The “Vast Individual”
Mazdean teachings explain that because all creatures are equally important parts of one “Vast Individual,” whatever gives pleasure or pain… Read More »The “Vast Individual”
The Vision of Ardai Viraf
Happiness comes to him, through whom happiness goes out to others. — Ushtavaiti Gastha Alexander’s conquest of the 4th century… Read More »The Vision of Ardai Viraf
The Sacred Pilgrim in Greek Thought
If we consider man as composed of body, soul and spirit, then the sacred pilgrim in Greek thought is the… Read More »The Sacred Pilgrim in Greek Thought
The Ancient Mysteries:A Great Light, A Force for Good
It is probable that people in general do not realize that all who betake themselves to philosophy in the right… Read More »The Ancient Mysteries:A Great Light, A Force for Good
On Pythagoras
Pythagoras was born about 528 B.C., and his parents, Mnesarchus and Pythais were citizens of Samos and descendants of Ancaeus,… Read More »On Pythagoras
Pythagoras’ Contribution
The stream of an ancient wisdom flows out of a remote antiquity. At times traces of its existence are observable… Read More »Pythagoras’ Contribution
On Plato’s Theory of Ideas
A student at one of the Eastern colleges of the United States writes in that he has more questions than… Read More »On Plato’s Theory of Ideas
Plato on Intelligent Design: Truth, Beauty, and the Good
Perusing an internet forum on intelligent design some months ago brought me to an unusual post by David Alexander entitled… Read More »Plato on Intelligent Design: Truth, Beauty, and the Good
Plato’s Myths and the Mystery Tradition
Ever since the rise of Greek rationalism, and probably long before that, myths have had bad reviews. In the early… Read More »Plato’s Myths and the Mystery Tradition
The Gnosis according to Plato
The words gnosis and gnosticism have come into our thinking these days largely because of the discoveries of a Gnostic library at Nag Hammadi,… Read More »The Gnosis according to Plato
Ciphers and Civilizations
Imagine, if you will, a people who had a complex written language that suffered no major changes for more than… Read More »Ciphers and Civilizations
Ancient America
Part One In a just published book, Before Columbus (Crown Publishers, Inc., N.Y. 1971; 224 pages, $6.50; see review article, “A Question… Read More »Ancient America
Where Did the ‘Americans’ Come From?
Part One The question of how and when man first arrived in the Americas is far from settled, for the… Read More »Where Did the ‘Americans’ Come From?
The Theosophy of Ancient America
[Part 1] There was an ancient American theosophy which taught conceptions of the universe and of man just as lofty,… Read More »The Theosophy of Ancient America
The Maya Creation Story
People of all times and places have sought to understand how the universe came into being and how humanity developed.… Read More »The Maya Creation Story
Those Mysterious Maya?
The remains of Maya civilization were discovered during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by amateur archaeologists who came to Central… Read More »Those Mysterious Maya?
Aztec Calendar Stone
The most precious relic of Pre-Columbian culture in Mexico is the Aztec Calendar Stone. This immense object of basaltic porphyry… Read More »Aztec Calendar Stone
Karma in the Oglala Indian Tradition
karma, a Sanskrit word meaning “action,” is regarded as a law of absolute universal justice, in which effect is linked… Read More »Karma in the Oglala Indian Tradition
Theosophy among the Hopi
Much about the origin and age of the original inhabitants of America remains unknown. Popularizers still propagate the view of… Read More »Theosophy among the Hopi
Wisdom Teachings of the Hopi
Much of the wisdom of the American Indians is written in symbols — a language without letters or sounds that… Read More »Wisdom Teachings of the Hopi
Holy Wind, Holy Spirit
Although we live with the wind daily, delight in its blessings and suffer its wrath, how often do we question… Read More »Holy Wind, Holy Spirit
Monster Slayer’s Hero Quest—the Navaho Way
Father, give me the light of your mind, / that my mind may be strong; / Give me some of… Read More »Monster Slayer’s Hero Quest—the Navaho Way
House of the Great Kiva: Astronomical Observations
Standing in the altar room looking out through the east-facing door towards the dark mesas, I could tell that the… Read More »House of the Great Kiva: Astronomical Observations
