Theos-Talk Archives (November 1998 Message tt00053)

Paul (Bazzer):

Your quote from HPB is important to keep in mind, lest
we stray too far in that direction. There's the opposite
extreme that we also need to steer clear of. We need to
maintain a balance between the two extremes.

Theosophical groups can degenerate into sects, with
hard-and-fast dogmas, bereft of the original vitality
and inspiration of the spirit. That is one form of
death.

Their original mystical/metaphysical/occult impetus and
teachings can become corrupted, lost, and forgotten
amidst a multitude of opinions too. In this case, we may
have a group of enthusiastic people with good intentions,
not fettered by dogmas but also clueless as to the
original spiritual wealth that was formerly contained,
generations ago, in the group they now attend.

In the first case, the life has parted, and we have
a theosophical fossil. In the second case, the life
has also parted, but we have eager people left
empty-handed, not knowing there was once something
special there to be realized.

-- Eldon