The Voice of the Silence on Compassion (H.P. Blavatsky) Altruism, Selflessness, Bodhisattvic Path

H.P. Blavatsky's The Voice of the Silence, an inspirational text, gives many teachings on the spiritual path, with certain specific Hindu and Buddhist inflections, but applicable to wider perspectives as well. There is reference to the Bodhisattvic Path, and the related passages on altruism, selflessness, and compassion are possibly some of the most eloquent, original, and distinctive.

Thou canst not travel on the Path before thou hast become that Path itself (32). (1,58)

Let thy Soul lend its ear to every cry of pain like as the lotus bares its heart to drink the morning sun. (1,59)

Let not the fierce Sun dry one tear of pain before thyself hast wiped it from the sufferer’s eye. (1,60)

But let each burning human tear drop on thy heart and there remain, nor ever brush it off, until the pain that caused it is removed. (1,61)

These tears, O thou of heart most merciful, these are the streams that irrigate the fields of charity immortal. ‘Tis on such soil that grows the midnight blossom of Buddha (33) more difficult to find, more rare to view than is the flower of the Vogay tree. It is the seed of freedom from rebirth. It isolates the Arhat both from strife and lust, it leads him through the fields of Being unto the peace and bliss known only in the land of Silence and Non-Being. (1,62)

Alas, alas, that all men should possess Alaya, be one with the great Soul, and that possessing it, Alaya should so little avail them!(2,107)

Behold how like the moon, reflected in the tranquil waves, Alaya is reflected by the small and by the great, is mirrored in the tiniest atoms, yet fails to reach the heart of all. Alas, that so few men should profit by the gift, the priceless boon of learning truth, the right perception of existing things, the Knowledge of the non-existent! (2,108)

 

But Path the Second is — renunciation, and therefore called the “Path of Woe.” (2,183)

That Secret Path leads the Arhan to mental woe unspeakable; woe for the living Dead (36), and helpless pity for the men of Karmic sorrow, the fruit of Karma Sages dare not still. (2,184)

 

“Sweet are the fruits of Rest and Liberation for the sake of Self; but sweeter still the fruits of long and bitter duty. Aye, Renunciation for the sake of others, of suffering fellow men.” (2,190)

He, who becomes Pratyeka-Buddha (38), makes his obeisance but to his Self. The Bodhisattva who has won the battle, who holds the prize within his palm, yet says in his divine compassion: (2,191)

“For others’ sake this great reward I yield” — accomplishes the greater Renunciation. (2,192)

 

“Hast thou attuned thy heart and mind to the great mind and heart of all mankind? For as the sacred River’s roaring voice whereby all Nature-sounds are echoed back (10), so must the heart of him ‘who in the stream would enter,’ thrill in response to every sigh and thought of all that lives and breathes.” (3,225)

Disciples may be likened to the strings of the soul-echoing Vînâ; mankind, unto its sounding board; the hand that sweeps it to the tuneful breath of the great world-soul. The string that fails to answer ‘neath the Master’s touch in dulcet harmony with all the others, breaks — and is cast away. So the collective minds of Lanoo-Śrâvakas. They have to be attuned to the Upâdhyâya’s mind — one with the Over-Soul — or, break away. (3,226)

Hast thou attuned thy being to Humanity’s great pain, O candidate for light? (3,228)

 

Ere thou canst settle in Jñâna Mârga (18) and call it thine, thy Soul has to become as the ripe mango fruit: as soft and sweet as its bright golden pulp for others’ woes, as hard as that fruit’s stone for thine own throes and sorrows, O Conqueror of Weal and Woe. (3,261)

 

Shall he not use the gifts which it confers for his own rest and bliss, his well-earn’d weal and glory — he, the subduer of the great Delusion? (3,284)

 Nay, O thou candidate for Nature’s hidden lore! If one would follow in the steps of holy Tathâgata, those gifts and powers are not for Self. (3,285) 

Know, if of Amitâbha, the “Boundless Age,” thou would’st become co-worker, then must thou shed the light acquired, like to the Bodhisattvas twain (26), upon the span of all three worlds (27). (3,288)

Know that the stream of superhuman knowledge and the Deva-Wisdom thou hast won, must, from thyself, the channel of Alaya, be poured forth into another bed. (3,289)

Know, O Naljor, thou of the Secret Path, its pure fresh waters must be used to sweeter make the Ocean’s bitter waves — that mighty sea of sorrow formed of the tears of men. (3,290)

Alas! when once thou hast become like the fix’d star in highest heaven, that bright celestial orb must shine from out the spatial depths for all — save for itself; give light to all, but take from none. (3,291)

