Theos-Talk Archives (November 1997 Message tt00448)

More on Organization

Dear MKR, I do not understand your replay about organizations.
Even though “every person is unique,” they naturally tend to organize by
interest and not by differences. Let say musicians may form a group, may
join a society for the preservation of classical music or whatever, they
may go to a school of music to perfect the art of playing music. The
physical, psychical, and spiritual experience of playing music is
personal. And it cannot be theoretical (in most cases). But I have seen
how music teachers, friends, and others, help to improve ways and
techniques so a musician may advance. They truly help/guide, transfer
knowledge in a spiritually and mystically way. They encourage the person
to try it out what they just have learned.
This is one of the millions of reasons why organizations, groups,
societies are important and a must.
The same it can be said for mystical, religious, philosophical, esoteric
nature of an individual. He or she may join a group that may resonate
with the intrinsic needs for sharing, and perfecting the way of
accomplishing that experience.

I do not relate to our MKR’s views that “organizations are a hindrance
simply because each individual is very unique.” I think that validates
the need of organization: in sharing that uniqueness we enrich our
experience and get tools, ideas, other ways to enhance our
understanding in this life which is the only Path to the Truth. Outside
the One Life (One Truth) there is only mental chaos.

Dear MKR just because a lot of organizations have mislead people (and
will mislead) it does not mean that organizations are bad/evil. They are
the natural way for individuals to learn, to participate, to share. As
we are doing now with the well organized internet. But everything is
possible where there are people. Marcus Aurelius, the roman Emperor
understood it well (Meditations). There is no need to be negative
about something that is natural for humans in this round.

We may ask our brother Allan Bain in forming the Theosophy International
TI), our youngest theosophical organization, if when he welcomes a new
members he is welcoming him/her in the “bunch of sheep” as you put it
(not in the TI context).

You wrote: “all organizations have the natural tendency to protect their
territory . . .” Well what do you expect. If people organized around a
charter they just want to do that. Imagine that you belong to a TS study
group formed for the purpose of studying theosophy. An individual joins
it and reads very loudly his/her books on microelectronics what would
you do? Would you try to tell that confused person that is in the wrong
study group? May be microelectronics is the way to enlightenment. I do
not have the answer but I know what I wanted to study when Î joined the
study group.

We may look in the Mahatma Letters for the purpose of asking HPB to
form the TS as organization.

There are a lot of risk in not belonging to a spiritual, religious,
philosophical, psychological organization. One example: that person may
turn out to be a monster, like our famous uni-bomber (I hope I spelled
it right), thinking the “ends justifies the means.” Not fully aware of
the suffering and pain he was causing. A few pages of the Voice of the
Silence would have clarified the mess in his confused mind. Like him
there others very confused in their pathless land.

My friend I do not want to argue with you about “bad” organizations. I
only want to state my opinion about the importance of organizing, which
for me is a natural way of being among individuals.

Martin Leiderman