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The Secret Doctrine #1-2
The Secret Doctrine
Continuously in print for over 100 years, the SD remains today the most comprehensive sourcebook of the esoteric tradition, outlining the fundamental tenets of the Secret Doctrine of the Archaic Ages. Challenging, prophetic, and strikingly modern, it directly addresses the perennial continuity of life after death, purpose of existence, good and evil, consciousness and substance, sexuality, karma, evolution, and human and planetary transformation. Based on the ancient Stanzas of Dzyan with corroborating testimony from over 1,200 sources, these volumes unfold the drama of cosmic and human evolution -- from the reawakening of the gods after a Night of the Universe to the ultimate reunion of cosmos with its divine source. Supplementary sections discuss relevant scientific issues as well as the mystery language of myths, symbols, and allegories, helping the reader decipher the often abstruse imagery of the world's sacred literature.
1571 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1888
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About the author
Helena Petrovna Blavatsky
1,739 books676 followersHelena Petrovna Blavatsky (Russian: Еле́на Петро́вна Блава́тская, Yelena Petrovna Blavatskaya, often known as Madame Blavatsky; 12 August [O.S. 31 July] 1831 – 8 May 1891) was a Russian occultist, philosopher, and author who co-founded the Theosophical Society in 1875. She gained an international following as the leading theoretician of Theosophy, the esoteric religion that the society promoted.
Source: Wikipedia
Source: Wikipedia
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May 9, 2015
When I first considered reading the The Secret Doctrine, I thought I had a pretty good back ground in the understanding of esoteric interpretations of nature. I quickly realized that if I read the material at that point, I would only attain a C-average understanding. This for me would be unacceptable. I knew that there would need to be a lot of mental upgrading. I first picked out 10 books that would get me from where I was, to where I needed to be, here are the books in the order that I read them - The Astral plane, This Dynamic Universe , The solar system , A Geometry of Space Consciousness , Eckankar, The key to Secret Worlds , How you can explore Higher dimensions of Space & Time, The Evolution of Consciousness, The Secret Doctrine-The abridge version. Along with this mental preparation came a fair amount of physical preparation. There was the every other day 5 mile bike ride, the in between days of various fitness training, as well as a reduction in my intake of stress. I looked at these books as my intellectual Mt-Everest. One would not try to climb Mt. Everest without adequate preparation. I had to get used to the sentence structure, the phraseology , as well as the profoundness of the material. I found the volume on Cosmogenesis to be the most interesting. The postulate that the universe existed before it was aware of itself brought a tear to my eye. The belief that God had to figure out a way to create itself from "nothing", was a high non-pareil. Also when you begin to study the mechanics of non-being, this can only hasten ones journey back to the source (non-being). The reading of the text, The solar system by A.E Powell, really helped me to understand vol two, Anthropogensis. The concepts, the wording, and the time line were very similar. Volume two allowed me to unite all the mythologies of all the cultures into one homogeneous whole.
I will have more to say in part two of my review. I want to detail more of the ideals expressed.
The first volume Cosmogenesis deals with the mechanics of how God created itself. Like all of us , God had existence before it was aware of itself. We had life after conception, but we did not have self awareness until around the age of 3 or 4. The same is true for all entities, and non entities. The treaties on Cosmogenesis goes into detail as to how God created itself from the great potential. Before anything can exist the "potential" has to exist first, even when it comes to God. Before God could actualize itself, it had to create the tools of existence. It first had to create space, and then it had to create time, and then it had to create form (geometry) or matter, (which is just folded space). Imagine space as a flat table cloth, now imagine that you twist up a little piece of the table cloth, there you have a disturbance, and that disturbance or "change" is matter. Matter is to space, what Ice is to water. Oh yes, what say you. From these manifestations God poured itself into its newly created universe, and this act represented a type of self awareness for God. I liked how the author interpreted the more arcane text,(stanzas) of the various religions into a practical explanation for a contemporary audience. The section on non-being which predates existence, starts on page 44. It was the non-beings that yearned to exist that caused creation to "be". It was because these non-existence creatures of nothing, seeking to understand the absent of reality, that a potential God brought forth a secondary reality to give them expression in the great actualization we call the Metaverse. The reading is slow and tedious, but when that ah moment of intellectual illumination surges through your being, the time invested is a small price to pay. I could not find any holes in the logic of her presentations, and the route she takes the reader on shows the mark of a true teacher. Another section that tickled my fancy was that on the subject of sacred geometry. The first "thing" that was created, were patterns in the void. These shapes define what is in the shape, and what is outside. This sets up a differentiation in the symmetry of nothing. From there the phenomenon of motion was introduce, and that became the bases for a type of life. Pythagoras was a great teacher of sacred geometry, and I would recommend his teachings to further your understanding of the subject. I cannot say enough about the debt humanity owes to Madam Blavatsky. "Her" ideals as they are expressed in the text are a great boom to our understanding of what is, and a profound boost to aid us in our journey home. The text on anthropogenesis deals mainly with human consciousness, and the forms it has had to function through. It talks about the different changes and rounds as well as the root races, and sub races, and how those races brought out different characteristics of awareness, that the developing consciousness had to unfold to become aware of the laws of nature, which is called evolution. The text states that as consciousness dabbled in physical reality it became more engrossed in the forms it began to inhabit. At some point this consciousness began to forget its true home, because in the physical form they could feel more alive, if only in a limited physical sense . At this stage the young consciousness cannot function on its own plane (the 5th dimension) it must work its way up. Its like being able to do more under the influence of some substance, and you come to think that is normal, and the old dull way is abnormal and is to be avoided. To some schools of thought this came to be known as the "fall" of mankind, as the soul (consciousness) became enmeshed in physical reality, which was the natural course of evolution. When the young consciousness or souls saw the quagmire they had made, some of them refused to complete the cycle of their curriculum of learning, this was known as the rebellion, or the war in heaven. It would be like a child refusing to complete the rest of the school year, because of one rough day. These young souls supposedly were lead by one entity who sought to "modify" the plan of nature. This entity was known as the bringer of knowledge (choice). Why, it thought, should we be giving free will, and we can't use it ? This adventurous young soul came to be known as Lucifer in the various religions and myths. If I'm to understand the readings this being was one of the saviors of humanity by being the first to "use" free will as compare to just intellectualizing it. We see this being bringing choice to other human creations. In the "story" of Adam and Eve they were just automatons who were basically robots with no chance for advancement. Ask yourself, what did Adam and Eve do in the garden all day, remember they had all eternity to do it!! Could they feel pain ? mentally or physically ? could they get bored ? could they leave the garden ? did they have hunger pangs, if so then it wouldn't be paradise. Lucifer/Satan as the parable goes, offered Adam and Eve a "choice" stay here and remain ignorant, or exercise your free will and explore the wonders of existence, with responsibilities and consequences. The only true freedom is to be more than that which created you. One ideal the text ends with is describing the next race (not skin color) that will bring about other traits of consciousness, that of intuition and empathy . This round, or period will last about 700 years. The secret Doctrine does a good job in explaining these scenarios from a Theosophical point of view. Whether you agree with such esoteric views is secondary to the fact that at least you're open minded enough to at least considered them. For this we should be thankful that Madam Blavatsky presented these interpretations in what I think are a very lucid and pragmatic way, and for this I give her all the stars.
I will have more to say in part two of my review. I want to detail more of the ideals expressed.
