Theos-Talk Archives (January 2009 Message tt00696)

Yes, if it were not for Pedro and his willingness to put up with us (He  gets 
the Job medal with Prune Clusters) we would all be the poorer.
 
Chuck the Heretic
 
 
In a message dated 1/31/2009 12:45:55 A.M. Central Standard Time,  
mkr777@gmail.com writes:

 
 
 
I am very glad to see Pedro posting the full address of Radha Burnier,  our
International President. It is to be noted that in the address,  the
President has included a report of the activities/conditioPresident has in
sections in the World. It is informative to many members and others  around
the world because many do not subscribe to the  Theosophist.

This is the first time ever that it is posted on the  Internet maillist and I
hope this is the start of a new era of using  Internet to quickly disseminate
information to the members and others  interested.

It is also a first breakthrough for two reasons. Firstly,  in the minds of
some, the copyright issue may override the need to keep  members uptodate and
hence even if a member gets hold of the document,  there will always be
reluctance on posting it on Internet because some  short-sighted bureaucrat
may challenge the poster for violation of  copyright. Secondly, in the minds
of some bureaucrat, these independent  maillists may be seen as an
"unofficial" forum which should not post a  copyrighted material, because
some legitimacy may be picked up by  association.

I think that last year's electioneering and the role  independent Internet
maillist has played has definitely changed the  landscape. Based on the
events of last year, anyone who wants up to keep up  with uptodate factual
information concerning TS, now looks to theos-talk.  Thanks Eldon for making
this list available.

MKR

On Thu, Jan  29, 2009 at 4:40 PM, Pedro Oliveira <_prmoliveira@prmolivei_ 
(mailto:prmoliveira@yahoo.com) >wrote:

>  Presidential Address to the 133rd Annual Convention of the
>  Theosophical Society, Adyar, 26 December 2008
> (Published in The  Theosophist, January 2009. PO)
>
> It is with much pleasure that I  welcome all of you to this 133rd
> International Convention, hoping that  those who come will be able to
> respond to the beautiful atmosphere  which is in Adyar all the time.
> From the very earliest years of the  Society people have met here like
> this â a few in the early days, and  many nowadays, to have a
> Convention so those who can come, meet each  other and talk over
> Theosophical work, and expand inwardly both heart  and mind. Let us
> offer ourselves to the Elder Brethren and make our  minds free to
> receive what they are always ready to  give.
>
> May those who are the embodiments of Love immortal bless  with their
> help and guidance this Society, founded to be a channel for  their
> work. May They inspire it with their Wisdom, strengthen it with  their
> Power, and energize it with their Activity.
>
> As  you all know, during the first part of this year an election of
> some  importance took place. The election is not meant to be a reason
> for us  to be unreasonable. Until now, the Theosophical Society has
> completed  more than one hundred and thirty years; we may say it has
> been doing  well. But this year, there were some members who regarded
> the election  as an opportunity to compete. Very few members perhaps
> understand that  the Theosophical Society has an inner significance
> which unites all  true members throughout the world, and keeps the
> structure safe and  whole. This time, those who were voting had a
> choice between someone  living in Adyar, which has been called `The
> Master's Home', and others  who felt that the President can function
> just as well, even though he  may not reside at Adyar.
>
> The election is over. Dr John Algeo  was able to get 4323 votes in his
> favour, while I received 8560 votes.  The number of votes is not
> important, but as far as I can see it is of  much importance to decide
> from where the President should  function.
>
> Adyar should not be seen and thought of merely as an  entity without a
> living force. It seems essential to me that Adyar,  and to a lesser
> extent every Section Headquarters, should demonstrate  the essential
> character of the Society, lifting it above petty  concerns. We all
> have an opportunity to proceed according to the  wishes of those
> higher beings on the ladder of evolution who are  watching over the
> events of earth. It must shake off what has been  useful to people at
> the time before human incarnation, but have less  and less value as
> they become truly human. This is important for the  real human being,
> not those who are still tainted by the past, to  perform its role in
> evolution. It is the special duty of those who see  the mid-point, and
> appreciate its importance. They learn to abandon  all lower concerns,
> and work towards the heights to which humanity  will rise. An election
> therefore, in the Society, must not be grounded  in notions that may
> take a person into ways that do not  help.
