Theos-Talk Archives (November 2009 Message tt00143)

Nice research MKR777
and very relevant statements by Foster Bailey on the Theosophical crises at hand.
You have personal Theosophy; how one can grow as an individual spiritually: andÂyou have the Theosophical movement which encompasses a much broader context. .It often takes an advanced disciple to see the difference between these two dynamics and be able to stand firm in the center of the storm that all organizations go through while holding simultaneously the greater good for the greatest number at heart. 
Every theosophical crises from its inception has given the student a new opportunity to realize that truth is found first and foremost within themselves and not within any organization and yet paradoxically the advanced disciple often support these organizations because they effect positively in spite of their many limitations thousands of others who may not have reached that point of direct inner contact with their Soul or the Master.
Blessings Duane
________________________________
From: MKR <mkr777@gmail.com>
To: theos-talk <theos-talk@yahoogroups.com>; theos-l <theos-L@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sun, November 15, 2009 2:23:43 PM
Subject: Theos-World Some thoughts on current shakeup

 
Witnessing the remarkable events starting with the nomination for the
International President, a cleverly organized attempt to defeat the sitting
President distributing unsubstantiated health issue, after the President was
re-elected with world-wide membership support, the allegations of election
procedural errors in the Indian Section and finally the most daring ultra
secret attempt to disenfranchise all members world-wide and seize control of
the President and finally the display of wide cleavage in the General
Council meeting are crisis developments TS never seen since Coloumb affair
which shook TS to its roots. Current disaster was averted due to Internet
being available to keep members around the world fully informed without
interference from the leaders.

HPB had her share of problems from TS and she had mentioned that the
troubles have always been from within. Even during Besantâs time, she had
her share of troubles and again she had stated that they are from within and
arising from the esoteric section members.

In the light of the above, I was fortunate to find a very interesting piece
of information in Joseph Rossâ recent book - The New Krotona from Hollywood
to Ojai - Vol III. (The book can be ordered from ebay.com).

Foster Bailey (husband of Alice Bailey) writing in The Beacon (1922) made
some very interesting comments. I am quoting it below, since it might be of
great interest to some here.

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Foster Bailey begins with a quotation from The Key to Theosophy:

"Enq. But if you have such wise and good men to guide the Society, how is it
that so many mistakes have been made?"

"Theo. The Masters do NOT guide the Society, nor even the Founders; and no
one has ever asserted that they did: they only watch over and protect it.
This is amply proved by the fact that no mistakes have been able to cripple
it, and no scandals from within, nor the most damaging attacks from without,
have been able to overthrow it. The Masters look at the future, not at the
present, and every mistake is so much more accumulated wisdom for the days
to come. That other "Master" who sent the man with the five talents did not
tell him how to double them, nor
did he prevent the foolish servant from burying his one talent in the
earth." H.PB.

We all recognize the unity of life which lies behind that expression of
Brotherhood to which every theosophist has subscribed. We cannot begin to
live Brotherhood until we have recognized and felt "Group consciousness. "
Co-operation is the beginning of Brotherhood, it is learning to work in
group formation, it is the Keynote of the NewRace.

It is possible to be a theosophist without being a member of a Theosophical
Society, but under the Law of Brotherhood which works toward unity and group
consciousness, once having joined this Brotherhood organization we have the
opportunity to work with our brother members for the common cause; a cause,
by the way, which is not the building of a great Society, or the
establishing of a theosophical system of thought, as such, but the
presenting of the Ageless Wisdom to our fellow men in whatever aspect and
degree is most needed for the helping of the Race. To aid the group to help
the world, that Is the true objective of the individual member.

To refuse longer to work in group formation because we dislike certain
prominent ones, or our immediate co-workers, or because we are disgusted
with things as we find them with in the group, is failure. It means
inability to discriminate between the essential and the less essential and
must bring the hard karma of delay in the plan and of failure to use
opportunity earned.

The great mass of humanity works out its karma under the Law generally quite
unaided by individual help. The Masters work primarily with groups and a
discipleâs usefulness and progress is measured not alone by his prominence,
brilliance or virtue but by his increasing ability to raise the rate of
vibration of ever larger groups.

The Disciple, however, because he has recognized the Law of Sacrifice and is
pledged to Service, is given special aid and protection. This aid very
largely takes the form of opportunity to balance his karma as he goes along,
and to work off old karma as fast as is consistent with the work in hand.
One of the main lessons of the Initiate is to learn to balance his own
karma, for it is because the Master automatically and immediately balances
his karma that he can work in the three worlds and yet remain free. Because
the Disciple and the Initiate have elected consciously to submit to a
forcing process in their own evolution in order that they may the better
serve, they necessarily make more mistakes than those not subjected to so
great a strain and the resulting karma would render them quite useless for
long periods of time if the Master did not help them to adjust it at
frequent intervals.

As there is individual karma so also there is group karma and a wise
comprehension of the present situation in the T.S. requires some
understanding of this factor.

The Theosophical Society is a group which has consciously chosen to accept
this forcing process in order to be an instrument for the Masters in world
service. It is therefore in somewhat the same relation to the group of
Masters as the Disciple is to his own Guru and it may therefore expect the
same increased number of mistakes, the same resulting karmic crises and the
same kind of adjusting help. This help it receives for, "no mistakes have
been able to cripple it and no scandals have been able to overthrow it."

One thing which the Society does in a most peculiar and interesting and
often in a most uncomfortable way, is to take an apparently indiscriminate
lot of ordinary humanity and begin at once to make occultists of them. Very
naturally this motley crowd, of which you and I are parts, makes quite a
mess of it and gets all stirred up every once and a while and this very
business of being-all stirred up saves its life. The usefulness of the
theosophical group would, as in the case of the Disciple, be very quickly
destroyed, if its karma were not apportioned in time, adjusted in intensity
and arranged for the further teaching of those who participate therein. This
is the protection given our Society. This the Masters do for us, using the
mistakes of the leaders and members to create situations whereby the
individuals may be stirred to that independent thought and action which
produces the needed balancing and adjustment and liberates force and energy
for larger constructive usefulness.

This is what is going on at the present time within the Theosophical
Society. The period of adjustment is the period during which the unit is
forced to consider the condition and the welfare of his group. The period
which follows of peace and growth and work is the period wherein the unit
having made the necessary adjustment can work with renewed vigor and
effectiveness through his group for the helping of his fellow men.

If this is so we are getting ready for bigger and grander and more important
times and effectiveness. It is often said that after each shaking the
Society goes on with renewed life to better things. It has been so in the
past; it will be so this time. This we can say for our comfort. The power of
the period of peace and growth must be proportional to the intensity of the
adjustment struggle; the effectiveness of the work of the days to come will
match the effectiveness of the adjustment achieved. We could almost be eager
to be shaken yet a little more if we could only get our eyes off of the
ugliness of the immediate foreground on to the beauty of the possibilities
on the horizon.

Surely then, we will not get disgusted or tired or self-righteous, or allow
ourselves to be shaken out of the Society either singly or in little group
fragments, thus weakening the body of the whole and creating individual bad
karma for ourselves. Better to remain where we are striving sincerely,
dispassionately and disinterestedly to understand the lessons which the
turmoil of the hour must inevitably hold for us and for our group.

The fundamental purpose back of all the varying situations and incidents in
the different Sections is the forcing of the members to think for themselves
and to realize and take up the responsibilities which are their own. Let us
therefore study the principles and the laws of right theosophical group
activity and organization, realizing ourselves as conscious participants in
the business of the whole, in order that we may wisely take advantage of the
present period and pass on to that happier endeavor which is waiting for us
on the threshold of tomorrow.

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