Forum Answers

Forum Answers by W Q Judge

Forum Answers by William Q Judge

.

Forum Answers by W Q Judge

The Theosophical Forum” was published by William Q Judge and contained many answers to interesting Theosophical questions from students. With his usual thoroughness his policy for the Forum was that it should become

a more definite and rigorous application of theosophical theories to the questions.

Readers will find the Answers deep and penetrating, the work of one with a revealing insight into man and nature and a profound understanding of the occult laws that underpin our reality.

As the modern sciences of physics, chemistry and biology are going deeper into the realm of determining causes – which were for them previously well-hidden – they are approaching the study of consciousness and mind and seeing how it is of primary importance.

Theosophical occult science is well-equipped to instruct on these subjects and in this book will be found many useful hints and guides on what the ancient wisdom gives on these questions which are so important for our society and well-being.

The subjects are wide ranging and treated with the typical philosophical rigour that William Judge brings to his writings, yet also making them accessible to the ordinary reader, truly a rare skill. His Answers encapsulate the high ideals of the sublime esoteric system he taught and treat on vital subjects of human interest and welfare, such as altruism, capital punishment, mesmerism and disease, evolution, music and yoga.

In general they shed light on:

  •  the nature of reality (suprisingly extraordinary and wonderful!),
  • the aim of evolutionary life (deeply profound), and
  • how we can better understand its laws (such as karma, which when understood, provides the best spur to intelligent and compassionate thought and man’s right living and true progress).

 

“Forum” Answers contains extracts from 1889-1896; this edition was collated and published by the ULT in 1982.

The index at the rear for easily finding references is included below.

We usually have this in stock; to order see the Price List on the Library page.

Download Forum Answers PDF >>>

 

INDEX of subjects

(from the rear)

A

Absolute
symbolized  41-42
cannot be discovered or known, without attributes  55-56
potential in all things but not related  69-70

Adepts (Masters, Mahatmas)
Black and White, relation to Kali Yuga and preceding ages  3-5
work with cyclic law to benefit Humanity  7
help truth seekers but are known only to pledged  50, 75-76
could play piano without learning  57-58
evidence of existence of in history, traditions and logic  74-75
appear at important epochs  91
come and go by a secret path  93
act in world through agents  110
English language cannot clarify different terms for  119
may by wish become a Deva but must re-enter nature at elemental stage  120
have no Devachan  126-27

Altruism
is not by itself occultism  9-10

Alcohol
some effects are degrading and some are not  121

Antinomians
held themselves not subject to any law  83

Arnold, Sir Edwin
not a religious authority  119

Astral
contains pictures of acts which can influence some people  9
difference between soldier and criminal after death  21
Ego potentially involved in at conception  47
how hand can move physical object  59
phenomena in séances used as proof of  78
reincarnation of personal is not the rule  80
elemental communications from plane of  86-87, 98-99
cremation frees from physical  102
soul assumes form resembling real character  102-03

Astrology
and Karma  17-18

Atlanteans
present and past races were  97-98

Atom(s)
same used in numerous bodies by the same and other Egos  65-66

 

B

Blavatsky, H.P.
indifferent to male or female incarnation  66
and two Mahatmas produced Secret Doctrine  69
wide power because of great knowledge  110
writings not to be regarded as infallible oracles  124-25

Blind
concepts of objects not clairvoyance in the  33

Body
has meaning beyond visible  47
Ego does not enter  47
meaning of growing “old”  55
does not suffer, know, or feel  58
is provided by nature to suit its environment  64
can include atoms used in former lives  65-66
of man has varied, will vary in future and other worlds  112-1 3

Buddha
teaching regarding music and sensation  70-71
highest nature of man same as the Being of  71
said to have reincarnated as Sankara and Tsong-ka-pa  92-93
contradictions between early and present Buddhism  119
taught that thoughts were actual deeds  122

 

C

Capital Punishment
harmful to both the executed and the living  29-30, 49, 113-14

Caste
each has by birth a duty to perform  120-21

Chela(ship)
effect of desire to become a  8-9
brings up latent character and precipitates karma  9-10

Clairvoyance
in relation to blindness  33

Condemnation
of others results in anger and blindness to own faults  26-27
denunciation of criminal  54-55

Conscience
source is Higher Self, function limited by education  8, 8-89, 108
acts for betterment but clouded by education and attitudes  94

Consciousness
imagination and will necessary to direct inner vital force of  14-15
has the quality of motion  41-42
varieties of not ours as yet  49-50
obtains a vehicle for every state  58
the Self, functions in different planes of experience with appropriate instruments 62-63

Correspondence
meaning and usefulness  20-21

Cremation
not originally proposed by Theosophists  93
no effect on sheaths of deceased  102

