Theos-Talk Archives (October 2008 Message tt00671)

Dear Erica,

It is part of the last Chapter of his book "Is this Theosophy?"

You will find it:

http://ftp1.dns-systems.net/~hpb/books/is_this_theosophy.htm

Warmest regards,
Anton



--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, Erica Letzerich <eletzerich@...> 
wrote:
>
> Dear Anton,
> 
> Could you please provide-me with a more detailed reference of the 
excert you published:  " On institutional problems Excerpt from "Is 
this Theosophy?" by Ernest E. Wood.
> 
> So to say this is a book or an article, year of publication, 
publishing house . The whole content is online or not?
> 
> Erica
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Anton Rozman <anton_rozman@...>
> To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Monday, October 20, 2008 12:43:57 PM
> Subject: Theos-World Masters as political tool and business 
opportunity
> 
> 
> Dear friends - Lovers of Truth,
> 
> I don't know how it is elsewhere but here, in Slovenia and in the 
> region of former Yugoslavia in general, Masters' names are abused 
> every day for special interests. In "esoteric" circles there is 
> almost everyone in touch with them, if not directly then through 
> some "enlightened" person. There are prophecies of all sorts 
> delivered around; there are thousands of written words spread to 
> enchant people to stick with definite circle with quite obvious but 
> hidden political agenda and which is generating countless business 
> opportunities on the fields of alternative medicine, psychology, 
> agriculture, energy, tourism, ? actually with the aim to continue 
to 
> control the society.
> 
> Many people here are gifted psychics. Remember, Nikola Tesla was 
from 
> this region and he, for instance, felt passage of a carriage at the 
> distance of three kilometers as an earthquake. But in general these 
> people don't know what to do with their gifts and usually finish as 
a 
> prey of money greed. 
> 
> Books of A. Besant and C. W. Leadbeater therefore appeal to their 
> nature and bring them some understanding about the real source of 
> this knowledge, about the nature of psychic phenomena and ethics 
> which should be followed. And to more smart ones (with some 
> introduction) they can reveal possible subtle manipulations which 
> were and are going on.
> 
> The Theosophical Society here is not excluded; actually it is deep 
in 
> this game thanks to the Esoteric Section. You can read in E. E. 
> Wood's book about the manipulations he has to face when running for 
> the office of the TS President:
> http://www.teozofij a.info/tsmembers /Wood_IsThisTheo sophy.htm
> 
> In the past I witnessed forging of documents, intrigues which were 
> worth of political police, unbelievable accusations of opponents 
out 
> of sick vivid imagination and political manipulation - a complete 
> dismantling of the democratic process. 
> 
> And I saw many elements (also noticed by other observers) of this 
> kind of manipulation in the past TS President elections. 
> 
> But let's speak E.E. Wood once again:
> 
> ???????????.
> 
> "By 1925 prayers of all the materially powerful religions were 
> introduced on the Society's official platform, and the movement 
> definitely degenerated into a brotherhood of creeds. Criticism of 
> other people's ideas became "unbrotherly! " And besides, 
it "spoiled 
> the work," and the work was largely a conveyance of blessings and 
> forces by those who were admitted to the systems of organized 
access 
> to these things. On these grounds offices were filled, and 
> invitations were issued to leaders to preside and lecture at the 
> Society's gatherings nearly all over the world.
> 
> Bishop Leadbeater was one of the worst politicians in this respect, 
> especially as he grew older. He detested argument and criticism - 
> such a waste of time; such a dissipation of energy. He said to 
> me: "We must try to get our own people in as General Secretaries in 
> as many countries as possible." He wrote many letters hinting that 
> certain persons were the best. I did not question his earnestness 
and 
> sincerity, but I thought that he ought to have gone out and started 
a 
> new society on his own lines, which were quite different from those 
> for which the Theosophical Society was intended. But he won his 
way, 
> on account of his extraordinary persistence.
> 
> Bishop Leadbeater and his agents were eminent in the theosophical 
> weakness of wanting things both ways at once, though that was quite 
> illogical. The Society must be quite without dogma, and yet its 
> councils must be governed and its platforms occupied by those who 
> were eager to promote certain beliefs, leaderships and objectives, 
> and members who opposed these must be kept in the background."
> 
> ?????????????..
> 
> And I would like to conclude with the words of F.P. Spinks:
> 
> ?????????????.
> 
> "Theosophist should examine his beliefs to see if any of them rest 
> upon the declaration of some Voice of Authority, some "ipse dixit," 
> some dogmatic statement, by a `leader' or `teacher.' If so, he is 
> advised to hold these beliefs up to the light of sound reason, good 
> judgment, and not to be carried away by the present prestige of the 
> declarer as a `teacher' or `authority,' nor to his assertion that 
the 
> declaration is being given out "in the Master's name" and is 
occult. 
> Is it really likely that occult knowledge - which has to do with 
the 
> use of hidden, secret and powerful forces - would be printed and 
> handed out in this form to those who merely promise to keep it 
> secret? 
> 
> All students of psychology know that when a dogma is rigidly held, 
it 
> tends to make that person difficult to deal with, maladjusted. 
> Particularly is this true in the religious area. Dogmatism spawns 
> bigotry and bigotry, fanaticism. We do a distinct disservice to 
> Theosophy when we become so dogmatic that we enter the area of 
> fanaticism. George Santayana once defined a fanatic as a man who 
> redoubles his efforts after he has forgotten his aims. 
> 
> If we probe into the dogmatic assertions of our Voices, of 
Authority 
> we will find that these assertions are often in the nature of a 
smoke-
> screen to hide a position of weakness, even ignorance. We must 
cease 
> the falsity of hiding behind these dogmatic assertions, which are 
> intended to shroud the maker in an aura of spiritual respectability 
> greater than that of his hearer - and always greater than he 
> deserves. Its obvious purpose is to use the aura of the Masters to 
> impress those of us who are mere lay members. Those who 
fraudulently 
> make assertions in the name of the Masters are guilty of 
dishonorable 
> conduct which debases and corrupts the Society wherein they take a 
> prominent part. It is a crime against the integrity of all those 
> sincere if misguided people who pay them and their utterances a 
> greater respect than they deserve. Let us once and for all do away 
> with this cant and this hero-worship of not 
> infallible `teachers,' `leaders' or gurus of any description. There 
> should be no sacred cows in the Theosophical Movement. We have here 
> learned on the highest authority that all are fallible."
> 
> ????????????.
> 
> Wouldn't be fun if some day an UFO would land and we would see our 
> Masters in company of some other People stepping down the stairs 
> saluting us and saying: "Well, nothing special, isn't it, but you 
> earned it!" 
> 
> Warmest regards,
> Anton
> 
>     
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>