Bhagavad Gita Summary - Book 7 - Jnana–Vijnana (The Yoga of Knowledge and Judgment

Sadly, this is the final chapter which William Q. Judge has written a commentary, which is a shame, because these commentaries are some of the most original and compelling of all of his writings, and this one is one of the best. Moreover, they have aged surprisingly well, especially the practical, western outlook. Chapters six to twelve are sometimes considered to be focused on devotion.

7- Jnana–Vijnana The Yoga of Knowledge and Judgment

1- Realisation of the Lord by meditation.  (1-3)

This chapter is devoted to the question of that spiritual discernment by means of which the Supreme Spirit can be discerned in all things, and the absence of which causes a delusion constantly recurring, the producer of sorrow. Krishna says that this sort of knowledge leaves nothing else to be known, but that to attain it the heart — that is, every part of the nature — must be fixed on the Spirit, meditation has to be constant, and the Spirit made the refuge or abiding-place. He then goes on to show that to have attained to such a height is to be a mahatma.

Among thousands of mortals a single one perhaps strives for perfection, and among those so striving perhaps a single one knows me as I am. (William Q. Judge, Essays on the Gita, 7, 3)

2- Evolution of the Universe out of Divine Prakriti. (4-7)  

Experiment and induction will confer a great deal of knowledge about the inferior nature of God and along that path the science of the modern West is treading, but before knowing the occult, hidden, intangible realms and forces —often called spiritual, but not so in fact — the inner astral senses and powers have to be developed and used. This development is not to be forced, as one would construct a machine for performing some operation, but will come in its own time as all our senses and powers have come. It is true that a good many are trying to force the process, but at last they will discover that human evolution is universal and not particular; one man cannot go very far beyond his race before the time. (William Q. Judge, Essays on the Gita, 7, 4)

4. Earth, water, fire, air, ether, thought (Manas) and reason (Buddhi), egoism (Ahamkara)—thus is My Prakriti divided eightfold.

Earth stands for the subtile rudimental element or Tanmatra, the Prithivi-tanmatra or the subtile rudimental element of earth ; and so water, fire, air and ether stand for the Tanmatras of water, etc. Thought (Manas) stands for its cause Ahamkara or egoism ; reason (Buddhi) for the Mahat principle, which is the cause of Ahamkara ; and Ahamkara for the Avyakta, the Unmanifested, conjoined with Avidya or nescience. (Baghavad Gita, with the Commentary of Sri Sankaracharya, transl. A. Mahadeva Sastri, 1901)

5. This is the inferior (Prakriti) ; but as distinct from this know thou My superior Prakriti, the very life, O mighty-armed, by which this universe is upheld.

3- The Divine Principle penetrating the Universe. (8-12)

10. Know Me, O Partha, as the eternal seed of all beings ; I am the intelligence of the intelligent, the bravery of the brave.

The superior nature can be known because it is in fact the Knower who resides in every human being who has not degraded himself utterly. But this must be admitted before any approach to the light can be made. And but few are really willing, and many are unable, to admit the universal character of the Self. They sometimes think they do so by admitting the Self as present, as contiguous, as perhaps part tenant. This is not the admission, it leaves them still separate from the Self. All the phenomenal appearances, all the different names, and lives, and innumerable beings, are hung suspended, so to say, on the Self. Thus:

And all things hang on me as precious gems upon a string. (William Q. Judge, Essays on the Gita, 7, 8)

4- Maya : How to overcome it. (13-15)

14. Verily this Divine Illusion of Mine, made up of gunas, is hard to surmount. Whoever seek Me alone, they cross over this Illusion.

GOING BEYOND MAYA  To say that detachment and discrimination are not sufficient and even all round yoga practice also is rarely useful for crossing this River of Maya, is like saying that a sick person who neglects to observe diet will get cured. A person cannot cross this river of Maya by his own efforts. Only those who are single-mindedly devoted to Me can cross it. Actually they do not even have to cross it because they have rid themselves of the illusion of Maya even before they die. Those who are guided by a True Guru, who hold on to their experiences and have taken the route to Self-realisation, those who by shedding the ego, calming the mind, avoiding desires followed the path of knowledge for ease in attaining unity with the Brahman, leap towards liberation and attain it with the strength of detachment and with the conviction "I am that". But such devotees are very rare. (Dnyaneshwari; 7:68-107, transl. M.R. Yardi) 

5- Four classes of devotees. (16-19)

16. Four kinds of virtuous men worship Me, O Arjuna,—the distressed, the seeker of knowledge, the seeker of wealth, and the wise man, O lord of the Bharatas.

