ZERO POINT
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I The
Secret Doctrine,
H.
P. Blavatsky &
the Stanzas of Dzyan “… the occult side of
Nature has never been approached by the science of modern civilization.” “... the
Secret teachings ... must be contrasted with the speculations of modern
science. Archaic
axioms must be placed side by side with modern hypotheses and comparison left
to the sagacious reader. (p.480) ... To make
of Science an integral whole necessitates, indeed, the study of
spiritual and psychic, as well as physical Nature. ... Without
metaphysics ... real science is inadmissible.” (p. 588) Blavatsky, The Secret
Doctrine, 1888
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1. In
1888, Madame
H. P. Blavatsky published The Secret Doctrine: The synthesis of science,
religion, and philosophy. Manly
Hall, an occult scholar, described Blavatsky’s work as “unquestionably the
Magnus opus of the literature of the modern world.” The Secret Doctrine is a classic and
authoritative work that has had a broad influence on the last century of
western occultism. Blavatsky’s
teachings of “Theosophy”–Theo meaning God and Sophia,
wisdom –are profound elaborations of “divine
wisdom.” Theosophy articulates an
ancient mystical knowledge and teaching about the divine and metaphysical
nature of life. The Secret Doctrine (1888) is a massive, almost
incomprehensible document. It is
composed of two volumes: the first, Cosmogenesis,
deals with the “genesis” of the “cosmos” –the origin and creation of the
universe. Cosmogenesis outlines
the laws of cosmology, physics and metaphysics, from an esoteric and occult
perspective. Blavatsky made every
effort in her work to represent the essence of the ancient mystical teachings
about cosmogenesis and metaphysics, while contrasting these views with the
scientific theories of her day. Volume
II, Anthropogenesis, deals with the creation (genesis) and evolution
of humanity through various dimensions of existence and rounds (cycles) of
life. The Secret Doctrine
provides a sweeping view of the nature of life from the first moments of the
awakening of the Kosmos to the final destiny of humankind and the
Universe. In her magnus opus, Madame
Blavatsky provides a tour of the cosmos, which is substantially different
from that of contemporary scientists and science philosophers. Anyone who closely examines The Secret Doctrine
must be impressed and perhaps overwhelmed by the author’s erudition and
knowledge. Madame Blavatsky draws
material from many sources, including ancient mystical works, mythologies,
religions, science and philosophy. The
Secret Doctrine is based upon Stanzas from the Book of Dzyan, an
ancient poetic text of Tibetan origin, which apart from Blavatsky’s writings
seems largely unknown to modern scholarship. H. P. B. commented: “The Book
of Dzyan (or “Dzan”) is utterly unknown to our Philologists, or at any rate
was never heard of by them under its present name.” (p. xxii)
In fact, there are many things about The Secret Doctrine and
the Book of Dzyan which are shrouded in mystery and enigma–as befits
an individual as enigmatic and mysterious as H. P. B. Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky was born in a
Ukrainian town of Ekaterinoslav, Russia in the early morning of August 12,
1831 and died in May of 1891 in London, England. Through her extraordinary life, she
travelled widely throughout the world—from the foot of the pyramids in Egypt,
within the Caucasus and Middle East,
to the mountains of Tibet and the lands of India, within North, central and
South America, and Europe. She demonstrated
psychical and unusual powers throughout her life and was involved in broad
investigations of paranormal phenomena, particularly Spiritualism in
America. Blavatsky was exposed to a
wealth of the world’s mystical, occult and spiritual practices, teachings and
traditions. In addition, she was
knowledgeable of the sciences of her day. The Theosophical Society was
officially founded in the United States on November 17, 1875. Blavatsky moved on to establish the
Theosophical Society in India and within Europe. Today, her teachings are studied throughout
the world. Madame Blavatsky is
regarded as the grandmother of modern western occultism, a unique synthesizer
of the ancient wisdom teachings and a dramatic individualist who challenged
the materialist and mechanistic science philosophy of the day, as well as
social and religious conventions. Historically, her work introduced eastern
mystical teachings to western audiences and she uncovered numerous wisdom
teachings of the early western esoteric traditions. Madame
Blavatsky claimed to be in touch with Adepts or Masters of the
Trans-Himalayan Brotherhood and to have partially acted as an ‘amanuensis’ for her superior in the
occult hierarchy, who aided in the preparation of The Secret Doctrine. In modern terms, amanuensis might be labelled as ‘channelling’ but was
described by Madame as a
form of psychological telepathy based on an electromagnetic connection
existing between a Mahatma (a master) and his
chelas (or students). Blavatsky also
claimed to employ her trained spiritual perception and intuitive
consciousness to draw from the Akashic record, the storehouse of all
knowledge and spiritual wisdom. In Sylvia Cranston’s biography of Madame, The Extraordinary Life &
Influence of Helena Blavatsky, Founder of the modern theosophical movement,
she quotes the prominent editor of an English newspaper, W. Stead, who wrote to Blavatsky in
1888 after receiving a copy of her work.
