Today, we hear so much about Brotherhood, but rarely of the need to educate ourselves and the world in order to understand and practise Brotherhood. In fact, there are so many meanings of the word itself, so many attitudes towards the practice of it, that it is not surpising that it is still merely a word and not a vital part of life. We need, therefore, to begin to educate ourselves first, and then the world, in this subject.
Once we start examining this idea, we are forced back to the starting point of any understanding of life, namely, the Universe—the Whole—and the unit—that speck of consciousness which is a portion of the Whole—and the relationship of the units to the Whole and to each other. We have, therefore, three aspects to consider—the mental concept of Brotherhood, the actional aspect and the heart aspect.
Starting where we are, we must ask ourselves, "What do I mean by acting brotherly to my neighbour?" Meditating along this line, we see that, as a unit of consciousness, each man has a relationship to all other units, from the atom to the star and the sun, the criminal and the saint, the evil and the good. This conclusion cannot be escaped, and physical science is bringing to our notice today this interrelationship as a practical effect and cause.
In an occult Catechism quoted in The Secret Doctrine (I, 120), the Master asks his Chela:
...look around and into thyself. That light which burns inside thee, dost thou feel it different in anywise from the light that shines in thy Brother-men?
And the Chela answers:
It is in no way different, though the prisoner is held in bondage by Karma, and though its outer garments delude the ignorant into saying, "Thy Soul and My Soul."
This is more expressly stated by H.P.B. in these terms:
The radical unity of the ultimate essence of each constituent part of compounds in Nature—from Star to mineral Atom, from the highest Dhyan Chohan to the smallest infusoria, in the fullest acceptation of the term, and whether applied to the spiritual, intellectual, or physical worlds—this is the one fundamental law in Occult Science. (Ibid.)
Meditating on these extracts, we begin to see the simple truth that what hurts one hurts all. Also, that we cannot help ourselves without helping all.
The question arises, How shall we act towards the other units who are part and parcel of our own life? Unfortunately, in the struggle for life, other units struggling for their own life get in our way! A tussle begins, and herein lies the root of evil. If we are aiming at Brotherhood, how shall we act towards these other units that impinge on our freedom? In The Secret Doctrine we read that this state of unbrotherliness will last "until we begin acting from within, instead of ever following impulses from without; namely, those produced by our physical senses and gross selfish body." (I, 644)
We learn that to act from within, instead of being urged by impulses from without, means thought before action, the pros and cons being reckoned and the consequent action based on certain principles. The basis of this thought has to be the idea of unity and harmony. H.P.B. tells us:
...unity in thought and action, and philosophical research into the mysteries of being, will always prevent some, while trying to comprehend that which has hitherto remained to them a riddle, from creating additional causes in a world already so full of woe and evil. (Ibid.)
Meditating on these ideas, we see that they are axiomatic, self-evident truths. All the great Teachers of Humanity have taught this in simple language—"Do unto others as you would they should do unto you"; "Love your enemy"; "Do good to them that hate you"; and there are many similar statements.
We need further help, for, though love may be the ensouling force in any action, still the action may be bad. Therefore, we are told in The Key to Theosophy that we err "when there is the slightest invasion of another's right—be that other a man or a nation; when there is any failure to show him the same justice, kindness, consideration or mercy which we desire for ourselves." This is our duty to humanity, and Theosophy works to "make men feel and recognize in their innermost hearts what is their real, true duty to all men." Then only "every old abuse of power, every iniquitous law in the national policy, based on human, social or political selfishness, will disappear of itself." We must work at the causal level, for to alter one cause is to alter a long chain of effects.
But the fact still remains that in practice we meet with units with whose actions it is impossible to harmonize. Is it not here that the saying of St. Paul is applicable—"Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate"? And that of the Buddha: "There is no companionship with a fool"? (The Dhammapada, verse 330)
Let us look at any action. There are three ways to act which we find easily understandable when we think of war. Either we fight, or we do not, or we offer passive resistance.
We must remember that passive resistance is not an outward-flowing action; it is complete stability, imposing a steady front, but not giving in to the enemy or fighting him. A great force is liberated which is much more productive of good than even the winning of a battle or a war. It comes from the within, is made possible by the steady concentrated will-thought, with an outgoing to the enemy of heartfelt love as though to a mistaken brother.
If we decide to fight, then, as the Gita points out, we must be only "the immediate agent." Not the doer, but the agent. If we run away, we may do so through fear or to live to fight again another day. Whether we run away and admit defeat because we are fearful of consequences, as Arjuna was, or plan to resume the battle later, we must decide after full thought and advice, not impulsively.
Here we touch upon the feeling aspect. While we move from without, we move in terms of sensations, feelings, desires, with selfishness and self-centredness. The false "I" is acting, and ahankara brings final defeat to us. It therefore becomes very necessary to analyse our emotional action and reaction. For this reason we are urged to develop love to all. As all actions start in the mind, it is there we have to plant the seed of love, and visualize the reactions on the emotional environment, not merely in ourselves.
As has been seen, this subject needs much thought, and the realization that
Theosophy alone can gradually create a mankind as harmonious and as simple-souled as Kosmos itself; but to effect this theosophists have to act as such. ("The Tidal Wave," She Being Dead Yet Speaketh, p. 25)
What is to be aimed for is:
Full and entire liberty of conscience allowed to all; fraternity reigning between the rich and the poor, equality recognized in theory and practice between the aristocrat and the plebeian....All this must come about naturally and voluntarily on both sides. ("Le phare de l'Inconnu," She Being Dead Yet Speaketh, p. 107)
What we need is to emphasize the keynote of life:
He who is throughly impressed with the philosophic truth that every Ego begins and ends by being the indivisible WHOLE, cannot love his neighbour less than he does himself. (Ibid.)
What does love here mean? Love is not grasping, love is not sentiment, love is not blind. Love is charity which is understanding. Love is willingness to help, willingness to learn how to help.
Though the environment in which we practise love is our home, our nation, etc., yet we learn how to love by concentrating on the idea of the WHOLE, on the Life Force which shows in so magnificent a manner through the sap of the plant, the energy of the animal, the living vitality of the man and the purity of the channel through which it flows from the perfected man to the WHOLE. As the tree shelters from the sun both the evil man and the good, so let us learn to shelter every man, the evil as well as the good, by understanding him and acting in terms of the best we know.
Education should start in the home and the school, in the factory and the office, in the literature of the world and in the arts, so that the love of Truth and the love of Beauty, which is true proportion, can take the place of ugliness and disruption.
To understand life and our fellow beings we have to be impregnated with the idea given by H.P.B. in her article "Le Phare de l'Inconnu":
The great reform must take place without any social shocks, without a drop of blood being spilled; which can happen in no other way than by the recognition of the axiomatic truth of Oriental Philosophy, which teaches us that the great diversity of fortune, of social rank and of intellect, is due but to the personal Karma of each human being. (She Being Dead Yet Speaketh, p. 107)
There is an inmost centre in us all,
Where truth abides in fullness, and around,
Wall upon wall, the gross flesh hems it in,
This perfect clear conception—which is truth.
A baffling and perverting carnal mesh
Binds it, and makes all error: and to Know
Rather consists in opening out a way
Whence the imprisoned splendour may escape,
Than in effecting entry for a light
Supposed to be without.—Robert Browning