In Memoriam

DR. DAVID GARDNER, MARCH 22, 1941 – APRIL 2, 2013

On April 2, 2013, Dr. David Garner, President of the Theosophical Society in Canada, made his transition. He had just turned 72 on March 22. David had been at The Grace Hospital Hospice in Toronto for eight days. His brother was there with him when he transitioned. David never married, but devoted his life to his spiritual pursuits. He was always curious, an avid reader, a music lover and a convincing writer. His lectures and presentations were always thought provoking, as David intended them to be.

A gentle soul, he appreciated nature and was a keen observer of animals and their habits. He could have written a definitive book on pigeons, had he lived long enough to do so. David was a loyal friend and valued each of his friendships. He maintained correspondence with many Theosophists, Martinists and Rosicrucians from various parts of the world  and truly valued these contacts. They were all people like David himself, who preferred to correspond by personal letter. He was a man who lived without much interest in, or need for, technology. Possessing an active mental life, David always had opinions and comments to offer on any subject under discussion. His presence in the organizations he lived for will be greatly missed.

David was one of a kind. While driving him to and from various meetings over many years, I got to know him quite well. I heard many stories about his childhood and his pranks at school. He was undoubtedly a precocious lad – the type I would probably have enjoyed having in one of my classes when teaching. His sense of humour was unique and disarming at times.

Kenneth David Gardner was born in Hamilton, Ontario, on March 22, 1941. He has two younger siblings, a sister, Linda Kapoor, and a brother, Rev. Philip Gardner. A lifelong music lover, David earned his ARCT at the age of 16. He retained perfect pitch throughout his life. He was an amazing leader when doing the Rosicrucian vowel sounds.

He graduated from McMaster University with an Honours degree in Mathematics and Theoretical Physics. He then attended University of Toronto where he earned a Masters Degree in Meteorology. He then studied Meteorology at MIT in Boston.

When he saw an ad in FATE magazine and investigated, he was introduced to Rosicrucians and Martinists. Many of them became his lifelong friends. David was attracted to the study of Rosicrucianism and became a member of AMORC in 1974. He attended many special session over the years at Rosicrucian Park in San Diego, California. He became a Martinist in 1979, and discovered the teachings of the International College of Esoteric Studies (ICES). These studies were originally called Martinist Studies through the International College of Martinist Studies (ICOMS). Through the ICES organization, David earned a doctorate in Esoteric Studies.

David became a member of the order Militia Crucifera Evangelisca (OMCE). He was an initiated Knights Templar.

David was the President of the Theosophical Society in Canada at the time of his transition. He first joined the Theosophical Society in 1991. He became Secretary Treasurer of the Toronto Theosophical Society in 1993, and then President of the Canadian organization in 1995. He retained memberships in both organizations.

In all of the above societies and organizations, David was a very active member. He served on Initiation teams, took major roles in Rituals and Dramas, conducted workshops and delivered many lectures. He also contributed many articles to the theosophical magazine, The Theosophist.

David was cremated and laid to rest beside his parents in Burlington, ON. A Memorial service in the form of a Musical Tribute was held for him at his childhood church, Westdale United Church  in Hamilton, on May 5. The service was conducted by Rev. Judith Johnson. David’s brother Phillip was the organist and pianist, and his sister, Linda Kapoor, was the soloist. Lois Brisbois read  Ecclesiastes, from Sacred writings: The Tanakh. Rev. Johnson read from the writings of Helena Blavatsky (The Secret Doctrine). A reception for family and friends was held after the service in the Hazel Broker Parlour. David would have been well pleased.

On June 23, David was also remembered at a special service at Grace Hospital Hospice for all those who transitioned there during the past three months.

Lois Brisbois, Theosophical Society in Canada.

Basic Theosophy

BY DR. DAVID GARDNER

Theosophy differs from religion in many important respects – it proposes no fixed dogma. This poses an interested question – if there is no dogma , how may one tell what is Theosophy and what is not?
A comparative study of the writings of theosophical authors does reveal contradictions . This leads some students to set up one or two authors as their official authority and to condemn any who disagree with them. This is not the right attitude because it creates the very thing which a theosophist ought to eschew, namely dogma. Ultimately, we must recall that, at our current level of evolution, we are not omniscient and have the capacity to err.

