4. Учение Алисы Бейли на англ. языке

Yuriy Gorbunov


 4. The New Age movement

The roots of the New Age movement find their beginnings in the theosophical movement, which was organised by H.P. Blavatsky and colonel Olcotte in the 1870-1880s in America, Europe and India. The necessity for its creation was dictated, on the one hand, by the rapid development of materialistic science, secondly by the incredible decline in the moral foundations for the human race, and thirdly by the inequitable relationships between European and Asian nations. The "Mahatma Letters to A.P. Sinnet" were written over 100 years ago and published in 1923. Expressing thoughts rarely heard in European educated circles, it was dictated through letters.

For example, on Science it states:
"Exact experimental Science has nothing to do with morality, virtue and philanthropy, therefore can make no claim upon our help, until it blends itself with the metaphysics. Being but a cold classification of facts outside man, and existing before and after him, her domain of usefulness ceases for us at the outer boundary of these facts; and whatever the inferences and results for humanity from the materials acquired by her methods, she little cares."

Adherents and opponents to theosophy were from the beginning, substantial in number. Today there are no fewer, if not more, than there were a hundred years back. Then, as well as now, the Mahatmas called for the forming of a "Brotherhood of Humanity", a real Universal Fraternity "which would make itself known throughout the world and arrest the attention of the highest minds."

They chose H.P. Blavatsky, and after a lengthy collaboration with her, entrusted her with the task of forming such a brotherhood by way of the organization of the Theosophical Society. She went through a special occult preparation in one of the temples in Tibet, before she was sent on her special task in Europe. Her mission was firstly such, as to bring to humanity some of the secret knowledge of the Ageless Wisdom, known by the Masters.

For the time was coming when this secret knowledge should be brought to the public, during the age of opening up of serious science, scientific invention, stormy revolutions, and world war; all of which would divide humanity into three unequal parts. They knew, that in America and Europe would be arising powerful scientific-industrial complexes, that the information revolution would begin soon, that it would allow direct communication between the spiritual centres of the planet through the numerous esoteric organizations throughout humanity, and that on the planet would start a period of turbulent spiritual activity.

The theoretical basis for this activity becomes "a needed universal religious philosophy; one impregnable to scientific assault because it is itself the finality of absolute science; and a religion that is indeed worthy of the name, since it includes the relations of man physical to man psychical, and of the two to all that is above and below them."

Before H.P. Blavatsky was presented a second task; to create an organization for the dissemination of this philosophy. From her slight hand began the broad planetary social movement, the "New Age", consisting as it does today, in tens, if not hundreds, of streams – various associations a portion of which possibly wouldn;t know of their origins in it.

Even during Blavatsky;s life, there began squabbles and splits in the organization she had founded. She painfully lived through these, while understanding that at the given level of humanity;s development, waiting for anything else was not possible. Our race must learn planetary and cosmic unity, and must master true phenomena.

"Its chief aim is to extirpate current superstitions and skepticism, and, from long sealed ancient fountains to draw the proof that man may shape his own future destiny, and know for a certainty that he can live hereafter, if he only wills; and that all ;phenomena; are but manifestations of natural law, to try to comprehend which is the duty of every intelligent being" (First letter from Master K.H. to Hume).

The Mahatmas spoke in their Letters of the need to create the Theosophical Society. "When one regards the magnitude of the task to be undertaken by our theosophical volunteers, and especially the multitudinous agencies arrayed, and to be arrayed, in opposition, we may well compare it with one of those desperate efforts against overwhelming odds, that the true soldier glories to attempt."
The essence of the New Age seems to be the Platonic idea that thought directs the world. This was well known in Atlantis;

"As men;s minds will receive new ideas, laying aside the old and effete, the world will advance; mighty revolutions will spring from them, creeds and even powers will crumble before their onward march, crushed by the irresistible force. It will be just as impossible to resist their influx, when the time comes, as to stay the progress of the tide. But all this will come gradually on, and before it comes we have a duty set before us: that of sweeping away as much as possible the dross left to us by our pious forefathers. New ideas have to be planted on clean places, for these ideas touch upon the most momentous subjects."

All New Age associations work with thoughts. They justly consider, that thoughts definitely reach out to all humanity, being of planetary and cosmic scale; maintaining them influences all of humanity and the whole planet. How are these thoughts maintained?

These thoughts of:
— man;s true position in the universe, in relation to his previous and future births;
— his origin and ultimate destiny;
— the relation of the mortal to the immortal;
— of the temporary to the eternal;
— of the finite to the infinite;
— ideas larger, grander, more comprehensive, recognising the
universal reign of Immutable Law, у and unchangeable, in regard to which there is only an Eternal Now, while to uninitiated mortals, time is past or future as related to their definite existence on this material speck of dirt."

In order that new noble thoughts gradually conquer the minds of men, they must be spread with the help of group and planetary meditation conducted simultaneously in different countries, in all continents.