Theos-Talk Archives (November 2012 Message tt00120)

A few related (maybe related) views...


I just came across a few interesting articles given in the Blavatsky Collected Writtings...
They might be helpful to consider at the upcoming Convernt in Adyar...

I have thrown the excerpts where the articles touch upon "secrecy" and "secrecy" of the Theosophical Society...
So how secret do we get?
 
*** 1***
WHAT IS THEOSOPHY? --- written1880
"You tell us that the reason compelling you to decline the honor of joining usâwith several other persons of your learned societyâis âEsotericism set up as a principleâ in our statutes?

Allow me to say that you are making a mistake.

It is true that a wholly esoteric section exists in our Society; but it is only a section, a very tiny part of the society which would perhaps be best defined if I call it at the outsetânot only the trunk of the Theosophical tree or its seedâbecause it is to that section that our whole Society owes its originâbut the vivifying sap that makes it live and flourish. Without this section, composed solely of Oriental adepts, the Theosophical Society, whose ramifications are beginning to cover the five regions of the globe, would be nothing but a dead and sterile body, a corpse without a soul. And yet the Theosophists who have been admitted therein up to this time could be reckoned on the fingers of one hand. Admission is not by asking. As for the rest of the Theosophists, with the exception of the passwords and signs that are changed at every expulsion of a bad and false brotherâthere are no secrets to preserve and nothing to conceal."
http://www.katinkahesselink.net/blavatsky/articles/v2/y1880_067.htm



*** 2 ***

THE CHOSEN âVESSELS OF ELECTIONâ --- written 1883 in the Theosophist:
" The Theosophical Society ârepresenting no religious creed, being entirely unsectarian and including professors of all faiths,â there is a vast choice in it for one who would learn something new besides the merely personal fancies of one of its founders. But, since the present question involves but the responsibility of the editor of this magazine, perhaps, the âfriends and admirersâ may derive some consolation in their âpainâ upon being assured that the said editor is only doing a duty in exposing and showing in its true light one of the most coolly impudent and absurd claims of this ageâthat of proclaiming oneself, upon oneâs own authority, and with no better warrant than blind faithâthe chosen vessel of election, the direct mouthpiece of God!"
.......
"Therefore, our Brotherhood being possible only when men are gradually made to rise above any personal ambition and that narrow-minded sectarianism that dwarfs the area of their mental vision and, keeping man aloof from man, gives birth only to a host of Cains pouncing upon the weaker Abelsâit becomes the imperative duty of us, who are the professed leaders and pioneers of the movement, to smooth the path for those who may succeed us in our work. Tolerant of everything, in every other respect we are uncompromisingly intolerant of Intolerance and aggression.
Such is our programme and the simple secret of our apparent inconsistency which has appeared strange and unaccountable even to your (our) warmest friends, i.e., that rejecting of the religion of Christ alone as worthless, accepting every other system under the sun as deserving of study."
http://www.katinkahesselink.net/blavatsky/articles/v4/y1883_046.htm
 

*** 3 ***
TO THE PUBLIC 

[Banner of Light, Vol. XLI, No. 4, April 21, 1877, p. 8]
"At a meeting of the Theosophical Society, held this day, the statement having been read from a London journal that D. D. Home, the medium, will devote some portion of his forthcoming work to âThe Theosophical Society; its vain quest for sylphs and gnomes,â and other matters pertaining to the organization, a committee was appointed to make known the following facts:

1. The Theosophical Society has been from the first a secret organization.

2. The communication of any particulars as to its affairs, except by direct authority, would be a dishonorable act.

3. The medium in question cannot possibly have any knowledge of these matters, except from persons who have long ceased to be members, and have violated their obligations, or persons discredited and disgraced at a very early period in the history of the Society. Therefore, whatever statements he may publish cannot be relied upon or verified.




Whether this Society, or sections, or individual members have seen âElementaryâ or other spirits at its meetings, concerns themselves alone. They will act as judges themselves when any phenomena have occurred that are suitable to give to the public. That magical phenomena do sometimes happen in presence of members of the Society when strangers can witness them, may be inferred from the editorial description which appeared in the New York World of Monday last.

The Theosophical Society is quietly prosecuting those subjects which interest the members, careful to neither infringe upon any personâs rights nor to transcend its own legitimate field. In advance, therefore, of an authoritative report of its own doings, it is unprofitable to pass judgement upon biased inferences made by third parties upon the allegations either of those who do not know the truth, or such as by an act of treachery have proved themselves incapable of speaking it.




