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Survival of the Fittest
by Rick London
Given at Blue Star Memorial Temple, Halcyon, California
October 20, 2002

      How we begin to discover Theosophy -- the Ancient Wisdom -- is one of the great mysteries of life. Although calculated practically to the exact minute as a result of our thoughts, words and deeds, we are nevertheless surprised, if not devastated, to find ourselves at the beginning of the Path, the feet of the Master -- our Higher Self. Nowadays we see the Ancient Wisdom popping up everywhere.
      You don't even have to point and click. It's just everywhere -- right at our fingertips and in our faces, even if we must root around to find those precious Truffles. All the great religions contain the Ancient Wisdom. In fact, it is as simple as the Golden Rule. Yet as simple as that may be, living the Ancient Wisdom continues to be a lifetime endeavor.
      Fortunately for the chela, the student of Life, there is a treasure-trove of Ancient Wisdom right here in Halcyon. As I struggle for words, my gratitude and admiration abounds for the great body of work being left behind by those who go before us.
      I don't exactly remember what my first impression was of the "Law of the Jungle." Somewhere between my Jewish rearing and my public education, experience began teaching me the economics of life. My ability to compete and win -- to survive in the Jungle --would be assured through study and hard work. I discovered at a very early age that I didn't want to end up like that cute little fluffy bunny rabbit running for its life, all the while some vicious canine is nipping at its feet. I also learned that, for people, the key to survival would be money. Without money I would be as vulnerable as the bunny.
      Some twenty-two years Madame Blavatsky's senior, Charles Darwin and his theories on evolution and natural selection have become common knowledge around the world. Like several scientists before him, Darwin believed that all life on earth developed gradually over millions of years from a few common ancestors.
      Darwin, however, avoided talking about the theological and sociological aspects of his work. Despite being a reserved, thorough, hard-working scholar who concerned himself with the feelings and emotions not only of his family, but friends and peers as well, his public persona was that of a non-religious person -- that is, until he supposedly renounced evolution and converted to Christianity on his deathbed. Shortly after dying, a Lady Hope claimed she had visited Darwin at his deathbed, and witnessed the renunciation. Her story was printed in a Boston newspaper and subsequently spread. Lady Hope's story was refuted by Darwin's daughter, Henrietta, who would go on to say, "I was present at his deathbed ... He never recanted any of his scientific views, either then or earlier."
      Back then, many people felt threatened and strongly opposed the idea of evolution because it conflicted with their religious beliefs and convictions.
      While not necessarily a Christian, Darwin's notoriety most certainly didn't come to him by denying the existence of a power greater than himself.
      Today, the tables have turned yet again as Science and Religion continue their transformation of convergence. Just last week, the Associated Press reported from Columbus, Ohio that the state school board will adopt a science curriculum that leaves it up to school districts whether to teach the concept of "intelligent design," which holds that the universe is guided by a higher intelligence. The new standards put into writing what many school districts already do: teach evolution, but also explains that the debate continues over the origin of life.
      As in the case with Darwin upsetting the apple cart of religion with a scientific truth, today we see the apple cart of science being upset with the religious truth that our universe is guided by a higher intelligence.
      Over the thirty years following the landmark publication of Mr. Darwin's "The Origin of Species," Helena P. Blavatsky would write and publish "Isis Unveiled," "The Secret Doctrine" and "Key to Theosophy." And those great works would inspire contributions from many others, like William Q. Judge and the Temple of the People. We've come along ways from the days when W. Q. J. was soliciting Buddhist guest speakers from India to tour America in an effort to help counter some of the Christian dogma that was distorting the Truth about the Theosophical Principles of Karma and Reincarnation.
      While Mr. Darwin's work remained focused on the evolution of physical life on earth, Theosophy and the Temple Teachings would go on to explain how theology and sociology were involved with evolution of all life, using the evolution of Matter, Force and Consciousness as a tool -- the Triple Key.
      When one realizes that the Temple of the People corresponds to the "Temple of Humanity," much knowledge can be gained. Converting that knowledge into Wisdom while surviving in the Jungle is another matter -- yes, indeed!
