1

Vol. 14 No. 2 Boulder, Colorado February, 1999Crop Circles

[A report on the mysterious crop circles of England in1997 by Ron Russell, a professional artist from Denver,Colorado USA, as well as a researcher on the crop circlephenomenon. Ron organizes small research tours to viewand study the crop circles in England each summer.]

While crop formations do appear all over the Earth, itseems that aesthetically, the strongest collection is in theold Wessex area of Southwest England.

This charming rural area is host to the most amazingmanifestations of Crop Circles on the planet.

1997 was another wonder--filled summer in thebucolic countryside of Southern England.

Ron says he feels he has been privileged to havewitnessed and researched this phenomenon since 1992,when he stepped into his first crop circle at Milk Hill. Lastyear, at the very place it started for him, the season finishedwith an amazing glyph comprised of 208 circles and a largeKoch Snowflake Fractal pattern (see page 2).

“I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right

Contents

Crop Circles ............................. 1

Secret Doctrine Q & A ............ 5

Isis Unveiled - Extraordinary

story of its writing ................ 8

Abhinyano writes ..................... 13

Congratulations, John

Greschner ............................. 16

The Knower .............................. 18

2

3

time and entered the formation at 9:30 inthe morning of its creation. I met a youngman who was wild-eyed and eager to talk.He told me he had spent the night on thehill (Milk Hill is part of an old pre-Celticneolithic settlement from 8000 yearsago).

He was awakened in the dark of thenight by a roaring sound that was unlikeanything he recognized. He arose after itstopped and could see what he believed wasa formation in the field below.

Curious, he walked down the hill inthe pre-dawn night, crossed the barbed wirefence and approached the formation. Hestopped dead in his tracks, he said, when hewas approached by footsteps. Thesefootsteps passed by him very close but therewas no physical body! He becamefrightened and returned to his sleeping bagto await the security of the sun.

This is somewhat typical of the storiesall of us researchers hear on an almost dailybasis. Some people see lights. Some peoplesee ships. But no one sees hoaxers!

Yet the mainstream press and mediaonly report the human fabrication angle.Why? Is contact with other intelligence sodifficult for our culture to deal with that weroutinely lie and misinform each other? Dowe humans not want to grow up?

This study I have been making into thecrop circles inevitably leads to questions

like this. It’s part of the fascination oflooking at the edge of a paradigm.

On July 11, my research team from theMidwest USA entered the Upham Goddessformation in Hamshire. My assistant, StacyTussell lay down in one of the small circlesand saw a swirling shape in her mind’s eye,which she immediately recorded on paper,(see sketch, page 2). This is similar to whatothers including myself have seen when weclose our eyes and still our minds while in agood circle. And this was a great circle!(lower right, p. 2). Abundant withgap-seeking effects (where the laid cropweaves into the standing crop), andbeautiful swirls, this was my favoriteformation of the year.

During her meditation she perceived orwas given the shapes which she drew in hernotebook as 1B and ABC. She asked mewhat it meant and I had to tell her I did notknow. I had never seen a shape like this.

In one week the formation of twoopposing crescents appeared at OliversCastle in Wiltshire (middle right p. 2). Thisshape is so similar to Stacey’s drawing thatI can only think that she had a precognitiveremote viewing of the glyph.

When she saw the aerial photographs Itook, she was thrilled beyond description asshe knew that she had a communication.These are some of the joys of this research!We wouldn’t do it if we didn’t have fun likethis.

4

Soon to appear was the West Ant inHamshire (page 2, center). Again we werefortunate by being in the right place at theright time and we were able to enter italmost before anyone else and before thesubtle details of the lay pattern had been,trashed by careless people.

[We always ask the farmers permissionto enter his land and sometimes have to payhim a gift of money. This is the only way to gointo the circles. Without permission, it istrespass and trouble will come.]

Here was another formation withmasterful craftsmanship. But the image ofan ant still haunts me somewhat. Why werewe given a cartoon-like ant? What on earthdoes this mean? And for that matter, whatdo any of them mean?

In early July a very large twelve ringedspirograph-like formation appeared in thefamous Alton Barnes area (upper left, p. 2).This was over 300 feet in diameter anddirectly below a very large Neolithicsettlement from @6000 BC onWoodborough Hill.

This hill and the surrounding area is afavorite place to watch for phenomena in theevening and night sky. Most patient visitorsto this area have all seen the “fairy spirits” orelements there. Many of us have seen ships.

One of the hills in the area is officiallynamed on maps; “Golden Ball Hill” for the

golden balls of light that may appear atnight (and we assume are fairy spirits).Maybe this is an enchanted place!

And every year an amazing crop circleappears in the area. Last year saw the DNAformation in the adjoining field. TheCSETI team arrived in late July and it waspleasure and privilege to work once againwith Dr. Steven Greer. Upon his appear-ance a very large formation in the shape of aKoch Snowflake Fractal came down atSilbury Hill (lower left, p. 2).

We did our contact protocol field-work and skywatch late at night in thisformation as well as Alton Barnes. Whatcould be more ideal? The enchantedenergies in the circles helps our contact.And every night bore the fruit of varioussightings. No one who takes the CSETItraining ever comes away thinking we arealone in the universe!

There were so many more greatformations last year: Bishop’s Cannings,Warwinster, Sommerset, Oxfordshire,Shropshire, Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Devon,Cornwall, and reports came in fromGermany, Holland, Romania, CzechRepublic, and the USA, as well asAustralia and India. I suspect that theyappear all over but mostly go unrecog-nized or ignored.

