Theos-Talk Archives (May 2003 Message tt00026)

Here's something I received from Marty Lyman about an recent experience that
Dick Slusser had. Since it states, "The above store is written for all
fellow Theosophists," and it looks of interest to the list, I'm forwarding
it. Replies and comments should include a "cc:" to martylyman@juno.com.



-- Eldon



>Date: Sunday, March 09, 2003 12:10 PM

>Subject: Contemporary Brotherhood Sematics

March 9, 2003

Dear Fellow Students of Theosophy,

An amusing event occurred on the night of Wednesday, March 6, 2003. This
story will require reflection and is a plea to all the young hearts of our
Fellow Theosophists. We would love to hear from you. How are we to answer
this dilemma?

The Story:

Dick had been asked by an unknown (to us) professor at Metro State College
to give a talk on Brotherhood to his Political Science Class. Dick had no
idea how this professor got his name and phone number, but we, nevertheless,
agreed to do the talk. Marty was concerned as Dick's advanced stages of
Parkinson's can often leave him with no voice. The previous weekend we
started to write a very short introductory talk before other duties called
us off. Dick found some old copies of the June 2001 HCT where Brotherhood
was addressed including a discussion with an inmate who had filled in some
holes by discussing how the White Supremacist Nazi Aryan Brotherhood was
formed in the prisons. Thank God for that piece.

It wasn't easy finding the building where the class was to be held. Dick
had forgotten to bring the directions. We knew it was off of Osage Street
and Colfax. What we didn't realize was that this street would be Osage
Street on the left side of a four-lane highway and 7th Street on the right.
We had to turn right. This was complicated by the fact that Dick couldn't
remember the name of the building nor the room number. Fortunately, we
found the students and staff on campus very helpful. We wandered from room
to room in the wrong buildings clear across the campus from where we should
have been. One student who offered to help, looked from the waist down like
a male as well as sounded like one, but facially he\she looked female. It
turns out the student was a cross gender and was going to give a talk on
cross genderism the very next week to the same class. How our times have
changed! This student was most kind, took us downstairs and showed us the
direction of the building we should have been in. The instructor of this
student's class offered to arrange for a golf cart to drive us to the King
Building. This cart never came so after waiting we finally started walking
eventually finding the correct building. Now where is the room? Marty was
hoping to find some sign of activity. It was akin to her looking for a
school sign when she can't find the school she is to sub in. It worked!
The professor is a Black magistrate who teaches part time. There were about
forty-five students in the class. Pizza and pop cluttered the room to one
side and the board was full of cryptic notes. Marty had to laugh. 

Dick handed out the HCT June magazines while Marty introduced Dick and
herself. She also gave a brief introduction on the problem that she had with
the prison systems. What little did Dick and Marty know was that this
professor and his class was expecting members of the White Supremacist Nazi
Aryan Brotherhood to give a talk on their Brotherhood. 

Dick started his ten-minute speech stressing Universal Brotherhood. He had
good voice at the moment, but part way through the speech, he had to take
his bottom set of teeth out. Marty did not know this as she was sitting
behind Dick watching the group. All, including the instructor, were reading
the HCT. Mental images appeared when Marty and Dick would be sitting at
Theosophical meetings listening to some old codger talk about `Oneness' to a
sleeping audience. However, this audience was not asleep! As soon as Dick
finished, there was a barrage of questions of which the first was: "You are
not that White Supremacist Nazi Brotherhood are you?" >From there the
questions were more appropriate: Who is this H.P.B? What does Aryan mean?
Why do you have a swastika as your emblem on the magazine? Who are these
`Masters?' The toughest question for Marty was trying to explain what the
Maha Chohan meant when he said: "The white race must be the first to stretch
out the hand of fellowship to the dark nations, to call the poor despised
[Blacks] brothers."

Here was a true group of thinkers. These people were not just sitting and
waiting for the bell to ring as Marty so often encounters in her substitute
teaching. They made us probe deeply into what our philosophy is really
about. 

We are living in a time when racism or any thoughts of it, including
extending a compassionate hand to another poor despised race is politically
incorrect. We must now think in terms of equality. The mere discussion of
a hierarchy predisposes a concept of something lower to higher. We,
Theosophists, still think of a rank order: ordinary common folk, lay chela,
chela, adept, master, and then chohan. Yes, we preach about Oneness and
Universal Brotherhood, but how can we get these true concepts across with
the paradoxes of our teachings of hierarchies, or adhering to a language
written in a time when White supremacy was the norm? This will be the
challenge for those Theosophists who are young of heart.

The times of our "Masters" language has moved on. In the Revolutionary
days of our American forefathers, it was acceptable to own Black slaves. It
was acceptable that women were not allowed to vote, could not own land nor
work at meaningful jobs. The language of those time periods was riddled
with these no longer acceptable concepts. Even the Bible, the Bhagavad
Gita, and other major works are spoken using these concepts.

So, we ask you what is our role and position now? Do we simply dismiss
these concepts as part of the Ancient Wisdom or do we change the words to
fit "our times" and needs? This is why new religions must always be formed
and why we will always have new teachers. Do not expect the new teachers to
be attracted to a `society' that is rigid to the old archaic words even if
it is spoken from a master or chohan. No master wanted that. They didn't
even want their words to be written down.

It will be our policy to reflect on and change what is necessary to meet
the challenges of our time. It is our duty.

I will end with the questions that one of our readers made in the June HCT
issue on Brotherhood and quote from the Rig Veda.

"I wonder how this will manifest as the racial issues emerge? What will
we, Theosophists, do about the Theosophical terms tagged as pejorative by
others?"

These are serious questions. One of our Theosophical inmates is up for a
possible trial with a death penalty. Another very pertinent question to us
is who is the HCT written for, just other Theosophists or all people?

The Ancient Hindu Rig Veda says:

May you awaken like the sun at daybreak,

Ready to make your sacred offering.

Set forth with delight, like a pilgrim on his journey.

O heroic one, move forward with resolve

to make this sacred offering of yourself to life.

May you plant the banner of victory

In the service of humankind.

Comment please.

The above story is written for all Fellow Theosophists. It is our beginning
response to the experience above.





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