Theosophy Northwest View

The Newsletter of the Northwest Branch of the Theosophical Society
April 2007 -- Vol. 10 Issue 2

Peace of Mind

I wonder if you have ever noticed how the entry of a good-hearted man or woman into a room dispels a spiteful or disturbed atmosphere. It may be that such a person's love and understanding of other people and their troubles have drawn around them forces which work for the good of other people and cast out the devils of evil thought whenever they encounter them. Who can say it is not so?

Can we not help to rid ourselves of evil influences in this and unseen worlds? If your trouble is nervousness, unaccountable fears, a constant undercurrent of anxiety, worry, or a generally disturbed state of mind, just sit down and think of someone you know who takes everything calmly; or see yourself moving slowly beside a calm stream. Feel that you are lying on the green turf, listening to a lark singing in the clear summer sky. Think "Peace, harmony, love."

It only when we try to calm our mind that we realize how undisciplined our thoughts really are, how they rush helter-skelter through our minds, skimming the surface and seldom making deep impressions. Contemplating peaceful things soon slows down the pace of the thought-machine and brings a wonderful feeling of calm. -- J. H. J.

There is no Door

I looked up into the clear blue dome of the sky and wondered if I could see there the face of the Buddha, the Christ. But a voice within me said: He is in your own heart. And I knew that this was true: that I, like every person, am the expression of this inner, secret glory, the child of a divine parent who lives in higher spheres, and that the great purpose of my life, and all my lives, is so to live that he may draw near to me, I to him, that my part in the scheme of eternal growth and progress shall be fulfilled.

Out of the heart of the divine universe pours forth a glory of hope and promise, wisdom and peace. Why should we not look to this, and aspire? We know that this is true: that the reality is within-above, not here in the objective prison-gloom of material life where empty dreams and frustration are. And should not our endeavor be to awaken the consciousness of all this in others? Is it right, is it in harmony with the whole, that we should hug this truth to ourselves and not share it with others? Perhaps one little word of ours, spoken from our hearts, will awaken in some other an awareness of the divine life.

One feels that from this central fountain of reality emanates all that is; that we and all beings, worlds, and universes, are manifestations of the invisible. There can be no separation: we are one with this boundless ocean of emanation: one vast expression of an inner and infinite glory of birth and growth and awakening. The thought is at once overwhelming and peace-giving; it draws us out of ourselves and makes us one with a boundless self, identifies us with the grand, sweeping all-ness within, about, and yet beyond us. We say "beyond," but is there truly a "beyond" when we realize that even that which looms afar, and which we in this moment cannot reach, is still our self? When we look inward to the Buddha in our hearts and realize that between us and all the glory and magnificence of the universe there is no door.? -- G. Cardinal Le Gros

Interfaith Fair is Coming!

Mark your calendars! The 2007 Multicultural and Inter-faith Fair is coming to the Bellevue Community College on May 5, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

~~~

Because your own strength is unequal to the task, do not assume that it is beyond the powers of man; but if anything is within the powers and province of man, believe that it is within your own compass also. -- Marcus Aurelius

Monthly Discussion Group

This month "Our Place in the Universe" is our subject. We will be discussing such questions as: What is the role of humanity in the life of our planet? As integral parts of the earth, how can we each come into greater harmony with the world around us, and with our fellow beings? What of the ancient view that human beings are connected materially and spiritually with all the kingdoms of nature, the terrestrial elements, the sun, moon, and planets, the stars and constellations, and the universe as a whole? In what ways do we picture the structure of the universe, terrestrial life, and our own being? What is our relation to cosmic multiplicity, duality, and unity? What are the limits of human under-standing, and of our own awareness? Come and share your ideas

Open to the public, unsectarian, non-political, no charge

Upcoming Topics

These subjects are currently being considered for the Monthly Discussion group. As always, those who have a particular topic they would like to have featured are encouraged to contact us.

May 10: Am I My Brother's Keeper?
June 14: How Do We Find Joy in Life?
July: Ancient Knowledge, Ancient Truths
August: Inner Alchemy
September: Music of the Spheres
October: Is Theosophy Relevant Today?
November: The Uses of Adversity

Theosophical Views

Our Place

By Scott Osterhage

What is our place in the universe? I guess we have to answer the question "who are we?" first. We as humans span the spectrum of life from spirit to body. We have evolved to this point in time through our own efforts and the help of others further along the path. We have animal-like bodies that are animated by an informing divine intelligence. Ours is the struggle to move from the lower to the higher. We do this by living and experiencing and growing wiser in the context of this world. We learn and evolve ourselves from the light within. It is both our guide and our goal. To live in the higher part of ourselves, to master the lower part of our nature, and to "live to benefit mankind." The love and com-passion must flow from us easily, as they are an essential part of our constitution.

The background of this life is our planet and even the universe. We are sentient beings composed of other sentient beings, and we live on (or perhaps in) another sentient being, our home planet, the Earth. And the chain does not stop there, for the planets, and therefore we, are part of the solar system, part of the galaxy, and so on. Each hierarchy is a different level of existence, a different experience to gain. Yet let us not forget that it is we who are the real center, the real work. Each one of us is the goal. We simply need to reach within and find our path to that place.

We have learned and inculcated into ourselves what is necessary to achieve the level of experience we are now in. We have much further to go on our journey to the center of the universe, of life. We must reach ever higher and closer within for the strength and drive to build ourselves fitter vehicles of expression. These bodies, and all they contain on the inner realms, are ourselves. They are the place we need to be to interact with others and the world about us.

Wherever we go we are ourselves, and we are the prism through which we experience life. So is everyone else! All humans are gathered within Humanity. They have a common bond which is their divine center and the goal of realization. We are all struggling through life in some aspect, as are our brothers and sisters of all colors, creeds, and nationalities. The person across from you is no different than you in this respect. All of us are searching for answers, answers that must come from within.

Our work is always before us. Our past actions and thoughts have brought us to this place through the cosmic justice of cause and effect. We will continue the process of creating our lives and our situations for a very long time. Personal responsibility is sometimes initially a hard thing to bear, but it is what the universe is based upon: entities forming thoughts, creating lives and situations in which they form thoughts and create lives and situations…the pattern repeats. It is our pattern, the pattern of our lives. It is ours to own and ours to change if we will.

The divine is everywhere. We are somewhere. There is a definite connection between all living things. It is not necessarily something we can see with our limited eyesight, but perhaps we can feel it in our hearts. We are all brothers and sisters on the path forward. We can help each other and cooperate, a faster road than competition which is so prevalent today. We must all reach the goal, and we raise each other up in that endeavor. We support and encourage others and ourselves to meet the goal, to live the life. Our place? Our place is right here, right now before us. Every moment we live is another opportunity for advancement, for doing of good, and thinking in harmony with nature.

Work on we will!

~~~~

There is no stoppage, and never can be stoppage;
If I, you, and the worlds, and all beneath or upon their surfaces, were this moment reduced back to a pallid float, it would not avail in the long run;
We should surely bring up again where we now stand,
And as surely go as much farther -- and then farther and farther.
A few quadrillions of eras, a few octillions of cubic leagues, do not hazard the span, or make it impatient;
They are but parts -- anything is but a part.
See ever so far, there is limitless space outside of that;
Count ever so much, there is limitless time around that. -- Walt Whitman

Current Issue