Theos-Talk Archives (August 2003 Message tt00059)

Sunday, August 17, 2003

Dear Mauri:

You enquire into Theosophical history. But why, if you don't
know what Theosophy is ?

The exterior rind of time and events, and people, so, it will
give you very little insight, if any in what Theosophy is.

Like most histories it is a record made from documents (in
existence) of time, events and how people acted. It tells more
about them, then about anything else. It is, as usual, a record
of individual successes and failures.

I say FIRST study and learn what Theosophy IS and then you will
have some basis from which to inquire and discuss. Any other way
leads into the labyrinth of futility. Use the KEY TO THEOSOPHY
( by HPB) -- get its tenets firmly in your mind as a first. Then
read the history.

If you want a clear unbiased fully documented History of modern
Theosophy I recommend

The THEOSOPHICAL MOVEMENT (1875-1950)

Publishers: The Theosophy Company. Los Angeles [213-748-7244].

Price is about $ 7.00 + postage.

Best wishes,

Dallas

=======================

-----Original Message-----
From: Mauri [mailto:mhart@idirect.ca]
Sent:	Saturday, August 16, 2003 10:04 PM
To:	theos-talk@yahoogroups.com; study@blavatsky.net; Theosophy
Study List
Subject:	Theos-World re Theosophy after HPB's passing

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, in 1902 Rudolph
Steiner (founder of the "Anthroposophical Society" in 1912)
got "in connection with the Theosophical Society," but
apparently he found himself out of sympathy with its
subsequent policy. Having read (so far) most of H.P.
BLAVATSKY, A GREAT BETRAYAL by A.L. Cleather, I
wonder if Steiner's lack of sympathy might've had something to
do with how the Theosophical Movement (at Adyar and
England?) at that time was headed by Besant and Leadbeater.
Seems to me that those two were active enough at that time on
various fronts, and seem to have been turning the
Theosophical Movement (per ALC) into the "Liberal Catholic
Church," among other things, apparently. But times, people
and organizations change, one might suppose?

Seems to me one might wonder how the the people who head
up the TS at Adyar, and elsewhere, might these days regard
Besant's and Leadbeater's role and status as representatives of
... whatever? Also one might wonder (I wonder, at any rate)
whether B/L might've had some influence on some of the
directions taken by Alice Bailey in later years---not that I have
come across details suggesting that Bailey might've been under
some kind of B/L influence. My knowledge about Bailey's
views are sketchy, even sketchier than my knowledge about
B/L, but ALC has certainly piqued my curiosity about the
course of the Theosophical Movement after HPB's passing.

Also, I tend to wonder whether some of todays TS's
(somewhere, maybe?) might be, at heart, or in some sense,
maybe, some kind of conscious or unconscious reps of what
might amount to, or might be seen, by some, as some sort of
Liberal (or not-so-liberal?) Catholic Churches that might be
outwardly represented as "Theosophical Societies" (so as to
deal with whatever perceived "Theosophical threat" from the
ground up---for all I know---maybe?). Of course, on the other
hand, (at least there's another hand, here, eh?!), whatever
"today's TS's" might be seen to "amount to," by whoever, one
might console oneself (?) with the thought " it's all karma"
(should I mention maya?), after all, and so is, (theoretically?)
dealable? Not that I haven't sensed much wisdom and
"Theosophic" meaning (by way of my various interpretations,
at any rate) in many of the words/posts I have come across on
these lists.

Speculatively,
Mauri