Autumn Equinox at the World Quarter Shrine
How the prehistoric Anasazi, the Ancient Ones, perceived the universe may not be so different from certain theosophic perspectives of… Read More »Autumn Equinox at the World Quarter Shrine
Children of the Rainbow
Before the beginning of the making-anew, only the Maker and Container of All, the All-father Father, had being. Nothing else… Read More »Children of the Rainbow
I, The Great Mystery
On I Chuen our Lord took out from itself its Divinity, and made heaven and earth. On 2 Eb it… Read More »I, The Great Mystery
Death and the Tree of Life
What is the native American’s view of death? Tribal traditions about the matter vary in expression but are not at… Read More »Death and the Tree of Life
Continuous Journey to the Sun
“Man is made From Everything” is a beautiful Navaho saying that is pregnant with implications. It means that we human… Read More »Continuous Journey to the Sun
American Indian Vision Quest
Opening Prayer: If you would walk the paths of the American Indian — be prepared. Walk softly, O My Sisters,… Read More »American Indian Vision Quest
The Corresponding Secretary
To The casual reader, the original Constitution or “By-laws of the Theosophical Society,” as published with its Preamble1 on October 30, 1875,… Read More »The Corresponding Secretary
Brotherhood: Pattern in Nature
Brotherhood is generally accepted as a noble sentiment, a grand ideal, but personal and international events show how frequently it… Read More »Brotherhood: Pattern in Nature
Meditation on Universal Brotherhood
What is meant by meditation? A general definition would be: one-pointed concentration on a subject, continued attention to it. For… Read More »Meditation on Universal Brotherhood
Adventuring in Brotherhood
How are we to make practical use of our faith in universal brotherhood? One answer is by adventuring in brotherhood.… Read More »Adventuring in Brotherhood
Universal Brotherhood
The first law of life is Co-operation, or Spiritual Unity. If this were realized by men of all nations, brotherhood… Read More »Universal Brotherhood
Universal Brotherhood
Universal Brotherhood is a Theosophist’s way of saying that all things in Nature are akin, from the dust under our… Read More »Universal Brotherhood
World Brotherhood—In Spite of Ourselves
A realization that all men are brothers is the greatest need of the world today. No “ism” or ideology, no… Read More »World Brotherhood—In Spite of Ourselves
The Doctrine of Cycles
The doctrine of Cycles is emphasized in Theosophy, as it is so many-sided and so far-reaching in its application to… Read More »The Doctrine of Cycles
The Evolution of Humanity and Its Civilizations
The story of mankind cannot be understood without considering the birth of the planet of which we are all inseparable… Read More »The Evolution of Humanity and Its Civilizations
Prehistoric Svabhāvavāda
Part 1 Svabhāvavāda, the doctrine of svabhāva or inherent nature, as the cause of the world, is old. It is… Read More »Prehistoric Svabhāvavāda
Why Take Blavatsky Seriously?
Scholars have not heretofore taken Blavatsky seriously, because it is generally accepted that she was proven to be a fraud.… Read More »Why Take Blavatsky Seriously?
The Secret Doctrine: Original Genesis and the Wisdom Tradition
The Secret Doctrine is recognized by all as H. P. Blavatsky’s greatest and most influential work. At the same time,… Read More »The Secret Doctrine: Original Genesis and the Wisdom Tradition
The First Fundamental Proposition of the Secret Doctrine
There are three fundamental propositions that we are told must be comprehended before we can understand the Secret Doctrine, the… Read More »The First Fundamental Proposition of the Secret Doctrine
The Doctrinal Position of the Wisdom Tradition: Great Madhyamaka
It has now become possible to identify the specific school or tradition of Buddhism in Tibet that represents the doctrinal… Read More »The Doctrinal Position of the Wisdom Tradition: Great Madhyamaka
Dolpopa on svabhāva
Dolpopa, the major writer of the Jonang order of Tibetan Buddhism, taught that ultimate reality, referred to by him under… Read More »Dolpopa on svabhāva
Meditation: What Is It?
Today there is a lot of material available on meditation, much of which is seemingly conflicting. One feels at a… Read More »Meditation: What Is It?