To me, this is such an obvious contactand it’s relentless; it goes on and on, yearafter year, hundreds and hundreds in fields

5

all over the planet. Is it not likely someone istelling us something? Is it possible we arenot so good at listening?

We do seem to be good at ignoring thespiritual; looking at the great decline in ourintuitive abilities since our early days in lesstechnological civilizations. Can we not haveboth technology and spiritual understanding?

I’m sure we can because I have cometo understand that the crop circles functionas Spiritual Machines. There is a technol-ogy of the spirit but we seem to ignore it.Yet these gifts are treasures worth morethan any material things.

We have all but forgotten our contactwith divinity. Culturally, I think we havesome processing and integrating to do of thisstrange amnesia. And the crop circles, ifnothing else, seem to be helping to do just that.

Ron Russell gives slide presentationsand talks where invited. There is a book inthe works!

Call: 303-400-1322 or,EMail: ronr@estreet.comWebSite: www.cropcircles.orgWrite: PO Box 460760, Aurora, CO

80046 USA

Reprinted with permission fromPlanetary Connections,305 West Magnolia St. Ste. 348,Fort Collings, Co. 80524.

SECRET DOCTRINE QUESTIONAND ANSWER SECTION

Readers of the Canadian Theosophistare invited to participate in this

feature by sending their questionsc/o The Editors to be forwarded

to Mr. Barborka

Question. While The Secret Doctrinespeaks of three lines of evolution: thespiritual, the intellectual and the physical:it would seem that the intellectual is greatlystressed and that evolution is regardedprimarily as a higher mental business?

Answer. It is true that in The SecretDoctrine we find that the intellectual aspectof evolution is stressed, especially in thevolume entitled Anthropogenesis. This isprimarily because the crucial point of thephysical aspect of the Grand EvolutionaryCycle has been passed. This may be bestexplained by referring to the fact that themid-point of the Grand Evolutionary Cycle-or as it may also be phrased, the Circle ofNecessity comprising the Seven RoundCycle-has been passed.

In other words, the middle point of thatCycle occurred when the lowest point inthe Arc of Descent occurred, namely at thethree and one half point in the Seven RoundCycle. The mid-point of the Cycle occurredduring the middle period of the FourthRoot-Race of this Fourth Round of theGrand Evolutionary Cycle. As we are now

6

pursuing the evolutionary cycle of the FifthRoot-Race, the intellectual phase of theEvolutionary Cycle is of great importance,and may rightly be considered “as a highermental business” (to use the words of thequestioner). Thus, as the Are of Ascentprogresses, the intellectual aspect ofevolution takes on more and moreprominence over the physical aspect,although more evolutionary developmentswill yet occur for the physical aspect in duecourse of time.

It should be borne in mind that thesethree aspects of the evolutionary cycle arealways operating and are concurrent, eventhough at present the physical aspect ofthe Grand Evolutionary Cycle may not beapparent. Here is the postulate that ispresented in The Secret Doctrine:

“It now becomes plain that thereexists in Nature a triple evolutionaryscheme, for the formation of the threeperiodical Upadhis; or rather threeseparate schemes of evolution, which inour system are inextricably interwovenand interblended at every point. These arethe Monadic (or spiritual), the intellec-tual, and the physical evolutions. Thesethree are the finite aspects or thereflections on the field of Cosmic Illusionof ATMA, the seventh, the ONEREALITY.” (S.D. I, 181 or. ed.; I, 233, 6vol. ed.; I, 203, 3rd ed.)

Question. Is not the Kama principle justas dual as is the Manas principle? Andshould not both be recognized as equally

important evolutionally-as instruments ofthe soul, so to speak?

Answer. Yes, indeed. The principle ofKama is often regarded in a dual aspect:there is the “higher aspect” of the Kamaprinciple, which gives rise to the feelingsof spiritual love, compassion and theyearning to perform noble deeds.

Then there is the lower aspect whichlooms so large in human life. Consequentlyabstention from the desire element isprescribed for disciples in order that thespiritual side of human nature may bestressed. Hence the injunction: “Kill outdesire; but if thou killest it, take heed lestfrom the dead it should again arise.” (TheVoice of the Silence).

But in regard to the higher aspect ofKama we read:

“Kama is the first conscious,all embracing desire for universalgood, love, and for all that lives andfeels, needs help and kindliness,the first feeling of infinite tendercompassion and mercy that arosein the consciousness of the creativeONE FORCE, as soon as it cameinto life and being as a ray from theABSOLUTE.” (Theosophical Glos-sary, 170-1)

In addition to the above there is this point

7

to be considered: the Kama principle is notonly dual, but septenary. It is phrased in thismanner: “Every element having its sevenprinciples and every principle its sevensub-principles . . .” (The Mahatma Lettersto A. P. Sinnett, p. 92)

This signifies that there is an atmic aspectof Kama, a buddhic aspect of Kama, amanasic aspect of Kama, a kamic aspectof Kama (when the desire aspect is trulypredominant), a pranic aspect, a linga-sariraaspect and a sthula-sarira aspect of Kama.All of the sevenfold aspects of Kama willbe brought forth in evolutionarydevelopment during the Fourth Roundphase of development on the Earth chain.

Question. In The Divine Plan, on page289, it is written: “from the standpoint ofRace evolution, the lowest point wasreached during the mid-period of the ThirdRace . . . since 3 1/2 is the half-way markof the 7 Races.”

