[In this section we seek to answer frequently asked questions, at U.L.T. meetings or during private conversations and discussions with people who seek the answers in the light of Theosophy. Answers given in this section are by no means final. Only a line of thought is being offered by applying general principles of Theosophy.]
Question: Today, when there are many schools of philosophy and many who pose as spiritual teachers, how does one distinguish the true from the false?
Answer: It is difficult to be certain even regarding physical occurrences and phenomena. Does the sun really rise in the east and set in the west? It only appears to. We experience similar uncertainty regarding moral and philosophical questions.
Does Theosophy give the correct philosophy? We find in the philosophy of Theosophy universal outlines common to different religions and philosophies. It is a system of philosophy that appeals to reason. Any philosophy that is presented as a "revelation," can never be a true philosophy. A true philosophy must be impersonal, universal in its application and must be true at all times. It must enhance the feelings of goodwill and brotherhood. Similarly a true teacher always presents the truth in the spirit, "Thus have I heard," and leaves it open to be accepted or rejected. In deciding the validity of any philosophy, we must ask ourselves two questions:
(1) Does it satisfy my reason? As Mr. Crosbie says:
Truth...always explains. When we have the explanation, we have the truth. Each has to make his own verification of the truth....If Truth exists and is possible to us—the Truth in religion, science and philosophy—it must first come to us by suggestion from Those who know....But when the true is suggested to us, there is always a means presented by which we may see and verify it. That means is not in anyone's authority or endorsement, but in the fact that we can perceive it and test it for ourselves. The final authority is the man himself. (The Friendly Philosopher, pp. 308 and 323)
(2) What is my heart response? When we encounter truth, there is an intuitive feeling: "This is true." "Intuition is the direct cognition of truth in all things." Mr. Judge explains that we have "within us a series of wires whose vibrations are all true, but which will not be vibrated except by those words and propositions which are in themselves true." Even if the grand ideas are veiled and we may not understand them, we will feel the power of the vibration and the value of the words we have heard. We can develop this intuitive faculty "by constantly referring mentally all propositions to it and thus giving it an opportunity for growth."
True philosophy must change our sense of values and must present universal ethics. Maha-Prajapati, the Gotamid, asked Buddha to show her a teaching, hearing which from the lips of the Exalted one, she might dwell "alone, solitary, zealous, ardent and resolved." Buddha never asked her to accept anything because He said so. Buddha's reply (Vinaya, II, 10) was to accept the teachings conducive to spiritual progress and reject that which hindered or did not help the spiritual advancement. Thus:
Of whatsoever teachings, Gotamid, thou canst assure thyself thus: "These doctrines conduce to passions, not to dispassion; to bondage, not to detachment; to increase of (worldly) gains, not to decrease of them; to covetousness, not to frugality; to discontent, and not to content; to company, not to solitude; to sluggishness, not to energy; to delight in evil, not to delight in good"; of such teachings thou mayest with certainty affirm, Gotamid, "This is not the Norm. This is not the Discipline. This is not the Master's Message."
But of whatsoever teachings thou canst assured thyself (that they are the opposite of these things that I have told you)—of such teachings thou mayest with certainty affirm: "This is the Norm. This is the Discipline. This is the Master's Message."
(A Survey of Buddhism, pp. 79-80)
Question: Is the power of the "evil eye" only superstition? Is this power always developed consciously? How does one protect oneself and other things and people—car, house, crops, family, etc., against the power of the "evil eye"?
Answer: The power of the "evil eye" is not a superstition, but a reality. An "evil eye" is the destructive power of thoughts. Whenever we think, every thought coalesces itself with a unit of life-energy or "elemental." An elemental is a colourless force or energy without any attributes, but when coalesced with thoughts, it acquires quality or colour. Electricity is a colourless force, but when it is passed through a rod, the rod gets charged and anyone touching it will experience shock. Just like a charged rod, these elementals carry bad thoughts to another person and cause him harm. Only when the person is pure—at the level of speech, body and mind—such bad thoughts are powerless. For instance, when people fix their thoughts in envy upon a person, who suddenly gets rich, he is adversely affected by them and may lose the money. So also, the envious glance of a person on a beautiful vase or car or any other object or person may result in damage or injury to the same. The elementals precipitate down the glance of the envious person. Envy is a powerful emotion. Envy is worse than jealousy, because the feeling involved is that if I cannot have then no other should have it. In Isis Unveiled (I, 380), H.P.B. points out that certain persons possess the power of the evil eye consciously and some even unconsciously. Thus:
There are persons who can kill toads by merely looking at them, and can even slay individuals. The malignance of their desire brings evil forces to a focus, and the death-dealing bolt is projected, as though it were a bullet from a fire.
We need to cultivate goodwill towards all. H.P.B. mentions that each one of us is endowed with a magnetic potentiality, which when helped by an intense and indomitable will, can be used for bringing about harm or good. She cautions that we must be especially careful of our inner state while, for instance, sending New Year greetings.
Let us then, Theosophists, use that will to send a sincere greeting and wish of good luck for the New Year to every living creature under the sun—enemies and relentless traducers included. Let us try and feel especially kindly and forgiving to our foes and persecutors, honest or dishonest, lest some of us should send unconsciously an "evil eye" greeting instead of a blessing. (U.L.T. Pamphlet No. 28, p. 1)
Inward purity is considered to be the greatest protection against the power of the "evil eye" or any other Black Art. Clear conscience and the desire to benefit humanity would act as a protecting shield. A pure person can be a protection for others around him. Sometimes one becomes a victim of the "evil eye" because one may have been indulging in such psychic practises in this life or may have done so in some previous life. As for the objects—car, house or crops—they can be destroyed or not, depending upon the purity of the person who owns them. Basically, the power of the "evil eye" is exercised towards the owner of the objects and not towards the objects themselves.
From a philosophical point of view, as H.P.B. says, there is not even a misshapen day, accident or chance in our lives. In other words, there can be nothing outside of our karma, although we may not know the causes. If an individual becomes a victim to an evil-eyed person, could it not be due to some karmic affinity between the victim and the malignant person?
Power breeds isolation. Isolation leads to the capricious use of power. In turn, the capricious use of power breaks down the normal channels of communication between the leader and the people whom he leads. This ultimately means the deterioration of power and with it the capacity to sustain unity in our society. This is the problem we face today.
—George Reedy