I'm reading a Finnish translation made of the sixth English pressing. In the forewords given by the translators and republishers it is said this version has been proven to be inaccurate in places. A bit discouraging but I've been thinking of aquiring an English version of the original press to have it next to this one or just make use of the pdf-version. My plan is to mount my wandering mind and try to steer it to the other version when it runs wildly in to the woods, which happens alot when I'm reading Blavatsky. I would suggest we make page number references, if such are needed, from this version of the book, which is "a character-for-character, line-for-line reproduction of the two-volume 1888 first edition", but do as you will:
https://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/sd ... _eBook.pdf
The first pages introduce the book as combination of science, religion and philosophy. What I love about theosophy is the open view of the possible viewpoints to the 19th century science that hides behind all this criticism. While nowadays in the face of repressed spiritual side of things people easily reacts to the cold grip of science by jumping to the other end without giving any attention what's between, Blavatskys theosophy with somewhat grounded feet points what is between and thus also above the polarities. (
Sometimes her middleground seems almost arbitary, like in the last paragraphs of the introduction. Or maybe that's just her making fun of the Western science self-righteously taking an upper hand of matters well outside its' reach.) An example of this came from one of the prefaces where the Finnish Book Society of the Rose Cross, who pressed my version of the book, boasted how The Secret Doctrine could be read to prophetice scientific discoveries. Such cases were pointed from the second part of the first book, for example the atomic bomb. Forgive me already making jumps further to the book, but there Blavatsky points towards Mr. Kelleys research which touches the ethers, 'vril' and the atomic bomb. I see some interesting tools there to make interpretations of the atomic level animations of Bob in the 'Twin Peaks: The Return'.
Introductory
Blavatskys labyrinthine writing is alot easier to read when you know some of the background. Last time I think I was baffled what she was going on about Sinnett and masters, but now having read Mahatma Letters it's a lot easier to make sense of it and there's even some beauty behind these defensive declarations. In addition to the chelahood things, Mahatma Letters (written 8 to 4 years prior to the publication of Secret Doctrine) had number of parts dealing with the manvantras Blavatsky is preparing us with here also. Not sure if a peek at one of the letters would increase or decrease confusions, but one of them dealing with manvantaras and races is looked into
here. The letters are a bit confusing anyway as we only see one side of the correspondence.
The first volume of the Secret Doctrine is titled 'Cosmogenesis' while the latter is titled 'Anthropogenesis' and Blavatsky says she has to jump every now and then to the latter volumes themes to make the first volume understandable. Reading of the races of the wheel and the jugas it spins through, I somewhat mixed these two titles. Micro- and macrocosm comes to mind from these, but I guess Anthropogenesis deals the cultural progression of humans while the individual levels are already perceived from the first volume through affinity of the micro & macro. It's funny how culture is kind of below the individual as it flows from individuals, but it might be thought also higher or middleground in it's collective status that rounds the individual errors. But then again making things round is often about cutting corners which is the lie of a compromise.
The term divine conscience caught my eye. Learning what conscience means from my mother it was based on a law mom had set for me regarding the time I had to get back home. That law and the love towards my mom and her worry created the situation where I felt the conscience "knocking" as we say here. I'd say that's already divine conscience in a simple world of a child, where as a conscience awaken by manipulation or other perverse acts we do to each other conditions us to false reality - false law. I can still see the
Austrian stone pines of the yard we were playing in, knowing I should have gone home already.
Blavatsky points towards the past of their century when symbologists made wildly imaginative interpretations of religious symbolism which led in to a house of cards the book is trying to set on unshakeable ground. I see playing with the imagination a necessary step in training imagination to get it working with the rational mind and the higher triad. Sort of meeting in the half way. I've seen myself often gone in the too imaginative strolls, which might be problematic when it comes to speaking the truth, but one may always go fishing and then stop and gut the catch before bringing it to the family. Been trying to improve my gutting skills lately.
I'm about to start proceeding in to the Proem. We'll see if I manage to go through it during this week.
Some of these words are easier to wrap ones head around when we see them as a part of some larger structure. Manas for example is part of the
Theosophical principles. Fra Nefastos has written an article series including these principles in a composition of human and presenting them in a bit different order. I'm hoping we could soon get it visible to the English article page.