© 2010 French-speaking Association of Readers of the Urantia Book
The primary aim of the Theosophical Society is the formation of a nucleus of the Universal Brotherhood of Humanity without distinction of race, religion, sex, caste or colour. Now, the principle of brotherhood is also accepted by other movements and associations, and human solidarity is increasingly recognised and practised on an international scale in many aspects, although most often based on mutual interests. However, the notion of brotherhood, as it is understood in theosophical teaching, has much deeper roots.
The message of the Theosophical Society is presented as a synthesis of science, religion and philosophy. The two principal founders of this organization, H.P. Blavatsky and Colonel Olcott, were guided and inspired by the Great Beings whom we call Adepts or Masters of the Wisdom. In promoting the birth of this unique Society, they laid down as a condition that its object should neither be the proclamation of a doctrine nor the teaching of magic or the acquisition of powers, but that it should be a true Brotherhood in mind, heart and action. Theosophy, whose name means “divine wisdom”, is based on the great Truth that the human soul is a part of the Universal Soul and that a single and omnipresent Life sustains all that exists.
In our normal and superficial life, we are not aware of this Unity of Life; we see the world as a set of diverse things and men as individuals isolated from one another. This attitude, which is so natural to us, is called Avidya, or ignorance, by the Sages of the East. Certainly, each human being is a unique individual in the process of evolution, on his own line; nevertheless, human solidarity is not only a powerful factor of progress, but much more, a fact of Nature. Humanity can be considered as a single great organism, in which nations and ethnic groups represent the organs and men its constituent cells. Theosophy reveals to us this fundamental teaching that all humans have spiritually and physically the same origin; as a Master said “You are all of one blood, from the same source, you are all going towards the same goal. Know this truth and live it!”
The familiar conception that we are separate from one another, which is the source of conflict, war, and all the misfortunes that beset humanity—this conception has its root in the lower mind, the characteristic of which is division and analysis. It is only by rising to the level of the higher mind, which is illumined by the light of our spiritual soul, that we become conscious of the bonds that unite us, as well as of the Divine Life that animates all forms of Nature, from the atom to the Star.
The Secret Doctrine teaches that there is nothing inanimate and that everything in the Universe, in all kingdoms, is endowed with life and consciousness. This occult axiom is close to the discovery of modern science which has demonstrated that there are prodigious movements inside atoms, signs of an intense life vibrating in the depths of matter.
The interdependence of all things is illustrated in the following passage from THE SECRET DOCTRINE: From Gods to men, from worlds to atoms, from a star to a candle, from the Sun to the vital heat of the tiniest organic being, the world of form and existence constitutes one immense chain, the links of which are all interconnected. Nature has linked all the parts of her Empire by subtle threads of magnetic sympathy, and there is a mutual correlation even between a star and a man.
The axiom that Reality is both unique and multiple has seemed to Western philosophers an embarrassing paradox. An illustration of this principle is found in the popular belief of India, where worship is offered to multiple divinities, whose number, according to legend, amounts to 330 million; including the angelic kingdom, the Devas and all the entities populating the invisible worlds. This fantastic number of divine beings gives the impression of an exuberant polytheism, but it is only so on the surface; for the multitudes of gods and goddesses are only personifications of the functions and aspects of the Single Supreme Divinity. The religious philosophy of India considers the infinite diversity of beings and things as an illusion, called Maya; for all that exists is impermanent; there is only the Unique Reality which is true and eternal.
We are under the rule of Maya as long as we believe that we are separate and independent persons from the whole of humanity. This mistaken attitude is the source of selfishness, that “heresy” or “giant tares,” so termed in LIGHT ON THE PATH. For self-centeredness is the root of all vices; sin, which is a violation of the laws of Nature, is the rotten fruit of the false identification of the human being with his transitory vehicles.
On the other hand, true ethics has as its main attribute altruism which tends to break the shell of the personality folded in on itself and opens the way which leads to fusion with the Higher Self. Good and Evil, these traditional opposites, can be defined in this way: everything which brings man closer to Unity is on the side of Good and everything which goes in the opposite direction is the origin of Evil.
Brotherhood, Love, Compassion are the signs of a spiritual aspiration having as its final goal absorption in the Divine Life, even if the human being who nourishes these noble emotions is unconscious of this destination.
To make the dawn of a better world shine, we must strive to dissolve the clouds of the mind that obscure the clear sky of the spirit, by denouncing racial and religious prejudices, which generate fratricidal wars. To a world divided by hatred, ideologies, and narrow nationalisms, we propose the ideal of Fraternity as a remedy for all the ills from which humanity suffers. But we must give the example of brotherly love, by conforming to the recommendations of our great Instructors. The Adepts, said one of them, in the Letters of the Mahatmas, do not live for themselves, but for humanity. This ethical conception was also that of many ancient philosophers and was expressed concisely in this verse by the poet Lucan: “Non sibi sed toti genitum se credere mundo” (To believe oneself born not for oneself, but for the whole world).
The renunciation of personal desires, self-forgetfulness in the service of humanity, these altruistic qualities are frequently highlighted in the Mahatma Letters, for example: “Forget yourselves in working for others, and the task will become easy for you.”; and we also read there that “The first object of Theosophy is philanthropy.” This last word, which means “love of humanity,” has fallen into disuse; we more readily use the terms: altruism, benevolence, service, etc. which all imply devotion not only to the well-being, but above all to the spiritual progress of our fellow men. Let us also recall what The Voice of Silence says: “Living for the benefit of humanity is the first step,” that is to say on the Path of perfection; the acquisition of virtues comes only second.
As stated at the beginning of this article, there are many charitable organizations lending their aid to alleviate the suffering of men and animals. We should help and encourage them as much as possible. However, our essential task is another, as a high-ranking Adept has said: The true Theosophist is he who unselfishly seeks the best means of bringing his fellow-men onto the Path and of bringing this knowledge to as many humans as possible.
We can compare this quote with the following words of a Master: The goal of the philanthropist should be the spiritual enlightenment of his brothers in humanity…
Excerpt from a theosophical publication