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Feb 03, 2009 06:35 PM
by Cass Silva
Much Ado about nothing Cass --- On Wed, 4/2/09, Pedro Oliveira <prmoliveira@yahoo.com> wrote: From: Pedro Oliveira <prmoliveira@yahoo.com> Subject: Theos-World Inaugural Address To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com Received: Wednesday, 4 February, 2009, 10:30 AM Inaugural Address by Radha Burnier, President of The Theosophical Society, delivered at the Headquarters Hall, Adyar, on 3rd August 1980.(Published in The Theosophist, August 1980) It was with a remembrance of the august beginnings and lofty aims of the Theosophical Society and of the inspiration provided by the lives of the great Founders and leaders of the Society such as Annie Besant that I assumed office as the seventh President of the Society on 17th July. These great persons brought to the Society that special dynamism which springs out of absolute disinterestedness in the service of humanity, and they created a channel for the great Powers which guide the world, by subserving their lives to the cause of Truth. In following in their footsteps, I undertake a great responsibility of which I am sensible, and which I shall endeavour to fulfil with all my strength and all the powers at my disposal, with the aid, affection and support of my fellow members throughout the world. In a world torn by conflicts, at a time when insecurity and fear are mounting to an unprecedented peak on this globe, the objectives of the Theosophical Society remain not only unchanged, but have a sharpened relevance. The Theosophical Society was not meant merely to preach brotherhood to the world. The statement of its first Object makes it clear that the Society is intended to be an actual nucleus of brotherhood. This implies that those who compose its membership must be clearly aware that there is a shared destiny for all. The feeling of a common good must override personal interests and subordinate the desire for individual advantage. The human mind by its very nature branches out in innumerable directions when motivated by self-interest. The discord created by the divergent forms of self-interest pulling in different directions is the antithesis of the harmonious living and the deeper awareness of the unity of existence implied in the term "brotherhood" . A world whose agony has been prolonged through centuries because the mind of man has always been shattered and pulled by disparate interests cannot be served, much less saved, by any group of persons who embody in themselves the same traits which make the world a sorry spectacle. Only to the extent that the members of the Society sincerely and deeply share a feeling of altruism and in the measure that they have an unselfish devotion to that Wisdom which is the source of right action, will there be an unbreakable nucleus of brotherhood in the body of the Society, with the energy to draw many more into a non-divisive, shared way of living, which will be a blessing to the world. Words which are not lived, but merely thought and said invariably lack substantiality. Their impact, if any, is weak and temporary. Therefore one of those Elders who inspired the Society said: "If you would be a Theosophist you must not do as those around you do who call on a God of Truth and Love and serve the dark powers of Might, Greed and Luck." The message of the Theosophical Society can never be spread by appealing to motives of self-interest and gain. Every truly unselfish endeavour for the upliftment of the world draws to itself a power beyond itself from the Forces of Goodness which are ever ready to flow through channels which are unsullied. But such Forces can "give but little assistance to a Body not thoroughly united in purpose and feeling, and which breaks its fundamental rule universal brotherly love, without distinction of race, creed or colour". If the creation of a nucleus of brotherhood is not to be an empty show, a superficial fraternization with little reality, those who are dedicated to it must be "thoroughly united in purpose and feeling", as Mme. Blavatsky says in the above-quoted sentence. That unity of purpose and feeling must be of an unselfish character, intent on finding a way to solve the human problem, and not merely to obtain individual benefit. In the eyes of the wise, "The highest aspirations for the welfare of humanity become tainted with selfishness if, in the mind of the philanthropist, there lurks the shadow of desire for self-benefit or a tendency to do injustice, even when they exist unconsciously. " On the other hand, if a body such as the Theosophical Society can offer "the grand example of practical altruism, of the noble lives of those who master the great knowledge but to help others", the world may be inspired to follow that example. The impact of the Society should not be that of one more creed, organization, institution, like many others. It is intended to shed the sweet influence and power of a spiritually inspired Sangha or Brotherhood. Perhaps there are not many, even among the members of the Society, who realize the magnitude and importance of the work to be undertaken by volunteers in the Theosophical Society. It would be easy for the Society to drift into byways which may have their attractions, and even their usefulness, but which do not lead to the enlightenment of human beings. The urgency of discovering the right direction for human progress can be blunted by pursuits which have plausible religious, occult or philanthropic overtones. The central focus of the Society's work lies in the meaning of the word "Theosophy" which refers to what Madame Blavatsky called Wisdom- Religion. Theosophists have to explore the meaning of both the words "Wisdom" and "Religion" in order to grasp the nature of the work before the Society. At the end of the last