Theos-Talk Archives (May 2005 Message tt00244)

Dear Leon and all
Leon, you wrote in part to Anand Gholap:
> Don't know why I even bother writing this -- since I see no one on 
this forum 
> are suckers for this kind of nonsense. But, maybe it will alert 
some lurking 
> newcomer who might take this subject seriously. :-)

>From my perspective, your last sentence highlights the essential need 
to continually expose and challenge many of the pronouncements of 
Bishop Leadbeater, his clones and supporters. 

Like many, my Theosophical studies began with an open mind, with 
predominant exposure to Leadbeater, Besant, Hodson, Jinarajadasa and 
their commentators' information. After a number of years as a serious 
and committed student I began lecturing for the Adyar Society and 
even constructed and ran an introductory course for newcomers for a 
number of years, based in part on the above authors' teachings. After 
considerable work, this course was published and distributed 
throughout Adyar Lodges in Australia, now very, very much to my 
regret.
In the mid nineties I participated in a number of study groups into 
the Secret Doctrine and Mahatma Letters run by Joy Mills culminating 
in a three month's intensive at Adyar headquarters in India.
The reason for this explanatory introduction is that only during and 
after all this study did the enormous differences and contradictions 
between the teachings and mindsets of HPB and Leadbeater et al become 
apparent.
These differences and contradictions in teachings are well documented 
and thankfully regularly highlighted for students on this forum. 
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the Adyar TS as Perry has 
informed us. 

Quite apart from this and Leadbeater's many ongoing, blatant and 
provable untruths, what is not often discussed is the insidious 
nature of his and his clones' mindset. 
Whilst he and they occasionally, disarmingly state that we should 
decide matters for ourselves and not accept their words prima facie, 
they subtly and sometimes not so subtly write in such an 
authoritative manner as to command the listening ear and respect of 
the often vulnerable beginner. This, together with the esteem in 
which they are held in the Adyar Society, and their 
Augustinian/Aquinian moral pronouncements, has caused, and still 
causes, many earnest and sincere beginners to believe they are 
exposed to mighty and honourable beings.

In the important matter of how we think, whilst HPB's writing style 
and teachings are occultly designed to free our minds to enable their 
exposure to the genuine mysteries of existence, Leadbeater and his 
clones' style and teachings work hard to develop a simplistic, 
compliant, blind-following mindset. From my experience, in this they 
have so often succeeded.
Add to this their inherent motivation that `"God's in his heaven and 
all's right with the world" as long as you follow us and our 
teachings', and you have a recipe for entrapping a newcomer's 
skandhas into pseudo-theosophy potentially for incarnations to come.

For myself, it is this domineering mindset and style of writing which 
is insidious to the core and which requires exposure just as much as 
the differences and contradictions of teachings.

In spite of all the above, this is not to suggest that Leadbeater's 
life and teachings were totally worthless. Motive aside, his tireless 
work for his church and his Theosophical Society was determined 
effort, however much dishonesty was involved.
It is simply to suggest that, from my experience his and his clones' 
teachings do not support many of HPB's as he and they dishonestly 
claimed, and that his and his clones' mindset is highly pernicious 
for the unsuspecting and gullible seeker whose birthright it is to 
think for themselves.
Best wishes
Nigel