Lessons in Theosophy


Lesson 13, Buddhism,
Christianity, Hinduism and Others



      As was explained in the last lesson, the teachings of all the major religions have been altered down the centuries, sometimes for political reasons. Also, the esoteric teachings were not released to the public when the religions were started.

      Finally, all major religions are said to come from the same source. Unfortunately, the religions we see today are quite different from each other. Theosophy strives to show the commonality of all religions, that they all come from the same source.

      Why are religions different? Each religion was started in a particular place, at a particular point in time, for a particular group of people. As such, religions are different.

      Also, people are just — different. What works for one person will not work for someone else. There is a need for different types of religions, to service all the types of people in the world. But, Theosophy, stresses, all major come from the same source, and they all have the same basic teaching, although each religion stresses a particular part of the original source (the Ancient Wisdom).

~~~

      Now, it is time to take a look at some of the major religions, and see their relationship to Theosophy.


-- Christianity --


      Theosophy teaches that Jesus believed in, and taught, reincarnation and karma. However, these beliefs of the Christian church have been altered down the centuries.
      “There is nothing in the principles of Theosophy which is at all in opposition to the true primitive Christianity, though there may be statements which cannot be reconciled with some of the mistakes of modern popular theology. This modern theology attaches immense importance to texts; in fact it appears to me to be based upon one or two texts almost entirely. It takes these and gives to them a particular interpretation, often in direct opposition to the plain meaning of other texts from the same bible. Of course there are contradictions in the Christian scripture just as there must necessarily be in any book of that size, the various parts of which were written at such widely separated periods of the world's history, and by people so unequal in knowledge and in civilization.

      “It is impossible that all the statements made in it can be literally true, but we can go back behind them all, and try to find out what the original teacher did lay before His pupils. Since there are many contradictions and many interpretations it is obviously the duty of a thinking Christian to weigh carefully the different versions of his faith which exist in the world, and decide between them according to his own reason and common sense.” (Charles Leadbeater, The Inner Life, page 80 online or hardcopy)
Theosophy teaches the commonality of all religions — the idea that all religious scriptures come from the same source. The Old Testament comes from the same source as The Stanzas of Dzyan.
[The descending and ascending evolution of sprit through matter] “... is found also in Genesis (ch. 1 and 2) if one reads it in its true esoteric sense, for chapter i. contains the history of the first Three Rounds, as well as that of the first Three Races of the Fourth, up to that moment when Man is called to conscious life by the Elohim of Wisdom. In the first chapter, animals, whales and fowls of the air, are created before the androgyne Adam. In the second, Adam (the sexless) comes first, and the animals only appear after him. Even the state of mental torpor and unconsciousness of the first two races, and of the first half of the Third Race, is symbolized, in the second chapter of Genesis, by the deep sleep of Adam. It was the dreamless sleep of mental inaction, the slumber of the Soul and Mind, which was meant by that ‘sleep,’ and not at all the physiological process of differentiation of sexes, as a learned French theorist (M. Naudin) imagined.” (The Secret Doctrine, vol II p. 181) “... by ‘Man’ the divine Monad is meant, and not the thinking Entity, much less his physical body.” (The Secret Doctrine, vol II p. 186)

-- The meaning of “The Trinity” is explained. --


      It is important to acknowledge that Theosophy teaches the concept of the Trinity — the Triple Logos. Theosophy teaches that the Triple Logos is an important concept in all of the major religions.
      “The Divine Wisdom tells us that the universe with its myriads of stars is the expression of a Conscious Life, called variously God, Isvara, Ahura Mazda, Allah, or the Logos. This One Life is, we are told, a Person but He transcends all the limitations which necessarily are associated with our ideas of Personality. We are told that this Cosmic Logos is ever a Unity, “One without a second” (ekam advitiyam); nevertheless, as He energizes a universe, He energizes it as a Trinity of three fundamental modes of manifestation. God as a Trinity is described in Hinduism as Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva the Destroyer; in Christianity the Trinity is stated as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. In other religions too, we find names for the trinitarian modes of the divine activities.” (C. Jinarajadasa, First Principles of Theosophy, pages 194-195 online or hardcopy)

-- The meaning of “being one with the Father” is explained. --


“...the Christian Trinity [is] ‘Three in One’ — i.e., the Universal ‘over-Spirit,’ manifesting on the two higher planes, those of Buddhi and Mahat; and these are the three hypostases, metaphysical, but never personal.... ‘I and my Father are one," said Jesus (John x. 30).... The identity, and at the same time the illusive differentiation of the Angel-Monad and the Human-Monad is shown by the following sentences: ‘My Father is greater than I’ (John xiv. 26); ‘Glorify your Father who is in Heaven" (Matt. v. 16); ‘The righteous will shine in the kingdom of their Father’ (not our Father) (Matt. xiii. 43) ‘Know ye not ye are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?’ (I Cor. iii. 16); ‘I ascend to my Father,’ etc., etc.” (H.P.Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine, vol I p. 574 note.)

“...the Spirit (Atman) is one, of course, with Paramatma (the one Universal Spirit), but the vehicle (Vahan) it is enshrined in, the Buddhi, is part and parcel of that Dhyan-Chohanic Essence; and it is in this that lies the mystery of that ubiquity, which was discussed a few pages back. ‘My Father, that is in Heaven, and I — are one,’ — says the Christian Scripture; in this, at any rate, it is the faithful echo of the esoteric tenet.” (H.P.Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine, vol 1 p 265)

“As man learns how to become illuminated by means of his divine Self (his ‘Father in Heaven’), every incarnation becomes more ‘radiant’. The final glorious achievement when man becomes fully illuminated, signified by the term Buddha, is beautifully portrayed in the sloka.
