58: The difficulty of giving one the Wisdom Religion is dealt with by H. P. B. in the Secret Doctrine as follows:—
1. Opinion must be reserved because:—
a. Complete explanation for initiates only.
b. Only a fragmentary portion of the esoteric meaning given.
c. Only adepts can speak with authority.—S. D., I, 188, 190. II, 55, 90.
d. The teachings are offered as a hypothesis.—II, 469.
2. We must lose sight entirely of:—
a. Personalities.
b. Dogmatic beliefs.
c. Special religions.—S. D., I, 3, 4.
3. We must be free from prejudice.—S. D., III, 1.
We must also:
a. Be free from conceit.
b. Free from selfishness.
c. Ready to accept demonstrated truth.
4. We must find the highest meaning possible.  S. D., III, 487.
5. We must be also non-sectarian.—S. D., III, 110.
6. We must remember the handicap of language.—S. D., I, 197, 290, 293.
7. We must aim to become a disciple.—S. D., 188.  II, 246. III, 129.
8. We must eventually develop powers.—S. D., I, 518.  II, 85.
9. We must lead the life of Brotherhood.  S. D., I, 190.
10. We must remember that H. P. B. makes no claim to infallibility.—S. D., II, 25 note, 273.  I, 293.
H. P. B. says:—
"I speak with 'absolute certainty' only so far as my own personal belief is concerned.  Those who have not the same warrant for their belief as I have would be very credulous and foolish to accept it on blind faith....What I do believe in is:—
1. The unbroken oral tradition revealed by living divine men during the infancy of mankind to the elect among men.
2. That it has reached us unaltered.
3. That the Masters are thoroughly versed in the science based on such uninterrupted teaching."—Lucifer, Vol. V, p. 157.
"The Secret Doctrine is no 'authority' per se; but being full of quotations and texts from the Sacred Scriptures and philosophies of almost every great religion and school, those who belong to any of these are sure to find support for their arguments on some page or another.  There are, however, Theosophists, and of the best and most devoted, who do suffer from such weakness for authority."—Lucifer, Vol. III, p. 157.