Theos-Talk Archives (December 2009 Message tt00207)

Dear Paul,

My responses in line with yours, so do read on...

--- On Tue, 29/12/09, kpauljohnson <kpauljohnson@yahoo.com> wrote:

From: kpauljohnson <kpauljohnson@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Theos-World Why is there SO MUCH FEAR in the Theosophical Society?
To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, 29 December, 2009, 5:45 AM







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      Dear Preethi,



If I recall correctly, you have previously mentioned the corrosive effect of the ES, which I consider to be responsible for the situation you describe:Preethi's comment: To my knowledge, I have NOT -- nor can ever possibly think of -- condemned the ES, of which I remain a member even though outwardly I walked out of it; solely because I disagree with the way its Head, Mrs Burnier, used it to reinstate her authority on the TS, which she largely misadministers.To my understanding, the ES is an instrument or body founded with the purpose of helping the member to develop his Higher intuitions, and through that development to purify and cleanse his soul filled with the excrescences from past lives. As he thus purifies himself, he will learn to listen to the Inner Voice of Authority rather than the outer one.
Mrs Burnier's call in late May 2009 for members of the ES to give up their right to think for themselves and to intelligently question the direction the TS is taking under her was totally against, to my understanding, the basis upon which and for which the ES was founded. Our loyalty, in the TS and especially in the ES, should be to the Essence rather than the outer form; to the Higher Principle of Atma rather than the lower one of Mind and form.
During the last Presidential elections, almost the entire European Section and the American Section -- as well as other Sections of the TS -- contested the President's right to stand for another election giving her failing physical and mental health as their criteria for opposing her stance, and gave their support to the then Vice-President of the TS, Dr John Algeo.
However, Dr Algeo lost the elections due largely to the Indian Section votes which went to Mrs Burnier or Radhaji, as we call her. And, Mrs Burnier, instead of being compassionate to the defeated opponent, as would be expected of the President of the TS and Head of ES, chose to be non-understanding and non-compassionate. Instead she sought to consolidate her position in the TS by using her Headship in the ES. This, to me, was and is wrong, unethical, and unbecoming of the dignity and sacredness inherent to both the positions, President of the TS and Head of the ES.
Going back to your statement: 
"If I recall correctly, you have previously mentioned the corrosive effect of the ES", I do not believe the ES has a corrosive effect. I do believe that the ES is being misused because -- if as every ES member believes -- if the ES is a channel for Their work, then independent questioning which is inherent to the Path Eternal, even by Their own words to us which can be seen in many instances in the Letters They wrote to APS, ought to be encouraged, rather than quelled.And being unwilling to quell my own questions, being unwilling to enslave myself to an outer authority -- whether President of TS or Head of ES, being unwilling to think only thoughts she would allow me to think, all I did on 24 May 2009 was to walk out on her.As HPB said, whether or not one subscribes to the outer form of the TS (I include the ES here as well), every ardent seeker after the Truth is essentially a Theosophist (I would also include an ES member); for, Truth, as JK said is a
 pathless land, beyond forms, beyond popery, beyond its many containers.

"the very human tendency to hero-worship and idolize a living human being. If one looks at the supporters of the President, one cannot help being hit by the fact that for them, she is an unquestioned authority and that if one were to question her, then one is crazy, or mad, or a sinner, or something like that. The supporters of the President have, in essence, DEHUMANIZED her...

> 2. From the above, it follows that in order to HUMANIZE the President, one has to accept that she CAN -- and does -- make mistakes; that she -- as we are -- is not infallible." 



Having someone as TS President who is also ES Outer Head totally subverts the possibility of normal accountability and transparency IMO.  And it helps sustain a climate of fear.



Paul 
Paul, with the exception of the initial founders, the two posts have almost always been in the hands of the President. But somehow this problem of fear has not been evident thus far. If one were to go further into the problem, this FEAR characterizes humanity at large, especially in war- and conflict-ridden times like these when material affluence is given greater value over everything else. So, as members of the TS who ascribe to the Truth even if only literally at the moment, we have to be extra-careful of falling into the traps of that life which characterizes the lives of those who are not yet within the precincts of the TS. And, for that, as you rightly point out, we have to look at the Fear we feel in our daily lives as members of the TS -- fear of the President included. For this fear stops us from moving forward and if we have not been able to move forward, I really doubt we can help the Movement to move forward.Fraternally
Preethi


     

    
    


 



  






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