Theos-Talk Archives (July 2007 Message tt00378)

How and when changed the Objects of the T. S.:

1875 - OBJECTS
The objects of the society are, to collect and diffuse knowledge of 
the laws which govern the universe.

1881- OBJECTS
1. To form the Nucleus of a Universal Brotherhood of Humanity.
2. To study Aryan literature, religion and science.
3. To vindicate the importance of this enquiry and correct 
misrepresentations with which it has been clouded.
4. To explore the hidden mysteries of Nature and the latent powers of 
Man, on which the Founders believe that Oriental Philosophy is in a 
position to throw light.

1886 - OBJECTS
1. To form the nucleus of a Universal Brotherhood of Humanity, 
without distinction of race, creed or colour.
2. To promote the study of Aryan and other Eastern literatures, 
religions and sciences.
3. A third object, pursued by a portion of the members of the 
Society, is to investigate unexplained laws of nature and the 
psychical powers of man.

1888 - OBJECTS
1. To form the nucleus of a Universal Brotherhood of Humanity, 
without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste or colour.
2. To promote the study of Aryan and other Eastern literatures, 
religions, philosophies and sciences.
3. A third object, pursued by a portion of the Fellows of the 
Society, is to investigate unexplained laws of nature and the psychic 
powers of man.
(The Fellows interested in this third object now form a distinct 
private division of the Society under the direction of the 
Corresponding Secretary.)

1890 - OBJECTS
1. To form the nucleus of a Universal Brotherhood of Humanity, 
without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste or colour.
2. To promote the study of Aryan and other Eastern literatures, 
religions, philosophies and sciences, and to demonstrate their 
importance to Humanity.
3. To investigate unexplained laws of Nature and the psychic powers 
latent in man.

1894 - OBJECTS
2. To promote the study of Aryan and other Eastern literatures, 
religions, philosophies and sciences, and to demonstrate the 
importance of that study.

1896 - OBJECTS
1. To form a nucleus of the Universal Brotherhood of Humanity, 
without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste or colour. 
2. To encourage the study of comparative religion, philosophy and 
science.
3. To investigate unexplained laws of Nature and the powers latent in 
man.

Webster's Dic.: Aryan - Of or relating to the former Indo-European 
people; "Indo-European migrations".

Enc. Britannica: Aryan - (from Sanskrit arya, "noble"), a people who 
in prehistoric times settled in what are now Iran and northern India. 
>From their language, also called Aryan, the Indo-European languages 
of South Asia are descended. In the 19th century the term was used as 
a synonym for "Indo-European" and also, more restrictively, to refer 
to the Indo-Iranian languages.

Theos. Glos.: Arya (Sk.) Lit., "the holy"; originally the title of 
Rishis, those who had mastered the "Aryasatyani" (q.v.) and entered 
the Aryanimarga path to Nirvana or Moksha, the great "four-fold" 
path. But now the name has become the epithet of a race, and our 
Orientalists, depriving the Hindu Brahmans of their birth-right, have 
made Aryans of all Europeans. In esotericism, as the four paths, or 
stages, can be entered only owing to great spiritual development 
and "growth in holiness", they are called the "four fruits". The 
degrees of Arhatship, called respectively Srotapatti, Sakridagamin, 
Anagamin, and Arhat, or the four classes of Aryas, correspond to 
these four paths and truths.

Best regards,
Anton


--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "nhcareyta" <nhcareyta@...> wrote:
>
> Dear all
> 
> In light of recent statements and their implications for the 
> Theosophy of Madame Blavatsky and her teachers the following may be 
> of some interest.
> 
> At the time of Madame Blavatsky's death in 1891 the second object 
> said nothing about the study of "comparative" religion.
> 
> It read:
> "To promote the study of Aryan and other Eastern literatures, 
> religions, philosophies and sciences, and to demonstrate their 
> importance to Humanity."
> 
> The implications are obvious. She was to be the "connecting link" 
> between "esoteric" Tibetan philosophy, elsewhere described as the 
> Aryan, Chaldeo Tibetan tradition, and the Western traditions. 
> The passage "...and to demonstrate their importance to Humanity" 
> clearly shows that she and her teachers had something specific they 
> wanted brought to the West.
> 
> This object became diluted only in 1896 when it was changed to read:
> "To encourage the study of comparative religion, philosophy and 
> science."
> 
> This permitted her and their dharma to be compromised by admitting 
> all religion and philosophies as equal in value. Whether they are 
or 
> not is a mute point however their wishes were clear.
> 
> In fact in 1878 the object read:
> "The objects of the Society are various?to acquire an intimate 
> knowledge of natural law?study to develop his latent powers?
exemplify 
> the highest morality and religious aspiration?to make known among 
> western nations?facts about oriental religious philosophies?and 
> disseminate a knowledge of that pure esoteric system of the archaic 
> period, and finally and chiefly, aid in the institution of a 
> Brotherhood of Humanity?"
> 
> So it can be seen that the later theosophical leaders and decision 
> makers in the Adyar Society, including Dr Besant and Bishop 
> Leadbeater, changed the object for their own reasons, thereby 
> diluting and diverting the real purpose of the original impetus.
> 
> It is for each to decide whether this was a wise decision or not 
and 
> what ramifications flowed from it.
> 
> Regards
> Nigel
>