Students of the original teachings of Theosophy invariably encounter at times the saying or the concept that “There is no God apart from man” or that “There is no God outside of man.”

Generally, we might simply take this to mean “There is no separation whatsoever between the Divine and man, hence there is no such thing as God or the Absolute existing separately from us, and therefore we are That.”

“Man” in this context includes woman of course and is not used in a gender-specific manner.

That is of course true but for the non-theistic Esoteric Buddhists such as H. P. Blavatsky and her direct Teachers – the Mahatmas of the Trans-Himalayan Brotherhood or Trans-Himalayan Esoteric School, Gautama Buddha’s own Esoteric School – the expression has an even deeper and more radical meaning. Buddhism is by nature non-theistic and therefore does not accept that the term “God” can justifiably or reasonably be applied to the One Ultimate Reality, even if It be spoken of as the Absolute or the Infinite or even as “Deity.”

The following collection of excerpts may help to shed some further light on this teaching. By far the longest quote, and which explains the basis for the position, is from “The Mahatma Letters.” We may attempt to briefly summarise the essence of that basis:

Finite, human mind has two aspects: (1) voluntary and conscious (connected with the cerebrum of the brain), (2) involuntary and unconscious, i.e. mechanical (connected with the cerebellum of the brain). Although it may be inferentially hypothesised – on the basis of “as above, so below” – that the infinite, universal mind (which the Trans-Himalayan Adepts prefer to call “the infinite FORCE”) also possesses these two distinct attributes, neither the Adepts nor the very highest Dhyan Chohans (celestial beings or cosmic gods), including the Lord Buddha, have ever been able to find any evidence of its “cerebrum,” i.e. its voluntary, conscious nature, character, or aspect, but only its involuntary, unconscious, mechanical power. They see and know this to be a universal, perpetual, ceaseless MOTION which goes on incessantly, always exactly the same, both during the life of the Universe and during the vast periods when there is no Universe, no manifestation. Beyond or higher than that, there is nothing. That Motion is absolute, infinite, eternal, and self-existent.

It is true that, as shown by Their statements within the “Mahatma Letters” book, the Masters never actually wished for such a book to be published. But as we wrote in On The Publication and Use of “The Mahatma Letters”:

“True, unless the Masters have dramatically altered Their perspective about it since 1884 (and that is of course a possibility, though one which we cannot prove) the book ought not to have been published. But one cannot justifiably complain about its publication whilst also availing oneself of its publication by buying it, studying it, deriving inspiration and benefit from it, etc. It is too late in the day to undo what has been done. But, without any hypocrisy or self-righteousness, one can – while remembering the Mahatma’s words to Sinnett in Summer 1884 – practise for oneself and try to encourage in others a truly respectful, reverential, and restrained attitude and approach to the reading, discussing, and publicising of the book. Respectful and well-informed usage of the book, particularly when accompanied with an attitude of reverence and humility towards its Authors, can hardly be discouraged.”

These excerpts will not answer the whole question nor reveal the whole teaching, since it has not been revealed or clearly explained in print, most likely due to its highly esoteric and sacred nature. But we can still read, think, reflect, – and, most importantly, contemplate and meditate – on these words and ideas, not in isolation but by taking them together with what has been taught on all the interrelated subjects, such as partially summarised in What Does Theosophy Say About God?, Space, Motion, Duration, Matter, Understanding The Logos, The Three Logoi, The Monad and The Ego are an Eternal Triad, Who or What is Ishwara?, Sakshi: The Unchanging Inner Witness, Our Seven Divine Parents, Atman – The Higher Self, The Buddhi Principle, Manas – The Mystery of Mind, Ego Is Not A Bad Word, and Understanding Our Seven Principles.

It should also be noted that although the Trans-Himalayan Adepts have said that They know there to be “no such thing as God, either personal or impersonal” and that “Deity is not God,” other branches of the Masters’ Great Brotherhood, such as the esoteric Hindu School and the Egyptian Initiates, do apply the word “God” at times to the Absolute Deity, even though Their understanding of It, and Their teaching about its nature, is virtually identical in essence, even if not in language.

Any student of Theosophy is perfectly free to accept or reject the more distinctly and specifically Esoteric Buddhist phraseology and approach as they see fit. There should be no dogmatism among Theosophists on such points, as we made clear in What Does Theosophy Say About God? It stands to reason, however, that anyone who feels deeply drawn towards the Trans-Himalayan Masters and aspires seriously towards chelaship (discipleship) to those Adepts, ought to be willing and prepared to adopt Their perspectives; otherwise, as the Mahatma K.H. and Mahatma M. wrote to A. O. Hume and A. P. Sinnett, how can the Gurus sow Their deeper teachings on an unreceptive, unattuned, un-co-operative, unwilling soil?