Now does this point of 3 1/2 not concernrather the mid-point of the Fourth Race, theThird having been then accomplished?

Answer. It seems as though the questionerhas not fully understood the particular pointthat was under consideration in the passagequoted in The Divine Plan. The point thatwas being considered had reference to whatis termed the Meridian of the Races, whichdeals with the midpoint of the Racial

Evolutionary Cycle and not to the mid-pointof the Arc of Descent. The two Cycles arenot equivalent nor are they synonymous.Furthermore, the two cycles do notcoincide.

In explanation: the mid-point of theRacial Evolutionary Cycle occurred beforethe mid-point of the Arc of Descent, whichlatter represents the lowest point of thedescent into matter. It is the latter cycle thatoccurred in the midpoint of the FourthRoot-Race, and this is the mid-point of theRound Cycle, of the Manvantaric Cycle ofSeven Rounds.

For clarification of the RacialEvolutionary Cycle one should turn to TheSecret Doctrine, (Vol. II, p. 300; III, 301, 6vol. ed.; II, 314, 3rd ed.), where a diagramis presented entitled “Meridian of Races,”which clearly indicates that the lowest pointof the Racial Evolutionary Cycle took placeduring the mid-period of the Third RootRace.

The diagram also shows that the midperiod of the Fourth Root-Race occurs onthe Ascending Arc and that this is parallelto the mid-period of the Second RootRace(which is illustrated as occurring on itsDescending Arc).

Furthermore, the midperiod of the FifthRoot-Race parallels the mid-point of theFirst Root-Race (on its Descending Arc).The reason for this apparently

8

ISIS UNVEILEDTHE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF ITS

WRITINGby Geoffery Farthing

About a year after the founding of theTheosophical Society in New York, H.P.B.begin writing her first major work. It is verydifficult to describe to anyone who has not readthis book what a vast amount and diversity ofknowledge is contained in it. It goes way beyondwhat even the most erudite scholar couldpossibly have known about in its entirety. It isimportant to note this because it raises thequestion of its authorship. Could it possiblyhave been H.P.B’s own work? She had had noformal education to any significant extent andshe was not fluent in English, especially thewritten word.

The answer is in statements made inOlcott’s Old Diary Leaves and in some ofH.P.B’s letters and articles: a number of Mastershad a hand in the writing of it and in the mostextraordinary way. Her manuscript demon-strated a number of variations in style and in herhandwriting. Olcott has this to say:

The ‘copy’ turned off by H.P.B.presented the most markeddissemblances at different times. Whilethe handwriting bore one peculiarcharacter throughout, so that onefamiliar with her writing would alwaysbe able to detect any given page asH.P.B’s, yet when examined carefullyone discovered at least three or fourvariations of the one style, and each ofthese persistent for pages together,when it would give place to some otherof the calligraphic variants.... One ofthese H.P.B. handwritings was verysmall but plain; one bold and free;

unproportional rise on the Ascending Arc,in comparison to the Descending Arc, isbecause the Seventh Root-Race will be ona superior state of evolution, or higher levelof development than was the FirstRoot-Race.

Question. In The Secret Doctrine it iswritten: “this Third Race Titan of theSecondary Age, a being fit to fight assuccessfully with the then giganticmonsters of the air, sea, and land, as hisforefathers-the ethereal prototype of theAtlantean-had little need to fear that whichcould not hurt him.” (II, 9; III, 22, 6 vol.ed.; II, 8, 3rd ed.)

Why is there an allusion to the etherealprototype of the Atlantean-which is theFourth Root-Race-with regard to ThirdRace humanity?

Answer. For this reason: a prototypesignifies an original type or model form.Thus “the Third Race Titan” served as amodel for the later Atlantean form.However, emphasis should be placed on theword “ethereal,” which precedes prototype,for this clarifies the point. It means thatwhile the Third Race Titan served as a typeform or model for the later Fourth Race(which was not so titanic as the Third), theThird Race in its earliest stage was“ethereal” and could not be hurt, whereasthe Atlantean Race was not etheral.

The Canadian Theosophist Vol. 47, No.5, November, 1966.

9

another plain, of medium size and verylegible; and one scratchy and hard toread, with its queer foreign-shaped a’sand x’s and e’s. There was also thegreatest possible difference in theEnglish of these various styles. Some-times I would have to make severalcorrections in each line, while at othersI could pass many pages with scarcely afault of idiom or spelling to correct.Most perfect of all were the manu-scripts which were written for her whileshe was sleeping. The beginning of thechapter on the civilisation of ancientEgypt is an illustration. We had stoppedat about 2 am as usual, both too tired towait for our usual smoke and chatbefore parting. The next morning whenI came to breakfast she showed me apile of at least thirty or forty pages ofbeautifully written H.P.B. manuscript,which, she said, she had had written forher by - well, a Master whose name hasnever been degraded like some others.It was perfect in every respect, and wentto the printers without revision.

