Theos-Talk Archives (December 2001 Message tt00426)

To everyone, the following is a few words on my own personal agenda, speaking only for myself:

I do not, nor do I care to be, on the BN list, which I feel is for beginners struggling to understand some of the fundamental Theosophical concepts. But, if Dallas or anyone else wants to put any of my postings on that list and attack them there, they are free to do so. The main reason for most of my posts are to try and make people think for themselves, and attacking is, I suppose, a form of thinking. However, if anyone wants to read my own response to such attacks, then such will have to placed here or on Theos-l.

Personally, I find most Theosophical literature to be beginner material, and having studied it for over 35 years, I am no longer interested in rehashing yet again the same old subjects. I admire the enthusiasm of Dallas, for example, but I can no longer work myself up over such mundane subjects (such as the inner and all-too human desire to be eternal). I prefer to discuss deeper and more profound issues, issues that us aged Theosophists really have no other outlet for - there are countless journals and books and magazines available for beginners, and precious little for us oldtimers who have heard all of that stuff many many times. So, I have used Theos-l for some years now, to discuss issues that most beginners are not prepared for nor are likely to understand. And sometimes I use theos-world. However, everyone is invited to read and think and to offer questions or even ideas, if they want to. 

I am pretty much fed up with throwing Blavatsky quotes around. Most Theosophists who do so, don't understand what is being said anyway (obviously my own personal opinion - no, I can't read minds, at least not reliably). Anyone who thinks that a quote "proves" anything at all, is for the most part misguided and foolish. Lets face it folks, anyone can use 'find' on their word-processor to cut and paste nice quotes from the core teachings and post them here, and then pretend that everyone understands them. The real test of understanding is the ability to put her ideas into one's own words. I see little enough of that, and so that is exactly what I have been trying to do, and have been encouraging others to do this as well. But I don't expect beginners to be able to do this, although they are free to TRY if they DARE. Quotes are very nice for beginners, I suppose, but for us oldtimers, they suck (because they are an insult to the intelligence of anyone who has studied this stuff for as long as I have - or at least they should be).

Now, I am not offended in any way when someone calls me a name or gets emotional, because I realize that we are all human beings here. But I do get upset sometimes when I see illogical ideas being foisted off as Theosophy, and I feel it my duty to say so (just as others feel it their duty to respond to my own 'interpretations.') Nor do I want to be a guru nor have I ever claimed Adepthood etc. We are all seekers. But we are not all beginners. 

It is hard to put these feeling into words, and I am sure that some will take my words the wrong way. But I have a deep love and appreciation for Blavatsky and for her message, and for the TM, which I feel is in some need of repair right now. There is, for example, a strong need within today's TM for a Path, for something practical. 

When I criticize, I am not criticizing Theosophy but what I see as its mis-interpretation. Hopefully this is exactly what others are doing as well when they respond to me. Anyway, I find it a lot of good fun, and I trust that no one gets too emotional at my posts. Getting emotional takes the fun right out of it.

Jerry S.
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