His letter nicely captures the extraordinary character of Madame
Blavatsky and remarkable nature of her magnus opus–The Secret Doctrine. “You are a very great woman and I do not think that
anyone but yourself (either man or woman) could have written The Secret
Doctrine, nor do I feel competent, from the depths of my ignorance, even
to express an opinion upon its extraordinary contents ... I do not profess to
understand you, for you inhabit space of more dimensions than I can even
conceive, but I am not so great a fool as to be unable to see that you have a
genius quite transcendent....
(Cranston, 1994, p. 361) These comments provide a
most appropriate perspective on this remarkable woman, and this classic study
of the ancient wisdom teachings.
Blavatsky has also been appropriately labelled as “the Sphinx of
the nineteenth century,” and as “among the modern world’s trailblazing
psychologists,” by sociologist T. Roszak. (Cranston, p. xxiii) 1 The Secret Doctrine provides keys to the
original mystery teachings about the origin of the universe and the
metaphysical nature of life and creation.
We must take this so-called “Magnus opus of the literature of
modern world,” and consider the metaphysical and cosmological viewpoints
espoused, while comparing the ancient wisdom teachings with the theories,
facts and paradigm of modern science.
No matter what the origin of the Book of Dzyan, or how The
Secret Doctrine was produced, and despite the controversy surrounding
Madame Blavatsky as an individual, it is possible to examine the ideas,
theories and claims of The Secret Doctrine in their own right as
scientific hypotheses and theories. In
fact, it is profoundly important to do so–insofar as The Secret Doctrine
provides an intriguing perspective on many of the most profound questions
confronting modern science. How does The
Secret Doctrine, completed in 1888, compare with the theories, data and
paradigm of modern science a century later? In the preface to The Secret Doctrine, Blavatsky
explained three major aims of her work: The first was “to show that Nature
is not “a fortuitous concurrence of atoms,” and to assign to man his rightful
place in the scheme of the Universe…” (p. viii) This aim expressed Blavatsky’s desire to
oppose the mechanistic and materialist science philosophy dominant in 1888–a
philosophy that regarded the origin of the universe and mankind as nothing
more than a fortuitous “accident” which proceeded blindly through the natural
laws governing material nature. This
is the scientific paradigm still evident today in the writings of popular
science writers–such as Drs. Sagan, Asimov and Hawking–and among other
physicists, natural scientists, psychologists and philosophers. In the modern view, the formation of life
is an inherently random or accidental (fortuitous) process, and creation and
evolution are regarded as having occurred within a godless Universe—devoid of
spirit, demigods, spiritual intelligence or consciousness. The notions of randomness, uncertainty and
accidental happenings are cornerstones of contemporary science philosophy. In contrast, Blavatsky argues that there is
nothing, which is truly random or fortuitous.
Everything involves creation by design in a Universe full of
meaning, life and interconnectedness.
She quotes the poet Coleridge: “Chance is but the pseudonym for God
(or Nature), for those particular cases which He does not choose to subscribe
openly with His sign manual.”
Further, a human being is not simply a soul-less, biological organism,
but has a profound, deep connection to the grounds of being and thereby to
the larger Cosmos. The second aim of The Secret Doctrine was “to
rescue from degradation the archaic truths which are the basis of all
religions; and to uncover, to some extent, the fundamental unity from which
they all spring.” Blavatsky explains that the ideas in The Secret
Doctrine are not simply something which she has invented but are
scattered throughout eastern and western religions and mystery schools. The sacred scriptures of all times embody
the same teachings, although “hidden under glyph and symbol” and
unnoticed because of “this veil.”