~ * ~

“. . . did you ever suspect that Universal, like finite, human mind might have two attributes, or a dual power – one the voluntary and conscious, and the other the involuntary and unconscious or the mechanical power. . . . The possibility of the first or the voluntary and conscious attribute in reference to the infinite mind . . . will remain for ever a mere hypothesis, whereas in the finite mind it is a scientific and demonstrated fact. The highest Planetary Spirit [i.e. used here in the sense of a Dhyan Chohan, a celestial being or cosmic god] is as ignorant of the first as we [i.e. the Mahatmas, Masters of the Wisdom] are, and the hypothesis will remain one even in Nirvana, as it is a mere inferential possibility, whether there or here.

“Take the human mind in connexion with the body. Man has two distinct physical brains; the cerebrum with its two hemispheres at the frontal part of the head – the source of the voluntary nerves; and the cerebellum, situated at the back portion of the skull – the fountain of the involuntary nerves which are the agents of the unconscious or mechanical powers of the mind to act through. And weak and uncertain as may be the control of man over his involuntary, such as the blood circulation, the throbbings of the heart and respiration, especially during sleep – yet how far more powerful, how much more potential appears man as master and ruler over the blind molecular motion – the laws which govern his body (a proof of this being afforded by the phenomenal powers of the Adept and even the common Yogi) than that which you will call God, shows over the immutable laws of Nature.

“Contrary in that to the finite, the “infinite mind,” which we name so but for argument’s sake, for we call it the infinite FORCE – exhibits but the functions of its cerebellum, the existence of its supposed cerebrum being admitted as above stated, but on the inferential hypothesis deduced from the Kabalistic theory (correct in every other relation) of the Macrocosm being the prototype of the Microcosm. So far as we know the corroboration of it by modern science receiving but little consideration – so far as the highest Planetary Spirits have ascertained (who remember well have the same relations with the trans-cosmical world, penetrating behind the primitive veil of cosmic matter as we have to go behind the veil of this, our gross physical world -) the infinite mind displays to them as to us no more than the regular unconscious throbbings of the eternal and universal pulse of Nature, throughout the myriads of worlds within as without the primitive veil of our solar system.

“So far – WE KNOW. Within and to the utmost limit, to the very edge of the cosmic veil we know the fact to be correct – owing to personal experience; for the information gathered as to what takes place beyond – we are indebted to the Planetary Spirits, to our blessed Lord Buddha. This of course may be regarded as second-hand information. There are those who rather than to yield to the evidence of fact will prefer regarding even the planetary gods as “erring” disembodied philosophers if not actually liars. Be it so. Everyone is master of his own wisdom – says a Tibetan proverb and he is at liberty either to honour or degrade his slave -. However I will go on for the benefit of those who may yet seize my explanation of the problem and understand the nature of the solution.

“It is the peculiar faculty of the involuntary power of the infinite mind – which no one could ever think of calling God, – to be eternally evolving subjective matter into objective atoms (you will please remember that these two adjectives are used but in a relative sense) or cosmic matter to be later on developed into form. And it is likewise that same involuntary mechanical power that we see so intensely active in all the fixed laws of nature – which governs and controls what is called the Universe or the Cosmos. . . . We say and affirm that that motion – the universal perpetual motion which never ceases never slackens nor increases its speed not even during the interludes between the pralayas, or “nights of Brahma” but goes on like a mill set in motion, whether it has anything to grind or not (for the pralaya means the temporary loss of every form, but by no means the destruction of cosmic matter which is eternal) – we say this perpetual motion is the only eternal and uncreated Deity we are able to recognise. . . .

“If you ask me “Whence then the immutable laws? – laws cannot make themselves” – then in my turn I will ask you – and whence their supposed Creator? – a creator cannot create or make himself. . . . But do you think that you are right when saying that “the laws arise.” Immutable laws cannot arise, since they are eternal and uncreated, propelled in the Eternity and that God himself if such a thing existed, could never have the power of stopping them. . . . The difficulty of explaining the fact that “unintelligent Forces can give rise to highly intelligent beings like ourselves,” is covered by the eternal progression of cycles, and the process of evolution ever perfecting its work as it goes along.”

– Master K.H., “The Mahatma Letters” p. 137-138, 139, 141

“If we hold so strongly to esoteric Buddhism and Adwaitism [i.e. the esoteric side of the Advaita Vedanta non-dualistic philosophy of Hinduism], it is exactly because no religion can stand, save on the foundation of philosophy and science. No religion can prove by practical, scientific demonstration that there is such a thing as one personal God; while the esoteric philosophy, or rather theosophy of Gautama Buddha and Sankaracharya prove and give means to every man to ascertain the undeniable presence of a living God in man himself – whether one believes in or calls his divine indweller Avalokiteswara, Buddha, Brahma, Krishna, Jehovah, Bhagwan, Ahura-mazda, Christ, or by whatever name – there is no such God outside of himself. The former – the one ideal outsider [i.e. something or someone which can properly be referred to and thought of as “God” outside of the human being] – can never be demonstrated –the latter [i.e. the presence of a living God within every human being], under whatever appellation, may always be found present if a man does not extinguish within himself the capacity to perceive this Divine presence, and hear the “voice” of that only manifested deity, the murmurings of the Eternal Vach, called by the Northern and Chinese Buddhist Avalokiteswara and Kwan-Shai-yin, and by the Christians – Logos.”

