Quest Magazine

VOLUME 109, NUMBER 3

CONTENTS

Beyond Spiritual Struggle
Glen Kezwer

Questions That Cause Unnecessary Talking
David Trull

Filling the Hole in the Soul
Sue Prescott

Learning to Love My Fate
Dustin Grinnell

Saturn: The  Key Karmic Challenge in the Horoscope
 Ray Grasse

From the Editor's Desk
Richard Smoley

Viewpioint: Growth and Spiritual Struggle
Barbara Hebert

Members' Forum: The Drama of Spiritual Struggle
Stephan A. Hoeller

Printed in the  Spring 2020  issue of Quest magazine. 
Citation: Hebert, Barbara, "Viewpoint: Initiation into the One " Quest 108:2, pg 12-13

Barbara Hebert
President

Initiation is a topic of fascination to many. We may reasonably wonder about the basis for such interest. Some individuals may want to receive initiation in order to acquire power or knowledge, hoping to learn the secrets of the universe or acquire psychic or supernatural abilities. On the other hand, perhaps the fascination runs much deeper. It may be because on some level we recognize that, as souls, we are on a spiritual journey and have an inner awareness that there is much more to us and to our journey than simply this physical life.

Annie Besant writes about initiation:

It means an expansion of consciousness. Initiation itself is a certain series of events through which the [hu]man passes; actual events and experiences taking a certain amount of time, not a vague indefinite series of feelings, but actual communications and thoughts and actions gone through by a [hu]man out of the physical body, in the presence of a great assembly of the Masters. The result is that the [hu]man becomes conscious of a new world, as though some great new sense had been given . . . which opened . . . a new world . . . As a [hu]man born blind might know the world by hearing, taste, touch, but if [the] eyes were opened would see a new world . . . not dreamed of stretching around . . . on every side, so is it with the [hu]man who, having passed through the great ceremony of Initiation, comes back into [the] body, into the mortal world . . . Another world is around [the individual], a new phase of consciousness belongs to [that person]. [The person] sees, where before [s/he] was blind. [The person] knows, where before [s/he] only hoped or guessed. 

The teachings of Theosophy indicate that our spiritual journey will allow us—or perhaps more accurately, push us—to grow, thus increasing our sense of personal and universal awareness. As we travel the spiritual path, every time we surmount an obstacle we grow a tiny bit. Eventually these tiny bits of growth combine to bring us to a totally new stage of consciousness.

Geoffrey Hodson writes:

When we are conscious solely in this . . . material and mortal aspect of our nature, we are temporarily unconscious of both our divinity and unity with God. As our evolution proceeds, we gradually rediscover this lost knowledge of oneness with the Deity. This is the ultimate secret of life. The salvation of [humanity], following [its] so-called fall, is an ascent into full experience of the fact that God’s image lies at [each hu]man’s very core.

For the goal of human evolution is the standard of perfection described in Christianity as “the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” This implies the attainment of a divine state of omnipotence—or perfected and resistless will; of omnipresence—or perfected and all-embracing love; and of omniscience—or perfected and all-inclusive knowledge. Furthermore, and most importantly, the attainment of this perfection is absolutely certain for every person. 

Put simply, initiation, as described in much of the literature, is an expansion of consciousness. This expansion provides a greater understanding, not just from a cognitive perspective but also from an experiential one, of the unity of all beings. It seems to me that the true wisdom gained through each successive initiation pertains to the reality of the essential unity of all life. We are not separate from one another, as we appear to be; rather we are like the various colors that are dispersed when a white light shines through a prism. We look like different aspects, but at our root we emanate from the One Being.

At this point in our lives, we may understand the concept of the unity of all life intellectually; that is, we have the knowledge in our physical brains, and we believe it. But with each successive initiation, the cognitive component slips away until we fully experience the reality of what it means to be one with all others.

It is difficult to imagine how glorious it must be to experience unity, if only because the personality and the physical brain are not part of that experience. Initiation goes beyond the physical realm into the realm of the soul and ultimately into the realm of the One, thus empowering, even compelling, us to dedicate ourselves more deeply to working for humanity.

When we talk about working for humanity, we are talking about raising the consciousness of all beings. At the same time, as I have mentioned in previous Viewpoints, in order to work for humanity, we must work on ourselves. As we change and grow in conscious awareness through observation and effort, we are impacting all of humanity. As one unified whole, any time one aspect changes, the whole must change, even minutely. As each of us makes tiny changes in our consciousness, we are changing all of humanity, even though our contribution is so infinitesimally small that we can’t see it.

