Printed in the Winter 2023 issue of Quest magazine.
Citation: Hebert, Barbara, "Viewpoint: The Third Object, Unity, and Altruism" Quest 111:1, pg 10-11
By Barbara Hebert
National President
The Theosophical Society (TS) is based on the principle of freedom of thought. In 1924, the General Council (the international governing body of the organization) wrote the following:
As the Theosophical Society has spread far and wide over the world, and as members of all religions have become members of it without surrendering the special dogmas, teachings and beliefs of their respective faiths, it is thought desirable to emphasize the fact that there is no doctrine, no opinion, by whomsoever taught or held, that is in any way binding on any member of the Society, none which any member is not free to accept or reject. Approval of its three Objects is the sole condition of membership. No teacher, or writer, from H.P. Blavatsky onwards, has any authority to impose his or her teachings or opinions on members. Every member has an equal right to follow any school of thought, but has no right to force the choice on any other. Neither a candidate for any office nor any voter can be rendered ineligible to stand or to vote, because of any opinion held, or because of membership in any school of thought. Opinions or beliefs neither bestow privileges nor inflict penalties. The Members of the General Council earnestly request every member of the Theosophical Society to maintain, defend and act upon these fundamental principles of the Society, and also fearlessly to exercise the right of liberty of thought and of expression thereof, within the limits of courtesy and consideration for others.
This statement highlights the uniqueness of the TS as an organization. Even though there is a body of teachings, no one is required to believe or even study those teachings. What does bind us together as members in the organization are the Three Objects. Before joining the TS, each of us agreed that we are in sympathy with them. These Objects are:
1. To form a nucleus of the universal brotherhood of humanity, without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste, or color.
2. To encourage the comparative study of religion, philosophy, and science.
3. To investigate unexplained laws of nature and the powers latent in humanity.
These Objects cast a wide net and can be understood in any number of ways. Frequently, individuals perceive the First Object as being inclusive of all beings; the Second Object as an adjuration to learn about various religious traditions, philosophies, and science; and the Third Object as an encouragement to investigate parapsychological avenues.
Again, we are each free to interpret the Objects as we see fit; however, it seems that much deeper interpretations are applicable. These Objects bind us together as an organization, but even more importantly, they point us toward our ultimate goal: an altruistic way of life in which we serve others. They are a guide that will help us live a life dedicated to the unfoldment of consciousness—not just our own consciousness, but the consciousness of all life.
In her essay “Human Regeneration,” Radha Burnier, the late international president of the Theosophical Society, writes, “Although the Theosophical Society has three objects, it surely has only a single purpose, which is to uplift humanity from the moral and spiritual point of view.”
This work, the upliftment of humanity, is the spiritual path which we are hoping and working to tread. Many have written or discussed the meaning of walking the spiritual path from a Theosophical perspective. If we sum up many of those writings, it becomes clear that walking this path leads us to an inner awareness—not just a theory, but a real Knowing—of the Oneness of all life. This then leads us to the further realization that we must live in such a way that we are serving all life.
The First Object, then, is paramount. Recognizing the unity of all life lays the foundation for Theosophical living. From the perspective of many members, the Second and Third Objects provide a means for us to reach an increasingly deeper understanding of this unity.
Through the Second Object—the comparative study of religion, philosophy, and science—we may find ourselves searching for the thread of the Ageless Wisdom, which exists in each of these areas of human endeavor. The more we search and learn, the more we expand our brains and minds, or in Theosophical terms, the lower mind. We eventually realize that while the lower mind is a valuable component of this physical incarnation and must be honed for our use, it is limited in its scope. We must move beyond it, but in order to do so, we must first understand its uses and limits.
The Third Object—investigating the unexplained laws of nature and the powers latent in humanity—helps us move beyond the limitations of the lower mind. This Object implies the existence of natural laws of which we are currently unaware. It also suggests that our current understanding of ourselves does not grasp the inherent vastness of who we truly are in our essence.
Clairvoyance, clairaudience, and clairsentience, along with other types of parapsychological phenomena, emanate from natural laws that we, as yet, do not understand. Nevertheless, they are simply an extension of the senses that will, in the amplitude of time, come into fruition for all of us. Other natural laws, which we likely don’t fully grasp, include the laws of karma, periodicity, and so on.
An understanding of these natural laws and the grandeur of our true selves does not come from a growth of psychic powers; rather, it comes from quieting the lower mind and then transcending it. As we transcend the lower mind through approaches such as meditation, contemplation, prayer, and being in nature, we have the opportunity to touch higher aspects of ourselves. In other words, we begin to expand our conscious awareness of our buddhic nature. As we do so, we begin to gain, even for a brief moment, a glimpse of the unity of all life. This glimpse indicates an expansion of consciousness. As the consciousness of an individual expands, it expands the consciousness of all life.
As we investigate the various aspects that can be included in the Third Object, as is the case in this issue of Quest, it is helpful to remember that the goal of the search is not to develop psychic abilities per se but rather to expand our conscious awareness of the unity of all beings, which extends beyond theory and belief into a Knowing. For many, this Knowing compels us to live a life of altruism whose goal is to serve humanity.