Wednesday 9 May 2012

White Lotus Day – Remembering H. P. Blavatsky

HPB in 1879. Courtesy: Pedro Oliveira
The 8th of May is one of the four important days in the Theosophical Society. It is the day we remember one of our principal founders, H. P. Blavatsky (HPB) who passed away on 8 May 1891. It is known as White Lotus Day because on that day, white lotuses were in bloom at Adyar, the International Headquarters of the Theosophical Society.

On this day members come together, and as requested by HPB in her will, verses are read from the Light of Asia by Sir Edwin Arnold and from the Bhagavad-gita – The Lord's Song. Col. Olcott thought it would be a fitting tribute to HPB if a few verses are read from one of her books called the Voice of the Silence.

We at the Wellington Branch too observed this day on 8 May 2012. After the verses from the three books were recited we learned a little about HPB's contribution to Theosophical literature through her books:
  • Isis Unveiled – Vol. I & Vol. II
  • The Secret Doctrine: The Synthesis of Science, Religion, and Philosophy
  • The Key to Theosophy an excellent introduction to the inquirer.
  • The Voice of the Silence – being chosen fragments from the 'Book of the Golden Precepts'.
All these books were published during her lifetime and have been in print since then.

HPB has been reported as saying that the study of the great universal principles of Theosophy requires a special kind of mental effort that involves “the carving out of new brain paths”. The study of these books would certainly help in carving the new brain paths.

There were interesting comments made during the discussion and we closed with some inspiring words:
Every wish and thought I can utter are summed up in this one sentence, the never-dormant wish of my heart, 'Be Theosophists, work for Theosophy!' – HPB (15 April 1891)

“Self-watchfulness is never more necessary than when a personal wish to lead, and wounded vanity, dress themselves in the peacock's feathers of devotion and altruistic work. . . . If every Fellow in the Society were content to be an impersonal force for good, careless of praise or blame so long as he subserved the purposes of Brotherhood, the progress made would astonish the World and place the Ark of the T.S. out of danger.” – HPB

Bridging the Faith Divide – H. H. The Dalai Lama

Dalai Lama photo
H. H. The Dalai Lama
Recently during the months of February-April 2012, the DVD on 'Bridging the Faith Divide' – by H. H. The Dalai Lama was screened in three parts. These evenings were inspiring and well spent.

The DVD was a talk H. H. The Dalai Lama had given on his visit to Chicago which was hosted by the Theosophical Society in America in September 2011.

As most people are aware His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is both the head of state and the spiritual leader of Tibet. He is a man of peace. In 1989 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent struggle for the liberation of Tibet. He has consistently advocated policies of non-violence, even in the face of extreme aggression. He also became the first Nobel Laureate to be recognized for his concern for global environmental problems.

The Relationship between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and The Theosophical Society

In his talk he mentions his first visit to the Theosophical Society as a young man when he traveled to India in 1956 to celebrate the birth of Buddha. During his tour he visited the international headquarters of the Theosophical Society in Adyar, Chennai (formerly Madras). He mentioned the fact that there were shrines of various religions on the compound that it was a good way to gain experience of different faiths.
H. H. Dalai Lama on the Theosophical Society in Toward a True Kinship of Faiths, 2010 writes:
Looking back to this trip in 1956, I realize that my visit to the Theosophical Society in Chennai (then Madras) left a powerful impression. There I was first directly exposed to people, and to a movement, that attempted to bring together the wisdom of the world’s spiritual traditions as well as science. I felt among the members a sense of tremendous openness to the world’s great religions and a genuine embracing of pluralism.

When I returned to Tibet in 1957, after more than three months in what was a most amazing country for a young Tibetan monk, I was a changed man. I could no longer live in the comfort of an exclusivist standpoint that takes Buddhism to be the only true religion.
His Holiness in his talk said that all religions carry a similar message or practices such as:
  • love
  • compassionate
  • forgiveness
  • tolerace
  • self-discipline
  • moral principles
  • justice
  • truthfulness
However, there were differences in the philosophies of the various religions. After all, considering the different kinds of people, different philosophies were necessary.

He said he was committed to the promotion of religious harmony in his role of a Buddhist monk. The most important commitment as a human being was to help everyone realize they were human beings first and foremost and that everyone strived for happiness and had the right to happiness. He stressed the importance of a community based on moral principles for establishing a healthy society in the world.

Photo courtesy: I copied it from Facebook. Thank you to whoever shared it.