The Key to Theosophy: Being a Clear Exposition, in the Form of Question and Answer, of the Ethics, Science and Philosophy for the Study of Which the Theosophical Society Has Been FoundedBlavatsky, H. P. (Helena Petrovna)
Religion
The Key to Theosophy: Being a Clear Exposition, in the Form of Question and Answer, of the Ethics, Science and Philosophy for the Study of Which the Theosophical Society Has Been Founded
Blavatsky, H. P. (Helena Petrovna)
Theosophy
THEO. “Divine Wisdom,” Θεοσοφία (Theosophia) or Wisdom of the gods, as
Θεογονία (theogonia), genealogy of the gods. The word Θεὸς means
a god in Greek, one of the divine beings, certainly not “God” in
the sense attached in our day to the term. Therefore, it is not
“Wisdom of God,” as translated by some, but _Divine Wisdom_ such
as that possessed by the gods. The term is many thousand years old.
ENQ. What is the origin of the name?
THEO. It comes to us from the Alexandrian philosophers, called lovers
of truth, Philatheians, from φιλ (phil) “loving,” and ἀλήθεια
(aletheia) “truth.” The name Theosophy dates from the third
century of our era, and began with Ammonius Saccas and his
disciples,[1] who started the Eclectic Theosophical system.
ENQ. What was the object of this system?
THEO. First of all to inculcate certain great moral truths upon its
disciples, and all those who were “lovers of the truth.” Hence the
motto adopted by the Theosophical Society: “There is no religion
higher than truth.”[2] The chief aim of the Founders of the
Eclectic Theosophical School was one of the three objects of its
modern successor, the Theosophical Society, namely, to reconcile
all religions, sects and nations under a common system of ethics,
based on eternal verities.
ENQ. What have you to show that this is not an impossible dream; and
that all the world’s religions _are_ based on the one and the same
truth?
THEO. Their comparative study and analysis. The “Wisdom-Religion” was
one in antiquity; and the sameness of primitive religious
philosophy is proven to us by the identical doctrines taught
to the Initiates during the MYSTERIES, an institution once
universally diffused. “All the old worships indicate the existence
of a single Theosophy anterior to them. The key that is to open
one must open all; otherwise it cannot be the right key.” (Eclect.
Philo.)
THE POLICY OF THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.
ENQ. In the days of Ammonius there were several ancient great
religions, and numerous were the sects in Egypt and Palestine
alone. How could he reconcile them?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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