I need help with Blavatsky 'Secret Doctrine'

I hope somebody can help me understand this.

This is from Book II, Part II, 'Archaic Symbolism Of The World-Religions', Section XXV, sub-section 'The Septenary In The Exoteric Works'. I have the 1999 photographic facsimile of the original edition of 1888, ISBN 1-55700-002-6.

Look in The Secret Doctrine, Volume 2, page 612, the note at the bottom of the page.

Keeping in mind that Dhruva (now Alpha) is the Pole-Star, and that the celestial porpoise Sisumara is Ursa Minor.... Blavatsky writes,

''Therefore it is said in the Puranas that the view of Dhruva at night, and of the celestial porpoise 'expiates whatever sin has been committed during the day.' The fact is that the rays of the four stars in the circle of perpetual apparition -- the Agni, Mahendra, Kasyapa, and Dhruva, placed in the tail of Ursa Minor -- focused in a certain way and on a certain object produce extraordinary results. The astro-magians of India will understand what is meant.''

Ah-ha! I need a response from one of the astro-magians of India. Please. This is really stuck in my brain. Has this something to do with holding one's hand up to the sky at night? I just don't get it. What is the extraordinary result?

The phrase ''circle of perpetual apparition'' and the reference to the old Pole Star is obviously referring to a very, very, very long time. The Aryan Hindus that Blavatsky considers the oldest watchers must have been watching for a mind boggling amount of time. She claims somewhere between 7 and 8 million years elsewhere in the book. Think about that for a moment. 7 or 8 million years. ?!!


[edit on 9-1-2010 by Cabaret Voltaire]

One website says ''In Hindu mythology, the Pole Star is Dhruva (the word means pole today).''

On other websites, I have found different Dhruvas throughout time....


1. Thuban (Alpha Draconis). It is in the constellation Draco (the seven-headed dragon). Some cultures would say the constellation Draco is a man-eating serpent called Azhdeha. Others say Draco is an alligator known as Shi-shu-mara.

2. Kochab (Beta Ursae Minoris). Actually Ketu (Kappa Draconis), the Dragon's Tail, was the nearest star to the North Celestial Pole visible to the naked eye, but its much brighter neighbor Kochab (Beta Ursae Minoris) was considered the pole star during that time.

3. Polaris (Alpha Ursae Minoris). This is the present day pole star in the constellation Ursa Minor (the little bear, some say the wing of the dragon Draco).

4. Alrai (Gamma Cephei).

5. Alvahat (Iota Cephei).

6. Alderamin (Alpha Cephei).

7. Vega in the constellation Lyra (one website has this to say about it.... ''Lyra is thought to represent the harp of Orpheus. On older sky maps Lyra is represented as a bird: Vultur, the Vulture. Together with Cygnus, the Swan, and Aquila, the Eagle, it is hunted by Hercules. Another story says that Mercury invented the lyre by placing strings across the back of a tortoise shell. So sometimes in early descriptions this constellation is also drawn as a tortoise.'' [ my note: Mercury is the messenger of the Gods, maybe he is 'harping' on about something or other, and telegraphing a story or something. A tortoise moves very slowly so maybe the message is moving very slowly. ]

So these are all ''Dhruva'' (?) in different time periods.
Are there any other Dhruvas?

I will have to find out what exactly is Agni, Mahendra, and Kasyapa also.

Polaris is in the tail of Ursa Minor, or the tip of the handle of the Little Dipper. I read something that was talking about the constellation ''wheeling'' around the axis of the Earth. Ursa Major, the Big Dipper is very near and it is ''wheeling'' around the axis of the Earth. Obviously, EVERY constellation is ''wheeling'' around the axis of the Earth from our Earthly perspective.

So is the Little Dipper the ''wheel within a wheel'' of the Big Dipper? Also I found out that if you imagine the axis of the Earth to be the trunk of a tree (a tree of Earthly life) then you can think of Draco, the dragon or serpent, as being wrapped around this tree (up there, wheeling around the pole star). The ''apples'' would be other stars in the constellation. The story is similar to the snake in the Garden of Eden living up in the apple tree of life. But what is the real meaning of these star stories other than the ''oh, wow!'' factor? Is this all simply ''science'' of old? Is this really navigational science that wise men used to explore their world?

