The Theosophical Society in Perth Nov - Dec.

2017

The Theosophical Link

The Three Objects of the Theosophical Society:

• To form a nucleus of the universal brotherhood of humanity, without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste or colour.

• To encourage the comparative study of religion, philosophy and science. • To investigate unexplained laws of nature and the powers latent in humanity.

INSIDETHISISSUE

Contact 2President’sReport 3TheGrandPlan.LukeMichaelIronside

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HPBandOm.GrahamNowland

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FromtheArchive:Christmas.MargaretHazelhurst 8AvalokiteśvaraL.GordonPlummer 9BranchNotices 12Iamblichus.H.PBlavatsky Activities&Events 14Programoflectures 15

The Theosophical Link 2 Freedom of Thought – Official statement

AstheTheosophicalSocietyhasspreadfarandwideovertheworld,andasmembersofall religions have become members of it without surrendering the special dogmas,teachingsandbeliefsof their respective faiths, it is thoughtdesirabletoemphasisethefactthatthere isnodoctrine,noopinion,bywhomsoevertaughtorheld,that is inanywaybindingonanymemberoftheSociety,nonewhichanymemberisnotfreetoacceptorreject.ApprovalofitsThreeObjectsisthesoleconditionofmembership.Noteacher,nowriter,fromH.P.Blavatskydownwards,hasanyauthoritytoimposehisorherteachingsoropinionsonmembers.Everymemberhasanequalrighttobeattachedtoanyschoolofthoughtwhichtheymaychoose,buthavenorighttoforcethatchoiceonanyother.Neitheracandidateforanyofficenoranyvotercanberenderedineligibletostandortovote,becauseofanyopinionheldorbecauseofmembershipinanyschoolofthoughttowhichtheymaybelong.Opinionsorbeliefsneitherbestowprivilegesnorinflictpenalties.The Members of the General Council earnestly request every member of theTheosophicalSocietytomaintain,defendandactuponthesefundamentalprinciplesofthe Society, and also fearlessly exercise their own right of liberty of thought and ofexpressionthereof,withinthelimitsofcourtesyandconsiderationofothers.

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The Theosophical Link 3

President’s Report NamastetoallThePerthBranchoftheTShaditsAGMonthe12thofSeptemberwiththefollowingresults.President Myself.VicePresident BheenaSewnarain.Secretary CaroleAnnWebster.Treasurer HarryBayens.PublicityOfficer VivWard.Committee GeorgeDuffy,ShirleyMartin SkipPry,RobRussell.Librarian SkipPry.MembershipSecretary PamelaParry.WelcometothenewECmember,BheenaandnewmembershipsecretaryPamela.Iamlookingforwardtoworkingwithsuchacapablegroup.Thankyoutothememberswhohaveretiredfromtheirpreviouspositions,HarryBayensPresident,ShelleyOrchardVicePresidentandGeorgeDuffyMembershipSecretary.AtrioofvolunteerswhohaveputincountlesshoursofworkfortheBranch.ThePerthBranchoverthepasttwoyearshasbuckedthegeneraltrendofdecreasingmembershipnumbersintheAustralianSectionoftheTStohavethehighestnumberofmembers.IamconfidentthatthepresentECwillworktokeepthetrendgoing.IamcommittedtocontinuingthegreatworkingrelationshiptheBranchhaswiththeTOS,itwillgoalongwaytoachievingthefirstobjectoftheSociety.WeareextremelyfortunatetohavetheverybeautifulandtranquilMtHelenafacilityfortheongoinguseofthemembers.Notonlyforeventsbutalsoforyourownpersonalretreats.TheMtHelenaWorkingGroupisreformingandwerequirememberstobepartofit.NomatterhowsmallarollyouareabletoplayitwillbeagreathelptokeepMtHelenagoing.Pleasecomeandtalktomeabouthowyoucanhelpandalsoifyouhaveanysuggestions,questionsorissues.“Sopowerfulisthelightofunitythatitcanilluminatethewholeearth” BahaullahFrancoGuazzelli

The Theosophical Link 4

TheGrandPlanLukeMichaelIronside

FromalecturedeliveredattheTheosophicalInquirersStudyGroup,June2017

WhatistheplaceofManinthegrandSchemeofEvolution–thecomplexityoftheCosmosinwhichweformsosmallapart?

TheosophyanswersthatweareeachofusparticipantsintheGrandPlan.Wearepartofanendlessandcyclicalevolutionaryprocess inwhichourpurpose,over thespansofmanyhundredsof thousandsoflifetimesinphysicalform,istoprogressinaccordancewithCosmicLawandtheoverarchingGrandPlan,toemerge,intime,intoourheritageasdivineandspiritualbeings.Inthisgrandschemeofevolution,weeachpassthroughthevariouskingdomsofnature, fromthemineral totheanimalandultimatelythehumanstage.Themissionofhumanityistoreachthestageof“Superhumanity”,inwhichwewillattaintoahigherdegreeof spiritual knowledgeandachievement thancurrently comprehensible toouryetevolvingminds.Weareeachascendingtheladdertogodhood.

This final accomplishment is achieved over the course of many lifetimes in which the individualprogressesthroughaseriesofinitiations,eachofthesesignifyingtheattainmentofagreaterdegreeofmasteryoverone’sself.Simplyput,an initiation is theattainmentofahigherstateofconsciousness.Thefinalgoalisvariouslyreferredtointhereligiousandspiritualliteratureoftheworldbysuchtermsasenlightenment,moksha,nirvana,salvation,andsoforth.

