Theos-Talk Archives (November 1997 Message tt00361)

At 07:12 PM 11/21/97 +1100, you wrote:
>
>MKR writes
>> Here is the letter I was referring to. It is from theos-roots theosophy
>> maillist. It gives some idea about what the "Founders" had in their mind
>> when the TS was started. This letter is considered by many to be the most
>> important letter ever received from the Adept Teachers as it communicates
>> the views of the Great Master as regards the role of Theosophy and
>> Theosophical Society. Many things said in it seems to be appropriate in
>1997
>> as it was in 1880. Parts of the letter has been widely quoted by every
>> Theosophical leader from HPB onwards.
>
>Thank you for the posting, but as you write this was 1880 and constituted
>part of a re-routing.
> I am referring to the actual formation of the society. In H.P.B.'s
>collected works Vol. 1 there is a small section on the formation of the
>Society page121. In it I can't find the word "universal" let alone
>brotherhood.
>In an important note pasted in her scrap book is the earliest reference to
>a society " M brings orders to form a society- a secret society like the
>Rosicrucian Lodge. He promises to help." ( early 1875)
>
>' In addition to that, she specifically states having recieved orders from
>India "to establish a philosophico-religious Society" and to choose
>Olcott," and dates this "July 1875"'
>Add that to my previous Olcott material.
>God Bless,
>Bruce
>

Thanks for researching the matter.

There are two items relating to the formation of TS. Several years before
even HPB was told about the launching of TS, Sri Ramalingam Swamy in S.
India started a society based on "brotherhood" and when there was not much
of interest in the public, he shut it down and made a statement that Rishi's
living beyond Himalayas will be sending people from Russia and America, he
was very specific about these two countries, and when they come and preach
"brotherhood" you all will listen. So the plan for the launching of TS was
afoot about 10 years before TS was launched.

The history behind the Maha Chohan letter is very interesting. After the
correspondence between A P Sinnett and A O Hume with Master KH started, one
of the frequent suggestions of Sinnett was that demonstration of psychic
powers by indisputable phenomenon would attract the public. Master KH
repeatedly told Sinnett that "Brotherhood" is objective of TS and not all
the training and psychic stuff. Finally, Master KH took one of Sinnett's
letters to his (KH's boss) and the Maha Chohan letter was a summary of the
discussion between Maha Chohan and Master KH. HPB onwards considered the
letter to be the charter for TS and even though the original letter is no
where to be found, HPB herself from time to time had quoted extensively from it.

As Rudy pointed out, it is good for all of us to frequently remind ourselves
what the fundamental objective of TS is.

This brings another related issue. In the USA, in the TSA there appears to
be some confusion in how the leadership sees the objectives of TS. Two cases
in point. Some time ago, in the official newsletter sent to all the members
at large, there was an unsigned article which discussed the *inner* *aims*
of TS, as if somebody suddenly discovered these *aims*. Secondly, in a
letter that was part of the recent catalog of the Theosophical Publishing
House, Wheaton, the President seems to emphasize that the objective of TS is
self-improvement.

These may be causing some problem with membership trend. The membership is
slowly but surely on the decline for quite some years. Also there appears to
be a high turnover.

Members who may be joining TS wrongly thinking that TS is going to help them
in self-improvement -- the self-improvement expectation may range from
improving their health, financial success, success in their love and sex
life, their *spiritual* life, psychic life etc. may soon be disappointed in
not finding any help in these things and drop their membership.


My 0.0199999999999999999 (floating point)

mkr