Reading Berg’s “Essential Zohar”

This isn't Berg's fault, really, as he tries to explain all the issues and problems with the underlying religious texts, so my review isn't against his work per se but the underlying problems with the belief structure itself.

I’ve explored a lot of esoteric literature both in reading and in practice.  I was looking forward to the Zohar, which is often referred to as Judaic esotericism. I came away disappointed. For the most part, I would sum up…

Captain Theosophy (Part One: Meeting Your Personal Genie/Genius) by Richard Ihle

"There's a man in the funny papers we all know. . . ."

Some people started to call me "Captain Theosophy.". . .

Initially, this was almost certainly because it was the title of an article I had written for the old THE AMERICAN THEOSOPHIST magazine. In those days I guess I did sometimes seem sort of like a cartoonish superhero—not only because of my…

"Over-Mature Christianity is a promising missionary field for atheists . . . as is over-mature atheism for Theosophists. . . ."—General Theosophy

It has always been a robust discussion at https://seifertforgovernor.com, when it comes to explaining the details about the Zionism or the Arab cause. Several authors have always taken the wide range of history to give their different stances using the historical standpoints. This explains why the author of The Iron Wall, Shlaim Avi resonates with the fact that the Isreali- Arab conflict has…

Religiões indianas

Quase todos os escritores dentro do Panteísmo traçam a sua origem na Índia. M. Maret coloca o clímax do seu argumento contra os filósofos franceses mostrando que suas doutrinas vieram da Índia, “a mãe das superstições”. Pierre Leroux, um dos mais hábeis oponentes de Maret, admite o fato de sua confirmação com muitos elementos das lendas da Índia e, completa, com um ar de triunfo, que “todas as religiões e todas as filosofias tem suas raízes na Índia e que…

Panteísmo

Introdução

Da palavra Panteísmo nós não temos uma definição fixa. As crenças em maior oposição entre si são chamadas por esse designativo; e os sistemas que pelo julgamento de alguns seriam notoriamente panteístas, são defendidos por outros como sendo compatíveis com as doutrinas reveladas do Cristianismo. A popular definição não coaduna com a etimologia da palavra, Deus é tudo, ou tudo é Deus; mas isso não define nada até…

"There is only one virtue in life: how you overcome your weaknesses; . . . and only one vice: how you waste your strengths. . . ."—General Theosophy

"The most sincere believers in reincarnation are probably those who actually begin to worry about the possibility."—General Theosophy

"Unfortunately, your next step is always the next step even when it isn't."—General Theosophy

Earth: a hard school

Ensconced in the upper realms of the subtle divine, as a receptor of the divine outpourings, we are self fulfilled and seemingly free of negativity. However, the Universe wishes that apart from our enableability as a willing & open receptor, we be a strong & reliable transmitter of the divine energy as well and therefore, to enable us be to become as such, to test us, strengthen us and fit us for the task, we are plunged into the…

[10-20-18 Just an informal email exchanged with an old friend who had encountered some negative personal information about the Eastern teacher Swami Rama.]

Hi, Jeff—Windstorm day in my locale today.

Thus, I probably should add to the gale:

Thank you for your thoughts on Swami Rama. Good and maybe not-so-good in everyone as usual, I suppose. Perhaps there is even the chance that, despite considerable devotee-testimony to the contrary, Swami might have…

"Theosophy is not a partial cure for anything; it is the complete cure for anything partial."—General Theosophy

"Sometimes it is best to simply watch what most people do, then do what they do least."—General Theosophy

Thought of the day on: our limitations are self imposed

After having once experienced Universe connectedness, any consciousness contracting thought we entertain thereafter is a self imposed limitation we choose to indulge in owing to past habit patterns rooted in ignorance. One with the source, no separateness remains, no limitations exist. Prisoners of our own minds, to free ourselves, we must get to the root... eliminating all consciousness contracting…

"Theosophy usually does not produce an exact religion; rather, just the vague but persisting religious flavor that death may not entirely end things, after all. . . ."—General Theosophy

Thought of the day on: Mental parallax

Perceptions vary from person to person based upon past experiences and assimilated knowledge, coloured by the texture of our mind. A prejudiced mind will see things quite differently as compared to a free flowing, unfettered spirit.

Suspending judgment altogether however seems to be a far fetched notion, since our memory automatically recalls stored information it considers applicable to the…

"Your better genius is always not what you say but what you knew not to."—General Theosophy

". . . At least following my Theosophical Society in America presentation that summer I had the opportunity to attend another participant's early-morning group activity. It was called 'Music Meditation.'. . ."

The above is a continuation of my theosophy.net blog contribution called “One Reason I Now Limit My Theosophical Audiences” which, incidentally, resulted in a very good question being asked of me:

“Is there any reason one should turn to you as a guide?"

"No. That…

Several decades ago I was asked to speak at a Theosophical summer convention held in Wheaton, Illinois. My message then (as it continues to be now) was that at least some of H.P. Blavatsky's [1831-1891] "esoteric" teachings (e.g., "Rounds," "Root-Races," "Sub-Races," etc.) could have been speculatively produced by making as-below-so-Above ANALOGIES out of the six varieties of…

"More preoccupation with 'the Ghost in the machine' and maybe not so much with the goat as the machine. . . ."—General Theosophy