Theos-Talk Archives (December 2008 Message tt00113)

I agree.
We dont have to believe anything.
It is upto the individual to decide what to believe or not.

mkr


On 12/8/08, Morten Nymann Olesen <global-theosophy@stofanet.dk> wrote:
>
>   "His speeches and videos and books are very
> widely read by a large number of people and his key message is
> transformation of the individual."
>
> A lot of persons still read the Christian Bible, but that is no reason why
> we should believe it.
>
> M. Sufilight
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: MKR
> To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com <theos-talk%40yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Monday, December 08, 2008 2:53 PM
> Subject: Re: Theos-World Re: Why Adyar was chosen
>
> In the recent past, Madras now called Chennai, has become a key business
> hub
> in India. Major International corporations have operations there and the
> facilities that are available in the city is comparable to any major city
> in
> the world. Airline access to the city is unsurpassed. People who visit
> Adyar, do not go there looking for five-star facilities; they are there for
> something that is different. Anyone who has read the early history of TS,
> is
> sure to have a sense for what went on in the early days.
> No one who was a participant in helping the purchase of Adyar could have
> foreseen the growth of Madras/Chennai of today. Looking at Adyar simply as
> an administrative locale is to miss the real importance of the place.
> Anyone
> who wants to get a first hand feel, should take the trouble to travel to
> Adyar and see for themselves and can make up their own mind.
>
> Let us also remember the fact that it was Adyar beaches that Jiddu
> Krishnamuri was discovered. His speeches and videos and books are very
> widely read by a large number of people and his key message is
> transformation of the individual.
>
> mkr
>
> On Mon, Dec 8, 2008 at 5:53 AM, christinaleestemaker <
> christinaleestemaker@yahoo.com <christinaleestemaker%40yahoo.com>> wrote:
>
> > That is well said!!!
> > Spiritual regeneration, all over this world from the heart and head
> > of Adyar.
> > Christina
> >
> > -- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com <theos-talk%40yahoogroups.com><theos-talk%
> 40yahoogroups.com>, "Pedro
> > Oliveira" <prmoliveira@...>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > [Below is the text of an article written by me and published in The
> > > Theosophist, May 2004]
> > >
> > >
> > > Why Adyar Was Chosen
> > >
> > > The Founders of the Theosophical Society did not have a personal
> > > agenda. Their critics kept (and still keep) saying that they were
> > > either spies, cultural saboteurs, frauds and even agents of the
> > > devil! But the lives of Col. Olcott and Madame Blavatsky, their
> > > legacy and the uplifting influence they had on many who met them,
> > > speak for themselves.
> > >
> > > Although the TS was founded in New York in 1875, HSO and HPB sailed
> > > to India on 17 December 1878, arriving in Bombay on 16 February
> > > 1879, where they eventually established their headquarters at
> > `Crows
> > > Nest', in Breach Candy. Neither Olcott nor Blavatsky made a secret
> > > of being both dedicated to serve those great souls who are referred
> > > to as Mahatmas in the East. There is ample independent evidence
> > from
> > > that time that at least two Mahatmas occasionally visited and had
> > > conversations with both of the Founders during their life of work
> > > for the Society. Sometimes such visits would come at crucial
> > > moments, either when HPB was at death's door or when the pressure
> > on
> > > Col. Olcott was at breaking point. In such visits the Mahatmas
> > > offered healing, guidance and reassurance to the Founders about
> > > their work for the TS, without taking upon themselves the heavy
> > > responsibilities the Founders had voluntarily accepted to undertake.
> > >
> > > Writing in The Theosophist, July1882, in an editorial comment
> > > entitled "Coming Events Foretold", which preceded a statement by a
> > > chela of Ramalinga Pillay who, much before the Founders had arrived
> > > in India, had preached the principle of Universal Brotherhood and
> > > the existence of the Mahatmas, HPB remarked:
> > >
> > > "When, in answer to a direct challenge, the author of The Occult
> > > World wrote to the Bombay Gazette (April 4, 1882), he began his
> > > letter with the following profession of faith: "I was already sure,
> > > when I wrote The Occult World, that the Theosophical Society was
> > > connected, through Madame Blavatsky, with the great Brotherhood of
> > > Adepts I described. I now know this to be the case, which much
> > > greater amplitude of knowledge." Little did our loyal friend fancy,
> > > when he was penning these lines, that his assertion would one day
> > be
> > > capable of corroboration by the testimony of thousands. But such is
> > > now the state of the case. Skeptics and prejudiced or interested
> > > witnesses in general may scoff as they like, the fact cannot be
> > > gainsaid. ...
