Theos-Talk Archives (December 2001 Message tt00423)

Dear Paul,

Thanks for your efforts, but it is doubtful that anything you could 
say would make me perceive the way you do. However, this is not 
a bad thing. There is plenty of room for differences of opinion. Your 
perception of our colleague Dallas, for instance, is based on your 
experience and your orientation to that experience, as is mine 
based on mine. Mine does not contain anything like what you 
describe. Your orientation to theosophy is evidently very different 
from mine as well, since you appreciate comments of a type that I 
find relatively useless and even unecessarily derogatory. But so 
what? We are all pursuing the path according to our ability and 
aspiration. I might suggest, however, in the light of your extreme 
hostility toward Dallas, who, in my experience has always been a 
champion of truth and wisdom, that you examine your own motives 
a bit. Do you have too big an investment in being right? I don't 
particularly agree with your conclusions as published, but I do 
support your right to espouse them. Can't you agree that there is 
more than one side to any issue? William Quan Judge once said 
that when someone is angry with us, our best course is to 
investigate our own life to discover what we have done to generate 
their animosity. Did you ever try that? We are only responsible for 
our own actions, not for the actions of others. Blaming our problems 
on others indicates that we have not really internalized the 
teachings of the Masters. I make these suggestions because they 
are methods of learning self-control that have been useful to me 
during the years, not, please understand, because I wish to debate 
past issues with you. I have never read anything posted by Dallas 
that I did not find sound and well-founded in deep study of 
theosophy, which is to say, ancient wisdom. I have learned a lot 
from reading his writings, and have once in awhile found therein an 
especially precious link in the development of my understanding. I 
have found him to be extremely forebearing and kind, when tested 
to the limit. Perhaps if you found otherwise, you need to take a look 
at your own motives, your own actions. That is usually the best 
course, when we find ourselves driven to such extremity as you 
seem to be, carrying on about lynching, etc. You see theosophy as 
discussed by him and others as fundamentalist. I see it exactly the 
opposite. But we don't have to quarrel. There is room for both 
views. One day history will show which was more in tune with 
natural law, but in the meatime, we are all just students. Can't we 
cooperate and try to assist each other to learn. What can we hope 
to accomplish otherwise?

Adelasie