      Religion, science and economics are the foundation stones of the Temple. As stated in our songbooks, "There can be no true religion without its scientific basis, and there can be no right economic system not based on a science that is religious and a religion that is scientific."
      In the shortest of words: What we know, the Science; what we believe, the Religion; and how we take care of ourselves and each other (or don't), the Economics -- have been responsible for bringing about the present world conditions. This has been going on for a very long time, whether we know it or not.
      There must be truth, honesty and integrity in our science, religion and economics in order for humanity to radiate the kind of Love necessary for all of us to live in sustainable peace here on earth.
      Yet, the battle for religious, scientific and economic domination rages on. Clearly, the pressure is on for humanity to transcend the Law of the Jungle by looking beyond the purely financial implications of surviving on this planet.
      In the world of the future, who of us shall be the fittest?
      As you can see, the merging of science and religion has never been an easy task, despite the fact that in the end they are one and both the same. Going from the known into the unknown will forever remain a challenge for us all. Sure, much progress has been made. Here in America, having fled from the rule of Kings and Queens, we now endeavor to govern ourselves. Disgusted with domination and religious persecution, democracy was born.
      Here in America, we would find better. We would experience personal freedoms by being able to pursue life, liberty and happiness, as contemplated by the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights and the Constitution. Never again would we be ruled by one. The three branches of government were established -- executive, legislative and judicial -- that governmental balance would always be maintained. Neither the President nor Congress nor the courts would be allowed the upper hand. All the while, the doctrine of "Separation of Church and State" would ensure that no religious force would ever control the government of the United States of America, a democratic republic. Instead of just being told what to do, we the people would have to participate -- we the people would have to vote and not try to avoid jury duty as if it were the plague.
      Yet with all of these checks and balances, separations and guarantees, protections and safeguards, we continue to remain under the influence of who's got the most money.
      For some time now, the stock market has come to represent how many people feel about life and whether or not we should be worried about our future. For most, it is the economy of life that becomes the one most dominating overshadowing factor of our existence. For most people, economics is the Law of the Jungle. Money has always been the great appeaser of our fears.
      "I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country ... corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed." That was said by President Abraham Lincoln on November 21, 1864.
      No greater testament to Mr. Lincoln's prophecy is presently in evidence than is the state of our media industry, in that the ownership of our broadcasting facilities and daily newspapers have ended up in the hands of a few corporations. In case you haven't noticed, most of the information we are getting from these sources is not necessarily in the interest, necessity and convenience of the public. Economics continues to be the driving force behind most of the easily accessible information we tend to see and hear. Practically everything is being commercialized in this day and age. Despite knowing that self-interest is their dominating motive, we tend to take for granted the effects Corporate America has on our consciousness and the political process. This is not to say that all content is bad.
      What can we do about September 11th and religious terrorism? What can we do about the rash of corporate fraud cases? What can we do about those who are now trying to perfect human cloning for less than ethical purposes? The list is nearly endless, once we attempt to comprehend the action and behavior of everything that can affect the balanced interaction of religion, science and economics. Nowadays, just relying on our government is not the most comforting thought.
      Clearly, the economy or money and who controls it seems, in the final analysis, to exert the greatest influence over whether or not we can afford to do what's in the best interest of us all or in the interest of a few.
      So, what's it gonna take for all of us to be OK? When will we have enough to be OK? When will enough be enough? When will we be able to afford that which is in the best interest of us all? Is financial democracy and economic justice even a possibility among us humans?
      Despite being founded on the highest of Principles, including the wisdom of Hiawatha and the experience of the Iroquois Nation, our scientific, religious and economic beliefs prevented us from living side by side with our Native American brethren. Women weren't allowed to own property at first, and would have to struggle some 150 years for the right to vote.
      Today we can find Afro-American women working in congress, while others are influencing the New York Times best-seller list. Some of the wealthiest women of today are descendants from slaves. For some, progress has been made.
      So I ask again, "In the world of the future, who of us shall be the fittest?"
      God knows I'm grateful for the good old U S of A, but for some rhyme or reason I don't think that capitalism, as we know it, is really working out. Between all the rushing and tons of red tape, the spread between the haves and have-nots continues to grow great. Socialism and communism haven't worked out so far. Is there a way to conduct commerce, where we all can be free?
