Theosophical Siftings

Am I My Brother's Keeper?

Vol 2, No 1

Am I My Brother's Keeper?
Genesis iv, 9 by American Mystic
!eprinte" from the #AT$, A%g%st, 1&& !eprinte" from Theosophical Siftings ' Vol%me 2 The Theosophical #%(lishing Society, )nglan"

MAN* st%"ents, in their search for light, fin" "i+ers pro(lems presente" to them for sol%tion, -%estions so p%..ling from the contra"ictory aspects /hich they present, that the tr%e co%rse is "iffic%lt of attainment for those /ho see0 !ight 1i+ing2 3ne of these -%estions, Is it o%r "%ty to interfere if /e see a /rong (eing "one ? arises2 The -%estion of "%ty is one that can (e "eci"e" f%lly only (y each in"i+i"%al himself2 No co"e of la/s or ta(le of r%les %nchanging an" infle4i(le /ill (e gi+en, %n"er /hich all m%st act, or fin" "%ty2 5e are so ignorant or so ne/ly ac-%ainte" /ith a portion of the 6i+ine 5ill that generally /e are poorly fitte" to "eclare "ecisi+ely /hat is /rong, or e+il2 )ach man is the la/ %nto himself 7 the la/ as to right an" /rong, goo" an" e+il2 No other in"i+i"%al may +iolate the la/ of that man, any more than any other la/, /itho%t pro"%cing the ine+ita(le res%lt, the penalty of an infracte" la/, I "are not "eclare that anyone thing or co%rse is e+il in another2 8or me it may (e e+il2 I am not /ise eno%gh to 0no/ /hat it is for another2 3nly the S%preme 0no/s, for $e only can rea" the heart, the min", the so%l of each2 9Tho% shalt not :%"ge;, saith the sacre" /riting2 My "%ty is clear in many places, (%t in the performing of it I may neither act as a :%"ge or hol" animosity, anger, or "isg%st2 5ere a man to a(%se an animal, s%rely I m%st interfere to pre+ent s%ffering to the helpless, "%m( an" /ea0, for so /e are en:oine"2 This "one, my "%ty lies in helping my (rother, for he 0ne/ not /hat he "i"2 My aim is to fin" 5is"om, an" my "%ty, to "o a/ay /ith ignorance /hen e+er it is enco%ntere"2 $is act /as ca%se" (y ignorance2 5ere a man to a(%se /ife or chil" thro%gh %n/ise %se of /ine or "r%g, tr%ly it is my "%ty to pre+ent s%ffering or sorro/ for either /ife or chil", an" also to pre+ent greater misery 7 perhaps m%r"er2 They are h%man (eings, my fello/s2 This "one, my "%ty lies to/ar" the man, not in con"emnation, (%t see0ing the ca%se that ma0es him %n/ise, stri+e to alle+iate 7 if not free him from it2 $e also is my (rother2 #age 1

Theosophical Siftings

Am I My Brother's Keeper?

Vol 2, No 1

If men steal, lie, cheat, (etray the innocent or are (etraye" (y the 0no/ing, my "%ty lies in pre+enting for others, if I may, sorro/ an" ang%ish, <#age 1=> pain an" /ant, misery, s%ici"e or (loo"she", /hich may (e, for others, the res%lt of these acts2 My "%ty lies in pre+enting effects s%ch as these from lo+e for an" a "esire to help all men, not (eca%se men's actions seem to me /rong or their co%rses e+il2 I 0no/ not the ca%ses of their actions, nor all the reasons /hy they are permitte"2 $o/, then, may I say this or that man is e+il, this or that thing is /rong ? The effects may to me seem e+il, inasm%ch as s%ch appears to (e the res%lt for others2 $ere my "%ty is to pre+ent e+il to other mortals in the /ay that seems most /ise2 8inally this is (etter that one "o $is o/n tas0 as he may, e+en tho%gh he fail, Than ta0e tas0s not his o/n, tho%gh they seem goo"2; ' Song ?elestial @Bhaga+at'AitaB2 $e /ho see0s 9the small ol" path; has many "%ties to perform2 $is "%ty to man0in", his family 7 nat%re 7 himself an" his creator, (%t "%ty here means something +ery "ifferent from that /hich is con+eye" (y the time an" lip'/orn /or", Duty2 3%r comprehension of the term is generally (ase" %pon society's or man's selfish interpretation2 It is -%ite generally tho%ght that "%ty means the performance of a series of acts /hich others thin0 I o%ght to perform, /hereas it more tr%ly means the performance of actions (y me /hich I know are goo" for others, or the /isest at the moment2 It /o%l" (e -%ite "angero%s for me to ta0e %pon myself the "%ty of another, either (eca%se he tol" me it /as goo", or that it /as "%ty2 It /o%l" (e "angero%s for him an" me if I ass%me" that /hich he felt it /as goo" to "o, for that is his "%ty an" cannot (e mine2 That /hich is gi+en him to "o I cannot "o for him2 That /hich is gi+en me to "o no li+ing thing can "o for me2 If I attempt to "o another's "%ty, then I ass%me that /hich (elongs not to me, /as not gi+en me2 I am a thief, ta0ing that /hich "oes not (elong to me2 My (rother, consenting thereto, (ecomes an i"ler, fails to comprehen" the lesson, shifts the responsi(ility, an" (et/een %s /e accomplish nothing2 5e are instr%cte" to "o goo"2 That is "%ty2 In "oing goo" all that /e "o is co+ere", that for /hich /e are here is (eing accomplishe", an" that is 7 "%ty2 5e are en:oine" to "o goo" where it is safe2 Not safe for o%r'sel+es, (%t safe for the o(:ects to/ar" /hich o%r "%ty points2 3ften /e (ehol" (eings s%ffering great /rong2 3%r emotions prompt %s to r%sh for/ar" an" in some /ay pre+ent the contin%ance of it2 Still the /ise man 0no/s it is not safe2 5ere he to "o so, his efforts /o%l" only aro%se the antagonism an" passions of s%perior n%m(ers, /hose %nrestraine" an" %ngo+erne" /ills /o%l" c%lminate in the perpetration of greater /rongs %pon the one /ho alrea"y s%ffers2 It is safe to "o goo", or my "%ty, after I fin" ho/ to "o it in the /ay that /ill not create e+il, harms others or (egets greater e+ils2 8or him /ho see0s the %p/ar" /ay there is no "%ty 7 for nothing is a "%ty2 <#age 2C> $e has learne" that the /or" con+eys an erroneo%s meaning /hen applie" to the "oings of the See0er2 It implies the performance of that /hich sa+o%rs of a tas0, or a certain re-%ire" or "eman"e" act necessary (efore progress is ma"e or other "ee"s (e performe"2 3f "%ty, there is none s%ch as this2 $e learns to "o goo", an" that /hich appears the /isest at the time, forgetting self so f%lly that he only #age 2

