Theos-Talk Archives (December 2006 Message tt00888)

Friends,

Perhaps it is not easy for everyone to understand the ULT, which Dr. Tillett called "a mystery". 

You will see below  a few more paragraphs on that "mystery" from the text "A Non-Reactive Declaration of Independence". 

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H.P. Blavatsky herself once declared, in reply to those who tried to commit her to the Theosophical Society and its headquarters in Adyar: 

"It is pure nonsense to say "H.P.B... is loyal to the the Theosophical Society and to Adyar" (!?) H.P.B. is loyal to death to the Theosophical CAUSE, and those great Teachers whose philosophy can alone bind the whole of Humanity into one Brotherhood. Together with Col. Olcott she is the chief Founder and Builder of the Society which was and is meant to represent that CAUSE... Therefore the degree of her sympathies with the "Theosophical Society and Adyar" depends upon the degree of the loyalty of that Society to the CAUSE. Let it break away from the original lines and show disloyalty in its policy to the CAUSE and the original programme of the Society, and H.P.B. calling the T.S. disloyal will shake it off like dust from her feet. And what does "loyalty to Adyar" mean, in the name of all wonders? What is Adyar, apart from that CAUSE?... Why not loyal to the compound or the bath-room of Adyar?" (from "A Puzzle from Adyar", Theosophical Articles I, p. 219, The Theosophy Co., Los Angeles, 1981)

These statements are self-explanatory: while any theosophical organisation has a historical beginning and end - due to the fact that it is an organisation - the Theosophical Movement is meta-historical or trans-historical in the sense that it is a Movement of perennial Ideas and eternal Ideals and not of perishable forms, personalities and man-made structures through which the Movement may be embodied and exemplified. It also stands to reason that any organisation or group can only be called an expression in time and space of the timeless and spaceless Theosophical Movement when it tries to live up to these Ideas and Ideals. Any group may call itself theosophical, but this will remain only a nominal or formal description without content if such a group is not rooted metaphysically and ethically in the Theosophical Movement. Any theosophical group may have its historical roots within the Movement, but that in itself is not enough reason to call it theosophical. If that were true, being born in a family of theosophists would be sufficient reason for calling oneself a theosophist! 

The U.L.T., founded in 1909 in Los Angeles, California, was formed under the inspiration and guidance of Robert Crosbie and some of his fellow students. (...) 
The U.L.T. is an integral part of the Theosophical Movement, not because - as some may think - it originated historically as a secession from the T.S. Point Loma, but because its associates are bound together by the tie of common aim, purpose and teaching, in the cause of Theosophy. U.L.T. is not so much historically linked with the Movement, and certainly not with any theosophical organisation, but is spiritually rooted in the Movement, because its sole raison d'être is to serve mankind through the study and application of the original philosophy of Theosophy. The link between U.L.T. and the universal Theosophical Movement lies solely in the Theosophical Message and its exemplification in practice, through a truer realization of the SELF; a profounder conviction of Universal Brotherhood. 

The concept of U.L.T. as a vehicle for Theosophical work derives mainly from the experience and insight of Robert Crosbie, who throughout a long association with the original Theosophical Society, was witness to the schisms and divisions caused in the movement by organizational claims, controversy over "authority", and the competition of personal leaders and self-appointed successors to H.P.B.. (....)   In the words of Mr Crosbie himself: 

" "U.L.T." and its Declaration will be compared by many with the claims made by the various societies and their exponents. Each of these makes the claim that he or it is alone right. What are our claims? - it will be asked. We make none: we point to the Message, the Messengers, and their enunciation of the Work - and carry on the latter in accordance; we have no "revelation" to offer, we only hand on that which was known before. The position is unique and unaissailable in that it makes no claim to any other authority than the Message and the Messengers... The Authority which we recognize is not what men term authority, which comes from outside and which demands obedience, but an internal recognition of the value of that which flows through any given point, focus or individual. This is the authority of one's Self-discrimination, intuition, the highest intellection. If we follow what we recognize in that way, and still find it good, we naturally keep our faces in that direction. This means no slavish following of any person - a distinction which some are unable to grasp... The "U.L.T." Declaration should turn the attention of every open-minded Theosophist from forms to principles. It provides a real basis for study and work. Its reasonableness should awaken many to get busy on themselves. (...)  We must be watchful to correct the impression wherever it exists that "U.L.T." is a secession or succesion, or anything but an Association to study and apply Theosophy pure and simple." (From The Friendly Philosopher, R. Crosbie, p. 372-373 and 388) 
(...) 
 
"U.L.T. is (...) not an organization - although even some of its associates may misinterpret it as such - but an organism which stands for certain principles and ideas; those who associate themselves with these principles and ideas are attracted and bound by those principles and ideas only - not by their fellow students who do likewise or those fellow - men who refrain or whom cease to consider themselves to be bound. THE DECLARATION, together with its signed affirmation by the Associates, is a wide departure from anything that exists as an organization. 
What are our claims? We make none: we point to the Message, the Messengers, and their enunciation of the Work - The position is unique and unaissailable in that it makes no claim to any other authority than the Message and the Messengers...and points to where one might look for the impersonal Truth, impersonal because all inclusive. 

[ So far, parts  of the text "A Non-Reactive Declaration of Independence". ]
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Regards,  Carlos. 


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