Keeping the Truths
of Theosophy
Alive and Making
them Available
John Garrigues
It has been said
that the most difficult position in the world is that of one who has
responsibility without power. The injustice of holding anyone responsible for
conditions he is powerless to control is immediately apparent. As far as power
extends, so far and so far only, reaches responsibility.
The man convinced of this will not wear himself out
chafing against a state of affairs he cannot remedy. He who knows the limits of
his range of action can act purposefully within that range and save the energy
he else might waste in efforts aimed beyond his reach.
Within one sphere our power is absolute, save as our
self-made Karma checks, and that sphere is our own deeds and words, our
longings and our thoughts. Does another act in ways displeasing to us? His to
answer for it if his course be wrong; ours to look to our reaction which alone
is our legitimate concern.
Freedom of act, of speech, of thought, within the
limits set by others’ rights, is requisite to progress. The man who tries to
force conformity in thought or custom, with either the current mode, or with
what seems to him truth absolute and right unquestionable, seeks to restrict the
free growth of another, which will be checked unless that other throws off the
hampering bonds.
But if we would not concern ourselves with others’
acts and words, the responsibility of each under the Law is absolute and not to
be evaded, for those conditions it is
within his power to determine. Nothing short of our best effort can fully
discharge our responsibility. Half-hearted service, thinking less keen and
candid than we are capable of, desires fixed below the highest goal to which we
could aspire, albeit on aims accounted honorable, these things may bring us
praise of men, but never absolution from the Law.
The landlord whom man’s law permits to wring his gain
from squalid tenements has yet to answer to the greater Law unless he does all
that he can to make them decent dwellings for the poor.
His exact share of responsibility for existing
conditions rests upon each, as citizen of City, State, and Nation, ignore his
civic obligations though he may. Closer than these is family duty, which every
man determines for himself but none evades without due recompense.
Those who in our day have contacted the ancient
Wisdom-Religion have a peculiar responsibility, recognized or not. No man can
store up Truth for his own use and keep it. As radium escapes through baser
metals, so slips Truth from the clutch of selfishness. Each truth grasped
becomes a sacred trust, not to be hoarded but to be judiciously dispensed. We
may not degrade Truth by forcing it upon unwilling minds, but we should miss no
opening to let the seeker know that Truth exists and is available.
Anxiety that this or that one should come to Theosophy
and, having come, should stay, is an unerring sign that we are straying, at
least in thought and wish, outside our limits of responsibility. Such eagerness
that certain ones shall profit by their opportunity is not compatible with the
impersonal attitude we must hold if we would truly help. To the extent that our
feelings become involved, to that extent our power to serve is lessened.
Ours the task to do our utmost to keep the truths of
Theosophy alive and intact, and to make them as widely available as possible.
No fear that those who are ready will not come! To those who are not ready we
may give only as much as they will take, no more, waiting in patience for their
further growth.
Thus, recognizing ourselves circumscribed in range of
action by the bounds set by our duty, passionless, serene, we may devote our
best endeavor to the full discharge of our responsibility within those bounds,
sure that as our power to serve increases with duties faithfully performed,
those bounds will widen, since responsibility increases with all growth in
power.
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The above article
was first published with no indication as to its author at the August 1932
edition of “Theosophy” magazine, pp.
437-438. An analysis of its contents and style indicated it was written by J.G.
On the criteria used to identify texts by this author, see in our websites the
article “Life and Writings of John
Garrigues”. The article was also published in the November 2015 edition of
“The Aquarian Theosophist”, pp. 4-5.
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On the role of the esoteric movement in the ethical awakening of mankind during
the 21st century, see the book “The Fire and Light of Theosophical Literature”, by
Carlos Cardoso Aveline.
Published in
2013 by The Aquarian Theosophist,
the volume has 255 pages and can be obtained through Amazon Books.
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