By John Hughes, Foreword by Lance Nelson.

139 Pages | Published in 1994 | Hardcover | State University of New York | ISBN: 0791421791.

The Oral Teachings of Swami Lakshmanjoo.

This book presents the oral teachings of the twentieth century’s great Kashmir Shaivite master. The last of his long lineage, Swami Lakshmanjoo preserved, as did his precedessors, the oral knowledge that illuminates this ancient philosophy – that clarifies the often deliberately obscure tantric texts.

Swami Lakshmanjoo reveals the essence of the way and the means to self-realization. Here in his own original discourses, as well as in his English renderings of Abhinavagupta and Kshemarāja, he unveils the essential teachings of this yoga philosophy. He reveals the tantric understanding of the purpose and reason for creation. He offers instruction on the greatness and importance of the supreme mantra sauh. In his presentation of effective practice he explains why meditation is both effortless and, at the same time, difficult. In his discussion of discipline he clarifies  why personal habits and dispositions play an important part in spiritual growth. Finally, in his unveiling of the path of Kundalini yoga, he is intent on exposing and thereby preserving this hidden elevated process while warning of its pitfalls.

From the Foreword (p. xxviii):

” Swami Lakshmanjoo traces his lineage back to the great Kashmir Śaiva polymath Abhinavagupta (tenth-eleventh centuries C.E.) and beyond. Śaivism had flourished in the Kashmir Valley for several centuries before the time of Abhinavagupta, and it continued to thrive for several hundred years after. The nondual Śaiva teaching was passed down through illustrious preceptors such as Somānanda (tenth century C.E,), his pupil Utpaladeva, and Utpaladeva’s pupil Lakshmanagupta, who  – as mentioned above – was one of Abhinavagupta’s preceptors. Also worthy of mention are Kshemarāja (eleventh century), a disciple of Abhinavagupta, and Jayaratha (twelfth century), who commented on the great master’s masterpiece, the tantrāloka. “

By Ianthe H. Hoskins.

28 Pages | First edition 1969, 3rd reprint 2002 , Adyar Mini| Softcover | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 8170592003.

From the Foreword:

” To study yoga without attempting to translate it into practice is like studying the technique of car driving without ever taking the car from the garage. Yoga is a practical science, and its value to the student can be appreciated only when the theoretical study is translated into experience. The questions and notes which follow may provide a starting-point for those, who feel the need of some simple and precise suggestions in applying what they have studied to everyday life. “

The notes in this Adyar Mini Booklet are intended as an introduction to the deeper study of the Yoga Sutra-s of Patañjali available in various translations. For further reading, The Still Mind by Roy Agard and Rāja Yoga – A Practical Course by Wallace Slater, are recommended.

By Robert Ellwood, vertaald door Marijke Koekoek.

240 Pagina’s | Eerste editie 1986, Theosophical Publishing House, Nederlandse vertaling 1994 | Soft cover | Kosmos – Z&K Uitgevers, Utrecht / Antwerpen. | ISBN: 9021522586.

De theosofische opvattingen over de schepping hebben in de loop van ruim een eeuw de aandacht en sympathie verworven van een nog steeds groeiend aantal mensen over de hele wereld. Er verschijnen steeds vaker boeken over reïncarnatie, karma, evolutie, de Eenheid van alle leven, de cyclische aard van de schepping en het mysterie van het bewustzijn. Allemaal begrippen die mede door de theosofische school zijn ontwikkeld.

Dat juist in onze tijd de belangstelling voor deze uiterst tolerante leer opnieuw krachtig groeit, heeft niet alleen alles te maken met de huidige drang van de mens naar dieper inzicht in zichzelf, maar ook met de modernste ontwikkelingen op wetenschappelijk gebied die tot inzichten leiden die vaak sterk verwant lijken met de spirituele opvattingen van de theosofen.

Uit Hoofdstuk 4 – ‘Op het Pad’ (p. 139):

Met een kenmerkende theosofische nadruk onderstreept Leadbeater het belang van dienstbaarheid. In het hoofdstuk over de Proeftijd haalt hij een Meester aan:

” Ik weet dat het enige doel in je leven het dienen van de Broederschap is; vergeet niettemin niet dat er hogere stappen voor je liggen, en dat er om vooruitgang op het Pad te boeken wakkere oplettendheid nodig is. Je moet niet alleen bereid zijn te dienen, je moet altijd uitkijken naar gelegenheden – nee gelegenheden scheppen – om in kleine dingen behulpzaam te zijn, zodat wanneer het groter werk komt, je dit niet over het hoofd zult zien. (p. 81). “

By Darshani Deane.

229 Pages | A Quest Original 1989 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835606449.

Whether your tradition is Christian, Judaic, Buddhist, or something else – your life is a jourmey. Knowingly or unknowingly, we are all going Home. Being human is a process. Yet behind it lies the goal we seek. Your first questions:

• Where do you stand on the Path?
• How far have you come?
• What obstacles fight your progress?
• Do your shadows of anger, attachments, fear, ego, guilt, impatience, indecision or jealousy eclipse your inner Light?

