Theos-Talk Archives (December 2008 Message tt00044)

Well, we don't get quite that extreme in this country.  One of the  best 
moments of the 1970s was when the boy-guru Guru Maharaj ji was hit in face  with a 
pie.  
 
Thus to all leaders!
 
Chuck the Heretic
 
 
In a message dated 12/4/2008 3:56:22 A.M. Central Standard Time,  
christinaleestemaker@yahoo.com writes:

 
 
 
They did here with Pim Fortuyn, he started a new governmentgroup 
( STOP  immigration in our country) and what you think happened after, 
he has been  shoot by a vegetarian after his visit television studio.  
Dead!!!

Christina

--- In _theos-talk@yahoogrotheos-t_ (mailto:theos-talk@yahoogroups.com) ,  
Drpsionic@..,  Dr
>
> Someone should have hit her in the  face with a pie too. 
> 
> Chuck the Heretic (who thinks that who  claim leadership positions 
need to be 
> hit with a pie in the face  every once in a while)
> 
> 
> In a message dated 12/3/2008  9:09:11 P.M. Central Standard Time, 
> mkr777@... writes:
>  
> 
> 
> 
> Sometime ago, one of our fellow  theosophists sent me the Inaugural 
Address
> of Annie Besant. Before  she came to theosophy, she was involved in 
many
> social issues in  England and after moving ot India, she continued 
to be very
> active  in many of them and even today, for this she is remembered 
in  India.
> She also got involved in Indian Independence Movement and was  the 
only
> non-Indian to be elected as the President of Indian  National 
Congress.
> 
> Both HSO & HPB were instrumental  in social humanitarian activities 
to help
> the depressed and poor  classes in India. After Besant, there is a 
disconnect
> world-wide  between the leaders and their activities relating to 
local social
>  issues of the day. They all seem to be happy and content to stay 
in  their
> cocoons and of course with computers, happily keyboarding. I  think 
this
> disconnect may have something to do with the dismal  membership 
situation
> world-wide except in India.
> 
>  Some of you may find Besant's Address of interest.
> 
>  MKR
> 
>  ============  ====  ====  
> 
> INAUGURAL  ADDRESS OF ANNIE BESANT
> 
> June 26, 1907
> 
> Dear  Friends:
> 
> By an overwhelming majority you have ratified the  nomination of 
our
> President-Founder, made by his Master's order,  and have called upon 
me to
> take up work as his successor in the  high office of President of 
the
> Theosophical Society. The Society,  as a whole, has thus chosen to 
continue
> in the path marked out  from its inception, and trodden by its two 
outer
> Founders; it has  refused to reject the guiding Hand which gave it 
its first
>  President, and indicated its second; it therefore goes forward on 
its  new
> cycle of activity, with its elected President at its head, under  
the
> benediction which rested upon it at its birth and is now  repeated, 
as the
> chosen vehicle for the direct influence of the  Masters of WISDOM 
on the
> world, as the standard-bearer of the  mighty Theosophical Movement 
which is
> sweeping through all  religions, all literature, all art, all 
craft, through
> all the  activities of a humanity preparing itself to take a new 
step  forward
> in civilization.
> 
> The Society asserts itself  as a nucleus of Universal Brotherhood, 
and its
> specialty, as such  a nucleus, is indicated by its nameÃ
â"Theosophical. It is
> its  function to proclaim and spread abroad Theosophy, the Divine 
Wisdom,  the
> Brahma VidyÃÂ, the Gnosis, the Light of all lights, that Man may  
know God,
> may attain the knowledge which is Eternal Life, because  he is 
himself of
> that Nature which he seeks to know.
>  
> On this fact, this all-pervading identity of nature, this UNITY,  
is based
> the Universal Brotherhood, and, to bring the outer proofs  of it, 
it searches
> through all religions and philosophies, and  dives into the hidden 
secrets of
> nature and of man.
>  
> Because of this fact, it welcomes to its membership men and women  
of all
> religions, of all opinions, and, provided that they  recognize the
> Brotherhood as universal, it demands from them no belief  in any 
fact,
> however sure, in any teaching, however vital. With a  splendid 
faith in the
> victorious power of Truth, it disregards all  the barriers which
> superficially divide HumanityÃâ"sex, race, creed,  colour, casteÃ
