Six Core Concepts of Theosophy

from the Writings of H. P. Blavatsky

There are similar ideas which can be found in every religion. The word Theosophy stands for these ideas. They are the basis of all religions that follow a spiritual path. These ideas always have been and always will be.

Unity is the one fundamental law of Theosophy. But this unity is different. We are not a collection of things all linked together. Instead, we all are truly one, one with nature and one with each other. The separateness and differences we see are temporary and they change. There is something inside of us that does not change. It is the changeless and this is why we are at one with each other.

There is one absolute REALITY which is behind all that we can see. We can not call It God for that would give It limitations, and It is limitless. It includes all that was, is, or ever will be. From the oneness came Spirit and Matter. From Spirit and Matter came consciousness and ideas. The universe came into being just as our lives and all of our ideas come into being. We become conscious of differences which bring forth ideas. These ideas can then take form. This is how the universe came to be and it is how all we do comes to be. We all come from the absolute reality and we are the absolute reality. 

There is an absolute law of cycles - the alternation of day and night, life and death, sleeping and waking. Nature follows this law of cycles or periodicity. It is the basis of karma which includes both physical and moral law. The two are together. One cannot express an act without the consideration of morality or ethics involving others and the rest of life. Karma is not just something bad which happens to us. It is all that happens to us. Karma stands for harmony. All of our acts bring about an endless cycle of restoring harmony to all that is around us. 

There is an identity of each soul with all other souls - called the Universal Oversoul. We may belong to ourselves, but through ourselves we belong to all. Each of our acts, no matter if seemingly insignificant, affect all others. There is a pilgrimage, sometimes called the "cycle of necessity," for all life to travel toward the path to the next highest level. We continuously grow and become greater in our consciousness. In the human being this takes the form of reincarnation. Once the spark of life reaches the human stage, there is no going back into lower forms. 

We are seven-principled beings. We can be divided in this way. There is the principle of the human body; there is an astral or form body which acts as a template of our physical form; there is the form for the passions and desires or the principle of Kama; there is a life energy or Prana. These four constitute what are called the lower principles. The three higher principles are the mind, or Manas; the vehicle of spirit, or Buddhi; and universal spirit of which we are, and this is called Atma. So, the human being is more than a body. It can be said the human being is truly sevenfold.

 The human being is a miniature universe. What appears great and what appears small is only limited by the consciousness of the human being. The concept of "parallel universes" is integral to the philosophy of Theosophy. For each band of consciousness there exists another universe. "All that is inner, so is the outer; nothing is great, nothing is small; nothing is high, nothing is low, in the divine economy."