Theosophy thus postulates a Divine Plan, and that plan is Evolution. It conceives of two lines in theEvolutionofMan–thatofSpiritandthatofMatter.ItisbythecoalescenceofSpiritandMatterthattheentiremanifesteduniverseisbroughtintobeing.ThisistheroleoftheLogos–themanifestationofthephenomenalworldthroughthemarriageofSpiritandMatter.Likeeverythingelseinexistence,Mantooisevolvingonbothaphysicalandaspirituallevel.Thisspiritualevolutiontakesplaceoverasuccessionofindividuallifetimesthroughthisprocessofreincarnation,inaseriesofesotericinitiations.

Theosophyreconcilestheseeminglydivergentviewsofscienceandreligionasrelatestothequestionofthemeaningoflife.Scienceholdsthattheuniversecameintobeingandhasevolvedovermanyaeonsthroughanaccidentalprocess; itdoesnotrecogniseanyoverseeingplan.Ontheotherhand, religionpostulatesthatexistenceisthehandiworkofGod–thatthepurposeoflifeisessentiallytoreturntoastateofcommunionwithGod.Theosophyisasynthesisofthesetwopositions,inthatitputshumansattheveryheartof theevolutionaryprocess,whilst recognising that thisprocess is in fact theoutwardexpressionof theultimateDivinePlan.Man, in the theosophical conception, isnot sinful,norhashe“fallenfromgrace”;heis,rather,emergingintogodhoodanddivinepotential.

Life,therefore,isapilgrimage–asacredjourneyofreturnfromtheManytotheOne.Eachhumansoul,orMonad,isgraduallyprogressingclosertowardsthefinalgoal,andalongthewayislearningthe

LukeMichael Ironside is a lecturerandwriteron theosophicalandesoterictopicsfromtheUK.Hehaslecturedextensivelyattheosophical lodges and groups in England, India, and thePhilippines, and his writings have appeared in varioustheosophical journals. He currently resides in the Philippines,whereheservesasthePresidentofthePandacanLodge.

The Theosophical Link 5 lessonsandgatheringtheexperiencenecessarytothatparticularstage inhisevolutionaryexpedition.For the majority, however, there is no recognition of the fact that they are bound for a specificdestination–thatthereisapurposeanddesigntoevolutionandtolife.Thusmostwhowalkalongthispatharewanderers;theystumbleonwardsaimlessly,unawareoftherealityandgrandnessofevolution;unawareofthepurposeoftheirlivesuponthisearth.Thereareothers,whograspinghereandthereascattered gems of truth, declare: “Behold! I have grasped the key to life!” And yet, blinded by thecertaintiesoftheircomfortingbeliefs,theyfailtoperceivethebroaderview,andtheirtrueplacewithinthegranderscheme.

Thetheosophistisadeliberatepilgrim;hedoesnotwander,butratherwalkspurposelyalongthepath,strivingtokeepeverupontheproperroad,andnottofallastrayalongthewayside.Hisisthepathofduty,ofselflessserviceandassistancetoothersinthequesttoattainthatcommonandfinalgoal.Withknowledgeashisstaff,thetheosophistprogressessteadilyforward,pavinghisownpathalongtheway.The trailmay be rough at times, at other places smooth, but in all circumstances, it remains for thetheosophisttoforgethewayforward,whateveradversityorobstaclemaycome.

And so, Theosophyoffersus theknowledgewherebywemayarriveat suchanunderstandingof theevolutionaryprocessandourplacewithintheGrandPlan.Itrevealstoustheindisputablefactthatweourselvesarethearchitectsofourownfuturesandthebuildersofourfate.Thusdoesitfreeusfromthe limitationsof thoughtwhichhaveshaped themindofMan throughout themanymillenniaofhisevolutionary procession.We now stand at a threshold, uponwhichwe are presentedwith a crucialchoice:wemaydecidetobethepassiveconsequenceofevolution,toblowtoandfrolikealeafinthewind, aimlessly onwards with no sense of direction or goal in mind. Or else, we may march boldlyforwards,ourpathilluminedinthelightoftruth,topaveourwaythroughthicketsandthornstowardsthegrandgoaluponthehorizonofourpotential.

Thisiswhatitmeanstolivethetheosophiclife;tolivepurposefullyandresponsiblyintherecognitionofone’s placewithin theGrandPlan, to cultivate a spirit of altruismand compassionbywhichwemayassistothersalongtheway,toremaineverconfidentinthedefenseofone’sprinciples,andtorecognizethatlyinglatentwithintheheartofall,thereresidesthatDivineSparkfromtheCentralSunfromwhichweeachofuscameforth,andtowhichwewill,intime,return.

Om The imperishable sound is the seed of all that exists. The past, the present, the future – all are but the unfolding of OM

(Mandukya Upanishad)

The Theosophical Link 6

HPBandOM GrahamNowland.