>
> What is the way for human beings to rise above to the  human stage?
> The first fact of importance is to realize that many of  the thoughts,
> feelings and actions which surround and instigate us are  not
> compatible with the real work we have to do. As The Voice of  the
> Silence says, every person needs `the gentle breezes of  Soul-Wisdom
> to brush away the dust of our illusions' and blend mind  with
> soul. `The rose must re-become the bud, born of its parent  stem,
> before the parasite has eaten through its heart . . . The self  of
> matter and the Self of Spirit can never meet.' We human beings  must
> live in such a way that during each incarnation we live purer  lives.
> Therefore we have to strive, not do the  contrary.
>
> The human stage is of great importance because from  the beginning it
> is a stage where the animal nature of the candidate  is overcome
> altogether. This conscious work must be carried out, then  progress
> takes place by itself. The student of Theosophy belongs to a  category
> which is very important for this reason; then at least a  few
> responsible persons will act in a manner which exercises an  influence
> which is spiritual.
>
> The spiritual is  different from the material, social, intellectual
> and religious  fields. `Religion' can be more harmful than helpful if
> people  misunderstand it. It often demands that a person does what he
> is told  to by people who seem very different. But actually, if one
> does not  cling to anything, but seeks only to know in a deeper way
> life's  meaning, it does not matter whether one is Christian, Hindu,
>  Zoroastrian or Muslim or any other category. The truly religious mind
>  is a pure mind.
>
> In the early days of the Society the members  had the opportunity to
> learn rightly what religion is. The motto of  the Society (satyÃt
> nÃsti paro dharmah) `There is No Religion Higher  than Truth' often
> brings to our mind the Truth about this way of  living. The way anyone
> claims to be on the religious path â behaviour,  interest, and so on â
> indicates what he is. If he is truly religious  he learns to be
> affectionate to all people, not considering whether  the other person
> is poor, rich, well read or simple. The truly  religious person and
> the real Theosophist are not different. Often we  think that the
> religious consciousness depends on words and phrases,  but that may be
> completely wrong; and religion is not dependent on  what a person
> says, but on how a person lives. The person may be a  weaver or a
> tailor dealing with clothes, but essentially pure and  carrying purity
> with him.
>
> In modern days, especially  among Indians, superficiality is stressed.
> The whole of society  depends on the people who are part of it, and on
> their attitudes. So  we can on the whole think of modern society as
> materialistic as most  people are concerned with material values,
> which is quite opposed to  the religious life. The religious person on
> the other hand applies the  values he knows theosophically; he is more
> concerned with his heart,  not with his hands. The hands, the feet,
> the whole body responds to  what the mind requires. Can one do one's
> work in the world which may  be weaving or anything else, but with the
> religious quality necessary  for raising the consciousness?
> As Theosophists, we must, each one of  us, be a person showing to
> those who come along that one can be  engaged in almost any work, not
> involving slaughtering, or cheating  and so on, and yet be religious,
> because the one thing that matters  for everyone is the condition of
> the heart and mind. A Theosophist  therefore, tends to be someone
> different from the ordinary man or  woman.
>
> * * *
>
> The Indian Section celebrated its  117th convention, as usual, within
> the ambience of the International  Convention in 2007. The membership
> of the Section on 30 September 2008  was 12,917. This means that the
> Indian Section continues to be the  largest one we have. Although the
> names of those who have passed away,  and also of those who have not
> renewed their membership have been  removed, it still remains the
> largest Section in the world. The  General Secretary has urged members
> to go on working steadily towards  universal values. It is our
> responsibility to live Theosophy, not  merely study Theosophy. The
> Section is improving its work though at  times it is difficult, but
> problems are being faced.