Alas! when once thou hast become like the pure snow in mountain vales, cold and unfeeling to the touch, warm and protective to the seed that sleepeth deep beneath its bosom — ’tis now that snow which must receive the biting frost, the northern blasts, thus shielding from their sharp and cruel tooth the earth that holds the promised harvest, the harvest that will feed the hungry. (3,292)

Self-doomed to live through future Kalpas,* unthanked and unperceived by man; wedged as a stone with countless other stones which form the “Guardian Wall” (28), such is thy future if the seventh gate thou passest. Built by the hands of many Masters of Compassion, raised by their tortures, by their blood cemented, it shields mankind, since man is man, protecting it from further and far greater misery and sorrow. (3,293)

 

There Kleśa (29) is destroyed for ever, Tanhâ’s (30) roots torn out. But stay, Disciple . . . Yet, one word. Canst thou destroy divine compassion? Compassion is no attribute. It is the LAW of laws — eternal Harmony, Alaya’s SELF; a shoreless universal essence, the light of everlasting Right, and fitness of all things, the law of love eternal.(3,300)

 The more thou dost become at one with it, thy being melted in its BEING, the more thy Soul unites with that which IS, the more thou wilt become Compassion Absolute (31). (3,301)

Now bend thy head and listen well, O Bodhisattva — Compassion speaks and saith: “Can there be bliss when all that lives must suffer? Shalt thou be saved and hear the whole world cry?” (3,307)

Introduction to the Voice of the Silence H. P. Blavatsky 4/4

Since the first section titled 'The Voice of the Silence', which gives its name to the whole work in three sections is probably the most mystical and complex of the three, and is presented in a way that seems to be a culmination of the other two sections, I have presented it last.

 

'Earlier attempts at uncovering the primordial linguistic revelation in Hinduism took place within the Theosophical Society, founded in 1875 by Madame Blavatsky. In her book, The Voice of the Silence (1889) Nada had been eulogized as the ''soundless sound,'' the ''voice of the spiritual sound.'' Specific passages on Nada and OM from this work then made their way into William James's The Varieties of Religious Experience (1902) giving them a kind of legitimacy in Western psychological and religious discourse.' (Guy L. Beck. Sonic Theology: Hinduism and Sacred Sound. University of South Carolina Press. 1993)

 

For more on the subject, see 

Theosophical Basics: Sacred Sound and Mantra

 

Part 1

 

Section 1 – (stanzas 1-13). presents a kind of overview of the path of silent liberation, ending in hearing the voice of the nada, the soundless sound and the requirements thereof-  very much the standard practices of Advaita Vedanta – it requires the practice of concentration, controlling the senses through detachment, pacifying the mind, overcoming the delusion caused by identifying with the material world, achieving inner harmony, complete equanimity, intimate identification with the higher self, thus attaining to deep wellsprings of soul memory and use of the inner, spiritual senses.

Section 2 (stanzas 14-21). This section, quite diverse, had some reflections regarding the astral plane, the importance of selflessness: and a mystical imperative regarding the Kalahamsa.

Section 3 (Stanzas 22-40). The three halls, the hall of ignorance (physical plane), the hall of learning (astral plane), and the hall of wisdom (spiritual plane) and their relation to the four avasthas and the seven lokas. We learn that: ‘’The WISE ONES tarry not in pleasure-grounds of senses.  The WISE ONES heed not the sweet-tongued voices of illusion’’.  The hall of learning is full of delusional dangers, so one should seek one’s teacher in the hall of wisdom. The temptations of Mara are great and one needs to guard against the illusion of separateness. Finally, a type of Kundalini Yoga practice is presented, leading to the possibility of astral projection.

Section 4 (Stanzas 41-50)_is concerned with the seven mystic sounds, linked to the Nadabindu Upanishad and also the Hamsa Upanishad and Hatha Yoga texts. The 7-step ladder of mystics sounds of the inner God:

1- Nightingale song; 

2-Cymbal; 

3- Sea Shell; 

4- Vina (lute); 

5- Flute; 

6-Trumpet blast/thunder; 

7- Silence

Based on the other yoga texts and stanza 50, I think it is plausible to assume that the 7 mystical sounds are related to the Chakras and Kundalini and 7 states of consciousness (and the 7 principles)  accompanied by related Siddhis.

Section 5 (stanzas 51-65) deals with the heady business of the Higher Self conquering the lower self, which in Christian mysticism is called the path of purification. Ere thy Soul’s mind can understand, the bud of personality must be crushed out, the worm of sense destroyed past resurrection. (57) There was also a brief but eloquent call to compassion. But let each burning human tear drop on thy heart and there remain, nor ever brush it off, until the pain that caused it is removed.  (61)

Section 6 (stanzas 66-78) deals with gates and ladders, a kind of prelude to a description of the seven stages, which seems similar to the eightfold yoga path.

