Lucifer: A Theosophical Magazine. Volume I. September 1887-February 1888.Various
Religion
Lucifer: A Theosophical Magazine. Volume I. September 1887-February 1888.
Various
Theosophy -- Periodicals
The scheme was planned, and the rules and laws to guide such a
practical brotherhood, have been given by those “more learned in the
Science of (practical, daily, _altruistic_) life;” aye, verily “more
learned” in it than any other men since the days of Gautama Buddha
and the Gnostic Essenes. The “scheme” dates back to the year when
the Theosophical Society was founded. Let anyone read its wise and
noble laws embodied to this day in the Statutes of the Fraternity,
and judge for himself whether, if carried out rigorously and applied
to practical life, the “scheme” would not have proved the most
beneficent to mankind in general, and especially to our poorer
brethren, of “the starving multitudes.” Theosophy teaches the spirit
of “non-separateness,” the evanescence and illusion of human creeds
and dogma, hence, inculcates _universal love and charity for all
mankind “without distinction of race, colour, caste or creed;”_ is
it not therefore the fittest to alleviate the sufferings of mankind?
No true theosophist would refuse admission into a hospital, or any
charitable establishment, to any man, woman or child, under the
pretext that he is _not_ a theosophist, as a Roman Catholic would
when dealing with a Protestant, and _vice versa_. No true
theosophist of the original rules would fail to put into practice
the parable of the “Good Samaritan,” or proffer help only to entice
the unwary who, he hopes, will become a pervert from his god and the
gods of his forefathers. None would slander his brother, none let a
needy man go unhelped, none offer fine talk instead of practical
love and charity.
Is it then the fault of Theosophy, any more than it is the fault of
the Christ-teachings, if the majority of the members of the
Theosophical Society, often changing their philosophical and
religious views upon entering our Body, have yet remained
practically the same as they were when professing _lip_
Christianity? Our laws and rules are the same as given to us from
the beginning; it is the general members of the Society who have
allowed them to become virtually _obsolete_. Those few who are ever
ready to sacrifice their time and labour to work for the poor, and
who do, unrecognised and unthanked for it, good work wherever they
can, are often too poor themselves to put their larger schemes of
charity into objective practical form, however willing they may be.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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