"The morning sunlight has changed into noon-day glory." [Sloka 1-7-6]

-- The meaning of “sin” is explained. --


“The ‘days of Sinners’ meant the days when matter would be in its full sway on Earth, and man would have reached the apex of physical development in stature and animality.... [We are now in] the acme of materiality....” (H.P.Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine, vol I pp. 609-610)
Sin, therefore, means a descent into matter, while the opposite means an ascent (a return) to spirit.


-- The meaning of “being saved” is explained. --


Theosophy uses the phrase “being saved,” but in a different way than in Christianity. To be saved means the person has been saved from ever having to go to Avichi. The person is truly “saved,” just as the phrase implies, but it is due only to their own hard work toward the Fifth Initiation, not by the intercedence of any diety. (As a caveat to this discussion, being “saved” means guaranteed entry into Nirvana, not Heaven.)
      “Now that you have attained the immediate goal of your aspiration [passing the First Initiation], I would exhort you at once to turn your attention to the far greater requirements of the next step. That for which you have now to prepare, the ‘entering upon the stream’ which the Christians call salvation, will be the salient point in the long line of your earthly existences, the culmination of seven hundred lives. Ages ago, by individualization, you entered the human kingdom; in a future which I trust is not remote, you will quit it by the door of Adeptship, and become a Superman; between these two extremes is no point of greater importance than that Initiation towards which you should now turn your thoughts. Not only will it make you safe for ever, but it will admit you to that Brotherhood which exists from eternity unto eternity — the Brotherhood which helps the world.” (Charles Leadbeater, The Masters and the Path, paragraph 577 online or page 154 hardcopy)
      Theosophy claims Karma (and being judged because of that Karma) was a teaching of the early Christian church.
      “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God: and the books were opened: and another book was opened which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” (Revelations xx, v. 12)
      For an in-depth look at the origins of the Jewish and Christian faiths, take a look at Blavatsky, H. P., Esoteric Teachings of H. P. Blavatsky.

For further reading on Christianity:


-- Buddhism --


      Buddhism has several teachings that are in common with Theosophy. Karma is an idea shared by Buddhism and Theosophy. There does not seem to be any disagreement at all on this topic. For an in-depth dsicussion of Karma, see Lesson 3, “Karma”.

      Nirvana is seen by both Buddhism and Theosophy as a worth goal to achieve. There may be some disagreement as to what exactly Nirvana is, but that is seen as a minor matter to Theosophists.

      Both Buddhism and Theosophy strongly agree on the topic of compassion. Buddha is sometimes called The Compassionate One. Theosophy advances the theory that compassion is necessary to enter Nirvana. It has been said that Nirvana is a place for mainly doing compassionate things for others.

      Meditation is of upmost importance in Theosophy, and in some (but not all) of the Buddhist traditions. Theosophy teaches that Nirvana cannot be achieved unless meditation is practiced.

      Buddhism and Theosophy share the teaching of illusion. This is the idea that the physical world, as real as it seems, is not the true reality. Theosophy teaches that we will eventually become conscious on higher and higher planes of consciousness. The only true reality we will ever know is when we finally merge back into the Absolute, from which we came.

      Buddhism does not teach about a merging back into the Absolute, and Buddhism does not stress the idea of different planes of existence (both key Theosophical concepts). However, the teaching that this physical world is not the true reality is a core teaching in Buddhism as well as Theosophy.

      Emptiness is a key Buddhist concept shared by Theosophy. However, the Thsosphical interpretation is a little different. Buddhism teaches that we must realize that we do not exist, that we must must destroy our personality. Theosohy agrees that we must destroy our personality, but we must build up our higher selves. Theosophy emphasizes the building up of the higher self, while Buddhism only emphasizes the destruction of the personality.

      Prayer is not an important part of most of the Buddhist traditions, nor is it of Theosophy. Both traditions emphasize finding strength within, rather than praying to a deity for strength. Neither Buddhism nor Theosophy teach that God is the absolute power in the universe. Theosophy teaches the idea of the Absolute, while most traditions in modern Buddhism simply choose to leave the question un-answered.


-- Om Mani Padme Hum --


      Theosophy interprets the mantra Om Mani Padme Hum — The Jewel in the Lotus — as the Atman within each of us.
      “Verily there is a deepr significance than the 'jewel in the lotus,' for within the very heart of every lotus blossom Atman is enshrined. Just as within every pulsating human heart there, too, is Atman. So, likewise, within the unfathomable depths of infinite Space a 'jewel in the lotus' is slumbering, ready to spring forth into manifestation. H.P.B. has explained the meaning of Om in many palces; the final Hum is a Tibetan mystic syllable of similar significance, just as is the other familiar form the of the syllable — Aum.” (The Divine Plan, by Geoffrey Barborka, p. xxi)
      In Theosophy, Gautama Buddha is seen as a member of a great Hierarchy. (See also Chart Two.) Theosophy teaches that Gautama has risen to the highest level in the Hierarchy of anyone of our humanity. (There are other members of the Hierarchy that are higher, but they are from other Rounds.

      Gautama is said to return to Earth once a year, during the Wesak Festival. Take a look at one Theosophist’s description of the event. Take a look at Leadbeater’s description of the Bodhisattva named Maitreya.
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For further reading on Buddhism:


-- Hinduism --


For one Theosophist’s opinion of Hindusim, you can read:

For further reading on Hinduism:


-- Other Religions --





-- Ancient Egypt --





-- Masonry --





-- Confusianism --





-- Sikhism --





-- The Way of Tao --





-- Similarity of all the Major Religions --


      Theosophy teaches that all the world’s major religions came from the same Source. Religions differ in that there are different types of people in the world, needing different types of religion.





Next: Lesson 14, Theosophical Pantheon (Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, etc.)



   

 
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2005, 2006, & 2007
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