Survey Results - Part One

[Joe Fulton]

Here are the results of the survey that was given from last Friday to today.  There are a few surprises, and we would love for you to express your thoughts about this.

Also, the results may serve as an inspiration for you to want to delve more deeply into these topics in our forums.

Please use these results as you will and use your imagination...maybe there's something in here that is really unseen and useful.

 

First is the question, "What Subjects Would you Like to See More of on Theosophy.Net?

Next, we have "Of the Practices Listed in the First Question, What Interests You Most?

 

 

 

Which of these people are you interested in?

[Capt. Anand Kumar]

 

Great work and all the people involved deserve congratulations including those who chsoe to participate n the survey. It is really encouraging to see more people interested in Balvatsky, Philosophy and Science.

 

Could these results be published in tabulated form as well, giving actual percenatges as the colour coding for the responses of different questions are different and some of us may not evaluate it properly. 

 

[Joe Fulton]

 

Unfortunately, the tool does not allow that kind of manipulation with the charts.

Here are results which include numeric data:

First, the Subjects: 

Next:  Practices  

 

Finally:  The People

[Christian von Lahr]

Although not my field, numbers and their symbology were heavily relied upon by Blavatsky; the Survey does not seem to support their importance.

[Joe Fulton]

One thing I noticed was a decided lack of interest in 'practical occult' issues, such as the various arts and practices.  One could link that up with social action, too, as both require one to 'do something'.  Is there a true correlation at work?

[Capt. Anand Kumar]

 

91% for Blavatsky, Aurobindo etc, 89% for Philosophy and 86% for Science is really heartwarming. Practical Occult issues deal mostly with "Phenomena" which as Mahatmas point out, one really should skip and concentrate on the "Reality" instead. If people's interest in "Practical Occult" is waning, it is a good sign. 

Joe Fulton said:

One thing I noticed was a decided lack of interest in 'practical occult' issues, such as the various arts and practices.  One could link that up with social action, too, as both require one to 'do something'.  Is there a true correlation at work?

[james eric orchard]

Capt. Anand Kumar said:

 

91% for Blavatsky, Aurobindo etc, 89% for Philosophy and 86% for Science is really heartwarming. Practical Occult issues deal mostly with "Phenomena" which as Mahatmas point out, one really should skip and concentrate on the "Reality" instead. If people's interest in "Practical Occult" is waning, it is a good sign. 

Joe Fulton said:

One thing I noticed was a decided lack of interest in 'practical occult' issues, such as the various arts and practices.  One could link that up with social action, too, as both require one to 'do something'.  Is there a true correlation at work?

Hi

Would "Practical Occultism" not mean to follow and practice Occultism-Raja Yoga in one every day life

This is what HPB stated she started the ES for.

Quote --" This degree of the Esoteric Section is probationary, and its general purpose is to prepare and fit the student for the study of practical occultism or Raj yoga"  HPB

[Joe Fulton]

Well, that depends on what era of HPB.  Years earlier it may have meant something much more Hermetic/Masonic based.  Certainly the writings of 1875 and 1888 show major differences in focus.  If I recall there was a club mentioned in the Mahatma Letters (and I believe there is a decent discussion about it here) who met in England for a brief time that looked promising whose focus was entirely 'Western'.

A more modern day example of what the 'practice based' organization looks like is the "Church of Light" which is a direct descendent of the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor.

So with that being said, there is room for many practices, Raj Yoga being one of them.  One size certainly shouldn't fit all.  Given my own experience with Raja Yoga I'm not too inclined to recommend it to just anyone.  I don't give loaded guns to children either.  It's all the same.

In the sense of 'practices', the underlying motivation for the question was to see the interest in studying the seven keys to understanding the Secret Doctrine.  And yes, the result is as I expected, but not as an injection of cognitive bias.

[james eric orchard]

 

Well, the era of HPB's statement was approximately 1888 to the Esoteric section,.

I was asking for verification of practical occultism.

H.P.B. stated it is not the producing of physical phenomena or magical powers

 

With regard to Raja Yoga and its safe use, there is a saying either written by a Master or a Yogi, "When the right method is used by the wrong person, the right method produces the wrong effect"

 Also Vivakananda states that one must find a ripe guru, otherwise if one has an unripe guru it becomes a case of the blind leading the blind.

I agree it is not for all