Theos-Talk Archives (November 1998 Message tt00061)

>Martin,
>
>I don't agree with your views of what a theosophist is, and the place of
>leaders in thsosophy.  The Pope is a leader, the parrish priest is a leader
>of his flock of sheep.  But a theosophist has no leader.  A theosophist is
>an independent thinker, a true free man/woman, with his attention placed on
>his intuition or True Self.
>
>This is also a quote by HPB:
>
>"Be what he may, once that a student abandons the old trodden highway of
>routine,
>   and enters upon the solitary path of independent thought -- Godward --
>
>he is a Theosophist, an original thinker, a seeker after the eternal truth,
>with 'an inspiration  of his own' to solve the universal problems."
>
>....................................................................
>
>There is a big difference between helping others and to consider oneself a
>leader.
>
>Rudy

Dear Rudy,
how true is it what you wrote. But strange enough and paradoxical (note: not
contrary!) HPB was a genuine leader, a teacher, don't? She was the main
founder of the TS and their natural leader by training and knowledge. For
every step in live we have teachers: our parents, who teach us to speak, to
walk, to sit, to read and write, to count, later a driving instructor etc.,
although one could say: No you don't need them all, you can all learn from
yourself, you have all what you need within. But to have a leader, a teacher
or an instructor is much comfortable: It quickens your efforts, it makes it
safer, so you are able to learn the lesson in a for shorter time than by a
self making try-and-error method. That this is also true in the domain of
the occult is my very experience. How often have I met brother-theosophists
who wasted decades of their time with strange teachings, strange leaders of
the wide ranging New Age movement or even of those within the also wide
ranging Theosophical Movement. When they were soon in their sixties or
seventies and heard conscious and with beginning understand of that stream
of Theosophy the eminent John Cooper (Theosophical History tribute issue
just out!) liked to call "the Middle way of theosophy" those
brother-theosophists so often regretted their old ways and the waste of
time, nerve energy and often enough of money. To develop right
discrimination seems to be the first lesson, without that all may be
fruitless.
So Theosophists may need leaders, real leaders as well because is counts
10,000 : 1 - as HPB so often said - to become a self-made Theosophist.
Otherwise the Masters, HPB and Judge had not to establish an organized body
for Theosophists and an organized body for the pupils (I mean the early ES
of 1875 in NY with a few pupils and later the semi-public Esoteric Section
of 1888). If it would not be true to have a leader all activities of the
Masters and HPB as their envoy would be nothing else as a tragedy or a
parody. Worth to think about.

Frank