Theos-Talk Archives (July 1996 Message tt00038)

Eldon B. Tucker wrote:

> Bee:
>
> > > When Rodolfo speaks of a place to communicate, a common language,
> > > a common goal, and uses the word "lodge", I think of a place for
> > > theosophical workers, not exactly a Mystery School, but something
> > > more than a book-study club. This makes me think of one type of
> > > work that I think could arise out of the Theosophical Movement in
> > > the West. The founding of junior or quasi Mystery Schools, of
> > > genuine centers or groups for the spiritual that are rooted in the
> > > theosophical tradition. I'm not sure if this would be possible or
> > > how advanced such groups could get, but I think that it is a
> > > worthy goal, *in addition to the public work*, in addition to the
> > > work of disseminating the basic, bread-and-butter teachings into
> > > western thought.
>
> > Some good thoughts but who would run these 'Mystery Schools'?
>
> I'd expect them to gradually grow or evolve over time, sort of an
> evolutionary thing, where various experiments to get lodges and
> groups to operate more spiritually are tried and things that are
> tried and work are kept.

If there were experiments going on I would be optimistic but over
here things just carry on the way they always have as there isn't
much new blood joining because if they do, the older members
don't really want to know about anything that rocks the boat so
the young ones move on.  Our Lodge has been described as a bunch
of old ladies getting together for a chat and a cuppa tea.
Probably correct from that perspective.  There isn't really
anything there to evolve.

> > TS over here is just small groups who would get into hot water if
> > one of their number began teaching esoteric stuff.
>
> It would if one of the members set themselves up as an esoteric
> teacher and started telling people that their ideas superceeded
> those of HPB and her Teachers. It wouldn't be if the members
> started getting serious about the spiritual, as long as anything
> that they tried was optional and not required to be practiced by
> all lodge members. It would also be important that anything tried
> was not in direct violation of certain basic ethics and moral
> principles, giving a bad reputation to the T.S.

Of course that goes without saying and that is what I would
avoid.

> > There is only 2 in our branch that I know of who have read SD and
> > one of them is me and I don't think I would like to take on the
> > karma of teaching something I don't quite understand myself.
>
> But you can teach what you do understand, with the disclaimer that
> you're just a student too, and whatever you say is subject to
> correction.
>
> > A study group is about what we can manage and then if it is too
> > deep, they all drift off.
>
> That's as deep as you can go with regard to the book studies. How
> about other efforts? Regarding aspects of a spiritual self-help
> group, or regarding an exploration of making the Path something
> real in the members' lives, and the practice of compassion in the
> world -- these can be practiced, even if there's no Guru present
> telling everyone what to do.

Great idea.  Where are the TS books we can study to teach us
spiritual self-help? It seems we need to set up our own within a
TS setting.

> > Things may be different in USA but it doesn't seem that different
> > judging by the post I have been reading over the last year.  I
> > agree that the members set the tone so how to change that can
> > also be a problem.  I have ideas but then I would need to impose
> > them on the members which I don't fancy doing.  I try to change
> > some things little by little and that is the best I can do.
>
> Yes, there needs to be a general agreement within a group as to
> the direction that it takes. But the direction is not something
> that is simply announced, but is something that comes as sort of
> an inspiration that sweeps up everyone. It may not be possible in
> the current group if it has too many people only interested in it
> being a book club and social function. Then again, it's possible
> for a group to change with new people joining because of its new
> nature, and other people leaving it.

It is a catch 22 situation as the new people find a book club and
leave again so their input isn't there.

> > We need more than books.  We have a great little library of
> > around 1200 books but it just doesn't seem to be enough.
>
> Agreed. But I'd stress the "more than", which is different than
> saying "something instead of".
>
> > Life is not lonely as you point out but the pilgrim is still out
> > on a limb because of the way he/she lives the teachings and
> > understands many more things.
>
> I suspect that the more that we learn, the less frankly we can
> talk about our ideas. We have to take greater care in fashioning
> our words to be appropriate to the person that we're talking to.
> But it's also important that we are not self-conscious about being
> different than other people. Any feeling that we're doing anything
> because we're somehow better than someone else is not only wrong,
> but a bigger barrier to spiritual progress than our original state
> of ignorance.
>
> > I would share every little bit of understanding I have but there
> > isn't really many that want it.
>
> And if we look at the examples of various theosophical teachers,
> we see how they have become highly skillful in gradually
> presenting the doctrines, not simply blurting out everything that
> they can think of on a subject. Perhaps, in addition to learning
> the Teachings, we can learn something of effective ways to teach
> from them?

Looks like our Lodge is going on a learning curve and if it is
done little by little, they won't even know it :-) I am trying to
teach myself to think more and talk less.  I was idly watching a
kid's movie on TV with the wise granma who had the knack of
saying something simple in the right place and having a bigger
effect than a sermon.  Food for thought.

Bee