Psychology—The Science of the Soul
Ethics and law are, so far, only in the phases where there are as yet no theories, and barely systems,… Read More »Psychology—The Science of the Soul
The Substantial Nature of Magnetism
Materialists who arraign the Occultists and Theosophists for believing that every Force (so called) in Nature has at its origin… Read More »The Substantial Nature of Magnetism
1888
People usually wish that their friends shall have a happy new year, and sometimes “prosperous” is added to “happy.” It… Read More »1888
[On Materialistic Views]
Article selections by William Oxley | Notes by H.P.B. . . . It will be new to many of your… Read More »[On Materialistic Views]
Yoga and Yoga Discipline: A Theosophical Interpretation
Contents Chapter 1: The Yoga of Theosophy Chapter 2: A Tibetan Aspect of Yoga Chapter 3: Yoga in India Chapter 4:… Read More »Yoga and Yoga Discipline: A Theosophical Interpretation
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
[On Kama-rupas and Kama-loka]
Correspondence question by “N.D.” | Reply by H.P.B. “As the Editors of Lucifer kindly invite questions concerning Theosophy and kindred… Read More »[On Kama-rupas and Kama-loka]
From the Note Book of an Unpopular Philosopher (2)
Scientific Notes De Profundis! [out of the depths] The world of science has just sustained a heavy loss, an irreparable… Read More »From the Note Book of an Unpopular Philosopher (2)
[On Knowledge of Post-Mortem States]
A lady writes from America: In the fourth number of Lucifer on page 328 are the words: “Enough has been… Read More »[On Knowledge of Post-Mortem States]
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
[Notes on “Buddhist Doctrine of the Western Heaven”]
Article selections by Rev. Joseph Edkins | Notes by H.P.B. On the interest attaching to the hope of a future… Read More »[Notes on “Buddhist Doctrine of the Western Heaven”]
Occultism Versus the Occult Arts
“I oft have heard, but ne’er believed till now,There are, who can by potent spellsBend to their crooked purpose Nature’s… Read More »Occultism Versus the Occult Arts
H. P. Blavatsky to the Fifth Annual American Convention, Re: W. Q. Judge
THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY: EUROPEAN SECTION 19, Avenue Road,Regent’s Park,London, N.W. 15:4:1891 To the 5th Convention of the American Section of the… Read More »H. P. Blavatsky to the Fifth Annual American Convention, Re: W. Q. Judge
[On Light, Heat, and Electricity]
[The following statement is made in a review of Charles W. Heckethorn’s Roses and Thorns; whether the whole review was penned… Read More »[On Light, Heat, and Electricity]
Who are the Eurasians?
LTTE by G. Ouseley | Editor’s Note by H.P.B. As you expressly invite correspondence with regard to subjects connected with… Read More »Who are the Eurasians?
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
Theosophical Light on The Ramayana
The vast writings of H. P. Blavatsky – totalling more than 10,000 pages in the form of books and articles… Read More »Theosophical Light on The Ramayana
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
[Review:] Tibetan Yoga
[Review of:] Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines, or Seven Books of Wisdom of the Great Path, according to the late… Read More »[Review:] Tibetan Yoga
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
The Original Śaṅkarācārya
The once universal Wisdom Tradition, whose existence was made known to the modern world by H. P. Blavatsky, had been… Read More »The Original Śaṅkarācārya
Buddhism: The Path of Compassion
Buddhism is known as a religion of enlightenment and emancipation or freedom. Buddha is a generic name given to one… Read More »Buddhism: The Path of Compassion
Tsong-kha-pa: Wisdom for Today
Of the many works of the Tibetan master Tsong-kha-pa, few compare in terms of popularity and breadth of influence with… Read More »Tsong-kha-pa: Wisdom for Today
Prajnaparamita-Hridaya-Sutra (The Heart Sutra)
[Introduction] This scripture has always been held in the greatest veneration in Mahayana countries. In China and Japan there are… Read More »Prajnaparamita-Hridaya-Sutra (The Heart Sutra)
The Language of the Buddhist Scriptures: Pali
Pali is the name that has been given to the language spoken in the north of India, from and before… Read More »The Language of the Buddhist Scriptures: Pali
Gautama, The Lord Buddha, and His Teachings
“Buddhism teaches an evolution or development of this x-factor of consciousness and will [the Karman, the Dhyani-Buddha, or the Reincarnating… Read More »Gautama, The Lord Buddha, and His Teachings
The Divine Discontent of Gautama the Buddha
Twenty-five hundred years ago there was born to the royal family of the Sakya clan, a son, the Prince Siddartha,… Read More »The Divine Discontent of Gautama the Buddha
The Birth of Zen Buddhism
It is said — and what is tradition but truth in the robes of poetry? — that once, when the… Read More »The Birth of Zen Buddhism
The Nature of Zen Buddhism
There are men, and plenty of them, who think that when something has been classified in accordance with the prevailing… Read More »The Nature of Zen Buddhism
In Search of Zen
Asked, “What is Zen?”, there is only one truthful answer, “That’s it!” For Zen is beyond description. It is the… Read More »In Search of Zen
The Tibetan Buddhist Tradition
In regard to the work Peaks and Lamas 1 we agree with Dr Coomaraswamy’s appreciation in Asia magazine that this:… Read More »The Tibetan Buddhist Tradition