Avoiding the obstacles of desire and anger in the wilderness of sense pleasures he acquires good tendencies and in the company of saintly people he avoids bad behaviour and treads the straight path of righteous actions. How can one who, desireless of fruits of his actions, treads the path of devotion through hundreds of lifetimes bother about the goal of those actions? (Dnyaneshwari; 7:127-137, transl. M.R. Yardi) 

6- The ignorant worship inferior Gods. (20-26)

20. Those whose wisdom has been led away by this or that desire resort to other Gods, engaged in this or that rite, constrained by their own nature.

Although these words, like the rest of the colloquy, were spoken in India and to a Hindu, they are thoroughly applicable in the West. Every mode of thought and of living may be called a rite gone over by each one as his conscious or unconscious religion. A man adopts that which is conformable, or subordinate, to his own nature, and being full of desires he worships or follows other gods than the Supreme Self. In India the words would more particularly mean the worship, which is quite common, of idols among those who are not educated out of idolatry; but they would also mean what is said above. In the West these "other gods" are the various pleasures, objects, aims and modes of life and thought, be they religious or not, which the people adopt. They have not the many thousands of gods of the Hindu pantheon, each one for some particular purpose, but it comes to the same thing. 

The idol-worshiper bows to the god visible so that he may attain the object of his heart which that god is supposed to control.The Western man worships his object and strives after it with all his heart and mind and thus worships something else than the Supreme Imperishable One. The god of one is political advancement, of another — and generally of most — the possession of great wealth. One great god is that of social advancement, the most foolish, hollow and unsatisfactory of all; and with it in America is yoked the god of money, for without wealth there is no social preeminence possible except in those cases where official position confers a temporary glory. The mother often spends sleepless nights inventing means for pushing her daughter into social success; the father lies wakefully calculating new problems for the production of money. The inheritors of riches bask in the radiance coming from their own gold, while they strive for new ways to make, if possible, another upward step on that road, founded on ashes and ending at the grave, which is called social greatness. And out of all this striving many and various desires spring up so that their multiplicity and diversity completely hide and obstruct all spiritual development and discernment. (William Q. Judge, Essays on the Gita, 7, 20)

21. Whatever devotee seeks to worship with faith what form soever, that same faith of his I make unflinching.

But many who are not so carried away by these follies attend to some religion which they have adopted or been educated into. In very few cases, however, is the religion adopted: it is born with the child; it is found with the family and is regularly fastened on as a garment. If in this religion, or cult, there is faith, then the Supreme Self, impartial and charitable, makes the faith strong and constant so that thereby objects are attained. In whatever way the devotee chooses to worship with faith it is the Supreme which, though ignored, brings about the results of faith.

But that prayer or aspiration which is for spiritual light and wisdom is the highest of all, no matter to whom or what addressed. All religions teach that sort of prayer; all others are selfish and spiritually useless. (William Q. Judge, Essays on the Gita, 7, 21)

But those who worship or believe in the Self as all-in-all, not separate from any, supreme, the container, the whole, go to It, and, becoming It, know all because of its knowledge, and cease to be subject to change because It is changeless. This also is law, and not sentiment. (William Q. Judge, Essays on the Gita, 7, 23-36)

7- The root of ignorance. (27)

27. From the delusion of pairs caused by desire and aversion, O Bharata, all beings are subject to illusion at birth, O harasser of thy foes.

Desire was born out of ego and body. Due to its combination with hate the delusion that one is different from soul was born. This delusion was fostered by the ego. Shunning courage and self-control this delusion started growing due to hope. Under the influence of dissatisfaction it got tirelessly engrossed in sense-pleasures and started behaving perversely. It brought impediments in the path of devotion and paved the paths of evil deeds. Because of it people got confused, went astray in life and came under the heavy burden of sorrow. (Dnyaneshwari; 7:166-171, transl. M.R. Yardi) 

8- Divine worship leads to realisation. (28-30)     

28. Those mortals of pure deeds whose sin has come to an end, who are freed from the delusion of pairs, they worship Me with a firm resolve.