– H. P. Blavatsky, “Theosophical Articles and Notes” p. 88

“The high Initiates and Adepts . . . believe in “gods” and know no “God,” but one Universal unrelated and unconditioned Deity.” 

– H. P. Blavatsky, “The Secret Doctrine” Vol. 1, p. 295

“He knows that there is no God apart from himself, no creator as no being.”

– Master K.H., “The Mahatma Letters” p. 54

“. . . we have no God? [That] is right . . . we . . . find – each man his God – within himself in his own personal, and at the same time, – impersonal Avalokiteswara.”

– Master K.H., “The Mahatma Letters” p. 393

“Avalokiteswara (Sk.). “The on-looking Lord.” In the exoteric interpretation, he is Padmapâni (the lotus bearer and the lotus-born) in Tibet, the first divine ancestor of the Tibetans, the complete incarnation or Avatar of Avalokiteswara; but in esoteric philosophy Avaloki, the “on-looker”, is the Higher Self [i.e. Atman], while Padmapâni is the Higher Ego or [Higher] Manas. The mystic formula “Om mani padme hum” is specially used to invoke their joint help. While popular fancy claims for Avalokiteswara many incarnations on earth, and sees in him, not very wrongly, the spiritual guide of every believer, the esoteric interpretation sees in him the LOGOS, both celestial and human [i.e. macrocosmic and microcosmic, “as above, so below.”].”

– H. P. Blavatsky, “The Theosophical Glossary” p. 44

Note: The Hindu term “Ishwara” tends to be used more frequently in Theosophy than the Buddhist “Avalokiteshwara” but they are esoterically synonymous, “Avalokiteshwara” being simply “Avalokit-Ishwara,” “The Lord who sees” or “The Lord who is the Witness,” whereas “Ishwara” as a word just means “Lord.”

“. . . the Brahmanical belief in a God, whether personal or impersonal . . . the Buddhist Arhats, rejecting this idea entirely, recognise no deity apart from man.”

– H. P. Blavatsky, “Editorial Appendix”

“Remember that every man has a god within, a direct ray from the Absolute, the celestial ray from the One; that he has his “god” within, not outside, of himself.”

– H. P. Blavatsky, “Transactions of The Blavatsky Lodge” p. 53

“Remember that the only God man comes in contact with is his own God, called Spirit [i.e. Atman], Soul [i.e. Buddhi] and Mind, or Consciousness [i.e. Manas], and these three are one [i.e. the triune unity at the highermost, innermost core of our being; the immortal trinity, higher triad, or spiritual triad, of Atma-Buddhi-Manas].”

– H. P. Blavatsky, “Transactions of The Blavatsky Lodge” p. 69

“Whether we study the Three Fundamentals of The Secret Doctrine in a universal or an individual sense, as seemingly separate entities in manifestation or in their static condition of perfect equilibrium in pralaya, it is necessary for us to decipher the three factors involved therein.

“The first Fundamental deals with the Principle which is the One Life undivided and indivisible. The second treats of Its manifestation – the appearance and disappearance of the reflection which It casts and which we call the universe in cosmology and man in anthropology. The third asserts the identity of nature between the One Life and the Universe – Man, between the rays and the Luminary and, in doing so, logically takes notice of the reflections cast on the waters of space by the innumerable beams which emanate from the Universal Man – Maha-Purusha or Narayana, the Container of all men, Naras. In other words: Each human being is an incarnation or manifestation of Deity. It is said – so many men on earth, so many gods in heaven; and yet these gods are in reality One; like the rays of the moon, they are withdrawn [i.e. at the end of the great universal life cycle] into the parent luminary [i.e. the Logos], which in its turn is merged in the One Absolute.”

– B. P. Wadia, “The Three Hypostases,” “Studies in The Secret Doctrine” Book I, p. 95

~ * ~

This article may have raised more questions about various things. Please make use of the site search function (the magnifying glass symbol at the top of the page) and visit the Articles page to see the complete list of over 300 articles covering all aspects of Theosophy and the Theosophical Movement. Some articles closely relating to this one were linked to at the start. The article The Monad and The Ego are an Eternal Triad is particularly closely related.

~ BlavatskyTheosophy.com ~