Theos-Talk Archives (November 1998 Message tt00043)

>There is yet another viewpoint. While each organization has its own
>viewpoint on what happened in the past, for many newbees who do not know
>much about the past, it is an opportunity to know the different viewpoints.
>It is only out of such different info, that one can come to one's own
>conclusions. With open mindedness, one can look to what each of the
>individuals have sacrified and have achieved and thus be humbled as well as
>motivated to help spread theosophy as best one can understand. Too often
>many are in the dark about the historical facts and history cannot be
>totally divested. What is going to be helpful is to keep our focus on the
>three objects and work towards the betterment of our fellow beings. This is
>where I think the long term future lies.
>
>My 0.02.
>
>mkr


Another viewpoint may be that the names of the acting persons are changing,
the time is changing and also the circumstances but what remains is the
IDEAS behind all. History repeats itself. Compare the modern theosophical
movement with the time around 2,000 years ago. Are there not many
similarities? MUST we follow the old astral track or are we able to decide
not to repeat the old failures? One can learn so much from the historical
events. Ignoring them ("I want not to hear these stories, because they are
bad" - so often to hear in Lodges) makes us not wiser, don't? The main false
argument to ignore the history is the theory that the split events were only
based on personnel antipathy. But for me the historical quarrel has its
roots in the difference of ideas what theosophy is and what theosophy not
is. These ideas existed not only in the Judge/Besant era but they existed
even 2,000 years ago, even prior - and they exist at present. The first
thing a chela has to develop is the right discrimination. If one has no
discrimination he/she has no knowledge. And Lichtenberg says than someone
who has no knowledge has only belief. Theosophy has much in store to develop
discrimination and knowledge, but it is not for the lazy or the dead-letter
believers, whether they are insight or outside a University. A University
can only train the brain, Theosophy trains the soul.

Frank