Re: Theos-World The Theosophical Society and its Political involvements
Dec 22, 2009 11:23 AM
by Morten Nymann Olesen
Dear Chuck and friends
My views are.
Thank you for answering.
I would be happy if this print from the 1980'ties some how arrived at the surface. Was it printed by The theosophical Society?
Anyone livning near Olcott Library?
Allright. I looked the Theosophist Magazines through and got the following...even when I did not look at all the issue in the 1920'ties...
Yes. Here we go...
*** Theosophist Magazine April 1933-June 1933, p. 135-136 (Can be searched at http://books.google.dk/ )
Yet it has to be remembered that Arundale gives Mussolini and Hitler a spiritual background no matter their "distasteful" work.
G. Arundale said: "The Inner Government of the world uses to its great purpose many whom we, in our fancied keen perception, might view with abhorrence".
- And then he goes on and compare them favourably with Annie Besant. (Some have said he later regretted this, and that it was not the official policy of the TS when he wrote it, and that he was only stating his own views at the time.) - Next article is "Vol. I The Original Manuscript of 1885"
*** C. jinarjadasa wrote an article against Arundales views in the next issue: Theosophist Magazine July 1933-September 1933, p. 489. (Mussolini was against Freemasonry.)
Se also for 1925:
*** Theosophist Magazine January 1925-March 1925, p. 538 (Mussolini named positively compared with Russia - by a person named J.)
*** Theosophist Magazine October 1925-December 1925, p. 364-368 (by W. H. Kirby (Oxen) "Facism a Factor in World-Politics - speaking positively about Mussolini and Facism and negatively about Lenin --- And all this appearntly without any note or later note from the Editor of The Theosophist or even a guiding Master?)
*** Theosophist Magazine April 1925-June 1925 - Could not find info there.
*** Theosophist Magazine july 1925-September 1925 - Could not find info there. (Yet there is an article there by a William Knight filled with political analyzing. Pages 582-589)
*** Theosophist Magazine October 1928-December 1928 - (An article giving a "Summary af the Federation of National Societies in Europe" mentions that Mussolini did not allow foreign speakers and had the police present at every meeting.)
*** Theosophist Magazine January 1930-April 1930 - (An Article by C. Jinarjadasa mentioning that the people in Argentina did not like Mussolini. - p. 307 - C. Jinarjadasa appearntly thought that Mussolini's ideas coincided with the Bhagavad Gita! Or else he did exactly not! - And he mentions the Catholic Church great influence on politics in Argentina.)
*** Theosophist Magazine October 1926-December 1926, p. 12- 26 by Margherita Ruspoli - "Let us now Praise Famous Men". Here she favours Mussolini and claim people to be ignorant about what his views are. And she is in that vein referring to Besant and CWL's book "Whence, How Whither" - on that "all the best organisers whom the world has produced" would be returning soon. - And she continues a long political praising of Mussolini.
*** Theosophist Magazine May 1963-December 1963 - (N. Sri Ram does here not make any distinguishing between Hitler, Mussolini and Lenin - as was done in Theosophist Magazine October 1925-December 1925, p. 364-368 (by W. H. Kirby (Oxen)
- - -
M. Sufilight says:
HOW EVER - at the bottom of the Theosophical Magazines we read:
"The Theosophical Society, as such, is not responsible for any opinion or declaration in this Journal, by whomsoever expressed, unless contained in an official document". (And this is important.)
I think the above settles it much better. But it for sure casts a whole lot of doubt about whether the Theosophical Society was a political organisation or not. And also whether it is so today year 2009, because of these past articles and Annie Besants activities and involvements in politics, the National Congress of India etc. etc.
But then we read the following in a latter issue, and get even more confused about what The Theosophical Society really considered to be its aims back then, and what is considers them to be today???
*** Theosophist Magazine May 1932-August 1932 - p. 410 - here we find C. Jinarajadasa stating something very interesting, when we consider the above past years of articles: Dr. Bhagavan Das particularly requests that the following article of his should appear in THE THEOSOPHIST. He is one to whom Theosophists owe much for the splendid philosophical and psychological works which he has written. Though his articles bristles with controversial points of Indian politics, I accede to his request, as an exception. As I stated, THE THEOSOPHIST, is not a Journal for the discussion of politics, and so this contribution will be the last on the matter.--C. Jinarajadasa" (Can be searched at http://books.google.dk/ )
Any comments?
M. Sufilight
----- Original Message -----
From: Drpsionic@aol.com
To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, December 22, 2009 5:23 PM
Subject: Re: Theos-World The Theosophical Society and its Political involvements
Actually it is in print somewhere from the 1980s. Of course the writer
did not use my exact words and as I'm no longer in easy driving distance of
the Olcott Library I doubt I can find the specific reference, but yes, it is
a stated policy to stay out of politics, at least as far as the US section
has always been concerned.
You have to remember, that during the Besant period, up into Arundale, the
TS was very much a political organization and, well, it is embarrassing to
say this but it is the truth, openly pro-Fascist. Mussolini was much
praised. In 1925 there was a massive, two part, article published in the
Theosophist praising his Italy. Now there is much in Italy to praise, but
Mussolini was not among it. This was really very surprising to me when I
encountered the article but when I accidentally opened a volume of the Herald of
the Star from 1922 to an article BY Mussolini, it became less surprising.
The final blow was by Arundale, who in 1936 wrote that the three greatest
leaders in the world were Hitler, Mussolini and Franklin Roosevelt! What
Franklin thought of that was not recorded.
Chuck the Heretic
_www.charlescosimano.com
In a message dated 12/22/2009 3:05:34 A.M. Central Standard Time,
global-theosophy@stofanet.dk writes:
Thank you for your answer.