>
>  Many programmes were arranged throughout the year. More than eighty
>  members attended the North Indian Study Camp. Lectures on Human
>  Regeneration, The Way of Self-Knowledge and Letters from the Masters
>  of the Wisdom were discussed. Prof. P. Krishna and Mrs Radha Burnier
>  led another study course on J. Krishnamurti'  led another study cours
> Known. One hundred and fifty delegates registered for the  South
> Indian Conference, and several people gave fruitful talks. Many  other
> Federation Programmes took place during the  year.
>
> The General Secretary and his wife, Mrs Sundaram,  attended the
> Triennial Conference of the Indo-Pacific Federation which  was held
> early in November in the Philippines. The General Secretary  also
> attended the Marathi Federation Meeting, whose theme was `Live  to
> Benefit Humanity'. During the Rayalaseema Federation meeting,  the
> centennial issue of the Telugu magazine was presented to  the
> audience, and talks were given by the President. The 125th
>  anniversary of the Anantha Lodge in Trivandrum brought Kerala members
>  together. The Inter-national President, Mrs Radha Burnier, spoke
> on  `Unity â the Way Ahead'. The National Lecturers travelled all over
>  India, and tried to stimulate the work. All regions throughout India
>  have been active in the work of the Theosophical Order of Service
>  which is divided in such a way that can be effective.
>
> The  General Secretary has made an appeal for funds to repair and
> renew  properties which require maintenance. The places where funds
> have  accumulated contribute to this work, which has commenced on some
> of  the Headquarters buildings at Varanasi. During the year some well-
>  known members passed away, including Bro. Anandamurti Srivastava, who
>  was for many years a worker at the Varanasi Headquarters. Swami
> Anand,  former Secretary of the U. P. Federation and Mr V. M.
> Parmanand who  generously donated a lakh of rupees to the Section and
> belonged to  Bombay, were also among those who passed to other regions.
> A meeting  specially for officers was tried and proved useful. The
> General  Secretary, Mr S. Sundaram, made a number of valuable
> suggestions,  including help with understanding the Rules and
> Regulations.  Office-bearers should now have a somewhat better concept
> of Lodge  level and Federation level work.
>
> Sri Lanka is functioning  under a Presidential Agency. It is reported
> that monthly meetings for  members are supplemented with guest
> speakers delivering talks on  various spiritual matters. This is
> followed by a free lunch. Three  thousand copies of Colonel Olcott's
> Buddhist Catechism were  distributed by Hamsa Lodge, Badulla, to
> schools and the university  library. This Lodge also brings out a
> periodical called Sanatana  Dhamma.
>
> The Presidential Representative for South-East Asia  reports that, due
> to unrest in the area, it has not been possible to  contact all
> members. The Seramban Lodge in Malaysia has been restarted  with the
> admission of five new members, while in Selangor the work is  going on
> well. In Bangladesh there are five Lodges and a Study Centre.  All
> have regular study classes. The Lodge at Chittagong in  eastern
> Bangladesh has been very active, and along with Besant Lodge  is
> planning to have a meeting to coordinate attempts to strengthen  the
> work.
>
> The Singapore Lodge started the year with  336 members. Forty-one new
> members have received diplomas this year.  Continued focus has been
> laid on the presentation of A Course in  Theosophy. This programme is
> their principal means of attracting new  members. Twenty-one members
> attended the Indo-Pacific Conference in  the Philippines. Speakers
> from India, the Philippines, Australia and  America gave lectures
> during the year. This has been the centenary  year for the TOS, and
> support included help to elderly  persons.
>
> The Australian Section has been doing well. Their  funds have
> increased, and their total number of members is 1312.  Membership fees
> are subsidized when needed by the National  Headquarters. The National
> Members receive letters from the General  Secretary who also visited a
> number of places and spoke at the Lodges.  Two new study papers were
> brought out, one being on The First Leaf of  TS History in tribute to
> Colonel Olcott. A copy of Buddhist Meditation  by Samdhong Rinpoche
> was sent free to all the members while the  Buddhist Catechism, in
> memory of Colonel Olcott, was sent at almost no  cost to members. The
> library of the Section was enriched by a donation  of personal files
> from Elaine Murdoch. A thesis entitled `A Visionary  Space' showing
> the influence of Theosophy on artists, was donated by  Dr Jenny
> McFarlane to the Campbell Library. The theme of the School  of
> Theosophy was `Occult Science â Principles and Applications. Theosoph
> director was Dr Edi Bilimoria. The former President of the  Indo-
> Pacific Federation, Mr Pedro Oliveira, was appreciative of  the
> generous support from the Section.