â"and welcomes
> those as brothers who deny even the  very truths on which 
Brotherhood is
> based, and who reject even the  Revealers who make its realization 
possible
> for Humanity. Its  platform is as wide as thought, its all-
embracing love is
> as the  sun which gives warmth and life to all, even to those who 
are  blind
> to its light.
> 
> The condition of the continuing  life of the Society is its perfect
> toleration of all differences, of  all shades of opinion. None has 
the right
> to exclude his brother  for difference of thought, nor to claim for 
his own
> thought a  fuller liberty of expression than he claims for that of 
another.
>  Complete liberty of thought must be guarded by all of usÃâ"by me, 
as  your
> President, most of allÃâ"not granted as a privilege or a  
concession, but
> recognized as the inherent right of the intellect,  as its breath 
of life.
> Tolerance, even with the intolerant, must  be our rule. And this 
must be our
> principle in life and action,  not only in words, lest a fatal 
orthodoxy,
> checking new initiative  and new growth, should stealthily spread 
in the
> Society. We must  welcome differences of thought, and give free 
play to their
>  expression, so that our windows may be kept open to all new light. 
This  is
> not only sound principle, but it is also sound policy, for thus  
only can new
> avenues to knowledge constantly open before us. We  possess only 
portions of
> the Truth, and no searcher must be  hindered or frowned upon, lest 
the
> Society should lose some  fragment that he may have found. Better 
the
> temporary life of a  thousand falsehoods, than stifling of one 
truth at the
> hour of its  birth. I claim the help of every Theosophist in this 
guarding of
>  our liberty, for universal and constant vigilance is necessary 
lest  it
> should be infringed.
> 
> But let it not be supposed  that this perfect freedom of opinion 
connotes
> indifference to  truth in any who hold definite convictions as to 
any facts,
> or  should prevent them from full expression of their own 
convictions,  of
> their beliefs, or of their knowledge. There is perfect freedom  of
> affirmation among us as well as of denial, and scepticism must not  
claim
> greater rights of expression than knowledge. For the Society  as a 
whole, by
> its very name, affirms the existence of the Divine  Wisdom, and the
> affirmation would be futile if that Wisdom were beyond  human 
attainment.
> Moreover, the Society would be without a reason  for its being if 
it did not,
> as a whole, spread the Teachings  which lead up to the attainment 
of that
> Wisdom, while leaving to  its members as individuals the fullest 
freedom to
> give to any of  those teachings any form which expresses their own 
thinking,
> and  even to deny any one of them. Each Truth can only be seen by a 
man as  he
> develops the power of vision corresponding to it; the Society, by  
refusing
> to impose on its members any expressions of Truth, does  not mean 
that a man
> should remain blind, but declares that man's  power of vision 
increases in
> the open air of freedom better than  in the hot-houses of 
unreasoned beliefs.
> Hence the Society does  not impose on its members even the truths 
by which it
> lives,  although the denial of those truths by it, as a Society, 
would be
>  suicide.
> 
> The Theosophical Society thus offers to the thinkers  of every 
religion and
> of none a common platform, on which they may  meet as Lovers of 
Truth, to
> learn from and to teach each other; it  stands as the herald of the 
coming
> time when all religions shall  see themselves as branches of One 
Religion,
> the WISDOM of GOD. As  its President, I say to all men of peace and 
goodwill:
> "Come, and  let us labour together for the establishment of the 
kingdom of
>  religious Truth, religious Peace, and religious Freedom upon earthÃ
â"the  true
> Kingdom of Heaven."
> 
> So much for our principles.  What of our practice?
> 
> We owe to the President-Founder a  well-planned organization, 
combining
> complete divisional liberty  with the strength ensured by 
attachment to a
> single centre. Some  details may need amendment, but the work of 
organization
> is  practically complete. Our work is to use the organization he 
created,  and
> to guide it to the accomplishment of its purposeÃâ"the spread of  