Olcott describes how to do his ‘stint’ ofwriting a Master would actually take possessionof H.P.B’s body. She would be conscious ofhaving been ‘evicted’ but remain quiteconscious thereafter and be completely aware ofwhat was going on. The following references tothe Masters who took over H.P.B’s body isinteresting:

Then there was another Some-body who disliked English so much thathe never willingly talked with me inanything but French; he had a fineartistic talent and a passionate fondnessfor mechanical invention. Anotherwould now and then sit there, scrawling

something with a pencil and reeling offfor me dozens of poetical stanzas whichembodied, now sublime, now humor-ous, ideas. So each of the severalSomebodies had his peculiarities, asrecognizable as those of any of ourordinary acquaintances or friends. Onewas jovial, fond of good stories, andwitty to a degree; another, all dignity,reserve and erudition. One would becalm, patient and benevolently helpful;another testy and sometimes exasperat-ing. One Somebody would always bewilling to emphasize his philosophicalor scientific explanation of the subjectsI was to write upon, by doingphenomena for my edification; while toanother Somebody I dared not evenmention them.

Now when either of theseSomebodies was ‘on guard’, as I used toterm it, the H.P.B. manuscript wouldpresent the identical peculiarities that ithad on the last occasion when he hadtaken his turn at the literary work. Hewould by preference write about theclass of subjects that were to his taste;and instead of H.P.B. playing the part ofamanuensis, she would then havebecome for the time being that otherperson. If you had given me in thosedays any Page of Isis manuscript, Icould almost certainly have told you bywhich Somebody It had been written.

It will be noticed from thedescription of the Somebodies takingover H.P.B’s body that six or seven canbe identified by their characteristicsand when it is considered that latterlyall these ‘correspondents’ came to beknown as Masters of the Wisdom, the

10

vast learning in that book is easilyexplained. As has often been notedbefore, some 1,300 other works fromremotest antiquity through mediaevaltimes to the modern, are quoted from. Itwould be fairly safe to say that there isno other work in the English languageto compare with it. It is however, as themanner of its writing would suggest, aseries of a large number of articles withno connective progressive narrative, forwhich reason it has received adverseliterary criticism. It is obviouslyintended to be informative and not astory with a beginning and an end.

She had another collaborator; although nota Master of the Wisdom, he was in fact one whohad died and become earthbound. Here isOlcott’s description:

We worked in collaboration withat least one disincarnate entity - the puresoul of one of the wisest philosophersof modern times.... He was a greatPlatonist; and I was told that, soabsorbed was he in his lifestudy that hehad become earth-bound, i.e., he couldnot snap the ties which held him toearth, but sat in an astral library of hisown mental creation, plunged in hisphilosophical reflections.... There hewas, willing and eager to work withH.P.B. on this epoch-making book,toward the philosophical portions ofwhich he contributed much. He did notmaterialize and sit with us, nor obsessH.P.B. medium-fashion; he wouldsimply talk with her psychically by thehour together, dictating copy, tellingher what references to hunt up,answering my questions about details,instructing me as to principles, and

playing the part of a third person in ourliterary symposium....

An incident which exemplifies andsupplements our view of the very unusualsetting in which Theosophy came to bepresented to the world, but which is not relevantto the writing of Isis is the following:

One evening in New York, afterbidding H.P.B. good-night, I sat in mybedroom finishing a cigar and thinking.Suddenly there stood my Chohanbeside me. The door had made no noisein opening, if it had opened, but at anyrate there he was. He sat down andconversed with me in subdued tones forsome time, and as he seemed in anexcellent humour towards me, I askedhim a favour. I said I wanted sometangible proof that he had actually beenthere, and that I had not been seeing amere illusion or maya conjured up byH.P.B. He laughed, unwound theembroidered Indian cotton fehta* hewore on his head, flung it to me, and -was gone. That cloth I still possess, andit bears in one corner the initial ... M ofmy Chohan in thread-work.

Not all of Isis was the direct work of these‘visiting’ Masters. Olcott records that H.P.B.herself was a very competent author, as follows:

I have spoken of the part of Isisthat was done by H.P.B. In propriapersona which was inferior to that donefor her by the Somebodies. This isperfectly comprehensible, for howcould H.P.B., who had no previous

* That fehta is still to be seen at theT.S. Headquarters at Adyar.

11

knowledge of this sort, write correctlyabout the multifarious subjects treatedin her book? In her (seemingly) normalstate, she would read a book, mark theportions that struck her, write aboutthem, make mistakes, correct them,discuss them with me, set me to writing,help my intuitions, get friends to supplymaterials, and go on thus as best shemight, so long as there were none of theteachers within call of her psychicappeals. And they were not with usalways, by any means.

She did a vast deal of splendidwriting, for she was endowed with amarvellous natural literary capacity; shewas never dull or uninteresting; and shewas equally brilliant in three languages,when the full power was upon her. Shewrites to her Aunt that when her Masterwas busy elsewhere, he left his substitutewith her, and then it was her ‘LuminousSelf’, her Augoeides, which thought andwrote for her. About this I cannotventure an opinion, for I never observedher in this state:...

Speaking for herself, concerning anotherform of assistance that H.P.B. got when she waswriting Isis as follows:

When I wrote Isis, I wrote it soeasily that it was actually no labour, buta real pleasure. Why should I be praisedfor it? Whenever I am told to write, I sitdown and obey, and then I can writeeasily upon almost anything - meta-physics, psychology, philosophy, an-cient religions, zoology, natural sci-ences, or what not.

I never put myself the question:

‘Can I write on this subject? or ‘Am Iequal to the task? but I simply sit downand write- Why? Because somebodywho knows all dictates to me. ... MyMaster and occasionally others whom Iknew in my travels years ago....

Please do not imagine that I havelost my senses. I have hinted to youbefore now about Them ... and I tell youcandidly, that whenever I write upon asubject I know little or nothing of, Iaddress myself to Them, and one ofThem inspires me, i.e., He allows me tosimply copy what I write frommanuscripts, and even printed matterthat passes before my eyes in the air,during which process I have never beenunconscious one single instant....