30. Those who realise Me in the Adhibhuta (physical region), in the Adhidaiva (the divine region) and in the Adhiyajwa ( region of Sacrifice ), realise Me even at the time of departure, steadfast in mind.

The chapter concludes by showing how the ignorant who believe in a Supreme Being with a form, fall into error and darkness at the time of their birth because of the hold which former life-recollections have upon the mind. This includes the power of the skandhas or aggregates of sensations and desires accumulated in prior lives. At birth these, being a natural part of us, rush to us and we to them, so that a new union is made for another lifetime. In the other life, not having viewed the Self as all and in all, and having worshipped many gods, the sensations of liking and disliking are so strong that the darkness of rebirth is irresistible. But the wise man died out of his former life with a full knowledge of the Self at the hour of death, and thus prevented the imprinting upon his nature of a set of sensations and desires that would otherwise, upon reincarnation, lead him into error.

This is the chapter on Unity, teaching that the Self is all, or if you like the word better, God: that God is all and not outside of nature, and that we must recognize this great unity of all things and beings in the Self. (William Q. Judge, Essays on the Gita, 7, 30)

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras - A Theosophical Bibliography

One of the great accomplishments of the Theosophical Society was to help popularize Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Gordon White observes: “In spite of its founders’ misadventures, the Theosophical Society may be credited with having projected yoga onto the magnetosphere of the late nineteenth- century Indian and Western consciousness” (The "Yoga Sutra of Patanjali": A Biography. Princeton University Press, 2014, p 105). Indeed, from 1885 to 1912, the Theosophical Society was virtually the lone publisher of English translations of the Yoga Sutras (with the exception of  Swami Vivekananda, Raja Yoga, 1896) releasing six versions, and have published at least a dozen translations over the years. Below are a selection, all still well worth investigating, with a few recent translations from other publishers, which are recommended.

A First translation of Yoga Sutras of Patanjali in English containing the first two chapters by J.R Ballyntyne was published by the Benaras College in 1853. In 1872 Govind Deva Shastri completed the remaining two chapters. The complete book was published in 1883 by the Asiatic Society of Bengal.

1- 1885. A revised edition, of the J.R Ballantyne, Govind Shastri Deva translation, edited by Tookaram Tatya, The Yoga Philosophy with comments of Bhojaraja, was published by the Bombay Theosophical publication fund. Bhoja (reigned c. 1010–1055 CE) was a monarch from the Paramara dynasty. 

https://blavatskyarchives.com/theosophypdfs/tatya_the_yoga_philosophy_of_patanjali.pdf#

2- 1889. William Quan Judge published The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali in New York, using the Ballantyne/Shastri Deva translation, with occasional comments by Judge, which although short, remain relevant for their unique practical understanding. 

https://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/patanjal/patanyog.htm#

3- 1890. Manilal N. Dvivedi. The Yoga-sūtras of Patanjali.Sanskrit Text and English Translation Together, with an Introduction and an Appendix, and Notes on Each Sutra Based upon Several Authentic Commentaries. Bombay Theosophical publication fund.The first original theosophical translation with  original commentary in a popular style. 

https://digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/diglit/dvivedi1890?sid=e0ac846ebef9dee4518981fa37fe8818&ui_lang=eng

4- 1910. Rama Prasad. Patanjali Yoga Sutras with commentary of Vyasa and gloss of Vachaspati Mishra.  Vachaspati Mishra was a ninth or tenth century Indian Hindu philosopher of the Advaita Vedanta tradition, who wrote bhasya (commentaries) on key texts of almost every 9th-century school of Hindu philosophy.  Also wrote "Self-Culture of the Yoga of Patanjali" in 15 parts, "The Theosophist", 1906-1907.

https://archive.org/details/PatanjalisYogaSutraswithTheCommentaryOfVyasaAndTheGlossOfVachaspatiMisraRamaPrasadTranslation

5- 1907. GanganathaJha (translator) The Yoga Darśana: The Sutras of Patañjali with the Bhāṣya of Vyāsa. With notes from Vācaspati Miśra's Tattvavaiśāradī, Vijnana Bhiksu's Yogavartika and Bhoja's Rajamartanda. Rajaram Tukaram Tatya: Bombay Theosophical Publication Fund.