Section 7 (stanzas 79-92) A kind of sevenfold Raja Yoga system is outlined, similar to the Eightfold yoga system, beginning with the Pratyahara stage, where a process of merging the five inner senses is explained. The next three stages correspond to the to three Sanyama practices. Upon achieving accomplishment in Samadhi, one becomes ‘’the doer and the witness, the radiator and the radiation, Light in the Sound, and the Sound in the Light’’.

Section 8 (stanzas 93-100), the final one, deals with the Four Noble Truths and the Five Hindrances.

 

Introduction to the Voice of the Silence H. P. Blavatsky 3/4

The Voice of the Silence 

Fragment III

The Seven Portals

This fragment portrays a chela passing through seven portals, which correspond to the six perfections (paramitas) of Mahayana Buddhism, with Viraga (equanimity) added. The Paramitas are described as golden keys that open each portal. They are structured according to the Theosophical sevenfold principles. The first four are connected to the last three by the Antahkarana. The Buddhist doctrine of the three bodies (Trikaya), termed the three vestures, is discussed.

Section 1 (Stanzas 196-214) Introduction to the Paramitas

200 – The Pâramitâ heights are crossed by a still steeper path. Thou hast to fight thy way through portals seven, seven strongholds held by cruel crafty Powers — passions incarnate.

Section 2 (Stanzas 215-229) Attuning to Alaya, the World-Soul.

221 – Of teachers there are many; the MASTER-SOUL is one (8), Alaya, the Universal Soul. Live in that MASTER as Its ray in thee. Live in thy fellows as they live in It. 

228- Hast thou attuned thy being to Humanity’s great pain, O candidate for light? 

Section 3 (Stanzas 230- 232) The Seven Gates – Key 1- Dana charity and love immortal

231- Behold, O happy Pilgrim! The portal that faceth thee is high and wide, seems easy of access. The road that leads therethrough is straight and smooth and green. ‘Tis like a sunny glade in the dark forest depths, a spot on earth mirrored from Amitâbha’s paradise. There, nightingales of hope and birds of radiant plumage sing perched in green bowers, chanting success to fearless Pilgrims. They sing of Bodhisattvas’ virtues five, the fivefold source of Bodhi power, and of the seven steps in Knowledge. 

 

The 5 spiritual faculties,(indriya),

(1) faith (saddhā),
(2) energy (viriya),
(3) mindfulness (sati),
(4) concentration (samādhi),
(5) wisdom (paññā).

 

Seven elements for enlightenment (Skt. saptabodhyaṅga; )

1- mindfulness (Skt. smṛti)
2- discernment of phenomena (Skt. sharmapravicaya)
3- diligence (Skt. vīrya)
4- joy (Skt. prīti)
5- pliancy (Skt. praśrabdhi)
6- samadhi (Skt. samādhi)
7- equanimity (Skt. upekṣā)

 

Section 4 (Stanzas 233- 235) The Seven Gates – 2- Sila, Harmony in word and act

235- Fear, O disciple, kills the will and stays all action. If lacking in the Śîla virtue, — the pilgrim trips, and Karmic pebbles bruise his feet along the rocky path. 

Section 5 (Stanzas 236- 241) The Seven Gates – 3- Kshanti, patience sweet, that nought can ruffle

239- The more thou dost advance, the more thy feet pitfalls will meet. The path that leadeth on, is lighted by one fire — the light of daring, burning in the heart. The more one dares, the more he shall obtain. The more he fears, the more that light shall pale — and that alone can guide. For as the lingering sunbeam, that on the top of some tall mountain shines, is followed by black night when out it fades, so is heart-light. When out it goes, a dark and threatening shade will fall from thine own heart upon the path, and root thy feet in terror to the spot.

Section 6 (Stanzas 242- 248) The Seven Gates – 4- Viraga, indifference to pleasure and to pain

242- Ere thou canst near that goal, before thine hand is lifted to upraise the fourth gate’s latch, thou must have mustered all the mental changes in thy Self and slain the army of the thought sensations that, subtle and insidious, creep unasked within the Soul’s bright shrine.

Section 7 (Stanzas 249- 260)  Crossing the moat and hedging in the Holy Isle

250- All is impermanent in man except the pure bright essence of Alaya. Man is its crystal ray; a beam of light immaculate within, a form of clay material upon the lower surface. That beam is thy life-guide and thy true Self, the Watcher and the silent Thinker, the victim of thy lower Self. Thy Soul cannot be hurt but through thy erring body; control and master both, and thou art safe when crossing to the nearing “Gate of Balance.”

Section 8 (Stanzas 260- 272)  Jnana Marga and the Unshakeable Fixity of Mind

258- Thou hast removed pollution from thine heart and bled it from impure desire. But, O thou glorious combatant, thy task is not yet done. Build high, Lanoo, the wall that shall hedge in the Holy Isle,* the dam that will protect thy mind from pride and satisfaction at thoughts of the great feat achieved.

