35. Why does the Theosophist Need Teachings and Theories?

The following question is posed: “Is it important for the theosophist to educate himself about the different parts of man, about the astral and mental world, about the development of the earth and the world, and so on? Is it not enough for him to become aware of the “God-man” within himself, of the unity with all beings, and of the divinity of all things? Why does he need teachings and theories?"

It must be said that it is a fine saying to become aware of one's divine self and of the unity with all beings, but that this remains only a saying as long as one does not really want to recognize the nature and the deeds of the divine in the world. A person who only ever speaks of his divine self is like someone who does not want to know anything about tulips, violets, narcissi, roses, etc., but wants to lump everything together into the vague concept of “plant”. God can only recognize those who understand the world, and self-knowledge can only be attained by those who want to recognize the things around them, both sensual and supersensual. For man is the highest revelation of all things for man, and therefore knowledge of the world is at the same time self-knowledge. Therefore, those who do not want to be content with general phrases must acquire knowledge of the astral, mental, etc. world in order to attain self-knowledge. For all the phenomena of these worlds have a share in the human essence. Therefore, perfect self-knowledge and full God-consciousness are also an unattainable ideal. Only when one would recognize the whole world could one recognize oneself completely. It cannot be a matter of our knowing that a divine element lives in us, for a divine element lives in every stone, in every plant, in every animal. What matters is that we recognize more and more of the revelations of God in the universe. Let us therefore repeat less that theosophy is the consciousness of the unity of God with man, and let us seek to understand more of the secrets of the world, that is, of the divine workings in things. In this way we will also become more modest than if we always emphasize our consciousness of the God-man in us. Of course we carry this within us; but as a rule we know very little about it. It is better to have some real knowledge of what the astral or mental world looks like than to boast of a consciousness of God that remains an empty word without true, certain knowledge. Indeed, it is presumptuous to speak of this unity with God without wanting to delve deeper into the deeds of God in the universe. What use is it to always say: I am the son of this father. Learn from this father, acquire what he can and is able to do, then you will be his worthy son. Theosophy will only be true divine wisdom when it speaks clearly and distinctly of the higher worlds and avoids all vague expressions. How much a person appropriates from the knowledge of the higher worlds is another matter; but it depends on the will to knowledge. All unhappiness in the world comes from ignorance. But this is not overcome by the consciousness of the divine self within oneself. For even the ignorant can justifiably speak of his divine self. He has it; he just cannot recognize it. Theosophy should not be a show of divine consciousness, but a real learning of the divine secrets of the world, which give the key to genuine self-knowledge.