Theos-Talk Archives (August 2003 Message tt00140)

Morton Nymann Olesen wrote:

"My views are:
Shortly: I don't know who you have talked to.
I have myself talked to the leaders of more than one of the Theosophical
groups, which have branched off since the mentioned break happened. I
include the leader at the time it happened. They all privately say, that
they - The Danish Section of Theosophical Society - were thrown out. But
they - the Bailey-groups - could of course have official reasons to say that
they themselves left. Just ask the leaders of Theosophical Society America
if you need more clairifcation. Dora van Gelder Kunz - threw - them out in a
sweet an caring manner. They were given the option to either leave or
clearly water down their exccessive use of Bailey teaching. They left. So it
is maybe a question about who you ask and how you view the matter.
My view: They left - because they were thrown out."

On Nov. 15, 1980, Radha Burnier, the International TS President, wrote a
letter stating in part: "In a large number of places, there are symptoms of
decay, some of which are mentioned below: (1) the Lodge becoming a centre
for a cult or the promotion of the work of other organizations and
personalities, such as Alice Bailey, Sai Baba and new Christs and masters."

After this letter was written, Adyar in 1983/84 closed the Yugoslavian
Section, in 1989 canceled the charter of the Danish section, and in 1992
expelled the Theosophical Society in Canada. I do not have any direct
experience with those cases.

In Dec. 14, 1992, Dorothy Abbenhouse, National President of the TSA, sent a
letter to the Theosophical Society in Boston (TSB) that stated in part: "The
charter of the Besant Lodge, a branch of the Theosophical Society in
America, is hereby revoked and withdrawn, effective immediately. All members
of the Besant Lodge are hereby designated members at large. Pursuant to the
terms of the Bylaws of the Theosophical Society in America, you are hereby
directed to cause ownership of all property, real and personal or otherwise
over $200.00 in value, to be transferred into the name of the Theosophical
Society in America."

The receipt of that letter was the beginning of a bitter lawsuit between the
TSA and TSB. The outcome of the lawsuit was that the TSB became an
independent society, not affiliated with any other theosophical
organization. The TSB owns its own campus in the Boston area and has a very
active program: see the website www.tsboston.org for pictures of the campus
and the current program. I use the word "campus" because the TSB has more
than one building: it has a separate Meditation Hall and garden in addition
to its Main Building that contains the Lecture Hall, class rooms, library,
and bookstore.

According to my understanding, the lawsuit was caused in part because of the
TSB's sponsorship of various classes and lectures on Alice A. Bailey.
During the past ten years, the interest in Bailey at the TSB has declined,
in that there are fewer lectures and classes on Bailey. If you examine the
TSB website, you will see that there is now only one Bailey class that meets
only once per month. There is also a weekly class on Blavatsky's Secret
Doctrine. In addition, there are eight other classes on Eckhart Tolle, A
Course in Miracles, Krishnamurti, Kabbalah, Meditation, western mysteries,
etc.

I facilitate the Krishnamurti discussion group at the TSB and have served as
a past president of the TSB.

Zack Lansdowne