The first volume Cosmogenesis deals with the mechanics of how God created itself. Like all of us , God had existence before it was aware of itself. We had life after conception, but we did not have self awareness until around the age of 3 or 4. The same is true for all entities, and non entities. The treaties on Cosmogenesis goes into detail as to how God created itself from the great potential. Before anything can exist the "potential" has to exist first, even when it comes to God. Before God could actualize itself, it had to create the tools of existence. It first had to create space, and then it had to create time, and then it had to create form (geometry) or matter, (which is just folded space). Imagine space as a flat table cloth, now imagine that you twist up a little piece of the table cloth, there you have a disturbance, and that disturbance or "change" is matter. Matter is to space, what Ice is to water. Oh yes, what say you. From these manifestations God poured itself into its newly created universe, and this act represented a type of self awareness for God. I liked how the author interpreted the more arcane text,(stanzas) of the various religions into a practical explanation for a contemporary audience. The section on non-being which predates existence, starts on page 44. It was the non-beings that yearned to exist that caused creation to "be". It was because these non-existence creatures of nothing, seeking to understand the absent of reality, that a potential God brought forth a secondary reality to give them expression in the great actualization we call the Metaverse. The reading is slow and tedious, but when that ah moment of intellectual illumination surges through your being, the time invested is a small price to pay. I could not find any holes in the logic of her presentations, and the route she takes the reader on shows the mark of a true teacher. Another section that tickled my fancy was that on the subject of sacred geometry. The first "thing" that was created, were patterns in the void. These shapes define what is in the shape, and what is outside. This sets up a differentiation in the symmetry of nothing. From there the phenomenon of motion was introduce, and that became the bases for a type of life. Pythagoras was a great teacher of sacred geometry, and I would recommend his teachings to further your understanding of the subject. I cannot say enough about the debt humanity owes to Madam Blavatsky. "Her" ideals as they are expressed in the text are a great boom to our understanding of what is, and a profound boost to aid us in our journey home. The text on anthropogenesis deals mainly with human consciousness, and the forms it has had to function through. It talks about the different changes and rounds as well as the root races, and sub races, and how those races brought out different characteristics of awareness, that the developing consciousness had to unfold to become aware of the laws of nature, which is called evolution. The text states that as consciousness dabbled in physical reality it became more engrossed in the forms it began to inhabit. At some point this consciousness began to forget its true home, because in the physical form they could feel more alive, if only in a limited physical sense . At this stage the young consciousness cannot function on its own plane (the 5th dimension) it must work its way up. Its like being able to do more under the influence of some substance, and you come to think that is normal, and the old dull way is abnormal and is to be avoided. To some schools of thought this came to be known as the "fall" of mankind, as the soul (consciousness) became enmeshed in physical reality, which was the natural course of evolution. When the young consciousness or souls saw the quagmire they had made, some of them refused to complete the cycle of their curriculum of learning, this was known as the rebellion, or the war in heaven. It would be like a child refusing to complete the rest of the school year, because of one rough day. These young souls supposedly were lead by one entity who sought to "modify" the plan of nature. This entity was known as the bringer of knowledge (choice). Why, it thought, should we be giving free will, and we can't use it ? This adventurous young soul came to be known as Lucifer in the various religions and myths. If I'm to understand the readings this being was one of the saviors of humanity by being the first to "use" free will as compare to just intellectualizing it. We see this being bringing choice to other human creations. In the "story" of Adam and Eve they were just automatons who were basically robots with no chance for advancement. Ask yourself, what did Adam and Eve do in the garden all day, remember they had all eternity to do it!! Could they feel pain ? mentally or physically ? could they get bored ? could they leave the garden ? did they have hunger pangs, if so then it wouldn't be paradise. Lucifer/Satan as the parable goes, offered Adam and Eve a "choice" stay here and remain ignorant, or exercise your free will and explore the wonders of existence, with responsibilities and consequences. The only true freedom is to be more than that which created you. One ideal the text ends with is describing the next race (not skin color) that will bring about other traits of consciousness, that of intuition and empathy . This round, or period will last about 700 years. The secret Doctrine does a good job in explaining these scenarios from a Theosophical point of view. Whether you agree with such esoteric views is secondary to the fact that at least you're open minded enough to at least considered them. For this we should be thankful that Madam Blavatsky presented these interpretations in what I think are a very lucid and pragmatic way, and for this I give her all the stars.
October 6, 2010
This book is complete garbage. The author's incompetence is obvious, she just took everything that was known of Eastern religious and philosophic systems in the 19th century Europe, everything the pseudo-intellectual mass wanted to believe, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Anti-Semitic and Aryan ideologies - everything that wanted to be believed and wasn't systematized yet. She spoke of mahatmas from Hinduism, though there are none there: there are Wise Men - the Rishi, but their role is different from that of Blavatsky's Mahatmas, and actually the idea of Mahatmas was borrowed from Jainism, where they perform a similar guiding, enlightening role and are called Jaina. Also, Blavatsky was a master of mystification, she acted as a medium and performed magic tricks like "materialization", to prove her ideas were right - something most modern theosophists would rather omit. She didn't accept the aid of doctors, "healing herself" by letting a white dog to sleep on her foot. Nevertheless, she died at the age of 59 of complications from influenza and Bright's disease - chronic stuff, that could be easily prevented.
Also, the Nazi used many of Blavatsky's ideas in their Eugenics ideology. E. g. Blavatsky supported the idea of major and minor races, and that nature will see the "minor races" (including Semites, Africans and Roma people) destroyed, as nature wants to "clear itself".
Though, later writers on Theosophy are much worse.
Also, the Nazi used many of Blavatsky's ideas in their Eugenics ideology. E. g. Blavatsky supported the idea of major and minor races, and that nature will see the "minor races" (including Semites, Africans and Roma people) destroyed, as nature wants to "clear itself".
Though, later writers on Theosophy are much worse.
August 1, 2019
As a strong (albeit esoteric and primordial oriented) Christian I can tell you if I were stuck on an island with one book I would rather have this than the Bible. There are endless mysteries on all aspects of being and the universe coming from higher beings of consciousness into this wise and gracious woman’s mind. One sentence will relate to another you read twenty pages back and another to one three pages back. You think she is rambling but it is like an intentionally scattered shotgun approach that actually all interrelates on a higher octave only the hungry will find and as if it were on some extraterrestrial level of revelation. I am not some theosophy pundit and have more a Gurdjieffian view of women in many ways but when one makes oneself available to the Unknowable and all Good Most High this is what happens, man or woman. Culture could begin again fairly passably after a world cataclysm with just this work and about 40 others. That is all I can say of this. Osho called her Blah Blah Blavatsky but he said her works with Gurdjieff’s are the most important to our millennium. When I look into why no one is reading her I found no one reads her in full, not even her own theosophists, except the most interesting people so far of our times in many senses, especially they with great beauty of soul: Elvis Presley, Jim Morrison, John Lennon, Gandhi, Robert Plant, Castaneda, Ouspensky, Gurdjieff etc. etc..
April 5, 2010
A must reference book for serious seekers and researchers of esoteric philosophies and modern occultism! Not necessarily an easy read. HP Blavatsky's writing style was a bit crude as her native language is not English. But the ideas presented, I believe, formed the basis of the modern occult movement - both eastern and western. I started reading this one when I was still in senior high school and finally "finished" reading it a few years back. Its like it took me 15 years to read it! :) But Im not yet sure if I fully comprehended all the ideas presented! (Yet, esoterically, this can be an excellent exercise in abstract thinking as a prelude to occult meditation practice).
This is an exhaustive occult treatise on the beginning of the universe from the unmanifested supreme intelligence to its manifestation of the planes of nature and its expansion and emanations forming galaxies, suns, and planets (Part 1- Cosmogenesis). The second part deals with anthropogenesis or the origin of life on earth, and the various root races and civilizations that materialized and developed in our planetary scheme. These are not HPB's own original ideas but she just distilled the ancient wisdoms down the ages into this work, coming from the world's scriptures, myths, and other writings, some of which are hidden such as the Stanzas of Dzyan. Thus, HPB, with the help of some Masters of Wisdom, was given access to this manuscripts. She did not use any form of spirit channeling or mediumistic abilities to write this down. The paperback edition is in two volumes (I don't recommend the abridged 1-volume version) but the older editions in hard cover consisted of around 5 to 7 volumes in all.
Interestingly, aside from the encyclopedic occult cosmology she presented, is her theory of polar shifting as the 3rd movement of the earth (in addition to rotation and revolution). I believe it's already the current scientific theory but amazingly she postulated that in this book as early as the late 18th century when it was not yet the current thinking. I guess this is relevant now in our times of climatic changes and natural upheavals as we near 2012.
But it is sad how the occult concept of root races were abused and probably deliberately misquoted and misinterpreted by racist ideologies and political movements of our time to suit their objectives. Hitler's "Aryan race" concept was definitely a grave misunderstanding and the term was only lifted out of this book without the proper context. And because of this, the SD became one of the most maligned books of our time due to criticisms by people who haven't even read it, or those who have read it on a piecemeal basis but never grasped the big picture, or those who simply relied on other people's prejudiced critiques.
Nowhere can you find in the Secret Doctrine (SD) any reference to justify or tolerate genocide or mass murder of certain sub-races or root races. The disappearances of the root races were caused by natural upheavals as a by-product of the evolutionary process of the planet. The 3rd root race - which is called the "lemurians" disappeared naturally through volcanic upheavals after humanity (reincarnating as a whole) had already outgrown the need for that type of physical body and culture. The 4th root race (Atlanteans) disappeared via what remained in the myths of world religions as the great flood (Tale of Noah's ark in the Bible). We are now in the 5th root race, and the dominant sub-race is the Anglo-Saxon. But it does not imply that the dominant culture would have to exterminate other sub-races or "stragglers" of the previous root races that are presently co-existing with them just to ensure "dominance". Many are trying to twist and mal-interpret this teaching to demonize the SD and HPB.
