Larry: "I read a new age history that listed Smith as America's first
occultist and HPB as following in his footsteps."
Most people will be familiar with the books that came out the last
ten years making a connection between Joseph Smith and Esoteric
knowledge. Following article lists some of that litterature:
http://www.gnosis.org/jskabbfn.htm
As far as Blavatsky stepping in the footsteps of Smith, that might be
a bit exagerated. I didn't see the new age book you mentioned but I
have at least one recent academic work that also claims a possible
borrowing from Mormonism.
Although as I have pointed out, during that period there where many
esoteric inspired groups and organisations including many mostly
small occult/frince Masonic groups, that the TS borrowed from, had to
compeat with, and almost didn't make it, because the TS in New York
had been dormant for a period of time before HPB and Olcott decided
to move to India.
Since Blavatsky's work is a synthesis of ideas of her time, she
wrote herself on the title page of the SD that it was a synthesis, it
is not surprising that something related to the Mormonism might have
shown up there to.
For example Steve Stubbs who studied some of the occult litterature
of that time, pointed out borrowings from P.B.Randolph by Blavatsky,
including dirrect quotes from Randolph's books in the Mahatma letters
(from "Tibet") without mentioning that these quotes came from a book
and so on.
Only if its true that there was some relationship between Smith and
the Cacliostro Rite, that would of course be interresting, but as far
I can see Owen who makes this assertion about Smith doesn't really
have much to go by.
By the way the place I went was indeed The Visitors Center on Santa
Monica Blvd., just to me as an outsider it certainly looked like
a "temple", and the spiritual healing they did in a side room, of
wich I mentioned I didn't even know they where two priests.
On Hawaii-Oahu where I lived for a year I went severral times to the
Polynesian cultural center, that is run by the Brigham Young
University.
Bri
--- In theos-talk@y..., Larry F Kolts <llkingston2@j...> wrote:
> Hi Brigitte,
>
> Thank you for that overview of reputed contacts by the Masters. I
was
> familiar with much of the history but not some of the later portion.
>
> As to my feelings (opinion)on all this, it's kind of mixed. I do
believe
> HPB had some sort of inspiration from more advanced beings, but how
that
> all settles out to me is not AS important as the work she produced
>
> I am well aware that TS-Adyar people was well dispute whatever
claims to
> guidance William Q. Judge may have had, while on the other hand ULT
> people tend to doubt the inpiration of Annie Besant and
C.W.Leadbeater. I
> believe Mr. Judge to have been an honest and inspired man. I've
read some
> of C.L. works but the verdict is still out.
> I do see inspiration in Krishnamurti and unlike some, do not believe
> thare has to be a choice made between him ot theosophy. I tend to
like
> the reasoning and reserch of Mr Sanat in that regard. I don't know
enough
> about Alice Bailey to make an honest judgment, honestly, I've
tended to
> avoid her works. I've read some of Steiner for his alternate
educational
> concepts bur honestly see too much racism in his Anthroposophy.
>
> I also believe that without having first discovered Mormonism, I
would
> never have made it to theosophy. To me, Mormonism was a " step in
the
> right direction" with concepts such as linear progression, diety
being
> advanced men, multiple worlds, etc. The big problem there is that
Joseph
> Smith was killed and no one really picked up the ball to advance his
> teachings, all assuming his work was complete at his death. I don't
> believe that. I think he had much more to share but was cut off
before he
> could. The worls had to wait then for HPB. Interestingly, I read a
new
> age history that listed Smith as America's first occultist and HPB
as
> following in his footsteps.
>
> Now I need to apologize. I am aware that when someone makes
statements
> such as I just did, most on this list would like to see references.
I
> took this book out of interlirbrary loan read it, enjoyed it, but
made no
> notes. I don't even remember the author. I'll have to be more
careful
> with this type of thing in the future.
>
> Larry
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