Theos-Talk Archives (August 2001 Message tt00141)

Dallas to Daniel:
Unfortunately as most of you know I have become a semi-invalid
for the past 15 months and have to struggle to type the messages
I send. I can not engage myself to an overwhelming use of my
time, which, I have declared will henceforth be limited to the
discussion of Theosophical teachings and doctrines.

Frank:
Dallas, hope you will be better soon. To me the questions of Daniel are
important and necessary, but when you say that you will limit yourself to
theosophical teachings you imply at the same time that Daniel is not
interested in the teachings or his questions have nothing to do with the
teachings. Nothing could be more wrong than that! Was it not HPB herself who
always taught that a Theosophists is only someone who DOES Theosophy?

And what Daniel and others (including my humble self) are asking or
researching is whether certain claims of Theosophists are true or not and
how much are the teachings applied and made practical. For a truth seeker (a
"true Theosophist" and not a lip Theosophist as HPB has it so often) that
can never be undesirably.

You must not separate the theory from practice, both the mental occupation
and the demand whether and how the teachings, for example the duty to be
true to others and to the interpretation of the teachings itsself, are
applied by individuals and branches of the Theosophical Movement are
necessary. And also HPB was not only limited to the teachings but
coincidentally was watching whether the doctrines were applied in the right
way or not.

And to my understanding the necessary to watch for the practical application
and the right interpretation, which HPB stressed so much, are part of the
teachings too.
So it is nonsense to say that someone is limited to the teachings and
ignores coincidentally the implied demand of responsibility. That is the
same as if someone says she limits herself to become an expectant mother but
has no interests for a baby.
One must take Theosophy as a whole to be true to it and not only a favourite
part of it.