MAY 2016 PROGRAMME ( BTF BULLETIN IS BELOW THE PROGRAMME)
BLAVATSKY LODGE: 7 French Bridge, Mumbai 400007.
DAY
|
TIME
|
DETAILS
|
Sun 1
|
10.00 am
|
Bharat Samaj Pooja
|
Fri 6
|
6.00 pm
|
Members’ Meeting – Study of AB & CWL’s Book “MAN.. Whence, How and Whither” conducted by Sis Aban Patel
|
Sun 8
|
10.30 am
|
White Lotus Day Meeting with BTF at Juhu
|
Fri 13
|
6.00 pm
|
Members’ Meeting - Talk on ‘Demystifying Pathanjali’ by Bro. Arni Narendran
|
Fri 20
|
6.00 pm
|
Wesak Purnima Meeting
|
Sun 22
|
11.45 am
|
Maitreya Round Table Annual Meeting with ‘Vaishak Ceremony’ followed by Lunch [Please give your names to Sis. Rashna Jehani (M): 9819995230]
|
Fri 27
|
4.30 pm
6.00 pm
|
Blavatsky Lodge Managing Committee Meeting
Members’ Meeting – Study of AB & CWL’s Book “MAN.. Whence, How and Whither” conducted by Sis Aban Patel
|
Tues 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31
|
4.15 pm
5.30 pm
|
Yoga Session conducted by Shernaz Vatchha
SS Meeting
Members’ Meetings to read & discuss ‘Lives of Alcyone’
|
THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF
THE BOMBAY
THEOSOPHICAL FEDERATION
Volume
85
|
—
|
No.8
|
–
|
May 2016
|
EVERY year on what is called White Lotus Day, May 8th, theosophists all over the
world celebrate the anniversary of the passing of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky,
Founder of the Theosophical Society.
“That which men call death is
but a change of location for the Ego, a mere transformation, a forsaking for a
time of the mortal frame,” wrote her friend and colleague William Q. Judge
CONTENTS
White Lotus Day- Quote by W.Q. Judge
|
Cover
|
News & Notes
|
2 - 4
|
‘What is Yoga?’ by
Sis. Villoo Adajania
|
5 - 8
|
‘Appo Deepo Bhava’
by Mulla Comp. Student
|
8 - 10
|
BTF & Lodge Programmes May
2016
|
11 - 12
|
NEWS
& NOTES
WHITE LOTUS DAY MEETING, jointly by BTF & Blavatsky Lodge, will be
held on Sunday 8th May 2016 at 11.00 a.m. at Ananda Lodge, Juhu Theosophical
Colony. There
will be readings from The Light of Asia, Bhagvad Geeta and The Voice of
Silence. There will be talks on ‘HPB and Significance of The White Lotus
Day’. The meeting will end with offering of floral homage to HPB.
BTF & Ananda Lodge will welcome Brethren
with Breakfast at 10.30 a.m. at Juhu
Theosophical Colony. Blavatsky Lodge has arranged the Bus Service. Please give
your names to Blavatsky Lodge Assistant Sis. Asha latest by 5th May 2016.
Bus
Service for Juhu on 8th May pick-up timings & stops:
8-30 a.m. Colaba - Cusrow Baug
8-40 a.m. Dhobi
Talao – Metro Cinema
8-50 a.m.
Opera House – Blavatsky Lodge
9-00
a.m. Tardeo – Ganga-Jamuna Theatre
9-10 a.m. Byculla –
Ismalia Co-op. Hsg. Society
***************************************************
Editor – Bro. Rustom R.
Dalal Cover Page By: Sis. Kashmira Khambatta
Editorial
Committee – Sis. Mahazaver Dalal (in charge of Mailing List), Sis. Kashmira Khambatta, Sis. Aban Patel and Ex-Officio: President Dr. Ajay Hora, Secretary Sis. Aban Amroliwalla. Note: News, Notes and Programmes to
be printed in the Bulletin, be forwarded by e-mail to: rrpdalal@hotmail.com or kashmirakhambatta@yahoo.com latest by 16th
each month.
9-15 a.m. Byculla –
Palace Cinema
9-25 a.m. Dadar –
Damodardas Mithaiwala
9-35 a.m. Mahim –
Paramount Restaurant
9-45 a.m. Bandra – Lucky
Restaurant
Note: Members may have time to go to Juhu Beach before Breakfast at 10.30
a.m.