Probably the first edition that is both popular and of scholarly quality. It establishes the importance of Vyasa's commentary and gives a straightforward modern commentary.   

https://archive.org/details/yogasutrasofpatanjalibhashyaofvyasaganganathajha1907_202003_737_f

6- 1912. Charles Johnston. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. New York: Quarterly Book Department. A solid, practical translation from a good Sanskrit scholar.

https://universaltheosophy.com/cj/yoga-sutras-1909/

7- 1914. Daniel R. Stephen. Patañjali for Western Readers. London: Theosophical Publishing Company, The Yoga Aphorisms of Patañjali Paraphrased and Modernised from Various English Translations and Recensions.

8- 1948. Ernest Wood. Practical Yoga, Ancient and Modern. New York: E. P. Dutton, A New and Independent Translation of Patanjali's Yoga Aphorisms, Interpreted in the Light of Ancient and Modern Psychological Knowledge and Practical Experience.

http://digital.march.es/cortazar/fedora/repository/cortazar:1735/PDF 

9- 1961. I.K. Taimni. "The Science Of Yoga". Theosophical Publishing House, Wheaton, IL. Translation and commentary from Advaita Vedanta perspective using modernized Theosophical terms. 

https://www.yogastudies.org/wp-content/uploads/Science_of_Yoga-Taimni.pdf#

10- 1963. Hariharananda Aranya. Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali: Containing His Yoga Aphorisms with Vyasa's Commentary in Sanskrit and a Translation with Annotations Including Many Suggestions for the Practice of Yoga (1882), trans. into English by P.N. Mukerji. State University of New York Press, Albany.  Swami Hariharananda Aranya (1869–1947) was a yogi, author, and founder of Kapil Math in Madhupur, India, which is the only monastery in the world that actively teaches and practices Samkhya philosophy.

11- 1989. Georg Feuerstein. The Yoga-Sutra of Patañjali: A New Translation and Commentary. Dr. Georg Feuerstein Ph.D (27 May 1947 – 25 August 2012) was a German Indologist specializing in the philosophy and praxis of Yoga. Feuerstein authored over 30 books on mysticism, Yoga, Tantra, and Hinduism. He translated, among other traditional texts, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and the Bhagavad Gita. 

12-1990. Sankara on the Yoga Sutras: Vivarana Sub-commentary to Vyasabhasya on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Trevor Leggett. First printed in 1952, some think that this text is by the great Advaita Vedanta teacher, but most think otherwise. Nonetheless, it is an interesting commentary by an experienced Vedanta philosopher.

https://terebess.hu/zen/mesterek/SankaraYogaSutras.pdf 

 

For an esoteric perspective on the Yoga Sutras, see: 

https://universaltheosophy.com/jwf/patanjali/

Astrology: Jupiter sextile Uranus, February 17, 2022

Happy Accidents

With a full moon on the 16^th (with a  Venus-Mars conjunction in Capricorn), a Jupiter-Uranus exact sextile on the 17^th, Sun entering Pisces on the 18^th and the US having a Pluto return on the 22^nd it looks to be quite a shift in direction over the next few days.

In a previous post I wrote:’’Judging from the previous ones, the third and final Saturn-Uranus square (December 24, 2021) could bring some heavy difficulties, but it is also an opportunity to come to terms with the previous conflicts. It can be considered as a final reality check before this aspect gradually fades, embarking on a new, optimistic, constructive phase that the Jupiter-Saturn cycle brings.’’

The difficulties did arrive, with a highly contagious Omicron Covid wave beginning during the holiday season, and with mounting frustrations, a remarkable Canadian trucker vaccine mandate protest occurring by the end of January. This occurred as the Saturn-Uranus square was waning, moving past the five degree orb where I consider it to have strong effect. Therefore I do posit that it is a waning burst of frustration before a new phase begins. Moreover, with the flu pandemic of 1918, it seems the public tolerance and the government resources hit a limit after two years of combating the virus, so perhaps hitting a two-year threshold can explain the outburst, which is consistent with the volatile aspects of a square involving Uranus.

