Theos-Talk Archives (August 1993 Message tl00039)

Summer Convention update - Wed. Aug. 25

The afternoon plenary session focused on the topic "Human
Regeneration  and the Objects of T.S.--the First Object."  The
main  speaker was Radha Burnier. She began her talk by  noting
that  more  than 100 years ago, humanity was described  as  an
orphan  and  the  same description applies today.   It  is  an
orphan  lost in a wilderness of illusions. Help must be  given
to  the orphan if it is to find its way back to its  spiritual
home where it belongs.  T.S. must serve as the guide or  chan-
nel for the orphan humanity who seeks its true condition,  its
spiritual home.
Human  consciousness  has  the unique  ability  to  learn
through the experiences of others,i.e. another age or  another
person but this capacity is not used where it is most  needed.
Our  history  is  a history of war and  great  suffering.  The
spirit of agression remains quite strong in human nature.  War
begins in the minds of people: agression felt inside may  have
no  immediate  consequences  but it nonetheless  adds  to  the
general  atmosphere  of  violence and  hatred  which  pervades
everything  around us. Humanity is a body in which  the  limbs
are at war with each other.
Mahatma spoke about prejudices of every kind. Radha  asks
if  we  as members of TS are really free from  prejudice?  She
says that if we think in terms of psychological identification
with  groups--my people, my country, etc., then we are  preju-
diced. She believes that finding one's identity is a  terrible
thing to do and that the only power we should desire is to  be
as nothing. Prejudice includes acquisitiveness. Through  tech-
nology,  we  have produced innumerable objects  which  provoke
greed.  If we follow the path of greed,how can there  be  any-
thing other than violence?
We have made the world tremendously dangerous.  Appalling
injustices  and inequities are the results of concepts in  our
minds.  We can't imagine abject poverty and the abjectly  poor
can not imagine a life of advantage. We can't go much  further
in  the same vein if humanity is to survive.  Human  regenera-
tion must occur.
Human  regeneration means that the mind must become  com-
pletely different, with a different quality. The three objects
of TS are all concerned with this fundamental change in  human
beings  and  the resultant change in the  world.  Regenerative
universal  brotherhood is required. It requires both  physical
and spiritual action.  We must look into our own thoughts  and
actions  with a microscopic eye. We must go on a journey  from
being  personal, self-centered and preoccupied to a  state  of
universality  which is open to anything. Radha notes  that  we
are  frequently hypocrites: we substitute a  little  tinkering
for  fundamental  change. Our animal-minds  warily  watch  the
world  sizing up friends and foes, but do we as  human  beings
really  have  to do this? No. There must be  no  self-identity
only  universality.  We must study in order to  transform  our
minds;  the books must bring awakening. We must allow  a  com-
plete change in human relationships and human society.
In  response to comments from the audience,  Radha  added

the following thoughts: When we think of a mind which is  free
of distinctions, we think of distinctions between human beings
,  but we must realize that there can be no  distinctions  be-
tween all of life. We must have a deep respect for all life--
human,  animal,etc. ...Without stimulation from  outside,  the
consciousness  remains stagnant. The sense of ego may  be  the
mechanism which stirs the mind into action. Ego may be  needed
up  to  a certain point in human development then it  must  be
discarded.  When you are standing on the bank of a wide  river
which you wish to cross, you are grateful for a boat. Once you
are  across the river, that same boat becomes a  burden  which
you happily leave behind....When asked if TS should aspire  to
markedly increase its membership, Radha noted that her  father
once  queried what would be the advantage if we had a  million
selfish members. What is needed is not more members but trans-
formation.