Theos-Talk Archives (March 2006 Message tt00575)

Dear Dallas, dear Bruce, dear Friends,


Bruce, the editor of the magazine "FOHAT", raises the question of unity in 
the theosophical movement (see below) -- and he makes it clear that unity is 
to be built amidst contrast and often through paradox, like the Zen koans,  
not through uniformity or submission to authority of any kind.

Unfortunately, as long as I know,  only  the two magazines "FOHAT" (Canada) 
and "The Aquarian Theosophist" (Los Angeles) have in recent years dedicated 
their pages, much beyond the theoretical Theosophy, also to its LIVING field 
of tests and probations, that is, the theosophical movement,with  its 
History and its future.

I hope other important magazines will soon follow such example and join the 
pioneer discussion of the movement as we now have in "The Aquarian 
Theosophist" and "FOHAT" --  not to mention  Theos-talk.

Open, frank debate is an essential part of the Pedagogy of the Mahatmas.

In the magazines edited by HPB and W. Q. Judge, they discussed the matters 
of the movement, because they knew and they taught that THEOSOPHY is not the 
dead letter of a theoretical view of man and the universe.  THEOSOPHY is a 
PRACTICAL  tool for building the FOUNDATIONS of that
universal brotherhood which will flourish in human affairs in some thousands 
of years.

And these FOUNDATIONS (not to be easily seen by outward vision) include:

*truthfulness;

*unconditional love for wisdom ( literal meaning of philo-sophy or 
philo-theo-sophy);

*some degree of courage and self-sacrifice;

*vairagya (independence from automatic attachments or rejections);

*and other items, such as the various prajna-paramitas ("Voice of the 
Silence"), etc.



Why should it be so difficult for us to understand the need to discuss the 
movement as a whole, in order to rescue it in the next years from its 
current illusions?

Perhaps the difficulty is in that we can only do that if we take a certain 
uncomfortable decision
to re-build our own lives from the point of view of our divine potential.

Then, we will perceive the movement, its illusions and its uncertain steps 
ahead as a metaphor of the individual life of every student,  with its 
illusions and its also uncertain steps into the future.

Are we frank, truthful people in our daily lives?

If we are, then we may better understand the importance of this paragraph by 
Bruce (taken from his text below):

"Currently we have a number of theosophical traditions.  One way to
achieve peace is to allow all these traditions to exist under the
theosophical banner and prohibit these traditions from challenging one
another.  In this scenario these traditions would develop on their own
in their own directions and in a few centuries we could no doubt say
that the Theosophical Society has become the cornerstone of our future
religions.  The fact that these religions will be mired in as much
illusion as the religions of today will have to be expected.  Without
constant challenge there can be no truth.  It is because of this that
theosophists need courage, learn to think for themselves, and learn to
challenge what they perceive to be false and promote what they
understand to be true."

As to discussing the History of the Movement, the book "The Judge Case", by 
Ernest Pelletier, only recently published, is much more than a powerful tool 
to understand the period 1880s-1990s. The book will prove to be a powerful 
instrument to help change our movement  for the better,
and to to rescue it from its present illusions.


Big changes use to start through small seeds.

Best regards,   Carlos Cardoso Aveline, from Brazil's summer time.