‘’This aspect has played out globally with public health mandates in response to COVID-19, especially vaccines and vaccine “passports.” Saturn sees vaccination and documentation as the evidence-backed, rational, pragmatic, and proven approach to dealing with a global pandemic. Uranus sees it as an authoritarian overreach that imposes on its freedoms.’’ (Astrology with Andy)

With these truck occupations, one notices an odd juxtaposition of friendly winter fair atmosphere with expressions of good will, on one hand, and aggressive, extreme right-wing ideologies on the other. Moreover, the rather grandiloquent, yet fuzzy statements by the protesters seems consistent with a Jupiter in Pisces influence. The creative use of technology seems to be aided by both Jupiter in Pisces and Uranus in Taurus. The exact Jupiter sextile Uranus may give the protesters a boost of enthusiasm and new ideas, although it might likely give a greater boost to the law-enforcement strategies, due to the inherently conservative, rigid stance of the protest under a waning Saturn-Uranus aspect that fuelled it. It's possible that this new aspect could also see a significant shift in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which has been festering since the end of December. 

Jupiter in Pisces

May 13th, 2021 to July 28th, 2022

December 28, 2021 to May 10, 2022

October 28th, 2022, to December 20th, 2022

‘’Pisces is a Water sign. With a Water sign Jupiter, we have a stronger belief in a higher power. We are most able to attract luck and rich life experiences through our intuition, imagination, and compassion. Helping those in need boosts our own morale.’’

‘’In Pisces, we can be avoidant or indulgent, if overdone. We should watch for escapism, bending personal philosophies or morals to suit the situation, deception and self-deception, restlessness and vague discontent, and unwillingness to face problems or negative situations directly.’’

‘’It’s also a fantastic period in which to improve our understanding. We see beyond class, religion, and other labels, and we tend to connect with ideas, beliefs, and practices that have a universal nature.’’ (Astrology Café)

Jupiter sextile Uranus

‘’Jupiter sextile Uranus transit makes you eager for positive changes in your life. You should have good fortune, freedom, and opportunities to make your life more exciting and interesting. This is a good time to tackle difficult tasks that have caused frustration or limitations in the past. Creative intelligence and experimentation can lead to new ideas and breakthroughs.’’ (Astrology King)

‘’With Jupiter forming a sextile to Uranus, changes and innovations are exciting. We’re open to new energies, approaches, and attitudes. Fortunate events occur as a direct result of our willingness to entertain the unusual and to think outside of the box. This transit favors group activities, financial endeavors associated with groups or organizational efforts, online connections and ventures, educational pursuits, writing, publishing, speaking, and humanitarian efforts. Our outlook is positive and optimistic.’’ (Astrology Café)

Therefore despite, the chaotic phase we are going through, I still consider this new aspect to be a more specific beginning of a more optimistic, progressive phase related to the new Jupiter-Saturn cycle. The upcoming Apr 12 – Jupiter conjunct Neptune aspect will bring a strong spiritual influence, although the difficult conditions of the Saturn-Uranus square with Jupiter in Pisces will return briefly at the end of the year.

References 

https://astrologyking.com/jupiter-sextile-uranus/

https://astrologywithandy.com/2021/12/08/the-astrology-of-2022/#more-388 

https://cafeastrology.com/events/jupiter-sextile-uranus-2022/

How Canada underestimated the anti-vaccine community

The deadly third wave of the 1918 

Chogyam Trungpa on Spiritual Materialism 2/2

One aspect that can be underestimated when embarking on a spiritual path, is the baggage one has acquired being brought up in a modern western materialistic society. It can take a considerable amount of time to undo the conscious and unconscious habits developed in a mass-media consumer society of materialism, hedonism, individualism, impulsiveness and competitiveness. One result of this can be termed ‘spiritual materialism’ which Chogyam Trungpa eloquently explains. Trungpa himself sadly faced many challenges and pitfalls in presenting Buddhism to western societies with their penchant for capitalism, commercialism and sensationalism.