century, when our Society was founded, the scientific materialism of the day provoked a reaction which took the form of interest in spiritualistic phenomena, communication with the dead and other forms of escape from a world-view in which man became a cog in the evolutionary machine. Theosophy repudiated spiritualism with its phenomena as well as materialism. It was stated that "It is not physical phenomena, but universal ideas we study. To comprehend the former, we must first understand the latter". The true subjects of study for the Theosophist were proclaimed to be: Man's true position in the universe; his origin and ultimate destiny; the relation of the mortal to the immortal, of the temporary to the eternal, of the finite to the infinite; and universal Law, unchanging and unchangeable. These profound questions still continue to be those which are central to the work of the Society. It is not concerned with phenomena and occult arts, interesting though many phenomena pertaining to the invisible world may be to the parapsychologist or even to the layman. They are trivial in the perspective of the knowledge needed to regenerate human life. It is not spiritualism, but spirituality which the world needs, not occult arts, but occultism, otherwise called gupta-vidyà (the secret doctrine) and Ãtma-vidyÃ, true Wisdom. "True Occultism or Theosophy is the `Great Renunciation of the self', unconditionally and absolutely, in thought as in action." All the manifestations of the separative self, whether they are intensive and obvious, subtle or dormant, cloud the understanding and intelligence. At their worst, they completely distort the view, making the individual see his environment in terms of his own ambition, pride or envy. At their mildest, they still bar the gates of perception into the hidden meaning, splendour and beauty which is the heart of existence, concealed in the very being of all, both in the animate and the inanimate. Only when the taint of selfhood is completely washed away does Wisdom bloom in all its perfection, and that which was secret before becomes as the light of day. The search for such "self"-destroying Wisdom is not a selfish occupation. It is of the highest importance, for the truths and mysteries it reveals are "at once profound and practical". The abolition of self which opens up the understanding and clarifies the perception has an immense practical bearing on the interests of mankind, for the very source of suffering is put to an end. The great Teachers of the world have therefore sought to kindle the spark of Wisdom in man and have set little store on modifying the effects of unwisdom, unlike ordinary people who are always combating results without tracing them to the cause and source. The conditioning of the mind which compels it to divide, compartmentalize and categorize, has created the belief that a person's actions are unrelated to what he is and to the kind of reality which he sees. The philosophy of the East has, on the contrary, pointed out that the quality of a person's actions, their rightness or wrong, depend on what he is able to see. Illusory perceptions, distorted vision, the superimposition of value on what is in fact of unreal worth, are productive of actions and pursuits which are unsound and creative of tension and pain, for they are out of accord with the innate truth and harmony of existence. Distorted vision and blindness to the real nature of things is, on the other hand, unavoidable when freedom from self-concern does not exist. A state of fear makes every shadow appear to hide a lurking danger or makes one imagine that shadows abound where none in fact exist. Every state of the mind imprisoned in thought of self, whether it is one of fear or hope, jealousy or despair, colours, vitiates and reduces the power of perception. Thus the truth or unreality, the loveliness or banality of what an individual sees depends on what he is within himself, and out of what he sees, the false or the profound, the superficial or the essential, arise his actions. The virtue of actions can therefore be separated neither from the search and discovery of Truth and Wisdom, nor the exigency of living a righteous and clean life which enhances clarity of mind and perception. Those brought up in the permissiveness of the present age are apt to lose sight of the importance of a way of life conducive to clarity. There has been the age-old emphasis of the religions on a life of virtue, which in its passive form is non- egocentrism and in its positive aspect, a deep respect for life in all its manifestations. This has a logical basis which no seeker for knowledge nor would-be benefactor of humanity can afford to ignore. For the members of the Theosophical Society it is of profound importance to recognize that being, seeing and action are one. Truly helpful action cannot be performed when there is indifference to the discovery of Wisdom or negligence in regard to the manner of one's daily living, the purity or otherwise of the thoughts, feelings and motivations displayed in relationship. When there is purity within, there is rightness of perception and increasing depth of understanding which endow all actions with benefactory power. The mode of daily living of members of the Theosophical Society is of utmost importance, for it lays the foundation for all other work. Without attention given by members to self-awareness, which enables one to dissolve the self, the I-centre which blinds the vision and pollutes the world's atmosphere, an organized body merely perpetuates problems or may add to the many ills which already exist. To be engaged in the task of self-understanding and self-purification in the midst of daily avocations, being watchful of the quality of one's relationship, is the beginning of a religious life. The word "Theosophy", as mentioned earlier, signifies