Theos-Talk Archives (February 2005 Message tt00754)

Thanks Christina,

Other than HPB's writings, what Theosophical works do you see are 
promoting social justice and activism? Please tell us about them.

Thanks
Jerry



christinaleestemaker wrote:

>--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, Jerry Hejka-Ekins <jjhe@c...> 
>wrote:
>
>Jerry, that is a Great point you show us here.
>We need to read this over and over and not like a butterfly.
>
>I have the Key as well in English as well in Dutch and it is true 
>that Theosophy as HPB it wanted through the members has been changed.
>
>I have seen in Naarden,(Theosophical Headcenter) in the years of 
>1980 they only give lectures in Tarot,Shjamanism and other things 
>like that: the entertaining which brings money in the cup.
>
>I ask the leaders of that time, nice , but what do you bring of the 
>work of HPB ? Not so much, because not (any)one will come to our 
>summerschools.
>
>For the best I said , better a few good minded people than idiots of 
>wanted going out of their minds.
>
>
>For now I can say they have done something with this and more than 
>that.
>There is a very good booktable with interested and good looking 
>outfit.There are good lectures on theosophy and with an open sphere 
>for entertainment afterwards, as music , video presents.
>All the work of HPB,Taimni,Rohit Metha,Geoffrey Hudson,Adelaide 
>Gardner,S Varma,D Audoin,J Algeo,J Mills,Radha Burnier with her book 
>Regeneration of the Human Being and much more are available, even in 
>the normal book stores.
>Their is done a lot of work in the time of 25 years and the authentic 
>work is comming out!And in a way of this time.
>
>And always things can go better, but there had been a start.
>
>Christina
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> 
>
>>john,
>> 
>>
>>>I might comment based on my small 5 
>>>years of exposure to Television. I was Floor Director and Host 
>>> 
>>>
>Camera for 11 
> 
>
>>>Shows twice monthly for 5 years at our Community Channel here. My 
>>> 
>>>
>observation of 
> 
>
>>>the Hosts for these shows goes like this: they have a breifing 15 -
>>> 
>>>
>30 minutes 
> 
>
>>>prior to the Show where they chat with the Guest asking questions 
>>> 
>>>
>and 
> 
>
>>>clearing the routine for the show. going in they are almost always 
>>> 
>>>
>entirely vacant of 
> 
>
>>>personal knowledge of the guests field and afterwards they forget 
>>> 
>>>
>it entirely 
> 
>
>>>and go on to the next Show.
>>>
>>> 
>>>
>>Wow. Our community channel doesn't even bother with the 15-30 
>> 
>>
>minute 
> 
>
>>briefing! Yes, television is a lot about ego. My family 
>> 
>>
>originally 
> 
>
>>moved to California around 1915 in order to get work in the then 
>> 
>>
>new 
> 
>
>>movie industry. My brother is the last one who stayed with it. I 
>>remember going to his house for parties where he was entertaining 
>>various actors and actricess. The conversations were so narcissic 
>> 
>>
>and 
> 
>
>>vacuious of meaningful content (about operations and facelifts 
>> 
>>
>etc.) 
> 
>
>>that I looked for opportunities to leave the room.
>>
>> 
>>
>>>When we went into Iraq I taped a contract Host for "F__" 
>>> 
>>>
>attempting to 
> 
>
>>>appear like he was informing us all out here in the public and he 
>>> 
>>>
>says "Saudi 
> 
>
>>>Arabia doesn't even have an Army" my mouth dropped open in 
>>> 
>>>
>amazement. I 
> 
>
>>>thought "oh really? well then why did they purchase all those M1 
>>> 
>>>
>Abrams A-2 Model 
> 
>
>>>Main Battle Tanks when Chrysler couldn't effect a purchase order 
>>> 
>>>
>from the 
> 
>
>>>Pentagon a few years ago?" 
>>>
>>> 
>>>
>>There is a great book out which you might enjoy. It is called: 
>> 
>>
>House of 
> 
>
>>Bush, House of Saud the secret Relationship between the world's two 
>> 
>>
>most 
> 
>
>>powerful dynasties. by Craig Ungar. The relationship isn't so 
>> 
>>
>secret. I 
> 
>
>>have been following these connections in the Wall Street Journal 
>> 
>>
>for 
> 
>
>>years, but most people don't read newspapers and the TV news 
>> 
>>
>doesn't 
> 
>
>>talk about these things. Instead people get immersed in non-news 
>> 
>>
>like 