OneofMadameB'sfirst instructionstoesotericstudentspastthebeginnerstagewastoget intochantingOM.Theancientsage,Patanjali,alsohighlightedthisinhisYogaSutrasandHPBwassomethingofanadvocateforthehighlymeditativeRajaYoga.MadameBsaidmasteryofitwasarequirementforadeptsandthishasinterestingimplicationsforTheosophicaltheory,asshesaidherself.*Patanjali**(before400CE)remainstheauthorityonRajaYogaand listedchanting(mantra)asoneofthefiveways of gaining spiritual attainments. Chanting is by far the safest and easiest of these techniques and themoderntrendforchantingandsoundmeditationwouldprobablyhaveappealedtoMadameB.Shewasmusicalandplayedpianowell,asColonelOlcottrecordsinOldDiaryLeaves;'Shewouldsitinthedusksometimes,withnobodyelseintheroombutmyself,andstrikefromthesweet-tonedinstrumentimprovisationsthatmightwellmakeonefancyhewaslisteningtotheGandharvas,orheavenlychoristers.'PerhapsitwasthemusicianinMadameBwhichledhertoteachthattochantOMproperlyyoumustfindyourownpersonal toneorkey.This is confirmedbymodernsound therapistsand frommyownexperienceyoudohave todo this if youchantOMalone. Imainlyplay rockandbluesasahobbybut Iwent throughaphaseofcreating songs andbluesy chants about spiritual concepts andentities.After that I applied the ideas inwhat IsupposewereNaturerituals.MorerecentlyIstudiedmonkschantingOM,andrecordedmyownvoicechantingOMinmulti-trackingsoftware,creatingvariouskindsoflayers.WitnessesmighthavethoughtIwascrackingup,butbasicallyIwasexperimentingwithdifferenttonesalaMadameBandhadsomeinterestingresultsinthekeyof B. But also Iwas trying to understand howexternal sound and chanting affects brainwave frequencies andconsciousness. Inkeypartsofourbrainsmassesofneuronsgenerateelectro-chemicalbrainwaves. It ispartofthe consciousness process and scientists label the brainwave frequencies a bit like radio stations. Beta band,between13and39hz is thebrain resonanceof everyday life. (Hz,by theway, justmean 'wavesorbeatspersecond'). The fast and frenetic Gamma band, above 40hz, is usually associated with intense creativity andextremestates.Thelowernon-BetabrainfrequenciesareAlphaat8to12hz,Thetaat4to7hzandDeltaat0to4hz.Inthesameorder(theboundariesareabitblurry)thesebandsareassociatedwithcalmness,creativethought,trance,sleepanddreamlesssleep.If the desirable low brainwaves were sound, i.e. vibrations in air, they would be totally inaudible. Everythingbelow 20hz is. Yet the claim made by meditation music practitioners is that vibrations in air can influencebrainwaves.Thisishowitisdone.Soundsaremadewhichareaudiblebutaremadetocarryaninneroscillationatthedesiredrate.Thismightmanifestasavibratowhichyoucanhearoscillatingatsay4hz.Itcanalsojustbeadrumbeatingat4hz.ThebrainrespondssympatheticallyandaltersitsfrequencyfromBetatothedesiredstate.This is really a bit of technical 'magic' and the process is often called 'sound entrainment' although I prefer'meditativesound'.Butithasanancientfoundation.ImagineawildSiberianwomen,dressedinskinsanddeckedwithbellsandrattles,bangingherdrumat4beatsasecond.That'saninitiatedShamanwomantryingtoself-inducealowTheta4hztrance.Shewouldn'tdescribeitlikethatofcourseandforherbraintorespondshewouldneedtobangforquiteawhile.This isprobablywhyshamansareloners.Halfanhourof4beatsasecondonadrumcangetabitannoying.Sowhynotmakeapure flute-like tonewithaniceaudiblevibratogentlywavingat4hz?Theoretically it couldhavethesameeffectonthebrainbutthatsoonbecomesuncomfortableformanypeopletoo.Aninnatehumandesireforvariationisoneofthereasonswhycomposersofmeditativemusicblendvarioussounds.

The Theosophical Link 7 It is also why chanters, workingmore intuitively, use harmonies and 'rounds' (relay singing), exploit differenttonedvoicesandoftenaddsubtlepercussionandinstruments.All thisvarietycanbeheardevenwhenmonks justchantOM.Youwillhearroundsinginganddifferentvoicesbeingexploitedandsometimessubtlepercussion.YoucanoftenpickupaninnervibratoofthekindImentionedabove, between4 and 8 hz, and in a temple or church the acoustic qualities of the buildingmight add to thefrequency. Inthecourseofa longchanttheremightalsobechangestothe innerfrequency,perhapsgraduallyloweringit.NativeAmericanandsomeEuropeanpaganmusicattemptsomethingsimilar,andseemtowork inallthenon-BetawavebandsIlistedabove.Powerfulmeditativemusichasalsobeencreatedwithadidgeridoointhemix,itoftenmakesanexcellentdronecarryingtherightfrequencies.Allthesetraditionshappentoalsoemploydance,asdotheSufisandHinduswhoworkextensivelywithsoundinsimilarways.IfyoulisteninareceptivestatetomonkschantingOM,oranyspiritualchantingandmeditativemusic,yourbrainresponds. At least that is the theory but no-one is sure precisely how.We know conventionalmusic changesmood and humanity has used it successfully for many thousands of years. For the more meditative soundsresearcherscanmonitorthebrainwithscannerssosensitivetheycantellthedifferencebetweenhypnoticandmeditativestates.Scanningpeoplelisteningtomeditativemusichasconfirmedthebrainrespondstotheexternalsound,andchangesfrequency,butthatmoreresearch isneeded.Tracksofthiskindcanalsobecomposedfordisorderssuchaspain,sleep,anxietyandconcentrationproblemsandapparentlyhelpmanypeople.Thishasledme toconsiderexperimentmaking tracksof thiskindmyselfand I suspectapersonal compositionmightworkbestforeachspecificproblem.SoinawayIhavecomefullcircletoakindoftechnologicalshamanism.Westilldon't knowwhy and how this stuff works though, the placebo effectmight play a role or perhaps there is aquantumeffecttakingplace.