Cycles
beginning and end of true not given  10
coincidence with eras cannot prove divinity of Saviors  10-11
of sun and atmospheric electricity  23

 

D

Death
difference between soldier and criminal  21
Karma of suicides and accidents when connected with mediums  24-25
penalty as punishment for crime  29-30, 49
states of suicides and victims of accidental  48-49
vision possible in life only to advanced egos  129

Degrees
within the T.S.  5-6

Desire
related to will  34-35
overcoming of  83
and passion objective on their own plane  84
cause of rebirth  85-86
meaning of ambition and killing out  98

Devachan
how memory survives in  25-26
lasts until reward exhausted  39
soul does not experience during sleep  48
is not delayed for all suicides and accidents until natural death  48
entered into by Swedenborg, some mediums and clairvoyants during life  54
why much longer than Earth life  56-57
man retained in by delusions and ignorance  58
all Egoic experience located within earth’s attractive limits  64-65
manasic experiences to draw Ego back to Earth Life  76-77
balances mental attitude held while living  78-79
offers reward for suffering believed unmerited in life  81-82
infants have no  102-03
characteristics of  126

Disease
causes are from imagination and physical karma  35-36
treatment of through physical and mental methods  36-38

Dreams
influence of Sushupti, how guidance may come through  7-8
of oppressive character show nature of hell  108

Duality
is universal, examples of  89-90
relative to manifestation but Spirit-Matter are one  104-05

Duty
contrasted with ambition as motive for action  98
and reason and intuition lead to the path  115
that which one is born to is to be per formed  120-21

 

E

Earth
factors affecting conditions of  23-24
globes and principles  30-31
number of monads is definite in relation to  60
fossils of tropical life in arctic areas  63-64
not hell per se  107-08

Ego(s)
sex determined by tendency rather than by mechanical alteration  43-45
informs but does not enter body  47
involved with body first through kama then through Manas at seven years  47
influence of mother on body and tendencies are karma of  47-48
deluded permit lower to rule therefore reincarnates and suffers  58
meet each other many times as friends and enemies  60-61
uses same atoms recombined in body  65-66
no longer entering human stage  105-06
karma may bring suffering before age of seven  106-07
is God within which evolves with Nature a universe and a body  108-09
needs experience in all kingdoms for evolution  125-26
in single life exhibits only part of karma  128-29

Electricity
atmospheric and the sun  23

Elementals
means by which Karma operates, connection between mind and matter  42-43
may be used by Adept and others to play piano without learning  57-58
communication with through the astral, most are harmful  86-87, 98-99

Environment
and human laws do not prevent study of self and Divine Wisdom  130-31

Evil
if chosen in Fifth Round soul will be annihilated  67
monsters of have rebirth through ordinary mothers  123

Evolution
“Fall” an allegory of two-fold evolution  13
of principles  19
seven differentiations occur within cosmos and man  55-56
Race will fully develop Manas in Fifth Round  67
the monad’s progress through Rounds  67-69
reason for a mystery and not a fall from divinity  104-05
no Egos from lower kingdoms will become men in this manvantara  105-06
proceeds through the Ego and Nature  108-09
form of man has varied and will vary in future  112-13
all experience necessary for  125-26
can be accomplished in any environment  130-31

Execution
capital punishment harmful to criminal and living  29-30, 49, 113-14

Experience
all necessary for evolution  125-26

 

F

Force
operating in phenomena explained in cited publications  75

Form
Soul assumes that which is commensurate with its character  102-03
for man is highly variable in this and other worlds  111-13

Future
there is no, all is now  46

 

G

God
cannot be the Absolute if given at tributes  55-56
fallacy of concept of 95 is the Absolute and ourselves  104-05
is the Ego, Spirit, that evolves with Nature a universe and a body  108-09

Gravity
operation of negative and positive poles  58-59

 

H

Happiness
true not dependent on anything out side  76
Health balanced mind and disposition conducive to  35-36
bodily ailments are derived from imagination and karma  35-37, 39-40
the right limit of metaphysical healing  35
disease originates in the mind  36
dangers of metaphysical treatment and yoga practices  36-38

Hell
and heaven before and after death are created by thoughts  107-08

Hindus
modern characterized  116
Humanity door to kingdom closed from middle of Fourth Round  60
meaning of “the great orphan”  94-96

Hypnotism
should be prohibited by law  25
indicates that we see only ideas which operator may inhibit or alter  130

 

I

Ideas
universe is only a vast ideation  82
every thought makes a picture in astral, a seed in mind  91-92
man sees only, may be inhibited in mesmerism  130

Imagination
necessary to direct the flow of force  14-15
powers of, prerequisite for occult arts  45-46, 52-53

Immortality
human ego reaches by uniting with immortal Spirit  12

India
storehouse of Aryan philosophy but modern superstitious
and spiritually degraded  115-16