The above-mentioned teaching concerning the root-races is not anti-semitic at all and has no intention of marginalizing any races as "minor", which nature needed to destroy or eliminate from the face of the Earth. There is a need to understand the context on how the SD and our society define a "race". The SD or the ageless wisdom views man as a spiritual being, a Soul or a Divine Spirit, and not the physical body belonging to any race. Therefore, the bodies or the groups of people we call races or cultures are nothing but vehicles of manifestation for the reincarnating Soul. These races being described in the SD are the groups of people belonging to different epochs and are settled in different continents under differing earthly conditions. They existed even BEFORE our present "root-race" which historically only began about 10,000 to 5,000 BC. THEY WERE ALSO US, AS REINCARNATING SOULS, BUT OCCUPYING A DIFFERENT BODY AND LIVING A DIFFERENT CULTURE BACK THEN.
But as lessons were learned from past cultures or past ways of life and past bodies in different earthly conditions, we human souls have to move on. We need new experiences to evolve, thus the need for new Earth conditions, environment, cultures, and even new form of physical bodies. Thus, old forms or races or cultures disappear through the working of nature's laws and upheavals to give way to new ones. In the future, our present race or culture will also be outgrown, and a new one will be forthcoming to replace us. The bodies or appearances and ways of life may be very different from the present. But we remain as Souls occupying these bodies.
Presently, the 5th root race or the Aryan root race or the Aryan culture is the composite of all the existing races on Earth. Be it Anglo-saxon, African, Asian, Latin-american, Semite, etc etc. But the races' roots can be traced back (its origins) in pre-Aryan races. Remember, we are the Souls and we are just tracing back the clothes or vehicles we used in the past. The fact that we are alive today means we evolved this far, at par with the other Souls occupying different bodies, regardless of race. If we are inferior or did not pass the evolutionary ladder, we could have been reincarnated in another younger planetary scheme, and not Earth. But there are also stragglers belonging to very primitive cultures. The fact that they are born together with us means, they still have a chance of catching up. The dominant culture should act as their teacher and guide, instead of their oppressors.
What is then considered a "minor" race? There is no such thing as a minor race in the SD. Probably they are referring to sub-root races.
Here is a list:
1st Root race and sub-races - Polarian. (No physical bodies yet as we know it now)
2nd Root race and sub-races - Hyperborean. (No physical bodies yet as we know it now)
3rd - Lemurian root race (Physical bodies as we know it appeared for the first time)
(Sub root races included those that started in Africa, Southern India, and the East Indies. Their descendants include the Capoid race, the Congoid race, the Dravidians, and the Australoid race.)
4th - Atlantean root race (The seeds of emotions were born to this race)
(Sub root race included the Rmoahal, the Tlavati (Cro-Magnons), the Toltec, Turanian, the (original) Semites (e.g., the Phoenicians), the Akkadians, and the Mongolian, which migrated to and colonized East Asia. The descendants today include those of the Mongolian race, the Malayan race, and the American Indian race as well as some "olive-skinned" Mediterranean race.)
5th - the present Aryan root race (the seeds of the mind were born to the race)
(Sub races included (1) the Hindu, 2) the arabian, 3) the persians, 4) the Celts, and 5) the present dominant culture- the Teutonic-Anglo-Saxon. 6th sub root race- ??? it is speculated it will start somewhere in the NZ-Aus region. 7th- ???)
6th root race - ??? (seed of intuition will be born to the race)
7th root race -??? (seed of spiritual Will will be born to the race)
Thus, it can be seen here, that the semitic race is not singled out for "destruction". Many other sub-root races that existed in the past will be gradually "phased out" through natural upheavals. Not by edicts of governments or ruling bodies. But by us- we, the evolving Souls- who will be needing more advanced types of bodies or races or cultures in the distant future...like, millions of years from now! :)
My suggestion to those wishing to read this for the first time (so that it won't bore them to death or take them 15 years to read it! lol!) is to read it in parallel with other books written by authors who were serious students of the HPB books, and have the capacity to digest and breakdown her ideas to more organized and readable forms. For me, the following books are good complements:
Basic Theosophy by Geoffrey Hodson
(This is a bit over-simplified but still a useful motivation to read the SD.)
Fundamentals of Esoteric Philosophy by G. de Purucker
(a thick restatement of SD)
Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception by Max Heindel
(For me, this is still SD written from a clairvoyant's point of view. The problem in reading this is the confusion arising from difference in the terminologies/jargon used. HPB made use of a lot of annoying sanskrit terms and Heindel tried to change them into English or used an entirely different occult vocabulary. One may get lost in the process. Or one better approach is to read this first, then jump into the SD of HPB!)
But if you are new into esoteric philosophy or occultism and would want something 'lighter' to start your readings, and introduce yourself to the various facets of occultism or the ageless wisdom, try:
"Cosmos in Man" by Torkom Saraydarian
Torkom condensed the entire SD into about 2 chapters! And his writing style is cool and accessible to new readers.
This is an exhaustive occult treatise on the beginning of the universe from the unmanifested supreme intelligence to its manifestation of the planes of nature and its expansion and emanations forming galaxies, suns, and planets (Part 1- Cosmogenesis). The second part deals with anthropogenesis or the origin of life on earth, and the various root races and civilizations that materialized and developed in our planetary scheme. These are not HPB's own original ideas but she just distilled the ancient wisdoms down the ages into this work, coming from the world's scriptures, myths, and other writings, some of which are hidden such as the Stanzas of Dzyan. Thus, HPB, with the help of some Masters of Wisdom, was given access to this manuscripts. She did not use any form of spirit channeling or mediumistic abilities to write this down. The paperback edition is in two volumes (I don't recommend the abridged 1-volume version) but the older editions in hard cover consisted of around 5 to 7 volumes in all.
Interestingly, aside from the encyclopedic occult cosmology she presented, is her theory of polar shifting as the 3rd movement of the earth (in addition to rotation and revolution). I believe it's already the current scientific theory but amazingly she postulated that in this book as early as the late 18th century when it was not yet the current thinking. I guess this is relevant now in our times of climatic changes and natural upheavals as we near 2012.
But it is sad how the occult concept of root races were abused and probably deliberately misquoted and misinterpreted by racist ideologies and political movements of our time to suit their objectives. Hitler's "Aryan race" concept was definitely a grave misunderstanding and the term was only lifted out of this book without the proper context. And because of this, the SD became one of the most maligned books of our time due to criticisms by people who haven't even read it, or those who have read it on a piecemeal basis but never grasped the big picture, or those who simply relied on other people's prejudiced critiques.
Nowhere can you find in the Secret Doctrine (SD) any reference to justify or tolerate genocide or mass murder of certain sub-races or root races. The disappearances of the root races were caused by natural upheavals as a by-product of the evolutionary process of the planet. The 3rd root race - which is called the "lemurians" disappeared naturally through volcanic upheavals after humanity (reincarnating as a whole) had already outgrown the need for that type of physical body and culture. The 4th root race (Atlanteans) disappeared via what remained in the myths of world religions as the great flood (Tale of Noah's ark in the Bible). We are now in the 5th root race, and the dominant sub-race is the Anglo-Saxon. But it does not imply that the dominant culture would have to exterminate other sub-races or "stragglers" of the previous root races that are presently co-existing with them just to ensure "dominance". Many are trying to twist and mal-interpret this teaching to demonize the SD and HPB.
The above-mentioned teaching concerning the root-races is not anti-semitic at all and has no intention of marginalizing any races as "minor", which nature needed to destroy or eliminate from the face of the Earth. There is a need to understand the context on how the SD and our society define a "race". The SD or the ageless wisdom views man as a spiritual being, a Soul or a Divine Spirit, and not the physical body belonging to any race. Therefore, the bodies or the groups of people we call races or cultures are nothing but vehicles of manifestation for the reincarnating Soul. These races being described in the SD are the groups of people belonging to different epochs and are settled in different continents under differing earthly conditions. They existed even BEFORE our present "root-race" which historically only began about 10,000 to 5,000 BC. THEY WERE ALSO US, AS REINCARNATING SOULS, BUT OCCUPYING A DIFFERENT BODY AND LIVING A DIFFERENT CULTURE BACK THEN.
But as lessons were learned from past cultures or past ways of life and past bodies in different earthly conditions, we human souls have to move on. We need new experiences to evolve, thus the need for new Earth conditions, environment, cultures, and even new form of physical bodies. Thus, old forms or races or cultures disappear through the working of nature's laws and upheavals to give way to new ones. In the future, our present race or culture will also be outgrown, and a new one will be forthcoming to replace us. The bodies or appearances and ways of life may be very different from the present. But we remain as Souls occupying these bodies.
Presently, the 5th root race or the Aryan root race or the Aryan culture is the composite of all the existing races on Earth. Be it Anglo-saxon, African, Asian, Latin-american, Semite, etc etc. But the races' roots can be traced back (its origins) in pre-Aryan races. Remember, we are the Souls and we are just tracing back the clothes or vehicles we used in the past. The fact that we are alive today means we evolved this far, at par with the other Souls occupying different bodies, regardless of race. If we are inferior or did not pass the evolutionary ladder, we could have been reincarnated in another younger planetary scheme, and not Earth. But there are also stragglers belonging to very primitive cultures. The fact that they are born together with us means, they still have a chance of catching up. The dominant culture should act as their teacher and guide, instead of their oppressors.