The only object I can think of is a hand. You have four fingers and there are four stars in the tail of Ursa Minor. If you line up your four fingers with the four stars in the Little Dipper does your thumb indicate something useful? This is driving me crazy.

Oh this is sick! Look at this....

Alkaid is the last star in the tail of the big bear, Ursa Major, the Big Dipper.
Alkaid was known as "the destroyer of nations" by Islamic astrologers.

WTF?!!!

Tonight I remembered a game I had on my Atari 2600, a simple little game called Polaris Versus Bomber. It dawned upon me that what we have going on here in real life is Polaris vs Bomber. While Draco slithers around up there in the World Tree above the North Pole, Polaris in the tail of the Little Bear is being chased around by Alkaid in the tail of the Big Bear. Of course Polaris chases after Alkaid also. It's Star Wars. Polaris vs Bomber.

Is there any ''secret society'' teachings other than Blavatsky's telling of Aryan Hindu stories within the context of her Theosophy, and other than the Judaic, Christian and Muslim stories told by the big three religions? It seems like everybody has been talking about the star pictures since time began. Does anybody have any info from their group initiations?

Not sure if this is relevant but Ursa , the constellation , use to be represented by a herd of sheep and not the Bear as we know it today .

One book that you may find interesting , The Witness of the Stars (Paperback)
~ Ethelbert W. Bullinger .

But to your question of the relevance of the 4 stars I would be interested in hearing the context in which it reference was used . My guess would be , based on the info provided , would represent a timing indicator of some sort . Possible reference to a perceived holy day ?
Sorry I couldn't offer up much help but I will dig out my copy of Blavatsky as well as a very cool book that I have on ancient astronomy later on today and see if I can find more info .

I will say in closing , Could this passage from the bible .... " 1. Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. 2. Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. 3. And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. "
Be making reference to the " fall " of the constellation Draco from its position as pole star ?


[edit on 20-1-2010 by Max_TO]

Also we must consider the location of the observers of these stars as depending on the location of the observer would also play a factor with regards to these stars rising as well as there position in the sky when they were rising . Once again it might be making reference to a special day and indication of a changing season or beginning of a holy time .

Anyway , good question and I will hit the books later today and see if I can find anything helpful .

[edit on 20-1-2010 by Max_TO]

Originally posted by Cabaret Voltaire
I hope somebody can help me understand this.

This is from Book II, Part II, 'Archaic Symbolism Of The World-Religions', Section XXV, sub-section 'The Septenary In The Exoteric Works'. I have the 1999 photographic facsimile of the original edition of 1888, ISBN 1-55700-002-6.

Look in The Secret Doctrine, Volume 2, page 612, the note at the bottom of the page.

Keeping in mind that Dhruva (now Alpha) is the Pole-Star, and that the celestial porpoise Sisumara is Ursa Minor.... Blavatsky writes,

''Therefore it is said in the Puranas that the view of Dhruva at night, and of the celestial porpoise 'expiates whatever sin has been committed during the day.' The fact is that the rays of the four stars in the circle of perpetual apparition -- the Agni, Mahendra, Kasyapa, and Dhruva, placed in the tail of Ursa Minor -- focused in a certain way and on a certain object produce extraordinary results. The astro-magians of India will understand what is meant.''

Ah-ha! I need a response from one of the astro-magians of India. Please. This is really stuck in my brain. Has this something to do with holding one's hand up to the sky at night? I just don't get it. What is the extraordinary result?

The phrase ''circle of perpetual apparition'' and the reference to the old Pole Star is obviously referring to a very, very, very long time. The Aryan Hindus that Blavatsky considers the oldest watchers must have been watching for a mind boggling amount of time. She claims somewhere between 7 and 8 million years elsewhere in the book. Think about that for a moment. 7 or 8 million years. ?!!


[edit on 9-1-2010 by Cabaret Voltaire]

THE SECRET DOCTRINE:
THE SYNTHESIS
OF
SCIENCE, RELIGION, AND PHILOSOPHY.
by
H. P. BLAVATSKY,
Author of "ISIS UNVEILED."



"There is no Religion higher than Truth."

