Theos-Talk Archives (May 2010 Message tt00025)

A few views...

MKR wrote:
"Orlando issue need to be addressed transparently and unless the membership
is fully convinced that the âinappropriate activitiesâ are really the real
issue, a cloud will hang over TSA and it would make future recruitment of
membership and opening of new lodges very difficult."

Thanks.
On this I think most theosophists will agree.
Forcing individual members to resign is one thing, but closing an entire lodge which has been around for a hundred years or so is quite another.
I find it puzzling that the leadership in the TS International are not addressing this issue in a more appropiate manner.

Maybe it is the old story all over again about the two "geniuses" in the Land of the Fools.....


I CAN CALCULATE in THE LAND OF THE FOOLS
In the land of the fools two people were talking:

A: I am no idiot, I can mulitply numbers !
B: I don't believe it !
A: I bet this goldbag, that i can.
B: Go ahead then, lets hear you.
A: Here you are : two and two are ninety-nine !
B: Aaah...hmm...well...Fair-enough here is your money !

One point is: 
Everyone find himself or herself to be wise, while this might not actually be the truth.

- - - - - - - - -
A few words which in a certain sense can be related to the above...

H. P. Blavatsky wrote to A. P. Sinnett, year 1885:
"You have perhaps heard, that Hurrissingjee (Thakur of Baunagarâs cousin) took it into his head to build a shrine for the portraits of the two Masters and meant to spend over it 10,000 rupees. He several times asked Master; He would not answer. Then he asked Olcott, who bothered Mah. K. H. through Damodar, as I had refused point blank to put such questions to Masters. Then the Mahatma answered âLet him talk with the chelas about it I do not careâ or something to that effect. Well Damodar and Chundra Coosho I think and others went to work to make a plan of the shrine. Even the dirty Coulomb, was called in for his draughtsmanâs capacities. We were in Europe then. But as soon as we were gone came the Coulomb row. When we returned, Hurrissingjee, to show that the exposure had no effect on him, wanted to sell a village and build the shrine quand meme. The day after my return Mahatma told me to write to Hurrissingjee that He expressly forbid spending such amount of money. That it was useless and foolish. So I wrote. Then came the anniversary and Hurrissingjee sent a delegate for himself as he was sick. When the superlatively idiotic idea of a Temple of Humanity or Universal Brotherhood came into Olcottâs pumpkin, the delegate, when the others were subscribing, was asked by Olcott and he said (in full convention in the Pandala before hundreds of people, âI believe His Highness wants to subscribe Rs. 1,000 --â I said to Olcott âtoo muchâitâs a shameââbut he pitched into me for my trouble and as I was then sitting there in the light of a prisoner in dockâI shut up."
...
"Well; Olcott came one day and said, âDo ask Master to permit me to have money (generally) subscribed for the Temple.â So I sent his temple and himself to a hot place and said I would not. Then he went to Damodar, and D.âasked I think, for two or three days after I heard through Damodar that the prohibition to Hurrissingjee of spending money on such flapdoodles had been removed and that Hurrissingjee had a letter to that effect. I remember as though it was to day Dj. Khoolâs voice laughing and saying âHe will catch it with his temple, the gallant Colonel.â Next time D. K. I asked why was the prohibition removed when the very idea of the temple was stupid, and some people went against it. He saidââWell you ought to know that when there is a strong desire on both sides Masters never interfere. They cannot prevent people from hanging themselves.â I paid no great attention to these words then, I thought they referred to the foolishness of the âtemple.â I understand them now.
(HPB's letters to A. P. Sinnett)
http://www.phx-ult-lodge.org/Letters%20of%20HPB.htm



M. Sufilight says and asks:
Photo-exhibition or not.
I ask: Do we find the present day leadership at TS listening to these words by D.K., HPB, the masters and others?
No, most certainly not.
And this is one problem as I see it.

Save money, time, energy it is said.
Avoid hurting, never do damage.
Always help. And if you cannot help, then at least seek to avoid hurting and avoid doing damage.

Do not waste money on a false teaching about idols.
Let them not tempt you.

Only few are called each century and Damodar K. Mavalankar was one of them even if he also failed for a short time.

