Several theosophists were upset when they noted that the Masters were
very restrictive to revealing their knowledge and so they accused them of being
selfish. But Blavatsky responded to these accusations by publishing the following
article in the Theosophist magazine:
In various writings on occult subjects, it has been stated that unselfishness is an
essential condition for success in occultism. Or a more correct form of putting
it, would be that the development of an unselfish feeling is in itself the
primary training which brings with it "knowledge which is power" as a
necessary accessory. It is not, therefore, "knowledge," as ordinarily
understood, that the occultist works for, but it comes to him as a matter of
course, in consequence of his having removed the veil, which screens true
knowledge from his view.
The basis of knowledge exists everywhere, since the phenomenal world
furnishes or rather abounds with facts, the causes of which have to be
discovered. We see only the effects
in the phenomenal
world, for each cause in that world is itself the effect of some other cause, and so on; and,
therefore, true knowledge consists in getting at the root of all phenomena, and
thus arriving at a correct understanding of the primal cause, the "rootless root,"
which is not an effect in its turn.
To perceive anything correctly, one can use only those senses or
instruments which correspond to the nature of that object. Hence, to comprehend
the noumenal, a noumenal sense is a pre-requisite; while the transient
phenomena can be perceived by senses corresponding to the nature of those
phenomena.
Occult Philosophy teaches us that the seventh principle is the only
eternal Reality, while the rest, belonging as they do to the "world of
forms" which are non-permanent, are illusive in the sense that they are
transient. To these is limited the phenomenal world which can be taken cognizance
of by the senses corresponding to the nature of those six principles. It will
thus be clear that it is only the seventh
sense, which pertains to the noumenal
world, that can comprehend the Abstract Reality underlying all phenomena.
As this seventh principle is all-pervading, it exists potentially in all
of us; and he, who would arrive at true knowledge, has to develop that sense in
him, or rather he must remove those veils which obscure its manifestation. All
sense of personality
is limited only to these lower six principles, for the former relates only to
the "world of forms." Consequently, true "knowledge" can be obtained
only by tearing away all the curtains of Maya
raised by a sense of personality
before the impersonal Atma.
It is only in that personality
that is centered selfishness, or rather the latter creates the former and vice versa, since they
mutually act and react upon each other. For, selfishness is that feeling which
seeks after the aggrandizement of one's own egotistic personality to the
exclusion of others. If, therefore, selfishness limits one to narrow
personalities, absolute knowledge is impossible so long as selfishness is not
got rid of. So long, however, as we are in this world of phenomena, we cannot
be entirely rid
of a sense of personality, however exalted that feeling may be in the sense
that no feeling of personal
aggrandizement or ambition remains.
We are, by our constitution and state of evolution, placed in the
"World of Relativity," but as we find that impersonality and
non-duality is the ultimate end of cosmic evolution, we have to endeavor to
work along with Nature, and not place ourselves in opposition to its inherent
impulse which must ultimately assert itself. To oppose it, must necessitate
suffering, since a weaker force, in its egotism, tries to array itself against
the universal
law.
All that the occultist does, is to hasten
this process, by allowing his Will to act in unison with the Cosmic Will or the
Demiurgic Mind, which can be done by successfully checking the vain attempt of personality to assert
itself in opposition to the former. And since the MAHATMA is but an advanced
occultist, who has so far controlled his lower "self" as to hold it
more or less in complete subjection to the Cosmic impulse, it is in the nature
of things impossible for him to act in any other but an unselfish manner. No
sooner does he allow the "personal self" to assert itself, than he
ceases to be a MAHATMA.
Those, therefore, who being still entangled in the web of the delusive
sense of personality charge the MAHATMAS with "selfishness" in
withholding "knowledge"--do not consider what they are talking about.
The Law of Cosmic evolution is ever operating to achieve its purpose of
ultimate unity and to carry the phenomenal into the noumenal plane, and the MAHATMAS, being in
relationship with it, are assisting that purpose. They therefore know best what
knowledge is best for mankind at a particular stage of its evolution, and none
else is competent to judge of that matter, since they alone have got to the basic knowledge which can
determine the right course and exercise proper discrimination.
For us who are yet struggling in the mire of the illusive senses to
dictate what knowledge MAHATMAS shall impart to us and how they shall act, is
like a street-boy presuming to teach science to Prof. Huxley or politics to Mr.
Gladstone. For, it will be evident that, as soon as the least feeling of selfishness tries to
assert itself, the vision of the spiritual sense, which is the only perception
of the MAHATMA, becomes clouded and he loses the "power" which abstract
"knowledge" alone can confer.
Hence, the vigilant watch of the "Will" we have constantly to
exercise to prevent our lower nature from coming up to the surface, which it
does in our present undeveloped state; and thus extreme activity and not
passivity is the essential condition with which the student has to commence.
First his activity is directed to check the opposing influence of the
"lower self"; and, when that is conquered, his untrammelled Will
centered in his higher (real) "self," continues to work most
efficaciously and actively in unison with the cosmic ideation in the
"Divine Mind."
(Theosophist, August 1884, p.266-267; CW 6, p.263-266)
OBSERVATIONS
In a letter, Master Kuthumi noted that:
« An adept is an ordinary mortal, at all the moments of his daily life, except
those when his higher self is acting. »
(CM 24B, p.180)
And Master Pastor in a conference added that:
« If I were to think selfishly, then the divine light would instantly
destroy all my ability to communicate with you. »
(09.19. 87)
We see therefore that what the masters say coincides with what Blavatsky
said. The masters are only humans who have fully managed to connect with their
higher nature, which is what gives them the powers that they use.
But in order to connect with their higher nature, they need to remove
the egoism from within, because the higher nature is completely altruistic,
since it is universal; and from the moment a Master begins to manifest selfish,
that connection is broken.
And the Masters themselves explained that if they do not share all their
knowledge with humans, it is not out of selfishness but because humans are not
yet ready to receive it, since knowledge brings power, and the selfishness that
still prevails among men would transform that power in something very harmful to the world.
Just see what men have done with the knowledge of atomic energy. So
imagine what they could do with even more powerful knowledge. They would have
already destroyed the planet!
And surely some of you will wonder:
So how do black magicians activate their powers?
And the answer is because they draw energy from the dark part of
creation, but that area is much smaller than the bright part of the divine world, and that is why as much as the powers of the
black magicians can impress, these are a miniature compared to the powers of
the Masters.
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