>
> The New Zealand  Section is among one of the bigger ones, having 899
> members. While the  membership has dropped from 982 to 899, we are
> told this is due to  serious culling in two major centres, but
> membership in several  smaller areas is tending to rise. The new
> General Secretary, Mr  Warwick Keys, believes that there should be
> greater self-reliance in  the future. After a lot of work (some of
> which was done by the former  General Secretary, Mr John Vorstermans)
> the Charities Act is now in  force. The Section magazine has changed
> its name and format and is now  called TheoSophia.
>
> The Philippines Section commemorated its  75th anniversary and many
> old members were present at an exhibition of  the Publishing House in
> Manila. At the National Headquarters, a  workshop for Lodge officers
> and leaders was held last August. The  Golden Link School, which the
> Section runs, produced its first high  school graduates. The Kern
> Foundation has sent money to help the  School. A number of services
> and workshops have been established to  help young people. A
> meditation group has been started at the National  Headquarters. Among
> those who passed away during the year was Mr Romeo  Velarde who has
> spent much of his energy on Theosophical work after  his retirement.
>
> The American Section has had difficulties  because of the economic
> situation. The General Secretary mentions that  they have had to
> tighten their belts and the membership has dropped by  172, making a
> total of about 4000 members. It is mentioned that fewer  people have
> joined the Society, but more are interested in making use  of Internet
> programmes. There are about 110 groups out of which there  are 45
> active branches, and the rest are study groups. The Department  of
> Education has been producing study courses and other work, helping  to
> keep the Society alive. The Audio-Video Department produced  eighteen
> new videos and DVDs. The Library has been awarded a grant of  $25,000
> which will enable the conversion of the records to a  standard
> electronic format. The Publishing House sales were  disappointing, but
> a multi-faceted approach that was introduced has  made Theosophy offer
> greater service.
>
> The General  Secretary of the Canadian Association, Mrs Lorraine
> Christensen,  reports that many changes for the better have taken
> place. Mr George  Duguay, a former General Secretary, who was
> instrumental in setting up  a website, passed away. The newly
> appointed officers have been  provided with a manual giving
> guidelines, so that they can proceed  confidently. Work on their
> website is underway, and for the time being  the magazine The Light
> Bearer will be produced twice  yearly.
>
> The General Secretary, Mr Eric McGough, of the English  Section
> reports that interest in their programmes has increased,  resulting in
> increased membership in many Lodges, and much enthusiasm  across the
> Section. The current membership is 1033 and increase is  35.
> Redecoration of the Head-quarters has been completed. The  Welsh
> Region had its triennial congress in June. A study course on  The
> Secret Doctrine is being led by Mr Eric McGough. In March 2008  all
> the members of the Cardiff Lodge resigned, calling themselves  `The
> Cardiff Theosophical Society'. But, twenty-five new people  became
> members, adding to eighty-one members in Wales.
>
>  Work is going on well in Ireland. Belfast Lodge meets regularly, as
>  does Limerick Lodge. Limerick Lodge, in addition, holds a healing
>  service. There is a good group of members in Coleraine, and a number
>  of meetings have been held in Dublin. The website has been running
> for  some time, and it is hoped to produce a newsletter. Study notes
>  throughout the year, and a covering letter from Mrs Marie Harkness,
>  have been sent to all the members. A successful convention was held
> in  Dublin, and the members were very happy to meet together.
>
> The  General Secretary of the Swedish Section, Mr Pertti Spets,
> reports  that there are seven Lodges in Sweden and some study groups,
> making a  total of 162 members. Studies on Self-culture and
> Reincarnation have  been taken up by the study groups. There have been
> lectures in  Stockholm, and in July the Summer School was held there.