Ifchantingandmeditativemusicaretohaveachanceofworkingatdeeperlevels,rightintentisimportantandagoodplaceandtime,justasinconventionalmusic.Itdoesn'treallymatterifthesounditselfcomesfromTibetansingingbowls,shamanicdrums,chanting,aguitar,adidgeridoo,orsinewavespumpedoutofanelectronictonegenerator.Please don't imagine I am sayingmeditativemusic and chanting should replace silentmeditation in a spiritualcontext.Iseeitheremoreasacomplementaryactivity.Ifsilentmeditationfollowschanting,asitoftendoesineasterntraditions,youhaveabalancedprogression.SoundisusedsomewhatdifferentlyintheChristiantradition,hymnsandsungmassesforexamplehavingamorenarrative purpose. Taizé meditation sometimes approaches techniques I have outlined above but not to theextentthatpractitionershavedoneintheeast.YetchurchesandcathedralsareoftenperfectenvironmentsforenrichingthekindsofsoundsIhavebeendiscussing.SomeChristianmonastictraditionshaveuseddeepchantingandmeditative sound techniques, especially in themedieval period. I understand they still do in some of theremaining monasteries and Buddhist monks have in recent years created profound performances of OM inancientChristianbuildings.

WhenMadameBlecturedTSstudentssolongagoonchantingthissyllable,shewasprobablypioneeringitsuseintheWest. She was one of themany influences that eventually led, in the 1960s, to an explosion ofWesternchanting,meditativesoundand(thisshouldn'tbeforgotten)associateddancingofvariouskinds.YouTube isagreatplace toexploreall thisand Iwould love tohear fromanyoneatall interested inanyway.gracnow@iinet.net.au* The SecretDoctrineVolume1 p158 and also p95 for other comments on Yoga, including surprising remarksabouttheHathastyle.** The best accessible translation is by Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati “Yoga Sutras of Patanjali InterpretiveTranslation” andcanbedownloadedasa freePDFhttp://www.swamij.com/pdf/yogasutrasinterpretive.pdfSeealso the TS Publication The Science of Yoga, IK Taimni. This gives original and romanised Sanskrit, a goodtranslation,andextensivecommentary.

The Theosophical Link 8

From the Link Archives Dec. 1974

CHRISTMASbyMargaretHazelhurst

Itallstartedverysimply,whenonenight,inacattleshed,inalittletowncalledBethlehem,ayounggirlgavebirthto a boy Child. It seems strange that from such stark simplicity,men havemoved to the extravaganceswhichcharacterisethemodernobservanceofthismomentousBirthday.It isalsostrangethatmanyestablishedcustomsandsymbolsassociatedwiththecelebrationofChristmashavetheirorigins inpre-Christianyuletidecustoms.ButnottheChristmastree, thatbest-beloved,most joyevoking,universallyrecognisedsymbolofthisspecialbirthdayFestival. Itappearstodatebacknofurtherthantheearlyseventeenth century. It derives in part from themediaeval legend of Christmas flowering trees, but it is alsoclosely associated with the Paradise Plays which were once performed at the Christmas Season, and which,introducedtheTreeofKnowledge.InCelticlorethescarletberriesoftheRowantreeareregardedasthesourceof wisdom. No doubt this association has resulted in the well-nigh universal use of holly, with its bright redberries, as a Christmas decoration, and may well have originated the delightful custom of festooning ourChristmasTreeswithcolouredlights.A lovely legend surrounds the glittering tinsel with which we also deck these trees. It tells that once a poorpeasantwoman,withmanychildren,decoratedaChristmastreewithsuchhumbletrimmingsasshewasabletogather,mostlyberriesandnutsandcarefully treasuredbaubles.Thatnight,whilst she slept, spiders cameandspuntheirlacywebsfrombranchtobranch,makingasilverymagicweb.ThenbecauseofherdevotedlovetheChristChildblessedtheTreeandthespiderwebswereturnedtogleamingsilver.Christmasobservancesarenotallbasedonlegend.InmanyEnglishparishesitusedtobecustomarytoringthechurchbellsonChristmasEve.Infact,intheparishofRoardean,inGloucestershire,waybackin1599,acertainvicarleftthesumoffiveshillingsperannumforringingapealonChristmasEve,aboutmidnight,fortwohours.Inavolumepublishedin1940itisrecordedthat“themoneyisstillreceivedandappliedasdirected."Oneimaginesacertainamountofmostun-Christmas likeprofanity fromthosewho like tosleeponChristmasEvewhen theclockstrikesthemidnighthour,alldoorsmustbeopenedtoletoutbadspirits.

TheYulecandles,moredecorativeandlessdisturbing,stillfigurelargeinChristmasobservances.Inoldentimes,inEngland,theYulecandlewaslightedatthesametimeastheYulelog.Usuallyitwassetinthemiddleofthesuppertable.Toavoidevilconsequences,ithadtobeleftunmovedduringsupper,anditcouldbeneitherblownoutnorsnuffed.Ifitbecameabsolutelynecessarytoextinguishit,oneusedapairoftongsandcarefullysqueezedthewick.TheseYulecandleswereatonetimemade inthefamilykitchen: imaginewhatfunthechildrenmusthavehadastheylentahandincolouringthecandleseitherred,blue,orgreen.Onamoresimplenote,wehavethesimple,evocativeChristmassymbolofthecradleandtheChild,representingthe birth of the Christ Spirit in the human heart. It is perhaps this, above all other symbols, which holds thesignificance of Christmas - a significance so profound that our modern fripperies never quite succeed inextinguishingit.

