Professional Documents
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Leadbeater
Why Not I?
by C.W. Leadbeater
Men join the Theosophical ociety !or "arious reasons# so$e because they sy$pathise %ith its objects& so$e because they thin' they can learn so$ethin( !ro$ it& so$e because they $eant to help the %or' it is doin(. Whate"er be their reasons& %hen they ha"e (rasped the principle o! e"olution& they are usual !ired %ith enthusias$ !or it. eein( the possibility and the desirability o! pro(ress& they be(in to be an)ious to attain it# hearin( ho% sadly the %orld needs helpin(& they %ish to enroll the$sel"es in the noble ar$y o! $artyrs %ho de"ote the$sel"es to that stupendous but so$e%hat than'less tas' * than'less& because the %orld still stones its prophets& and the disco$!ort o! the process is but little $iti(ated by the prospect that a %iser posterity %ill presently raise $onu$ents to the$. When $e$bers ha"e thus decided to hasten the process o! their e"olution& they en+uire as to $ethods& teachers& helpers& and they soon hear !ro$ older students o! the e)istence o! the ,rotherhood o! -depts& and o! the !act that so$e o! these .reat /nes occasionally ad$it apprentices and instruct the$ in the %or' %hich has to be done. The aspirant !eels that this is e)actly %hat he %ould li'e& and he %ishes to o!!er hi$sel! at once !or such a position. ,ut the older student e)plains to hi$ that the o!!er $ust co$e !ro$ the other side * that all he can do is to $a'e hi$sel! !it !or such a post& and %ait until the Master calls hi$. When he !urther en+uires as to the %ay in %hich he can $a'e hi$sel! !it to be chosen& he is told that there is no $ystery as to the +uali!ications re+uired. They ha"e been elaborately described in the sacred boo's o! the ancients& they $ay be !ound in the teachin( o! e"ery reli(ion& and they are %or'ed out $inutely in $odern Theosophical literature. It is easy to learn about the$& but di!!icult to ac+uire the$& and their practice see$s out o! touch %ith $uch that %e !ind pro$inent in the li!e o! the present day. 0istory assures us that the thin( has been done& but closer e)a$ination sho%s us that it has ne"er been done e)actly under e)istin( conditions. Whene"er in older ti$es a $an set hi$sel! de!initely to li"e the hi(her li!e& he be(an by retirin( to a ca"e or a habitation !ar re$o"ed !ro$ the %orld o! $en. o lon( as he re$ained a$on( his !ello%s he %as supposed to be li"in( the li!e o! the householder& %ho $i(ht be& and ou(ht to be& a thorou(hly (ood and honest $an& but %as en(a(ed in doin( the %or' o! the %orld on the physical plane and not ai$in( specially at occult de"elop$ent. 0e participated in that hi(her li!e by $a'in( it possible !or others& by pro"idin( !or the needs o! those %ho %ere %holly de"otin( the$sel"es to it. No% the her$it %ho li"es in a ca"e or the $on' %ho con!ines hi$sel! to his cell no doubt resi(ns %hat are co$$only called the pleasures o! the %orld& but he pro"ides hi$sel! %ith ad$irably appropriate conditions !or the %or' %hich he is tryin( to do. 0e sees "ery little o! his !ello%1creatures# he has cast aside all responsibilities# he has nothin( to %orry or trouble hi$& nothin( to $a'e hi$ an(ry. uch a li!e is possible only !or $en o! a certain te$pera$ent# but !or the$ it is ideal in its !reedo$. That& ho%e"er& is not at all the $ethod o! de"elop$ent reco$$ended to the Theosophical student# he is e)pected to Pa(e 1
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