> In Norway,  the work has been kept alive by the Organizing Secretary,
> Mrs Agnes  Gassemyr. She reports that the Watch-Tower Notes were sent
> every month  to members, so that they are able to keep in touch with
> the work. A  successful seminar with Prof. P. Krishna was held in May.
> Meetings to  discuss the work, including a website, will be
> functioning fairly  soon. Members are concentrating on making the
> Lodges  work.
>
> The Italian Section and the Finnish Section are among  the largest and
> most active Sections in Europe. The Italian Section  has 1077 members,
> and is preparing to have the World Congress in Rome  in 2010. A larger
> Headquarters, including a publishing house was set  up in Vicenza and
> donations have increased. The Trieste Headquarters  has been
> remodeled, conserving the old charm. Some other places in  Italy are
> managing their resources so that they can improve their  Headquarters
> in the next few years.
>
> The General  Secretary, Mr Antonio Girardi, reports many features
> which show that  improvements are taking place, including the
> distribution of 1300  copies of the magazine Rivista Italiana di
> Teosofia sent to  subscribers. Some new Study Centres were opened. The
> General Secretary  visited a number of places giving talks and
> initiating fresh  enthusiasm. Prof. P. Krishna was a special impetus
> when he took part  in a seminar near Venice with about eighty people
> attending. The  Italian Section helps Eastern countries, the work of
> the Olcott  Education Society in India, educational activities in
> Pakistan and  Manila, and so on. The General Secretary reports that
> they have taken  an interest in the publication of books by Madame
> Maria Montessori,  who was a member of the Society in Italy.
>
> The Theosophical  Society in Spain held as usual in March the Iberian
> gathering. The  subject discussed was Search for the Path Going
> Inside, and about  sixty-seven persons attended. There was also a
> Summer School on the  subject of Human Perfection, and 130 persons
> attended. The  Theosophical Publishing House brought out several books.
>
> In  Portugal, the General Secretary, Dr Licio Correia, reported that
> the  Section is working with enthusiasm and commitment. Some members
> have  been studying Theosophical works and others are focusing on a
> basic  course in Theosophy. All basic Theosophical festivals were duly
>  celebrated, and every month a lecture was given by an invited
>  lecturer. Last June the two Lodges in Porto inaugurated their new
>  premises. A talk was given on this occasion, and some members from
>  Lisbon attended.
>
> The work of the four Lodges in Slovenia  continues. A mini school, a
> winter school and also a summer school  were part of the programme,
> and a few members from Croatia came. There  are seventy-one members in
> this Section, and we hope that it will  increase because of the
> enthusiasm of the members.
>
> Mr  Thomas Martinovich, who looks after the Hungarian TS, reports that
>  regular monthly meetings are held, usually concluding with group
>  meditation. Some books were translated and are available on the
>  computer. Public lectures were held at Budapest four times a year and
>  once a month in another place. Their goal is to increase the number
> of  Lodge members. In the eastern Lodge of Debrecen, `Living Questions
> on  Theosophy' were discussed, and articles and material from The
>  Theosophist were made known to the participants.
>
> The  Theosophical Society in Finland has been active as usual with
> many  kinds of programmes that are held in their summer house in
> Kreivila in  cooperation with Theosophically- Kreivila in  coope
> new Lodge  called Isis-Iooz was started. The web pages of I. K.
> Taimni's Science  of Yoga and Rohit Mehta's Creative Silence were
> compiled in Finnish,  while Ms Eeva Hippula compiled a book entitled
> Notes about the History  of Finnish Theosophy. The activities in
> Estonia have generally been  useful. There is a good library in Tallin
> and several in other places.  At the end of September 2008, the
> Section had 460  members.
>
> The French Section has been carrying on in the usual  way studying The
> Mahatma Letters under the leadership of Ms  TrÃn-Thi-Kim- Mahatma Let
> Robert Ellwood and his wife were the  main guests at the Summer School
> of the Latin countries. The German  Section is still quite small. The
> weekend meetings in the north of the  country and the usual Summer
> School in Lippstadt, with the subject  `Joy â Divine Spark', took
> place. A new General Secretary, and a new  Committee have been
> elected, and we hope that the Section will do good  work as a result.