The important quality we need in this line of study is open-mindedness. This means that we must be prepared to examine ideas that are new to us and recognize when new evidence reveals that the previous concept was in err and needs revision. In science, the existence of multiple theories to explain the same phenomenon indicates an insufficiency of knowledge and a need for research. In theosophy, the same approach should be taken. The value of comparative study, which our Society encourages, is that the existence of contradictions and the consequent need for research will be discovered, whereas, if we limit ourselves to a single author, we may erroneously conclude that the truth, in regard to certain point, is settled, when , in fact, it is not. The mistake invariably made by dogmatist resides in the idea that certain author or book represents absolute authority and that it is not permissible to contradict that source or to dare to go beyond it. History demonstrates the complete folly of such a viewpoint, for we are constantly making new discoveries and modifying or correcting former ideas.

This is most evident in the fields of science and technology. But, in religion, the resistance to novelty is often fierce. As recently noted by Tom Harpur, the people who are leaving the mainline churches are not migrating to the more conservative ones-they are eschewing religion altogether as an outmoded relic of primitive thought. As those who do so are the more intelligent ones, the result is a loss of vigor in the remnant left behind. Theosophy ought to learn from this and not make the same mistake, Vigorous debate is healthy and to be encouraged, but it must be conducted in a spirit of fairness and integrity. Much of the debate that has existed in theosophical circles has been more emotional than rational, Justas it has likewise been in religion, but that merely reflects the general immaturity characteristic of humanity at the present time.

The Theosophical Movement

Following is a brief excerpt from an article by William Q.Judge, first published in August, 1895. He died in April, 1896 at the age of 44. His comments are pertinent even to this day. Judge was co- founder of the Theosophical Society in 1875, with H. P. Blavatsky and 
H. S. Olcott.

There is a very great difference between the Theosophical Movement and any Theosophical Society. The Movement is moral, ethical, spiritual, universal, invisible save in effect, and continuous. A Society formed for theosophical work is a visible organization, an effect, a machine for conserving energy and putting it to use; it is not nor can it be universal, nor is it continuous. Organized theosophical bodies are made by men for their better cooperation, but, mere outer shells, they must change from time to times human defects come out, as the times change, and as the great underlying spiritual movement compels such alterations.

The Theosophical Movement being continuous, it is to be found in all times and in all nations, wherever thought has struggled to be free, wherever spiritual ideas, as opposed to forms and dogmatism, have been promulgated , there the great movement is to be discerned. Jacob Boehme’s work was a part of it, and so was the Theosophical Society of over one hundred years ago; Luther’s reformation must be reckoned as part of it; and the great struggle between Science and Religion, clearly portrayed by Draper, was every bit as much a motion of the Theosophical Movement as is the present society of that name- indeed that struggle, and the freedom thereby gained for science, were really as important in the advance of the world, as are our different organizations, and among the political examples of the movement is to be counted the independence of the American Colonies, ending in the formation of a great nation, theosophically based on Brotherhood. One can therefore see that to worship an organization, even though it be the beloved theosophical one, is to fall down before form, and to become the slave once more of hat dogmatism which our portion of the Theosophical Movement was meant to overthrow.

Notes: the rest of this article can be found in The William Q. Judge Series,No.3, available from The Theosophical Company. You can check on line.

The Fly and the Fool on the Hill

BY CARL LA FLAMME

There it stands, looming before me, it’s white crown poking the clear blue heavens-Mount Shasta-a mighty fortress, rising proudly, majestically, from the lowly valley. It is the birthplace of legends, home to the mystical Lemurians, the world’s oldest and wisest civilization , and keepers of the paranormal, the supernatural, the transcendental, the unfathomable, the miraculous, and any other big-syllable metaphysical word one can conjure up. I drive up 1-5, not in my wheezing Mazda pickup struggling to adjust to the new-found heights, but in a chariot driven by the horsepower of 150 white stallions. This will be my first spiritual hour. A significant marker on my road to enlightenment. How long have I traveled? How many books have I read ? Seminars attended? Gurus followed? Crystals polished? Chakras opened? I have worked hard and long to achieve higher consciousness, and today, at the top of one of the highest spiritual points in the kingdom known as California, I will find my reward-no reward is too small a word-my anointment, my initation, heck, my inauguration into the higher realms! To say I am emotionally primed for a transformative event is an understatement of cosmic proportions.