religion in the true sense as much as Wisdom. The Theosophical Society is neither a church nor a sect. It has no belief to offer, no opinions or authority to impose. In the beautiful words of Dr. Annie Besant, it is meant to be composed of students, whose "bond of union is not the profession of a common belief, but a common search and aspiration for Truth. They hold that Truth should be sought by study, by reflection, by purity of life, by devotion to high ideals, and they regard Truth as a prize to be striven for, not as a dogma to be imposed by authority". The encouragement to enquire and realize truth for oneself in an atmosphere of freedom is not a licence for branches or groups of the Society to import or promote particular cults, beliefs or personalities. The attitude of affording to every individual the opportunity to unfold his intelligence in an atmosphere of freedom is not to be equated with providing a platform or home in the Society for one or all of the welter of creeds and panaceas hawked by quasi- religious movements and self-styled gurus. There is danger of missing that which is vital and fundamental in what is supposed to be a spirit of tolerance. Tolerance of superstition, of orthodoxies and conventionalities, or thoughtless obedience and dependence on those who are seated on spiritual pedestals are not consonant with the Theosophical view and the Society's work. One of those who inspired the founding of the Society, wrote soon after it came into existence: "We have a duty set before us; that of sweeping away as much as possible the dross left to us by our pious forefathers. " Madame Blavatsky pointed out that truth is not realized by disputing over that other people have said or written, or in arguing in favour of one's own ideas or any accepted systems of philosophy. The devotee of truth must endeavour as much as possible to free his mind from all ideas which he may have derived by heredity, from education, from surroundings, or from other teachers. A scientist engaged in research has to shed all his prejudices, preconceptions and personal desires in order to obtain a knowledge of facts as they are. A biased mind fixed in its own mould and confined to a personally pleasing thought-system can no more come into contact with noumenal truths than it can with facts of the phenomenal world. If the earth were no populated by a vast number of people who are absorbed in their private interests and totally oblivious of wider horizons, it might be quite a different place. As it is, for each individual his own advancement, his family, his village and nation, his community and religion, his opinions, theories, and so forth loom overwhelmingly large in the mind, chasing away the rest of life, as if for all practical purposes it does not exist. The religious quality dawns on the mind when the stifling atmosphere of personal pre-occupations is broken through. For the truly religious man "the world is his family" and there is no divergence between the world problem and the individual problem. The existence of suffering in multifarious forms is one of the fundamental problems to which the intelligent mind has to apply itself. Suffering is the lot of all human beings without exception. Birth, death, disease, decay, separation, etc. are all sorrow. When confronted by this universal phenomenon, it is generally reduced to a personal matter, and each one wants to know why he should be involved in sorrow, and how he can escape it. A religious approach to it demands that the personal element should be left behind and the mind seriously applied to finding out the answer to this and a universally human problem. The non-personal understanding of vital matters pertaining to the human situation also requires that what is at the root, the fundamental issue, should be tackled. No thoughtful person can be indifferent to the present arms race with its unthinkable dreadful consequences, and all who strengthen the public conscience against such devilry are to be lauded. Yet, it is not enough to give thought to such moral issues at the outer level. The root of the problem lies in the aggressive competitiveness, love of gain and power of the human mind. It is woven at the root with other fundamental questions. In its depth, the student is brought to contemplate the relation "of the mortal to the immortal, of the temporary to the eternal, of the finite to the infinite". Religion, from the Theosophical point of view, commences with the denuding of the mind of its favoured thoughts and conditioning and allowing it to come into contact with what is of universal and fundamental significance. The impact of the Society on world conditions would be outstanding if its worldwide membership were composed of true altruists, a body exemplifying brotherhood, men and women seeking Wisdom and leading the life necessary to widen the horizons of the mind and obtain insight into truth. It is those who are drawn towards such objectives who are worthy candidates for membership. As time passes, generations change. Every generation faces the basic problems of man in terms of a changing environment. No teaching, no philosophy can be of adequate aid to any generation if it is converted into a mere idiom or tradition. But the Wisdom of a truly religious mind can speak the tongue of any generation and communicate its own quality of significance. "May Those who are the embodiments of Love Immortal bless with Their protection now as heretofore the Society founded to do Their Will, bestow upon us the guidance of Their immeasurable Wisdom, and inspire in each and all of us throughout the world the urge to never-failing beneficent action." Stay connected to the people that matter most with a smarter inbox. Take a look http://au.docs.yahoo.com/mail/smarterinbox [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]