The Theosophical Link 9

AVALOKITESVARA L. Gordon Plummer

"Avalokitesvara(Sanskrit).Acompoundword:avalokita- "perceived,""seen";Isvara- lord;hence"theLordwho is perceived or cognized,"i.e.,the spiritual entity,whether in the Kosmos or in the humanbeing,whoseinfluenceisperceivedandfelt;theHigherSelf..."-G.dePurucker,OccultGlossary.

The teachingaboutAvalokitesvara isatonceoneof themostbeautifuland themostpracticalof thedoctrines to be found in the AncientWisdom. At first glance it might appear to be something veryremote from us and difficult for us to understand; but quite the reverse, we have only to grasp itsimplicationsandwediscoverthatitisanintimatepartofeveryhumanbeing.

Asoneofthemoretechnicalteachings,itrequiresatechnicalexplanationtobeginwith.Brieflystated,itistheThirdLogos.

If we were to follow all the ramifications of the doctrine we would be led into some of the mostreconditeoftheteachingsaboutthenatureoftheUniverseandofMan,sotheintenthereistogivethemost salient factswhichmight then serve as a springboard fromwhich any studentmay pursue thestudytohisheart'scontent.

Weshallmakeaparadigm,givingthenamesofthethreeLogoiassetforthintheMahayanaSchoolofBuddhism,withwhichTheosophyisinperfectagreement.ThesetermsreferinthefirstcolumntotheKosmos,andinthesecondtoManhimself.

MahayanaBuddhismTheHumanConstitution

Amitabha Buddha, Atman, the Buddha of The Divine Monad, Boundless Light, our link with theBoundless Alaya. The spirit-Buddhi, Spiritual source of all. The consciousness, the Divine in Nature,vehicle ofAtman.Avalokitesvara, theManas. TheMindDivinePresence, as the vehicle seen and felteverywhere of Buddhi.* (* In the Brahmanical scheme, we have the three Logoi enumerated asParabrahm,theBoundless;Pradhana,orMula-Prakriti,therootorsourceofNature;andMahat,CosmicMindinthesensethatitisthe"mother"oftheManasaputras.Thus,ourHigherMindorHigherSelfitderivedfromMahat.)

The Theosophical Link 10 WeseeatonceintheabovefoundationoftheteachingthatManisonewiththeuniverse,notonlyinrespecttohisphysicalbody,whichobviouslyisfashionedofthematerialsoftheEarth,butinallofthereachesofhisconstitution.

The"HigherTriad"aloneisshownintheparadigm.The"LowerQuaternary"-Prana,Kama,Linga-sariraorAstralBodyandSthula-SariraorPhysicalBody - servingas thecomplexvehicleof theHigherTriadcomprisingafurtherstudy.

TopursueourstudyoftheDivinenatureofMan,andofAvalokitesvarainparticular,wemustnowreferto the Hierarchy of Compassion, as this teaching will complete a picture of marvelous beauty andsignificance.

WearetaughtthatatthesummitoftheHierarchyofCompassion-sofaraswehumansareconcerned-istheWondrousBeing,orSilentWatcherwrittenaboutinTheMahatmaLetterstoA.P.SinnettandbyH.P.BlavatskyinTheSecretDoctrine.ThisistheGreatSacrificewho,outofcompassion,hasrenouncedtheNirvanic bliss that he has earned, so that hemight remain behind and help struggling humanityalongitsdifficultevolutionarypath.

In order to learn the relationship between this SilentWatcher and ourselves, wemust consider theteachings of the Globe Chains.We learn that among themany planets, seen and unseen, there aresevenofprimaryimportanceknownastheSacredPlanets.Wewillnotbespecificastotheirnames,astodo sowouldbring in certainpointsof teachingwhichwouldextend this articlebeyond the lengthdesirable.SufficienttosayatthistimethateachoftheplanetsisinrealityacompositeofsevenGlobes,onlyoneofwhich isvisible.ForconveniencetheGlobeshavebeen letteredfromAtoG,and ineachcase,thevisibleGlobeisletteredD.Thus,weseeGlobesDofEarth,Venus,Mars,andsoon.Alloftheotherglobesareinvisible,andnottobedetectedbyanyknowninstrumentsofscience.

Eachoneoftheplanetsisthereforeconceivedtobeachainofglobes,or,aswesay,aGlobeChain,andthevariouslifewaveswhichwecallthekingdomsofnature,astheselifewavesmanifestonEarth,passthroughallsevenoftheGlobesintheirownchain-makingineachcasesevencircuits,orRounds,aswecallthem.Atthepresenttime,weontheEarthChainarepursuingourfourthRound,andareonGlobeD.OurstayonGlobeDisdividedintosevengreatepochs,orRoot-Races.WearenowexperiencingthefifthsuchepochorRoot-Race.

WearetaughtthataBuddhaappearsatsometimeduringeachoftheRoot-Races,inordertocarryontheworkoftheHierarchyofCompassion.GautamawastheBuddhaforthisfifthRoot-Race.

So much for preliminaries. We are ready now to set before the reader the various stages in theHierarchyofCompassion.