Theosophical
> ideas, and the growth of our knowledge.
>  
> For the first, our Lodges should not be content with a programme  of
> lectures, private and public, and with classes. The members should  
be known
> as good workers in all branches of beneficent activity.  The Lodge 
should be
> the centre, not the circumference, of our  work. To the Lodge for 
inspiration
> and knowledge; to the world for  service and teaching. The members 
should
> take part in local clubs,  societies, and debating associations, 
and should
> both offer  Theosophical lectures, and lectures in which 
Theosophical ideas
>  can be put forth on the questions of the day. They should, when 
members  of
> religious bodies, hold classes outside the Society for members of  
their
> faith, in which the spiritual, instead of the literal  meaning of 
Hindu,
> Buddhist, Christian, and other doctrines should  be explained, and 
the lives
> of the great mystics of all religions  should be taught. They 
should see that
> children receive religious  education, according to their 
respective faiths.
> They should in  every way hand on the light which they have 
received, and
>  replenish their own torch with oil at the Lodge meetings.
> 
>  People belonging to kindred movements should be invited to the 
Lodge,  and
> visits should be paid to them in turn. Lodges with a numerous  
membership
> should form groups for special work. For the second,  the growth of 
our
> knowledge, groups should be formed for study  under each of our 
Objects.
> Under the first, the intellectual and  social movements of the day 
should be
> studied, their tendencies  traced out and their methods examined; 
the results
> of these  studies would help the outside workers in their choice of
> activities.  It would be useful also if, in every Lodge, a small 
group of
>  members were formed, harmonious in thought and feeling, who should 
meet  once
> a week for a quiet hour, for combined silent thought for a given  
purpose,
> and for united meditation on some inspiring idea; the  members of 
this group
> might also agree on a time at which, daily,  they should unite in a 
selected
> thought-effort to aid the Lodge.  Another group should study under 
the second
> Object, and this group  should supply lecturers on Theosophy to the 
outer
> world, and no  lecturer should be sent out by a Lodge who was not 
equipped
> for  his work by such study. A third group might take up the third 
Object  of
> the Society, and work practically at research, carrying on their  
work, if
> possible, under the direction of a member who has already  some 
experience on
> these lines, and thus increasing our store of  knowledge.
> 
> There are many other lines of useful work which  should be taken 
up, series
> of books to be planned, concerted  activities in various lands. 
These are for
> the future. But I trust  to make the Presidency a centre of life-
radiating
> force, inspiring  and uplifting the whole Society.
> 
> In order that it may be so,  let me close with a final word to all 
who have
> aided and to all  who have worked against me in the election now 
over. We all
> are  lovers of the same Ideal, and eager servants of Theosophy. Let 
us  all
> then work in amity, along our different lines and in our different  
ways, for
> our beloved Society. Let not those who have worked for  me expect 
me to be
> always right, nor those who have worked against  me expect me to be 
always
> wrong. Help me, I pray you all, in  filling well the office to 
which I have
> been elected, and share  with me the burden of our common work. 
Where you
> agree with me  follow and work with me; where you disagree, 
criticize and
> work  against me, but without bitterness and rancour. Diversities 
of  method,
> diversities of thought, diversities of operation, will enrich,  not 
weaken,
> our Movement, if love inspire and charity judge. Only  through you 
and with
> you can the Presidency be useful to the  Society. Help me so to 
fill it as to
> hand it on, a richer legacy,  to my successor. And so may the 
Masters guide
> and prosper the work  which they have given into my hands, and 
blessed.
> 
>  ---xxx---
> 
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> 
> 
> 
> 
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