Theos-Talk Archives (August 2004 Message tt00645)

Hallo all,

This is primarily a question forwarded to TS Adyar.
And no answer will also be considered as an answer in it self:

First I will urge you to read the following. Then consider the questions.
The following could spark someones interest on the Leadbeater issue and
other issues in general.
http://www.katinkahesselink.net/esinstr.htm

An excerpt:
"RULES
In the following the masculine includes the feminine; the singular, the
plural; and vice versa.

1. Groundless condemnation on hearsay of others, theosophists or not, must
be refrained from, and charity to each other's faults widely practiced
within, as well as without, the theosophical area.

2. Repetition of statements or gossip derogatory of others must be avoided.
But condemnation of crime, of social evils and systems of every description,
in the abstract, is a duty of every member. Above all, the duty of every
member is to fight against cant, hypocrisy, and injustice in every shape.

3. A derogatory or slanderous statement made against a fellow theosophist in
the presence of a member, shall not be permitted by him to pass without
protest, unless he knows it is true, in which case he should remain silent.

4. No member shall boast of being in this Section.

5. No member shall pry into the standing in this Section of a Brother, nor
shall he uninvited seek to know if another theosophist is a member of it.
Members may use the password of the Section for the purpose of recognition,
but never from curiosity, nor a desire to discover if the person addressed
is a member of the Section.

6. Any member may, if he chooses, remain unknown as such, and that desire,
if suspected by others, must not be talked about nor referred to.

7. If a member, whether falsely or truly, asserts that he has received
letters or communications from Masters, unless directed to divulge the same,
he will ipso facto cease to derive any benefit from the teachings, whether
the fact be known or unknown to himself or to others. A repetition of such
offense gives the Head of the Section the right to expel the offender in
discretion. In every case where a member shall receive a letter or
communication purporting to come from Master or Masters, and which directs
the divulgation of its contents or a part thereof, the same before being
divulged shall be communicated to H.P.B. directly, if the recipient is in
Europe, and to William Q. Judge, if in America, for transmission to said
H.P.B. For deception is easy, and, without great experience, members are not
able to decide whether such a communication is genuine or not.

8. No member shall, under any circumstances, bring any charge or whatever
nature against another member, whether to H.P.B., William Q. Judge, or any
other member of the Section. This rule does not imply that the Masters
condone, excuse, or tolerate any fault or crime. But no member is the judge
of the acts of another member or theosophist, in this Section less than in
any other. For, while in every Exoteric Branch, its President and Council
decide upon any charges against their Fellows, in this Section each member
is to be judged by his Karma and the Masters alone.

9. No member shall pretend to the possession of psychic powers that he has
not, nor boast of those which he may have developed. Envy, jealousy, and
vanity are insidious and powerful foes to progress, and it is known from
long experience that, among beginners especially, the boasting of, or
calling attention to, their psychic powers almost invariably causes the
development of these faults and increases them when present. Hence -

10. No member shall tell to another, especially to a fellow-member, how much
he has progressed or what recognition he has received, nor shall he by hints
cause such to be known. Where students of similar tastes and dispositions
desire to form a group or groups for mutual help in training, application
must be made to H.P.B. for permission and advice as to the same. But hasty
judgment as to the advisability of forming such groups must be avoided. For
it may so happen, that two or more members united by a real friendship, may
yet be so contrary in their magnetic idiosyncrasies and conditions that
their friendship may be changed into hatred on the occult plane, if they
form groups without esoteric knowledge.

11. No member shall ask for any orders or instructions as to the conduct of
his business affairs or the management of his social relations, or the
ordinary affairs of life, nor as to the cure of diseases, whether in himself
or in any other person. Questions relative to the instructions given will
alone be accepted and attended to.

12. It is required of a member that when a question arises it shall be
deeply thought over from all its aspects, to the end that he may find the
answer himself; and in no case shall questions be asked out of curiosity,
nor until the person has exhausted every ordinary means of solving the doubt
or of acquiring himself the information sought. Otherwise his intuition will
never be developed. He will not learn self-reliance; and two of the main
objects of the Section will be defeated. For an adept becomes such by his
own exertions, by the self-development of his own power; and no one but
himself can effect this work. "An adept becomes, he is not made." The office
of Guru or Guide is to adjust the disciple in his progress, and not to drag
or push him forward.

13. The use of wine, spirits, liquors of any kind, or any narcotic or
intoxicating drug, is strictly prohibited. If indulged in, all progress is
hindered, and the efforts of teacher and pupil alike are rendered useless.
All such substances have a direct pernicious action upon the brain, and
especially upon the "third eye," or pineal gland (vide "Secret Doctrine,"
Vol. II, p. 288 [d] et seq. ) They prevent absolutely the development of the
third eye, called in the East "the Eye of Shiva."

14. The moderate use of tobacco is not prohibited, for it is not an
intoxicant; but its abuse, like that of everything else - even pure water or
bread - is prejudicial.

15. As to diet: The eating of meat is not prohibited, but if the student can
maintain health on vegetables or fish, such diet is recommended. The eating
of meat strengthens the passional nature, and the desire to acquire
possessions, and therefore increases the difficulty of the struggle with the
lower nature.

