Two statements by Madame Blavatsky give us useful hints to help us in distinguishing Religion from Religions. The first of these is taken from The Key to Theosophy (p. 4):

The "Wisdom-Religion" was one in antiquity; and the sameness of primitive religious philosophy is proven to us by the identical doctrines taught to the Initiates during the MYSTERIES, an institution once universally diffused. "All the old worships indicate the existence of a single Theosophy anterior to them. The key that is to open one must open all; otherwise it cannot be the right key." (Eclect. Philo.)

The second extract is from U.L.T. Pamphlet No. 1 (p. 3):

The assertion that "Theosophy is not a Religion" by no means excludes the fact that "Theosophy is Religion" itself. A Religion, in the true and only correct sense, is a bond uniting men together—not a particular set of dogmas and beliefs. Now Religion, per se, in its widest meaning is that which binds not only all MEN, but also all BEINGS and all things in the entire Universe into one grand whole.

From this we can gather that Religion in its truest sense tends towards Unity and Wholeness, whereas religions based on sets of dogmas and beliefs tend towards Particularity and Separateness. Religionists following their own particular set of dogmas and beliefs, therefore, cannot know what true Religion is until they learn to transcend these.

Adherence to any particular set of dogmas and beliefs deprives the individual of his spiritual birthright, which may be considered as the right to think and choose for oneself. Dogmas and beliefs demand absolute adherence, not an honest enquiry, and to transcend them we must reclaim the inherent spiritual right of our inner nature to examine them in its light. Once we mentally proclaim this and put it into practice, we no longer remain dependent on any "Revealer" or his "Revelations," but have assumed the right to seek out the very "Power of Revelation," not outside us, but within our own minds and hearts. This "Power of Revelation" which, Krishna says, "arises spontaneously in the minds and hearts of his disciples" has been beautifully expounded by H.P.B. in her translation of some of the "Golden Precepts" given in The Voice of the Silence. This "Voice" once recognized within, will lead us from the "region of Asat, the false," into "the realm of Sat, the true."

How are we to distinguish the "Voice of the Silence" from that more common and vociferous "Voice of our Hidden Desires," as these latter are constantly clamouring for fulfilment? One way is to determine whether their dictates are personal or impersonal by nature, and if their fulfilment will help or hinder others. This requires, of course, a specialized type of knowledge and an active desire to be of help to others. In fact, all thoughts, feelings and actions which are conducive to the service of our brother man and are based upon the principle of Universal Brotherhood must, by this inner bond, draw us towards that "Power" which binds together not only all men, but also all beings making up the manifested world.

This binding Power is the very essence of true Religion, and ever tends towards greater harmony and all-embrasiveness, so that the outer barriers of distinctions fall away before its integrating force and light, and the true becomes distinguishable from the false, the real from the unreal.

In Nature, this power becomes Law and is the guiding intelligence behind all its forces, which in turn produce all the multitudinous and variegated forms that constitute its major kingdoms. Krishna expounds this same teaching in the Gita, where he says:

All this Universe is pervaded by me in my invisible form; all things exist in me, but I do not exist in them. Nor are all things in me; behold this my divine mystery; myself causing things to exist and supporting them all but dwelling not in them. Understand that all things are in me even as the mighty air which passes everywhere is in space. O son of Kunti, at the end of a kalpa all things return unto my nature, and then again at the beginning of another kalpa I cause them to evolve again. Taking control of my own nature I emanate again and again this whole assemblage of beings, without their will, by the power of the material essence [Prakriti].

How beautifully expressed by all the Great Teachers is this identical doctrine we can see by taking an extract from the sayings of Gautama Buddha, rendered in verse by Edwin Arnold in his famous book, The Light of Asia, where in Book the Eighth we find the following:

Before beginning, and without an end,
As space eternal and as surety sure,
Is fixed a Power divine which moves to good,
Only its laws endure.

Finally, we can consider this short extract from the summing up of the Ten Items of Isis Unveiled (II, 590): "One common vital principle pervades all things, and this is controllable by the perfected human will."

Perhaps if we pursue the study of religions, with the preceding ideas in mind, we shall begin to perceive the unifying bond under their many forms and names, rituals and observances. The benefit of such a study should show itself in a wider and deeper range of thought, capable, when called upon to penetrate the quagmire of dogmas and beliefs in which our brother men are caught, and to extricate them from it. Such a power comes from true knowledge or Self-Knowledge, and "Self-Knowledge is of loving deeds the child."

If there is no Religion Higher than Truth, then we must trace the truths underlying most of the religions of our present day. But we need the key that Theosophy which is Religion alone can give us to understand the truths which lie concealed behind the body of dogmas and articles of belief that the undiscerning average religionist considers to be the true faith.

"Seek, and ye shall find" is one of the articles of faith given by all the ancient MYSTERY schools, and once again reiterated by Theosophy. For one so seeking, many worhwhile hints are given in U.L.T. Pamphlet No. 1: "Is Theosophy a Religion?" Other hints may be found in U.L.T. Pamphlet No. 2: "What Theosophy Is"; one such, on pages 1 and 2, quoting from H.P.B's monumental work, The Secret Doctrine, says:

But it is perhaps desirable to state unequivocally that the teachings, however fragmentary and incomplete, contained in these volumes, belong neither to the Hindu, the Zoroastrian, the Chaldean, nor the Egyptian religion, neither to Buddhism, Islam, Judaism nor Christianity exclusively. The Secret Doctrine is the essence of all these. Sprung from it in their origins, the various religious schemes are now made to merge back into their original element, out of which every mystery and dogma has grown, developed and become materialized.

A study of these pamphlets and of other Theosophical texts will certainly help the student to distinguish between Religion and Religions, as also to understand better what is meant when it is said: "The true Theosophist belongs to no cult or sect, yet belongs to each and all."

The first step is a quiet mind—silence is a further step; but quietude must be there. By a quiet mind I mean a mental consciousness within, which sees thoughts arrive to it and move about but does not itself feel that it is thinking or identifying itself with the thoughts or call them its own. Thoughts, mental movements may pass through it as wayfarers appear and pass from elsewhere through a silent country—the quiet mind observes them, or does not care to observe them, but in either case, does not become active or lose its quietude. A silence is more than quietude. It can be gained by banishing thought altogether from the inner mind, keeping it voiceless or quiet outside; but more easily it is established by a descent from above,—one feels it coming down, entering and occupying or surrounding the personal consciousness which then tends to merge itself in the vast impersonal silence.

—Sri Aurobindo