Among the many reasons for presenting Laurency is his bold critique of various authorities, teachings and notions often widely valued by our society. All the while, of course, he offers himself as an authority. If I thought he had no authority I would not present and discuss his work. But what of the limits of authority and the authenticity of claims?
This incipient summary of Laurency's teachings on Hylozoics is an elementary preparation for the readers' continuing study of this and Ancient Wisdom teachings in general. It could be that many of Laurency's criticisms will not only appear harsh but may well also trigger an early dismissal by current esoteric students and disciples. Certainly many admirers and followers of the leaders in many sects and philosophies may judge him to be a pompous and bad-tempered sort with no respect for their chosen path. And those especially invested in their private persuasion based on incomplete knowledge and speculation may have difficulty embracing the need for a study of Laurency.
Be that as it may, I present Laurency because, despite the mannerisms that could offend, his teaching is a rich and detailed perspective on human and Hierarchical concerns which cannot be found elsewhere. Any teacher worth his salt, from Buddha Sakyamuni on down, has categorically stated that we should never just believe in something solely on the basis of any authority, but rather consider it so that we may give it more or less credence according to our own judgment and life experience.
In these days in this new century's second decade developments are rapid and becoming more rapid. Everything is inserted in a thought timeline. My aims as an author is unlike the motivation of most authors generally, being simply a duty to convey certain notions into the mix which seem important and generally unknown. Whether this is true and effectively conveyed is yet to be seen.
These comments, of course, are mainly for those who have begun or will eventually make a study of the work of Laurency and with him the chief authors of the most authentic or "Ancient Wisdom" tradition. Many may read or skim my work and reading the source documents will not be for them. For my real audience certain things must be stated here. Nevertheless the Hylozoic Anatomy concepts are for all humanity and will be a useful orientation for anyone.
This study strives to be associated with one great work and effort initiated by those I consider our greatest modern teachers: Blavatsky, Bailey, Roerich, and Laurency. To these can be added various others such as Leadbeater and Francia LaDue and more, in their various roles, although Laurency achieves a most complete rectification of all the earlier description of systems, confusion of definitions, and erroneous speculations.
But if timely, this exposition is a living thing, set in the context of many aspirants and disciples. Many contemporary authors and teachers are presenting digested facts from Bailey and Blavatsky. Laurency champions these and includes Leadbeater. Laurency presents the Hylozoic anatomy, with its universal numbering system and seeks to correct various terms such as 'self' 'monad', 'illusion', 'fiction', 'augoeides', 'soul', 'causal', etc. These are probably fairly easy for the current esoteric community to adjust to. But each must be willing to have an open mind as usual and apply her/himself somewhat to its mastery. And the simplicities in these chapters are to help with a basic introduction and orientation. Students of Alice Bailey will find that presentation is applicable to most all the material that has gone before but ties it up in a synthetic picture that proposes a way to help integrate all future developments in knowledge and experience.
In these and many other explanations of human growth, evolution, the various worlds and criteria for advancement and the definition of advancement, the current state of consciousness Laurency has an invaluable perspective to offer which students ignore to their detriment. But perhaps some have to be helped over the hurdles which also are anticipated.
Many things in Laurency's writings are of value and help the general orientation to life and the world and our development. Your author knew that there were a couple of specks of truly indigestible matter buried in Laurency's which brings the matter of authority front and centre and current.
The sensibility of Blavatsky and the heart of her Teachers was toward human conviviality - the creation of a Brotherhood of Man. Instead humanity took the expositions and lives of the Messengers and mangled both. The aspirants to Agni Yoga and Theosophical Teachings who converged in the last two decades on the Internet in various Internet discussion groups such as typically on Yahoo Groups, in vast numbers held in their hearts the ideal of a collective of like-minded students all cooperating and assisting each other in respect leading to true affection and common work for the sake of knowledge as given in the teachings and the welfare of mankind. After all, throughout the Alice Bailey teachings emphasis is always laid on the absolute necessity of group work in our Age, one of the Agni Yoga books also being New Era Community. Furthermore the "universal brotherhood" concept of the 19th Century Theosophy is nothing if not a vast group unity upon fundamental family values.
But with disputes and harsh interaction no such groundwork could be preserved. The internet groups that attracted the students were rather open to the public, and with little delay the group fell to disputes, criticism of members, angry exchanges, personal insults and zealous banishings. How on earth can one have a synthesis of members when such behaviour severely demolishes unity? A few, admittedly had the power of a more primitive kind of fanatic loyalty which set off seemingly unavoidable discord like a malignancy which quickly was able to destroy the positive creation and hope of the group. We observed motional, sectarian, religious, egoistic attitudes and belligerent communications tearing gashes in our unity and demolishing all hope in those gentle intelligent folks who really believed there was no one authority and all ideas and views needed to be simply and dispassionately considered and possibly adopted with an open mind as a working hypothesis. This, of course Alice Bailey had of course reiterated ad nauseam.
Laurency does not hesitate to criticize many things about our world. Out of evident knowledge and the fire of his own spirit he appraises the ideas of many philosophers in history and examines their achievements in the light of and the teachings which only the Planetary Hierarchy has the knowledge to teach us. And he clearly is not be possessive of this attitude but instead often expresses his hopes that in the future others would continue to correct the great deal of existent error. And in this we can include even his own, as he readily asserts that no teacher is infallible, no matter how much we need or would like him or her to be!
After years of eclectic study of Scripture, of Blavatsky and Bailey and many related authors, with the very important inclusion of Roerich, it is beyond question to me that Roerich and the Agni Yoga series of books are every bit in the tradition as anything else. In fact they hold a unique and most valuable position in the literature I consider to have been given to us by the Planetary Hierarchy.
Laurency, in at least a couple of extremely brief comments, does sweep up Helena Roerich's work with a series of other expositions which he considers have missed the mark and as being essentially fraudulent. It is painful, of course, for me to see what I consider such an egregious error, as I know it will and has put off disciples from giving Laurency due consideration. And in addition it naturally tends to bring into question Laurency's other pronouncements. It is only by my own familiarity with other views that he criticises that can lead me to conclude that the bulk of his views are very worthwhile and bold and useful. Perhaps sometimes the energy of boldness has a momentum that sweeps various things up with it while precluding a more quiet evaluation.
So in summary, I appeal to my Theosophical friends and students of the Ancient Wisdom to realize that as I champion Laurency I also highly recommend the Agni Yoga literature as vital and genuine in this same tradition.
Another issue I have with Laurency is his calling a certain 'Dionysian initiation' as being of the 'dark side' so to speak. I'm not sure this is is entirely fair and correct, in view of the shamanic, and earth religion knowledge that has been gained in our generation.
I applaud Laurency's effort to establish a new consistent and universal nomenclature and definitions. He avoids old terms that have multiple meanings, which is useful. However he uses the normally scientific terms 'atom' and 'molecule' giving them definitions entirely different from science. This is not only confusing, it discredits the esoteric tenets. If these terms are kept in esoterics they one must always stress they have a peculiar and distinct meaning in this study. Otherwise the use of new terms might be a better solution.