I have heard much about this New Age Mecca, frequently told to me in reverent whispers throughout numerous coffee houses, bookstores, and self –help workshops across the great divide. Those in the “know? say Lemurians, direct decendants of Adam and Eve, still live on the mountain and if you are truly prepared they will make contact with you. I ‘m told many people experience prophetic visions, illumination and even ascension into the realms whee Ascended Master’s await! I’m ready! Boy am I ready! Sitting next to me ,my wife takes a more down to earth approach,? oohing? and “ahhing? at the simple beauty of the mountain, and wondering aloud if there are any good places to eat. How she can even think of eating at a time like this is beyond me and my higher –than-thou revelry, but I say nothing , keeping my judgment to myself like any enlightened master. I take my ability to remain silent as yet another sign of my preparedness for higher realms and begin going over my speech to the Lemurians.

We stop for gas at a little town of Shasta. I keep my eyes glued for anyone with a protruding bump on their forehead-a supposed sign of being a direct Lemurian descendent, but alas, everyone here looks pretty much like anyone else-if not worse: the gas station attendant shuffles about looking horribly hungover and the cashier sits glassy-eyed behind the counter flipping through a wrestling magazine and puffing on a Kool . I quickly let my tinge of disappointment pass – the Lemurian must be waiting for me further up the mountain.

The ride up the mountain is filled with nervous anticipation as I strain every which way looking for something mystical to take place. My wife admonishes me to keep my eyes on the road ahead, but I pay little heed. Who knows what phenomena the next turn will bring? However, the closest we come to the paranormal is a brush with death via a close call with the front end of a Winnebago.

The road to MT. Shasta ends in a parking lot at about 12’000 feet. Here hikers, bikers, and other vacationers stroll the grounds, camping and picnicking, just like at any other park. Yet, before disappointment can set in, I spot an old trail that ascends further up the mountain. It is overgrown with brush and obviously hasn?t been used much these past few years. Eureka! I cry as I get an intuitive flash that this seldom used trail will take us to the promised land beyond the area designated for the commoners. A place where only the elected are allowed to enter!

I urge my wife along, and we climb the mountain to the snow line, following a trail away from the crowds and into the vestiges of vegetation. Finally, we reach “The Place? – a ridge high above the road offering a beautiful view of the Sierra mountain tops as far as the eye can see. It is nature at its most majestic and re- splendent. “This is the place!? I exclaim and my wife seems relieved that I have finally found whatever it is I’m looking for.

I sit down to enter into what I have already proclaimed as my “ greatest meditation ever? while awaiting higher contact with my Lemurian hosts. However , no longer than a few seconds later the peace is interrupted by a peculiarly familiar and annoying buzz. I open my eyes and come face to face with the biggest horsefly I’ve ever seen! Quicker than you can say OM, I leave my newfound peace and tranquility and sink into my familiar world of rage and aggravation.

“How can people be so inconsiderate as to defiles these holy grounds with their garbage! Don’t they have any respect for the sacred? No wonder the world is going to hell! I close my eyes and blindly swat the fly away, but it does not take the hint. In fact, it seems to become bolder with every swat of the hand, buzzing ever nearer to my nose , ear and mouth. After a few seconds , that seemed like an eternity, I jump up in a fury, swinging wildly at this annoying pest. “Get out of here before the Lemurian come! Can’t you see I’m awaiting higher contact? Finally, after dodging several flying fists, my fly takes flight.

As I sit back down I see my wife several yards away meditating peacefully. Her face looks absolutely radiant as she seems to bask in the light of total peace, contentment and joy. I hate her for it, I close my eyes and restart my meditation, yet no sooner do I clear my mind, than my tranquility is once again violated by the annoying buzz of the fly. This time my intellect kicks into high gear as I plot it’s impending doom. I will get this fly if it’s the last thing I do!