BTF BULLETIN ON LODGE
PROGRAMME BLOG
from April 2016: Bro. Navin Kumar from month of April 2016 has put the entire
BTF Bulletin below the Programme Table.
This can be searched on the net by typing ‘Blavatsky Lodge TS Mumbai’. The link
for the blog is as under:
For the benefit of other members and
interested friends in India & Abroad BTF Bulletin
Editor Bro. Rustom Dalal will continue to send BTF Bulletins by E-mail.
CELEBRATION OF SPRING FESTIVAL JAMSHEDI
NAVROZE AT SHANTI LODGE on 24th March 2016.
Guest Speaker Mrs. Meher Contractor gave a
talk on ‘Sarosh Yezad’. She said: Sarosh is Obediance to
the Will of God. He instils divine obediance in children at their Navjote
Ceremony. He is a revealer of the Religion to Zoroaster. He is Intuition,
inspires us to be honest and gives courage. His Celestial co-worker is Asha
Vahishta and in mortal world a Rooster. He is in charge of both Spiritual and
Material Worlds. He is the protector of Soul by day & nigtht and in life
and after life. On death Sarosh Yezad is invoked to help the soul during his
transition of 3 days from mortal to spiritual world. His strongest weapon is
Prayer ‘Ahunavariya’. He presides over the Judgement with Meher Daver, Rashne
Rast and Ashisvangh. There are specific prayers to invoke his grace for living
and for departed. Pray to ask for wisdom and not just knowledge.
The Meeting
was graced by Mr U.S. Pandey,
Secretary of Uttar Pradesh Theosophical Federation. All partook refreshments as
blessings of Mother Nature.
AT BLAVATSKY LODGE on 1st April 2016 BRO.U.S.
PANDEY, Secretary of UP Theosophical Federation speaking on ‘Glimpses of
Chinese Religions’ said: Chinese philosophy is the root of life of Chinese
people which has evolved over four teachings – (1) I-ching [Yi-King] (2) Tao
(3) Confucius & (4) Buddhism.
I-ching
conveys that there is a continuous change. There were Mystic Emperors
and the Books of Wisdom & Oratory.
Lao-Tze taught men the Tao. Tao has two horizons Yin & Yang. It depicts that
Light comes from Darkness and till one reaches Perfection there is darkness.
Tao has other two explanations also: {A}
(1) Heaven [Head / Mind] (2) Man [Body] (3) Earth [Legs connected with
Earth indicating communication with other Kingdoms] {B}(1) Forehead [Intellect]
(2) Up to Nose [Emotions] (3) Around Lips [Earth- Worldly Man]
Confucius: If Tao is Spirit,
Confucius’ Teachings are Body of Behaviour with ‘Way of Virtue’. Universal
Values & Society’s Values are taught to realize Order & Harmony of
Heaven, Earth & Man. There is a rule for Non-Action, however fruitfulness
has to be there. Humour is important as it sharpens the mind and makes
environment vibrant & soothing. There should be harmony starting with Mind
of Man to Family, to Society & to Humanity. Life should not be wasted.
OBITUARY: Sis. Roshan
Adajania Life Member of Blavatsky Lodge for 35
years passed away on 22-2-2015. We
learnt about her demise late when BTF Bulletin of April 2016 was returned
marked ‘Deceased’. She used to be very particular to receive her copy of BTF
Bulletin. May her Soul rest in Peace.
WHAT
IS YOGA?
Extracts taken from ‘Yoga and Ecology’
by Nitin Abhyankar
Compiled by Sis. Viloo H. Adajania of Shanti
Lodge
Yoga
is a Sanskrit word. There is no
equivalent word in English. People
translate yoga in a variety of ways like, ‘union’, ‘merger’, ‘unity’, ‘fusion’,
etc. The dictionary meaning of the word yoga is, “Yoga is a system of Hindu
philosophy showing the means of emancipation of the soul from further
migrations.”
Yoga
is a deep spiritual experience. It describes the path to enlightenment. Yoga
does not mean ‘asanas’ (postures) or ‘pranayama’ (breath-control). For an
ordinary person, yoga usually means ‘Ashtanga Yoga” – Eightfold Path of Yoga.
‘Asanas’ and ‘pranayama’ are only two limbs of this eightfold path. Yoga is
concerned with body, mind and ‘atma’(soul). But it is least concerned with
body, more with mind and most with ‘atma’.