What is then considered a "minor" race? There is no such thing as a minor race in the SD. Probably they are referring to sub-root races.
Here is a list:
1st Root race and sub-races - Polarian. (No physical bodies yet as we know it now)
2nd Root race and sub-races - Hyperborean. (No physical bodies yet as we know it now)
3rd - Lemurian root race (Physical bodies as we know it appeared for the first time)
(Sub root races included those that started in Africa, Southern India, and the East Indies. Their descendants include the Capoid race, the Congoid race, the Dravidians, and the Australoid race.)
4th - Atlantean root race (The seeds of emotions were born to this race)
(Sub root race included the Rmoahal, the Tlavati (Cro-Magnons), the Toltec, Turanian, the (original) Semites (e.g., the Phoenicians), the Akkadians, and the Mongolian, which migrated to and colonized East Asia. The descendants today include those of the Mongolian race, the Malayan race, and the American Indian race as well as some "olive-skinned" Mediterranean race.)
5th - the present Aryan root race (the seeds of the mind were born to the race)
(Sub races included (1) the Hindu, 2) the arabian, 3) the persians, 4) the Celts, and 5) the present dominant culture- the Teutonic-Anglo-Saxon. 6th sub root race- ??? it is speculated it will start somewhere in the NZ-Aus region. 7th- ???)
6th root race - ??? (seed of intuition will be born to the race)
7th root race -??? (seed of spiritual Will will be born to the race)
Thus, it can be seen here, that the semitic race is not singled out for "destruction". Many other sub-root races that existed in the past will be gradually "phased out" through natural upheavals. Not by edicts of governments or ruling bodies. But by us- we, the evolving Souls- who will be needing more advanced types of bodies or races or cultures in the distant future...like, millions of years from now! :)
My suggestion to those wishing to read this for the first time (so that it won't bore them to death or take them 15 years to read it! lol!) is to read it in parallel with other books written by authors who were serious students of the HPB books, and have the capacity to digest and breakdown her ideas to more organized and readable forms. For me, the following books are good complements:
Basic Theosophy by Geoffrey Hodson
(This is a bit over-simplified but still a useful motivation to read the SD.)
Fundamentals of Esoteric Philosophy by G. de Purucker
(a thick restatement of SD)
Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception by Max Heindel
(For me, this is still SD written from a clairvoyant's point of view. The problem in reading this is the confusion arising from difference in the terminologies/jargon used. HPB made use of a lot of annoying sanskrit terms and Heindel tried to change them into English or used an entirely different occult vocabulary. One may get lost in the process. Or one better approach is to read this first, then jump into the SD of HPB!)
But if you are new into esoteric philosophy or occultism and would want something 'lighter' to start your readings, and introduce yourself to the various facets of occultism or the ageless wisdom, try:
"Cosmos in Man" by Torkom Saraydarian
Torkom condensed the entire SD into about 2 chapters! And his writing style is cool and accessible to new readers.
July 14, 2012
Poorly written junk. Mrs. Blavatsky (who later in life turned out to be a fraud) mixed concepts of different religions and added a massive amount of fantasy resulting in a book that has NOTHING to do with reality, truth, philosophy or spirituality (unless you missed the last 100 years in science and philosophy). It does not contain any valuable life lesson. Don't waste your time on this.
July 29, 2009
It was in volume 3 of the secret doctrine that I found the issues that 1930's nazi Germany found pleasing in Blavatskys work .. in the chapter on Root Races ... but volume 1 still remains an important and very ancient contribution to 21st Century chaos theory [logos-outpouring-vehicles:] - the suppressed law of emergence written up in Hindu terminology
May 8, 2014
Madame Blavatsky was a very learned woman from her time, and did a lot to identify the root races and other metaphysical topics. I had already read part of this years ago, and it is worth the read if you have an open mind and believe that all religions are the same and have a core tenet of love.
August 14, 2018
Here lies one of the biggest roots of modern syncretism, "new-age" and pseudo-spirituality. A real malignent tumor.
René Guénon swept the floor pretty well with all this business indeed with his Theosophy: History of a Pseudo-Religion and The Spiritist Fallacy. Both books are a must.
Quotes from the Guénon book :
"‘Our goal,’ as Mme Blavatsky used to say, ‘is not to restore Hinduism, but to sweep Christianity from the surface of the earth .’" - Declaration made by Alfred Alexander and published in The Medium and Daybreak, London, January 1893, P23.
"A Theosophist has expressly declared that The Secret Doctrine would not have been published if the theory of evolution had not come to light in the human brain - Les Cycles, by Amaravella, in Lotus Bleu, April 27, 1894, p78); we would say, rather, that without it, it would not have been imagined."
At the seventeenth convention of the Theosophical Society, held at Adyar in December 1891, Colonel Olcott said the following: ‘I helped HPB in the compilation of her Isis Unveiled, while Keightley, with several others, did the same for the Secret Doctrine. Each of us knows full well how far from infallible are parts of these books, owing due to our collaboration, not to mention those parts written by HPB.
P.S. :
A special quote here from the "Secret Doctrine" by Blavastky, for it is truly one of the most hilariously ignorant statements on the Quran that I have ever heard :
"The mystic word Alm, which the prophet Mahomet prefixed to many chapters of the Koran, alludes to her [female aspect of that universal Spirit] as the Alm, the immaculate Virgin of the heavens. And -- the sublime ever falling into the ridiculous -- it is from this root Alm that we have to derive the word Almeh -- the Egyptian dancing-girls."
!!!!!
René Guénon swept the floor pretty well with all this business indeed with his Theosophy: History of a Pseudo-Religion and The Spiritist Fallacy. Both books are a must.
Quotes from the Guénon book :
"‘Our goal,’ as Mme Blavatsky used to say, ‘is not to restore Hinduism, but to sweep Christianity from the surface of the earth .’" - Declaration made by Alfred Alexander and published in The Medium and Daybreak, London, January 1893, P23.
"A Theosophist has expressly declared that The Secret Doctrine would not have been published if the theory of evolution had not come to light in the human brain - Les Cycles, by Amaravella, in Lotus Bleu, April 27, 1894, p78); we would say, rather, that without it, it would not have been imagined."
At the seventeenth convention of the Theosophical Society, held at Adyar in December 1891, Colonel Olcott said the following: ‘I helped HPB in the compilation of her Isis Unveiled, while Keightley, with several others, did the same for the Secret Doctrine. Each of us knows full well how far from infallible are parts of these books, owing due to our collaboration, not to mention those parts written by HPB.
P.S. :
A special quote here from the "Secret Doctrine" by Blavastky, for it is truly one of the most hilariously ignorant statements on the Quran that I have ever heard :
"The mystic word Alm, which the prophet Mahomet prefixed to many chapters of the Koran, alludes to her [female aspect of that universal Spirit] as the Alm, the immaculate Virgin of the heavens. And -- the sublime ever falling into the ridiculous -- it is from this root Alm that we have to derive the word Almeh -- the Egyptian dancing-girls."
!!!!!
September 3, 2010
Absolute must for any Theosophy scholar or mystic.
November 26, 2012
This mostly went over my head, but what I understood I liked.
November 30, 2021
Hirnrissig, verwirrend und komplett abstrus.
So lässt sich diese Buch wahrscheinlich am Besten zusammenfassen.
Mit ihrer eigenen Idee der Schöpfungsgeschichte beginnend erklärt die Autorin die Welt, wie sie nach ihrer Philosophie funktioniert und aufgebaut ist und erläutert anschaulich die Herkunft der Rassen, was die Grundlage für die spätere Rassenlehre bilden soll.
Blavatsky und ihre Werke werden nicht ohne Grund als die wahrscheinlich prägendsten Entitäten in der Esoterik sowie der Theosophie bezeichnet und der lange Nachhall sowie der große Einfluss auf Figuren wie Guido von List sowie den Nationalsozialismus unterstützen dies durchaus.
Insgesamt durchaus lesenswert, wenn auch nur auf die Gefahr hin, dass man sich während des Lesens fragt, wie man sich solch gewagten Thesen überhaupt ausdenken konnte.
So lässt sich diese Buch wahrscheinlich am Besten zusammenfassen.
Mit ihrer eigenen Idee der Schöpfungsgeschichte beginnend erklärt die Autorin die Welt, wie sie nach ihrer Philosophie funktioniert und aufgebaut ist und erläutert anschaulich die Herkunft der Rassen, was die Grundlage für die spätere Rassenlehre bilden soll.