I don’t move as it buzzes my ear like one of those barnstorming biplanes at an air show. Instead I wait, like a cat perched on a windowsill, for the fly to land. Using every psychic mind trick in the book I order it to land where I can get a good look at it. Being a receptive fly it responds almost instantly, making itself at home on a patch of my arm hairs. Slowly, I bring my free hand up. One well-placed whack and my peace will be restored. The fly, oblivious to my presence, begins to clean itself of whatever debris a fly finds filthy. I slap my arm with deadly precision, yet upon lifting my hand to view the remains I am instead confronted with its miraculous getaway! The realization of the fly’s great escape and the fact that it is once again barnstorming my ears, sends me into a rage not seen since the days of the Old Testament. I jump up with my arms flailing about as I chase the fly down my sacred trail. Now I am one with the thought of killing this fly! This maniacal insect has ruined my life and any chance I have of making contact with a Lemurian or an Ascended Master, or even one of those roly-poly Cherubim or Seribums for that matter!

And then suddenly I stop running –to this day I’m not sure why. Maybe it was the beauty of the mountain tops before me, or the melting snow that had leaked into my sneakers, or maybe it was simply the utter futility of chasing a fly or the dreams of finding spiritual validity through someone or something outside myself. Whatever it is, it causes me to stop and stand in wonder and awe at the beauty around me. To marvel at the silence . To feel in the vast aloneness of this glorious mountain top a connection to the very Essence of my being. I go back to my spot and sit down. No sooner do I settle in than the fly returns, but this time it’s okay, everything is okay as it is, and I realize that if I just accept things as they come I will find what I am looking for.

The fly, seems my calmness, perches itself upon my shoulder and we sit there , the fly and I, for a long , long time, both of us just simply gazing at the wonder and beauty of life around us. There is no spectacular vision, burning bush, or Lemurians in white robes to initiate me. It is simply a peaceful moment. Yet in that moment I feel a calming presence that brings a sense of connection to the oneness of life, and for this fool on the hill that moment means everything.

A Right Understanding of Karma

COURTESY OF blavatskytheosophy.com

It is hard to believe, but true nevertheless, that no-one in the Western world had heard of Karma, or knew the slightest thing about it, until only 130 years ago when Madame Blavatsky and the Theosophical Movement introduced the concept of Karma – along with other distinctly Eastern teachings such as reincarnation and the Oneness and Divinity of all life – to the West. Karma was literally a foreign concept to begin with but its truth and reality were swiftly perceived by many and eventually the word and the basic idea behind it entered into the mainstream.

Today, almost everyone in the West has heard of Karma and has at least some faint notion of what it means. But what exactly does it mean and how does it work? Many people misunderstand and misrepresent this noble and ancient spiritual teaching. Theosophy states that Karma and Reincarnation are the two most vitally important spiritual concepts for humanity to accurately understand. We hope that these ten points will help to bring about a better and also a more practical understanding of the Law of Karma.

1. “Karma” literally means “action” and “deed” in the ancient Sanskrit language of India. It is the Law of Cause and Effect, Action and Reaction, Sequence and Consequence. We are always setting causes in motion, every moment, through our every act, our every word, and even our every thought. For every cause set in motion, there is a corresponding and correlative effect which comes back. This is the way the universe maintains its harmony, balance, and equilibrium. If a cause was to ever be set in motion without having a corresponding effect, then the entire universe would immediately cease to be, since its continuity and existence depends on this great Law of balance and adjustment. But that will never happen because Karmic Law is immutable Law. In the words of H.P. Blavatsky, the Law of Karma is “the ultimate Law of the Universe.” Every self-conscious being in the universe, without exception, is subject to the Law of Karma. Every being in possession of individual self-consciousness and the intelligent power of choice, is a creator of Karmic causes. Karma is the Law of self-created destiny and everything in the universe proceeds according to this Law. It can be good or bad, positive or negative, depending entirely on the nature of the causes we set in motion. It is entirely impersonal, yet it is entirely just and fair in its working.

2. To try to ESCAPE Karma is to create even worse Karma for yourself. Not only is it grossly unphilosophical, impossible, and spiritually and emotionally immature, but to attempt to somehow PREVENT and AVOID the manifestation of the effects of the causes that you yourself have set in motion is to attempt to engage in nothing less than cosmic injustice!