16. Each member is expected to set apart a certain time of the day or night,
of not less than half an hour's duration, for meditation upon the
instructions received, for self-examination and self-study. If possible, the
place selected for this should be used for no other person, nor for any
other purpose; but the providing of such a special place, if inconvenient,
is not insisted upon.

17. Harboring doubt as to the existence of Masters in general is no crime,
since it is often but the effect of ignorance, and comes involuntarily. But
it will inevitably prevent the pupil from attracting the attention of the
Master; and he will fail to draw to himself His influence. Suspicions as to
the character of the members of the Section are also prejudicial to
advancement. In short, any malevolent feeling, especially malice, envy or
revenge toward any person high or low, creates peculiarly obstructive
conditions in the student's path, and will absolutely prevent progress of
every sort. The elimination of the desire for reward aids the student in his
development.

18. No member of this section shall belong to any other body, association,
or organization for the purpose of mystic study or occult training, except
Masonry and the Odd Fellows, if they so desire. But they must be as careful
to guard the secrecy of this Section from Masons as they are to preserve the
secrets of Masonry from Theosophists. The reason for this rule is so
self-evident as to need no explanation.

19. It is expected that all members of this Section shall have the following
books and magazines where they can be referred to, as constant reference to
them will be made in the course of the instruction, and no extended extracts
will be furnished. Works on metaphysics and articles expounding the
teachings of our Special School should be procured. The following books and
theosophical magazines should be especially attended to: -

"The Secret Doctrine." "Patanjali's Yoga Philosophy"
"The Bhagavad Gita" "The Theosophist" (magazine)
"Light on the Path" "Lucifer" (magazine, no longer in print)
"The Path" (magazine, no longer in print)

This rule is not intended to force members into the purchase of these books
and magazines, but the undersigned has no time to copy extracts, giving
explanations that have already appeared in print. Much has been already
published, and it will be necessary to refer very often to such matter, and
if a member is actually unable to procure the publications referred to, it
is expected that others who are able will, upon request, furnish the desired
book or a copy of the matter referred to. And herein the plea of poverty -
if a pretense - will be as prejudicial to the student as any other vice.

20. As "the first test of true apprenticeship is devotion to the interest of
another," it is expected that members will endeavor to fully comply with
clauses 1 and 5 of the pledge. Theosophy must be made a living power in
life, and, as a beginning, it must be applied in all relations, whether
business, social, or personal. "The doctrine," as a whole, "promulgated by
the Adepts being the only true one, must - supported by such evidence as
they are prepared to give - become ultimately triumphant as every other
truth. Yet it is absolutely necessary to inculcate it gradually, enforcing
its theories, unimpeachable facts for those who know, with direct inferences
deduced from and corroborated by the evidence furnished by modern exact
science. For these doctrines to practically react on the life through the
so-called moral code or the ideas of truthfulness, purity, self-denial,
charity, etc., we have to preach and popularize a knowledge of Theosophy. It
is not the individual or determined purpose of attaining oneself Nirvana,
which is, after all, only an exalted and glorious selfishness, but the
self-sacrificing pursuit of the best means to lead our neighbor on the right
path, and cause as many of our fellow creatures as we possibly can to
benefit by it, which constitutes the true Theosophist." [This letter
complete]

21. Members of the Section will therefore not neglect the exoteric branches
of the Theosophical Society, but are expected to infuse into those as much
energy in theosophical work as they can. Although all cannot be teachers,
yet each one can familiarize himself with theosophical doctrines, and
promulgate them to those who are inquiring. "There is hardly a theosophist
in the whole Society unable to effectually help it by correcting erroneous
impressions of outsiders, if not by actually propagating the ideas himself."
The efforts of those members who benefit the Cause should never be impeded
by criticism on the part of others who do nothing, but all should be
encouraged and as much help given as is possible, even if that assistance be
limited through circumstances to mere encouragement. Every sincerely based
work for theosophy will bear good fruit, no matter how inappropriate it may
appear in the eyes of those members who have set to themselves and everybody
else only one definite plan of action. "

*******

I ask TS Adyar:
So what are "we" promoting these days?
Do "we" deal with Authorithy in the samme manner? If there is a difference
in the use of authorithy where is it?
Do "we" promote "every sincerely based work for theosophy"? And what is such
a work? Is it a misleading work?
Should we correct "erroneous impressions of outsiders" and does "insiders"
never make mistakes?
Does who do not "benefit the Cause" as Blavatsky mention, what to do with
them?




from
M. Sufilight with peace and love...

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bart Lidofsky" <bartl@s...>
To: <theos-talk@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 29, 2004 3:03 PM
Subject: Re: Theos-World Bart: Leadbeater's practices were normal in that
environment.


> Daniel H. Caldwell wrote:
> > =======================================
> > Once again, up until about the first
> > World War, Leadbeater's practices
> > were normal in that environment.
> > =======================================
> >
> > Once again, Bart please clarify what
> > you are writing about?
>
> Why? Can't hear it enough?
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
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>
>
>