Theos-Talk Archives (June 2010 Message tt00008)

MKR: One of the key features in nature is everything is cyclical and evolves
into a higher form and state. One such development we all are aware of is
the invention of printing. When first printing technology was introduced,
there was a hue and cry from many thinkers that it is going to be evil. Here
is a quote from a recent article:

âIn the history of print, we got erotic novels 100 years before we got
scientific journals, and complaints about distraction have been rampant; no
less a beneficiary of the printing press than Martin Luther complained, "The
multitude of books is a great evil. There is no measure of limit to this
fever for writing." Edgar Allan Poe, writing during another surge in
publishing, concluded, "The enormous multiplication of books in every branch
of knowledge is one of the greatest evils of this age; since it presents one
of the most serious obstacles to the acquisition of correct information."

âThe response to distraction, then as now, was social structure. Reading is
an unnatural act; we are no more evolved to read books than we are to use
computers. Literate societies become literate by investing extraordinary
resources, every year, training children to read. Now it's our turn to
figure out what response we need to shape our use of digital tools.â Full
article is at:

<
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704025304575284973472694334.html
>

MKR:  Are we not witnessing somewhat similar unfounded reaction from the
leaders and thinkers of today on the subject of Internet? Theosophists of
all colors - leaders, thinkers, occultists, are no exception to it.

This is evidenced by very slow adoption of the Internet tools to further the
dissemination of the great truths theosophy introduced to the world. (When
did you see a theosophical leader, thinker show up on Internet and engage
with the public using multi-mode communication that it allows?) Who can
imagine the state of the world in say 10 to 20 years from now when Internet
would have replaced the role printing played in the past to bring knowledge
to the masses.

It is time for all of us to try to understand the tools available as part of
Internet and such understanding will bring about creative ideas to
disseminate theosophical tenets to the world. The idea of practical
Brotherhood is badly needed today as it was 2000 years ago and this is seen
clearly when we look at the video images of the man-made sufferings our
fellow men and women are going through world-wide.

MKR


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