1.HighestinourSolarSystemisMahat.ItistheHierarchoftheHierarchy,workinginandthroughtheDivinitywhichmanifestsinitsoutwardformasourSun.Fromitspring:

2.SevenSolarLogoi.ThesearetheSilentWatcherswhichholdspiritualswayoverthesevenplanetaryChainsknownastheSacredPlanets.EachoftheseisanAdi-Buddha.Thus,thereissuchallAdi-BuddhaforthisEarthChain.Itssevenraysare:

3. TheDhyani-Buddhas. These watch over the Rounds of the Chains. Thus there is a Dhyani-BuddhawatchingoverthisfourthRoundofourEarthChain.ItsRaysare:

The Theosophical Link 11 4.TheDhyani-Bodhisattvas.ThesewatchovertheGlobesofthechainduringthevariousRounds.Thus,thereisaCelestialorDhyani-BodhisattvawatchingoverthisGlobeDduringthisfourthRound.FromthisDhyani-Bodhisattvaspringsevenrays:

5.TheManushyaorHumanBuddhas.ThereisonesuchforeachoftheRoot-Races,andassaidabove,theonewhoholdsspiritualswayoverourfifthRoot-RaceisGautama,theBuddha.

WhileGautama is said tohave lived for100yearsonEarth, there is adeeplyesoteric factabout thehumanBodhisattvawhoremainedonEarthafterthepassingoftheBuddha.WhiletheBuddhahimselfenteredtheNirvana,becauseofhisgreatcompassionfortheworld,heleftaportionofhimselfbehindinwhatmightbetermedthemorehumanaspectofhimself,who livedtocarryonthesublimework.ThiswastheBodhisattvawho,becausehenolongerrequiredaphysicalbodythroughwhichtowork,becameaNirmanakaya.

Such Bodhisattvas are deeply revered amongst all scholars of theOriental Religions. Because, out ofcompassion, they follow the footsteps of theGreat Sacrifice and remain behind to serve theHumanRace.Itisthey,wearetaught,whoprovidethemeanswherebytherearetheperiodicappearancesoftheAvataras,suchasKrishna,Samkaracharya,andfortheOccident,JesustheChrist.

There is a second and very important manner in which the Great Sacrifice or Silent Watcher aidsmankind. It isultimately throughhimthat Initiation ispossible.Thosewhoenter thegrandportalsofInitiationinordertobecometheservantsofthosewhothemselvesarebutservantsofCompassion,doso because of the spiritual and Divine energies flowing forth ceaselessly from the Silent Watcherhimself.

So farasweourselvesareconcerned,ourownHigherTriad, consistingofAtman,BuddhiandManasform the Hierarchy of Compassion within each and every one of us. Humanity is going through anexceedinglydangerousanddifficulttime,andmuchhumansufferingcouldhavebeenavoidediftheseteachings, old as the ages and forming the heart of the great religions of the world, had beenunderstoodandappliedtodailylife.

HowwonderfulitistorealizethatthroughtheHigherMindofManwecanallperceivethesourcefromwhichwe came, Avalokitesvara. And because it is in every humanmind and heart,we are thereforecapableofcognizing iteverywhere.All thebeautyofNatureproclaims it.All thegenuinegreatness inhumanlifeisAvalokitesvaraitself.Itisallaboutus.Whythen,shouldwenotrecognizeitforwhatitis,seeit,andlearntoloveitastheenduringbeautythatwilloutlastallofthewoesandproblemsthatthehuman race is heir to. We have indeed to reap the karmic results of our mistakes, whether madeindividuallyorasracesofmen,butwecanbeartheburdenofourownmakingifwecanbutfixourgazeuponthelightthatisallaboutus,thelightwhichistheverysourceofourbeing.

TheosophiaVolumeXXXNo.1(135)-Summer1973

“Do not believe that there is anything higher in the universe than your own divine self, and know that you are exactly what you permit yourself to become.”

Franz Hartmann

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Branch Notices

RENTALVACANCYThefirstfloorunit#2attheBranchisduetobevacatedatabouttheendofMarch2018.Itwillbeavailableforrenttoamemberaftersomeminormaintenance.Memberswhomaybeinterestedinrentingtheunitarewelcometoexpressaninterestnowbye-mailingorwritingtotheBranch.Thereisarequirementthatthesuccessfulapplicantwillcontributetobranchactivitiesbyvolunteeringsomeoftheirtime.Alistofthoseminorbutmandatoryrequirementsisavailableuponrequest.PreferencewillbegiventotheapplicantwithaproventrackrecordofvolunteeringfortheTSinPerthandwhohasanactiveandongoinginterestinTheosophy.ExpressionsofinterestcloseonMondayNovember27,2017.

PERTHBRANCHHISTORYPROJECTAsmentionedinthelasteditionoftheLinkmagazinethisisjustaremindertomembersaboutthetimecapsuleprojectandanyitemsyouwouldliketoincludeorsuggestionsaboutwhatwecouldplaceintothecontainer.Couldyoupleasegetanymaterialyouwishtogointothetimecapsuletome,hereatthebranch,byaboutNovember30th?Ifyouhaveanyquestionsabouttheprojectoryourpotentialcontributionpleasecontactmeatthebranch.SkipPry

ANNUALMEMBERSIPDUESREMINDERAremindertoallmemberswhohaveover1year’smembershipthatyourannualmembershipduesarepayablebyDec.31st.Ourrulesrequirethatmemberswhodonotrenewbythisdatewillbelapsedfrommembership.Membersoflessthan1yearwillbesentaseparateremindernotice,whendue,ofthepro-rataamountpayable.Membership (M)$65Member+TheosophyinAustraliamagazine(hardcopy)(MM)$85Pensioner/Student(fulltimeonly)/Unemployed (P)$45Pensioner/Student/Unemployed+TheosophyinAustraliaMagazine(hardcopy)(PM)$65