It is important to see that the main point of any spiritual practice is to step out of the bureaucracy of ego.  This means  stepping out of ego's constant desire for a higher, more spiritual,  more transcendental version of knowledge, religion, virtue, judgment, comfort or whatever it is that a particular ego is seeking.  One must step out of spiritual materialism.  If we do not step out of spiritual materialism, if we in fact practice it, then we may eventually find ourselves possessed of a huge collection of  spiritual paths.  We may feel these spiritual collections to be very precious. We have studied so much.  We may have studied Western philosophy or Oriental philosophy, practiced yoga or perhaps studied  under dozens of great masters. 

Proper shopping does not entail collecting a lot of  information or beauty, but it involves fully appreciating each individual object.  This is very important.  If you really appreciate an object of beauty, then you completely identify with it and forget yourself.  It is like seeing a very interesting, fascinating movie and forgetting that you are the audience.  At that moment there is no world; your whole being is that scene of that movie.  It is that kind of identification, complete involvement with one thing.  Did we actually taste it and chew it and swallow it properly, that one object of beauty, that one spiritual teaching?   Or did we merely regard it as a part of our vast and growing collection?

Whenever teachings come to a country from abroad, the  problem of spiritual materialism is intensified.  At the moment  America is, without any doubt, fertile ground ready for the  teachings.  And because America is so fertile, seeking spirituality,  it is possible for America to inspire charlatans.  Charlatans would  not choose to be charlatans unless they were inspired to do so.   Otherwise, they would be bank robbers or bandits, inasmuch as they  want to make money and become famous.  Because America is looking so  hard for spirituality, religion becomes any easy way to make money  and acquire fame.  So we see charlatans in the role of student,  chela, as well as in the role of guru.  I think America at this  particular time is a very interesting ground.

You should let the first impulse die down.  Your first  impulse toward spirituality might put you into some particular  spiritual scene; but if you work with that impulse, then the impulse  gradually dies down and at some stage becomes tedious, monotonous.   This is a useful message.  You see, it is essential to relate to  yourself, to your own experience, really.  If one does not relate to  oneself, then the spiritual path becomes dangerous, becomes purely  external entertainment, rather than an organic personal experience.

So we try to fit things into pigeonholes, try to fit the situation to our expectations, and we cannot surrender any part of our anticipation to all.  If we search for a guru or teacher, we  expect him to be saintly, peaceful, quiet, a simple and wise man.  When we find that he does not match our expectations, then we begin  to be disappointed, we begin to doubt.

We must surrender our hopes and expectations, as well as our  fears, and march directly into disappointment, work with  disappointment, go into it and make it our way of life, which is a  very hard thing to do.  Disappointment is a good sign of basic intelligence.  It cannot be compared to anything else: it is so  sharp, precise, obvious and direct.  If we can open, then we suddenly begin to see that our expectations are irrelevant compared with the reality of the situations we are facing.  This  automatically brings a feeling disappointment.

Traditionally, surrendering is symbolized by such practices  as prostration, which is the act of falling on the ground in a  gesture of surrender.  At the same time we open psychologically and  surrender completely by identifying ourselves with the lowest of the low, acknowledging our raw and rugged quality.  There is nothing that we fear to lose once we identify ourselves with the lowest of  the low.  By doing so, we prepare ourselves to be an empty vessel,  ready to receive the teachings.

The wrong way to take refuge involves seeking shelter -  worshipping mountains, sun gods, moon gods, deities of any kind  simply because they would seem to be greater than we.  This kind of  refuge taking is similar to the response of the little child who  says, "If you beat me, I'll tell my mommy," thinking that his mother is a great, archetypically powerful person.  If he is attacked, his  automatic recourse is to his mother, an invincible and all-knowing,  all-powerful personality.  The child believes his mother can protect  him, in fact that she is the only person who can save him. Taking  refuge in a mother or father-principle is truly self-defeating; the refuge-seeker has no real basic strength at all, no true  inspiration.  He is constantly busy assessing greater and smaller  powers.  If we are small, then someone greater can crush us.  We seek refuge because we cannot afford to be small and without  protection.  We tend to be apologetic: "I am such a small thing,  but I acknowledge your great quality.  I would like to worship and  join your greatness, so will you please protect me?"