Your second questions Do you lack know-how to still your flow of restless thoughts (without drugs), meditate, and dispel negative emotions – not by repression or expression, but by release? And your third questions: Is your meditative goal clear? Do you understand and love self, God, or the state of being you want to experience? Is your means of attainment clear? Do you meditate in the morning and then leave your meditation on your coat hanger?

These pages will bridge the chasm between your spiritual and secular life. They will help you to bring your meditation into the office, classroom, and supermarket. The author translates arcane secrets of self-transformation into kitchen language and breaks down one obstacle after another on your Path to Enlightenment.

From Part I – ‘Getting Out of Your Own Way’ (p.5):

” There is something dearer than wealth, dearer than family, dearer than life. That dearest something is your own Self, the Indweller of all beings. That all-pervading Essence is hidden in all names and forms like butter in milk and electricity in a wire. That inner Self whom the mind does not know but who knows the mind is your higher Self, Pure Consciousness. Attainment of That is called Self-Realisation. That is the goal of human birth. “

By Radha S. Burnier (1923 – 2013).

62 Pages | First edition 1971, first reprint 1980, 2nd reprint 1984, 3rd reprint 1993, 2nd edition 2000 | Softcover | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 8170594189.

The Blavatsky Lecture – delivered at the Annual Convention of the Theosophical Society in England, 26th May 1979.

‘To reach Nirvana one must reach Self-knowledge and Self-knowledge is of loving deeds the child’.

Progress in Theosophy is the journey from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light, from death to immortality. The beginning of that progress is in understanding that the infinite cannot be known by the finite. The imperishable cannot be found by involvement in the perishable and the compounded. The study of Theosophy in the true sense is the study not only of Theosophical literature; it is the study of the book of life, the observation of human nature, the contemplation of Nature and the phenomena of the created world in such a way that there is a sense of the One Existence.

From page 58:

Freedom from Attachment

” The unlimited creative power of consciousness can operate only when the limitation of attachment ends and identification is not made with objects. In  freedom from attachment, there is the discovery of another of the eternal values inherent in consciousness. Since in the absence of inward freedom the other absolute values are incapable of flowering, spiritual liberation has been spoken of in the East, as the fundamental aim of human existence. “

Door Radha S. Burnier (1923 – 2013).

87 Pages | First edition 1985, second reprint 2005 | Softcover | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 8170592763.

‘Within you is the light of the world- the only light that can be shed upon the Path. If you are unable to perceive it within you, it is useless to look for it elsewhere’.

The destiny of the human being is to travel on a path leading to perfection. the Upanishad says this spiritual path is like ‘the sharp edge of a razor, difficult to cross and hard to tread. A teacher or a guru may at best give a hint or indicate the direction of the path, but the aspirant has to tread the path by himself.

This little volume describes the nature of the path, the qualifications needed, and the pitfalls encountered. As the theosophical classic Light on the Path says: ‘Each man is to him- or herself absolutely the way, the truth and the life’.

From Page 56:

” One of the greatest of Masters, the Lord Buddha, said: ‘Be a lamp unto yourself.’ He taught: do not make an authority out of tradition, the Scriptures, other people, or me; find out for yourself what is the truth. The importance of enquiry (vichāra) is emphasized also in Vedānta. “

By Coleston Brown.

171 Pages | First edition, 2007 | Paperback | Theosophical Publishing House, Wheaton | ISBN: 9780835608558

Linking Magic with Christianity is less controversial than som may think, says Coleston Brown. All spiritual traditions are potentially magical in containing myths and symbols that enable the mediation of energies between levens of reality. And mediation by its very nature brings about change. To speak of ”Magical Christianity,” then, refers to the use of certain potent Christian symbols as a means to self-transformation and spiritual service.

When studying with Gareth Knight—renowned authority on Qabalistic magic—Brown became fascinated by how specific Christian symbols also appear in esoteric traditions worldwide. He later explored these images using special methods of ritual and inner vision. Here he makes that experience available to you, explaining the esoteric meaning of symbols such as:
– the cross                  – the center            – the chalice
– the three realms    – the holy fire        – the wheel of life

This edition also includes new material on the Divine Feminine. On the CD, Brown narrates the experiential meditations given in each chapter to guide you more deeply into the renewing power of the imagery.

”Magic is an age-old means of using the imagination in a self-transformative way, and applying it to the symbolism of mystical Christianity has startling potential. Brown brings the two together to safe and rewarding effect. This is practical mysticism and enlightened magic in formidable combination!”
— Gareth Knight, author of Experience of the Inner Worlds

By Annie Besant (1847 – 1933).

111 Pages | First Adyar Edition, 12th reprint 2015 | Hardcover | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | ISBN: 9788170590972.