>
> In Greece, after a period of transition, Mr  Theodoros Katsifis was
> elected as the General Secretary, with Mrs  Erica Georgiades as the
> Secretary. We are told that the Section has  approximately 150% more
> members, and four new Lodges have been  founded. The Headquarters of
> the Society in Greece was extensively  renovated, and a study room has
> been established. They have very many  publishing and translating
> projects underway. The official magazine  Ilisos has 600 subscribers
> in Greece and abroad. It is published every  three months, and every
> year articles by well-known Theosophists are  included in their
> magazine.
>
> In Iceland, the General  Secretary reported that fifty-one meetings
> were held during the year,  with an attendance of between forty and
> sixty. There are seven active  Lodges in Iceland with two outside the
> capital. Open-house meetings,  with programmes including dialogue, DVD
> films with discussion, and  refreshments are held weekly. The income
> from the refreshments helped  to run the Section Headquarters.
> Approximately sixty members attended  a summer seminar in Estonia.
>
> The Dutch Section had a difficult  year during which two members were
> expelled. The Headquarters in  Amsterdam has a number of people
> carrying out research, and it seems  as if the library has an
> increasing membership. This Section has nine  Lodges and seven Study
> Centres, with a total of 398  members.
>
> The Theosophical Society in East and Central Africa  is spread over
> four countries. Some short talks are given in Gujarati,  apart from
> the English talks, because there are people who do not know  English.
> The important Theosophical days were observed. Two youth  seminars
> were arranged in Nairobi. The statistics show a decrease  in
> membership, but this is inevitable because Indians are leaving,  and
> many Africans are not yet familiar with the Theosophical point  of
> view. The TOS has been celebrating its centenary and they hope  that
> the authorities concerned will issue a stamp to mark this  occasion.
> The West African Section continues its work which covers the  English-
> speaking countries, namely, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon and  Liberia. The
> studies during the year were concentrated on the Ancient  Wisdom. Many
> Theosophical volumes were sold in the bookshop in Ghana,  and the
> study groups also used books from this source. Two  journalists
> interviewed the General Secretary about the aims of the  Society and
> an article was printed in a newspaper called The Moment.  Mr John
> Boakye, who assists the General Secretary, attended the School  of the
> Wisdom at Adyar. Free copies of At the Feet of the Master,  translated
> in the Twi language, were distributed to all the members  who do not
> know English. On the Ivory Coast, weekly meetings were  held. Many
> members and sympathizers studied The Key to Theosophy.  These studies
> are particularly helpful for younger members. The work  on the African
> Headquarters building has progressed well, the ground  and first
> floors having been completed. In spite of the difficult  ongoing
> political situation in Africa, the Pan-African Federation's  Chairman,
> Mr Tom Davis, reported that activities continue, and their  newsletter
> is distributed regularly.
>
> From Southern  Africa, the General Secretary, Mrs Susan Kaschula
> reports that a new  Lodge with twenty-nine members was chartered. This
> is the first new  Lodge in fifty-eight years. The use of Prof. K. V.
> K. Nehru's  PowerPoint presentation was successful. Attempts are being
> made to  revive the work in Cape Town and Durban.
>
> The President of the  Inter-American Federation, Mrs Terezinha Kind,
> reports that the `First  All Central American Convention' was held in
> El Salvador and resulted  in an increase of members, mostly in the
> Central American countries.  The larger Sections are encouraged to
> help smaller neighbours by  interchanging information, materials and
> experiences. The IATF  Newsletter is distributed twice yearly. At all
> meetings, there is an  emphasis on working together under the guidance
> of the International  Headquarters in Adyar.
>
> Argentina has been active, particularly  in the San Rafael centre.
> They have had a number of sessions with  various members including one
> with younger members. In Mendoza and San  Rafael, there were two
> conferences and a winter school, with  thirty-one people in
> attendance. Similarly, other areas have had  gatherings. The
> Theosophist has been translated, and sent to all  members in addition
> to their own magazine. The total number of members  is 333. The book
> Transformation from the Internal to the External was  printed and
> distributed, and revision of the Theosophical Glossary is  being
> prepared.
