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THE AIMS OF THE THEOSOPHICAL WORKER BY C. JINARAJADASA Reprinted from The Theosophist, June 1941 THE AIMS OF THE THEOSOPHICAL WORKER BY C. JINARAJADASA (An address to the Theosophical Workers' Camp, Juhu, Bombay, May 4—18, 1941) HTHE phrase " Theosophical fully achieve this till he becomes -*• worker " naturally makes a the Adept. But what is important distinction between the mere stu to realize is that, as the worker, he dent of Theosophy who is eager to must not limit himself to the study gain knowledge for himself, and of those aspects only of the Plan one who is not only the student but which concern the outpouring of is also eager to share with others the Logos in the field of religion. what he has found. The worker There is just as much of an out therefore undertakes duties and re pouring of that Divine Energy in sponsibilities which are not incum science, art and literature, as too bent upon the student. in the economic and political or Obviously the aim of the worker ganization of the world. In other is, first, to understand the nature words, there is not a single depart of the work to which he is called, ment of human activity which is and, second, to do his best to equip outside the survey and interest of himself for its accomplishment. the worker. Very briefly put, his work is dual, It is true that by temperament first, to instruct mankind in the he may be interested specially in knowledge of "God's Plan which religion, or science, or the arts, or is Evolution," and then, to co-oper the reconstruction of men's affairs ate with the Elder Brothers who through politics and economics. are in charge of that Plan. But whatever may be his special This Plan of the Logos embraces interest, he must protect himself every possible type of manifesta from being lop-sided in his reac tion. Therefore the worker, in tions through limiting his interest order to understand the Plan, must to his special department only. In develop a mind which little by little other words, the worker must try is aware of every type of activity his utmost to come to the "Centre," of the Logos. He cannot of course and from there survey the many 2 3 departments of life through which is necessary to give at this moment the Energy of the Logos is pour in order to help men ? " But both ing. The worker has to be broad- these questions are linked to a third minded, that is to say, he must question : "What is the knowledge keep the doors of his mind open, which can be assimilated by those and in addition create new doors whom I propose to help ? " For through which new visions may the worker must never forget that come to him. He has at the same the topics which interest him are time to be both deep and wide in not necessarily the topics which his sympathies. In other words, interest those whom he aims at the problem of the knowledge of helping. the Plan of God is not one merely Here we are confronted with the for the mind; the astral nature most difficult of problems, for it is and its true and pure reactions are the experience of all of us older equally necessary to understanding. workers that, with the best of in But the knowledge which the tentions, we are not able to interest worker acquires must be correlated every one in Theosophy. Yet there all the time to the work which he must be for each person in the plans to do to help mankind. Every world some revelation of Theosophy type of knowledge is certainly use which will be attractive to him ; ful in the end, but there are certain the problem is how to find out kinds of knowledge which at the what it is, and present it to him so moment are not of very great need. that it is attractive. But each man Thus, for instance, the knowledge is like an equation which needs to of higher mathematics is necessary be solved by us, before we can for us all before we shall reach the approach him so as to be of greater level of Adeptship; but, at the use to him. Yet so great is the moment, it would be a waste of mystery of man's nature, that it time for us to specialize in mathe will be only as the Adept that we matics (unless we happen to be shall find the solution to all the born mathematicians), when what equations of all the individual men is needed is less mathematics and who compose mankind. Neverthe more science and mysticism. less, in spite of the difficulties in Each of us as a worker needs to herent in the problem, each worker ask of himself or herself the ques must ponder constantly over the tion : "Of what use now is the problem : "How can I come nearer knowledge I am gaining for the to those whom I desire to help ? " work that needs to be done ? " And So far in the history of mankind this leads to the next question: men have been inspired to noble "What is that knowledge which it conduct by religion. This is still 4 the case with the masses and facts are as it were the ground specially with those whose ment work of knowledge for an intel ality is not very pronounced. Since ligent man today. Theosophy as religion is so important a factor in the Divine Wisdom has of course life, the Theosophical worker must vital truths to offer concerning all necessarily incorporate into him these problems. The Theosophical self the truths not only of his own worker, if he proposes to be up-to- religion, but also those of others, date, must be in touch with all in order to offer new presentations these problems. There is an old of religious appeal. It is however definition that a man of culture is a fact that today large numbers of one who knows "something of men and women no longer react to everything and everything of some any appeal to an innate sense in one thing." This is a true de them of religion. While they may scription of the ideal Theosophical have nothing to object to a relig worker. Following his bent he is ious presentation, yet it is apt to scientific, mystic, artistic or practi leave them