Theos-Talk Archives (June 2009 Message tt00379)

Anand wrote:
"If you study pledge drafted by Blavatsky for ES members, you will find that she is exacting obedience from ES members, which undermines free thinking and freedom to act according to person's judgment. That means it acts against the another principle of TS, the freedom of thought and freedom to act according to that thought. "


Dear Anand.
If you searched out, what such a pledge really meant at that time, you would end up reading the below words by H. P. Blavatsky...


H. P. Blavatsky said in The Key to Theosophy, p. 21, 49, 280,:
"THEOSOPHISTS AND MEMBERS OF THE "T. S." 

ENQUIRER. This applies to lay members, as I understand. And what of those who pursue the esoteric study of Theosophy; are they the real Theosophists? 



THEOSOPHIST. Not necessarily, until they have proven themselves to be such. They have entered the inner group and pledged themselves to carry out, as strictly as they can, the rules of the occult body. This is a difficult undertaking, as the foremost rule of all is the entire renunciation of one's personalityâi. e., a pledged member has to become a thorough altruist, never to think of himself, and to forget his own vanity and pride in the thought of the good of his fellow-creatures, besides that of his fellow-brothers in the esoteric circle. He has to live, if the esoteric instructions shall profit him, a life of abstinence in everything, of self-denial and strict morality, doing his duty by all men. The few real Theosophists in the T. S. are among these members. This does not imply that outside of the T. S. and the inner circle, there are no Theosophists; for there


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are, and more than people know of; certainly far more than are found among the lay members of the T. S. 



ENQUIRER. Then what is the good of joining the so-called Theosophical Society in that case? Where is the incentive? 



THEOSOPHIST. None, except the advantage of getting esoteric instructions, the genuine doctrines of the "Wisdom-Religion," and if the real programme is carried out, deriving much help from mutual aid and sympathy. Union is strength and harmony, and well-regulated simultaneous efforts produce wonders. This has been the secret of all associations and communities since mankind existed. 



ENQUIRER. But why could not a man of well-balanced mind and singleness of purpose, one, say, of indomitable energy and perseverance, become an Occultist and even an Adept if he works alone? 



THEOSOPHIST. He may; but there are ten thousand chances against one that he will fail. For one reason out of many others, no books on Occultism or Theurgy exist in our day which give out the secrets of alchemy or mediaeval Theosophy in plain language. All are symbolical or in parables; and as the key to these has been lost for ages in the West, how can a man learn the correct meaning of what he is reading and studying? Therein lies the greatest danger, one that leads to unconscious black magic or the most helpless mediumship. He who has not an Initiate for a master had better leave the dangerous study alone. "
. . . . . . .
"ENQUIRER. Do the members of your Society carry out these precepts? I have heard of great dissensions and quarrels among them. 


THEOSOPHIST. Very naturally, since although the reform (in its present shape) may be called new, the men and women to be reformed are the same human, sinning natures as of old. As already said, the earnest working members are few; but many are the sincere and well-disposed persons, who try their best to live up to the Society's and their own ideals. Our duty is to encourage and assist individual fellows in self-improvement, intellectual, moral, and spiritual; not to blame or condemn those who fail. We have, strictly speaking, no right to refuse admission to anyoneâespecially in the Esoteric Section of the Society, wherein "he who enters is as one newly born." But if any member, his sacred pledges on his word of honour and immortal Self notwithstanding, chooses to continue, after that "new birth," with the new man, the vices or defects of his old life, and to indulge in them still in the Society, then, of course, he is more than likely to be asked to resign and withdraw; or, in case of his refusal, to be expelled. We have the strictest rules for such emergencies. "
. . . . . . .
"But you will find the whole subject dealt with at length in the Secret Doctrine, to which I must again refer you for detailed explanations. To conclude, the very soul of Theosophy is dead against Phallic worship; and its occult or esoteric section more so even than the exoteric teachings. "
http://www.phx-ult-lodge.org/aKEY.htm


And there are more.
H. P. Blavatsky has elsewhere also stated, that the only pledge anyone can make is a pledge to their own inner divine Selves, the Atma. They are never really pledging themselves to any person at all. The theosophical teachings says this, and some of us know about it.
But, you need a teacher and a real Initiate to carry on the Occult studies or else you in most cases will fall into Black Magic. You might even become a Christian who thinks that the High Mass is the greatest, that ever has surfaced in the universe. :-)


M. Sufilight

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Anand 
  To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 9:51 PM
  Subject: Theos-World Re: The Esoteric School Lobby





  --- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "Anand" <AnandGholap@...> wrote:
  >
  > Mrs. Annie Besant wrote in The Theosophist of October 1907:
  > "In the T.S. we have a curious mixture. The Exoteric Society is purely democratic - it is only fair to admit this fully. On the other side we have an Esoteric body which is practically autocratic in its constitution ... The existence of a secret body to rule the outer Society made the constitution of the T.S. a mere farce, for it was at the mercy of the inner â All the differences that arose between the Colonel and myself were on this point; he could not believe that I was serious in saying that I would not use the E.S. against him, but slowly he came to understand it ... The greatest power will always be in the hands of the E.S., and not in the head of the Society ... I know that I exercise a quite unwarrantable power. This is what makes some people say there should not be an E.S.T. â We must recognize the danger and try to neutralize it. At any time during the last fifteen years I could have checkmated the Colonel on any point if I had chosen ..."
  >

  Both Annie Besant and Leadbeater were geniuses. I wonder why they kept such contradictory organizational structure. Is it that there was no solution, even when they realized that policies of these two organizations work against each other?
  There is also another big problem. If you study pledge drafted by Blavatsky for ES members, you will find that she is exacting obedience from ES members, which undermines free thinking and freedom to act according to person's judgment. That means it acts against the another principle of TS, the freedom of thought and freedom to act according to that thought. 
  After observing ES members for long time, I did find that something is holding them back from performing freely, lack of initiative (as if they can not do anything without somebody's permission) etc. 



  

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