It is that knowledge of Hisprotection and faith in His power, thathave enabled me to become mentallyand spiritually so strong ... and even He(the Master) is not always required; for,during His absence on some otheroccupation, He awakens in me Hissubstitute in knowledge....

At such times it is no more I whowrite, but my inner Ego, my ‘luminousself who thinks and writes for me. Inanother letter ... whether you believeme or not, something miraculous ishappening to me. You cannot imaginein what a charmed world of pictures andvisions I live. I am writing Isis, notwriting, rather copying out and drawingwhat she personally shows to me.

Upon my word, sometimes it seemsto me that the ancient Goddess of Beautyin person leads me through all the

12

countries of past centuries which I have todescribe. I sit with my eyes open, and toall appearances see and hear everythingreal and actual around me, and yet at thesame time I see and hear that which Iwrite. I feel short of breath; I am afraid tomake the slightest movement, for fear thespell might be broken.

Slowly, century after century,image after image, float out of thedistance and pass before me, as if inmagic panorama; and meanwhile I putthem together in my mind, fitting inepochs and dates. and know for sure thatthere can be no mistake. Races andnations, countries and cities, which havefor long disappeared in the darkness ofthe prehistoric past, emerge and thenvanish, giving place to others, and then Iam told the consecutive dates.

Hoary antiquity makes way forhistorical periods; myths are explainedto me with events and people who havereally existed; and every event which isat all remarkable, every newly turnedpage of this many coloured book of life,impresses itself on my brain withphotographic exactitude.

My own reckonings and calcula-tions appear to me later on as separatecoloured pieces of different shapes inthe game which is called casse-tete(jigsaw puzzles). I gather them togetherand try to match them one after theother, assuredly it is not I who do it all,but my ego, the highest principle whichlives in me. And even this with the helpof my Guru and Teacher who helps mein everything.

If I happen to forget something, Ihave just to address him, or another ofthe same kind in my thought, and what Ihave forgotten rises once more beforemy eyes - sometimes whole tables ofnumbers passing before me, longinventories of events. They remembereverything. They know everything.Without Them, from whence could Igather my knowledge?

The above are a few examples of themarvellous story that unfolds as we attempt todiscover the beginnings of the TheosophicalSociety and the knowledge of the inner workingsof Nature, Theosophy as it came to be called,which the Masters intended the Society topromulgate. The story has never been written upfully in this way, but it can be pieced together fromthe various historical accounts, articles andnotebooks in which it is preserved. Taken togetherthese all form a vast mass of material whichunfortunately has come to be largely neglected,both within and outside of the Society.

Against a background of these historicalviews and recorded stories the whole theosophi-cal movement with its magnificent teachingtakes on an aspect and a flavour very differentfrom that which it now possesses.

Let us hope it is not too late to resuscitateit and by this means to rejuvenate theMovement, setting it going again along the linesso clearly indicated in its beginnings.

To be continued -:Next

THE SECRET DOCTRINE

THE GREAT SACRIFICE

13

Abhinyano Writes

Re: Brother Farthing’s letter in HCTDecember issue. G.A. Farthing has manyfriends among learned Theosophists and thiswriter is among his admirers and confederates!

He affirms that our Masters Morya andKuthumi + the Maha Chohan behind themare responsible for the writing of the OriginalTheosophy = the Arhat philosophy anddiscipline!

He also believes that only this Arhatphilosophy offers the recondite doctrines of‘Esoteric Budhism’ the secret teachings ofGautama Buddha and not any exotericreligious system of the East entering now theWest.

It is recommended that any seriousTheosophist study the Paper: “The Theo-sophical Society: Its Mission and Its Future’in which HPB answers the famous OrientalistEmile Burnouf:

“There is an esoteric doctrine asoul-ennobling philosophy behindthe outward body of ecclesiasticalBuddhism .... This secret system wastaught to the Arhats alone generallyin the Saptaparna-Mahavamsa’sSattapani) cave near the MountBaibhar- (in Pali:Webhara,) inRajagriha the ancient capital ofMagadha by the Lord Buddhahimself between the hours of Dhyana[or mystic contemplation] of the

Raja Yoga discipline [BCW Vol. Xp. 71

Theosophy thus is a part of this ‘secretsystem’ and comes indirectly via the Mastersand HPB from Gautama Buddha!

The Maha Chohan, the ‘boss’ of ourArhats said that the Theosophical Societywas to be the Corner Stone of the futurereligions of humanity.

To this G A. Farthing answered: “How isour Society to be established to be effectivelysuch a Corner Stone? A discussion of a questionof this magnitude is surely worth the time of theGeneral Council. It is surely an obligation uponits members and all concerned members of theSociety as a whole.”

If brother Farthing thinks a ‘discussion’will do the trick then this statement appears tothis writer as very unrealistic considering thePresent status quo of the international andlocal theosophical Societies.

Other great Theosophists like G dePurucker and others have tried to unite thesedifferent groups and bring them back to theoriginal teachings. They failed!

Mr. Farthing does not seem to recognizethe fact that the new impulse, the new thrustof the Arhat Brotherhood is already in fullswing and that it is carried by the Dalai Lamahis Geluk-pa monks and the Theravadins ofSri Lanka and Indochina. Even the ZenBuddhists of Japan are involved here. TheTheosophical Society can only survive when

14

it cooperates with this new effort of the ArhatBrotherhood and recognizes the BUDDHISTORIGIN NATURE CHARACTER andMISSION of Original Theosophy which isthis ARHAT PHILOSOPHY and DISCI-PLINE.

