Theos-Talk Archives (August 2006 Message tt00292)

Dear Nigel,
Thanks very much for your posting, it really underlines many of the 
issues I feel to be absolutely essential in our pursuit of truth.

>From what I can access of my own motives in raising and pursing these 
issues the motivation has been one of trying to look at things openly 
and honestly regardless of what I may discover to be the case. 

To me examining and reviewing history and comparing teachings in an 
objective and critical manner is essential in order to maintain both 
credibility and integrity both for the organisation and the 
individual, so that different points of view can be examined and 
investigated, as you say without fear of favour.
   
Most of the members are `blissfully' unaware of these controversies 
and issues so the hierarchy bear a heavy karmic responsibility in the 
choices it makes and enforces.

I would be interested to know the rationale behind the National 
Sections decision to bar my membership as well.

If I could be shown where I allegedly have been `out of order' enough 
for this action to have been taken would be interesting.

Cheers

Perry




--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "nhcareyta" <nhcareyta@...> wrote:
>
> Dear Perry and all
> 
> As this is a period of "truce" on theostalk perhaps it is an ideal 
> opportunity to remind ourselves of those famous words which go 
> something like "war does not begin on the battlefield, it begins in 
> the minds of men."
> 
> Violence has many contributing factors with most appearing to have 
> roots in fear. Fear of death, loss, lack, truth, being wrong etc.
> These expressions of fear tend to contribute towards a competitive 
> mindset, a mindset based in the modalities of "winning" 
or "losing". 
> This mode of thinking necessarily leads to "winners" and "losers". 
> The winners proudly celebrate their "victory" whilst the losers 
feel 
> frustrated, angry, vengeful. So the dualistic mindset of 
competition 
> leads on the one hand to pride, arrogance, dominance and control, 
> whilst on the other, frustration, anger and vengeance, with each 
> leading ultimately to violence and war. In this scenario, it seems 
> that each modality fuels the other.
> In the relatively safe confines of theostalk, is there another way 
> for our mind to proceed which might head off its slide into its 
> extreme expression, or is our mindset too heavily ingrained at this 
> stage of its evolution?
> To my way of thinking, cultivating a genuinely open and inquiring 
> mind might be a place to begin. 
> In terms of debate, this can help us guard against the single-
minded, 
> tunnel vision of dogma, the arrogant sense of superiority of 
> being "right", the fear of being "wrong" or worse perhaps, the fear 
> of "losing". The fear of losing an argument or losing face can be 
> powerful motivating factors for a mindset to be intransigent and 
> remain defensive and protective.
> In debate, all of these expressions can be avoided were our mindset 
> able to fearlessly consider all matters openly, honestly, 
objectively 
> and truthfully, assessing all information without prejudice, fear 
or 
> favour.
> 
> Perry, in your situation of being barred from the Adyar Society, 
> perhaps some of the individuals who form the hierarchy of that 
> organisation might be trapped in this dualistic mindset of, on the 
> one hand, fear of being "wrong" or of losing face in terms of your 
> objective critique of past teachers and their writings; or on the 
> other, perhaps the arrogance of feeling superior and "right" causes 
> them to feel justified to protect and defend their organisation 
> against open-minded debate.
> 
> In my opinion of the Adyar Society there can be a perception 
amongst 
> some that harmony (little h) requires passive acceptance of almost 
> anything other than certain forms of objective critique. Where 
> objective critique of such matters as history, teachers and 
teachings 
> begin to offer alternatives to previously accepted versions, the 
oft 
> quoted "freedom of thought" statement can sometimes be overlooked 
in 
> the name of "harmony" with the exponents of the alternatives being 
> harangued, sidelined or perhaps in your case, barred.  This form of 
> putative "harmony" however can in fact be an act of violence in 
> itself as it can violate and deny truth and truthseekers. 
> If true Harmony is to be attained from our higher states of 
> consciousness, it seems we need to at least embrace the concept of 
a 
> unified Buddhic mindset of truth and wisdom, without prejudice, 
fear 
> or favour, which is so far apart from its separative, defensive, 
> protective and violent shadow.
> 
> These considerations may be presumptuous and incorrect and there 
may 
> well be other rationale for the Adyar hierarchy barring you Perry. 
If 
> such is the case, it would be of great interest and value to our 
> various mindsets here at theostalk, and occultly to the world 
> mindset, to hear and debate their position.
> 
> Best wishes
> Nigel
>