Theos-Talk Archives (September 1999 Message tt00020)

Peter wrote:

>ART:  I liked the way your first response was to focus on the positive...
>the need for compassion, brotherhood & so on.  I felt your comments about
>"egalitarianism", having to "prove oneself" said more about encounters with
>people at meetings (your own perhaps?) than it did about THEOSOPHY as a
>'body' of Wisdom or spiritual path.  Do you think we are liable to meet all
>kinds of people (open and warm - looking down their noses) in almost any
>kind of group?

Yes Peter it is a good way to stress the positive first... and I appreciate
your response which seems to tally with your experiences... it's only when
we can analyse what happens in these meetings and encounters that we can
take them apart for examination .... The new inquirer from my experience
may well be someone who no longer processes information through printed
material, there has been a noteworthy and not so subtle shift in this in
the past forty years...To them we appear bookish and quaint.... The lessons
are similar to the ones they were bored to tears with in school... Whats
more if the inquirer has had learning disabilities and dyslexia... the
question: What have you read? Can be a real "put down" or viewed as a
further count of their unworthiness.... Trust me on this one... I've  been
running a small discussion group for only the past 3-4 mos. and it comes up
more than we like to think..

The other point Peter is that an encounter at a theosophy meeting may be
the first and dreadfully only taste an inquirer has of what theosophy is...
ergo they will judge us by our actions... all of us... and generalizations
will be made... is this unfair? Maybe. But it is like the adage first
impressions are last impressions....The first contact is very important and
is our  opportunity... after that, well it passes...

I've heard so many times the argument... Don't judge Christianity by the
Christians... Similarly, encounters at meetings should be the first
encounter the seeker has with the Ancient Wisdom ergo it is so essential
for them to see what theosophy is through us in more than superficial study
materials or books...

- Art


lgregory@discover.net




















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