Theos-Talk Archives (January 2002 Message tt00113)

Dear Steve,

> I have no problem at all with people "who take the
> teachings to heart and try to make them a conscious
> part of their lives."0 I have never seen any evidence
> that Theosophists do this, but I have only praise for
> someone who does, wherever he might be concealed.

I think there are lots of people who do this. Maybe they don't talk 
about it very much. All the theosophists I ever met are endeavoring 
to do this, each in his own way. 
> 
> The only problem I have is with attempts to cover up
> the truth, which does not seem to me to be something
> that needs to be covered up. I believe anyone should
> be able to study anything and eveerything and do it
> with fearless honesty and become a better person ipso
> facto. In fact, using dishonesty to become a better
> person seems to me to be a highly inefficient mode of
> procedure. Sort of like drinking to sober up, or
> overeating to lose weight.

That got a laugh from me...
> 
> There is no reason Theosophy and its history cannot be
> studied with total honesty and still have great force
> for good. If Blavatsky reconsidered her position on
> reincarnation, so what? Everybody changes their mind.
> That's not a bad thing. If there is some reason to
> believe Olcott was wrong or that he was lying (which
> is the same thing) when he says she did, then why not
> discuss it honestly and lay out the reasons for
> reaching that conclusion? Why not?

I don't know why not. I suppose if that is what interests you, I would 
say go ahead. It doesn't interest me, but then that makes sense, in 
a way. Could you tell me though, why these debates about who 
said or did what and if they really did cause so much acrimony? 
That is one thing that kind of surprises me. It seems like people 
who study this material would absorb some of its lessons about 
how to deal with one another.

Adelasie