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What is Theosophy?
Theosophy is a word compounded from two Ancient Greek words 'Theos' and 'Sophos' (Latin version 'Sophia') meaning "god" and "wisdom" respectively, hence Divine wisdom. It is an inclusive term for the truths contained in all the main world religions, but also includes some of the mystical and occult teachings of the ancient Mystery Schools; also the insights underlying the ancient Mythologies. To more precisely answer the question, we need to distinguish between modern Theosophy and ancient or timeless Theosophy. Timeless Theosophy, also called by many names such as the "Wisdom Tradition" and the "Perennial Philosophy," is a tradition found in human cultures all over the world and at all times in history. It is the basis of the inner or mystical side of many philosophies and cultures. Modern Theosophy is a contemporary statement of that tradition as set forth through the Theosophical Society.
What is the Theosophical Society? When Madam H.P. Blavatsky with Colonel Olcott and W.Q. Judge started the Theosophical Society in New York in 1875, they went back to the neo-Platonist philosophers of Alexandria for the name and aims of the Society. The quintessence of religious thought garnered from India, Egypt, Chaldea, Palestine and Greece, was called 'Theosophia' by the neo-Platonists in the first century A.D. Their aim, which the founders shared, was to demonstrate that all the religions of the world possessed elements of that 'Theosophia', veiled though it may be in allegory and symbol. Madam H.P. Blavatsky, a Russian lady of noble birth, studied for years as a pupil of a Master of the Wisdom, and then shared her vast understanding in the hope that it would broaden the minds of men and women and dispel the ignorance and superstition of her day. Today the Society has branches in some seventy countries, with its international headquarters in India. What does this Wisdom Tradition teach? Through the study of theosophy we learn that there are some basic ideas that underling the Wisdom Tradition which can be summarised as follows;
What do those ideas mean in daily life and how do we live by them? These abstract ideas have some very specific and practical implications, for example the following:
What do Theosophists believe in? The Theosophical Society is nondogmatic, and Theosophists are encouraged
to accept nothing on faith or on the word of another, but to adopt only
those ideas that satisfy their own sense of what is real and important.
Theosophy is a way of looking at life rather than a creed. Modern Theosophy,
however, presents ideas like the following for our consideration, and
many Theosophists hold these ideas, not as fixed beliefs, but as a way
of looking at life that explains the world as they experience it:
What do Theosophists do in their meetings? Meetings vary from group to group but consist generally of open minded exploration of the objectives of the society. This may be in the form of discussion, or a talk followed by discussion or the study of a topic or through workshop and other practical means. Theosophy has no developed rituals, although meetings may be opened and closed by brief meditations or the recitation of short texts, and some groups use a simple ceremony for welcoming new members. There are no privileged symbols or icons in Theosophy, but various symbols from the religious traditions of the world are honoured, such as the interlaced triangles and the ankh (the Egyptian symbol of life). There are no clergy or leaders, other than democratically chosen officers. How do Theosophists regard churches and religions? Theosophy holds that all religions are expressions of humanity's effort to relate to one another, to the universe around us, and to the ultimate ground of being. Particular religions differ from one another because they are expressions of that effort, adapted to particular times, places, cultures and needs. Theosophy is not itself a religion, although it is religious, in being concerned with humanity's effort to relate to ultimate values. Individual Theosophists profess various religions of the world, including, but not confined to, Christian, Jewish, Moslem, Zoroastrian, Hindu and Buddhist. Some have no religious affiliation at all. The Society itself is an expression of the belief that human beings, however diverse their backgrounds, can communicate and cooperate. What is the message of Theosophy today? The problems humanity faces, war, overpopulation, exploitation, prejudice, oppression, greed, hate are just the symptoms of a disease. We need to treat the symptoms; but to cure the disease, we need to eliminate its cause. The cause of the disease is ignorance of the truth that we are not merely unconnected, independent beings whose particular welfare can be achieved at the expense of the general good. The cure is the recognition that we are all one with each other and with all life in the universe, and then applying this realisation to daily life. Despite the superficial cultural and genetic differences that divide humanity, we are remarkably homogeneous; physically, psychologically, intellectually, and spiritually. Biologically, we are a single human gene pool, with only minor local variations. Psychologically, we respond to pleasure and pain in the same way. Intellectually, we have the same curiosity about our place in the universe and the same power to discover truth. Spiritually, we have a common origin and a common destiny. We are part and parcel of the totality of existence stretching from this planet Earth to the farthest reaches of the cosmos in every conceivable dimension. When we realize our integral connection with all other human beings, with all other life forms, with the most distant reaches of space, we will realize that we cannot either harm or help another without harming or helping ourselves. We are all one. To know this is to be healthy in body, whole in mind, and holy in spirit. That ideal is expressed in the following words, known as the "Universal Invocation," written by Annie Besant, the second President of the Theosophical Society:
O hidden Light, shining in every creature, O hidden Love, embracing all in oneness, May all who feel themselves as one with thee Know they are therefore one with every other.
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