Blavatsky und ihre Werke werden nicht ohne Grund als die wahrscheinlich prägendsten Entitäten in der Esoterik sowie der Theosophie bezeichnet und der lange Nachhall sowie der große Einfluss auf Figuren wie Guido von List sowie den Nationalsozialismus unterstützen dies durchaus.
Insgesamt durchaus lesenswert, wenn auch nur auf die Gefahr hin, dass man sich während des Lesens fragt, wie man sich solch gewagten Thesen überhaupt ausdenken konnte.
July 2, 2021
The Secret Doctrine is probably one of the most tragically misunderstood texts in the history of mystical literature. In its pages, Helena Blavatsky shares the mysterious Book of Dzyan and comments upon it. It is complex, weird, and disorientingly long. It has been misunderstood as promoting racism (Blavatsky has been clear that the goal of her version of Theosophy is to unite the races of the world) or ignorance (to criticize Blavatsky by comparing her work to modern science misses the point entirely). The Secret Doctrine is *not* a work of conventional anthropology. Neither is it a scientific treatise. Nor is it a work of philosophy, or even a religious text! It's a supposed work of mystical insight, in a manner comparable to Swedenborg's "Heaven and Hell."
Even if one treats the Secret Doctrine as a massive, made-up Sci-Fi mythology, the scale of the vision is staggering, and some of the ideas Blavatsky has, especially about the nature of the self and of the cosmos, are intriguing. Her synthesis of Esoteric Buddhism, Hinduism, and western esoteric traditions is stimulating, and rigorous on its own terms. This is a syncretic work, one that takes syncretism to a level which had previously been unheard of. Traditionalists will claim that Blavatsky muddled all of the traditions she engaged with. Perhaps that's true. But she *did* engage with them, as many of them as she could. The Secret Doctrine is ultimately a synthesis of a broader array of ideas than any other book I'm aware of, and that alone is sufficient to give it a read.
If one finds portions of the text objectionable, those portions should be cast aside. Don't waste time trying to cut down the system with a few obscure sentences that look suspicious. We should be wary of those who would throw out the baby with the bathwater here. Make no mistake. The Secret Doctrine is, for better or for worse, at the core of modern esotericism, and it deserves to be studied carefully, and on its own terms. Find what good it has to offer you, and skip over anything that rubs you the wrong way.
Even if one treats the Secret Doctrine as a massive, made-up Sci-Fi mythology, the scale of the vision is staggering, and some of the ideas Blavatsky has, especially about the nature of the self and of the cosmos, are intriguing. Her synthesis of Esoteric Buddhism, Hinduism, and western esoteric traditions is stimulating, and rigorous on its own terms. This is a syncretic work, one that takes syncretism to a level which had previously been unheard of. Traditionalists will claim that Blavatsky muddled all of the traditions she engaged with. Perhaps that's true. But she *did* engage with them, as many of them as she could. The Secret Doctrine is ultimately a synthesis of a broader array of ideas than any other book I'm aware of, and that alone is sufficient to give it a read.
If one finds portions of the text objectionable, those portions should be cast aside. Don't waste time trying to cut down the system with a few obscure sentences that look suspicious. We should be wary of those who would throw out the baby with the bathwater here. Make no mistake. The Secret Doctrine is, for better or for worse, at the core of modern esotericism, and it deserves to be studied carefully, and on its own terms. Find what good it has to offer you, and skip over anything that rubs you the wrong way.
April 24, 2013
Compulsory reading for theosophists or anyone interested in esoteric philosophy or spiritualism. Theosophical thinking has changed the direction of many lives including the poet William Butler Yeats. This is a highly creative work of spiritualism, to be absorbed and IMHO not to be taken too literally.
April 17, 2018
Best introduction to The Secret Doctrine : http://theosophy.katinkahesselink.net...
Best introduction to Madame Blavatsky:
The Inscrutable Madame Blavatsky: An Interview with Gary Lachman
https://www.newdawnmagazine.com/artic...
Best introduction to Madame Blavatsky:
The Inscrutable Madame Blavatsky: An Interview with Gary Lachman
https://www.newdawnmagazine.com/artic...
November 28, 2007
i liked this for what i learned about so many alternative belief systems. this woman has a complicated brain! if you don't stop reading once in a while to go for a walk or get some fresh air you will fry quickly.
January 26, 2008
Brings together a great deal of mythological, 19th-century scientific, and religious material to show the unity behind human traditions throughout time and culture. Principles are universal, whatever one may think of the details.
September 2, 2015
A truly fascinating read whether you believe any of it or not. Blavatsky's view of the world is more interesting and fantastical than anything you'll find out there. Warning, however, it's not an easy read. This was my fourth or fifth time reading this.
September 19, 2009
Profoundly interesting, poorly written
May 2, 2012
Blavatskys mind vomited. For almost an instant, I believed I could feel the earth vibrating. It's a good thing I was stoned at the time, or I might have believed it.
December 12, 2016
Excellent introduction to The Secret Doctrine, Blavatsky's core text for Theosophy. For those not ready for the full text, which is in 2 volumes, I would highly recommend this book.
December 7, 2020
More than 5 million words, counting all her books. Terrible writing. All of it. Disorganised. Lazy. Joyless. Spends more time deliberately trying to confuse the reader and scolding the reader for said confusion than explaining her ideas.
She claims this is to protect the holy teachings from the unworthy. The reader needs to call BS on that. Bad people can and do have IQs just as high as worthy people.
Text is a swamp of verbiage reader must slog through . It's clear she has no formal training in writing.
Over and over refers reader in the vaguest terms to read her "earlier or later writings. " Refuses to get to the point.
Scolds confused reader for being lazy and unworthy of the sacred teachings transmitted to her from the Elders Orient.
In an era in which we're flooded with information, this is inexcusable.
Good writing is concise and gets to the point ASAP. Say it or shut it.
I recommend those interested in theosophy to skip that old wind bag and read books published by her students. The writing is 100% better . Read cw leadbetter, annie besant, Dion fortune and others.
They cut through Blavatsky's crap and explain theosophy quickly and in a fun way to read.
She claims this is to protect the holy teachings from the unworthy. The reader needs to call BS on that. Bad people can and do have IQs just as high as worthy people.
Text is a swamp of verbiage reader must slog through . It's clear she has no formal training in writing.
Over and over refers reader in the vaguest terms to read her "earlier or later writings. " Refuses to get to the point.
Scolds confused reader for being lazy and unworthy of the sacred teachings transmitted to her from the Elders Orient.
In an era in which we're flooded with information, this is inexcusable.
Good writing is concise and gets to the point ASAP. Say it or shut it.
I recommend those interested in theosophy to skip that old wind bag and read books published by her students. The writing is 100% better . Read cw leadbetter, annie besant, Dion fortune and others.
They cut through Blavatsky's crap and explain theosophy quickly and in a fun way to read.
March 14, 2015
This book concerns Blavatsky's esoteric guesses about the Mystical side of the evolution of Earth and Humanity. These ae subjects that, at least physically, we know far more about in the terms of 21st Century Science than she ever could have known in the Nineteenth Century. The book is obscure and very hard to believe. Her concept of planetary rounds is interesting. That of Humanity's Root Races, less so. Perhaps I should have started with Isis Unveiled.
March 2, 2010
Very intriguing. Very intense. It took all my brain power on an intellectual level, but I connected at a deeper, core level much more readily. Though, I can't say that every concept and principle resonated, the overall work assimilated well to the grander scheme of all I've learned thus far on the subjects.
September 14, 2014
Anyone that wants to read this should be strongly advised to read first "Theosophy: History of a Pseudo-Religion" by René Guénon. It explains why this book is crap and why you shouldn't waste your time with it nor with Theosophy altogether.
September 26, 2012
Fara Doamna Blavatsky, fara aceasta carte in special, probabil ca occidentul ar fi fost mult mai rudimentar din punct de vedere spiritual. Indiferent ce am fi adus din orient.
January 3, 2013
Light reading, interesting for a gullible reader. Not for an skeptical person. A part history of magic collection do.
October 28, 2021
it could be worse
February 2, 2024
Some patron at the library I work at dropped this in the book drop. I assume it was meant to be a donation to our yearly book sale, but since it was found in the book drop, I had to put it in the Lost and Found crate for a month, to see if anyone would come back to retrieve it. Now that it's been one month, I can finally put this on the donation shelves. Upon closer examination, I was very confused as to what this book is. The summary is on the front of the book, instead of the back, which automatically made me think it was meant to be read backwards, like manga. Nope. It's just backwards.
I read the table of contents, and now I'm even more confused. Here are some of my favorite chapter and section titles, with my own commentary in parenthesis:
"The Army of the Voice" (do you mean opera?)