This book is the first in a series of manuals intended to meet the need for a simple exposition of Theosophy. It describes in clear terms the seven aspects of man’s nature based on theosophical precepts. Its aim is to lead the casual enquirer to a deeper study of the philosophy, science and religion of Theosophy and ultimately to a realization of the central objective of the Society, the Brotherhood of man and the possibility of spiritual growth.

From page 2:

” Man, according to the Theosophical teachings, is a sevenfold being, or, in the usual phrase, has a septenary constitution. Putting it in another way, man’s nature has seven aspects, may be studied from seven different points of view, is composed of seven principles. The clearest and best way of all in which to think of man is to regard him as one, the Spirit or true Self; this belongs to the highest region of the universe, and is universal, the same for all: it is a ray of God, a spark from the divine fire. This is to become an individual, reflecting the divine perfection, a son that grows into the likeness of his father. “

By Annie Besant (1847 – 1933).

9 Pages |Reprint, 1961 | Booklet | Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar | No ISBN.

 ” In the early days of Christianity, ere the mass of te unlearned had crushed out the Gnostic minority; ere the loss of the teaching of Reïncarnation had attached the everlasting fate of man to his conduct during a few brief years on earth; in those early days the word SALVATION had a grandiose meaning. It meant that the man who was saved possessed the knowledge of God which is Eternal Life; it meant that he had overcome death and achieved immortality; it meant that he had become a pillar in the Temple of God, to go out in reïncarnation no more […] “

By Annie Besant (1847 – 1933)

158 Pages | 1983 | Paperback | Quest Books, Wheaton | ISBN: 9780835605748

Spirituality never ages. This little volume contains lectures held in 1895, but which are as relevant today as then, if not more so. A Temple on a Mountain top is described. It is encircled by courts, quite similar to the concentric courtyards (prakāram) of a Hindu temple. Aspirants are climbing up the ‘Mountain of Evolution’ and waiting in the enclosure outside the Temple – ‘The Outer Court’. None are in the Outer Court save those who have definitely dedicated themselves to service. Much has to be accomplished in the Outer Court, classified by the author as purification, thought control, character building, spiritual alchemy and ‘On the Threshold’. These are to be practised simultaneously, sincerely and continuously.

By Prof. John Allan.

175 Pages | Softcover | First published in 1986 | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 0835606031.

‘ One man’s journey into the heart of all that lives’.

The book takes the form of Prof. John Allan’s diary entries over the course of a year showing how it is possible to escape from the confines of the world of matter and open oneself to the profound and timeless Love of the world of Spirit. It is a supremely practical book which, among other things, will make clear how illness is caused and how you, like the author, can heal yourself. It also deals with such issues as overcoming grief and conquering the fear of death. Furthermore, it enables you to see what keeps you from feeling the joy that is inherent in life and from experiencing the love that is everyone’s birthright. These and many other problems in living (and dying) yield to the overwhelming presence of Spirit.

In this book, John Allan, in prose as pellucid as the mountain streams he frequents, beckons you to follow him into the world of Spirit and to learn for yourself how Spirit works – and how it can work for you. Can any of us afford not take this journey at some time in our life? You are fortunate to have a guide like John Allan to help illuminate your Way.

From page 12:

Tuesday May 10, 1983:

” The ‘way’ one uses to find God doesn’t really matter unless we get focused on the way and make that our truth. What does matter is the losing of self. And if this comes through prayer, church, or other means, then so be it; for the life we find when having lost self will teach us, show us better to be with that Life. Thus there will come a time when the way will drop away, for the experiencing of Spirit and its life will be sufficient. “

By Doug Alderson.

292 Pages | Published in 2007 | Softcover | Quest Books, U.S.A. | ISBN: 9780835608510.

We are all seekers… Some find their path on pilgrimage to the Mahabodhi Temple in India or the Haji Ali mausoleum as they embark on a journey to Mecca. Others find God at the burial site of St. James in the Cathedral de Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

Author and environmentalist Doug Alderson meets ’the Great Spirit’ through the ancient spiritual practice of walking. The Vision Keepers is the compelling true story of a seeker who, under the guidance of Bear Heart, a Muskogee Creek Indian and Medicine Man, finds unity with our nation’s native people and reconnects with the earth through profound and mysterious means.

From the Epilogue (p. 260 & 261):

” The Hopi, along with traditional people worldwide, believe it is their role to uphold global balance through their ceremonies and lifestyles. As tribal life has eroded, the hefty burden has fallen on fewer and fewer people. It is now up to everyone, through prayers, thoughts, and actions, to share the responsibility of keeping life in harmonious synchronisation. To create a peaceful and beautiful world for the unborn is perhaps our highest purpose. A great adventure lies ahead, one that will present us with critical choices and challenges. I pray that we will adhere to that old Quaker adage slightly altered, to ‘live simply so that others – and the earth’s creatures – may simply live. “