If
we observe the practice of yoga in society, we find that for majority of
people, yoga means ‘asanas’ and ‘pranayama’, that is, exercises mainly related
to maintenance of physical body. Few
people practice ‘yama’ (morality) and ‘niyama’ (discipline, abstinence). Such
people are trying to follow the path of righteousness. They do not lie, steal,
and observe non-violence and celibacy. Some others try to observe purity,
‘santosh’ (contentment), ‘tapas’ (dedication to God) and ‘swadhaya’ (self-study).
Even such people do not experience true yoga; they do not taste the nectar of
yoga.
The true state of yoga is an experience and in this experience, you
are one with everything and every being. You lose your separate identity, you
lose sense of ego; ‘I-ness’ ceases to be.
There
is no duality. A yogi transcends all dualities, all opposites like good-bad,
saint-sinner, human-divine, man-woman, birth-death, etc. He knows that reality
and truth lie beyond duality. In yoga all sense of separateness is uprooted and
all become one, composite, and a homogeneous whole.
Such
fusion is not limited to human beings but includes all kingdoms, whole
biosphere. Here we can have a glimpse how ecology is linked with yoga. Ecology
is nothing but ‘Saha-Yoga’ – a symbiosis of various forms of life. The
dictionary meaning of the term Ecology is, ‘a branch of biology that deals with
the relation of living things to their surroundings’.
In
the current scenario we observe and experience that the world has become a small
place but distance between people psychologically has substantially increased.
Such contradiction is because of lack of yoga in our lives. Propaganda of yoga
has immensely increased but real yoga has almost disappeared. There is no yoga
– ‘unity’ between husband-wife, between black-white, between employer-employee,
between ruler-ruled, between nations and so on.
Let
us understand yoga in some more detail so that it might be put in practice.
Out
of the steps of the eightfold path of yoga, the 7th step, that is,
‘dhyana’ or meditation is the true foundation of yoga. Inner transformation
occurs by meditation. Other aspects of yoga may make men moral but not
necessarily spiritual.
The first 6 steps are the
preparation done for meditation. They are ‘Yama’ (morality), ‘Niyama’
(discipline in life), ‘Asana’ (physical exercises), ‘Pranayama’ (controlling
the vital force and directing it to various parts of the body) and ‘Pratyahara’
(withdrawal of mind from sensual impulses). These 5 steps have the effect of
establishing a state of clarity and calmness in the mind, which, in turn, leads
to the ending of ambition, greed and desire for pleasure and the attachment and
emotions allied with these. Only then are we able to meditate properly, which,
they say consists of ‘Dharana’ and then ‘Dhyana’ (meditation).
The word ‘Dharana’ conveys
much more than simple ‘concentration’. It literally means ‘holding’, perhaps
the holding of energy since during its practice, there is no leakage of energy
through extraneous thoughts. As our desires fade away, there is less loss of
this energy, and consequently focusing of the mind, that is, ‘Dhyana’. also
becomes possible.
‘Dhyana’
is necessary before attaining the final state of ‘Samadhi’. ‘Dhyana’ is a seed
of tree of yoga which has fruits of ‘Yama’, ‘Niyama’, ‘Pratyahara’ and
‘Dharana’. By ‘Dhyana’ we can
spiritualize everything. In fact, in India yoga is seen as a means to both
physiological and spiritual mastery.
There
are branches of yoga which are well known. In India yoga has been classified as
Karma Yoga – attaining enlightenment through good work; Jnana Yoga – attaining
enlightenment through wisdom; Bhakti Yoga – attaining enlightenment through
devotion; and Raja Yoga – attaining enlightenment through a balanced spiritual
life that has meditation as its hub. Outside India, yoga has become primarily
associated with Hatha Yoga (that has mastery in ‘asanas’ and breath control).
But Raja Yoga has been popularized in the West by Paramahansa Yogananda.
In
short, the eightfold path of yoga is not the effort of ‘becoming’ but is the
discovery of ‘being’. Hence, a ‘Sadhaka’
of yoga must do introspection of his life. Socrates has rightly said, “An
unexamined life is not worth living”. The ‘Sadhaka’ must examine his daily
life, its each and every minute event and must decide whether he is following
‘Yama’, ‘Niyama’, etc. This is very crucial and important part of yoga
education. He must put his life to searching questions and try to give honest
answers. Then only can he proceed up to
the stage of ‘Dhyana’ or meditation.
In initial stages meditation requires efforts to achieve. But it is
only a phase and ultimately meditation must be an effortless occurrence. When
‘Dhyana’ happens, new vistas of awareness start to unfold before you. You begin
to feel a sense of ‘union’ with everything and every being, which is what yoga
aims at. One such profound aspect of which you become aware is the sense of
ecology – of ‘Saha Yoga’. You begin to realize that life on earth can be
sustained only by not disturbing the harmony of Nature. But man is currently
behaving exactly opposite.
