More than a hundred years ago, H.P. Blavatsky, Co-Founder of the Theosophical Society, made use of the term dzyan in her writings. According to her, the word means “knowledge through meditation.” Dzyan seems to be a Tibetan phonetic form of the Sanskrit jñâna (“knowledge,” “wisdom”) or dhyâna (“meditation”). The term is also related to the word for meditation in several other languages, like jhana (Pali), ch'an (Chinese), and zen (Japanese).
Dzyan Theosophy is used here to refer to the Theosophical path of meditation.
"Theosophy is this direct knowledge of God . . . it teaches in a quite
clear and definite way the methods of reaching firsthand knowledge by
unfolding the spiritual consciousness, and by evolving the organs
through which that consciousness can function on our earth–once more,
the methods of meditation and of a discipline of life."
Annie Besant
Theosophy, “Introduction: The Primary Meaning”
The Theosophical approach refrains from promoting any particular (and therefore limited) system of meditation for all to follow. However, its literature does offer specific recommendations for the practice, and a number of methods are suggested. As you will see in this website, some of the techniques contain distinct Theosophical elements, which are an important contribution to the ageless field of meditation.
The Yoga of Theosophy
The Sanskrit word yoga means "to unite" or "to gather". It is used as a universal term to describe the spiritual discipline that leads to the realization of our true nature.
Traditionally, the Yoga of Theosophy embraces several practices, including Study, Meditation, and Service.
Through this website special emphasis will be placed on exploring meditation, but without claiming that its sole practice is enough to produce a holistic unfoldment of our spiritual nature.
Traditionally, the Yoga of Theosophy embraces several practices, including Study, Meditation, and Service.
Through this website special emphasis will be placed on exploring meditation, but without claiming that its sole practice is enough to produce a holistic unfoldment of our spiritual nature.