Theos-Talk Archives (October 2008 Message tt00672)

Sorry, I forgot other data:

"Is this Theosophy ...?"
by 
Ernest Egerton Wood
London: Rider & Co.
Paternoster House, E.C.
Made and Printed i Great Britain at
The Mayflower Press, Plymouth. 
William Brendon & Son, Ltd.
1936

Best regards,
Anton


--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "Anton Rozman" <anton_rozman@...> 
wrote:
>
> 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]
> >
>