Our Unity – Series: UNITY and DIVERSITY, Brotherhood and Freedom of Thought and Spiritual Evolution

Roger Price – Belgium

Although all of life is always a Unity it is through manifestation and the experience of individuality including its apparent separateness (at least through some phases of the Monads evolution) that the full spectrum of necessary evolutionary experience is gathered by every Monad for the ALL. Hence the necessity of diversity within Unity for Humanity.

Humanity stands at the unique point on the evolutionary path of transition between the experience of separateness and that of Unity. At the moment although our predominant experience is one of separateness we have also the capacity to experience some degree of Unity. Our experience of separateness gives rise to our sense of self at the personal level but our efforts to understand, feel and practice Universal Brotherhood help us experience Unity and unfold our spiritual Individuality. Conversely the influence of our spiritual Individuality on the personality gives rise to the understanding and feeling of Unity expressed through Universal Brotherhood together with respect for essential inherent diversity through Freedom of Thought. The full acceptance and practice of both Universal Brotherhood reflecting inherent Unity and of Freedom of Thought reflecting inherent necessary diversity are the principles by which Humanity can move forward on our journey to gain entrance to the Inner Life and stimulate the unfoldment of our spiritual Individuality in accordance with evolutionary law. The Collected Writings, XI P166, 2^nd Letter to the American Convention:

“Theosophy is essentially unsectarian, and work for it forms the entrance to the Inner life. But none can enter save the man himself in the highest and truest spirit of Brotherhood, and any other attempt at entrance will either be futile or he will lie blasted at the threshold.”

Universal Brotherhood and respect for Freedom of Thought are co-existent principles for the entrance to the Inner Life and they must form the root aspirational qualities of how we work together for Theosophy.

For the Theosophical Societies one of the great obstacles to Universal Brotherhood and Freedom of Thought in its “highest spirit” appears to be “what is and what is not Theosophy and what do we understand by the teachings and how do we promulgate them”. Given the necessary for diversity that life itself requires, perhaps it’s beneficial to consider what HPB says in TheCollected Writings, XII P154, 3^rd Letter to the American Convention:

“It is not a dull agreement on intellectual questions, or an impossible unanimity as to all the details of work, that is needed; but a true hearty, earnest devotion to our cause which will lead each to help his brother to the utmost of his power to work for that cause, whether or not we agree to the exact method of carrying on that work.”

However, Freedom of Thought is not just both a Life given Human Right and an evolutionary necessity but also in equal measure a great responsibility to be exercised with discernment,: TheCollected Writings, XI p166, 2^nd Letter to the American Convention:

“”UNION IS STRENGTH”; and for every reason private differences must be sunk in united work for our Great Cause.”