Mr. Farthing may not care much for thepresent thrust of the Arhat Brotherhoodwhich HPB said would come at the end ofthis century according to the prophecy of thegreat Tibetan Reformer Tsong-Kha-pa.

New Buddhist groups are being formedand new Buddhist temples are being built asa consequence of their efforts. Some of theseBuddhist temples offer Yoga exercises on aregular basis and these are done in a veryserious and sacred way!

I, myself, have been practicing yoga fora long time, and recently participated in aseries of exercises within the new Buddhisttemple, built by the Vietnamese right here inSantee. These exercises were organized bythe Zen-Buddhists.

There are no sermons, no jibberish, andno twaddle but total silence where theconsciousness is concentrated on the Astralplane or Kama Loka, (the realm of theUnconscious or medically speaking, theautonomic brain-and nerve system ).

“Yoga is the [ temporary] inhibition ofthe functions of the mind” specifically withinthe pyramid cells of the brain-cortex and thetransfer of the consciousness into the Astralplane where everything is SEEING and

OBSERVING and not thinking. The new ageAquarian people do not want boring lecturesanymore; they want to see inside of theirrealm of the Unconscious.

They know by now that here they canfind the ‘Way back Home.’ Listening to someabstract and metaphysical lecture is merelytheory. Yoga (the Royal or Raja Yoga) isREAL!

Thus there exists today a popularity ofYoga-classes and if these exercises take placein a beautiful Buddhist temple with statues andpictures of the Buddha around, then oneexperiences an exalted spiritual state. HPBhas given proof in SD III, p. 581 that she knewa great deal about Yoga although she was notpermitted to emphasize the practices at thetime of her writing. The great yogicdisciplines are the hidden and secret core ofthe ORIGINAL RELIGION behind all thegenuine Eastern religious Philosophies.

In answer to a question on the sevenstages of perception, HPB said that thoughtshould be centered on the seventh andhighest.

An attempt to transcend this will provethat it is impossible to go beyond on thisplane.

Since there is nothing in the physicalbrain to carry the thinker beyond, the thoughtactivity of the brain must be Stopped and ifthought is to rise yet further it must be of themind without a physical brain (i.e., thepyramid cells of the cortex cease to function).

15

Let the eyes be closed, and allow the mindto become a passive witness of its own activity.All the seven stages of perception come beforeAntahkarana; if you can pass beyond you are onthe Manasic Plane that is acting with your fullyconcentrated consciousness.

Try to focus your mind on somethingwhich transcends your power of thought, i.e.,a mantra or one of the Stanzas of Dzyan “...Time was not, for it lay asleep in the infinitebosom of duration.” [SD I, 27]

Make the brain [the cortex] passive andpass beyond into the Astral Plane]. You will seea white radiant light like silver but opalescent asmother of Pearl; then waves of colour will passover it beginning in the tenderest violet andthrough bronze shades of green to indigo withmetallic lustre and that colour will remain. Ifyou see this you are on another plane. Youshould pass through seven stages.

In this new age of Aquarius, theTheosophical Society must re-structure itself.It should begin to emphasize Jnana Yoga orthe acquirement of Esoteric Wisdom and thedevelopment of Buddhi - Manas or Bodhicitta,the re-activation of the Inner Eye, the ‘Eye ofShiva’ (the pineal gland or epiphysis).

The Society should take into accountthat thousands of people wish to learn aboutYoga and thus should encourage and offerclasses in it with actual meditation excercises.

Finally it should adjust itself to the newimpulse and thrust of the Arhat Brotherhood

by cooperating with the Dalai Lama, theGeluk-pa- monks, and with the Theravadanmonks of the Southern of Sri Lanka andIndochina.

Our theosophical groups should studyand apply ‘The Voice of the Silence’ teachingof the Bodhisattva Path. We need a detailedmixture of Raja and Hatha Yoga, and studyof Dr. I.K. Taimni’s “The Science of Yoga”based upon the classical Sutras of Patanjaliand finally read ‘The Mystery of the Buddha’and ‘Re-incarnations of the Buddha’ inBlavatsky Collected Writings.

We possess an important part ofESOTERIC BUDHISM and we have some-thing very valuable to offer to exotericBuddhism of today, in the form of theteachings of ‘The Mystery of the Buddha’ and‘Re-incarnations of the Buddha.’ [BCW, Vol.XIV- Pages 388-99 and 400-07, respectively.

Abhinyano

[Note: Substantially edited by D.S. andM.L.]

For additional information on thissubject see Abhinyano’s 2-part article:Eternally Vigilant in Fohat Magazine, Vol. IINos. 2 and 3.