> 
>
>>the Scott Peterson trial. What is great about the book is that it 
>>follows the money, names the corporations, banks and politicians 
>> 
>>
>who are 
> 
>
>>involved in the buying and selling of oil contracts, weapons to 
>> 
>>
>Iraq and 
> 
>
>>Iran etc. Among other things, it documents about $1.4 billion that 
>> 
>>
>moved 
> 
>
>>from the Saud family to the Bush family. All of the documentation 
>> 
>>
>is 
> 
>
>>checkable. Most of it is buried in newspaper accounts that few 
>> 
>>
>people 
> 
>
>>read and even less understand for what they are. 
>>
>> 
>>
>>>Jerry, I would be interested if you might list for us what in 
>>> 
>>>
>particular 
> 
>
>>>you consider important today in 2005 and how you think each item 
>>> 
>>>
>can be used 
> 
>
>>>widely and publically.
>>>
>>> 
>>>
>>Basically, the philosophy Blavatsky was trying to promote is a kind 
>> 
>>
>of 
> 
>
>>universal perennialism--ie all religions are branches of a common 
>> 
>>
>tree. 
> 
>
>> That makes Theosophy the trunk. She also had the notion of the 
>>universe emenating from a single source, and humanity with a common 
>>heritage. If these notions were commonly held by all humanity, I 
>>believe the world would be vastly different and more pleasent. So 
>> 
>>
>did 
> 
>
>>HPB. The ideas have implications concerning human 
>> 
>>
>responsibilities to 
> 
>
>>other humans, social activism and social justice. She develops 
>> 
>>
>these 
> 
>
>>ideas into doable activities for individuals and groups, and tried 
>> 
>>
>to 
> 
>
>>model some of this activism in the early days of the TS. But after 
>> 
>>
>she 
> 
>
>>died, the TS took a very different turn and her approach forgotten 
>> 
>>
>in 
> 
>
>>favor of the expectation of a new age Christ. Look in the index in 
>> 
>>
>the 
> 
>
>>Key to Theosophy under words like
>>
>>"Altruism," "Brotherhood," "Cant," "Charity," "Ethics," Ideals" 
>>(relating to efforts of TS members),"Justice," "Karma (in terms of 
>>personal responsibility)," "Suffering"
>>
>>
>>All of these key words will lead to discussions which point out 
>> 
>>
>human 
> 
>
>>responsibilities and ways for their fulfillment in such a manner to 
>>benefit all of humanity. HPB never pinned her teachings upon the 
>>expectation of this or that savior, but upon humanity to pull 
>> 
>>
>itself out 
> 
>
>>of the mud. These types of discussions are all through her 
>> 
>>
>writings, 
> 
>
>>but nicely summarized in the Key. For a chat board, I would love 
>> 
>>
>to 
> 
>
>>see one dedicated exclusively to these ideas. Alexandria West does 
>> 
>>
>this 
> 
>
>>and I would like to find and work with other activist groups who 
>> 
>>
>are 
> 
>
>>applying them.
>>
>> 
>>
>> 
>>
>>>As to War it is easy to accept a generality that seems to have 
>>> 
>>>
>easy 
> 
>
>>>acceptance is the primary reason that promulgates a War but 
>>> 
>>>
>historians often find 
> 
>
>>>analytic reasons that are significantly different than what 
>>> 
>>>
>aroused groups do 
> 
>
>>>and say. 
>>>
>>> 
>>>
>>Yes, absolutely. And those reasons usually boil down to economics 
>>and/or the opportunity for a small hand-full of already privledged 
>>families to increase their already enormous wealth and power. Even 
>> 
>>
>with 
> 
>
>>idealological wars like Vietnam, huge amounts of money moved up to 
>> 
>>
>the 
> 
>
>>upper 4%. When I was teaching composition courses, I talked to a 
>> 
>>
>lot of 
> 
>
>>freshman at the University here. Most of them admire the upper 4% 
>> 
>>
>and 
> 
>
>>want to be like them. They have this wild idea that they will be 
>>joining them when they get their MBA. They've been brainwashed 
>> 
>>
>into 
> 
>
>>believing that they can rise far above their economic roots to the 
>> 
>>
>top 
> 
>
>>of the hill. In reality, even a move of just one step up the 
>> 
>>
>social 
> 
>
>>latter is very rare, and to get to the top requires family 
>> 
>>
>connections. 
> 
>
>>Selfishness and greed combined with naivete and ignorance wins out 
>> 
>>
>every 
> 
>
>>time. 
>>
>>Jerry
>> 
>>
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>Yahoo! Groups Links
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