Theos-Talk Archives (September 1998 Message tt00162)

Sept 11th 19998

Dear Doss:

Your comments on the use of INTERNET  as a valuable tool for the
dissemination of views, information, data, and also
misinformation are quite accurate and true.

It is a power (as are the telephone, TV, Radio, the mail, etc
...)  As a medium for almost immediate communication it has a
tremendous impact for good or evil - depending on the motive of
the sender and the capacity of a receiver to remain unmoved by
what he/she receives.

So we are back to motive, of both sender and recipient.

I can see why some of the "older school"  (and let me add some of
the newer ones who are unfamiliar with the careful patience
needed to operate gadgetry) refuse to have anything to do with
Internet.

They are afraid of the freedom that is suddenly made available to
those who seek to learn truth (or desire to perpetuate
falsehoods).  And/or they lack the ability and the flexibility to
consider (or learn how to use an electronic word-processor -
which leads to the use of Internet) Internet so as to be able to
use it as both typewriter and mail-man.

After some time the body and personality seem to say:  "Enough !
I have learned just as much as I can assimilate for this life.
Let me rest in peace (even if it be ignorant peace)."  They have
"given up" on the effort to acquire more facilities in this
incarnation to secure more of the truths available.  One cannot
fault them, as the personality of each lifetime has its limits.
And, we can say that in future lives there will no doubt be
opportunities to learn what is not taken up and understood to the
full in this lifetime.  { I do not like the sound of this.  It is
an excuse, commonly used to do too much or too little.  There has
to be a balance.  How is that secured ? ]

It would be unfair to attribute this attitude to all those who
chronologically pass a certain age.  If we look around at our
friends (young or old) and acquaintances we can see that each has
set certain patterns to their living, thinking, interests, etc...
some are very wide, and eclectic,  others are more restricted.

Those who are introspective will continually inquire and seek for
wider areas of information.  But, do they have the intuitive
capacity to discriminate between what is true and useful, or are
they merely wandering here and there for sensation and pleasure,
as an avid reader might consume book after book.  (I can see that
the Internet becomes addictive in those cases.)

So, as I see it, it all boils down to the motive.  And as surely
as we are alive, we ought to inquire into our purposes, reasons
and goals on a more frequent basis so as to keep them in order
and focused on real improvement and learning.

I have often wondered about the "mysterious power of occultism"
which HPB states can be recorded "on a few pages of symbols and
glyphs."  What is that power and why so few ?  I believe it lies
in the "analogies and correspondences" that Nature uses in
building all her structures.

My guess is that if we seek and find those and learn them (and
most if not all are in that small book THE KEY TO THEOSOPHY by
HPB) we would have a real KEY to occultism and to understanding
our own potentials and capacities.  I find it quite strange that
many have a preconceived idea of what they want to learn and
know, and do not see, yet, the wider range of al learning as
interactive and interrelated.  They want "parts" - those parts
that they are interested in -- and are ready to let all the rest
go.  But that is not how Nature works.  A reading of the first
300 pages of S D, Vol. I, shows how intricate Nature is, and how
thoroughly it arranges Evolution so as to bring about a "home" in
which the mind-faculty can be developed and given its full
expansion.  To me, it is the secret of Man being a microcosm (an
image in potential) of the whole MACROCOSM.

And why all this fuss and bother ? Is it not for the bringing of
the immortal MONADS into the condition of mentality - the
development of the mind, which brings the capacity to learn, and
freedom, but also at the same time the terrible danger of going
astray if one allies himself/herself too closely with Kama -
desires and passions which remain UNEXAMINED for their ultimate
value.  [ But how many really set about examining themselves to
prove or disprove the fact that they may be IMMORTALS in essence
as MONADS ? ]  Perhaps THEOSOPHY contains such a method and
process?

An old friend recently spoke of the dangers of the "unexamined
life."

It strikes me that the most of us do not devote much time to
doing this for ourselves.  We sense that this (self-examination)
has value, but we do not know the technique of applying such a
discipline.

Perhaps the disciplines of "esotericism," and "occultism" develop
this when understood as a study of the hidden laws of Nature and
their impact all around as well as within us on the psychological
and spiritual being that we are -- in addition to the emotional
and the physical being that we are aware of.  But again, it all
boils down to MOTIVE.  Why do we do anything?  So if I am right
in my surmises, we need to examine our motives most closely.

Best wishes,

Dallas

> From: M K Ramadoss
> Sent:	Thursday, September 10, 1998 9:20 PM
> Subject: Re: Internet == and OCCULT SECRETS

Dear Dallas:

Thanks for the clarification.

My comment was more of a passing comment. Who in their right mind
can
expect to find any occult secret on Internet. All Internet can do
is to
disseminate written information and be used as a medium of
exchange of
communication as we do now.

For Distribution and exchange of info, Internet is a very
powerful tool
nothing like the world has ever seen. This was demonstrated in
the decision
of the US Congress to post the full Starr's Clinton report on the
Internet
for all the world to read.

Many, especially those from older generation (who are too set in
their
ways) who do not like or afraid of computers or don't know how to
deal with
Internet still don't get it.

What is sad is that those of older generation who are heading
organizations
by their ignorance may be hurting the organizations they run even
though
they may not know it.

MKR


At 05:33 PM 9/10/1998 -0700, W. Dallas TenBroeck wrote:
>Sept 10th 1998
>
>Dear Doss:
>
>While mundane data and information will no doubt be widely and
>quickly diffused, do not think that "occult secrets" will ever
>be.
>
>Consider with me:  Once that something "esoteric" is written, or
>published it ceases being "occult".  It becomes popular.
>
>Do not believe that because someone prints a "mantram," or
>describes the rites and rituals of aspects of "ceremonial magic"
>that these are any longer an expression of "occultism," or
>"esotericism."
>
>They have become vulgarized and are thus made quite useless.
>
>What can never be described or vulgarized are
>
>1. The OBJECTIVE of the person.
>
>2.	The DESIRE or WILL of the operator.
>
>That is one reason why the attempt to join and occult club,
>association, or place one's trust in a Guru, and above all pay
>for it == that is the end of any true occultism or esotericism.
>
>Think carefully about it.
>
>Dal
>
>From: M K Ramadoss
>Sent:	Thursday, September 10, 1998 4:23 AM
>Subject: Internet
>
>It is not usual to see bureaucrats use efficient and effective
>tools due to
>being bound to old traditions. Now it is changing in Internet
>world.
>
>Starr's report, as soon as it is made public will be posted on
>Internet.
>The usual practice is for Govt Printing Office to print and sell
>printed
>reports and also print it in the Congressional Report. While
this
>will be
>done, it will be available on Internet for instant access from
>anywhere
>free of cost.
>
>I think even Congress is recognizing the power of Internet as a
>medium of
>communication, which is amazing.
>
>There is a lesson for all organizations, spiritual or business
or
>theosophical.
>
>Internet is here to stay and will be a standard means of
>communication and
>distribution of information.
>
>One does expect Occult Secrets (or presumed Secrets) to be
posted
>on
>Internet, all organizations intent on distribution information
to
>the world
>may not want to miss the boat.
>
>mkr