Address: FOHAT Box 4587 Edmonton,Alberta, Canada T6E 5G4. E-mail:fohat@planet.eon.net

Subscriptions: 1 year (4 issues)$15.00 Cdn in Canada$15.00 U.S. in U.S.A.$20.00 U.S. international

16

The mysterious number is oncemore prominent in the no less mysteriousMaratus. The Vayu Purana shows, andHarivansa corroborates, that the Maratus- the oldest as the most incomprehensibleof all the secondary or lower gods in theRig Veda - “are born in every manvantara(Round) seven times seven (or 49); that ineach Manvantara, four times seven (ortwenty-eight) they obtain emancipation,but their places are filled up by personsreborn in that character.” What are theMaratus in their esoteric meaning, andwho are those persons “reborn in thatcharacter?” In the Rig and other Vedas,the Maratus are represented as the stormgods and the friends and allies of Indra;they are the “Sons of heaven and of earth.”This led to an allegory that makes themthe children of Shiva, the great patron ofthe Yogis, “the Maha-Yogi, the penanceand abstract meditation, by which themost unlimited powers are obtained,marvels, and miracles are worked, thehighest spiritual knowledge is acquired,and union with the great spirit of theuniverse in eventually gained.”

Page 615:It does not seem difficult to

perceive what is meant by the Maratusobtaining “four times seven” emancipa-tions in every “manvantara,” and by thosepersons who, being reborn in thatcharacter ... “fill up their places.” TheMaratus represents the passions thatstorm and rage within every candidate’sbreast, when preparing for an ascetic life -this mystically; (b) the occult potenciesconcealed in the manifold aspects ofAkasa’s lower principles - of her body, orsthula sarira, representing the terrestial,lower, atmosphere of every inhabitedglobe - this mystically and siderally; (c)

Congratulations to John Greschner.He has been released from the ADX control

unit within the Florence Prison. In a few weeks

his status will change to that of a prisoner in

the general inmate population.

John Greschner writes:

Greetings and satchidananda to you’sand your loved ones’s, I hope this finds youall well in health and spirits andconsciously in union with the Higher Self.... I am happy the Siddha Yoga andmeditation trip was a good one for you’s.... You can do Theosophy and whatever itis that you feel is important; they are allShiva’s forms. Indeed, Theosophy orWisdom of the Gods is a Siddha state, as isan adept, Theosophical master, or Saint.Look again to the S.D., Vol II, page 636where it says:

According to Svetasvatara-Upanishad the Siddhas are those who arepossessed from birth of superhumanpowers, as also of “knowledge andindifference to the world.” According tothe Occult teachings, however, Siddhasare the Nirmanakayas or the “spirits” (inthe sense of an individual, or consciousspirit) of great sages from spheres on ahigher plane than our own, who voluntar-ily incarnate in mortal bodies in order tohelp the human race in its upwardprogress. Hence their innate knowledge,wisdom and powers.John Greschner states: “The Siddha

masters sole reason and function here is asa Bodhisattva.” Again in the S.D. Vol II,page 613.

17

actual conscious Existences, Beings of acosmic and psychic nature.

At the same time, “Maratus” is, inoccult parlance, one of the names given tothose egos of great Adepts who havepassed away, and who are known also asNirmanakayas; of those Egos for whom -since they are beyond illusion - there is noDevachan, and who, having either volun-tarily renounced it for the good ofmankind, or not yet reached Nirvana,remain invisible on earth. Therefore arethe Maratus shown firstly as the sons ofShiva-Rudra - the “Patron Yogi,” whose“third eye,” mystically, must be acquiredby the ascetic before he becomes an adept;then, in their cosmic character, as thesubordinates of Indra and his opponents -variously.

The “four times seven” emancipa-tions have a reference to the four Rounds,and the four Races that preceded ours, ineach of which Marut-Jivas (monads) havebeen reborn, and have obtained finalliberation, if they have only availedthemselves of it. Instead of which,preferring the good of mankind, whichwould struggle still more hopelessly in themeshes of ignorance and misery, were itnot for this extraneous help - they arereborn over and over again “in thatcharacter,” and thus “fill up their ownplaces.” Who they are, “on earth” - everystudent of Occult science knows. And healso knows that the Maratus are Rudras,among whom also the family of Twashtri, asynonym of Visvakarman - the great patronof the Initiates - is included.

As Theosophists and students ofsame, why is it that you’s have missed this?

Interesting, I am in another hole of theADX Florence prison and I have alreadyuncovered another field ready for tillingand harvesting i.e. meditation, SiddhaYoga and Theosophy.

On Dick’s troubles, it is all just aperception of the mind, but, that does notmean you or he do not do your dharmicduty which is the right action appropriateto the manifesting karmic reality field.Simply do what is right. That is the natureof the warrior.

It is kriya shakti or the motion andactions of shakti. It is dharma’scomponents and they consist of Jnana(knowledge), Iccha (will), and kriya(action), that is not accompanied byhostility or an evil intent.

So, Marty, your battlefield is yourschool and teaching children; mine is withrebels on a pirate ship. Karma is simplykarma; it is all perfection. Fear Nothingand do your dharma.

18

ness.

The body is the field; that whichknows this field inside out and in all itsaspects is the knower of the field orwitness consciousness. This witnessconsciousness becomes involved inlatent predispositions and developsthe ego-sense. The foolish person thenabandons all right thinking or inquiryinto the truth and voluntarily embracesignorance as bliss.

This incidental manifestation ofthe power of the infinite conscious-ness appears as the millions of speciesof beings in this universe. Thesecountless beings are caught up in theirown mental conditioning. They arefound in every country and in everyplace in the universe, and they are inevery conceivable kind of situation.

Some of them are part of the newcreation in this epoch, others are moreancient. Some have incarnated just acouple of times, others have hadcountless incarnations. Some areliberated. Others are sunk in dreadfulsuffering. Some are celestials, someare demi-gods, and others are thedeities presiding over this manifestuniverse. Some others are demons,others are goblins. Some are membersof the four castes of human beings, andothers are members of primitiveuncivilized tribes.