Vol. I. — COSMOGENESIS. 3116 KB
Vol. II — ANTHROPOGENESIS. 3523 KB
—SCANNED AND EDITED TO —

A FACSIMILE OF THE ORIGINAL EDITION OF 1888
THE THEOSOPHY COMPANY
LOS ANGELES CALIF.
This electronic version of The Secret Doctrine follows the pagination and style of the A FACSIMILE OF THE ORIGINAL EDITION OF 1888 except for the footnotes, instead of breaking up the footnotes, that are continued on other pages, due to lack of space, on the pages printed in paper books, we placed all the information for each footnote together on the page of its' origin.
— Editor Theosophy Co. of Arizona 2005

London:
THE THEOSOPHICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY, LIMITED.
7, Duke Street, Adelphi, W.C.
WILLIAM Q. JUDGE,
117, Nassau Street, New York.
THE MANAGER OF THE THEOSOPHIST,
Adyar, Madras.
—
1888.

"Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1888, by H. P. Blavatsky,
in the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington, D. C."


This Work
I Dedicate to all True Theosophists,
In every Country,
And of every Race,
For they called it forth, and for them it was recorded.

THE THEOSOPHY COMPANY
November 17, 1947
PUBLISHERS’ PREFACE

THE Theosophical Movement of the nineteenth century began in 1875. THE SECRET DOCTRINE, first published in 1888, was written by Madame H. P. Blavatsky to establish an authentic record of the teachings of the Theosophical philosophy. “The SECRET DOCTRINE is not,” she said, “a treatise, or a series of vague theories, but contains all that can be given out to the world in this century.” ( I, xxxviii. )

By 1925, fifty years after the inauguration of the Movement in New York City, the original edition had long been out of print. At that time, the mid-point of the centennial cycle of the Theosophical Movement, The Theosophy Company first made available a facsimile edition of Madame Blavatsky’s great work, in the form of a photographic reproduction of the original edition. The present volume is identical with previous printings of the facsimile edition, although from new plates.

Besides the original edition of 1888—the only one authorized by Madame Blavatsky—several other editions of this work have appeared. One of these, the so—called “Third and Revised Edition” of 1893, is marred by many thousands of alterations, some of them trivial, some actual mutilations of the original text. Included in later printings of this so-called “Revised Edition” is a spurious “Third Volume” of THE SECRET DOCTRINE, issued in 1897, six years after the death of H. P. Blavatsky. Compiled from miscellaneous papers found among her effects, this volume forms no part of the original SECRET DOCTRINE written by H.P.B.

The “Third and Revised Edition” was followed by another in 1938, this time in six volumes, called the “Adyar Edition.” Except for additional indexes, a biographical sketch of the author, various typographical changes, and the inclusion of material attempting to justify publication of the spurious “third volume,” this Adyar edition is substantially the same as the earlier “revised” version.

Still another edition of THE SECRET DOCTRINE has been printed from reset type. Except for gratuitous “corrections” of the author’s Sanskrit scholarship, and the addition of irrelevant sectarian matter, this edition is virtually an accurate reproduction of the original text. Its exact authenticity, however, cannot be determined without laborious comparison with the original.

The genuine SECRET DOCTRINE has only two volumes. While, as originally written, THE SECRET DOCTRINE was to be published in four volumes, only two volumes were given to the printer by H.P.B. The remaining two volumes, although complete, or nearly complete, were withheld by her for reasons clearly indicated at the close of the second volume of the original edition. (ii, 798.)

With the present printing of THE SECRET DOCTRINE, The Theosophy Company continues its function of providing students and inquirers with unaltered editions of the original literature of the Theosophical Movement. The two volumes of the original edition are here bound in one for the convenience of students; otherwise, this edition is a perfect facsimile of the original edition and can be relied upon as such.
November 17, 1947
THE THEOSOPHY COMPANY


H.P.B. London, October, 1888.
PREFACE.
—————

THE Author — the writer, rather — feels it necessary to apologse for the long delay which has occurred in the appearance of this work. It has been occasioned by ill-health and the magnitude of the undertaking. Even the two volumes now issued do not complete the scheme, and these do not treat exhaustively of the subjects dealt with in them. A large quantity of material has already been prepared, dealing with the history of occultism as contained in the lives of the great Adepts of the Aryan Race, and showing the bearing of occult philosophy upon the conduct of life, as it is and as it ought to be. Should the present volumes meet with a favourable reception, no effort will be spared to carry out the scheme of the work in its entirety. The third volume is entirely ready; the fourth almost so.