3. Many people have a one-sided view of Karma, where they gleefully say such things as, “Karma’s going to get that person who wronged me…I can’t wait for Karma to catch up with them!” whilst completely ignoring the fact that the person wouldn’t have been able to wrong them or harm them in the first place if it wasn’t for their OWN negative Karma. Karma is never one-sided. For every effect, there was a cause. For every cause, there will be an effect. People who look forward to Karma “catching up” with others are just creating even worse Karma for their own future by their lack of compassion and spiteful nature.

4. Karma and reincarnation are inextricably linked with each other. You can’t have one without the other. It is obvious that one single lifetime is by no means long enough to reap the full effects of every cause we have set in motion during that lifetime. It is also apparent that some of the aspects and circumstances of our current lifetime do not have their origins in the current lifetime but seemingly in the distant past. Physical incarnation itself is a Karmic effect, since one of the main reasons we reincarnate is in order to deal with our past Karma. To have a proper understanding of Karma, a person must also accept and believe in reincarnation. To have a proper understanding of reincarnation, a person must also accept and believe in Karma.

5. There are three divisions of Karma and in Hinduism these are called Sanchita Karma, Prarabdha Karma, and Agami (also known as Kriyamana and Vartamana) Karma. A person’s Sanchita Karma is their “Karmic account” or “Karmic reservoir,” the storehouse of all their Karma from past lives that has not yet been dealt with. Prarabdha Karma is the specific portion of that Sanchita Karma which the person is destined to face and experience in the present lifetime. If successfully dealt with, that portion of their Karma will then be exhausted and wiped out. Agami Karma is the fresh Karma we are creating for ourselves right here and right now, as we live this present lifetime. It becomes added to our Sanchita Karma and will manifest itself as our Prarabdha Karma in future lifetimes.

6. It is true that we all have “a lot in life.” It is our Karmic lot, our Karmically determined allotment of situations, circumstances, and experiences. We should always strive for the best but when we just cannot succeed as we would like to in certain areas of life, no matter how hard or often we try or what we do, we should accept it as an indication of our Karma and be thankful and content for what we do have, rather than frustrated and depressed over what we do not or cannot have. No amount of positive thinking, creative visualisation, affirmations or prayers, can alter your Karmic lot in life. This is your Prarabdha Karma. This is not fatalism; it is the Law of self-created destiny. In the past you created your present and in the present you are creating your future.

7. EVERYTHING that happens to us is either Karmically DESTINED or Karmically PERMITTED. It cannot be otherwise, since nothing can happen outside the Law of Karma. Some things in our life are specifically destined to happen to us, as a result of our Karma, while others are merely permitted. There are also things which do not happen to us, because our Karma will not permit it. Person #1 and Person #2 are walking along together at night when a madman suddenly appears and stabs Person #1. It seems likely that he would also stab Person #2 but for no apparent reason he runs off without doing so. Person #1 was either Karmically destined to be stabbed or their Karma permitted that they could be stabbed, even though it hadn’t been specifically destined to happen. The Karma of Person #2 neither destined nor permitted such a thing to happen to that person. While our Karma may sometimes seem like our greatest “punisher,” it can also be our greatest guardian and protector.

8. The Law of Karma applies to everything in the manifested universe. As well as individual Karma, there is also family Karma, group Karma, national Karma, racial Karma, planetary Karma, and beyond.

9. Karma and reincarnation are found clearly expressed in the world’s oldest religion – Hinduism, in Buddhism, and in other Eastern religions but it is not solely an Eastern teaching. Reincarnation and Karma were part of the teaching of Christianity until the 6th century A.D. At the Second Council of Constantinople in 553 A.D. those teachings were repudiated, declared heretical, and officially replaced with doctrines which are more representative of the present form of Christianity. Although the Law of Karma and Reincarnation is not taught in the public, exoteric teachings of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, etc., it is taught in the inner, esoteric teachings of those religions and indeed of every religion.

10. The only way to free ourselves from negative Karma is to stop setting negative CAUSES in motion! To avoid creating any further future sorrow and suffering for yourself, stop creating it for others. Live your life consciously and harmlessly. Gain complete mastery over your thoughts, words, and deeds and live to be of help and service to others. But don’t let your underlying motive for this be one of selfishness – i.e. for the sake of creating good Karma for yourself – but rather live the life of love and compassion simply because it is the right thing to do. Love goodness and virtue for its own sake…realise that selfishness is the great curse of humanity…and live merely to be an impersonal beneficent force for good in this world.