Theos-Talk Archives (February 2005 Message tt00215)

Hello Cass,

You are right. We all ought to be thinking of the future. I would add, 
we also need to work towards realizing that future. However, I also 
submit that a reluctance to deal with the past hinders our ability to 
effectively progress in the present, and to effectively build a future. 
To quote the great Spanish philosopher George Santayana: 
Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness. Those 
who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

Thanks
--j



Cass Silva wrote:

> Dears
> Aren't you missing the point? Why spend mental energy thinking on the past, when you could be using that energy to think on the future.
> Cass
>
> samblo@cs.com wrote:
>
> Jerry,
> Thanks for your comments they are a value to all here and we can all learn 
> new things from them. I have not direct experience to speak from with Lodges 
> so my consideration is almost always pinned to Blavatsky in the beginning in 
> New York. Some where I have a copy of that Charter. It is interesting that some 
> were Chartered to special activities, I was not aware of that but I am now 
> thanks to your mention that is informative. BTW, a Member on another forum I 
> mainly read, the "ORME Spirit Forum" just this morning posted mention of Alan Leo 
> and Astrology in Theosophy, but he seemed to have also been one that began 
> with CWL and continued to Alice Bailey in New York UN reading Center, he 
> displayed no affection for CWL. .
>
> Just my own induction about the premise of activity that I generated when 
> first reading about Madame Blavatsky and the original formers of the New York 
> Lodge that much interested me was the gathering together of many individuals 
> all having varied sincere interests in many area's to mutually sift, discuss, 
> test, exchange POV, publish, lecture, teach and instruct with freedom and 
> mutual respect. The receiving of all the possible contents of the contributions 
> Madame Blavatsky wrote about in her works. The "sources" she mentions and lists 
> in her able surveys. I think she expected people would incline to look into 
> themselves, and arrive to a adapted view however varied it might be, it is still 
> growth and expansion comparative to before inquiry and change then has 
> occurred to some degree unique to each and expresses the beauty of beings and the 
> source that ultimately expresses through them all.
>
> It seems also to me that the seven-fold economy of each person, though a 
> general motif ,is a particularized differentiation in each person expressing 
> through the conditioned state in unlimited variations uniquely, a strict 
> homogeneity cannot be found that can satisfy those who desire limiting communication 
> of subject or topic confined to any rigid agenda. My view is Madame Blavatsky 
> seemd to advocate a broad interpretation under the Three Objects that was 
> pretty holistic perhaps with the exception of Magic and Ritual as a practice 
> itself. I, long ago, 1999, stated my personal opinions that she pointed to the 
> Eastern Noble Spiritual Teaching as the dominent thrust and purpose of her 
> writtings, as well as her severe warning against the dangers of Psychical and Astral 
> Complexes that individuals may tend to generate a detoured path as their 
> primary interest or goal instead. So, baseline it strikes me as she wanted the 
> Lodges to be a place of Philosophical Renewal for the Western Culture 
> specifically. However, I have seen Photographs of Madame Blavatsky, CWL. Annie Besant 
> individually dressed wearing their emblatures of office and certification in 
> Masonic Lodge, and notwithstanding the fact that Madame Blavatsky spoke of the 
> three invisible ancient Masonic Lodges of the World I often wonder how the two 
> disimilar practices can have maintained seperation without interleaving of 
> activities. Masonry utilizes Ritual and has teaching variant from what I read as 
> Theosophy. While Theosophy has over many decades now been the bully pulpit of 
> it's many adversaries where is the co-responsibility of the Masonic Lodge 
> exampled, in particular as regards CWL? Surely they must have also made a Committee 
> of Inquiry for the same actions Theosophy has been bloodied over all these 
> years due to CWL et al, but I have read no published articles that deal with this 
> type of matter. Suffrage is a concept Madame Blavatsky also encouraged 
> members to have. I always was remarkably impressed when I was able to see the old 
> photographs of the Theosophical Members assembled in different places all over 
> the world. Looking at all the different Fakirs, Yogins, Priests, Brahamins, 
> Dervishes, Sufi's, Christians, all sitting together was quite radical to the 
> norm I had read of in non Theosophical sources.
>
> Being a complete organizational outsider as I am I apoligize for any 
> indescresion I might have committed in this reply and do not mean to offend or 
> devalue any one.
>
> John
>
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