cold. cal, and so a specialist in his own A very noteworthy change in the department; yet at the same time world's evolution is the slow drift he tries to keep in contact with the away from the problem of God other departments in which too are towards the problem of Man. embodied the outflowing energies Where an audience cannot be of the Logos. " held" by a topic which deals One element has entered into the with religion or philosophy, which life of the Theosophical worker of aims at probing into the nature of today which was absent in similar God, they are far more likely to workers of past civilizations. respond to any topic which de Schools of philosophy existed both scribes economic and social prob in India and in Greece ; in India lems, which deal with the inter each school was grouped round a relations among the classes and teacher, and those who desired to nations which have been created be accepted as his disciples travel by the developments in science led to his Ashrama. It was the and by international commerce. same in Athens with the Academy The "New Man" of today is of Plato and the Lyceum of Aris drawn to economics, politics and totle. These philosophers of course art. Science in all the many expounded the problem of Truth branches of discovery is today and Reality ; but their message was offering a vast accumulation of to the individual, and it had very material which deals vitally with little relation to the reorganization these problems; those scientific of society. The Pythagoreans, 5 however, were unique, because their understand the principles of recon philosophy aimed at bringing about struction and to put them into prac a reformation of everything in the tice. He is not merely an exponent State. Plato discussed the establish of a Wisdom ; he is at the same ment of the perfect Republic, but time an organizer of the activities he did not, as did Pythagoras, of his fellow-members. charge his disciples to take up the Some workers are more success reconstruction of the City State. ful as exponents than as organ It is different with the Theo- izers. Nevertheless the ideal work sophical worker today, because of er is a combination of both. Since the conception that there is behind the Wisdom, which today we term the World-Process the Will of the Theosophy, is as it were an en Logos which unbuilds and builds cyclopedia which narrates the everything towards an ideal struc operations of the Will of the Logos, ture. The Wisdom, to the Theos- and since this Will is revealing it ophist, is not just a body of ideas ; self every moment in ever new crea it is a dynamo of energy. To the tions, Theosophy is not a "cut-and- Theosophical worker the ancient dried" philosophy, but an ever- Hebrew phrase about the Wisdom active and ever-increasing reve that "mightily and sweetly doth lation of the Divine Mind. And she order all things" has a signi since the Wisdom is an energy ficance of profound import. working towards an ideal recon This reconstruction, which is be struction, every event has behind it ing carried out unceasingly by the the "Plan" for it. The worker there Divine Wisdom, is at the moment fore needs to be keenly sensitive trying to create a perfect channel to the vast transformations which for its action through The Theo the Will operates in life every mo sophical Society. Therefore it is ment. He must extract out of these that, under the guidance of the transformations the Wisdom which Masters of the Wisdom, the con he is to expound in order to inspire ceptions of Universal Brotherhood, all Theosophists towards work, if and of incessant work towards it, they desire to co-operate with that have been made the First Object Will. of The Society. From this it fol One special work which needs to lows that every Theosophical be done is to bring the imagination Lodge is expected to be a centre of Youth to grasp the beauty and of all ideas and schemes dealing the inspiration which come into with reconstruction. The worker their lives the moment they see therefore has the responsibility of "the Plan of God which is Evolu aiding Theosophical Lodges to tion." In these days when the 6 burden of reconstruction is definite In these days, where modern ly laid more "and more on the science with her vast body of facts shoulders of Youth than on that of is still negative on the matter of elders, the Theosophical worker Idealism and Immortality, and in must seek to give the message of deed among the more backward the Wisdom in such forms as will scientists the old deadening mate appeal to young men and women, rialism still persists, the greatest and indeed to boys and girls also. need in the world is an unshakeable The ideal worker is less one who confidence in Hope. The true is clever and full of energy, and far student of Theosophy penetrates more one who is so surcharged with beyond the dark clouds of failure enthusiasm that he infects others, and depression, both in his own life specially the young, with his enthu and that of the world, and feels an siasm. A prophet of Palestine said unbounded Hope that all events that "young men dream dreams are moving towards an indescrib and old men see visions." There ably beautiful consummation. is scarcely a more useful work which The Theosophical worker must the Theosophical worker can do for radiate this Hope which the world Youth taan to make them "dream needs today. Plis love of the Wis dreams." It little matters if Youth dom, and his increasing enthusiasm is disinclined towards a detailed for the Great Work, will transform study of the Great Plan, so long as his nature, till he becomes Hope through their emotions they sense embodied. To give Wisdom, and the beauty of that Plan, and from with it Hope, is the Theosoph those emotions there springs up in ical worker's "work" which abides them a desire to be heroic in action with him night and day, in life, and and loyal to the Plan to the end. after, in the life to come.