Section 9 (Stanzas 273- 276) The Seven Gates – 5- Virya, dauntless energy 

273- The fearless warrior, his precious life-blood oozing from his wide and gaping wounds, will still attack the foe, drive him from out his stronghold, vanquish him, ere he himself expires. Act then, all ye who fail and suffer, act like him; and from the stronghold of your Soul, chase all your foes away — ambition, anger, hatred, e’en to the shadow of desire — when even you have failed. . .

Section 10 (Stanzas 277- 280) The Seven Gates – 6- Dhyana, door to ceaseless contemplation

279- Thou hast estranged thyself from objects of the senses, travelled on the “Path of seeing,” on the “Path of hearing,” and standest in the light of Knowledge. Thou hast now reached Titikshâ state (22).

(22). Titikshâ is the fifth state of Râja Yoga — one of supreme indifference; submission, if necessary, to what is called “pleasures and pains for all,” but deriving neither pleasure nor pain from such submission — in short, the becoming physically, mentally, and morally indifferent and insensible to either pleasure or pain.

Section 11 (Stanzas 281- 295) Bodhisattvic Powers and Renunciation

293- Self-doomed to live through future Kalpas,* unthanked and unperceived by man; wedged as a stone with countless other stones which form the “Guardian Wall” (28), such is thy future if the seventh gate thou passest. Built by the hands of many Masters of Compassion, raised by their tortures, by their blood cemented, it shields mankind, since man is man, protecting it from further and far greater misery and sorrow.

[*Cycles of ages.]

(28). The “Guardian Wall” or the “Wall of Protection.” It is taught that the accumulated efforts of long generations of Yogis, Saints and Adepts, especially of the Nirmânakâyas — have created, so to say, a wall of protection around mankind, which wall shields mankind invisibly from still worse evils.

Section 12 (Stanzas 296- 305) the Ârya Path, Path of the Buddhas of perfection

299- Not so when he hath crossed and won the Aryahata Path.* 

300- There Kleśa (29) is destroyed for ever, Tanhâ’s (30) roots torn out. But stay, Disciple . . . Yet, one word. Canst thou destroy divine compassion? Compassion is no attribute. It is the LAW of laws — eternal Harmony, Alaya’s SELF; a shoreless universal essence, the light of everlasting Right, and fitness of all things, the law of love eternal. 

(29). Kleśa is the love of pleasure or of worldly enjoyment, evil or good.

(30). Tanhâ, the will to live, that which causes rebirth.

Section 13 (Stanzas 306- 308) The Trikaya

306- “Yea; on the Ârya Path thou art no more Srotâpatti, thou art a Bodhisattva (33). The stream is cross’d. ‘Tis true thou hast a right to Dharmakâya vesture; but Sambhogakâya is greater than a Nirvânî, and greater still is a Nirmânakâya — the Buddha of Compassion (34). 

(34). This same popular reverence calls “Buddhas of Compassion” those Bodhisattvas who, having reached the rank of an Arhat (i.e., having completed the fourth or seventh Path), refuse to pass into the Nirvânic state or “don the Dharmakâya robe and cross to the other shore,” as it would then become beyond their power to assist men even so little as Karma permits. They prefer to remain invisibly (in Spirit, so to speak) in the world, and contribute toward man’s salvation by influencing them to follow the Good Law, i.e., lead them on the Path of Righteousness.

The three Buddhic bodies or forms are styled: —

1. Nirmânakâya.
2. Sambhogakâya.
3. Dharmakâya.

Section 14 (Stanzas 309- 316) The Seven Gates – 7- Wisdom, makes one a Bodhisattva, son of the Dhyânis

309- Thou shalt attain the seventh step and cross the gate of final knowledge but only to wed woe — if thou would’st be Tathâgata, follow upon thy predecessor’s steps, remain unselfish till the endless end.  

Part 4

Introduction to the Voice of the Silence H. P. Blavatsky 1/4

Blavatsky's The Voice of the Silence has established itself a classic of spiritual guidance, providing inspiration to many since it's publication in 1889. It contains many Hinduistic and Buddhistic elements, see Bhagavad Gita - Theosophical Bibliography, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras,  Buddhism of H. P. Blavatsky, Henk J. Spierenbur. For a full commentary, see https://theosophylib.com/mca/exploring-the-voice-of-the-silence/

In 1927 the staff of the 9th Panchen Lama Tub-ten Cho-gyi Nyima helped Theosophists put out the "Peking Edition" of The Voice of the Silence and he wrote a short dedication. (Blavatsky H.P. The Voice of the Silence, ed. Alice Cleather and Basil Crump. Peking: Chinese Buddhist Research Society, 1927. – P. 113).  Zen Buddhism scholar D. T. Suzuki wrote: “The Voice of the Silence is true Mahayanistic doctrine. Undoubtedly, Madame Blavatsky had in some way been initiated into the deeper side of Mahayana teachings and then gave out what she deemed wise to the Western world as theosophy." (“The Eastern Buddhist” vol. V no.4 July 1931). The 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso wrote:"I believe that this book has strongly influenced many sincere seekers and aspirants to the wisdom and compassion of the Bodhisattva Path." (Blavatsky Helena The Voice of the Silence. Centenary edition. Santa Barbara: Concord Grove Press, 1989. // Foreword by the 14th Dalai Lama).