- - - - - - -
H. P. Blavatsky said:

THE âDOCTRINE OF THE EYEâ & THE âDOCTRINE OF THE HEART,â OR THE âHEART'S SEALâ
"For, while the Southern Buddhists have no idea of the existence of an Esoteric Doctrineâenshrined like a pearl within the shell of every religionâthe Chinese and the Tibetans have preserved numerous records of the fact. Degenerate, fallen as is now the Doctrine publicly preached by Gautama, it is yet preserved in those monasteries in China that are placed beyond the reach of visitors. And though for over two millennia every new âreformer,â taking something out of the original, has replaced it by some speculation of his own, still truth lingers even now among the masses. But it is only in the Trans-Himlayan fastnessesâloosely called Tibetâin the most inaccessible spots of desert and mountain, that the Esoteric âGood Lawââthe âHeartâs Sealââlives to the present day in all its pristine purity. "
http://www.katinkahesselink.net/blavatsky/articles/v14/mb_011.htm


Maybe this is true even today despite some the high rank esoteric Gelug teachers have been visiting the western countries.
Yet I find that there still is a strong presence somewhere in the northen parts of India.

Master Morya's and Master KH's houses
""Now Morya lives generally with Koot-Hoomi who has his house in the direction of the Kara Korum Mountains, beyond Ladak, which is in Little Tibet and belongs now to Kashmire. It is a large wooden building in the Chinese fashion pagoda-like, between a lake and a beautiful mountain. . . . " (Oct 2nd, 1881)
http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/ravinetext.htm





M. Sufilight


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: MKR 
  To: theos-talk 
  Sent: Saturday, May 08, 2010 1:33 AM
  Subject: Theos-World Orlando Lodge Update


    
  Update on Orlando Lodge

  Today, I received by snail mail, the Theosophical Messenger (of TSA) issue
  of April 2010. It contains a section on Resolutions of the February 2010
  Board Meeting.

  One of the resolutions dated November 14, 2009 relate to cancellation of the
  charter of Orlando Lodge.

  In its decision declaring the lodge inactive, pursuant to final cancellation
  of the charter, the basis cited are:

  1. â... the Florida Federation has unanimously requested that the charter of
  the Orlando Lodge of the Theosophical Society in America be canceled..â and

  2. â..Orlando has engaged in activities contrary to the best interests of
  the Society, and the Board shall by resolution declare said lodge to be
  inactive as stated in section 6. Following the conclusion of extensive
  research and numerous responses concerning membersâ experiences with the
  Orlando Lodge over a period of many years, it has been determined that
  inappropriate activities have occurred.â

  There seems to be several points in the above, which need clarification
  which would convince the reasonableness of the decision. This is very
  necessary since any adverse opinion and doubts of members do not help the
  credibility of the board members and their judgment. This is critical at a
  time of declining membership and voluntary and involuntary closure of
  lodges.

  Issues that seems to need addressing:

  1. Each lodge is fully autonomous and so long as they do not violate the
  objects of TS and International and National Rules, it fully empowered to
  carry on any activity in furtherance of the mission TS.

  Under such circumstances, in my several yearsâ association with TS in the
  USA and India, I have never seen any Federation trying to force the closure
  of a lodge; because it is not their job to police or influence any lodge or
  its activities.

  Not only this looks like the Federation unlawfully interfering with a lodge
  but trying to shut down a lodge at a time when membership is declining is
  very serious.

  Anyone who has started and keeps a lodge functional knows how difficult it
  is. On the face of it there may be other forces operating about which we do
  not know of.

  2. The allegation about âinappropriate activitiesâ in the resolution is
  very serious. If there are any illegal or criminal activities going on, then
  all one needs to do is to call 911 and report it. Law will take care of it.

  3. Orlando lodge was chartered in 1935 and obviously there are long time
  dedicated theosophists in the lodge. Alleging âinappropriate activitiesâ, is
  most untheosophical, unless factual evidence is presented to the membership
  in the USA. Thus it is urgent that verifiable facts be presented to the
  membership and no one need to be afraid of Truth.

  4. It also appears that none of the top elected leaders have personally
  visited Orlando lodge to have a first hand understanding of the issues
  involved with a view to solve the problem and save the lodge.

  Anyone experienced with organizations such as TS, knows that complex and
  complicated problems can be solved only by personally visiting the lodge and
  getting a first hand feel for the real problems. Anyone who has read the
  early history of TS knows that whenever there was a serious lodge problem,
  Olcott personally traveled and solved it. No one knows why the elected top
  leaders of TSA have not visited Orlando and addressed the problem and find a
  fix for it.

  5. The lodge owns valuable real estate. This makes one wonder whether the
  real issue is taking over the real estate and not the stated allegations.

  6. The Orlando experience would make other lodges with valuable real estate
  wonder who is next.

  Orlando issue need to be addressed transparently and unless the membership
  is fully convinced that the âinappropriate activitiesâ are really the real
  issue, a cloud will hang over TSA and it would make future recruitment of
  membership and opening of new lodges very difficult.

  Let us wait and see what next.

  MKR

  There is no religion higher than Truth

  [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



  

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]