"The Ring 'Pass Not'" (if this isn't a reference to LotR idk what is)
"What incarnates in Animal Man" (new Marvel super hero just dropped in 1888)
"The Winged Globe" (the first image that comes to mind is an au of ACOTAR where the Illyrians are the planets in our solar system, and Feyre is the sun. sorry not sorry for that cursed image in your heads now)
"The Moon Bi-sexual" (I personally see this as the author's headcanon about the man in the moon, and yes, I absolutely stan a bi man in the moon)
"Tree and Serpent and Crocodile Worship" (this woman obviously took one too many trips to Florida)
"Too much 'Life' may Kill" (mood)
"What are the Seven Planets?" (#Plutoisarealplanet, also there's one more she's excluding, I hope it's Uranus, that planet needs a new name already)
"Ancient Thought in Modern Dress" (is the author trying to say fashion is timeless? cause if so, based)
"Materialism is leading Europe to a catastrophe" (it's not just Europe, hon. we're all slaves to capitalism, you're not special)
In combining the page count from both volumes, not including the index or the introduction, this book is 1,474 pages. My manager at the library said this book could be a murder weapon and he's so right. Murder mystery authors of books like "Sconed to Death" and "Thread on Arrival," take notes.
I opened to a random page, 735 of volume 2, and found a chart titled "Ungulate Mammals." If Merphy Napier ever reads this, she will be so mad. Aside from the following: a clock face with only the numbers 2-9; an illustration of a strange sci-fi plant; two charts about chemical elements; a triple venn diagram about souls; a cave drawing of a reindeer; a compass made of large black dots; a map of the planets that is completely inaccurate due to there being only seven; two charts about ancient religions; a couple of Egyptian hieroglyphs thrown in randomly on two different pages, one in each volume; and one drawing of the tree of life, this book is wall to wall text, with insanely long footnotes.
Two different reviews, one from Goodreads and one from Amazon stated that this was Hitler's bible. If so, that explains a lot. I always heard as a musician that one of his biggest influences was Judaism in Music by Richard Wagner, but what do I know? I'm only a musician.
The final verdict:
If you want to laugh for two hours, I highly recommend cracking this book open and trying to understand even a single sentence. I read a few pages, some from the introduction and some from the volumes themselves, and I was unable to understand any of the nonsense. The only part of the book I understood was the quote from Shakespeare that starts off the introduction:
"Gently to hear, kindly to judge."
Great advice from the brilliant playwright.
I read the table of contents, and now I'm even more confused. Here are some of my favorite chapter and section titles, with my own commentary in parenthesis:
"The Army of the Voice" (do you mean opera?)
"The Ring 'Pass Not'" (if this isn't a reference to LotR idk what is)
"What incarnates in Animal Man" (new Marvel super hero just dropped in 1888)
"The Winged Globe" (the first image that comes to mind is an au of ACOTAR where the Illyrians are the planets in our solar system, and Feyre is the sun. sorry not sorry for that cursed image in your heads now)
"The Moon Bi-sexual" (I personally see this as the author's headcanon about the man in the moon, and yes, I absolutely stan a bi man in the moon)
"Tree and Serpent and Crocodile Worship" (this woman obviously took one too many trips to Florida)
"Too much 'Life' may Kill" (mood)
"What are the Seven Planets?" (#Plutoisarealplanet, also there's one more she's excluding, I hope it's Uranus, that planet needs a new name already)
"Ancient Thought in Modern Dress" (is the author trying to say fashion is timeless? cause if so, based)
"Materialism is leading Europe to a catastrophe" (it's not just Europe, hon. we're all slaves to capitalism, you're not special)
In combining the page count from both volumes, not including the index or the introduction, this book is 1,474 pages. My manager at the library said this book could be a murder weapon and he's so right. Murder mystery authors of books like "Sconed to Death" and "Thread on Arrival," take notes.
I opened to a random page, 735 of volume 2, and found a chart titled "Ungulate Mammals." If Merphy Napier ever reads this, she will be so mad. Aside from the following: a clock face with only the numbers 2-9; an illustration of a strange sci-fi plant; two charts about chemical elements; a triple venn diagram about souls; a cave drawing of a reindeer; a compass made of large black dots; a map of the planets that is completely inaccurate due to there being only seven; two charts about ancient religions; a couple of Egyptian hieroglyphs thrown in randomly on two different pages, one in each volume; and one drawing of the tree of life, this book is wall to wall text, with insanely long footnotes.
Two different reviews, one from Goodreads and one from Amazon stated that this was Hitler's bible. If so, that explains a lot. I always heard as a musician that one of his biggest influences was Judaism in Music by Richard Wagner, but what do I know? I'm only a musician.
The final verdict:
If you want to laugh for two hours, I highly recommend cracking this book open and trying to understand even a single sentence. I read a few pages, some from the introduction and some from the volumes themselves, and I was unable to understand any of the nonsense. The only part of the book I understood was the quote from Shakespeare that starts off the introduction:
"Gently to hear, kindly to judge."
Great advice from the brilliant playwright.
November 14, 2023
Helena Blavatsky thought of herself as a messianic figure, and she would expend immense energy attempting to prove that to others. This resulted in a hefty body of work from her pen, including her magnum opus, the two-volume, 1,478-paged Secret Doctrine, a monumental dumping ground for the seemingly bottomless knowledge Blavatsky possessed—or was taught, as she claimed.
According to Blavatsky, she came across enlightened beings (known as the Initiates or the Masters of the Ancient Wisdom) who exist on etheric planes alternate to our boring realm. They gifted to her (and helped her decode) a different text titled The Book of Dzyan, the "accumulated Wisdom of the Ages". Reportedly, these ancient collections of Tibetan stanzas hold the keys to unlock the root message of every religious and mystical theology ever, but were long hidden safely away from the public eye. However, even when read, they are cryptically poetic, disguised beneath oodles of symbolism and numerology so that people like us could never comprehend it anyway. And that, in summary, is what a significant portion of The Secret Doctrine consists of: metaphoric verses from The Book of Dzyan with intricate analyses following.
In another explanation, The Secret Doctrine (or The Book of Dzyan) is one lengthy history lesson driven by unprovable yet fascinating speculation packaged as fact. The first volume, Cosmogenesis, focuses on the birth and evolution of the Universe. The second volume, Anthropogenesis, focuses on the evolution of our Earth and the human race. Coupled together, it is sold as the "synthesis of science, religion, and philosophy", and what's more, it delivers on its promise, doing its damndest to amalgamate every shred of knowledge.
I'm sure you can appreciate how impossible it would be to summarise the content here (although I try to give a much more in-depth overview on JuiceNothing.com). But essentially, it's inescapably Dharmic in its concepts. The entirety of the Universe is a collective macrocosm in which we live, referred to as the "Absolute", which is the perfect word if there ever was one. And reality is an emanation from the Absolute's essence, whereby the unfathomable pre-cosmic raw substance "exhales" into an expanded state where everything manifests (known as the "The Great Breath" or "Absolute Abstract Motion"). Physical objects to principles, phenomena to laws, it is the creation of the illusionary reality (Maya) as we perceive it. But it is still just an exhale. And once we have evolved to the furthest extended point, the inhale will begin, and life as we know it will contract, collapsing into the source.
According to the Secret Doctrine, every piece of our world advances through a cycle within a cycle within a cycle. Each of these cycles consists of seven points. 0 is the nothingness of the Absolute. 1 - 3 is the emanation away from the source, further into the tangible physical. 4 is the turning point. And 5 - 7 is when we collapse back into spirituality. It's kind of like a respiratory diagram. Apparently, we have recently surpassed the turning point (now at number 5).
The simplification of this synopsis pains me, but for space purposes, we must move on.
When it comes to past holy scriptures, The Secret Doctrine incorporates every one of them, merging and reinterpreting symbolism to form a coherent-ish picture between each. For me, even The Bible could never be read the same again, melting into a metaphorical putty whereby the once fascinating lores were reshaped into semi-scientific ruminations.
The influence of these teachings remains vast and undeniable. Since its publication, various prominent figures have expressed a deep fascination with the philosophy, including Lewis Carroll, Thomas Edison, Carl Jung, and even Gandhi, who stated, "It is Hinduism at its best. Theosophy is the Brotherhood of Man".
Anthroposophy (which led to Waldorf education) was a direct Theosophical baby as founder Rudolf Steiner was majorly involved in the organisation. Scholars have further noted the profound impact this doctrine had on Islamic mysticism (Sufism), not to mention the spread of Hinduism and Buddhism in the West. And, finally, any New Age branch you can name has almost certainly sprung off this trunk.
Needless to say, Theosophy is an inspirational yet complex school, and Blavatsky's dedication to an unavoidably theoretical field, mixed with her unrestrained flood of knowledge, leaves us with an impossible book to fully grasp—definitely the most testing I've ever attempted. Without a doubt, you'll need quite the background in spiritual scripture for any of this information to penetrate your aching skull because it drops you into an ocean of preexisting conceptions and expects you to swim on your own. I consider myself pretty versed in religious subjects, but I struggled to hold onto more than 60% of these passages, and even that may be an overestimate.