>
> The General Secretary of Brazil  reports that the membership is now
> 776, which shows a reduction. Some  Lodges and study groups have
> closed. The system of paying annual dues  in installments is going on.
> Every year a renewal appeal is made to  members asking for their
> contributions to support the Theosophical  work. Two thousand copies
> of their magazine Sophia is published and  distributed every three
> months. There were three national gatherings  which studied various
> Theosophical subjects, including the writings of  Clara Codd, N. Sri
> Ram and I. K. Taimni. Special meetings are held at  the Headquarters
> and the lectures were useful. The Theosophical  Institute in Brazil
> also held seminars and workshops. Members in all  regions participated
> in various programmes. The work is going on well  in other places
> besides Brasilia. The advertising department has done  a lot of work,
> especially preparing talks and seminars which they can  broadcast. The
> TOS is also active and publishes a journal of its own.  The Raja
> Centre holds several seminars during each  year.
>
> The three Lodges in Costa Rica are active. A workshop on  Therapeutic
> Touch was conducted by Mrs Nelda Samarel when she visited  the
> country. In Cartago, under the leadership of Mrs Anna Howell,  The
> Voice of the Silence was studied. The Society has been  given
> permission by the government to build a 700 sq. m. building.  Study
> programmes are regularly con-ducted, and a national gathering  took
> place during the year. Meetings were organized by all the Lodges  and
> Mrs Isis Resende visited some of them.
>
> The Mexican  Section held a series of nine-teen public lectures from
> March to  August on `What is the Invisible in Theosophy?'. At their
> National  Headquarters a new course was started by Ms Lissette Arroyo
> called `Me  and Theosophy'. The Mexican Section celebrated all the
> Theosophical  dates and their own anniversary.
>
> In the Ukraine, two Lodges  with more than fifty members are working
> regularly. The keynote of the  last year was `The Inner Guidance Comes
> from Within'. About a hundred  persons participated, coming not only
> from various places in the  Ukraine, but also from Russia, Kiev,
> Odessa, etc.
>
> In  Peru, the Lodges organized talks in October and November which
> proved  to be useful. There are twenty-nine members at present. Their
> magazine  could not be published because of financial difficulties.
> The TOS has  been active and the first stage of a three-stage effort
> to recover  their property has been initiated.
>
> In Bolivia, a national  gathering took place on `The Path of
> Discipleship' in San Benito in  April. A similar gathering on `The Way
> to Adeptship' was held in  August. Mrs Isis Resende visited several
> cities. Weekly meetings  continue at the four Lodges. The Theosophical
> Society in Bolivia is  the legal owner of a flat in the town of La Paz.
>
> In Uruguay,  all the Theosophical commemorations were celebrated. The
> total  membership is sixty-six. The study of books and informal
> meetings  continue. In Venezuela, work goes on as usual, and includes
> the  commemorations of the Society, their main theme during the year
> being  `Theosophy as a Process of Healing'. Another small region was
> Central  America, where there are thirty-one members in Nicaragua, and
> some  more in El Salvador and Guatemala. The passing of Mrs Carmen
> Aguilar  Alvarez in Guatemala was a loss, but a new Organizing
> Secretary has  been elected.
>
> The General Secretary of Indonesia reports that  a new group with
> about twenty-five members was formed in Kaliabu in  February. A
> translation of The Etheric Double was translated some  years ago and
> has been published for internal use in Java. Two Study  Camps near
> Malang, focusing on the seven manuals of Theosophy, were  attended by
> about twenty participants. Money was distributed to the  necessary
> agencies to assist with overcoming earthquake damage. The  annual
> convention was held in the Sala Lodge in  Surakarta.
>
> The Theosophical Order of Service has been  celebrating its centenary
> and this involved planning further work that  can be done. I am glad
> to say that there is much more interest than  there used to be, and
> this can be attributed to the enthusiasm of the  organizing head, Mrs
> Diana Dunningham Chapotin.