Preface

1- The following pages are derived from “The Book of the Golden Precepts,” one of the works put into the hands of mystic students in the East. The knowledge of them is obligatory in that school, the teachings of which are accepted by many Theosophists. Therefore, as I know many of these Precepts by heart, the work of translating has been relatively an easy task for me.

When she later left the Theosophical Society, Mabel Collins began to maintain that she had written the book entirely of her own inspiration and volition, to which HPB replied in a circulated letter of 1889:

“If she is the sole author of Light on the Path, how comes it that she, ignorant of Sanskrit and having never seen the Golden Precepts, could use so many sentences bodily enshrined in that purely Occult work? . . . “Before the voice can speak in the presence of the Masters it must have lost its power to wound.” . . . “Seek in the heart the source of evil and expunge it.” These are aphorisms as old as the Book of the Golden Precepts, from which they radiated – “on the walls” – and thence into Light on the Path.” (Blavatsky, CollectedWritings (Extracts from “Lucifer,”“Light,”and Elsewhere) vol. XI, pp. 313-30.)

2- It is well known that, in India, the methods of psychic development differ with the Gurus (teachers or masters), not only because of their belonging to different schools of philosophy, of which there are six, but because every Guru has his own system, which he generally keeps very secret. But beyond the Himalayas the method in the Esoteric Schools does not differ, unless the Guru is simply a Lama, but little more learned than those he teaches.

In the former countries these three Universes were allegorized, in exoteric teachings, by the three trinities emanating from the Central eternal germ and forming with it a Supreme Unity: the initial, the manifested, and the Creative Triad, or the three in One. The last is but the symbol, in its concrete expression, of the first ideal two. Hence Esoteric philosophy passes over the necessarianism of this purely metaphysical conception, and calls the first one, only, the Ever Existing. This is the view of every one of the six great schools of Indian philosophy — the six principles of that unit body of Wisdom of which the “gnosis,” the hidden knowledge, is the seventh. (Blavatsky, Helena, The Secret Doctrine, Vol. I, p. 278)

3- The work from which I here translate forms part of the same series as that from which the “Stanzas” of the Book of Dzyan were taken, on which the Secret Doctrine is based. Together with the great mystic work called Paramârtha, which, the legend of Nâgârjuna tells us, was delivered to the great Arhat by the Nâgas or “Serpents” (in truth a name given to the ancient Initiates), the “Book of the Golden Precepts” claims the same origin.

“The allegory that regarded Nâgârjuna’s “Paramârtha” as a gift from the Nâgas (Serpents) shows that he received his teachings from the secret school of adepts, and that the real tenets are therefore kept secret.” — (Blavatsy, Helena. Theosophical Glossary, Mâdhyamikas)

Blavatsky, Collected Writings, 14, 285:

Nāgārjuna [a “mythological” personage “without any real existence,” the learned German scholar thinks] received the book Paramārtha, or according to others, the book Avatamsaka, from the Nāgas, fabulous creatures of the nature of serpents, who occupy a place among the beings superior to man, and are regarded as protectors of the law of the Buddha. To these spiritual beings Śākyamumi is said to have taught a more philosophical religious system than to men, who were not sufficiently advanced to understand it at the time of his appearance.*

* Buddhism in Tibet, p. 31. [London, Trübner, 1863; also London, Susil Gupta,

1968. Paramārtha means the Prajnā-Pāramitā Sūtras.]

4- Yet its maxims and ideas, however noble and original, are often found under different forms in Sanskrit works, such as the Jñâneśvari, that superb mystic treatise in which Krishna describes to Arjuna in glowing colours the condition of a fully illumined Yogi; and again in certain Upanishads. This is but natural, since most, if not all, of the greatest Arhats, the first followers of Gautama Buddha were Hindus and Âryans, not Mongolians, especially those who emigrated into Tibet. The works left by Âryâsanga alone are very numerous.