This scheme, it must be added, was not in contemplation when the preparation of the work was first announced. As originally announced, it was intended that the "Secret Doctrine" should be an amended and enlarged version of "Isis Unveiled." It was, however, soon found that the explanations which could be added to those already put before the world in the last-named and other works dealing with esoteric science, were such as to require a different method of treatment: and consequently the present volumes do not contain, in all, twenty pages extracted from "Isis Unveiled."

The author does not feel it necessary to ask the indulgence of her readers and critics for the many defects of literary style, and the imperfect English which may be found in these pages. She is a foreigner, and her knowledge of the language was acquired late in life. The English tongue is employed because it offers the most widely-diffused medium for conveying the truths which it had become her duty to place before the world.

These truths are in no sense put forward as a revelation; nor does the author claim the position of a revealer of mystic lore, now made public for the first time in the world's history. For what is contained in this work is to be found scattered throughout thousands of volumes embodying the scriptures of the great Asiatic and early European religions, hidden under glyph and symbol, and hitherto left unnoticed because of this veil. What is now attempted is to gather the oldest tenets together and to make of them one harmonious and unbroken whole. The sole advantage which the writer has over her predecessors, is that she need not resort to personal speculations and theories. For this work is a partial statement of what she herself has been taught by more advanced students, supplemented, in a few details only, by the results of her


viii PREFACE.
own study and observation. The publication of many of the facts herein stated has been rendered necessary by the wild and fanciful speculations in which many Theosophists and students of mysticism have indulged, during the last few years, in their endeavour to, as they imagined, work out a complete system of thought from the few facts previously communicated to them.

It is needless to explain that this book is not the Secret Doctrine in its entirety, but a select number of fragments of its fundamental tenets, special attention being paid to some facts which have been seized upon by various writers, and distorted out of all resemblance to the truth.

But it is perhaps desirable to state unequivocally that the teachings, however fragmentary and incomplete, contained in these volumes, belong neither to the Hindu, the Zoroastrian, the Chaldean, nor the Egyptian religion, neither to Buddhism, Islam, Judaism nor Christianity exclusively. The Secret Doctrine is the essence of all these. Sprung from it in their origins, the various religious schemes are now made to merge back into their original element, out of which every mystery and dogma has grown, developed, and become materialised.

It is more than probable that the book will be regarded by a large section of the public as a romance of the wildest kind; for who has ever even heard of the book of Dzyan?

The writer, therefore, is fully prepared to take all the responsibility for what is contained in this work, and even to face the charge of having invented the whole of it. That it has many shortcomings she is fully aware; all that she claims for it is that, romantic as it may seem to many, its logical coherence and consistency entitle this new Genesis to rank, at any rate, on a level with the "working hypotheses" so freely accepted by modern science. Further, it claims consideration, not by reason of any appeal to dogmatic authority, but because it closely adheres to Nature, and follows the laws of uniformity and analogy.

The aim of this work may be thus stated: 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; 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; finally, to show that the occult side of Nature has never been approached by the Science of modern civilization.

If this is in any degree accomplished, the writer is content. It is written in the service of humanity, and by humanity and the future generations it must be judged. Its author recognises no inferior court of appeal. Abuse she is accustomed to; calumny she is daily acquainted with; at slander she smiles in silent contempt.

De minimis non curat lex.

H.P.B.

London, October, 1888.


TABLE OF CONTENTS.
—————

INTRODUCTION ... xvii.

The Need of such a Book ... xix.
The Antiquity of Documents and MSS. ... xxiii.
What the Book is intended to do ... xxviii.