With each increase in consciousness, we gain a greater sense of responsibility. More awareness equals more obligation. As we begin to see the world more clearly, we also begin to see our responsibility more clearly. This responsibility ultimately requires self-sacrifice. The self is sacrificed because it disappears. There is no self—there is only one whole. Initiation is giving up the self, bit by bit, until at the final initiation, there is no longer a sense of a separate self; there is only a sense of the One.

Therefore an individual looking toward initiation in order to gain knowledge or power may find it, but perhaps not with the anticipated outcome. What is truly received through various initiations is the recognition of our obligation to serve humanity. The knowledge gained is the increasing experience and awareness of the unity of life. The power gained is the loss of the separate self and all of the personal attachments of that separate self.

As Hodson indicates, all of us will ultimately experience initiations, as well as the expansion of consciousness inherent in them. It will happen at some point. Desiring initiation would seemingly slow the process rather than expedite it. On the other hand, an intentional focus on personal growth while helping others as much as possible would accelerate the movement.

Theosophists are encouraged to study, meditate, and serve. We are encouraged to listen to our own inner voice and use our discernment as we walk the spiritual path. The thoughts expressed here are simply my reflections at this point in time. I’m wondering about yours. What are your thoughts about initiation and movement on the spiritual path?

Sources

Besant, Annie. Initiation: The Perfecting of Man, Chicago: Theosophical Press, 1923.

Hodson, Geoffrey. “The Spiritual Self and Its Goal of Perfection”; https://theosophy.world/resource/articles/spiritual-self-and-its-goal-perfection; accessed Jan. 5. 2020.

Supernormal: Science, Yoga, and the Evidence for Extraordinary Psychic Abilities

Dean Radin
New York: Deepak Chopra Books, 2013. 369 + xxiii pages, paper, $14.

Scientific explorations of human potential often focus on technological and chemical enhancements to the human body, leaving the cultivation of our natural capabilities as mere hints of what can be altered through artificial means. In Dean Radin's latest offering, Supernormal: Science, Yoga, and the Evidence for Extraordinary Psychic Abilities, the veteran psychical researcher brings us back to the self as the starting point for investigation. He comes up with surprising evidence that a journey inward may reap more rewards than anything that conventional science can offer us.

Radin has three previous works under his belt, but this is his most provocative book yet, delving into the deeper implications of psychical research for self and society. Supernormal explores some of the exciting conclusions that can be drawn from the extensive peer-reviewed research and tears apart the misconceptions and misrepresentations that are common in the skeptical subculture. Radin doesn't tease us with a weak-kneed appraisal of what can be understood from over a century's worth of accumulated data. Instead he makes a full-scale assault on commonly held assumptions that limit us from embracing the radical possibilities of human existence.

While Radin's previous books have covered similar ground, this work, framed around an exploration of the Hindu and Buddhist siddhis (extreme abilities and states of consciousness reported by advanced yogic practitioners), provides a unique connecting point to the cross-cultural dialogues that are being fostered by the Dalai Lama with Western scientists. As Radin points out, these powers are commonly reported in all major religions: "Tales of supernormal mental powers are not unique to the yogic tradition. Most of the same abilities are described in Catholicism as chrisms and in Islam as karamats. In Judaism, nahash or divination may be practiced by a zaddik [holy man] . . . All shamanistic traditions are saturated with such tales." Experiences assigned by academics to the realm of legend, myth, and hagiography may in fact bring us closer to what we are at the very core of our reality.

Supernormal provides a solid starting point for bridging between ancient and contemporary understandings of the world and to evaluate the reality of esoteric and so-called "occult" doctrines. Telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, and psychokinesis are all examined in light of their exposition in Eastern sutras as well as in scientific data. We are also treated to examinations of abilities such as bilocation, teleportation, manifestation of physical objects, and other feats that seem to stretch credibility to the utmost limit. While careful in his analysis of each claim, Radin emphasizes that in the traditional sutras, these abilities are not presented as wholly metaphorical but are given as literal powers that can be attained through advanced practice.

