and… Read More »Is Theosophy Vague?
To The casual reader, the original Constitution or “By-laws of the Theosophical Society,” as published with its Preamble1 on October 30, 1875, signify little more than a… Read More »The Corresponding Secretary
Inspired by the conviction that the Theosophical Society was the inevitable outgrowth of the spiritual demands of the century, its Founders valiantly strove, without concealment… Read More »Our Directives: A Study of the Evolution of the “Objects of the T.S.”—from 1875 to 1891
It is often thought that yoga, as expounded by the most famous authority on the subject, namely Patanjali, is something to be attempted only by… Read More »Yoga in Daily Life
The first law of life is Co-operation, or Spiritual Unity. If this were realized by men of all nations, brotherhood would be universally applied, embracing… Read More »Universal Brotherhood
The doctrine of Cycles is emphasized in Theosophy, as it is so many-sided and so far-reaching in its application to all phases of life and… Read More »The Doctrine of Cycles
The Chinese have the oldest and the finest civilisation extant, not excepting that of India. Compared with them we in the West are in many… Read More »The Religion of China
In one of Dr. Paul Brunton’s earlier works, A Search in Secret India, he says that although Yoga “is one of the most valuable inheritances… Read More »Indian Yoga and the Modern World
Dharana is a Sanskrit word coming from the verb-root dhri — meaning to maintain, direct and resolve. Hence the term implies a purposive directing of the mind… Read More »The Yoga of Dharana
Verily there was some truth in the old saying, “The Wisdom of the Egyptians.” . . . — H. P. Blavatsky Origen tells us (in Contra… Read More »Egyptian Teachings in the Light of Theosophy
Writing of reincarnation, Lessing, dramatist and philosopher of the eighteenth century enlightenment in Germany, summed up the meaning of this doctrine and its most powerful… Read More »Reincarnation—The Hidden Doctrine
Contents Chapter 1: The Yoga of Theosophy Chapter 2: A Tibetan Aspect of Yoga Chapter 3: Yoga in India Chapter 4: The Buddhas of Compassion Chapter… Read More »Yoga and Yoga Discipline: A Theosophical Interpretation
It is futile to accept revelations on anybody’s say-so. They convey no knowledge, and it is actual knowledge that is required by each one. Shibboleths… Read More »Work for Theosophy
In regard to the work Peaks and Lamas 1 we agree with Dr Coomaraswamy’s appreciation in Asia magazine that this: is one of those very… Read More »The Tibetan Buddhist Tradition
The Wandering Heart The downfall of every civilization is caused by the weak morals of those who live in and by it. False knowledge or… Read More »Studies in the Voice of the Silence
During the lifetime of Plato there was little if any dissension among his pupils. But after his death in 347 B.C. a decided breach occurred.… Read More »From Plato to the Neoplatonists
The Golden Age of Greece lasted from the seventh to the fourth century B.C. During those three hundred years the Greeks laid the foundation stone… Read More »The Greek Drama
When Socrates was sixty years old, Plato, then a youth of twenty, came to him as a pupil. When Plato was sixty years old, the… Read More »Plato and Aristotle
One night in the year 407 B.C., Socrates had a dream. He saw a graceful white swan flying toward him with a melodious song trilling… Read More »Plato
The Age of the Tyrants, which produced the “Seven Wise Men,” the early Ionian School and the Pythagorean School, ended about 500 B.C. Shortly afterward… Read More »Socrates
Universal Brotherhood is a Theosophist’s way of saying that all things in Nature are akin, from the dust under our feet to the farthest star… Read More »Universal Brotherhood
It was an auspicious day for the student at Crotona when Pythagoras received him into his own dwelling and welcomed him as a disciple. The… Read More »The Pythagorean Science of Numbers
Twenty-five centuries ago the island of Samos was one of the garden spots of Ionia. Colonized hundreds of years before by a group of Arcadians… Read More »Pythagoras
The millennium which extended from the time of Buddha and Pythagoras in the sixth century B.C., until the final suppression of the Neoplatonists in the sixth… Read More »The First Greek Philosophers
At the time of the early Third Race, high Intelligences from previous periods of evolution incarnated upon this globe in order to form a nursery… Read More »The Greek Mysteries
On a blustery February afternoon in 1874 the German-American archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann climbed the hard steep road leading to the Cyclopean citadel of Mycenae, in… Read More »The Prehistoric Greeks
On January 29, 1737, a son was born to Joseph Paine, a humble staymaker living in Thetford, England. A great soul had come into incarnation;… Read More »Thomas Paine
One of the most mysterious characters in modern history is the famous Count de St. Germain, described by his friend Prince Karl von Hesse as… Read More »The Count de St. Germain
For 150 years Alessandro Cagliostro has been defamed as the arch-impostor of the eighteenth century. Why? Because it is claimed that Cagliostro was one of… Read More »Cagliostro
The little town of Amboise in Touraine is redolent with memories. There, in the fourth century, Saint Martin, patron of Tours, overthrew an ancient pyramidal… Read More »Louis Claude de Saint-Martin
Mesmerism was from the philosophical standpoint the most pregnant of all discoveries, even though for the moment it propounded more riddles than it solved.—Schopenhauer As… Read More »Anton Mesmer
Jacob Boehme was born in the little village of Alt Seidenburg, near Goerlitz, in 1575. Although his Theosophical co-workers, Giordano Bruno and Robert Fludd, incarnated… Read More »Jacob Boehme
About twelve miles from Naples, on the northeastern slope of Mount Vesuvius, stands the little town of Nola. First settled by a colony of Chaldean… Read More »Giordano Bruno
An old Persian proverb says, “The darker the sky, the brighter the stars will shine.” Perhaps the very darkness of the European firmament during the… Read More »The Rosicrucians