Theos-Talk Archives (December 2008 Message tt00046)

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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> >
> 
> 
>  
> 
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