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Re: Theos-World Besant's Inaugural Address

Dec 04, 2008 07:56 AM
by christinaleestemaker


It is more extreme in your country.Forgotten JFKennedy, that was long 
before such murders happened in our country.
By the way they hit Pim Fortuyn with a creme pie in his face a month 
before another one shoot him.
Christina








--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, Drpsionic@... wrote:
>
> 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@... 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 nameâ
> â?¬"Theosophical. It is
> > its  function to proclaim and spread abroad Theosophy, the Divine 
> Wisdom,  the
> > Brahma Vidy�¢, 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 Humanityâ�"sex, race, creed,  colour, casteâ
> 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 usâ�"by 
me, 
> as  your
> > President, most of allâ�"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 
earthâ
> 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 purposeâ�"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---
> > 
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been  removed]
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
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> > 
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been  removed]
> >
> 
> 
>  
> 
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