To Light a Thousand Lamps - The Theosophical Society

H. P. Blavatsky and The Theosophical Society / 155
A study of the religious and philosophical scriptures
releases a flood of ideas because, when we look into the
sacred writings of world civilizations from the expanded
perspective that theosophy provides, we discern the one universal
wisdom expressed in many forms. Familiarity with
the traditions and scriptures of earlier peoples also helps us
maintain a sense of proportion. We come to appreciate that
this grand universal system of truths is the common inheritance
of mankind, but that periodically it finds a ‘‘unique’’
expression in order to meet the specific needs of a given era.
This explains why this or that nation or race believes itself to
be the ‘‘chosen people’’ — it is because at a certain historic
period they were chosen by the messenger of the time to
receive a new light, a new directive for spiritual living.
Note the careful wording of the last objective: the phrase
used is ‘‘to investigate the powers innate in man,’’ not to
develop psychic powers. There is a wide di¤erence. We are
encouraged to understand ourselves as multifold beings, to
study and inquire into the full range of our human potentialities.
However, there is a tacit warning here against
unnaturally developing powers that could lead to an overemphasis
of the psychic and astral aspects of our constitution
at the expense of our intuitive and spiritual faculties. HPB
came bitterly to regret that she had shown a few trusted
ones certain feats of phenomenal power in the hope of demonstrating
that there was a world of subtle forces back of the
physical one. Today many would like to have such extranormal
powers, but how many can honestly say they want
to cultivate them from utterly selfless motives? After all,
what intrinsic value do these powers have? It is well to