Regardless, even when meeting these tricky subjects on their level, her tendency to waffle complicates the read further. Her English is fluent and articulate, but she makes the most common error second-language people make, which is to over-compensate through verbosity. She unnecessarily adds poetics and fairy tale wording to stitch together strange terminology that elongates sentences to breaking point.
But perhaps scholars' most noted issue is that the existence of the Initiates or The Book of Dzyan has only one reference point: Blavatsky herself. Due to this lack of evidence, these stanzas face much-deserved criticism and debunking. The historian community generally hypothesise that Blavatsky made it all up as the world's biggest exercise in spiritual masturbation. In fairness, however, Blavatsky counters by acknowledging the opposition, agreeing that no scholar could possibly believe her, which, in turn, makes me slightly more inclined to believe her.
Although, it doesn't help her case when she (rather ballsily) attacks accepted scientific theories. She claims the moon is older than the sun. She claims we did not evolve from monkeys. And she spends chapters trying to convince us of the former existence of giants and dragons. That's when I'd be more reluctant to defend her work in public.
Yet perhaps the trickiest conversation is Blavatsky's alleged racism. So much of her work revolves around the progression of humans, and our races play an immense role in that. This becomes problematic because, in doing so, she creates a hierarchy between human categories. Many have observed indications of antisemitism, while others note Theosophy's influence on Ariosophy (basically esoteric Nazism). Meanwhile, I spotted fairly horrid statements about the Indigenous Australians, among less frequent examples.
Be that as it may, and moving on, I consider my plethora of complaints to be of no relevance. Even if HPB is talking absolute rubbish pulled from her bum, it's the highest-quality bum-stuff I've ever come across. She took no shortcuts here. The amount of labour that has gone into such an incomprehensible undertaking can be easily weighed simply by holding these heavy books in your hand. And whatever the outcome, she was utterly committed to the task.
What is indisputable is that Blavatsky is one of the most impressive religious academics ever to author a book. I would bet money that nobody can find anyone who grasps exoteric and esoteric wisdom as in-depth as she does. Her obsession with these topics hardens like cement between the quantity and quality of her content, so much so that I do not have the knowledge even to suggest what she may have left out. And, remember, she achieved this in the late 1800s, internetless and all! This adds up to a compelling piece of education, one that, if nothing else, she certainly believes. Hence, no matter what was or wasn't a fabrication, the data is still far ahead of anything that came before or since, proven by the persistence of its influence. And maybe that's all the truth we need?
Because there is a transcendent fact above this: Blavatsky is not preying on stupid people. Quite the opposite, Theosophy's target market is the most educated of society, even if those readers must have some leeway when it comes to a scientifically provable reality. That is a very thin section to be aiming for! But instead of dumbing her message down to reach a larger audience, she went out of her way with a minimal payoff, considering how relatively unknown Theosophy remains.
Hence, it sits snugly in the underground library, the material far too challenging to rear its head in any commercial circles, remaining largely unheard of and unread. There is an extra mystical flavour to that result, whereby there are esoteric teachings, and then there are full-blown expert-level borderline impenetrable occult teachings. And even if they bubble into your pool of awareness, you still could never decode it, upholding the "secret" in The Secret Doctrine. If there is a more complex scripture, I can't read it.
And if you choose to believe it, it will change everything in your life. But did I believe it? Did it change everything in my life? And the answer is... not that simple.
For me, Theosophy resonated less as a spiritual religion and more as a mental one. Even as you start to find your groove, it's a textbook education rather than an intense realisation. It spends so many of its pages arguing its case using all the logic it can—which is admirable and imperative for our current science-based mindsets—but it loses stacks of what we should *feel* in its arguments. Then again, Theosophists assert that The Secret Doctrine isn't meant to be understood per se. These texts are meant to be meditated upon until the reader experiences their own truths within the words. There's an intended stimulation of the spirit and development of the mind in a way that awakens a deeper level of perception. And perhaps something like that happened to me, but it's impossible to say.
Personally, I don't value that type of analysis. Whatever happens on the quest for enlightenment, you kinda have to go with it and hope pieces leap out, stick, and make changes in your thought patterns. And certainly, hefty sections of this book did just that. Like anything worthy, it operates subconsciously, where later reflections and imaginary scenarios develop profound connections to illogical notions. The answer is not about finding answers. It's about gradually accessing higher planes of spiritual awareness until you break through. But break through what, exactly? The Maya? Is that even a good idea?
Closing in on the end and in some sort of an overview, I have to commend Theosophy for arriving at the same fundamental conclusions that Janthopoyism has (my religion). It's that every strand of knowledge is correct and connected. The only difference is that while Blavatsky uses a convoluted comb to twine each hair, Janthopoyism takes the opposite root of simplifying the subject to their barest bones and disregarding the rest as fat. There is no right or wrong approach here. In fact, they work quite well together in parallel studies.
I am honoured to be surely one of the very few who have read The Secret Doctrine in its entirety. I may have worn my reservations on display, but I stand by the statement that, of any spiritual author I know about, Helena Blavatsky exists on a plane several dimensions above the others in terms of education, confidence, and the effort she's exerted to get her word out. Her knowledge is demonstrable, her teachings are religiously inclusive, her ideas are recent enough, and her message is endlessly intricate, warranting a lifetime of analysis that will never reach the bottom (just like every theology must be!). Because of that, I have no problem claiming Helena Blavatsky as the most impressive "prophet" I've ever researched. If she were still around, I'd more likely follow her than anybody else, feeling secure that even if I was wrong, she could at least annihilate absolutely everyone in an argument until they were a wet pulp of regret.
According to Blavatsky, she came across enlightened beings (known as the Initiates or the Masters of the Ancient Wisdom) who exist on etheric planes alternate to our boring realm. They gifted to her (and helped her decode) a different text titled The Book of Dzyan, the "accumulated Wisdom of the Ages". Reportedly, these ancient collections of Tibetan stanzas hold the keys to unlock the root message of every religious and mystical theology ever, but were long hidden safely away from the public eye. However, even when read, they are cryptically poetic, disguised beneath oodles of symbolism and numerology so that people like us could never comprehend it anyway. And that, in summary, is what a significant portion of The Secret Doctrine consists of: metaphoric verses from The Book of Dzyan with intricate analyses following.
In another explanation, The Secret Doctrine (or The Book of Dzyan) is one lengthy history lesson driven by unprovable yet fascinating speculation packaged as fact. The first volume, Cosmogenesis, focuses on the birth and evolution of the Universe. The second volume, Anthropogenesis, focuses on the evolution of our Earth and the human race. Coupled together, it is sold as the "synthesis of science, religion, and philosophy", and what's more, it delivers on its promise, doing its damndest to amalgamate every shred of knowledge.
I'm sure you can appreciate how impossible it would be to summarise the content here (although I try to give a much more in-depth overview on JuiceNothing.com). But essentially, it's inescapably Dharmic in its concepts. The entirety of the Universe is a collective macrocosm in which we live, referred to as the "Absolute", which is the perfect word if there ever was one. And reality is an emanation from the Absolute's essence, whereby the unfathomable pre-cosmic raw substance "exhales" into an expanded state where everything manifests (known as the "The Great Breath" or "Absolute Abstract Motion"). Physical objects to principles, phenomena to laws, it is the creation of the illusionary reality (Maya) as we perceive it. But it is still just an exhale. And once we have evolved to the furthest extended point, the inhale will begin, and life as we know it will contract, collapsing into the source.
According to the Secret Doctrine, every piece of our world advances through a cycle within a cycle within a cycle. Each of these cycles consists of seven points. 0 is the nothingness of the Absolute. 1 - 3 is the emanation away from the source, further into the tangible physical. 4 is the turning point. And 5 - 7 is when we collapse back into spirituality. It's kind of like a respiratory diagram. Apparently, we have recently surpassed the turning point (now at number 5).
The simplification of this synopsis pains me, but for space purposes, we must move on.
When it comes to past holy scriptures, The Secret Doctrine incorporates every one of them, merging and reinterpreting symbolism to form a coherent-ish picture between each. For me, even The Bible could never be read the same again, melting into a metaphorical putty whereby the once fascinating lores were reshaped into semi-scientific ruminations.
The influence of these teachings remains vast and undeniable. Since its publication, various prominent figures have expressed a deep fascination with the philosophy, including Lewis Carroll, Thomas Edison, Carl Jung, and even Gandhi, who stated, "It is Hinduism at its best. Theosophy is the Brotherhood of Man".