> From: "W.Dallas TenBroeck" <dalval14@earthlink.net>
> Reply-To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com
> To: <theos-talk@yahoogroups.com>
> Subject: RE: Theos-World What Split the Society? - Improved Copy
> Date: Sat, 11 Mar 2006 12:03:26 -0800
>
> Mar 11 2006
>
> I think this is a pretty good expression of the situation.
>
> Dallas
>
> ===============================
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: robert_b_macd
> Sent: Saturday, March 11, 2006 11:21 AM
> To: Subject: What Split the Society? - Improved Copy
>
> Sorry about all the mess in the last post,
> Bruce
>
>
> There has been much discussion the past few days over the Movements
> history.  Some people feel that what is past is past, let's find
> inspiration in whatever writings we choose to follow and carry on from
> there.  It has been asked why we cannot apply the same standards of
> Universal Brotherhood that are applied to HPB and Judge to certain
> theosophical members in our midst today?
>
> Again, let's try to reframe the debate and see whether that gives us
> any further insight.  Carlos in his post "WAR, PEACE AND THEOSOPHY"
> has made a brilliant start along this path giving us the hints that we
> need to understand why we cannot continue on our present course.
>
> Currently we have a number of theosophical traditions.  One way to
> achieve peace is to allow all these traditions to exist under the
> theosophical banner and prohibit these traditions from challenging one
> another.  In this scenario these traditions would develop on their own
> in their own directions and in a few centuries we could no doubt say
> that the Theosophical Society has become the cornerstone of our future
> religions.  The fact that these religions will be mired in as much
> illusion as the religions of today will have to be expected.  Without
> constant challenge there can be no truth.  It is because of this that
> theosophists need courage, learn to think for themselves, and learn to
> challenge what they perceive to be false and promote what they
> understand to be true.
>
> The above scenario, or a modified version where we stay away from the
> really contentious issues seems to be what some members of this group
> feel theosophy should be.  Regrettably, the path still leads to
> illusion whether modified or not.  The contentious issues are those
> where the real ignorance lies.
>
> Another way to achieve peace would be to abandon theosophy.
> Certainly that would solve our problems but is hardly a meritorious
> choice.
>
> The third way is to keep searching for the truth and putting up with
> all the sniping and hurt feelings that go along with that enterprise.
> As Spiritual Warriors, we are not likely to make the conquest of
> Truth unscathed.  This is the Kali Yuga, the secret now is to have
> courage and continue moving forward.  It is during this age where the
> most spiritual progress can be made. The forces against us are legion,
> pulling from us every dark seed planted in previous lives.  From the
> perspective of our Higher Selves, it is a time to rejoice.
>
> As far as the Movement is concerned, something divided it and we must
> understand what that something is.  If I were to point to one thing it
> would be what Judge describes in the June 1895 issue of "The Path".
> Judge writes:
>
> "In the April Theosophist Col. Olcott makes public what we have long
> known to be his private opinion-a private opinion hinted at through
> the pages of Old Diary Leaves,-that H.P.B. was a fraud, a medium, and
> a forger of bogus messages from the Masters.  This final ingrate's
> blow is delivered in a Postscript to the magazine for which the
> presses were stopped.  The hurry was so great that he could not wait
> another month before hurling the last handful of mud at his spiritual
> and material benefactor, our departed H.P.B.  The next prominent
> person for whom we wait to make a similar public statement, has long
> made it privately."
>
> For Judge, who had personally endured animosity and attacks from
> Olcott and "the next prominent person", Besant, this was the final
> blow.  The ingratitude that such an attack displays was aimed directly
> at the spirit of the Society, Universal Brotherhood.  The Masters had
> said over and over again that they do not count ingratitude as one of
> their vices.  Olcott had come full circle.  The lack of courage he
> displayed on the streets of New York in 1875 (see Carlos' post:THE
> TEACHERS AND THE LIARS, post 30693 ) finally found its full flowering
> in the pages of the Theosophist.
>
> The Masters said that Blavatsky and Olcott were totally responsible
> for the Karma of the Society. Perhaps one way to look at the Society
> is that a lesson was being prepared for Humanity.  Good and honest
> people had to learn how to stand by one another.  Olcott's betrayal
> was necessary as it would prompt good people to ask the question: "How
> can there be so much violent disagreement within a Society dedicated
> to Universal Brotherhood?"  As they sorted through all the symptoms
> of the betrayal, the LCC, Leadbeater, etc., they would finally be left
> with one cause, the betrayal of Blavatsky by Olcott.  Ever since that
> betrayal, theosophists have repeated that error again and again
> pulling the Movement further and further apart.  It is a lesson that
> must be learned if there is to be any future to the current impulse
> initiated in 1875.
>
> Olcott made a mistake.  Many theosophists followed him in that
> mistake.  The mistake was to be expected.  The Masters were trying to
> inspire humanity to lift itself to a more ethical treatment of one
> another.  The only place where such an ethical understanding exists
> right now is within the ranks of the White Brotherhood.  Once we start
> practicing this type of ethics, we will be on a Path to Truth.  We
> will have the tools to avoid the superstition and bestiality described
> by Carlos in WAR, PEACE AND THEOSOPHY.
>
> If this is not the mistake that we should be searching for, then what
> is it?
>
> Sincerely,
> Bruce
>
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> Yahoo! Groups Links
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