Theos-Talk Archives (October 2004 Message tt00218)

Oct 11 2004

Of course dear J S it is odd -- But ---

You write:

"Hey Dal, in the quote that you posted, HPB is calling black people
("Africans") one of the "lowest specimens of humanity." How do you think
this will go over today? And how about her calling the South-Sea Islander
a "savage?" This is the kind of stuff that I refer to when I say that some
of the "original teachings" are outdated."

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

Dal says:

But lets look at such things in their context and not as modern people now
interpret them popularly. Then the problem resolves itself. There is no
"outdating" there, or here. 

THEOSOPHY does not bow to public opinion. 

When HPB wrote it was another time, language -- and popular words,
expressions and meanings were at that time different. We now have a new set
of "buzz-words." But aside from their sound, who thinks about their
underlying meanings? 

She used the group and physical condition of the descendents of a race
(Polynesians, Africans, Australian Aborigines, etc... ) as a basis for
illustrating the truths of history and egoic evolution that are inherent in
the SECRET DOCTRINE .  

Cycles of civilization rise and fall, and often, looking back at the sketchy
history we call "ours," we wonder why they were so suddenly extinguished.  

Can you imagine the chaos if electronic record making and instant
transmission of news and information suddenly crashed and could not be
resuscitated? Now the Banks will soon stop returning our cancelled checks !

Of course you might probe deeper and ask what about the nature of the
Spirit/Soul (the Monad) that was then using those bodies that HPB used as
illustration of the operation of nature's laws?  

Was it a useless affair, or did it have meaning, and was it not a step in
the evolutionary progress of those Egos? What was Karma doing in such cases?


It is said that in the economy of Nature nothing is ever wasted. And
certainly it is Nature that provides every one of us with life-support: air,
water, food, shelter, and the 1001 necessities (?) of modern life. Who
among us has ever learned to live with the "bare essentials?" Do we have
any idea what they really are? Where are our personal arts and skills? How
could we keep ourselves alive and yet be of assistance to others? 

Think for a moment that about 90% of our world population lives in great
need, want, poverty and lacks besides good healthy foods and clothing, and
shelters, many health and medical facilities and hygienic environments that
we in our protected modern enclaves enjoy -- except for the taxes we pay to
maintain them. Without realizing it, we live off millions of people who also
deserve the kind of life we have so customarily that we have stopped
thinking of it, except when some small item suddenly turns up missing. 

In these illustrations, then used by HPB we have evidence of individual as
well as racial and national Karma. I am sure that no slur was intended. Of
what value would that be ? Why disfigure a grand history and philosophy of
man's total evolutionary progress? In my youth I have lived in Europe and
India in conditions where "bare necessities" were the only basis for
continued life -- and the skills that each individual had were spread around
for the assistance of the families of the community. 

Yes, and we also have modern savages in the gangs, goons and heartless
individuals that are found in every stratum of present society, and
especially in our slums, and the other decaying centers of our towns and
over-crowded civilization -- so fragilely balanced in all things. The
"border-cities" on the Mexican side of the Southern border of the US offer a
good illustration of all I speak of. 

If things like gasoline, electricity, water, gas, transportation and food
were cut off from our mega-metropolises, cities and towns for even a couple
of weeks, how many living there could avoid starvation and fighting for
edibles? Can you imagine the scramble to get out? Can you then look 30 to
50 miles in the surrounding areas of large towns, and ask how many of its
inhabitants could be easily or rapidly absorbed so as to provide them with
food and shelter? 

How many of us have any training in the use of tools, or in farming and
animal husbandry? And how many have accessible homes outside of the large
cities they could bicycle or walk to? How many of us know how to ride horses
or to use oxen and mules for "power on the farm?" And what will happen to
the children and young people? 

I do not mean to apologise for HPB but to state there is truth inherent in
what she wrote and that does not change with verbiage and vernaculars. 

Thanks and best wishes,


Dallas
 
================================

-----Original Message-----
From: Gerald 
Sent: Sunday, October 10, 2004 2:24 PM
To: 
Subject: Outdated Verbiage

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

<<[Dallas quoting HPB ]: The MONADS of the lowest specimens of humanity
(the "narrow-brained" * savage South-Sea Islander, the African, the
Australian) had no Karma to work out when first born as men, as their more
favoured brethren in intelligence had. The former are spinning out Karma
only now; the latter are burdened with past, present, and future Karma. In
this respect the poor savage is more fortunate than the greatest genius of
civilised countries." S D II 167-8 >>


Hey Dal, in the quote that you posted, HPB is calling black people
("Africans") one of the "lowest specimens of humanity." How do you think
this will go over today? And how about her calling the South-Sea Islander
a "savage?" This is the kind of stuff that I refer to when I say that some
of the "original teachings" are outdated.

Jerry S.