The Dnyaneshwari, also referred to as Jnaneshwari or Bhavartha Deepika is a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita written by the Marathi saint and poet Dnyaneshwar in 1290 CE. Dnyaneshwar (born 1275) lived a short life of 21 years, and this commentary is notable to have been composed in his teens. The text is the oldest surviving literary work in the Marathi language, one that inspired major Bhakti movement saint-poets such as Eknath and Tukaram of the Varkari (Vithoba) tradition.The Dnyaneshwari interprets the Bhagavad Gita in the Advaita Vedanta tradition of Hinduism.The philosophical depth of the text has been praised for its aesthetic as well as scholarly value. (Dnyandev; Pradhan, Vitthal Ganesh (1987), Lambert, Hester Marjorie (ed.), Dnyaneshwari : Bhāvārthadipikā, State University of New York Press, p. x-xi)

Asaṅga (fl. 4th century C.E.) was “one of the most important spiritual figures” of Mahayana Buddhism and the “founder of the Yogachara school”. Traditionally, he and his half-brother Vasubandhu are regarded as the major classical Indian Sanskrit exponents of Mahayana Abhidharma, Vijñanavada (awareness only) thought and Mahayana teachings on the bodhisattva path. (Asanga, The Bodhisattva Path to Unsurpassed Enlightenment: A Complete Translation of the Bodhisattvabhumi, Shambhala Publications, 2016, Translator’s introduction.)

5- The original Precepts are engraved on thin oblong squares; copies very often on discs. These discs, or plates, are generally preserved on the altars of the temples attached to centres where the so-called “contemplative” or Mahâyâna (Yogâchâra) schools are established. They are written variously, sometimes in Tibetan but mostly in ideographs. The sacerdotal language (Senzar), besides an alphabet of its own, may be rendered in several modes of writing in cypher characters, which partake more of the nature of ideographs than of syllables. Another method (lug, in Tibetan) is to use the numerals and colours, each of which corresponds to a letter of the Tibetan alphabet (thirty simple and seventy-four compound letters) thus forming a complete cryptographic alphabet.

When the ideographs are used there is a definite mode of reading the text; as in this case the symbols and signs used in astrology, namely the twelve zodiacal animals and the seven primary colours, each a triplet in shade, i.e. the light, the primary, and the dark — stand for the thirty-three letters of the simple alphabet, for words and sentences. For in this method, the twelve “animals” five times repeated and coupled with the five elements and the seven colours, furnish a whole alphabet composed of sixty sacred letters and twelve signs.

6- The Book of the Golden Precepts — some of which are pre-Buddhistic while others belong to a later date — contains about ninety distinct little treatises. Of these I learnt thirty-nine by heart, years ago. To translate the rest, I should have to resort to notes scattered among a too large number of papers and memoranda collected for the last twenty years and never put in order, to make of it by any means an easy task. Nor could they be all translated and given to a world too selfish and too much attached to objects of sense to be in any way prepared to receive such exalted ethics in the right spirit. For, unless a man perseveres seriously in the pursuit of self-knowledge, he will never lend a willing ear to advice of this nature.

Memorization is a significant part of a monk’s daily schedule, and mainly serves three purposes: memorizing philosophical texts for debate, memorizing prayers and rituals, and memorizing practical, advice-oriented texts. Each monk is free to choose how much he emphasizes any of these three. (Ven. Tenzin Gache (Brian Roiter) Memorization: Beneficial Exercise for the Mind)

7- And yet such ethics fill volumes upon volumes in Eastern literature, especially in the Upanishads. “Kill out all desire of life,” says Krishna to Arjuna. That desire lingers only in the body, the vehicle of the embodied Self, not in the SELF which is “eternal, indestructible, which kills not nor is it killed” (Katha Upanishad). “Kill out sensation,” teaches Sutta Nipâta; “look alike on pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat.” Again, “Seek shelter in the eternal alone” (ibid). “Destroy the sense of separateness,” repeats Krishna under every form. “The Mind (Manas) which follows the rambling senses, makes the Soul (Buddhi) as helpless as the boat which the wind leads astray upon the waters” (Bhagavadgîtâ II. 70).

Below are some passages that are similar to the passages Blavatsky quotes :

So knowing the supreme,
And sustaining the self with Self,
Slay the foe whose form is desire,
So hard to conquer, Arjuna. (B.G., 3.43)

The seer (Atman, Self) is not born, nor does he die,
He does not originate from anybody, nor does he become anybody,
Eternal, ancient one, he remains eternal,
he is not killed, even though the body is killed.

If the killer thinks that he kills,
if the killed thinks that he is killed,
they do not understand;
for this one does not kill, nor is that one killed.

The Self (Atman), smaller than small, greater than great,
is hidden in the heart of each creature,
Free from avarice, free from grief, peaceful and content,
he sees the supreme glory of Atman.