Blavatsky claims that the basic ideas of the secret doctrine are the
essence of Hindu, Zoroastrian, Chaldean, Egyptian, Buddhist, Islamic, Judaic
and Christian belief, all of which are said to have emerged from one original
“parent document.” She writes:
“the Secret Wisdom was once the fountain head, the ever-flowing perennial
source, at which were fed all its streamlets–the religions of all
nations–from the first down to the last.” (p.viii) Thus, the second aim of the S.D. is to “rescue from degradation the archaic
truths.” The third aim of The Secret Doctrine was to
demonstrate that “the occult side of Nature has never been approached by
the Science of modern civilization.” (p.viii) Unfortunately, a century
later, this is largely still the case.
Despite the fact that a few scientists and individuals search for the
soul or explore mysticism and the new physics, scientists have hardly begun
to scratch the surface of the ancient wisdom teachings. Indeed, scientists generally do not know of
nor understand the occult teachings.
Beyond this pervasive ignorance, there is a more fundamental fear of
mystical teachings, as mainstream scientists do not want to see their
so-called real science mixed up with mystical nonsense, vague
metaphysical speculations and superstitions.
However, Blavatsky regarded scientists’ attitudes towards mysticism as
being indefensible. She bluntly
accused them of being irrationally close-minded, noting that, “... in our
days, Scientists are more self-opinionated and bigoted than even the clergy.”(p.
509). At the start of the new
millennium, this is still largely the case and contrary views are
marginalized within science. Madame Blavatsky did not regard science and occultism
as incompatible. Rather, her view was that
as science advanced, it must come to validate mystical teachings: There can be no possible conflict between the
teachings of occult and so-called exact Science, where the conclusions of the
latter are grounded on a substratum of unassailable fact. ... Science can, it
is true, collect, classify, and generalize upon phenomena; but the occultist,
arguing from admitted metaphysical data, declares that the daring explorer,
who would probe the inmost secrets of Nature, must transcend the narrow
limitations of sense, and transfer his consciousness into the region of
noumena and the sphere of primal causes. To effect this, he must develop
faculties which are absolutely dormant—save in a few rare and exceptional
cases—in the constitution of the off-shots of our present Fifth Root-race in
Europe and America. (pp. 477-8) Blavatsky explains that, when so-called “exact”
science really achieves a correct understanding of the nature of life, it
will confirm the claims of mystic seers who directly apprehend the underlying
or innermost side of creation and attained such dormant faculties. Blavatsky
was very aggressive in her attacks on the scientific opinion of her day, but
not because of disrespect for the aims of the scientists. Her concern was with the advancement of
science and in The Secret Doctrine, she goes to great lengths to
demonstrate the relationships between the ancient teachings and the prevalent
scientific views. She notes: ... the Secret Teachings ... must be contrasted with
the speculations of modern science, Archaic axioms must be placed side by
side with modern hypotheses and comparisons left to the sagacious
reader. (p.480) According to Blavatsky,
the problem with the scientific theories is most simply that they are
“wrong.” Scientists deal only with the
observable side of phenomena, rather than the underlying noumena, or
causes–because they exclude consideration of the spiritual and metaphysical
side of life: “To make of Science an integral whole necessitates,
indeed, the study of spiritual and psychic, as well as physical Nature.
... Without metaphysics, real science
is inadmissible.” (p. 588) All science must
ultimately lead to metaphysics and supernatural causes–because they exist! In God, Science & The Secret Doctrine, we
will particularly consider the ancient wisdom in four major areas of inquiry,
regarding: 1) cosmogenesis–the genesis
or creation of the Universe; 2) the relationship of the laws of physics to
ancient metaphysics–to explain the ultimate nature of matter, energy, time and
space, and the mechanisms of the laws of nature; 3) evolution–which needs to
be considered from a spiritual and metaphysical perspective, in addition to
the biological; and 4) human consciousness–which originates out of deep
metaphysical realities. According to
an occult perspective, “without metaphysics, real science is inadmissible,”
(p. 588) and this applies to scientific study within each of these areas. It is over a hundred years since the publication of The
Secret Doctrine and there has been little change in the strict
materialist perspective which dominates science philosophy. Many scientists, like Carl Sagan, imagine
that believing in the spiritual nature of life, or in mysticism and ancient
wisdom, involves believing in an old, long bearded man who sits up in heaven
counting sparrows or talking to flowers. These scientists have no idea of the
profound metaphysical philosophies embodied within the ancient wisdom
teachings. The
Secret Doctrine does not contradict the facts of science. Rather, it is scientists’ rigid adherence
to a simplistic, mechanistic and materialist science philosophy which leads
them to prejudge and mindlessly dismiss mystical claims of metaphysics and
higher dimensions. Blavatsky noted in
this regard: Occultism does not
deny the certainty of the mechanical origin of the Universe; it only claims
the absolute necessity of mechanicians of some sort behind those Elements (or
within)–a dogma with us. ... It is easy for an astronomer ... to build
a theory of the emergence of the universe out of chaos, by simply applying to
it the principles of mechanics. But
such a universe will always prove, with respect to its scientific human
creator, a Frankenstein’s monster; it will lead him into endless
perplexities. The application of the
mechanical laws only can never carry the speculator beyond the objective
world: nor will it unveil to men the origin and final destiny of Kosmos.