Insanity
some explanation for  31-33

Inspiration
source of for poets, artists, inventors  9

Intuition
how it may be cultivated  114

 

J

Jivanmukta
the white adept, liberated state, not obliged to reincarnate or experience devachan  4, 16-17

Justice
and mercy are the same  88

 

K

Kama
before entanglement with body Ego is involved with  47
sometimes the source of sympathy  76
coalescence with astral body after death  83-85

Kama Loka
various grades, personalities of suicides, executed and accidents in  48-49, 79
state of torment or delay, seeming recognition of others in  51
quite physical  54
Swedenborg’s visions in  54
variations in range of awareness  79
some conditions are a hell  107-08

Karma
operation in nature and man, catastrophes  2-3
of races and cyclic law  6-7
precipitated by entering the path  10
and destiny, a balancing of causes  16
and astrology  18
interference with  28-29
crime and criminal law are products of  30
and insanity  32
and diseases  35-36
good and bad relative to balance of character and circumstances  40-41
elementals are means for operation of  42-43
male-female characteristics in reincarnation and  44-45
brings Ego to mother  47-48
and duty as related to criminals  54-55
racial means every man’s troubles due partly to ourselves  55
between Egos inactive until they meet  60-61
humans as agents of  71-73
meaning of “unmerited suffering”  78, 81-82
is merciful, not retaliative  88, 100
altruism, storing merit, good and bad  96-97
of suffering child under seven years of age  106-07
single life exhibits only part of  128-29

Knowledge
shows how to use virtue, leads to the Supreme  28

 

L

Law
Mahatmas aid Humanity under cyclic  6-7
occult aspect of gravity and polarity  59
infinite possibilities for form, function, power under one  112-13

Light on the Path
should be judged on intrinsic merits, dictated by an Adept   1

 

M

Magic(ian)
Black  3-5, 20
White cannot take pay  20
distinction between black and white  34
taking hold of an other’s mind is Black  35
can make a mental image visibly objective  85
speculation as to catastrophes not profitable  91

Magnetism
and mesmerism in treatment of disease  33-34

Man
   enmity has the strongest hold on  60
highest nature of is same as Buddha  71
did not come from monkeys  105-06
form of highly variable in this and other worlds  112-13

Manvantara
   man’s life is miniature of life of  67
endlessly succeed each other as logical resultants  90

Matter
   includes heaven, worlds of devas and angels  2
“descent into” not a fall or degradation  104-05

Meditation
   memory is greatest foe of  116-17

Medium(s)
   effect on suicides and accidental deaths  24-25
affected by astral personage  49
use own astral senses and members without awareness  87
unaware of source or meaning of phenomena  101
not a blessing to be a  111

Memory
   how it survives in Devachan  25-26
greatest foe of meditation  116-17
recollection is the collecting together of impressions  117

Mesmerism
   and magnetism in treatment of disease  33-34

Metaphysical healing
   practice of healing  34-36
healing can return disease to the mind  36-38
healers have stumbled upon a great law  50-51
mind-cure assumes that spirit only is  56
denial of facts blinds the mind to reason and cognition  38-39

Mind (Manas)
   well balanced and centered is conducive to health  35
no one has right to take another’s  35
cures assume that only Spirit is  56
is necessary for consciousness to pass from one plane to another  63
of race will be fully evolved in Fifth Round, moment of choice  67
rules everywhere, is guide and standard, source of illusion on every plane  82
and spirit are only real realms  85
thoughts and desire make bonds of rebirth  86
thoughts have universal effects  91-92
fully developed will have corresponding element  112
memory greatest foe to concentration  116-17
terms to describe lower are vague  130

Monad(s)
   number of is definite in this system  60
an unchangeable unit manifesting through various kingdoms  61-62, 67-69

Motion
   Infinite Principle is absolute abstract  41-42

Mummification
   by Egyptians  93-94
false ideas as to reasons for  123-24

Music
   ability of Blind Tom and adepts  57-58
and Buddha’s teaching regarding sensation  70-71

 

N

Nature
   has no intentions  13
man’s lower must be discovered, subdued and transformed  42-43
experience in kingdoms of necessary for evolution  125

Nirvana
   can be gained by selflessness and unselfishness  73-74, 97

 

O

Obsession
   insanity and other classes  31-33

Occult Arts
   imagination and strong will prerequisite for  45-46, 52-53
knowledge of chemical, electrical, magnetic and mathematical laws requisite  53
how a book may be lifted by astral hand  58-59

Occultism
   entrance on the path precipitates character and karma  9-10
demands intellect, memory and will, not goal of T.S.  22

 

P

Patanjali
   Yoga Aphorisms contains direction for physical, intellectual and spiritual training  83

Path
   entrance on brings out latent character and precipitates Karma  10
concern about and mechanical approaches to the  114-15
environment does not preclude work on the  130-31

