Key Ideas

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1. The One Absolute Reality.

The basis of the universe is “an omnipresent, eternal, boundless and immutable principle”. This is called the Absolute, or the One Reality, and is “beyond the range and reach of human thought “.

2. The One Life.

The universe is an expression of the One Reality or the One Life . It animates the whole cosmos and is immanent in every form. The interplay of consciousness and energy, pervading all things, produces cycles of involution and evolution.

3. Universal Law.

The processes of the universe unfold according to laws which are the expressions of One Universal Law. This law of cause and effect acts to restore harmony and balance, wisely and intelligently, at every level of being. In the human sphere this is called karma.

4. The Cyclic Nature of Evolution.

From the life of the smallest cell to that of the universe, latent faculties and consciousness unfold in a process alternating between phases of activity and rest, being and non-being. The journey is a spiral path: each active phase adds more experience to what has already been acquired. In the human kingdom this operates through reincarnation.

5. The Process of Becoming.

The One Life manifests in an almost infinite number of forms ranging in scale from atoms to Cosmos. Each form has its place in an ordered ladder of life, moving towards the higher stage of life and consciousness through active experience. Man is but one stage on the way. He is unfolding Self-consciousness in his higher nature and realising his non-separateness from all that lives.

6. Man and His Nature.

Man appears to be constituted of a number of elements physical, psychic, mental and spiritual. He possesses freewill which enables him to determine his own rate of progress. The physical and psychic elements form the ephemeral personality. The higher aspect of the mind, sometimes called the ego, passes from life to life gathering experience. Spirit is of the nature of the One Life itself and is Universal.

7. The Path.

It is possible for man to accelerate the realisation and fulfilment of his higher nature by selflessness, altruism and compassion. This way of life is called the Path, and is open to all who are prepared to discipline their personal nature. Such a discipline is meditation. The Self realised individual works for humanity as a whole, helping to promote spiritual evolution.

8. Questing and Questioning.

There is a body of Theosophical teaching, available to all but obligatory on none, which does make life intelligible and also death negligible. Study of it gives an increasing realisation of what we are, and our all-important place, part and purpose in the universe. Theosophy is not a faith once for all delivered to us. It is a limitless fount of Wisdom from which our intuition may draw as it is able. It is ever flowing, never stagnant. Not only then must we be ever questing, but also questioning. For there must necessarily remain an element of doubt until we can really know in our own experience.

What is Theosophy
The word Theosophy has been used for many centuries. It is of Greek origin (theo- ‘divine’, and sophia – ‘wisdom’) meaning Divine Wisdom. Please, click here to read more.
Resources
Leeds Theosophical Society possesses a comphrensive collection of books, booklets, journals, CDs and audio cassettes of lectures, and videos and DVDs on spiritual topics in its extensive library, which are available for study by its members. Please, click here to read more.
Freedom of the Society
The Theosophical Society passed the following resolution in 1924 and and 1949 respectively in order to express and to preserve the Freedoms that the society stands for. Please, click here to read more.