>
> The  Olcott Education Society at Adyar has four main activities, one
> of  which is the HPB Hostel with twenty students. The training given
> to  the hostel boys is such that it will not alienate the boys from
> their  family and relatives. Ninety-one children attend the Social
> Welfare  Centre. The tailoring course issued certificates for work
> done to  produce various items. At the Besant Memorial Animal
> Dispensary, Dr P.  D. Jagannathan and his team cared for more than
> 8000 animals; a small  proportion of them underwent the operation to
> control births. The  outreach programme operates in six areas, and 80
> to 100 animals are  treated on most visits.
>
> The work of the Theosophical  Publishing House has continued to be
> satisfactory with good sales  figures. Three revised editions were
> printed and twenty-two books were  reprinted and brought out during
> the year. The Adyar Library acquired  quite a number of books; Miss
> Mary Anderson donated many from her  collection. The work of
> cataloguing continues. The Library readers  numbered 2091 and
> borrowers 835. Lamination of books has been lagging  because of a
> dearth of the films required. Many visitors and scholars  continue to
> visit the Library.
>
> The Besant Scouting  Centre during the year had 1600 young people
> using the facilities, and  during their stay, they gained some
> appreciation of the Theosophical  Society. This activity admits many
> into the ambience of the  Society.
>
> * * *
>
> We learn from Theosophical  literature that the universe is made up of
> vast, in fact unknown,  areas and these are related to everything that
> we know at this  external level. Scientists may acknowledge this fact,
> because the more  they discover of the limitlessness of the universe,
> the more appears  to be ahead of them. But the scientist has as yet no
> knowledge of  this. Throughout the vast course of evolution everything
> has converged  to bring about more and more intelligence; it is like a
> flower that  opens itself ever more beautifully. We know that there is
> a great  difference in intelligence between living creatures, but we
> are unable  to say why. The difference between the intelligence of
> ants and bees  and the larger intelligence of the elephants or dogs,
> between rather  primitive human beings and the brilliant man or woman,
> has no  explanation. They all seem to be developing, but are not the
> same. We  have to open our inner eyes to understand this.
>
> We learn while  studying Theosophy about the Great Plan. It is a mode
> in which the  divine mind makes known something of its own nature.
> Real knowledge  may have something to do with knowing how the mind
> becomes divine.  Knowledge is unlimited when it can understand all
> this. In the  philosophical literature of India they say that knowing
> the external  includes not only the phenomenal but also noumenal. When
> we live in  desires and thoughts stimulated by sense-experience, we
> are unable to  be aware of subtler dimensions.
>
> The Masters wrote about  something which seems simple, but is
> difficult to follow. This is  knowledge of our neighbours. Who are
> they? In The Key to Theosophy  Madame Blavatsky indicates that the
> book contains not only what the  reader may require, but the basis of
> Theosophy, and this can be passed  on to our neighbours. A
> philanthropic attitude must go side by side  with an altruistic
> spirit. Knowledge cannot be an objective by itself.  This is clearly
> stated in one of the letters from the Masters, `Be a  missionary of
> love and charity.'
>
> We tend to look  charitably at our-selves, and ignore weaknesses, but
> harp on about the  weaknesses of other people. But the others are
> struggling as much as  ourselves. Therefore we must try to be more
> open, and widen our  feelings. Obstacles to understanding are many,
> and include lust,  illusion and hatred, which do not help us to
> understand. Hence, never  add fuel to the fire.
>
> When we are more in harmony with the  divine mind, we make room for a
> little part of the knowledge to come  down here. An uncharitable
> attitude indicates ignorance about the  divine mind. In Indian
> tradition, listening with the heart is said to  be part of learning.
> If once we begin to learn of the presence of what  we may call God,
> the consciousness becomes deeper and knows more. The  Voice of the
> Silence says: `Before the soul can see, the harmony  within must be
> attained.' A condition of being awake to the spiritual  more and more,
> the harmony `within' may be achieved. The preparation  may be more
> important than getting wisdom, because the condition of  the heart and
> mind allows contact, or fails to do so, depending on  ourselves. Let
> us ponder and learn.
>
> Radha  Burnier
>
> 
>

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