Theos-Talk Archives (September 2009 Message tt00076)

so we can have something to bitch about! lol
Cass


>
>From: "Drpsionic@aol.com" <Drpsionic@aol.com>
>To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com
>Sent: Saturday, 12 September, 2009 8:16:54 AM
>Subject: Re: Theos-World the challenges that face the Theosophical society Adyar
>
>  
>I wonder why we even need leaders in the first place.
>
>Chuck the Heretic
>
>
>In a message dated 9/11/2009 2:39:08 P.M. Central America Standard T, 
>mkr777@gmail. com writes:
>
>Let me add a few of my brief comments on issues related to TS.
>
>While the election is over more than a year ago, we all saw the actions of
>many of the section leaders and we are yet to see any action to bridge the
>cleavage demonstrated in the last meeting of the general council. Some get
>the feeling that everyone is hiding behind the silence (possibly planning
>next surprise move) and we have not seen any demonstration of any 
>leadership
>to get going.
>
>The continued lack of transparency and the loss of trust engendered by the
>ultra secret effort to disenfranchise all of us and the lack of recognition
>of the error and need to openly eat crow and apologize leaves many to
>believe that unless some very bold and creative dramatic steps are taken,
>the cleavage will continue to linger on and we have to wait for the next
>generation of young creative imaginative men and women takes over the
>organization in all parts of the world.
>
>While street smartness can come with age, when has world seen
>septuagenarians and octogenarians responsible for coming up with new and
>creative ideas to contribute to growth of any enterprise. Let us all hope
>that we soon find young leaders around the world to take us to the future.
>Elders and old men and women cannot do it.
>
>MKR
>
>On Fri, Sep 11, 2009 at 1:07 PM, katinka_hesselink <
>_mail@katinkahessel imail@k_ (mailto:mail@katinkahesseli nk.net) > wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I've read Preethi's account of relations at Adyar last year with 
>interest,
>> however, I'm not surprised Mary Anderson denies the charges against 
>Radha.
>> After all it's one thing to complain a bit about relations with one's
>> coworkers as they're going on. It's quite another to want them published 
>on
>> the internet for anybody to read.
>>
>> Theosophists I meet sometimes tell me things and then add: don't publish
>> that. I guess Mary Anderson should have said the same to Preethi. Or 
>better
>> yet: Preethi should have asked Mary in advance whether she wanted those
>> comments published. In the Internet age we're all journalists in a sense 
>and
>> we have to take the responsibility that comes with that to only publish
>> about other people what is absolutely essential AND they agree can be
>> published.
>>
>> It's different when it's issues of principle. Like when we were all
>> protesting the potential change in how the president is elected. Or when
>> we're talking about who the new president is going to be. But right now 
>all
>> that is settled and we need to get back to the work or running lodges and
>> magazines, publishing books and organizing lectures.
>>
>> It's a normal fact of life that people who work together sometimes get
>> along great, and at others don't. Posting such temporary complaints 
>online a
>> year after they happened is of no use to anybody, aside from the 
>interest
>> most of us have in gossip.
>>
>> If the TS is going to move forward into the 21st century in a way that is
>> of use to humanity, we're going to have to face some real issues, 
>instead of
>> getting side tracked into personal complaints.
>>
>> Real issues we're facing:
>>
>> - how to build community online in a way that is productive and helps
>> people grow spiritually
>> - how to build community offline: help our lodges grow and be places of
>> real study and a meeting place for people of diverse cultural and 
>religious
>> backgrounds
>> - how to transform our magazines into well... magazines. Quest is an 
>actual
>> magazine in this sense, though it might have a higher percentage of in 
>depth
>> theosophical content. The Theosophist and the Dutch magazine Theosofia 
>(two
>> of the magazines I know) aren't magazines in any other sense than that
>> they're published in a magazine format. They don't have a column for 
>letters
>> sent in, for instance. Theosofia doesn't even have a column by the 
>editors.
>>
>> One issue Preethi is complaining about is valid though: how important
>> should it be whether people are first, second or third generation
>> theosophists? (I'm first btw)
>>
>> There's a grey line here. It's natural to trust family more than others,
>> but when a family member turns out to not be very good at the job you 
>gave
>> them, they should be replaced.
>>
>> At Adyar another issue is also pressing: the issue of caste. Can 
>something
>> be done about the prevalence of high caste Indians in positions of 
>power? Or
>> on other words: is enough done to reach out to lower caste (varna, jati
>> whatever you want to call it) members of the TS? Does the Indian section
>> even have such members in positions of influence?
>>
>> In the West, similarly, are we reaching out to people of color enough? to
>> Muslims? And if we should, how should that be done?
>>
>> Those are just a few of the issues I think about when I think about where
>> the TS is headed, or should be headed. I do wonder: what do you all think
>> the real challenges of the TS are?
>>
>> I will only promise to read responses to this post, posted here:
>> 
>_http://theosophical http://theosophi http://theohttp: //theosophihttp: //theosophttp: //theosop_ 
>(http://theosophical society.wordpres s.com/2009/ 09/11/challenges -theosophical- society-adyar/) 
>>
>> Katinka Hesselink
>>
>> _http://www.katinkah http://wwhttp_ (http://www.katinkah esselink. net/) 
>> _http://www.overpein http://ww_ (http://www.overpein zende.nl/) 
>> _http://www.allconsi http://www. _ (http://www.allconsi dering.com/) 
>>
>> 
>>
>
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