Theos-Talk Archives (July 2007 Message tt00261)

Dear mkr

I cannot agree with your point. To me, Internet cannot replace the 
TS. It seems to me that your point of view arises mainly by 
considering theosophy as a matter of study. If it were like that, 
Internet is alright. But to me theosophy is something much more deep, 
and for that the TS is needed.
I really believe the TS is a training to a different way of 
relationsihp (you may call it "six-root race like"). In a Lodge (at 
least in Adyar TS), you study with all kind of people, intellectual, 
religious, practical, etc. You have also to work with them organizing 
public activities, administrating the TS, etc. But if you take it 
seriously, you cannot have "mundane" a relationship with them. You 
have to avoid gossip and harshness, you have to avoid dictatorship 
attitudes, you have to bear in mind the welfare and preferences of 
everyone and not only yours, and tried to find out the ways to help 
the growth of all the group. That, in the midst of different people 
who may like study or not, who may like HPB, or Leadbeater, or 
Krishnamurti, etc.
All that develope certain skill and deep understanding that cannot be 
learn through a book, internet, etc. But most of all, you learn (in 
practice, not in theory) what to me is the "key to theosophy" (as a 
state of consciousness): to let your personal likes and dislikes 
vanishes for the common good. Of course, you have also to develop a 
real, practical viveka (spiritual discrimination) to perceive what is 
the correct.
Before entering in the TS I was a lonely student. Today also most of 
the tima I get a deeper understanding of the teachings by lonely 
study, but what I've learn and realized working in the TS, and the 
maturation I've underwent in that, could never be provided by books.
I sincerely think the TS (I can only speak of Adyar TS, it's what I 
know) is today a wonderful space to hasten the spiritual growing of 
individuals. I've seen this process in many members, I had the 
opportunity to help in that to quite a lot of people, and I'm really 
happy with it.
Kind regards

--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "M K Ramadoss" <mkr777@...> wrote:
>
> For past some years I have maintained that the TS model with 
branches,
> federations, national setup etc was the only way to organize and 
disseminate
> theosophy in 1875 onwards. But today, communication, especially 
Internet has
> changed the landscape. Today Theosophy can be more effectively 
disseminated
> using Internet
> -- all you need to do is to look at this maillist. We have 
individuals
> who are associated with one organization or the other and meet on a
> level without any geographical boundaries and we discuss 
theosophical
> subjects 7/24. As the current generation is growing up in the 
internet
> culture, the old setup will fade into the background and will 
continue
> to survive due to the properties they own and they are likely to
> inherit as bequeathal from old theosophists. It would continue to 
act
> as a clearing house to hold copyrights and publish books and other
> material, which is going to be a very mechanical operation. Internet
> culture is also going to bring in a lot of people who are interested
> in theosophy and not necessarily a traditional organization. The 
pity
> is existing organizations are going to have a tough time to react to
> the changing landscape and IMHO do not know how to respond. All we 
see
> is to take an osterich approach so far.
> 
> mkr
> 
> On 7/20/07, Cass Silva <silva_cass@...> wrote:
> Regardless of what Ms Burnier does, Theosophy will survive, HPB's 
message
> will survive, it will reach those that are "ready" whether or not a
> Theosophical Society exists or not.
> 
> _._,___
> >
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>