The Truth is Before Us:
Who Wants to Know the Truth?
* Woe to him who sees the past as being always the same; for, just like the present and the future, the past has infinite possibilities. Our view of that which has already happened is constantly changing as time passes, and as the present brings about other challenges.
* The great events of the past emanate new meanings, from which surprising lessons emerge as we accumulate experience and acquire a better knowledge of life.
* Foolish persons think they know everything. Lucid people recognize that their knowledge is scarce, and try to learn.
* The way we relate to the past is a living process. It is as dynamic and changeable as the way we relate to the future, and to the present. It is up to us to adopt the right point of view regarding the three aspects of time: the point of view of one who seeks to learn about the highest and the most valuable.
* By knowing fragility, one discovers strength. By a first-hand experience of abyssal contrast, one understands that harmony that brings all things together. By acquiring a certain intimacy with the feeling of desperation, we see the power of an unbreakable confidence. And this is necessary; for heaven and earth are inseparable. The divine world and the human world are invisibly and inevitably interlaced.
* We use our energies better when we are realistic. By looking at the facts without the use of psychological anesthesia, and remaining free from the distortions caused by personal feelings, we are able to work efficiently to improve that which can be improved. It is therefore not wise to waste too much time rejecting our defeats from an emotional plane and hiding them from ourselves. For failures pave the way to lessons of incalculable value. All one has to do is to admit and experience first-hand the bitterness of failure, in all its breadth and depth. Once this is done, one will have access to the extraordinary learning present in failed attempts.
* As long as the intention is good and the purpose is noble, each apparent defeat is a new step towards (inner) victory.
* True contentment does not depend on external progress, but on being in contact with the immortal spirit. A grateful pilgrim achieves a reasonable degree of happiness. He values the circumstances around him, but feels no excessive attachment to them. A durable well-being emerges from a balanced relationship between physical world and spiritual world. This is difficult, of course, but it is possible: in a wise life, material factors are humbly put at the service of the inner and higher world, which is permanent.
Who Wants to Know the Truth?
* There is an eternal spiritual light, and it is available to everyone, at all time, as an inexhaustible source of peace, understanding and confidence. Being in direct contact with this inner light, however, is our problem. Are we open to it?
* The light of truth destroys illusion. And who wants to give up their sweetest personal illusions in exchange for the harsh light that reveals the facts as they are, and shows our uncomfortable responsibility before them? The answer is simple. All human beings need the truth, although our access to it must be gradual.
* The path is complex and its discovery needs a long-term view of life. Seeing the truth happens step by step. It is made possible by the energies of right intention, mutual help and a feeling of peace. Each incarnation is a page in the Book of Life.
* Goodwill towards all is the lantern that enlightens the way. For the light of the Sun and the light of Spirit open in all directions at the same time. No one can benefit himself without benefiting others, and vice versa: this is the Law, as Helena Blavatsky taught.
Globalism Is Not the Same as Brotherhood
* Should students of Esoteric Philosophy love the country where they were born, and the country where they live? In the 19th century, a mysterious immortal sage, living in the Himalayas, wrote these lines to a Hindu prince named Harisinghji Rupsinghji:
* “From one who will ever watch over and protect him if he goes on in the path of duty to his country and righteousness to his Brethren.” [1]
* Indeed, the idea of universal brotherhood - raised by the theosophical movement - has nothing to do with the kind of globalism that Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolf Hitler and other misinformed people tried to impose on the world, on several occasions. [2]
* Fraternity among nations does not deny the feeling of love for one’s own country, but is rather based on it. See for instance “Of Globalism and Brotherhood”.
* Good feelings flow in concentric circles that include the inner self-esteem of each individual, the feeling of profound love in marriage, and mutual help in family, in the local community, in the country, and among nations. Cultural diversity is of the essence in the living process of universal brotherhood.
Mutual Respect Among All
* Woe to him who stimulates war and hatred for the sake of personal gains. Bright is the spiritual future of every peaceful and sincere mind.
* Far from fortunate is the karmic situation of a journalist who lies to his readers and spreads ill-will; but he who expresses himself with truthful words and seeks for peace is in the right path.
* A feeling of mutual respect among different civilizations is the first step to universal brotherhood. As East and West accept their historical and cultural differences and cooperate, the planet can live in harmony. Om, Shanti.
NOTES:
[1] See “Letters From the Masters of the Wisdom - First Series”, Letter 25, p. 68.
[2] Incidentally, both Adolf Hitler with his German Nazism and Napoleonic France experienced crushing defeats precisely when they decided that they wanted to destroy Russia.
000
The article “Thoughts Along the Road - 88” was published on the websites of the Independent Lodge of Theosophists on 13 September 2025. An initial version of it is part of the November 2022 edition of “The Aquarian Theosophist”, pp. 18-20.
000
Read more:
000
Print the texts you study from the websites of the Independent Lodge. Reading on paper helps us attain a deeper view of philosophical texts. When studying a printed text, the reader can underline sentences and make handwritten comments in the margins that link the ideas to his personal reality.
000
Helena Blavatsky (photo) wrote these words: “Deserve, then desire”.
000