      Nevertheless, we are in the midst of coming to grips with an ancient truth that can be found in Economics 101. It's called the Law of Diminishing Returns. Pollution is an excellent example of the workings of this Law. Another version goes something like "you can be sure to find the first drop of poison in your second cup of pleasure."
      As we as individuals become addicted to certain things and different types of behavior, so does the world and organized religion remain addicted to those things and that behavior.
      Have no fear, global satiation is near. Balance is a must -- and yes, there will be Twelve-Step Support Groups in the future for those of us with addictions to those various brands of material things --addictions that are being nurtured and sustained by the media industry, an industry that has mastered the art of attracting our attention and shaping our thoughts.
      So how can we ever be OK, when we are always being reminded about what we don't have and how much better off other folks are, who do have what we don't?
      The Law of Diminishing Returns will help us find the way. You can find examples of this Law in the Bible as well. The Jews prayed for it while under the oppression of Pharaoh. Moses knew of this Law and had faith that balance would eventually be restored to the Jewish people. After much pain and suffering, the domination of the many by the selfish few would end.
      Perhaps we might think of the Law of Diminishing Returns as the Law of Increasing Spiritual Awareness -- an opportunity to make things better by climbing higher.
      Step by step, minute by minute, we are constantly redefining how we shall govern ourselves. For instance, the desire to win at any cost can foil the search for the truth in any legal matter. This bogging down of the intended jurisprudence desired in our courts has inspired the alternatives of arbitration and mediation as means for justice to be served.
      While money per se isn't evil, it may be the love of money that gets us into trouble. How we get it and how we use it is the key. When our motives are selfish beyond our own needs, when money is used to give us dominion over our fellows, you might say that the force of Pharaoh is alive and well.
      Where we once had creeds based on religious beliefs, we now find creeds whose membership criteria have more to do with how rich you are than what you believe.
      OK, so if you believe in the Law of the Jungle as it relates to the Survival of the Fittest, how could you deny a creed whose basis was money?
      When Moses returned from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments, he found the people worshiping a golden calf. They had lost their patience with him and their faith in the God of Abraham. As the story is told, the loss of that faith caused even more pain and suffering for the Jewish People. Eventually the Jewish People chose to honor the Ten Commandments.
      When great wisdom and truth turns into a creed, a way of thinking that others must abide by rather than discovering the truth for themselves, that's where the problems begin.
      The truth of the matter is that the God of Abraham is the God of Jesus, the God of Muhammad and the God of the Buddha. To me, Israel stood for Universal Brotherhood and Sisterhood. Israel was one of the first civilized models of how human beings could take care of themselves along with each other. By the time Jesus came along, Judaism had become a creed.
      Even today, there is the tendency to think we know best. No matter how old, no matter how small. Doesn't matter if it's the kid or the parent, sister, brother, friend or foe. It takes patience and endurance to let people learn.
      Keeping an open mind has always been the "One Great Prize."
      Two thousand years ago, the Pharisees weren't open to any new thoughts on the Mysteries of Life. But as for me, having married into the Catholic faith, it was my open mind that helped me to explore the teachings of Jesus (as recalled and recorded by those who were closest to Him).
      The only two aspects which I may know for sure is that Jesus was Jewish and He never wrote a word. The Jews would have nothing to do with Him, while the others would end up worshiping the Jewish man into a God. As far as I believe, Jesus was a very old soul and a very old soul is He. Having mastered the principles of His very own nature, He could show us the way. What would He think about the way the Church is living His teachings today?
      Can you think of a time when the Teachings of Jesus weren't misinterpreted? What great teaching hasn't? Even further, there has never been a time when the Teachings of Jesus were easy to live. For example, that it would be easier for a camel to walk through the eye of needle than it would be for a rich person to get into the Kingdom of Heaven has never really been very popular thought.
      Think not that the Ancient Wisdom shall ever lose its force. Its truths they are eternal. Eventually, those Truths will catch up to us. In the end, a good Foundation for Wisdom begins with the realization that God -- that Higher Intelligence -- is actually Love.