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The Theosophical Link 13

Iamblichus(TheosophicalGlossaryH.PBlavatsky)

AgreatTheurgist,mystic,andwriterofthethirdandfourthcenturies,aNeo-Platonistandphilosopher,bornatChalcis inCœle-Syria.Correctbiographiesofhimhaveneverexistedbecauseof thehatredoftheChristians;butthatwhichhasbeengatheredofhislifeinisolatedfragmentsfromworksbyimpartialpaganandindependentwritersshowshowexcellentandholywashismoralcharacter,andhowgreathislearning.HemaybecalledthefounderoftheurgicmagicamongtheNeo-Platonistsandthereviverofthepracticalmysteriesoutsideoftempleorfane.HisschoolwasatfirstdistinctfromthatofPlotinusandPorphyry,whowerestronglyagainstceremonialmagicandpracticaltheurgyasdangerous,thoughlater he convinced Porphyry of its. advisability on some occasions, and bothmaster and pupil firmlybelievedintheurgyandmagic,ofwhichtheformerisprincipallythehighestandmostefficientmodeofcommunicationwithone’sHigherEgo,throughthemediumofone’sastralbody.Theurgicisbenevolentmagic,anditbecomesgoetic,ordarkandevil,onlywhenitisusedfornecromancyorselfishpurposes;but such dark magic has never been practised by any theurgist or philosopher, whose name hasdescended to us unspotted by any evil deed. So much was Porphyry (who became the teacher ofIamblichus in Neo-Platonic philosophy) convinced of this, that though he himself never practisedtheurgy,yethegaveinstructionsfortheacquirementofthissacredscience.Thushesaysinoneofhiswritings,“Whosoeverisacquaintedwiththenatureofdivinelyluminousappearancesfasmata(knowsalsoonwhataccount it is requisite toabstain fromallbirds (andanimal food)andespecially forhimwhohastens tobe liberated from terrestrial concerns and tobeestablishedwith the celestial gods”.(SeeSelectWorksbyT.Taylor,p.159.)Moreover,thesamePorphyrymentionsinhisLifeofPlotinusapriestofEgypt,who,“attherequestofacertainfriendofPlotinus,exhibitedtohim,inthetempleofIsisatRome,thefamiliardaimonofthatphilosopher“.Inotherwords,heproducedthetheurgicinvocation(see“Theurgist”)bywhichEgyptianHierophantor IndianMahâtma,ofold, couldclothe theirownoranyotherperson’sastraldoublewiththeappearanceof itsHigherEGO,orwhatBulwerLyttontermsthe “ Luminous Self”, the Augoeides, and confabulate with It. This it is which Iamblichus andmanyothers, includingthemediævalRosicrucans,meantbyunionwithDeity.Iamblichuswrotemanybooksbutonlyafewofhisworksareextant,suchashis“EgyptianMysteries”andatreatise“OnDæmons”,inwhichhespeaksveryseverelyagainstany intercoursewith them.HewasabiographerofPythagorasanddeeplyversedinthesystemofthelatter,andwasalsolearnedintheChaldeanMysteries.HetaughtthattheOne,oruniversalMONAD,wastheprincipleofallunityaswellasdiversity,orofHomogeneityandHeterogeneity;thattheDuad,ortwo(“Principles”),wastheintellect,orthatwhichwecallBuddhi-Manas; three, was the Soul (the lower Manas), etc. etc. There is much of the theosophical in histeachings,andhisworksonthevariouskindsofdæmons(Elementals)areawellofesotericknowledgefor the student.His austerities, purity of life andearnestnesswere great. Iamblichus is creditedwithhavingbeenoncelevitatedtencubitshighfromtheground,asaresomeofthemodernYogis,andevengreatmediums.

The Theosophical Link 14

Activities&Events

MEET-UP.PRACTICALTHEOSOPHYDISCUSSIONGROUP.

TheosophicalSocietyHall;Saturday;2pmtill3.30pm. Inthispresentation and discussion group we take an investigativeapproach,whereallpersonalcontributionsaremostwelcome.At any meeting, you will be surprised with the variety anddiversity of opinions, personal experiences and proposals,creatingmuchfoodforthoughtandahigherconsciousness.Meet-Upsareheldinourmainhall;weareopentothepublic.Usually there will be a short introductory power pointpresentation, followed by a discussionwhere themain topicwillbethoroughlyturnedover.Atanymonthlymeeting,therewill be visitors attracted through flyers in our own TS libraryand promotions in “Gumtree”, Facebook and Noticeboards.WehavehadmemberstravellingfromasfarasMandurahandBunbury, just to participate in certain elusive topics. In thatway,wemaybeauniquediscussiongroupinPerth.Ideas for further discussions are always welcome; we arealwayslookingfornewsubjectsandin-depthpresentations. Abig thank you to those TSmemberswhohave attended formost of the year, we appreciate the inspirational input andthe sharing of personal experiences. Remember Theosophylivesnot inhistory,not inbooks,but intheheart,mindandactionofourmembers…Nov.25thMeetup;FutureDirections-Forum..Wheredowegofromhere?Ourawarenessisreachinghigherlevels of consciousness through the practice of meditation,research, scienceand technology.Averysignificantstagehasdevelopedwheretheindividualneedstopaycloseattentiontomotive and action. New ideas can be shared easily and newthought is infiltrating hard held compositions. What needspriority? Your opinion and insight is valuable; do come andparticipateinthisdiscussion…Seeyousoon…. (TherewillbenoMeet-UpinDec.2017orJan2018.)

Meet-UpsareopentoTS

MembersandthePublic.

