Theos-Talk Archives (June 2009 Message tt00219)

1. When I posted the address, the main intent was as Besant stated in the
very first sentence which I repeat:
"Friends, the point I want to impress upon all of you to-day is that only as
you live Theosophy can you spread Theosophy."
.
2. Frequently questions arise as to the practical application of Theosophy.
I think the lecture answers that question.
.
3. Unless each one of us act in consonance with what we believe,
"Brotherhood" and "Truth", all the high talk about complicated matters, seen
and unseen, get no one anywhere.
MKR
On Tue, Jun 9, 2009 at 1:21 PM, MKR <mkr777@gmail.com> wrote:

>
>
> There is always the question of how to spread Theosophy. The last public
> address of Annie Besant is a very elevating one and addresses this key
> question and what she has to say is applicable even today.
> .
> MKR
> .
> ----xxx----
> .
> The Presidentâs Address to Convention - 1931
> .
> Friends, the point I want to impress upon all of you to-day is that only as
> you live Theosophy can you spread Theosophy. It is not our words, it is our
> life, that affects people. And I want each one of you and all whom you have
> influence with to remember that the man who lives a Theosophical life is
> the
> best propagandist of Theosophical ideas. It is not our words that influence
> people so much as our lives; our lives if they are unselfish, pure, loving
> and helpful are the best propaganda of Theosophical ideas; for it is no
> good
> to talk Theosophy unless we live what we talk.
> .
> Also, although physically I am very weak, still I am glad it is not quite
> true that I am absent. I am here. After all, you know, we have got several
> bodies; you know that as a theory, don't you? And some of you, I daresay,
> now and then have various lively dreams, and you can do what you like in
> your dreams more than down here on the physical plane. That is literally
> true. The more you can use the higher bodies, the more you can help the
> people among whom you live.
> .
> Now you can only use the higher bodies by living Theosophy, so that every
> one of you in proportion as you live the Theosophical life, becomes an
> active propagandist for Theosophical ideals. Do not imagine that because
> you
> are not learned, because you do not know many foreign languages, you cannot
> influence people all over the world. You can; because they see your life,
> and they translate that life into their own language. If you do a kind
> thing
> and people see you do it, you do not have to tell them it is a kind
> thing-they will see it is, and they will say to others : " Oh, so and so is
> a Theosophist, so we know he will be helpful." Never mind a man's speech,
> it
> is his actions that matter. And if you can get that into your mind
> strongly,
> so that it influences you every day and all day long, you are not only
> helping those around you, you are teaching others how they can help by
> working on the higher planes of our being.
> .
> Most of you are afraid to trust yourselves; but that is a great mistake.
> The
> deeper you go into yourself, the more the real you can be trusted. The
> weakest among you physically may be very, very strong on the higher planes.
> Give everything you can, and there are plenty of Devas, as we call them, or
> fairies if you like that word better, who take up what you give. They
> understand it. They see us doing kind things all the time. They say: "Here
> are people who help others. We can help others by helping them" ; and they
> pour out their life to you who are willing to give it away. It is not what
> you hold on to that is your real character; that is your life that spreads
> its example every-where round, just as the rose sends out its fragrance
> much
> farther than it is able to spread the sight of its beauty.
> .
> Learn to trust the Divine in you. There lies your real strength. You are
> Divine. You don't want to look up to the skies to find the Divine; look
> into
> your own heart, and the Divine is alive in you. It is you who can send out,
> each of you round himself, the Life that comes from above. Do not be
> distrustful; that poisons your usefulness. Trust God in you more than you
> trust God up in the sky, or God down somewhere in the world you don't know
> where. Trust God in your own heart, and He is always with you, for your
> heart is always the Life in you, and that Life is Divine.
> .
> If only I could inspire you with what I know to be true - that the very
> best
> of us is when we pour out love to those around. You know the old story
> about
> one of the Apostles of the Christ who was very very old, older than I am
> now, over one hundred; and they used to carry him down every day to the
> meeting, and he could not talk to them but could send out his love to them.
> And his love went into their hearts and spread in every direction, and his
> most useful days were the days when he did not talk, but lived the God
> within him. And so, I say that to you, I say it to myself; often I speak to
> myself and say: " Oh, you old woman, what is the good of you? what can you
> do for people?" Then I answer: "Because very deep within me I am God, then
> I
> can do all things because I am Divine. Believe that as the reality, do not
> think of it only as dreams.
> .
> I am seeing here something I said to you here last year, that we are bound
> together by common ideals, and not by a common belief. It matters very
> little what you believe; it matters enormously what you are. What you are
> will improve what you say. There is no good talking unless you live better
> than you speak. Give the God in you a chance. Open your-self, and pour out
> to all around you. There must be somebody you can help-some child perhaps
> who is still perhaps not very strong on his feet. He tumbles down on the
> road. Do not say:âSomebody ought to pick up that child.' Go and do it. Then
> somebody else will help another child, and presently everyone will be
> working away helping each other.
> .
> And so we shall learn how to love, which is the lesson we have to learn
> while we are here. It is just because the world is imperfect we can learn
> to
> help. We are not perfect creatures, but let us pour out love. Love is
> always
> good, even when sometimes its expression may be foolish. You see a baby
> tumble; as you run to help it never mind that your skirts may get muddied.
> Your skirts will wash; they will be cleaned; and when the angels look at
> them they will see them shining brightly because they are full of love.
> .
> Believe in the Self within you, the God within you, and then you will live
> the noblest life because it is a life of love.
> .
> I dare say I can come down a little every day, and if you love me a little
> I
> will get stronger. It is quite true what is said here, that I am doing a
> great deal at present out of sight. This body cannot do it, but that leaves
> my other bodies free to do more. I have got a lot of other bodies, and they
> are working away ever so hard. Just now I do not want to do so much down
> here, so I can do more up there. I shall keep pouring down on you. You
> think
> that now it is raining hard. That rain will presently come up in nice
> little
> green plants. That is what I want you to help me in, to make the world
> beautiful for others, Never mind about yourself. If we do not take care of
> ourselves, then the higher powers will take care of us. If we think of
> ourselves, they look at us, and They say, "He is not of much use, let us
> find somebody who is giving himself fully."
> .
> The real reason why my brother Charles and myself get along pretty well is
> that we are always trying to help each other. I help him, and he says,
> "What
> a nice creature she is!" Then he helps me, and I say, " What a fine man he
> is!" The best of us is always the Divine part. We must believe in
> ourselves.
> We cannot believe in God if we cannot believe in man.
>
> ---xxx---
>
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>
>  
>


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