Theos-Talk Archives (July 2007 Message tt00411)

Friends,

I am afraid that in regard to the Leadbeater Case we are missing the 
real problem which presented itself with this case.

Namely, the Leadbeater Case sprung up within the ES (allegedly 
private organization) in America, which demanded an enquiry to be 
made by the Head of the ES, Annie Besant, but to keep the matter 
confidential, to avoid the scandal and possible criminal charges 
against Leadbeater. Receiving A. Besant's reply the ES in America, 
unsatisfied with the solution, transferred the matter to the 
Executive Committee of the American Section of the TS which took the 
decision that C.W. Leadbeater should be put on "trial" to the Lodge 
to which he belonged (steps which clearly weren't in accordance with 
the TS' Rules). An unconstitutional committee was then established 
(next violation of the TS' Rules) which "forced" C.W. Leadbeater to 
resign from the TS. But the information about the case likened and it 
became public, so that, while on lecture tour in America, C. 
Jinarajadasa tried to defend Leadbeater. But the EC of the TS in 
America threatened that it will withdraw the charter of any Lodge 
which will organize the C. Jinarajadasa's lecture (next violation of 
the TS' Rules). Under the pressure H.S. Olcott even cancelled the 
Jinarajadasa's diploma but restored his membership next year, also 
the year of his passing. Next year, with A. Besant as the new 
President of the TS, the General Council made possible to C. W. 
Leadbeater to return. Therefore the British Section formed, at its 
Convention, a special Committee and passed a protest Resolution to be 
dealt with at the Convention of the TS. But A. Besant didn't want the 
TS would have formally anything to do with this case and the intent 
to publish and to promote the Resolution was suppressed (next 
violation of TS' Rules). In consequence many members and lodges of 
the British Section left the Society. 

The above said show that the TS was a hostage of various interests 
within the ES. When there was an interest to promote certain action, 
the ES used (infringing the TS' Rules) certain bodies of the TS; and 
when the interest was to block certain action, the ES blocked 
(infringing the TS' Rules) the functioning of certain bodies of the 
TS.   

Jinarajadasa later on said that due to improper handling of the 
Leadbeater Case the TS wasted the opportunity to properly address and 
discuss the problem of sex, but it seems to me that it also wasted 
the opportunity to confirm itself as a democratic society. 

So, this is, in my opinion, the real problem connected with the 
Leadbeater Case and many others from then on; the problem that the TS 
wasn't able to function according to its Rules and Regulations as the 
democratic society but was privatized by the members of legally non-
existing ES; the problem that the TS wasn't in the position to freely 
discuss the "teaching" but was suppressed in the attempt to preserve 
the "good name" of the members of the ES. In that way it was 
suppressed the right of expression of every single member of the TS 
and with that the principle of Universal Brotherhood. 

The principle of Universal Brotherhood is above any "teaching" but it 
can express itself only in freedom. Therefore the outer democracy of 
the society is the imperative for the expression of this principle.

"It is, of course, true that certain differences in the Movement have 
been the result of a conflict between those students who attempted to 
uphold what they understood to be spiritual values, and those who 
held to a different set of values. Such differences, however, have 
been allowed to become paramount in the psychological outlook of some 
people, while they should have remained only unimportant factors in 
the overall network of fraternal solidarity. It has often been the 
case that people have raised their own set of spiritual values to the 
level of an unchangable dogmatic creed, excluding from their hearts 
all those other students whose values differed from theirs. This, in 
a Movement based on Brotherhood and Universality, cannot be indulged 
in without producing a fundamental rift. It is hard to understand why 
students who would have true spiritual values in mind, could not 
develop within themselves the spiritual value of toleration and 
sympathy as well, thereby getting along on fraternal and peaceable 
ground with all other students who believe otherwise. But the 
frailties of our human natures are such that we rarely acknowledge to 
others the same freedom of conscience which we vehemently claim for 
ourselves." - Boris de Zirkoff in "Theosophia".


You can now find first Volumes of Boris de Zirkoff's magazine on: 
http://www.teozofija.info/Theosophia/Theosophia_index.htm


Best regards,
Anton