(Katha Upanishad, 1.2.18-1.2.20)

Detached from thoughts of sense-desire, all fetters overpassed, delight-in-being quite destroyed—who in the deep sinks not. (SN 1.9 177)

Though one is touched by Worldly Dharmas (honour and dishonour, blame and praise, happiness, dissatisfaction) yet one’s mind does never waver, griefless, spotless and secure: this is a supreme good omen. (SN 2.4, 271)

Victory brings hate, because the defeated man is unhappy. He who surrenders victory and defeat, this man finds joy. (Dhammapada 15, 201)

8- Therefore it has been thought better to make a judicious selection only from those treatises which will best suit the few real mystics in the Theosophical Society, and which are sure to answer their needs. It is only these who will appreciate these words of Krishna-Christos, the “Higher Self”: —

“Sages do not grieve for the living nor the dead. Never did I not exist, nor you, nor these rulers of men; nor will any one of us ever hereafter cease to be.” (Bhagavadgîtâ II. 27).

9-In this translation, I have done my best to preserve the poetical beauty of language and imagery which characterise the original. How far this effort has been successful, is for the reader to judge. — “H.P.B.”

The language does make liberal use of traditional metaphors from eastern poetics, and has many similarities in style to the Stanzas of Dzyan from the Secret Doctrine (see for example, Stanza 7 in book I). It’s safe to say that some of the classic Theosophical suggested texts have similar ideas to the Voice of the Silence: Baghavad Gita, Yoga Sutras, Light on the Path, Dhammapada, and I think that they can be considered complementary for the study of this text. For a Mahayana text close in spirit, Santideva’s Bodhisattvacharyavarta can be mentioned. Of course Blavatsky contributed to an extensive study of eastern spiritual texts through The Theosophist and elsewhere, in parallel with Max Muller and others. For example, in her Gems from the East, she cites the following :

Cūla Kamma Vibhaṅga Sutta (The Discourse on the Lesser Analysis of Karma) (MN 135)

Dhammapada (KN 2)

Mahāmangala Sutta (KN 1,5)

Sutta Nipata (KN 5)

Vasala Sutta (The Discourse on Outcastes) (Sn 1.7)

Vāsettha Sutta (MN 98)

Udānavarga: A Collection of Verses from the Buddhist Canon

Sutra Of The 42 Chapters (or Sutra Of The 42 Sections)

Saddharma-Pundarîka (The Lotus of the True Law)

Rigveda

Upanishads: Kaṭha (marked by index K), Maitrâyana Brâhmana (MB), Brihadâranyaka (B), Mundaka (M), Svetâsvatara (S), Khândogya (Kh).

The Vishnu Purana

The Ordinances of Manu (Laws of Manu)

Mahabharata ( Book 5, section Sanatsugâtîya; Book 12, section Mokshadharma; Book 14, section Anugîtâ)

The Javidan Khirad

A Practical Grammar of the Turkish Language, by Dr. Charles Wells, London (1880)

 

Part 2

Introductiont to The Voice of the Silence - H. P. Blavatsky 2/4

The Voice of the Silence is divided in three sections, called 'fragments', and since the first section is the most complex, with notions of Nada Yoga, it has been thought preferable to present the second section to begin with,  and the second fragment begins with a chela, having went through the experiences in the first fragment, delivering more introductory teachings. This section, entitled The Two Paths, can broadly be considered similar to the Pratyeka and Bodhisattva paths as explained in Mahayana Buddhism. Further elaborated, one can also draw parallels with the three vehicles of Mahayana Buddhism, Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana, which could be said to roughly be related to sections 2, 3 and 1 respectively. Indeed, the three sections could be said to have correspondences with the three stages of Christian Mysticism, Purgative, Illuminative, Unitive, or the three stages in Sufism, Takhliya, Tahliya, Tajliya or Purification, Beautification, Magnification, (although the Four Doors are more common).

Section 1 (Stanzas 101-108) presents the notions of the Doctrine of the Eye and the Doctrine of the Heart, the exoteric and esoteric paths. It also presents the notion of Alaya, the World Soul, (see https://blavatskytheosophy.com/alaya-the-universal-soul/ ) a fundamental theosophical concept.

Section 2 (109-122) continues to explain the exoteric and esoteric concepts, while contrasting ignorance and wisdom, as well as humility and pride.

Section 3 (123-136) deals with the problems of selfishness, inaction, quietism, and isolationism on the spiritual path. It gives the following advice: Love all beings. Do not neglect your parents. Non-action does not mean inaction. The lamp burns bright when wick and old are clean. One can face physical agitation and still have a tranquil mind. Solitary forest asceticism is not the way to final liberation. Physical punishment and conquering physical vices are not the final steps. After reaching enlightenment, one has a duty to reach out to others. Kind actions give merit while failing to do acts of charity is a fault. Self-Knowledge comes through good deeds and actions.