Balancing between his scientific examination and the incredible potentials described in works such as the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and Avatamsaka Sutra, or Flower Ornament Scriptures, Radin is able to evoke a wonderful sense of possibility without ever falling into fantasy or gross speculation. He maintains this delicate balance even when he takes us into evidence that the universe's very structure may support something akin to the reality expressed in popular works such as Rhonda Byrne's The Secret. Hence our participation in reality may go much deeper than crude manipulations of the material realm.

Readers familiar with esoteric doctrine will be delighted to find within Supernormal a well-organized apology (in the classic sense) that utilizes Western science to open up the reality of the hidden realms of human potential. Those whose interest lies in more scientific areas will find in the book a powerful means of taking their inquiries into the far-reaching realities that outshine popular materialism and skeptical mythmaking. At the time of writing for this review, Supernormal is currently ranked as the number one best-seller in its category for two weeks in a row by Nielsen BookScan, and is holding a high ranking on Amazon as well, showing that Radin has touched on a deep need within our culture. In doing so, he will hopefully provide one more key to understanding ourselves and our society in a way that can lead to greater growth and fulfillment of who and what we truly are.

David Metcalfe

David Metcalfe writes the "Psi in the News" column for the Reality Sandwich Web site. Dean Radin will be a featured speaker at the Theosophical Society's Summer National Convention in July 2014.  

Adi Parva: Churning of the Ocean

Amruta Patil
New York: Harper Collins, 2012. 276 pp., hardcover, $64.75.

Epics form such a precious place in our lives. We grow up with them. In the beginning, they are stories that we go to sleep with. Then we grow older, and they become pathways for our lives, a beacon in our dilemmas and a guiding star in our dark nights.

The Mahabharata is one of the two major epics of ancient India, the Ramayana being the other. The story of a conflict between good and evil and of blessings and curses, the Mahabharata comprises eighteen parvas (chapters), of which Adi Parva is the first. The first thing I noticed about this book is that it says, "via Amruta Patil" and not "by Amruta Patil." A unique depiction of the stories from the Adi Parva in the graphic medium, it is the first of a trilogy of graphic novels we will receive from her. "The conclave of creators is a crowded space," she writes, and she too has entered the conclave of retellers of this epic story. 

Many versions exist of the Mahabharata (including a famous Indian TV series that brought all activities to a stop when it was shown). For those that grew up as children in India, the one that is most memorable is the one told at bedtime by our grandmothers. The amazing thing about the origin of Patil's book is that she was not born in a traditional family. There was no storytelling granny whispering in her ear at bedtime, she says in one interview. So her journey into the Mahabharata was a solitary one, which she started at age twenty-one. Her discoveries were original ones and not tainted or colored by other views and impressions. "It was like taking off layers of wallpaper and seeing how the walls were like," she says. She felt a connection with the tales of Mahabharata, and therein perhaps lies the seed for this work.

Is the Mahabharata a story to be read? Not really. It is a story to be heard, and now Patil has introduced us to a story that is to be experienced visually, to be seen through the eyes of a new observer. The graphic novel genre in India is in the hands of a niche readership (ages eighteen to thirty-five, English-speaking). It is new and not something readers have been brought up on. It is still experimental, with rules being formed as the writers go  along. Hence we have to drop our preconceived notions of the epic and see it fresh in this book.

Patil learned how to paint for this book. She worked on it as a part of residency at La Maison des Auteurs in Angoulame, France, through a grant from the French embassy in New Delhi. It was like a "room of her own" for her. "I wasn't looking for a feat of friends. I needed safety, solitude, stability, and sanctuary . . . and had that for one charmed year," she says. She did not throw away a single page, painting over as much as she could. The text and the paintings intermingle, the images effortlessly changing from watercolor to charcoal to pencil. It is a gorgeous work.

I am not sure how traditionalists will look at Patil's work, but she is faithful to the essence of the story while being unencumbered by traditional expressions. Reading, or rather experiencing, this book, I felt that she has lived up to her responsibility. As a narrator in the book says, "In any case you are not held captive by old narratives. Tales must be tilled like the land so they keep breathing. The only thing you owe allegiance to is the essence." We find here in Adi Parva via Amruta Patil a tale that is alive and vibrant. It is a visual joy. Read it slowly. Don't be in a hurry to turn the page.

Dhananjay Joshi

The reviewer, a professor of statistics, has studied Hindu, Zen, and vipassana meditation for the past forty-five years. He is a regular contributor to the Indian periodical Lokmat.