Theos-Talk Archives (June 2006 Message tt00376)

                        The United Lodge of Theosophists

 

            245 West 33rd. Street,

          Los Angeles,  Calif., 90007

    U. S. A.

 

Web-site:   www.ult-la.org <http://www.ult-la.org/>
Phone:  213-748-7244

E-mail:  inquiry@theosophycompany.org
Fax:      213 748-0634

 

 

                                                  June 25, 2006

 

 

"Being in sympathy with the purposes of this Lodge, as set forth in its
"Declaration," I hereby record my desire to be enrolled as an Associate, it
being understood that such association calls for no obligation on my part,
other than that which I, myself, determine."

 

 

Dear Friends and Associates:

 

The "ULT Day Letter," sent annually to Associates, Lodges, Study Classes,
and Friends, is a small matter in the larger world of thought and action.
Yet, one may hope that it arrives as a token of comradeship in what can be a
lonely - and in some places a dangerous - endeavor.   Students of Theosophy
hopefully gain perspective and support from this reminder that connections,
both visible and invisible, exist among their fellows, "wherever and however
situated."

 

In a time of global change, of shifting alliances and boundaries, of threats
and fears, of emerging yet still unclear ideas, we may pause until the fog
lifts, as William Q. Judge might advise.  The attentive student, however,
sees when the way is clear, and determines to act.  Study groups sprout on
the simple basis of ".a few of us have decided to meet in each other's homes
and read The Ocean of Theosophy."  Outreach through the use of new
technologies gains sophistication and allows broader participation.
Internet communications connect newcomers and older students, sparking
dialogue. The discoveries of science are analyzed and discussed in the light
of Theosophy.  Workshops and new class formats are devised, as the invisible
network of study, application, unity and harmony become visible in the
world.

 

The United Lodge of Theosophists assumes that humanity can best be served
when authority is inherently internal.  As problems arise, students may
wonder, "Who is in charge?" and, based on conventional methods of work, look
for - and want - external guidance and structure. The quiet reminder of
self-determination found in the ULT Declaration and the statement of as "I,
myself, determine" throws us back on our own freedom to choose
responsibility.  A silence comes over the striving personal nature when the
"unassailable basis" for choice, work, and union, is seen to be simply - and
only - studying and applying the teachings of H. P. Blavatsky and William Q.
Judge.  Individual stances and opinions, no matter how compelling, dissolve
as each node of work, no matter its size, becomes a crucible for our
transformation from the human to the Divine.  

 

Robert Crosbie developed the methods of ULT 97 years ago in recognition of
this divine nature. The ensuing years and their accretions provide different
challenges, however, from those present in 1909. World-wide, countries and
cultures faced with self-governance realize that reliance on internal
authority demands discipline and skill.  Individually, the same requirements
prevail. Vital methods need to be culled from outgrown traditions.  To
confer with others and listen to their views takes time and may be
uncomfortable. Giving up the reassurance of "we've always done it this way"
perhaps is seen as disloyalty to valued friends of the past.  The needs of
newcomers may be misconstrued after years of talking and listening only to
fellow-students.   

 

To maintain ULT as a living force requires work, attention, patience, and
resolve.  The formation of a new study class, the examination of a new train
of thought in the world in the light of the Teachings, the willingness to
work in harmony with fellow-students who may see things slightly differently
than we do, revivifies and renews the ULT principle. Unity is aided by the
reminder that we are not exempt from human tendencies nor history, but can
expect the same challenges to arise in work for Theosophy as arise in all
human endeavors. Humbling though this is, a gentle reminder that kindness
and compassion provide an unseen leaven keeps discouragement at bay, as we
examine ourselves and see, as Arjuna came to understand in the
Bhagavad-Gita, that all battles are within.

 

The United Lodge of Theosophists presents a principle of work that springs
not from outer organization but from the human heart and mind. The growing
awareness that the world is one, physically, morally, and mentally, and that
even the smallest action reverberates globally, is reflected in the
international face of ULT.  Efforts in Greece, Brazil, Portugal, and
Australia, for example, stem from the determination of a few individuals who
have had the courage to recognize the value of a non-sectarian, non-dogmatic
approach to the teachings of Theosophy.  The decision to work - to translate
Judge's writings into Russian, to translate HPB into Portuguese, to
advertise in different venues, to create new ways of study - in short, TO
TRY, begins with individual students, and not from any central authority.
Reflecting upon the meaning of ULT Day, we think this is what Robert Crosbie
may have had in view as he considered how best to further the Theosophical
Movement.

 

With best wishes to all who share a similar "aim, purpose and teaching,"


 
Fraternally,

                                           THE UNITED LODGE OF THEOSOPHISTS

 

 

Dallas

 



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