But, that did not really answer all of my questions.
Has there been any official words in print etc. about this from the TS
leaders?
Well I ask, unless you as a Heretic will claim to be an representative.
:-)
----- Original Message -----
From:
_ (http://www.charlescosimano.com/) _Drpsionic@aol.Drp_
(mailto:Drpsionic@aol.com) _
To: _ (http://www.charlescosimano.com/) _theos-talk@yahoogrotheos-t_
(mailto:theos-talk@yahoogroups.com) _
Sent: Tuesday, December 22, 2009 1:23 AM
Subject: Re: Theos-World The Theosophical Society and its Political
involvements
yes, the Theosophical Society was seriously entangled in politics during
the Besant/Leadbeater madness and that is why it is avoided like the
plague
now.
Chuck the Heretic
www.charlescosimanowww.c
In a message dated 12/21/2009 1:40:44 P.M. Central Standard Time,
_ (http://www.charlescosimano.com/) _global-theosophy@global-thgl_
(mailto:global-theosophy@stofanet.dk) writes:
Dear friends
My views are:
I have learned that is one does not ask any questions...I have learned
that is one does not
So now I will ask this our forum with all its members, among which at
least some can be called Seekers After Truth and Wisdom, aiming for an
Universal Brotherhood and Sisterhood.
1.
I will ask about where is the stance on politics today in the Theosophical
Society, and to what extend are members and the President of the
Theosophical Society allowed to involve himself or herself with political
activities
and political dispuites?
2.
Second.
...Was The Theosophical Society entangled with politics when Annie Besant
was leader of the Theosophical Society, leader of The Esoteric Section,
and
President of The Indian National Congress in 1917?
I will say, that the following speech perhaos would be a good idea to keep
in mind, before answering this question. I give a minor excerpt of it in
the below.
The Preidential Address Delivered By
ANNIE BESANT
At The Thirty Second Indian
National Congress
Held At Calcutta
26th December 1917
"The Great War, into the whirlpool of which Nation after Nation has been
drawn, has entered on its fourth year. The rigid censorship which has been
established makes it impossible for any outside the circle of Governments
to
forecast its duration, but to me, speaking for a moment not as a
politician but as a student of spiritual laws, to me its end is sure. For
the true
object of this War is to prove the evil of, and to destroy, autocracy and
the enslavement of one Nation by another, and to place on sure foundations
the God-given Right to Self-Rule and Self-Development of every Nation, and
the similar right of the Individual, of the smaller Self, so far as is
consistent with the welfare of the larger Self of the Nation. The forces
which
make for the prolongation of autocracy-the rule of one-and the even
deadlier
bureaucracy-bureaucracy-<WBR>"The Great War, into the whirlpool of which
Nat
has been drawn, has entered on its fourth year. The rigid censorship which
has been established makes it impossible for any outside the circle of
Governments to forecast its duration, but to me, speaking for a moment not
as
a politician but as a student of spiritual laws, to me its end is sure.
For
the true object of this War is to prove the evil of, and to destroy,
autocracy and the enslavement of one Nation by another, and to place on
sure
foundations the God-given Right to Self-Rule and Self-Development of every
Nation, and the similar right of the I
Autocracy and bureaucracy must perish utterly, in East and West, and, in
order that their germs may not re-sprout in the future, they must be
discredited in the minds of men. They must be proved to be less efficient
than the
Governments of Free Peoples, even in their favourite work of War, and
their iron machinery-which at first brings outer prosperity and
success-must be
shown to be less lasting and effective than the living and flexible
organisations of democratic Peoples. They must be proved failures before
the
world, so that the glamour of superficial successes may be destroyed for
ever.
They have had their day and their place in evolution, and have done their
educative work. Now they are out-of-date, unfit for survival, and must
vanish
away."
.......
"Since 1885, the Congress has constantly protested against the
ever-increasing military expenditure, but the voice of the Congress was
supposed to be
the voice of sedition and of class ambition, instead of being, as it was
the voice of educated Indians, the most truly patriotic and loyal class of
the population."
.......
"LOSS OF BELIEF IN THE SUPERIORITY OF WHITE RACES
The undermining of this belief dates from the spreading of the Arya Samaj
and the Theosophical Society. Both bodies sought to lead the Indian people
to a sense of the value of their own civilisation, to pride in their past,
creating self-respect in the present, and self-confidence in the future.
They destroyed the unhealthy inclination to imitate the West in all
things,
and taught discrimination, the using only of what was valuable in western
thought and culture, instead of a mere slavish copying of everything.
Another
great force was that of Swami Vivekananda, alike in his passionate love
and admiration for India, and his exposure of the evils resulting from
Materialism in the West. "
.......
"In the adapted words of a Christian Scripture, it passionately cries:
"What shall it profit a Nation if it gain the whole world and lose its own
Soul? What shall a Nation give in exchange for its Soul?" "
.......
"This may seem strong language, because the plain truth is not usually put
in India. But this is what every Briton feels in Britain for his own
country, and what every Indian should feel in India for his. This is the
Freedom
for which the Allies are fighting; this is Democracy, the Spirit of the
Age. "
.......
"And from_ that union shall arise the mightiest Empire, or rather
Commonwealth, th_at the world has ever known, a Commonwealth that, in
God's good
time, shall put an end to War."
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(http://www.charlescosimano.com/) _)
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3.
Third.
Is it fair to say that The Theosophical Society today year 2009 still is
entangled with politics because it still highlights Annie Besant as a
great
spiritual leader?
Seeking the Truth
M. Sufilight
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