Theos-Talk Archives (February 2002 Message tt00590)

Dear Ramadoss,

It seems to me that your statement:

> Great achievements are the result of individuals and not of
> organizations. A handful can change the world. So it is in the power
> of each one of us to try. The results can vary due to various
> conditions. But it is our duty to Try!

is the key to understanding what the theosophist, or any person who 
wishes to help bring about the changes that seem to be so badly 
needed in the world's cultures and societies, can do. 

After all, we can't expect others to behave in a righteous manner if 
we can't manage to do the same ourselves. If we expect our leaders to 
base their decisions on the welfare of all, we must accept the 
responsibility of conducting our own lives in the same spirit of the 
higher law of unity and brotherhood. This, to me, is the real 
practical significance of the ancient teachings. They show us how to 
live within the Higher Law, making of ourselves more perfect 
reflections of its ideal, and thereby amplifying the sum total of 
"good" in our race. Since everything in manifestation is connected to 
everything else, and since the mental plane of our collective being 
is available to all, all thoughts of compassion, altruism, self-
lessness, and brotherhood radiate into the collective mind, to 
inspire others whom we may never know, possibly even those in 
positions of power. Having the information about how this works 
places a big responsibility on us. We have a lot less room to 
equivocate, and, by the same token, a far greater opportunity to make 
a difference, than if we didn't have these teachings to guide us.

Best wishes,
Adelasie