(1888, p. 594) Normally, scientists simply close their eyes to these
endless perplexities in science and psychology, instead of venturing into the
unknown. However, essential ideas from
The Secret Doctrine provide an alternative approach to interpreting
the facts and theories of science itself, and of understanding contemporary scientific
enigmas and perplexities. Everything
takes on new significance if the parts are considered in relationship to the
whole and in relationship to underlying metaphysical causes. Mystical and spiritual teachings do provide
all kinds of testable hypotheses, if we are ingenious enough to begin from
first principles and draw out the implications and applications of such
theories—within different domains of inquiry. Most
importantly, mystical studies entail self-study, the awakening of
consciousness and the transformation of the human heart. In this way, the most advanced scientific
methods require the individual process of psycho-spiritual transformation,
and include the scientist in the equation.
Ordinary science is limited by the ordinary state of egoic
consciousness and the commonly conditioned psychopathology of humankind. In contrast, mystical science includes the
scientist him/herself in the equation, and demands more, not less, from the
seeker after truth. The key to the
mysteries lies in understanding the nature of consciousness within oneself–by
inner experience, sensation and taste.
This might enable one to develop those “faculties which are absolutely
dormant—save in a few rare and exceptional cases—in the constitution of the
off-shots of our present Fifth Root-race in Europe and America,” as described by Madame. It is more than a hundred years since Blavatsky
completed The Secret Doctrine and unfortunately, scientists are still
far from having taken up her challenge of exploring the “occult side of
Nature.” Her comments from 1888
thus hold true today: Occultists believe they have a right to present
their philosophy, however misunderstood and ostracised it may be at present.
... (the) failure of the scientists to
discover the truth is entirely due to their materialism and contempt for
transcendental sciences. (p.600) Now that (scientists) have studied nature in the
length, breadth, and thickness of her physical frame, it is time to remove
the skeleton to the second plane and search within the unknown depths for the
living and real entity, for its SUB-stance—the noumenon of evanescent
matter. (p. 610) Madame Blavatsky did not expect The Secret Doctrine
to be seriously studied by scientists and scholars in her day. In fact, she predicted: ... the rejection
of these teachings may be expected, and must be accepted beforehand. No one styling himself a “scholar,” in
whatever department of exact science, will be permitted to regard these
teachings seriously. They will be
derided and rejected a priori in this century; but only in this
one. For in the twentieth century of
our era scholars will begin to recognize that the Secret Doctrine has
neither been invented nor exaggerated, but, on the contrary, simply
outlined…. (Introduction, p. xxxvii) In
1888, Blavatsky’s explanations of the creation of the Universe, and of
physics and metaphysics, offered a viewpoint totally incomprehensible in
terms of what were the fashionable scientific viewpoints and theories. The Secret Doctrine was bound to be
ignored and dismissed. As it happens
however, in this strange universe, a century of scientific advances and the
profound “new physics” and cosmology of twenty first century are beginning to
vindicate Blavatsky’s utterly awesome work on cosmic origins and ancient
wisdom teachings. Ancient mystical
maxims and modern scientific theories can be placed side by side to draw
comparisons. When it comes to the
ultimate questions of the origin of the Cosmos and understanding the laws of
nature, it turns out that science and mysticism are not such a world
apart–except in the interpretation of the data and the theories of
science. Science is beginning to
arrive at those levels of reality spoken of by the mystics who penetrate the
Heart and soul to the grounds of Being. |
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