> > >
> > > While at Madras [May,1882], we were told that a well-known Tamil
> > > scholar, a Pandit in the Presidency College, desired to have a
> > > private conversation with us. The interview occurred in the
> > presence
> > > of Mr Singaravelu, President of the Krishna Theosophical Society,
> > > and another trustworthy Theosophist, Mr C. Aravamudu Ayangar, a
> > > Sanskritist, of Nellore. We are no more at liberty to repeat here
> > > all the questions put to us by the interviewer than we are to
> > > divulge certain other facts, which would still more strongly
> > > corroborate our repeated assertions that (1) our Society was
> > founded
> > > at the direct suggestion of Indian and Tibetan Adepts; and (2) that
> > > in coming to this country we but obeyed their wishes. But we shall
> > > leave our friends to draw their own inferences from all the
> > facts."
> > >
> > > Although the Society quickly expanded with the arrival of the
> > > Founders in India, they were searching for a suitable Headquarters.
> > > In Old Diary Leaves (Second Series), Col. Olcott explains:
> > >
> > > "In my travels over India and Ceylon I had been observing places,
> > > people, and climates, with a view to selecting the best place for a
> > > permanent Headquarters for the Society. Liberal offers of houses,
> > > free of rent, had been made us in Ceylon, and, certainly, the
> > Island
> > > presented a most charming appearance to one seeking an Asian home;
> > > but several considerations, such as its isolation from India, the
> > > cost of postage ... overweighted its loveliness and led us to
> > choose
> > > India in preference. Up to the present time, however, no good
> > > property had been offered us, and we had made no definite plans. On
> > > 31st May [1882], however, we two were begged by Judge Muttuswamy's
> > > sons to go and look at a property that was to be had cheap. We were
> > > driven to Adyar, and at the first glance knew that our future home
> > > was found.
> > >
> > > People glibly speak of Madras as "the Benighted Presidency" and as
> > > being insufferably hot. The fact is, however, that as regards
> > > climate I prefer it above the others, and as to Sanskrit Literature
> > > and Aryan Philosophy, it is the most enlightened of the Indian
> > > Presidencies; there are more learned Pandits in the villages, and
> > > the educated class, as a whole, have been less spoilt by Western
> > > education. In Bengal and Bombay there are more litterateurs of the
> > > class of Telang and Bhandarkar, but I cannot recall one equal to T.
> > > Subba Row, of Madras, in bright genius for grasping the spirit of
> > > the Ancient Wisdom. And his being at Madras was one of the causes
> > of
> > > our fixing upon that Presidency town for our official residence.
> > > Although he is dead and gone, yet we have never regretted our
> > > choice, for Adyar is a sort of paradise."
> > >
> > > To fully appreciate Col. Olcott's reference to Subba Row it may be
> > > helpful to mention the following passages from The Mahatma Letters
> > > to A. P. Sinnett:
> > >
> > > "This Subba Row will help you [Sinnett] to learn, though his terms
> > â
> > > he being an initiated Brahmin and holding to the Brahmanical
> > > esoteric teaching â will be different from those of the "Arhat
> > > Buddhist" terminology". (Letter 60, chronological.)
> > >
> > > "Upasika (Madam B.) and Subba Row, though pupils of the same
> > Master,
> > > have not followed the same philosophy â the one is Buddhist and the
> > > other an Adwaitee." (Letter 120, chronological.)
> > >
> > > The presence of this initiated Chela in Madras was therefore of
> > > paramount importance in the Founders' decision to establish the TS
> > > Headquarters there. And it also made clear the character of Adyar
> > as
> > > a centre for the Masters' work.
> > >
> > > HPB, in a letter to her aunt Nadyezhda A. de Fadeyev (published in
> > > The Path, September 1895), described the beautiful quiet that is
> > one
> > > of the enduring aspects of Adyar as a spiritual centre:
> > >
> > > "It is simply delightful. What air we have here; what nights! And
> > > what marvellous quiet! No more city noises and street yells. I am
> > > sitting quietly writing, and now and then gaze over the ocean
> > > sparkling all over as if a living thing â really. I am often under
> > > the impression that the sea breathes, or that it is angry, roaring
> > > and hurling itself about in wrath... But when it is quiet and
> > > caressing, there can be nothing in the world as fascinating as its
> > > beauty, especially on a moonlight night. The moon here against the
> > > deep dark-blue sky seems twice as big and ten times brighter than
> > > your European little mother-of-pearl ball."