Rememberthatadeepertruthand

higherconsciousnesscanonlybeestablished

throughanactiveparticipation.

The Theosophical Link 15

ProgramofLectures

Definitionofmeetingtypesandrelevantguidelines

§ PublicMeetings–Allmembersandthepublicarewelcometoattend.§ GeneralMeetings–ForPerthmembers,withinterestedmembersofthepublicwelcometoattend

upto4meetings,withtheobjectivetoexploreandconfirmaninterestinbecomingamemberoftheTS.Ifafterattending4meetingsthepersonisnotinterestedinbecomingamembertheyarerequestedtorestricttheirvisitstootheroptionsopentothepublic.

§ MembersOnlyMeetings–GenerallyforPerthandvisitingTSmembersonly.However,membersattendingmayinviteaguesttowhomthepresentationwouldbeofinterestandbenefit,isknowntohaveabasicunderstandingoftheosophy,andisinharmonywiththemembershiprequirementsandthegeneralprinciplesoftheTS.

§ StrictlyMembersOnlyMeetings–ArestrictlyforcurrentPerthandvisitingTSmembersonly.Non-memberswillnotbeadmittedtothemeeting.

Allsessions,unlessotherwisestated,runfrom7:30pm-8:30pmTheopinionsexpressedinthelecturesarethoseofthespeakersandnotnecessarilythoseoftheTheosophicalSocietyinPerth.

NOV

Tues7NovGeneralMeeting

TheLastPharaohsofEgypt-ElizabethCollinsThisPowerPointpresentationexploresthefinaldynastyofAncientEgyptunderthePtolemies,305-30BC.TheseGreekrulerscreatedthemuseumandlibraryatAlexandriaandasyncreticapproachtoreligiouspracticesleadingto'TheCultofSarapis'.ThisfascinatingperiodofhistorysawthecombinationofGreekandEgyptiantraditionsresultinginmajoradvancesinscienceandmedicinethatcontinuetoinfluenceourmodernworld,aswellasdefiningandrecordingtheAncientEgyptianDynastiesasweknowthemtoday.

Tues14Nov

GeneralMeeting

DiscovertheAncientArtandScienceofPranicHealing-DeanTollisThisPowerPointpresentationandworkshopthatwillteachyoualltoseeandfeelenergy,nottomentionhowtodealwithpainorstressenergy.Thiswillbeanexperientialeventwitheveryonelearningsomethingtheycantakeawayanduseathome.Don'tmissthishands-onevent.

Tues21NovMembersOnly

Meeting

H.P.B.onTheosophyandtheTS-PedroOliveiraTSNationalEducationCoordinator

ShewastheprincipalCo-FounderoftheTheosophicalSocietyandchosentomaketheWisdomTeachingsmorewidelyavailableinthemodernworld.ThisPowerPointpresentationwillfocusonsomeimportantstatementsbyH.P.BlavatskyonthenatureofTheosophyandtheworkbeforetheTS.

Wed22NovPublicMeeting

Initiation:AncientandModern-PedroOliveiraTSNationalEducationCoordinator

Theword'Initiation'isnowadayssurroundedbymanyclaimsandisveryoftenappropriatedbyindividualsandgroupstoservetheirownends.ThisPowerPointpresentationwillexploreaTheosophicalviewofthesubjectwhichleadsustoanenquiryintothenatureofhumanspiritualtransformation.

The Theosophical Link 16

Tues28NovGeneralMeeting

ConventionBusinessMeeting-Approx.10minuteswithaquorumof20membersrequired.Pleaseattendsothisrequiredmeetingdoesnothavetoberescheduled.

ClassicalMusicanditsSpiritualConnection-HarryBayensInthisPowerPointpresentation,wewillexplorethenatureofwesternclassicalmusic,andhowitcorrespondswiththeessentialharmonyinherentinusall.Wewilluseexamplesfromsomeofthegreatstoillustratehowmusictouchesandinspiresus.

DEC

Tues5DecGeneralMeeting

Evolution-IsitHaphazardorisThereaPlan?-facilitatedbyMatthewThompsonTonight’sdiscussiongroupwillexploresometheosophicalandscientificideasconcerningtheevolutionoftheplanet,andallthekingdomsofnatureitcontains.Let’sinvestigate.Bringyourideasandopinionstosharewiththegroup.

Tues12DecGeneralMeeting

AnnualChristmasPartyPleasebringaplateofvegetariansavouryorsweetfoodtoshare.Allmembers,family,friendsandvisitorsarewelcometocomealongandjoinintheendofyearfestivities.Ifyouhaveasong,stories,jokes,poemsetc.youwouldliketoshareaspartoftheentertainmentpleasebringthemalongonthenight.

LIBRARY/BOOKSHOPX-MAS-NEWYEARCLOSUREThelibrary/bookshopwillclosefortheholidayperiodonSaturdayDec.23rdat2pmandwillreopenonWednesdayJan.10th2018at12pm.TuesdaynightlectureswillrestartonFebruary6th.WishingeveryoneahappyholidayandasafeandpeacefulNewYear.

TheTheosophicalLinkcontributionsMembersofTSPerthBranchareheartilyinvitedtocontributearticles,poems,bookreviewsandanynewsaffiliatedwiththeBranchtotheEditorforfutureinclusionsintheLink.Typedsubmissionswillbegratefullyaccepted.Leaveyourarticlesetc.withthelibraryorofficestaff,emailthemtotsperth@iinet.net.auorplaceyourmaterialintheEditor’sdrawerbythe1stofJanuary.2018