Theos-Talk Archives (October 2005 Message tt00128)

Hello Frank,
Thanks for your comments.
I concur with your point regarding the need for students to be aware 
of these differences and this is why I have felt it is an important 
issue to be discussed in theosophical publications.

We need to look at all sides of the equation, to me helping people 
become aware of these differences in teaching is not only our 
responsibly as students (not in order to impose a doctrine, quite the 
contrary) but rather to empower people and to help them in their own 
studies, enabling them to be able to make informed choices.

An informed choice always comes from hearing the different sides or 
points of view to the matter.
 
Regards

Perry


--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "Frank Reitemeyer" <ringding@o...> 
wrote:
>
> Perry wrote:
> 
> With all the discussion recently on `neo 
> theosophy' vs `original theosophy' one 
> important
> point I think we need to remember is that 
> while there are teachings that are contrary 
> to a
> greater or lesser degrees in the writings of 
> Annie Besant and C.W Leadbeater with those of
> HPB and the Mahatmas that does not therefore 
> mean that they did not write some very
> good theosophical material.
> 
> Frank answers:
> Perry, no one ever said that ALL what AB and 
> CWL wrote is wrong.
> The main argument is that the lack of 
> spirituality (or living theosophy as opposed 
> to dead-letter theosophy) and implicated the 
> lack of a moral code, both in both person 
> character, their claims of being in contact 
> with Masters (even higher Masters as were 
> HPB's teachers), their cant (or Orwell 
> newspeak) language and their fighting against 
> the pukka doctrines, in the main up to 1929, 
> and subliminal until today.
> 
> So, when - to say a number - 50 percent of 
> their information is true and the other 50 
> per cent or untrue:
> 
> How difficult will it for a student of 
> Theosophy, to decide, what of it is true and 
> what not?
> How long will it take, when he/she/it 
> studies, say, five hours a day? One decade, 
> two or three?
> 
> This is the main reason, why no responsible 
> and compassionate fellow theosophist will 
> recommend the writings of AB & CWL to a new 
> student or beginner, because for newbies (and 
> you can be a newbie even after twenty years 
> of study!) it is dangerous, as they have not 
> yet developed enough discrimination power.
> Newbies should begin with HPB, Judge, Tingley 
> and especially de Purucker with his unique 
> didactic method.
> 
> OTOH, if you have a theosophy student, who is 
> experienced enough over many decades, if not 
> lifes - then he can study AB & CWL without 
> fear of stumbling.
> 
> When I had my own experimental study group, I 
> had to work with the people who where there, 
> and some came from Adyar, although they were 
> renegades since a longer time (but 
> unconcscious to themselves they as Adyar 
> renegates if not foes still filtered 
> Theosophy through their Adyar-conditioned 
> mind.
> After I had lectured in some meetings about 
> pukka Theosophy, some of the old students 
> were stricken and shocked. I will never 
> forget the reaction of an old student in his 
> seventies, who had tears in his eyes and was 
> shouting: "Why the hell no one informed us 
> before? How many decades I have wasted with 
> Besant and Leadbeater! Now in my seventies I 
> begin to study Purucker and I know he is 
> right. That is the true Theosophy! How 
> terrible are the people of Adyar that they 
> have stolen my life time!"
> 
> The big plus for a student of the original 
> and unaltered teachings as delivered by 
> Blavatsky, Judge, Tingley, Purucker and their 
> chelas is, that they never have to go back 
> and continue from another cross-road or 
> un-learn wrong things. They are on the safe 
> side with their teachers.
> 
> Everyone in the broad Theosophical Movement 
> is free to study and accept as teacher what 
> he likes. But a student who follows the 
> Bodhisattva path of love and compassion warns 
> his fellow-student not to go the wrong path, 
> although he has his free will to do so.
> 
> Everyone is free to make of his life-time, 
> what he will. I for one have no time to 
> waste, neither in my personal life, nor in 
> the universal life.
> I need not to study wrong teachings, to 
> un-learn them to come to the real teachings. 
> I need no hunts for the astral world, 
> emotional psychic language, visions, secret 
> initiations, astral flights to the Wesak 
> valley, research of my former lifes as 
> prince, guru, king and millionaire. I begin 
> with the real teachings and feel well with 
> it!
> 
> Frank
>