Theosophy

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The coming of Christ,” means the presence of CHRISTOS in a regenerated world, and not at all the actual coming in body of “Christ” Jesus; this Christ is to be sought neither in the wilderness nor “in the inner chambers,” nor in the sanctuary of any temple or church built by man; for Christ – the true esoteric SAVIOUR – is no man, but the DIVINE PRINCIPLE in every human being. He who strives to resurrect the Spirit crucified in him by his own terrestrial passions, and buried deep in the “sepulchre” of his sinful flesh; he who has the strength to roll back the stone of matter from the door of his own inner sanctuary, he has the risen Christ in him.”

The Esoteric Character of the Gospels, HPB

 

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Theosophy as HPB taught it:

https://www.philaletheians.co.uk/major-works/theosophia-inner-wisdom.pdf

From the Prefatory Notes:

This is a brief overview of the origin, practical application, and ultimate destiny of Theosophy from the writings of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831–1891). It has been assembled as an offering to those who, having perceived that living for others is the only life worth living, aspire to apprehend the Truth of truths by studying, assimilating, modelling, and applying the Golden Precepts in everyday life. Madame Blavatsky is the leading exponent of the modern Theosophical Movement, great noetic radiance of our epoch, acclaimed philosopher and mystic, indefatigable servant of humanity.

 

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Early articles from 1879 describing Theosophy and Theosophists:

https://www.philaletheians.co.uk/st...d-theosophists/theosophy-and-theosophists.pdf

 

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Amneus wrote Life's Riddle as survey of Theosophy:

"Life's Riddle" by Nils A. Amneus, an introduction to theosophy

 

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HPB admired an earlier theosophist - Paracelsus:

https://www.philaletheians.co.uk/st...-initiates/the-noble-genius-of-paracelsus.pdf

"Paracelsus was the most wondrous intellect of his age, and original thinker."

 

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This compilation of daily gems of wisdom was done by HP Blavatsky in Summer of 1890:

Gems from the East: A Birthday Book - by H. P. Blavatsky

This quote leads the entries for January:

Rise! Awake! Seek the great Teachers, and attend! The road Is narrow as a knife-edge! Hard to tread!" "But whoso once perceiveth HIM that IS; — Without a name, Unseen, Impalpable, Bodiless, Undiminished, Unenlarged, To senses undeclared, without an end, Without beginning, Timeless, Higher than height, Deeper than depth! Lo! Such an one is saved! Death hath not power upon him!"

— Katha Upanishad

 

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PDFs of all 15 vols. of HPB's Collected Writings:

Collected Writings of H. P. Blavatsky - edited by Boris De Zirkoff | Theosophy World

 

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In 1887 Blavatsky wrote a letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury giving the theosophical view of Christianity:

https://www.philaletheians.co.uk/st...en-letter-to-the-archbishop-of-canterbury.pdf

 

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Excerpt from letter to Archbishop:

Theosophy is not a religion, but a philosophy at once religious and scientific; and that the chief work, so far, of the Theosophical Society has been to revive in each religion its own animating spirit, by encouraging and helping enquiry into the true significance of its doctrines and observances. Theosophists know that the deeper one penetrates into the meaning of the dogmas and ceremonies of all religions, the greater becomes their apparent underlying similarity, until finally a perception of their fundamental unity is reached. This common ground is no other than Theosophy — the Secret Doctrine of the ages; which, diluted and disguised to suit the capacity of the multitude, and the requirements of the time, has formed the living kernel of all religions.

 

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Short 50 pp biography of WQ Judge, leading American worker for Theosophy:

https://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/wqj-echoes/WQJ_Life_and_Work.pdf

 

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Commenting on a correspondent’s letter, (CW IV:297-98) H.P. Blavatsky wrote:

"We fear our correspondent is labouring under various misconceptions. We will not touch upon his very original views of Karma — at its incipient stage — since his ideas are his own, and he is as much entitled to them as anyone else. But we will briefly answer his numbered questions at the close of the letter.

1 Spirit got itself entangled with gross matter for the same reason that life gets entangled with the fœtus matter. It followed a law, and therefore could not help the entanglement occurring.

2 We know of no eastern philosophy that teaches that “matter originated out of Spirit.” Matter is as eternal and indestructible as Spirit and one cannot be made cognizant to our senses without the other — even to our, the highest, spiritual sense. Spirit per se is a non-entity and non-existence. It is the negation of every affirmation and of all that is.

3 No one ever held — as far as we know that Spirit could be annihilated under whatever circumstances. Spirit can get divorced of its manifested matter, its personality, in which case, it is the latter that is annihilated. Nor do we believe that “Spirit breathed out Matter”; but that, on the contrary, it is Matter which manifests Spirit. Otherwise, it would be a puzzle indeed.

4 Since we believe in neither “God” nor “Satan” as personalities or entities, hence there is neither “Heaven” nor “Hell” for us, in the vulgar generally accepted sense of the terms. Hence also — it would be a useless waste of time to discuss the question."