Theos-Talk Archives (January 2002 Message tt00075)

Jerry, you wrote:

> Daniel, you showing yourself here to be what
> Brigitte is accusing you of being. You are ignoring
> the real issue. Quoting Blavatsky is fundamentalism
> and what I call exoteric Theosophy, and helps no one
> at all.

Jerry, it would appear that you are being very unfair
here and you are ignoring the ISSUE I was really
addressing.

The POINT I was making is that Brigitte and Steve
quoted or mentioned what OTHER writers (e.g. Olcott)
have said about the reincarnation issue in ISIS but
Brigitte and Steve did not quote and deal with what
Blavatsky herself wrote about this same issue in her
later articles or with what is to be found in the
Mahatma Letters.

Many readers (possibly even Brigitte and Steve, for
all I know!) on this forum may not know exactly what
Blavatsky/the Masters wrote in various
articles/letters on the subject under discussion. I
was simply giving some references so that interested
readers could study what Blavatsky/the Masters wrote
on the very same subject that Olcott and others were
writing about.

Also regarding your comment which reads:

> Quoting Blavatsky is fundamentalism
> and what I call exoteric Theosophy, and helps no one
> at all.

Jerry, I'm glad that you have now defined your
position on "fundamentalism". 

But this has nothing to do with what I was writing
about, i.e.: SOME readers on this forum might not be
aware of the various statements by Blavatsky on this
subject. 

A SIDE NOTE: So let me try to understanding your
underlying reasoning here. If Brigitte or Steve gives
a relevant quote from Olcott then what is this? 
Fundamentalism, too? Or does it just apply to quoting
Blavatsky?

Jerry you also write:

> I am offering my own interpretations, which I know
> you disagree with for the most part. Its OK to
> disagree with interpretations. The problem seems to
> be that you don't even know that you are
> interpreting. A literal interpretation is nothing
> more than one of many possible interpretations. And
> even literal interpretations can be, and should be,
> rephrased into one's own words.

Thanks for telling me what I know or don't know!

Each reader and student can take the time and effort
if interested and try to understand what Blavatsky is
trying to convey. But the first step is to be aware of
ALL of the RELEVANT statements by Blavatsky and her
Teachers. I was only trying to let readers be aware
of some of this material. If this makes me a
"fundamentalist" then so be it.

But as far as I can tell, this constant harping on
"theosophical fundamentalism" is just a ploy to divert
attention from the actual subject matter under
discussion. In fact it is an ad hominem tactic which
only confuses the real issue [the subject matter under
discussion] by introducing another issue.

Daniel H. Caldwell
BLAVATSKY ARCHIVES
http://hpb.cc

--- Gerald Schueler <gschueler@earthlink.net> wrote:
> <<<Since both Brigitte and Steve ignore what
> Blavatsky herself wrote on the above subject, I give
> links to some of her relevant articles. >>>
> 
> Daniel, you showing yourself here to be what
> Brigitte is accusing you of being. You are ignoring
> the real issue. Quoting Blavatsky is fundamentalism
> and what I call exoteric Theosophy, and helps no one
> at all.
> 
> My point is that we are trying, on this list, to
> understand what Blavatsky means, not what she wrote.
> I can read what she wrote. Brigitte and Steve can
> read what she wrote. But what does it mean? Offering
> yet more quotes simply suggests that you don't know
> what she means and does nothing constructive. How
> about giving a quote together with what you
> personally think it means? 
> 
> I am offering my own interpretations, which I know
> you disagree with for the most part. Its OK to
> disagree with interpretations. The problem seems to
> be that you don't even know that you are
> interpreting. A literal interpretation is nothing
> more than one of many possible interpretations. And
> even literal interpretations can be, and should be,
> rephrased into one's own words.
> 
> Jerry S.
> -- 


=====
Daniel H. Caldwell
info@blavatskyarchives.com
BLAVATSKY ARCHIVES
http://blavatskyarchives.com
You can always access BLAVATSKY ARCHIVES 
by simply typing into the URL address bar 
the following 6 characters: hpb.cc

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