QUOTE
Let me not pray to be
sheltered from dangers,
But to be fearless in facing
them.
-
Rabindranath Tagore
____________________________________________________
APPO
DEEPO BHAVA
Be A Light Unto Yourself
Shared by a Minoo Mulla Competition
participating College Student
This
is a very famous quote from the Mahapaninibbana Sutta, which chronicles the
events and teaching at the very end of Buddha’s life. “APPO DEEPO BHAVA” were
the last words of Buddha before leaving this world. Anand was crying, weeping
because Buddha was dying and he said to Buddha: “You are leaving and I have not
become enlightened. What about me? What will happen to me? The world will be
absolutely dark for me. You were the light and now you are going”. Buddha
opened his eyes and said-“APPO DEEPO BHAVA- Anand, nobody can be the light for
you but yourself”
There
are a lot of religions throughout the world and thousands of different Gods.
Most of the religions are based on fear. People worship supernatural beings,
pagan Gods/deities, etc., because they are afraid. Since people cannot predict
their future about life and death, they feel helpless. They feel the need of
protection. Buddha throws light on the deepest core on which religions are
based. Buddha’s religion is based on an inner benediction, an inner blessing.
It has nothing to do with fear.
Anything
that is based on fear can never be beautiful. That is why Buddha says that the
first step is to drop all beliefs. By doing so, you become aware of your fears
and that is good because you will become aware of your death. You will become
aware of the whole infinite cosmos of nowhere to go, no one to guide, no where
to find any security, and in that awareness of fear, there will be only one
place to start and that is from within yourself.
The
Inner Journey starts when you have dropped all your beliefs and you become
aware of your fears and death. Once you are in, you will realize that the fears
are disappearing because within your deepest core there has never been any
death and there never will be. Your innermost core is non-self. A self can die
but a non-self cannot. Buddha says that
there is nothing inside you. You are a pure nothing and this nothing cannot be
destroyed. Once you have understood this that nothingness is beautiful in
itself, there will be no need to go on stuffing it with money, power, prestige
or fame.
It
is the individual’s responsibility to find out the inner self. Anand did not
get enlightened, even though he was with Buddha for so long is probably because
when Buddha was teaching and explaining Anand and making him understand, he was
not paying attention. Buddha might have repeated the same thing over and over
and Anand might have thought he knows it all. Up until, when Buddha was dying,
he was shocked and became alert. So he listened and realized that the light is
within him. He pondered about it. That could be the reason why he was
enlightened twenty four hours after Buddha’s passing away.
The
quote does not just imply spirituality but also practicality. We should take
full responsibility for our lives, work hard and be independent. Nobody is
going to spoon feed us all our life, if there is a wall ahead of you that is
stopping you from progress, you have to break it. Do not wait for others to
come and make way for you. Only you can make your path out and walk on it.
“Work out your own salvation. Do not depend on others”.
The
source of luminosity is within all of us. It is not outside, around or in an
object nearby. If you seek the light outside you seek in vain. It is like a
mirror hidden behind many dark curtains. When you unveil the curtains of
illusion, you will realize that it was you all along. You are the guiding lamp
unto yourself.
*************************************************************
Statement
of Ownership and other Particulars
FORM
IV
Place of
Publication Mumbai
Periodicity of
Publication Monthly
Printer’s Name Vijay Copy
Centre
Whether citizen of
India Yes
Address 48/A,
Saidunnisa Building, Sleater Rd.
Opp.
Grant Road Station (West)
Mumbai 400007
Publishers Name Rustom R. Dalal, The Editor of
The Bombay Theosophical Federation
Whether Citizen of
India Yes
Address
7, French Bridge, Chowpatty
Mumbai 400 007
Editor’s
Name
Rustom R. Dalal
Whether Citizen of
India Yes
Address C/o. Bombay Theosophical Federation
7, French Bridge, Mumbai 400 007
Name & Address
of individuals who own the newspaper and Partners of
shareholders
holding more than 1% total capital
N.A.
I, Rustom R. Dalal,
the Editor of The Bombay Theosophical Bulletin,
hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the best of
my knowledge & belief.
