Theos-Talk Archives (September 1999 Message tt00048)

At 07:21 PM 09/05/1999 +0100, Peter Merriott wrote:
> Are we to proclaim
>ourselves as theosophists in one breath and speak so disparagingly of these
>great souls and teachers, who were the founders, in the next?  "Ingratitude
>is not among our vices", one of Them writes.  Yet now it seems we can have a
>TS that does not even include the study of Theosophy but is "sans the
>Masters and HPB...except as a nodding histortical
>note...".

It appears that we forget that before HPB started her writings, the public
has not heard of theosophy or the Masters and surely a lot of information
has been laid before the world for it to take interest and understand and
be helped. Once you remove the Masters and HPB, not much of modern
theosophy is left.

TS and theosophists have not in general got mired in scandals especially
financial one. There are many groups around which would take advantage of
the real estate for preaching their own causes. It when the followers of
such groups become members and the programs are entirely devoted to their
specific beliefs, that we have a problem. To avoid such problems, there
have been some "approved" material to be used by the new centers. Again
there is the other problem of reducing theosophy to a set of blind beliefs
much like various religious groups and cults. We seem to be down that path.
In the US, one can get a certificate in theosophy (or certificate in
theos-sophia or divine wisdom). Down the road, are we going to have to have
the certificate before one can be an officer? Who knows. Also there is the
recent espousal of "hidden" objects of TS expounded in the official organ
of the TS in America.

To give you an indication of how far we have been "forgetful" of the
founders etc., several years ago I was at a Federation Meeting with quite a
few members showing up. The last day happened to be May 8 and no one in the
gathering -- including the officers and many long timers (and many aspiring
to become chelas and in due course of course Adepts!) -- remembered that it
was White Lotus Day, a day of rememberance of the passing of HPB. It fell
to my good fortune to remind towards the end of the meeting that we need to
remember one who was responsible for all the theosophy we have today.

thanks again, Peter for bringing up the point.

mkr

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