> > >
> > > Such were the momentous beginnings of Adyar as the home of the
> > > Theosophical Society. It was not only the home of the Founders; it
> > > was and it remains the heart of the worldwide theosophical work
> > > which was spearheaded by them. During Annie Besant's presidency the
> > > state was expanded into the beautiful campus it is today. Many
> > > generations of devoted workers have served there and their
> > > dedication, devotion and profound altruistic commitment to
> > Theosophy
> > > has definitely contributed in making Adyar the `Flaming Centre' it
> > > is.
> > >
> > > The beauty of Adyar is indeed incomparable and it exerts a profound
> > > influence on the consciousness of those who visit or stay there,
> > > sometimes even of those who just visit for a very short while.
> > While
> > > working there the writer had the occasion of meeting rather briefly
> > > an overseas businessman on a short visit to Madras. He came to
> > Adyar
> > > and his experience there led him to say: "It is a pity I that I
> > have
> > > to go away so soon. This is a remarkable place. There is something
> > > sacred here." This was, of course, the experience of many, many
> > > others. Perhaps it is not difficult to understand that 121 years of
> > > continuous theosophical work for the spiritual regeneration of
> > > humanity have created at Adyar a very special and profound
> > > atmosphere. Annie Besant expressed this realization beautifully
> > when
> > > she wrote: "Work for Adyar, the Masters' Home". In this way Adyar
> > is
> > > the very heart of the Theosophical Society, radiating those
> > powerful
> > > and uplifting influences to every theosophical centre in the world
> > > as well as to the entire planet.
> > >
> > > Therefore those who, from time to time, say or imply that the
> > > International Headquarters of the TS should be elsewhere do not
> > > have, obviously, an informed opinion about the subject. Sometimes
> > > one of the reasons given for such a change is the perceived lack of
> > > security and efficiency in India. Let us examine this point. The
> > > attacks on New York on 11 September 2001 have made clear that
> > > absolute security is a myth, for if terrorists could strike at the
> > > heart of the nation with the mightiest military power on earth, as
> > > they did, they could do so anywhere else in the world. Also, the
> > > Theosophical Society is not a business corporation seeking to
> > > dominate any given market. It is not, and it has never been, guided
> > > by worldly values or sagacity. The peace, quiet, harmony and
> > > indescribable beauty of Adyar are, in themselves, an enormous
> > > contribution to the world, for through them the Great Ones pour out
> > > constantly their regenerating blessings. As for efficiency, the
> > > example at Adyar is given by our International President herself,
> > > for she works seven days a week, travels incessantly to visit and
> > > speak to centres of the TS worldwide, deals with an inhumane amount
> > > of correspondence and is responsible for the overall activities at
> > > that Centre. Also, Adyar has kept apace with the new technologies
> > > and all the major offices are provided with electronic
> > > communications, the Centre has an informative web site and the
> > > Theosophical Publishing House has an online catalogue and its books
> > > are in constant demand.
> > >
> > > For the individual member who has the unique privilege of working
> > > and serving at Adyar, there is a very special opportunity. Unlike
> > > many in the world today believe, a real spiritual centre is not
> > > meant for people to have `a good time', receive `messages from
> > > gurus', develop `powers', nor any of the like. The power of a true
> > > spiritual centre, when one is sincere, helps to accelerate in the
> > > individual the process of self-confrontation, bringing to the
> > > surface of the conscious mind every hitherto hidden content,
> > > tendencies, deceptions and vices, as well as spiritual aspiration,
> > > goodness and any other moral quality which were laying dormant
> > > within him or her. This results in a very efficient and lasting
> > > educational process, helping the person to lay strong foundations
> > on
> > > the path of self-knowledge, for unless one is self-aware one cannot
> > > really help the forces of wisdom and compassion in their work to
> > > liberate human consciousness from the illusion of separateness.
> > >
> > > It is a very great privilege and honour to have Adyar has the head
> > > and the heart of the Theosophical Society. And the fact that many,
> > > many members, all over the world, remember Adyar and support it in
> > > every way they can is an eloquent testimony of Adyar's living and
> > > strong spiritual heritage. May Adyar grow always stronger and may
> > > those TS members who are ready offer themselves to go there and
> > > devote the best years of their lives to what Adyar stands for: the
> > > spiritual regeneration of humanity.
> > >
> >
> >
> >
>
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> 
>


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