(Trungpa, Chogyam; Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, Introduction; Shambhala  Publications, Inc.; Boston, Massachusetts; 1973)

Part 1

Pope Francis on Universal Brother/Sisterhood (Fratelli tutti)

Blavatsky was a critic of the first Vatican council and made various allegations about corruption in the Jesuit order of her time. The Christian College Magazine was published by a Scottish Protestant missionary organization and ran a slanderous piece on Blavatsky. René Guénon's anti-theosophy essay 'Théosophisme' was edited by Catholic philosopher Jacques Maritain. The Vatican issued a  report on the New Age movement with conceptual, conjectural, discursive, interpretative, theoretical speculations about Blavatsky which were inaccurate, contrived, and unproven. Also, their report on the condemnation of esoteric philosopher Giordano Bruno was unsatisfactory to me. Therefore, there are some tensions between the theosophical movement and Christian institutions to say the least.

However, did not the Second Vatican Council implement many of the critiques contained in Blavatsky's writings on Christianity? Has this not created a division between conservative and progressive Catholics? So when a man undertakes to promote theosophical concerns such as universal brother and sisterhood, opposition to the death penalty, and respect for the environment, I think such efforts deserve a fair hearing in theosophical forums, as has been done in various Masonic circles.

Fratelli tutti (All Brothers) is the third encyclical of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Pope Francis, subtitled "on fraternity and social friendship".  In the document, Francis states that the way the COVID-19 pandemic was managed by world countries has shown a failure in global cooperation. The encyclical calls for more human fraternity and solidarity, and is a plea to reject wars and capital punishment. The document was signed on 3 October 2020, on the occasion of Pope Francis's visit to the tomb of his namesake, Francis of Assisi, and was published the following day on the saint's feast day. The encyclical's title is taken from Francis of Assisi's Admonitions. St Francis of Assisi used to say: "All brothers and sisters".

On 4 February 2019, Pope Francis signed the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together while on an apostolic journey to the United Arab Emirates. Co-signing the document was the grand imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb,  which was an inspiration for the document. Besides Francis of Assisi and the parable of the Good Samaritan, he also states that he has been inspired by numerous non-Catholics, including Martin Luther King, Desmond Tutu, and Mahatma Gandhi in a perspective of  Liberal Christianity,  which has Theosophical influences.  Pope Francis participated in a virtual observance of the International Day of Human Fraternity on 4 February 2021, a new celebration founded on 21 December 2020 by the United Nations and which was influenced by Fratelli tutti.

Introduction – Without Borders

8. It is my desire that, in this our time, by acknowledging the dignity of each human person, we can contribute to the rebirth of a universal aspiration to fraternity. Fraternity between all men and women. “Here we have a splendid secret that shows us how to dream and to turn our life into a wonderful adventure. No one can face life in isolation… We need a community that supports and helps us, in which we can help one another to keep looking ahead. How important it is to dream together… By ourselves, we risk seeing mirages, things that are not there. Dreams, on the other hand, are built together”. Let us dream, then, as a single human family, as fellow travelers sharing the same flesh, as children of the same earth which is our common home, each of us bringing the richness of his or her beliefs and convictions, each of us with his or her own voice, brothers and sisters all.

Chapter One: dark clouds cover the world

32. True, a worldwide tragedy like the Covid-19 pandemic momentarily revived the sense that we are a global community, all in the same boat, where one person’s problems are the problems of all. Once more we realized that no one is saved alone; we can only be saved together. As I said in those days, “the storm has exposed our vulnerability and uncovered those false and superfluous certainties around which we constructed our daily schedules, our projects, our habits and priorities… Amid this storm, the façade of those stereotypes with which we camouflaged our egos, always worrying about appearances, has fallen away, revealing once more the ineluctable and blessed awareness that we are part of one another, that we are brothers and sisters of one another”.

Chapter Two: strangers on the road

68. The parable (of the Good Samaritan) clearly does not indulge in abstract moralizing, nor is its message merely social and ethical. It speaks to us of an essential and often forgotten aspect of our common humanity: we were created for a fulfilment that can only be found in love. We cannot be indifferent to suffering; we cannot allow anyone to go through life as an outcast. Instead, we should feel indignant, challenged to emerge from our comfortable isolation and to be changed by our contact with human suffering. That is the meaning of dignity.

