SOME PRINCIPLES OF THEOSOPHY

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........Everything in the universe originates from one boundless, eternal, unknowable source. After a period of manifested existence the universe returns to that source.

........The universe itself is an organic whole, alive, intelligent, conscious, and divine.

........The laws of nature are the result of intelligent forces.

........The law of karma holds throughout the universe.  It operates at all
levels, ensuring justice, harmony, and balance.

........We reincarnate into successive lives.  Once we have reached the human
level we do not regress back into animal forms.

........The law of karma acts over our successive lives to ensure justice.
(We don't get away with it.)  We are the cause of every joy and pain in our
own life.

........A law of cycles provides fundamental structure at all levels. Two
examples are our pattern of reincarnation, and the continuing "lives" of the
universe as it appears, then returns to its source.

........Analogy and correspondence provide fundamental structure for the
universe. This is a broad statement of the Hermetic axiom - "As above, so
below".

........Evolution applies on a grand scale to all of life.

........Soul gets involved in this world of matter. It experiences and
learns. Soul then works its way back in a long pilgrimage to its primal
source. This again follows a cyclic pattern.

........This evolution achieves experience, self-awareness, and ever
increasing perfection. Evolution occurs on the physical, mental, and
spiritual planes.

........"Survival of the fittest" along with gradual accumulation of small
beneficial changes does not explain the "origin of the species". The origin
of the species is due to intelligent design.

........Humanity has experienced significant evolution in long periods on
the continents (not islands) of Atlantis and Lemuria.

........There is a seven fold constitution of man ranging from the physical
plane to the purely spiritual plane.

........Thoughts are tangible objects on higher planes. Every thought and
action has its effect on us and on our surroundings and has a karmic
consequence.

........The three higher planes of this constitution form the "higher self"
and that is what reincarnates from life to life and accumulates the
experience, the lessons, the virtues. The lower planes form the "lower self"
and are the vehicle used by the higher self while it is living in this
active testing ground of incarnate life.

........At the moment of death we have a review of our life just past - as
we cast off this physical frame. After a short period, that varies
greatly between individuals, we cast off other lower aspects of our
constitution and the reincarnating self begins a long period of merciful,
earned, rest before the next birth.

........Often during this life, our spiritual nature is obscured in our
self-centred daily lives as we cater to our immediate needs and desires.
But the spiritual self is always there to guide us if we seek it with strong
earnest desire.

........We can strive to reach our Higher Self - ATMA - by:

        ........Listening to the still small voice of our conscience

        ........Noting the dreams from the Higher Self

        ........Developing our intuition

        ........Meditating

        ........Studying principles of the Wisdom Religion

        ........Aligning ourselves with Nature

        ........Engaging in action for the greater good of all beings

        ........Carefully reading the events of our daily life.

........Brotherhood is a fact in nature. We are ONE at the highest spiritual
component of our nature. We are sparks from one flame. We are the fingers on
one hand. We are ONE at other levels as well.

We should:

        ........Understand we are not separate from humanity or the world

        ........Emphasize brotherhood, altruism, and compassion in our daily lives

        ........Strive to know our higher self

        ........As a guiding rule - act for and as the Self of All.

........The religions of the world are branches on the tree whose trunk is
the one ancient - once universal - wisdom religion. The religions are the
tributaries of one great river. (But they borrow from each other to make the
actual details much more complex.)

........Mythology often transmits some of this knowledge in symbolic form.

........Periodically, great teachers come amongst us to help us in this
evolutionary path. They may create another branch on the tree.

........Humanity's potential is infinite and every being has a contribution
to make toward a grander world. We are all in it together. We are one.