Perfection
   is goal of evolution for individual and to help others  11-12

Personality
   vehicle for Ego is delusive and binding  58

Plane(s)
   correspondences aid acquirement of knowledge of various  20-21
soldier and criminal on astral after death  21
difference between principle and  87-88

Pleasures
   as they relate to the three qualities  1 22-23

Principle(s)
   of man and their evolution  18-19
globes and earth-chain  30-31
difference between plane and  87-88

Psychic
   ignoble to use senses for treasure search  15-16
powers of white magic should not be used for pay  20
meaning of and cautions in investigation of powers  101-02
no selfish use of powers, phenomena not profitable for Branch consideration  111

 

R

Reforms
   Branches should study Theosophy rather than  127
must alter nature of man to be permanent  130-31

Reincarnation
   immortality is object of  11-12
Jivanmukta not subject to  16-17
sex determined by egoic tendency rather than alternation  43-45
does not conflict with mother’s power to influence child  47-48
purposes of distinct from causes, infant deaths  53-54
Egos meet each other many times as friends and enemies  60-61
taught by HPB, including in Isis  79-80
of personal astral is exception  80-81
desire leads to  85-86
of avatars  92-93
of monsters of depravity through ordinary mothers  123
in one life exhibits only part of karma  128-29

Rounds
   Manas of race fully evolved in Fifth  67
and monads in evolution  67-69

 

S

Sankara
   said to be a reincarnation of Buddha  92-93

Secret Doctrine
   all passages must be construed together  61
triple production of H.P.B. and two Mahatmas  68-69

Self, The
   consciousness, Atma-Buddhi-Manas, Knower and Perceiver  63
Higher is same as the Being of Buddha  71

Selfishness
   in working for Nirvana  73-74, 97
in seeking good karma  96-97

Serpent
   nature and its powers is one of meanings of  12

Sex
   determined by Egoic tendency  43-45
female character of concrete ness, male of abstraction  44-45
H.P.B.’s view of use of male or female body  66

Sense
   intuition not the sixth  114

Soul
   connecting bond between spirit and body, can be lost  51-52
is parent less, mankind an orphan  94-95
assumes form commensurate with its character in life and death  102-03
may suffer under karma before age of seven  106-07
no precise meaning of term  114
loss of treated slightly in Theosophical literature  119
great can be unrecognized  128-29

Sound
   combination of all results in a harmonious tone  127-28

Spirit(ual)
   not incarnated fully in existing race  2
selects soul as connecting bond which can be lost  51-52
has many meanings  70
Patanjali’s Yoga results in cultivation of  83
humanity commencing reascent to in this round  90

Spiritualism
   materializations have intelligent actor behind them  77-78
phenomena proof of astral world and body  78

Sun
   and atmospheric electricity  23

Swedenborg
   entered Devachan during life, had visions in Kama Loca  54

Sympathy
   sources of, should be exercised but with judgment  76

 

T

Tathagata
meaning of Being of  71

Tatwams
elements and forces of nature, in formation on confused  15

Teachers
   Theosophical appear last quarter of each century  46-47, 109-10
many great probably among us now  128

Theosophical Movement
   persons who have acted as messengers  109-10

Theosophical Society
   degrees within  5-6
meant to give true views of life and nature  22
meaning of third object  101-02
if it defines Theosophy will mark its decay  124
branches should study Theosophy rather than social topics  127
should never take partisan and reformatory positions  130-31

Theosophist
   an altruist  21-22
duty to teach ethics and philosophy not political reform  30
should study, clearly explain and promulgate Theosophy and brotherhood 117-118, 127

Theosophy
   error in Ocean as to rebirth  100
seeming contradiction in regard to evolution  105-06
mode of presentation varies with conditions and messengers  110
middle class the great propagator and supporter of  117-18
treats subject of lost souls slightly  119
is not to be defined, no single criterion  124-25
should be understood and practiced, reforms will follow  127

Thought(s)
   and desires make bonds of rebirth  86
are things with universal effect  91-92
heaven, hell and life made by  107-08
as culpable as deed, taught by all reformers  121-22

Tobacco
   use of  22-23

Tsong-ka-pa
   said to be reincarnation of Buddha  92

 

V

Vegetarianism
a mechanical approach to the path  115
pros and cons  129-30
W.Q.J. tried for nine years, found it injurious  129

Virtue
and wisdom  23, 28

Vision
knowledge found in death, possible for advanced Ego during life  129

 

W

Will
and imagination can direct inner vital force  14-15
as related to de sire and magic  34
dangers in use in mental healing  36-38

Wisdom
and virtue, how attained  23, 28

 

Y

Yoga
Patanjali’s philosophy results in spiritual cultivation  83

Forum Answers by William Q Judge

Scroll to top