H. S. OLCOTT, President.
R. B. WESTBROOK, D.D., Vice Pres.
PROF. ALEX. WILDER, M.D., Vice Pres.
H. P. BLAVATSKY, Cor. Sec.
EMMA HARDINGE-BRITTEN.
G. L. DITSON, M.D.
H. J. BILLING,
M.D. L. M. MARQUETTE, M.D.
W. Q. JUDGE (Counsel).
H. D. MONACHESI.
MORTIMER MARBLE.
SOLON J. VLASTO.
J. F. OLIVER."
http://www.katinkahesselink.net/blavatsky/articles/v1/y1877_005.htm



*** 4 ***
Written in 1876 by Blavatsky:
"As for the Theosophical Society, our present experience with a certain person, who shall be nameless since his conduct has been such as to forfeit his right to recognition, has been a lesson that we mean to profit by. We are considering a proposition to organize ourselves into a secret society* so that we may pursue our studies uninterrupted by the falsehoods and inpertinences of outside parties. "
â....
"Till the row with Sotheran the Society was not a secret one, as will be seen by this. But he began to revile our experiments & denounce us to Spiritualists & impede the Societyâs progress & it was found necessary to make it secret. "
http://www.katinkahesselink.net/blavatsky/articles/v1/y1876_005.htm




THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY ITS ORIGIN, PLAN AND AIMS â written 1878
"III. At first it was an open body, but, later, it was reorganized on the principle of secrecy, experience having demonstrated the advisability of such a change. "
http://www.katinkahesselink.net/blavatsky/articles/v1/y1878_024.htm


*** 5 ***
"PHILOSOPHERS AND PHILOSOPHICULES 
"

In the published Constitution and Rules great stress is laid upon the absolutely non-sectarian character of the Society. It is constantly insisted upon that it has no creed, no philosophy, no religion, no dogmas, and even no special views of its own to advocate, still less to impose on its members. And yetâ
âWhy, bless us! is it not as undeniable a fact that certain very definite views of a philosophic and, strictly speaking, of a religious character are held by the Founders and most prominent members of the Society?â
âVerily so,â we answer. "But where is the alleged contradiction in this? Neither the Founders, nor the 'most prominent members nor yet the majority thereof, constitute the Society, but only a certain portion of it, which, moreover, having no creed as a body, yet allows its members to believe as and what they please.â In answer to this, we are told:â
âVery true; yet these doctrines are collectively called âTheosophy.â What is your explanation of this?â
We reply:ââTo call them so is a âcollectiveâ mistake; one of those loose applications of terms to things that ought to be more carefully defined; and the neglect of members to do so is now bearing its fruits. In fact it is an oversight as harmful as that which followed the confusion of the two terms âbuddhismâ and âbudhism,â leading the Wisdom philosophy to be mistaken for the religion of Buddha.â..."
http://www.katinkahesselink.net/blavatsky/articles/v11/y1889_060.htm";



*** 6 ***

A ROMAN CATHOLIC SAINT AT GÃA â written 1884:
"The Theosophical Society is no secret society, she invites everybody to investigate her doctrines. "
--- http://www.katinkahesselink.net/blavatsky/articles/v6/y1884_035.htm



Secrecy or no secrecy - that seem to be the question???
Maybe semi-secret is the proper word to use?


But the Exoteric part of the Theosophical Society (with its three Sections - two of them being secret) was never a creed forwarding one single doctrine only based on either Blavatsky's or some Himalayan Masters views. It was clearly an ABSOLUTELY NON-SECTARIAN Society - based on seeking unprejudiced scientific research - with the science of exact psychology (of course transcendental psychology and anti-cult psychology included --- although these science vital to altruism seem to be down-watered heavily these days in many theosphical groups) at its base together with promulgation of altruism. And aught to have clearly remained so ---- although I still have a some few doubts about whether its members give this fact due emphsis today...






M. Sufilight



  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: .:. 
  To: theos-talk 
  Sent: Tuesday, November 27, 2012 4:03 AM
  Subject: theos-talk Revisiting famous 1900 Letter from Mahatma KH to Annie Besant


    
  Revisiting famous 1900 Letter from KH to Annie Besant

  The letter has been in the possession of Annie Besant/TS at Adyar since
  1900. Long after Besant passed away in 1936, it was printed in the
  collection of Mahatma Letters by C Jinarajadasa. But portions of the letter
  were redacted and the explanation was that they contain personal counsel to
  Besant. TS (Adyar) under successive Presidents, never published the full
  letter to this day.

  Mysteriously, full letter was however published in 1987 in the Eclectic
  Theosophist. The publishing revealed that the redacted portions were not
  indeed any personal counsel to Besant as CJ claimed. By then CJ had died
  and hence could not get first hand explanation from him.

  One very important comment in the letter that has universal application is:

  âMisleading secrecy has given the death blow to numerous organizations.â

  It did not say this applies only to spiritual or occult organizations.

  Obviously all the Presidents who succeeded Besant as well as inner circle
  of theosophists at Adyar must have known the contents of the letter and its
  importance. What is puzzling to many students and dues paying members is
  why it was withheld for 87 years until some how Eclectic Theosophist got
  hold of a copy. This also raises the other question if there are other
  letters from theosophical Mahatmas which have not seen the light of the day
  and withheld from members and students.

  Any student of Mahatma Letters will vouch that they all contain very
  important and useful statements of timeless value and students can benefit
  greatly in their study and self-improvement and thus self-transformation.

  What do you think?

  MKR

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