Theos-Talk Archives (June 2006 Message tt00381)

Saturday, June 24, 2006

 

Dear Friends and carlos Aveline:

 

Thanks for the comment:  



            "Living Theosophy must be an independent effort -- and yet it
must be done not in         isolation, but in cooperation. 

            "Human groups, as mechanisms of mutual help, open debate and
common work, are     therefore most important in keeping this universal
flame alive." 



 

We can find in The VOICE OF THE SILENCE  (pp. 53-4) the universal
philosophical basis for this:

 

            "Before thou canst approach the foremost gate thou hast to learn
to part thy body from thy mind, to dissipate the shadow, and to live in the
eternal. 

 

For this, thou hast to live and breathe in all, as all that thou perceivest
breathes in thee; to feel thyself abiding in all things, all things in SELF.


 

Thou shalt not let thy senses make a playground of thy mind.

 

Thou shalt not separate thy being from BEING, and the rest, but merge the
Ocean in the drop, the drop within the Ocean.

 

So shalt thou be in full accord with all that lives; bear love to men as
though they were thy brother-pupils, disciples of one Teacher, the sons of
one sweet mother. 

 

Of teachers there are many; the MASTER-SOUL is one (1) Alaya, the Universal
Soul. Live in that MASTER as ITS ray in thee. Live in thy fellows as they
live in IT."

 

 

     "THEOSOPHIST. .Our beliefs are all founded on that

immortal individuality. But then, like so many others, you confuse

personality with individuality. "  (Key to Theosophy, page 32)

 

"Matter, deprived of its soul and spirit, or its divine essence, cannot

speak to the human heart. But the identity of the soul and spirit, of real,

immortal man, as Theosophy teaches us, once proven and deep-rooted in our

hearts, would lead us far on the road of real charity and brotherly

goodwill."  (Key.. page 43)

 

"Let once man's immortal spirit take possession of the temple of his body,

drive out the money-changers and every unclean thing, and his own divine

humanity will redeem him, for when he is thus at one with himself he will

know the 'builder of the Temple.'"   (Key..  page 53)"

 

 

 

Dallas

=====================

 

-----Original Message-----
From: On Behalf Of carlosaveline
Sent: Saturday, June 24, 2006 

Subject: U. L. T. DAY LETTER 2006



Friends,

Living Theosophy must be an independent effort -- and yet it must be done
not in isolation, but in cooperation. 

Human groups, as mechanisms of mutual help, open debate and common work, are
therefore most important in keeping this universal flame alive. 

I thank Dallas TenBroeck for calling our attention to the ULT-Day Letter.

The ULT, the Pasadena TS, the Edmonton Theosophical Society, the Adyar
Society, all are efforts to bring people together in liberty and diversity
of thought and to gradually understand Truth. 

May the theosophical movement as a whole improve! 

Best regards, 

Carlos Cardoso Aveline 

=======================================================

THE UNITED LODGE OF THEOSOPHISTS 
245, West 33rd. Street,
Los Angeles, Calif., 90007
U. S. A.


June 25, 2006


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 UNITED LODGE OF THEOSOPHISTS    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




From:   www.ULT.org

 



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