Section 4 (137-146) teaches to have patience, as one who fears no failure, courts no success; fix your Soul's gaze upon the star whose ray you are. Have perseverance as one who for evermore endures; sow with the seeds of merit the fields of future harvests; accept the woes of birth; step out from sunlight into shade, to make more room for others.

Through the pain of karmic retribution, we can weave the three vestures (Buddhist Trikaya): Nirmânakâya, Sambhogakâya, and Dharmakâya. The way of the Bodhisattvas of the "Secret Heart is explained:To live to benefit mankind is the first step; to practise the six virtues (Paramitas) is the second. To don the Nirmânakâya robe is to forego eternal bliss for Self, to help on man's salvation. To reach Nirvâna's bliss, but to renounce it, is the supreme, the final step — the highest on Renunciation's Path.

Section 5  (147- 163) teaches that if one does not feel ready for the esoteric path, then one can pursue the exoteric path, accumulate merit and wait for the chance to pursue the secret path in future lives. One is also advised to accept the law of Karma and be patient with your fate. One is advised to be kind and helpful to one’s colleagues because we are linked to them through many incarnations.

‘’'Tis from the bud of Renunciation of the Self, that springeth the sweet fruit of final Liberation’’. It is said to be a mistake to avoid helping others out of fear of succumbing to temptations, while living in seclusion. One has to actively pursues one’s duties in life, following the wheel of life, enduring pleasure and pain, purifying your karma and gaining merit and spiritual development for future incarnations.

If one cannot pursue the path with tireless heroic energy, one can pursue a humbler course by doing one’s best to live and promote the spiritual path. ‘’Be, O Lanoo, like them. Give light and comfort to the toiling pilgrim, and seek out him who knows still less than thou; who in his wretched desolation sits starving for the bread of Wisdom and the bread which feeds the shadow, without a Teacher, hope or consolation, and — let him hear the Law.’’

The Srotâpatti stage is the first stage on the path and one enters it with humility. Through devotion, one may gain Siddhis that one had in previous births. One needs to be humble to acquire wisdom, and even humbler when one acquires whatever level of wisdom one can attain, and this comes with a great deal of equanimity.

Section 6 (164-178) deals with the combat between the lower self and the higher Self, the quest for Nirvana and more on the Nirmanakaya vesture. Restrain the lower Self by the Divine self. Restrain the Divine by the Eternal. Great is the slayer of desire. Greater is one who has slain the very knowledge of desire. Guard the Lower self lest it soil the Higher self. The way to final freedom is within yourself. That way begins and ends outside of the lower self.

He who has Wisdom is honoured by all men. Arhans and Sages of the boundless Vision are exceedingly rare. No Arhan, becomes one in that birth when one begins to long for final liberation. Not one recruit can ever be refused the right to enter on the Path that leads toward the field of Battle. ‘’For, either he shall win, or he shall fall.  Yea, if he conquers, Nirvâna shall be his’’; and in him will men honour a Buddha.

‘’And if he falls, e'en then he does not fall in vain; the enemies he slew in the last battle will not return to life in the next birth that will be his.’’ If one would reach Nirvâna, or the Nirmanakaya state, let not the fruit of action and inaction be your motive. A Bodhisattva who chooses the Nirmanakaya vesture is called, "thrice Honoured."

Section 7 (179-195) is a general summary of the Pratyeka path and the Bodhisattva path. The Pratyeka path is the path of liberation where one enters the Dharmakaya state and Nirvana. The concern is mainly with personal salvation only.

The Bodhisattva path is the path of renunciation, the path of woe, the secret path where or of pity and boundless compassion for suffering humanity, one delays entering the Nirvana state to continue working for the salvation of the world. One enters Nirvana after countless kalpas, (at the Maha-Pralaya at the end of the seventh round). "Sweet are the fruits of Rest and Liberation for the sake of Self; but sweeter still the fruits of long and bitter duty. Aye, Renunciation for the sake of others, of suffering fellow men." 

 

Renouncing Nirvana in Buddhist texts:

he vows not to enter nirvana until all beings do so Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra XXII

From “Mirror of Zen” (禪家龜鑑, literally: “Turtle Mirror of the Zen Family”) by Sosan Taesa (西山大師),

Mahamati, when the bodhisattvas face and perceive the happiness of the Samadhi of perfect tranquilization, they are moved with the feeling of love and sympathy owing to their original vows [made for the salvation of all beings, saying, "So long as they do not attain Nirvana, I will not attain it myself"] and they become aware of the part they are to perform as regards the inexhaustible vows. Thus, they do not enter Nirvana. Lankavatara Sutra 80 

in my heavenly realm. I hereby vow never to enter fully into Nirvana until this vow is accomplished.” ... Mantra of Eleven Headed Avalokitesvara, Nilakantha Dharani Sutra

Part 1

Part 3