Theos-Talk Archives (May 2008 Message tt00817)

Thanks for the writeup on Helen Zahara. She died quite young. Wish she lived
longer and given a lot more years to theosophy and TS.

mkr

On 5/26/08, prmoliveira <prmoliveira@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> --- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com <theos-talk%40yahoogroups.com>, mkr777@...
> wrote:
>
> > This reminds me an incident in late Helen Zahara's life. She was a
> certified
> > public/chartered accountant and wanted to work for TS. CJ was the
> President
> > and he knew of the pittance TS normally pays for people who work,
> and work
> > very long hours -- that is what all dedicated theosophists do.
> >
> > Because of her education and skills, knowing her potential to make
> money in
> > business world, CJ told her to go out in the world and make some
> money and
> > come back and work for TS. She took the advise and did so.
> Unfortunately,
> > she did not live long after she came back. Most theosophists work
> for TS
> > because of their dedication to theosophy and TS and they do not
> look at it
> > as a job always looking at the clock!
>
> (This what was published in the July 2007 issue of the Indo-Pacific
> Federation Newsletter about Helen Zahara. PO):
>
> In Memoriam
> HELEN VASANTA ZAHARA
> (1917-1973)
>
> Born in New Zealand, Helen Zahara came to Australia in her late
> teens. She joined the Theosophical Society in 1937 and was active in
> theosophical work in Sydney. At the invitation of C. Jinarajadasa,
> she went to Adyar, international Headquarters of the TS, in 1946 and
> became one of his secretaries. Soon after that she was appointed
> Recording Secretary of the TS, a position she served in for five
> years.
>
> In 1953, Helen went to the United States where she worked for two
> years as Assistant Editor of The American Theosophist while also
> lecturing in many cities throughout the country. Following her stay
> in that country she undertook an extensive lecture tour through
> sixteen Latin American countries, addressing her audiences in
> Spanish, which she learned in order to lecture in that language.
>
> Returning to Australia, Helen was elected General Secretary of the
> Australian Section from 1957 to 1965. It was during her period in
> that office that she organised the first Indo-Pacific Conference near
> Sydney. She was the inspiration for the formation of the Indo-
> Pacific Theosophical Federation, which was eventually established in
> 1978.
>
> In 1965, Helen was invited to return to the US to be the guest
> speaker at the Annual Convention and Summer School, and to undertake
> a lecture tour through that country. A year later she was appointed
> head of the Department of Education at "Olcott", the National
> Headquarters of the TS in America, as well as coordinator of the Kern
> Foundation programmes, including the publication of Quest Books for
> The Theosophical Publishing House.
>
> During the course of her work for the Society, Helen addressed
> audiences in more than thirty countries. In addition to Australia,
> India, the Latin American countries and the US, these include
> Pakistan, Burma, Malaysia, South Vietnam, England, Ireland and New
> Zealand. Her travels and work in many lands, East and West,
> impressed upon her the urgent need for a practical philosophy of life
> based on a awareness of the human being's spiritual nature, the
> underlying meaning of the evolutionary process and the oneness of
> life. It was her sincere belief that the theosophical philosophy
> fulfils this need. She passed away at Wheaton, Illinois, USA, on 26th
> February 1973.
>
> Joy Mills, former International Vice-President and former National
> President of both the American and Australian Sections, said of Helen
> at a memorial service held at "Olcott" on 27th February 1973:
>
> "Helen was a theosophical activist to whom brotherhood was a way of
> life, compassion a deed of love, truth a practical experience."
>
> One of the memorable moments for her was her visit, together with Joy
> Mills, to the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala in 1972. She wrote in a letter
> to an Australian friend about the visit, on 2nd January 1973:
>
> "The Dalai Lama was most gracious and we were served afternoon tea
> (English style). We were with him for about fifty minutes. At first
> he answered our questions in Tibetan and his secretary translated;
> then he spoke in good English himself. After we had finished our
> business discussion we got on to some philosophical talk. I asked him
> if he knew of the work of H.P.B., how she had been trained in Tibet
> and had taken her knowledge to the West. He did not seem to be aware
> of this. Then I mentioned some of her writings which were based on
> Mahayana Buddhism, particularly The Voice of the Silence. He looked
> at me and said, "can you please explain its essence." You can imagine
> the shock I got. Anyway I did my best aided by Joy and he said, yes,
> it sounded like Mahayana Buddhism. We have been laughing ever since
> at my trying to explain the essence of the V. of the S. to the Dalai
> Lama."
>
>
>
>
> 
>


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