VOLUME FIRST.
COSMOGENESIS.
PROEM ... 1

The Oldest MSS. in the world and its Symbolism ... 2
The One Life, Active and Passive ... 4
The Secret Doctrine — Pantheism — Atheism ... 6
"Space" in all Religions and in Occultism ... 9
Seven Cosmic Elements — Seven Races of Mankind ... 12
The Three Postulates of the Secret Doctrine ... 14
Description of the Stanzas from the Book of Dzyan ... 20

—————

BOOK I. — PART I.
COSMIC EVOLUTION.
SEVEN STANZAS FROM THE BOOK OF DZYAN ... 27

—————

STANZA I. — THE NIGHT OF THE UNIVERSE... 35

The Seven Eternities ... 36
"Time" ... 37
The Universal Mind and the Dhyan Chohans ... 38
Nidana and Maya: The Causes of Misery ... 39
The Great Breath ... 43
Being and Non-Being ... 45
The Eye of Dangma ... 47
Alaya, the Universal Soul ... 49

X CONTENTS.
STANZA II. — THE IDEA OF DIFFERENTIATION ... 53

The Absolute knows Itself not ... 55
The Germ of Life was not yet ... 57
The Universe was still concealed in the Divine Thought ... 61

—————

STANZA III. — THE AWAKENING OF KOSMOS ... 62

The Great Vibration ... 63
Nature's Symbols ... 65
The Power of Numbers ... 67
The Logoi and the Dragon ... 73
The Astral Light ... 75
Primeval Radiations from Unity ... 79
The Web of Being ... 83
Conscious Electricity: Fohat ... 85

—————

STANZA IV. — THE SEPTENARY HIERARCHIES ... 86

The Sons of the Fire ... 86
The Vehicle of the Universe — the Dhyan Chohans ... 89
The Army of the Voice ... 93
Speech and Mind ... 95
The Ogdoad and the Heptad ... 99
The Stellar "Sons of Light" ... 103

—————

STANZA V. — FOHAT: THE CHILD OF THE SEPTENARY HIERARCHIES ... 106

The Fiery Whirlwind and the Primordial Seven ... 106
They Produce Fohat ... 108
The Correlation of the "Gods" ... 113
Evolution of the "Principles" of Nature ... 119
The Mystery of the Fire ... 121
The Secret of the Elements ... 123
The Square of the Tabernacle ... 125
The Planetary Spirits and the Lipika ... 129
The Ring "Pass Not" ... 130
The Sidereal Book of Life ... 131
The Soul's Pilgrimage and its "Rest" ... 134

—————

STANZA VI.— OUR WORLD, ITS GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT ... 136

The Logos ... 136
Mystery of the Female Logos ... 137

xi CONTENTS.
The Seven Layu Centres ... 138
The "Elementary Germs" ... 139
The Evolution of the Elements ... 140
The Building of the Worlds ... 145
A Neutral Centre ... 147
"Dead" Planets — The Moon ... 149

—————

THEOSOPHICAL MISCONCEPTIONS ... 152

The Planetary Divisions and the Human Principles ... 153
The Moon ... 155
Transmigrations of the Ego ... 159
The Septenary Chain ... 161
Relation of the other Planets to the Earth ... 163

—————

EXPLANATIONS CONCERNING THE GLOBES AND THE MONADS ... 170

The Lunar Chain and the Earth Chain ... 172
The Earth, the Child of the Moon ... 173
Classification of the Monads ... 175
The Monad Defined ... 177
The Lunar Monads—the Pitris ... 179
A Triple Evolution in Nature ... 181

—————

STANZA VI.— CONTINUED ... 191

"Creation" in the Fourth Round ... 191
The "Curse," "Sin," and "War" ... 193
The Struggle for Life and the Birth of the Worlds ... 202
The Adepts and the Sacred Island ... 207

—————

STANZA VII.— THE PARENTS OF MAN ON EARTH ... 213

Divisions of the Hierarchies ... 214
Correlations of Beings ... 223
What incarnates in Animal Man ... 233
Formation of Man: the Thinker ... 238
Occult and Kabalistic Pneumatics ... 243
Akasa and Ether ... 257
The Invisible "Lives" ... 259
Occult Vital Chemistry and Bacteriology ... 261

xii CONTENTS.
The Watcher and his Shadow ... 265
Earth peopled by the Shadows of the Gods ... 267

—————

SUMMING UP ... 269

The pith and marrow of the Secret Doctrine ... 273
Hermes in Christian Garb ... 285
Some Occult Aphorisms ... 289
The Seven Powers of Nature ... 293

reply to post by Cabaret Voltaire


One of the beautiful names of Allah is Destroyer; which must also refer to Destroyer of nations.