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The Theosophical Fellowship Purpose and Objectives The purpose of The Theosophical Fellowship must be to concentrate spiritual and physical energy at all times upon the relief of the world crisis, and to work towards the sanctification of the Earth and humanity. To this end the objectives for which The Theosophical Fellowship is established are:
A Universal Sister and Brotherhood For the student of esoterica, a universal brother-sisterhood is materializing on the physical plane. It consists of many people worldwide who feel that they belong to the Maitreya Sangha. They look towards the Lord Maitreya as the World Teacher, the Bodhisattva, the future Buddha Who is appearing now through human vehicles, individual or groups, and Who is Himself incarnating in 500 years to become the next Buddha of Earth. The Lord Maitreya, who wishes to teach directly some of those who He calls the Children of the Heart, has chosen to do this in The Theosophical Fellowship, of which He is the Inner Director, through the vehicle of Ananda Tara Shan, an avataric messenger who worked closely with the Lord Maitreya and the Avatar of Synthesis. In 1977 the Hierarchy re-connected with Ananda, who had worked as one of its messengers in previous embodiments. Again the work continued, leading Ananda to emigrate from Denmark to Australia in 1982, for the Lord Maitreya wished to create in Australia the future Heartland for the Children of the Heart, who He calls upon to respond to Him at this time in Earth’s evolution. The New Himalaya Retreat The Lord Maitreya has chosen first to use the State of Victoria in which the little town of Daylesford is situated. In Daylesford lies the New Himalaya Retreat, so named by The Theosophical Fellowship to connect with the present abode of the Lord Maitreya in Shigatze in the Himalayas. Daylesford and Glenlyon, a small community outside of Daylesford, will now see different places being built to fit into Master’s Plan for some Children of the Heart to settle in that area, until the time is ready to relocate millions of them to the central area of Australia in 100-200 years. In Daylesford, there now exist Heart Glade, the interim Headquarters and Lamasery where Ananda lived, for family members and visitors, and the Sanctuary of the Heart. In Glenlyon, land has been bought which will eventually become a meditation retreat with a monastery ‘Tashi Lhunpo’ standing on it, when funds are found for this project. The monastery will be an abode for members both married and unmarried who choose to become monks. The land has been named 'Shigatze'. Much work over many years has gone into structuring the Fellowship, trying to implement as much of the plan of the Lord Maitreya as He wishes to be executed regarding the universal brother-sisterhood, the Children of the Heart, and the Way of the Heart. For those who wish to live by spiritual guidelines The Theosophical Fellowship is a brother-sisterhood for those who wish to live by the spiritual guidelines for a Theosophical life, and for those who wish to get to know the Lord Maitreya closely as the ever more manifesting Avatar of the Heart in this age we term the Age of Maitreya, where globally many people shall feel that they belong with the Lord Maitreya. Some call the brother-sisterhood the Maitreya Sangha, but most have no knowledge yet of the Lord Maitreya’s plan. In The Theosophical Fellowship, its two churches are centres for healing and for training of disciples and disciples-to-be. The Church of the Sacred Heart of Maitreya, the Mother Church in Daylesford, is a shrine to the Lord Maitreya’s loving Presence as the global liberator, redeemer, and Wayshower of all human beings and angels. To bring us to the Master within The philosophy of the work is Maitreya Theosophy* – Divine Wisdom taught from the Heart of Lord Maitreya. The aim is to bring those who feel called to it into their own I Am Presence – the Master within. The goal is to bring those who feel called to it to ascension and knowledge of the Self. In order to liberate the human self with love and will, they will be supported in this endeavour by the Lord Maitreya, the Avatar of Will, and the three departments of Shamballa, Hierarchy, and Humanity, with the Masters of Wisdom relating to these departments. Theosophical literature, including Alice Bailey’s books as well as Ananda’s teaching coming directly via overshadowing, is used to instruct and impart the knowledge of Theosophy to the students who find their spiritual home in the Fellowship and to those people who just wish to absorb knowledge without further dedication to the brother-sisterhood. [*For more information about Maitreya Theosophy, please click on this link to the website: www.maitreyatheosophy.org] A practical Theosophical path The Fellowship makes all efforts to impart a liberating and caring view on the practical Theosophical path. It wishes to teach impartially with an understanding of the Seven Rays and how the Seven Rays create differences in soul and in personality, as well as with consideration of soul initiation and level of personality initiation in the mode of training the individual and the group. Wisdom Schools Five schools are offered, usually over a two year cycle:
Tuition in these schools, like all tuition offered by The Theosophical Fellowship in Daylesford and Melbourne, is given free of charge, with only a small administration fee requested, for the Lord Maitreya has specified this directly. The Fellowship exists via donations and some tithing. Festivals The main festivals of Aries, Taurus, and Gemini are all celebrated with bigger services. The other small full moons are celebrated with meditations. As with all spiritual work, there are a number of yearly celebrations where members come together in a joyous spirit and where the consciousness lifts into the Heart of Lord Maitreya, Who embraces all His children with His most gentle beingness. Music Beautiful music is constantly being composed. Songs are written and performed, giving a good indication of deep inspiration from the heart. Many of the members seem to acquire musical or writing skills, which results in lively and interesting activities. Healing Healing fellow beings and healing the Earth are top priority in The Theosophical Fellowship; and in all activities of the Fellowship, members as well as non-members can heal as they are invited to do so by the facilitator. Those who just want to relax and enjoy themselves in their own way can remain seated and work as they wish at any meeting. Freedom...transmutation...service Some keywords of the Fellowship are freedom due to limitlessness in feelings, thoughts, and actions in accordance with the Law; transmutation of karma; and unselfish service. A teacher In the Fellowship some of the members look upon Ananda as their teacher, while others bring in their own teacher, or they have both. All is good if the member strives towards his or her own perfection and is helped in some way by the teacher to reach that perfection. Higher teachers are necessary, for they connect or bring their students to their souls. The loving relationship between a higher teacher and his or her disciples is very meaningful and can hardly be described with words, so beautiful and loving can it be. Unselfish love in manifestation, the love between souls with nothing personal standing in the way. Such love is rarely understood in its holiness, and not at all for those people who think of love according to their own level of feeling. A teacher is a blessing in the life of a human being, and the relationship often lasts over many lives. The roles of the teacher are varied, depending upon the needs and the dharma of the individual. The Lord Maitreya Ananda Tara Shan writes about the Master: Tomorrow is yet another day in Paradise. For that of working for Master is a Paradise. It is such a glorious experience that the heart is like a cup that constantly runneth over. Today is the day where I will learn to love more, to give more, to know more of myself. I live and breathe in His boundlessness, His compassion and His unlimited capacity to make you feel that unconditional loving that is His whole nature:
When He approaches, the hard core around your heart melts, and you kneel down in willing subjugation of your personal will, for in His Will lives the true reality, and all glamour and illusion die away, replaced by true knowing. He is adored. He is the Teacher of all humanity and all angels. I so hope that He will be known as what He is: beautiful, pure, warm and wise, and with many such indescribable virtues and qualities that could fill whole pages with praises of Him, for He is truly God's Great Son, an expression of Solar Logos in a super-human form, for that He is – both form and utterly formless, with an appearance of a human being and with an appearance of a sun that shines with a thousand rays. I wish I could describe Him to you as I feel Him and see Him in my heart. But words desert me when I wish to express Him clothed therein. Suffice to say that He is My Lord Maitreya. Yours and mine – the Christ – and His Love for me and you has no beginning nor end. Like a timeless ocean whose waves roll onto the brightest shore, His voice sweeter than the purest flute, your heart fills up with music more uplifting than the most divine symphonies and you are born again and again in the nectar of His Presence. He is That – the Light that shineth in the darkness. He is That. A global home The Fellowship regards the universal brother-sisterhood as a global home for like-minded people. In this brother-sisterhood, those who look towards the Lord Maitreya and His Masters find a home which warms the heart, stimulates the mind, and makes life worth living. Introduction to Theosophy and Maitreya Theosophy With so many wonderful books about Theosophy, and such a long tradition, it seems presumptuous to write a brief introduction to the topic of the Divine Wisdom. Nonetheless, some readers will first encounter the topic here, and thus we will offer a beginning sketch of Theosophy and Maitreya Theosophy. The word 'Theosophy' means Divine Wisdom. Theosophy refers to the underlying truth, the ancient wisdom, found in all religions and in all philosophies. According to H.P. Blavatsky, founder of the Theosophical Society and prolific writer of Theosophical teachings, Theosophia means 'Wisdom-religion'; it is the 'substratum and basis of all the world-religions and philosophies. . . . In its practical bearing, Theosophy is purely divine ethics' (Theosophical Glossary, 1892, p. 328). What, then, does this Divine Wisdom contain? What is the underlying truth to which it refers? What a huge question. Here we will outline a few of the concepts and ideas, and will hope that if you are interested, you will do further reading (see, for example, Some Suggestions for Beginning to Read the Theosophical Literature). Theosophy describes a spiritual path of evolution of the soul through human life to reunification with Spirit, with God. Through the course of many, many lives, human beings develop consciousness of spirit and gradually learn to live according to principles of goodwill, love, and service. The Law of Karma, the concept that you reap what you sow (also called the Law of Cause and Effect and the Law of Justice), affects each life according to our actions, both good and bad. We must redeem the karma of our bad actions until our debts are paid, until there is harmony between our debts and our credits. We may restore this balance through good actions, through service and self-sacrifice. Just as we have a physical anatomy, so, too, human beings have a spiritual structure of inner bodies and force centres. All life is energy in varying levels of vibration; over time, we learn to use energy of higher and higher vibrations as we purify the physical, emotional, and mental levels of our being. Spiritual healers, for example, use energy in the form of light to help heal darkness and distress in the personality of clients. All energy emanates from God in the form of the Seven Rays. All forms have life and being and aspects of soul, whether