      Caring for ourselves, doing for each other ... being a good person for the sake of good ... working with each other and for each other... all of this sounds almost Utopian, if not impossible. Yet all the different cells in our body unite for the sake of our personal existence. The peoples of the world must retain some of the innocence of the child and Be as loyal as the bees are to their Hive, if we are destined to survive.
      To know the Wisdom of the Teachings, they must be lived and breathed into our daily lives. You can study long and deep until you're blue in the face, and never feel the Truth. Conversely, you do not have to be a scholar to be a living example of the Truth by working towards the good of us all.
      How will we radiate the kind of Love necessary for all of us to live in sustainable peace here on earth? Certainly the Law of Increasing Spiritual Awareness will help. But, all alone, can that evolutionary force be enough? All indications suggest not.
      It will forever be our responsibility to try. The Master's Message to Convention 2002 indicated that the world was in a fragile state and that all of our energies, no matter how small, need to be directed towards the good of us all.
      "Creeds Disappear, Hearts Remain," the Words of Force, the Great Unifier, the Aphorisms, Theogenesis, Mountaintop messages and so much more -- we have all these, yet we find the Temple Teachings encouraging us, the chelas, to take most seriously the words to be found in the Sermon on the Mount.
      "Nowhere in literature may the true qualifications for chelaship be found more clearly defined than in the Sermon on the Mount: the poor in Spirit; the Sorrowing ones; the Meek; the Merciful; the Peace-makers; the Persecuted; the Pure in heart. These are the children of God, the true disciples, the chelas of the Masters. Without these attributes, all the knowledge in the Universe would not avail. It is what we ARE, our interior charter -- not what we know or believe -- that constitutes the basis for chelaship in the White Brotherhood." That's from Qualifications for Chelaship, Volume I, Temple Teachings.
      Could the people who are running corporations and leading the world meet these qualifications? Are these the qualifications required for surviving in the Jungle? "Turning the other cheek" doesn't sound like much of a survival tactic. How is it humanly possible to believe in Jesus Christ and still contemplate war?
      When will we learn? Survival of the Fittest depends on our goals. Spiritual Treasures are eternal: abundance must be shared. In the end, there will be no choice. Only kind, caring, loving people will remain, or there will be none of us at all.
      Our actions are the foundation stones of our tomorrow. Aspiring individually and collectively towards a world economic system that is based on a science that is religious and on a religion based in science is our only way out.
      Everything is evolving -- that is the Triple Key. We must search for the underlying principles in everything we see. Our motives take precedence: who we are and what we hope to be is determined by our thoughts, words and deeds.
      Lady Hope was so certain that Charles Darwin had never been a religious person throughout his lifetime. As a Christian, how could she be so certain? Clearly he was a good, honest, caring man who worked for the betterment of his fellows. Perhaps it was because Lady Hope needed to see him in church?
      Using the Sermon on the Mount as our guide, we find, "And now about prayer. When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who pretend piety by praying publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. Truly, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, all alone, and shut the door behind you and pray to your Father secretly, and your Father, who knows your secrets, will reward you."
      Whether observing the admonishments from the Sermon on the Mount, honoring the Rules of Discipleship or simply living by the Ten Commandments, we will come to know how we all must be. To Lady Hope's inappropriate dismay, it may have been Charles Darwin who all along was living the Ancient Wisdom, the Teachings of the Master.
      Take heart. Whether you're a Muslim, Christian, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist, Theosophist and even the Atheist too, we are all subject to the Law of Increasing Spiritual Awareness. Call it Universal Brotherhood/Sisterhood, God, Love, the Christos, the Great White Lodge, the Central Spiritual Sun, the Force, a Higher Intelligence, a Higher Power or the Sacred Higher Self, honoring the age-old wisdom with faith in ourselves, by thought word and deed, is essential and the key to our survival together. Learning to care for each other must become as important as caring for ourselves. To be rich in things or to be rich in Love -- the choice is ours. Survival of the Fittest will be determined by what we hold dear. Love, Will, and Wisdom will always overcome our fears.

October 20, 2002