Theos-Talk Archives (October 2003 Message tt00052)

Oct 5 2003

These valuable ideas written down by Mr. Judge, H P B's colleague in
America, merit consideration.

Best wishes,

Dallas

-----------------------------------------------


Judge 

MUCH READING LITTLE THOUGHT

Extracts from a brief article:


"Among members of the Theosophical Society the defects are widespread,
of reading too many of the ever coming books and too little thought upon
the matter read.. The greater number of questions asked are due to want
of thought, to the failure of questioners to lay down a sure foundation
of general principles. [It would be better to encourage]. the readers.to
devote more time to thinking them out for themselves.

.there is so much light reading that the superficial habit of skimming
is plainly everywhere apparent, and it threatens to show itself in
theosophical ranks.

.if I had a youth to train in that department, I should confine him to
the BHAGAVAD GITA, the UPANISHADS and the SECRET DOCTRINE for a very
long time, until he was able to make books for himself out of those, and
to apply the principles found in those to every circumstance and to his
own life and thoughts.

Those theosophists who only wish to indulge in a constant variety of new
theosophical dishes will go on reading all that appears, but the others
who are in earnest, who know that we are here to learn and not solely
for our own pleasure, are beginning to see that a few well read, well
analysed, and thoroughly digested are better than many boos read over
once.

They have learned how all that part of a book which they clearly
understand at first is already their own, and that the rest, which is
not so clear or quite obscure, is the portion they are to study, so that
it also, if found true, may become an integral part of their constant
thought.

W Q J

===========================================================
>From "VERNAL BLOOMS" (pp. 65-6) 
A collection of the writings of W Q Judge. 
Bombay U L T









[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]