a rock, an animal, a human being, the Earth, the stars, the Seven Rays. In each lifetime, certain lessons are meant to be learned, lessons identified by the soul before this life. In each life, our personality self is meant to find its dharma, its lessons, and learn them; in each life, we are meant to gradually increase the light of the soul as it is reflected in our personality. In time, we will learn to allow the soul to govern the personality; this is the characteristic of the highly developed human being: one who lives according to the will of the soul and the Will of God. When a soul has learned all the lessons of the Earth plane, has lived many human lives and has perfected the lower self, then that soul no longer needs to reincarnate on Earth. Many souls do choose, however, to remain in service to humanity, to remain nearby and to work for the continued evolution of their brothers and sisters. Obviously, human life contains a great deal of suffering, and those who have suffered and have learned compassion often wish to stay to help. These are the perfected beings we know as the Masters, the Hierarchy, the inner government of Earth. The Masters inspire human beings to develop new ideas, music, literature, inventions, social movements; They strive to help humanity surrender to the Will of God; They demonstrate love and compassion; They ask us to open our hearts and to refine our minds. The Masters have given the Divine Laws to humanity in the forms of different religions over time. The Lord Gautama Buddha taught the Noble Eightfold Path, explaining the origin and the end of suffering; the Lord Jesus Christ taught the way of love. Theosophy encompasses the truths of all religions, but it also teaches discrimination: the wise recognition that Divine Truth is interpreted by imperfect human beings, and that the message received may not always be the message sent. Thus we see, for example, cruelty done in the name of religion. One of the most beautiful Theosophical texts is a small book titled, At the Feet of the Master. In succinct and simple prose, it describes the 'four qualifications there are for this pathway' – these are discrimination, desirelessness, good conduct, and love. Throughout the book, these qualifications are explained, guidelines for living a holy life. Theosophical principles of harmlessness, service, right human relations, right livelihood, right speech, love, and sacrifice are woven within these recommendations for the path. Maitreya Theosophy refers to Divine Wisdom seen in the Light of the Lord Maitreya, the Risen Christ, the Redeemer, Who will come again as the fifth Buddha in 500 years. The teachings of Maitreya Theosophy have evolved out of the philosophies given by the Lord Buddha, expressed as the Noble Eightfold Path 2500 years ago, and by the Lord Christ, expressed in His instructions to humanity about love, as well as from teachings in the more recent Theosophical tradition, begun by H. P. Blavatsky around 1875. Maitreya Theosophy has become known to us largely through the work of Ananda Tara Shan. The teachings of Maitreya Theosophy focus on helping people live a practical spiritual life, one lived according to Divine principles, particularly principles of love and service. In time, such lives will create right human relations, relations of light between human beings, untouched by desire or greed. Maitreya Theosophy teaches that in order to achieve a balanced and holy life which brings light into the world, one must bring Spirit into all aspects of one's life. Thus, we are encouraged to take part in Healing Services for the Earth and humanity, to meditate, to study the teachings, to participate in the healing system, to nurture a harmonious family life, to give service, and to carry out one's dharma, the right livelihood which is one's work in this lifetime. Through balanced and concentrated attention to each of these components, the teachings of Maitreya Theosophy will become alive in one's life. Such a life will contribute to the healing of the world. The teachings of Maitreya Theosophy continue to be expanded by new knowledge, which is called the Living Word, given from the Lord Maitreya and other Masters through the Theosophical teacher, Ananda Tara Shan. Further understanding of the teachings of Maitreya Theosophy may be gained from reading in the book, The Living Word of the Hierarchy, transmissions and writings of the Hierarchy through Ananda Tara Shan. Key to Maitreya Theosophy Maitreya Theosophy is the Mother of all religions for Theosophy is the Divine Wisdom and Maitreya, the Lord of Love, the Risen Christ, is the Wisdom essence in all religions. All religions are built upon the Divine Wisdom. Truth is higher than all religions. Truth is God. God is Truth. Truth is found to give life to Wisdom. Truth is the living essence in Wisdom. The true theosophist lives as he speaks. His heart is aflame with wonder and awe, respect and love for the knowledge of the Godhead and the Godself within, which are acting in unison, and his entire being is irradiated by the unity of his Spirit self with that of his soul self and his personal self. A true theosophist lives in the knowledge of his divine and his human constitution and acts through that knowledge with harmlessness and love towards all living beings. Due to the understanding of the Law of Reincarnation and the Law of Karma, each word spoken, each action taken is well thought over and considerate towards all living beings. The aim is to live in peace with oneself and others. The purpose is to live in the consciousness of one's own divinity and in the consciousness of the divinity in other people. |
The Theosophical Fellowship ACN 057 459 604
11 Table Hill Road, Daylesford 3460 Australia Tel: +61 3 5348 1278 Email: [email protected]
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11 Table Hill Road, Daylesford 3460 Australia Tel: +61 3 5348 1278 Email: [email protected]
Copyright statement: All rights reserved. This web site and all content included on this site are protected by Australian and international copyright laws.