Theos-Talk Archives (September 2003 Message tt00123)

Hi Daniel,

Thanks for this corroborating evidence. 

Hi Dallas,

The below seems to me to be pretty conclusive on the Theosophical
Movement books being ULT-publications as much as any book can be.

You may puzzle over why we feel this discussion is important, well
theosophy isn't just about abstract principles, it is about living
life wisely, justly, lovingly. If a theosophical publication throws
dirt at prominent theosophists of another theosophical organisation,
then members of that other organisation certainly do have the right to
discuss whether the content of said book is correct or not. This was
the starting point of the discussion. Besant has been vilified a lot
in theosophical circles and I think it has been overdone. Judge has
been seemingly forgiven by most theosophists, whereas there is real
evidence that he certainly skirted the borders of proper behavior. 

HPB always stressed the defence of those who are unjustly attacked.
That is practical theosophy, IMO. That is all I was trying to do. 

You may say that principles are important and not people, but if
that's true the whole book "The Theosophical Movement" need never have
been published. We need never have read Blavatsky or other
biographies, and even discussions on whether we should study only HPB,
or also others would be moot, because we would study wisdom where we
found it, not just out of the mouth of one 'personality'. Anyhow, it
is people, not abstract thoughts, that will act in this world. It is
people who decide how to deal with related organisations. It is people
who practice theosophy as living wisdom or as a study of intellectual
curiosity. I try the first, even if that gets me into muddy waters
sometimes. 

Katinka
--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "Daniel H. Caldwell"
<danielhcaldwell@y...> wrote:
> Katinka,
> 
> You wrote in part:
> 
> "Now I don't know whether the writer(s) of the books 
> called 'The Theosophical Movement' were members of 
> the ULT. So I should take back my assumption that 
> they were. Perhaps other people here do know of evidence 
> one way or another? And since the ULT has no board, no
> official controlling agency - the publication of the 
> books can never be tied to the organisation other than 
> that major players in the ULT field may or may not 
> have been involved in its writing." 
> 
> According to Michael Gomes, the editor [principal writer??]
> of the 1925 ed. of TM was John Garrigues. This is
> also my understanding. He is considered as the "leader"
> of the ULT and President of the Theosophy Company during 
> that time-period.
> 
> In fact, most of the material in this 1925 ed. appeared
> in the pages of Theosophy Magazine in the early 1920s.
> This magazine is considered a ULT magazine and is circulated
> and sold at ULT lodges.
> 
> In the 1951 ed. of TM, it is stated that the volume
> was written by the editors of Theosophy Magazine.
> Theosophy magazine is published by the Theosophy Company.
> of Los Angeles, CA. My understanding is that the
> editor or principal writer of the 1951 edition was
> Henry Geiger. 
> 
> If you physically go to the United Lodge of Theosophists
> in LA, you will find the 1951 ed. of TM and as well
> as Theosophy Magazine being sold on their book tables.
> At least this was the case on my visits. Plus the book
> is listed on the TC website and is also in their printed
> catalog. Who approved its inclusion on the website and
> in the TC catalog?
> 
> Who okayed the sale of the TM book at the ULT headquarters?
> 
> Katinka, I'm sure that if you brought copies of my HPB book or
> of Murphet's HPB book to the ULT headquarters and tried to place
> them for sale on their tables, some person (in charge) would
> tell you no, you cannot do that. Then you could ask, who
> approved the sale of the TM volume? Why is this volume
> for sale on the ULT premises?
> 
> It is my understanding that the leading "associates" and
> "leaders" of ULT wrote the two TM histories. And both
> volumes have been sold by Theosophy Company and sold thru
> the ULT headquarters in Los Angeles. 
> 
> Daniel