Chapter Three: vision of an open world

87. Human beings are so made that they cannot live, develop and find fulfilment except “in the sincere gift of self to others”. Nor can they fully know themselves apart from an encounter with other persons: “I communicate effectively with myself only insofar as I communicate with others”. No one can experience the true beauty of life without relating to others, without having real faces to love. This is part of the mystery of authentic human existence. “Life exists where there is bonding, communion, fraternity; and life is stronger than death when it is built on true relationships and bonds of fidelity. On the contrary, there is no life when we claim to be self-sufficient and live as islands: in these attitudes, death prevails”.

127. This is the true path of peace, not the senseless and myopic strategy of sowing fear and mistrust in the face of outside threats. For a real and lasting peace will only be possible “on the basis of a global ethic of solidarity and cooperation in the service of a future shaped byinterdependence and shared responsibility in the whole human family”.

Chapter Four: heart open to the world

138. Although this has always been true, never has it been more evident than in our own day, when the world is interconnected by globalization. We need to attain a global juridical, political and economic order “which can increase and give direction to international cooperation for the development of all peoples in solidarity”. Ultimately, this will benefit the entire world, since “development aid for poor countries” implies “creating wealth for all”. From the standpoint of integral development, this presupposes “giving poorer nations an effective voice in shared decision-making” and the capacity to “facilitate access to the international market on the part of countries suffering from poverty and underdevelopment”.

Chapter Five: better politics

164. Charity, on the other hand, unites both dimensions – the abstract and the institutional – since it calls for an effective process of historical change that embraces everything: institutions, law, technology, experience, professional expertise, scientific analysis, administrative procedures, and so forth. For that matter, “private life cannot exist unless it is protected by public order. A domestic hearth has no real warmth unless it is safeguarded by law, by a state of tranquillity founded on law, and enjoys a minimum of well-being ensured by the division of labour, commercial exchange, social justice and political citizenship”.

Chapter Six: dialogue and friendship

198. Approaching, speaking, listening, looking at, coming to know and understand one another, and to find common ground: all these things are summed up in the one word “dialogue”. If we want to encounter and help one another, we have to dialogue. There is no need for me to stress the benefits of dialogue. I have only to think of what our world would be like without the patient dialogue of the many generous persons who keep families and communities together. Unlike disagreement and conflict, persistent and courageous dialogue does not make headlines, but quietly helps the world to live much better than we imagine.

205. In today’s globalized world, “the media can help us to feel closer to one another, creating a sense of the unity of the human family which in turn can inspire solidarity and serious efforts to ensure a more dignified life for all… The media can help us greatly in this, especially nowadays, when the networks of human communication have made unprecedented advances. The internet, in particular, offers immense possibilities for encounter and solidarity. This is something truly good, a gift from God”. We need constantly to ensure that present-day forms of communication are in fact guiding us to generous encounter with others, to honest pursuit of the whole truth, to service, to closeness to the underprivileged and to the promotion of the common good. As the Bishops of Australia have pointed out, we cannot accept “a digital world designed to exploit our weaknesses and bring out the worst in people”.

Chapter Seven: renewed encounter

227. “Truth, in fact, is an inseparable companion of justice and mercy. All three together are essential to building peace; each, moreover, prevents the other from being altered… Truth should not lead to revenge, but rather to reconciliation and forgiveness. Truth means telling families torn apart by pain what happened to their missing relatives. Truth means confessing what happened to minors recruited by cruel and violent people. Truth means recognizing the pain of women who are victims of violence and abuse… Every act of violence committed against a human being is a wound in humanity’s flesh; every violent death diminishes us as people… Violence leads to more violence, hatred to more hatred, death to more death. We must break this cycle which seems inescapable”.

Chapter Eight: religion and fraternity

271. The different religions, based on their respect for each human person as a creature called to be a child of God, contribute significantly to building fraternity and defending justice in society. Dialogue between the followers of different religions does not take place simply for the sake of diplomacy, consideration or tolerance. In the words of the Bishops of India, “the goal of dialogue is to establish friendship, peace and harmony, and to share spiritual and moral values and experiences in a spirit of truth and love”.