Theos-Talk Archives (May 2001 Message tt00072)

Daniel:

This article you posted regarding the source of the material
in the THEOSOPHICAL GLOSSARY offers an interesting test of
theosophical groups.

Given that the book has been shown to primarily consist of
definitions from other authors, many definitions containing
errors, it would seem that the book should be discontinued.

It provides a good test for exercising flexibility of mind.
When new information is provided that causes us to reevaluate
our view of things, do we accept it and change? Or do we
keep blinders on and shy away from having to think things
through anew? It should not matter if many of us have been
brought up to think differently of the book, nor matter if
our books on theosophical history that we've come to rely
on are inaccurate on the matter.

The Adyar Theosophical Society was faced with a similar
problem, and did the right thing. That organization had
been publishing an altered version of THE SECRET DOCTRINE,
a six-volume edition containing massive editorial changes
and additional unrelated materials. (The unrelated materials
later appeared in Volume XIV of HPB's Collected Writings.)
When the case was made that this edition of the book poorly
represented what Blavatsky had written, the Adyar T.S.
discontinued its publication.

I wonder if the various theosophical groups that publish
the THEOSOPHICAL GLOSSARY, when faced with the same test,
will do the right thing?

Our primary interest, as I see it, is in what HPB *really*
taught, on what *really* happened, on the way the world
*really* is. Whatever we may have learned is imperfect,
and should be subject to improvement whenever possible.

When we stop taking new input from the world, and go into
a closed system of thought, we've just about given up on
life. That's the state we find ourselves in after we've
cast our physical frame aside, as we enter our devachanic
dream world, working out the threads of consciousness that
we've entangled our minds and hearts in during the former
lifetime. Until then, we are always learning, always
growing, always changing, embracing life with openness
and freshness. If only our theosophical groups could
do the same!

-- Eldon

At 10:07 AM 5/11/01 -0700, you wrote:

> WHO PLAYED THAT TRICK ON H.P.B.? THE PUZZLE OF "THE THEOSOPHICAL
> GLOSSARY." by Boris de Zirkoff ...