Theosophical Siftings

Am I My Brother's Keeper?

Vol 2, No 1

0no/s his "oing goo" to others 7 forgetting self so far that he forgets to thin0 /hether he is "oing his "%ty or not 7 entering Nir+ana to this e4tent, that he "oes not remem(er that he is "oing his "%ty2 That for him is "%ty2 9!esist not e+il;, saith one of the 5ise2 $e /ho sai" this 0ne/ f%ll /ell his "%ty, an" "esire" to con+ey to %s 0no/le"ge2 That he "i" not mean men to sit i"ly (y /hile ignorance let slip the "ogs of pain, ang%ish, s%ffering, /ant, an" m%r"er, is s%rely tr%e2 That he "i" not mean men to 0neel in p%erile sim%lation of holiness (y the roa"si"e, /hile their fello/ men s%ffer tort%re, /rong, or a(%se, is still more tr%e2 That he "i" not inten" a man to sit silently a loo0er'on /hile that /hich is calle" e+il /or0e" its /ill %pon others, /hen (y the lifting of a finger, perhaps, its intentions might (e th/arte" an" ann%lle" D is tr%th itself2 These all /o%l" (e neglect of a portion of the /hole "%ty of man2 $e /ho ta%ght that men sho%l" 9resist not e+il; "esire" them only to forget themsel+es2 Men thin0 that all things /hich are "isagreea(le to them are e+il2 By resistance he meant complaint, anger an" o(:ection to or against the ine+ita(le, "isagreea(le or sorro/f%l things of life, that come to self, an" he did not mean man to go forth in the g%ise of a martyr, h%gging these same penalties to his (osom, /hile he proclaims himself there(y the possessor of the magic password @/hich he /ill ne+er o/n an" /hich is ne+er %ttere" in that /ayB, I have Suffered2 If men re+ile, persec%te or /rong one, /hy resist ? #erhaps it is e+il, (%t so long as it affects one's'self only, it is no great matter2 If /ant, sorro/, or pain come to one, /hy resist or cry o%t ? In the resistance or /ar against them /e create greater e+ils2 ?oming to one's'self they sho%l" ha+e little /eight, /hile at the same time they carry in+al%a(le lessons in their han"s2 !ightly st%"ie", they ca%se one to forget himself in the "esire to assist others /hen similarly place", an" the 1ot%s of "%ty 7 or lo+e for man 7 to (loom o%t of the Nile mire of life2 !esist not e+il, for it is insepara(le from life2 It is o%r "%ty to li+e, an" accept %ncomplainingly, all of life2 !esist not e+il, (%t rather learn of it all the goo" /hich, in reality, it only +eils2 See0 in it, as /ell as in the gleaming goo", for the Mystery, an" there /ill come forth from (oth the self' same form %pon /hose forehea" is /ritten 96%ty,; /hich, (eing interprete", meaneth efforts for the goo" of all other men, an" o+er /hose heart is /rittenE 9I am my (rother's 0eeper;2

#age F