Anthroposophy (which led to Waldorf education) was a direct Theosophical baby as founder Rudolf Steiner was majorly involved in the organisation. Scholars have further noted the profound impact this doctrine had on Islamic mysticism (Sufism), not to mention the spread of Hinduism and Buddhism in the West. And, finally, any New Age branch you can name has almost certainly sprung off this trunk.
Needless to say, Theosophy is an inspirational yet complex school, and Blavatsky's dedication to an unavoidably theoretical field, mixed with her unrestrained flood of knowledge, leaves us with an impossible book to fully grasp—definitely the most testing I've ever attempted. Without a doubt, you'll need quite the background in spiritual scripture for any of this information to penetrate your aching skull because it drops you into an ocean of preexisting conceptions and expects you to swim on your own. I consider myself pretty versed in religious subjects, but I struggled to hold onto more than 60% of these passages, and even that may be an overestimate.
Regardless, even when meeting these tricky subjects on their level, her tendency to waffle complicates the read further. Her English is fluent and articulate, but she makes the most common error second-language people make, which is to over-compensate through verbosity. She unnecessarily adds poetics and fairy tale wording to stitch together strange terminology that elongates sentences to breaking point.
But perhaps scholars' most noted issue is that the existence of the Initiates or The Book of Dzyan has only one reference point: Blavatsky herself. Due to this lack of evidence, these stanzas face much-deserved criticism and debunking. The historian community generally hypothesise that Blavatsky made it all up as the world's biggest exercise in spiritual masturbation. In fairness, however, Blavatsky counters by acknowledging the opposition, agreeing that no scholar could possibly believe her, which, in turn, makes me slightly more inclined to believe her.
Although, it doesn't help her case when she (rather ballsily) attacks accepted scientific theories. She claims the moon is older than the sun. She claims we did not evolve from monkeys. And she spends chapters trying to convince us of the former existence of giants and dragons. That's when I'd be more reluctant to defend her work in public.
Yet perhaps the trickiest conversation is Blavatsky's alleged racism. So much of her work revolves around the progression of humans, and our races play an immense role in that. This becomes problematic because, in doing so, she creates a hierarchy between human categories. Many have observed indications of antisemitism, while others note Theosophy's influence on Ariosophy (basically esoteric Nazism). Meanwhile, I spotted fairly horrid statements about the Indigenous Australians, among less frequent examples.
Be that as it may, and moving on, I consider my plethora of complaints to be of no relevance. Even if HPB is talking absolute rubbish pulled from her bum, it's the highest-quality bum-stuff I've ever come across. She took no shortcuts here. The amount of labour that has gone into such an incomprehensible undertaking can be easily weighed simply by holding these heavy books in your hand. And whatever the outcome, she was utterly committed to the task.
What is indisputable is that Blavatsky is one of the most impressive religious academics ever to author a book. I would bet money that nobody can find anyone who grasps exoteric and esoteric wisdom as in-depth as she does. Her obsession with these topics hardens like cement between the quantity and quality of her content, so much so that I do not have the knowledge even to suggest what she may have left out. And, remember, she achieved this in the late 1800s, internetless and all! This adds up to a compelling piece of education, one that, if nothing else, she certainly believes. Hence, no matter what was or wasn't a fabrication, the data is still far ahead of anything that came before or since, proven by the persistence of its influence. And maybe that's all the truth we need?
Because there is a transcendent fact above this: Blavatsky is not preying on stupid people. Quite the opposite, Theosophy's target market is the most educated of society, even if those readers must have some leeway when it comes to a scientifically provable reality. That is a very thin section to be aiming for! But instead of dumbing her message down to reach a larger audience, she went out of her way with a minimal payoff, considering how relatively unknown Theosophy remains.
Hence, it sits snugly in the underground library, the material far too challenging to rear its head in any commercial circles, remaining largely unheard of and unread. There is an extra mystical flavour to that result, whereby there are esoteric teachings, and then there are full-blown expert-level borderline impenetrable occult teachings. And even if they bubble into your pool of awareness, you still could never decode it, upholding the "secret" in The Secret Doctrine. If there is a more complex scripture, I can't read it.
And if you choose to believe it, it will change everything in your life. But did I believe it? Did it change everything in my life? And the answer is... not that simple.
For me, Theosophy resonated less as a spiritual religion and more as a mental one. Even as you start to find your groove, it's a textbook education rather than an intense realisation. It spends so many of its pages arguing its case using all the logic it can—which is admirable and imperative for our current science-based mindsets—but it loses stacks of what we should *feel* in its arguments. Then again, Theosophists assert that The Secret Doctrine isn't meant to be understood per se. These texts are meant to be meditated upon until the reader experiences their own truths within the words. There's an intended stimulation of the spirit and development of the mind in a way that awakens a deeper level of perception. And perhaps something like that happened to me, but it's impossible to say.
Personally, I don't value that type of analysis. Whatever happens on the quest for enlightenment, you kinda have to go with it and hope pieces leap out, stick, and make changes in your thought patterns. And certainly, hefty sections of this book did just that. Like anything worthy, it operates subconsciously, where later reflections and imaginary scenarios develop profound connections to illogical notions. The answer is not about finding answers. It's about gradually accessing higher planes of spiritual awareness until you break through. But break through what, exactly? The Maya? Is that even a good idea?
Closing in on the end and in some sort of an overview, I have to commend Theosophy for arriving at the same fundamental conclusions that Janthopoyism has (my religion). It's that every strand of knowledge is correct and connected. The only difference is that while Blavatsky uses a convoluted comb to twine each hair, Janthopoyism takes the opposite root of simplifying the subject to their barest bones and disregarding the rest as fat. There is no right or wrong approach here. In fact, they work quite well together in parallel studies.
I am honoured to be surely one of the very few who have read The Secret Doctrine in its entirety. I may have worn my reservations on display, but I stand by the statement that, of any spiritual author I know about, Helena Blavatsky exists on a plane several dimensions above the others in terms of education, confidence, and the effort she's exerted to get her word out. Her knowledge is demonstrable, her teachings are religiously inclusive, her ideas are recent enough, and her message is endlessly intricate, warranting a lifetime of analysis that will never reach the bottom (just like every theology must be!). Because of that, I have no problem claiming Helena Blavatsky as the most impressive "prophet" I've ever researched. If she were still around, I'd more likely follow her than anybody else, feeling secure that even if I was wrong, she could at least annihilate absolutely everyone in an argument until they were a wet pulp of regret.
February 27, 2013
@Bayandu and others who are smart and enlightened enough to discern the difference between true genius and absurdity. Kudos to you and thanks for your insightful and honest opinions! The author of these writings was indeed either a disillusioned racist, a fraudulent racist...or both. Also, if her English was so poor that she could not even read and write properly in English, then how can we be for certain know much of the missing gaps in the stories, facts, messages, practices etc she collected and made up along the was as some things got lost in translation. It really makes you wonder what the gobbly gook you are trying to read.
I would also like to know what type of tormented and troubled childhood she must have endured to turn out like that. She was one mentally crazy woman for sure. Anyone got web page links to anything about her childhood life story? I bet she was one messed up kid who became a disturbed and wandering spirit grabbing and collecting every so called “true” in her pilgrimages and then incoherently bundling it altogether in one BIG mess called the “The Secret Doctrine.
In short, don’t waste your time trying to rack you brain reading this junk. There are far better and more enlightened readings to do.
Lastly. it’s always funny how people think that when something is complex and difficult to understand, then it must be the truth. That cant be further from the truth, as Truth is often very simply written or communicated and it has a deep and profound meaning to it which lingers and resonates through time and amongst all the peoples of the earth. There is no synchronicity, harmony or truth in this woman’s writings. It’s page after page of convoluted, contradicting, and misguided collection of others and mainly her own beliefs, myths and fantasies.
Again, don’t waste your precious time over this crazy woman and her rantings which deeply inspired another crazy and occultist individual, Adolf Hitler.
I would also like to know what type of tormented and troubled childhood she must have endured to turn out like that. She was one mentally crazy woman for sure. Anyone got web page links to anything about her childhood life story? I bet she was one messed up kid who became a disturbed and wandering spirit grabbing and collecting every so called “true” in her pilgrimages and then incoherently bundling it altogether in one BIG mess called the “The Secret Doctrine.
In short, don’t waste your time trying to rack you brain reading this junk. There are far better and more enlightened readings to do.
Lastly. it’s always funny how people think that when something is complex and difficult to understand, then it must be the truth. That cant be further from the truth, as Truth is often very simply written or communicated and it has a deep and profound meaning to it which lingers and resonates through time and amongst all the peoples of the earth. There is no synchronicity, harmony or truth in this woman’s writings. It’s page after page of convoluted, contradicting, and misguided collection of others and mainly her own beliefs, myths and fantasies.
Again, don’t waste your precious time over this crazy woman and her rantings which deeply inspired another crazy and occultist individual, Adolf Hitler.
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