Dated 27-3-2015 Sd. R. R. Dalal ( Publisher )
BTF & LODGE PROGRAMMES MAY 2016
WHITE LOTUS DAY MEETING jointly by BTF &
Blavatsky Lodge on Sunday 8th May 2016 at 11.00 a.m. at Juhu Theosophical
Colony (See News & Notes for Bus Service)
1.
ANANDA LODGE: Theosophical Colony, Juhu, Mumbai 400049. Sunday 15th May 2016 at 12.00 noon. Contact
Dr. Smruti Hora Tel: 26151060 for details
2. BLAVATSKY LODGE: 7 French Bridge, Mumbai 400007.
DAY
|
TIME
|
DETAILS
|
Sun 1
|
10.00 am
|
Bharat Samaj Pooja
|
Fri 6
|
6.00 pm
|
Members’ Meeting – Study of AB & CWL’s Book “MAN.. Whence, How
and Whither” conducted by Sis Aban Patel
|
Sun 8
|
10.30 am
|
White Lotus Day Meeting with BTF at Juhu
|
Fri 13
|
6.00 pm
|
Members’ Meeting - Talk on ‘Demystifying Pathanjali’ by Bro. Arni
Narendran
|
Fri 20
|
6.00 pm
|
Wesak Purnima Meeting
|
Sun 22
|
11.45 am
|
Maitreya Round Table Annual Meeting with ‘Vaishak Ceremony’ followed
by Lunch [Please
give your names to Sis. Rashna Jehani (M): 9819995230]
|
Fri 27
|
4.30 pm
6.00 pm
|
Blavatsky Lodge Managing Committee Meeting
Members’ Meeting – Study of AB
& CWL’s Book “MAN.. Whence, How and Whither” conducted by Sis Aban Patel
|
Tues 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31
|
4.15 pm
5.30 pm
|
Yoga Session conducted by Shernaz Vatchha
SS Meeting
Members’ Meetings to read & discuss ‘Lives of Alcyone’
|
3. CENTENARY LODGE:
Will inform when they are able to hold
meeting.
4. JYOTI LODGE: Contact Bro. Taral Munshi, c/o Dr. Ajay
Hora, B-7, Juhu Theosophical Colony,
Mumbai 400049 Tel 26151060
5. SHANTI
LODGE:
C/o Bro. Rustom Dalal, Vijay Niwas, 2nd Floor, Plot 5, Sleater Road, Mumbai 400007
Thursdays at 6.15 p.m.
5
|
Study of C. W. Leadbeater’s book ‘Man
Visible & Invisible’
Talk
by Dr. Darius H. Umrigar (at
Blavatsky Lodge)
|
12
|
Study of C. W. Leadbeater’s book ‘Man
Visible & Invisible’
|
19
|
Talk by Sis. Bana Mehta
|
26
|
Study of C. W. Leadbeater’s book ‘Man
Visible & Invisible’
|
6. UNITY YOUTH LODGE: C/o Blavatsky Lodge
Wed 18
|
5.30 pm
|
Theosophical readings guided by Sis. Soonoo
Vesuna at her residence Vijay Niwas, 4th Floor, Sleater Road
|
7 & 8 VASANTA LODGE & GANESH LODGE: Please note NEW ADDRESS: C/O Dr.
Ajay Hora, Kamla Sadan 1st Floor, Pherozsha Mehta Rd., Santa Cruz West, Mumbai
400054.
Wednesday
4, 11, 18 & 25 Meetings at 6.30 pm.
9. VIMADALAL BILIA LODGE:
Family House, Parsi
Colony, Dadar, Mumbai 400014.
Thurs
5
|
6.00
|
Commemoration of White Lotus Day (May 8) with Readings from Voice of
Silence, Light of Asia and Bhagwad Gita
|
Thurs
12
|
6.00
|
Talk by Bro. Keki Palkhiwalla
|
Thurs
19
|
6.00
|
Commemoration of Vaishakh Purnima (May
22, o2.44 a.m. IST)
|
Thurs
26
|
6.00
|
Lodge Meeting by Sis. Armaity Tirandaz
|
*************************************************************
Price: Rs. 1/-
Annual Subscription: Rs. 10/-
*************************************************************
Edited & Published by
Editor Shri. Rustom R. Dalal, The Bombay Theosophical Federation, c/o Blavatsky
Lodge, 7 – French Bridge, Chowpatty, Mumbai – 400 007. (Tel: 23685026) and
Printed at Vijay Copy Centre, 48/A, Saidunnisa Building, Sleater Road, Opposite
Grant Road Station (West), Mumbai - 400 007 (Tel:23865137)