Some of them are in the form ofherbs and grass; others appear as roots,fruits and leaves. Some are in the form

The KnowerThe following is an excerpt from The

Concise Yoga Vasistha by SwamiVenkatesananda, pages 145-6 .

We feature this excerpt in orderto acquaint our readers with conceptsof the ‘Knower or Witness Conscious-ness,’ via the use of an allegory.

... I shall again declare to you theway in which the one infiniteconsciousness has come to appear asthe jiva and all the rest of it. You see inthe ocean that it is tranquil in placesand agitated in other places.

Even so, infinite consciousnessseems to embrace diversity in someplaces, though it in itself is non-dual. Itis natural for the omnipotent infiniteconsciousness to manifest in all itsinfinite glory.

The manifestation of the om-nipotence of infinite consciousnessenters into an alliance with time, spaceand causation, which are indispens-able to the manifestation. Thencearose infinite names and forms. But allthese apparent manifestations are inreality not different from infiniteconsciousness.

That aspect of this infiniteconsciousness which relates itself tothe manifestation of the names andforms and thus to time, space andcausation is known as the ‘knower ofthe field,’ or the witness conscious-

19

of creepers, and some are living asflowers. Some are the kings and theirministers, clad in royal robes; othersare clad in rags and bark of trees, eitherbecause they are anchorites or they arebeggars.

Some are snakes and others areinsects; others are animals like lions,tigers, etc. Some are birds, others areelephants and donkeys.

Some are prosperous; others arein adverse circumstances. Some are inheaven, others are in hell. Some are inthe region of the stars, others are inholes of dying trees. Some liveamongst liberated sages; others arealready liberated sages who have risenabove body consciousness. Some areendowed with enlightened intelli-gence; some are extremely dull.

O Rama, just as in this universethere are countless beings of variousspecies, in other universes, too, thereare similar beings, with differentbodies suited to those universes.

But, all of them are bound bytheir own mental conditioning. Thesebeings roam this universe sometimesuplifted, sometimes degraded; anddeath plays with them as with a ball.

Bound to their own countlessdesires and attachments and limited bytheir own mental conditioning, theymigrate from one body to another. Theywill continue to do so, till they perceivethe truth concerning their own self

which is infinite consciousness.

After attaining this self knowl-edge, they are liberated from delusion,and they do not return to this plane ofbirth and death any more. ...

Knowing that the entire uni-verse, including one’s wealth, wife,son, etc., are nothing but the creationof the jugglery of the mind,* one doesnot grieve when they are lost, nor doesone feel elated when they prosper.

If an unreal appearance hasvanished, what does one lose? If it isutterly unreal, then how can it even bedestroyed?

On the other hand, it may beproper to feel unhappy when theyprosper, for such prosperity mayintensify one’s ignorance. Hence, thatwhich generates attachment and crav-ing in the fool, generates detachmentand cool indifference in the wise.

The nature of the wise person isnot to desire those experiences whichone does not effortlessly obtain, and toexperience those which have alreadyarrived.

* When they refer to ‘mind,’ reference isto the Universal Mind as distinguished fromthe limited human mind.

20

THE HIGH COUNTRY THEOSOPHIST,ISSN 1060-4766 is published monthlyfor $9.00 per year by Richard Slusser,

140 S. 33rd St. Boulder, Co. 80303-3426POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:THE HIGH COUNTRY THEOSOPHIST140 S. 33rd St., Boulder, Co. 80303-3426Periodicals Postage Paid at Boulder, Co.

Submission GuidelinesBy floppy disk

3.5 or 5.25 inch (DOS format),WordPerfect or MS Word

in ASCII format preferable.By hard copy

Laser printer preferable,NLQ Dot matrix OKGood Quality Xerox OK

UnacceptableDraft mode Dot matrixFaint printoutsStrike-overshandwriting on printed sheet

Address all communications to:Richard Slusser140 S. 33rd St, Boulder, CO U.S.A.80303-3426Phone (303) 494-5482E-Mail: dslusser@indra.net

SubscriptionsThe HCT subscription year begins with the

July issue and ends with the June issue of thefollowing year.

Paid New Subscriptions received duringthe period July I - May 31 will be sent back issues,beginning with July, as indicated above. Ifreceived June 1 - 30, subscription will begin withJuly.

Rates: $9.00/year U.S.A.$11.00 Foreign (Surface)$18.00 Foreign (Via Air)

Payment By check, money order or draftmust be in U.S. currency (Dollars)payable to Richard Slusser.

Checks payable toHigh Country Theosophistare NOT negotiable and will be returned

Free yearly Subscriptions are availableon written request if cost is a hardship.

THE HIGH COUNTRY THEOSOPHIST isan independent Journal and has thefollowing editorial objectives:

(1) To serve the greater TheosophicalMovement as a forum for the free interchangeof ideas and commentary in the pursuit ofTruth and to facilitate various projects infurtherance of Theosophical principles.

(2) To present articles and essaysconsistent with source theosophy, otherwiseknown as the Ancient Wisdom as given by TheMasters and H.P. Blavatsky, and othertheosophical writers consistent with thistradition.

(3) To examine contemporary ethical,religious, metaphysical, scientific and philo-sophical issues from the viewpoint of thesource theosophical teachings.

(4) To impartially examine significantevents and issues in the history of thetheosophical movement which have affectedand shaped its present-day realities.

EDITORIAL OBJECTIVES