Theos-Talk Archives (September 1993 Message tl00029)

I'd like to comment and expand on some of the discussion on what is
Theosophy.

Someone recently commented to me that ULT members are typically the
best students of Theosophy, because they approach the core writings
of HPB and Judge with an high level of scholarship and study, i.e.
they undertake the study as a serious intellectual effort which I
might compare to that of graduate studies in college.

While the stated objects of the Adyar T.S. (and many others) allow
the members the freedom to study and believe what they like, within
a framework of tolerance for all, nearly every organization has
behind-the-sceens politics.

One example is the Canadian Section of the Adyar T.S. They maintained
a strong pro-Blavatsky stance from the very beginning, and never
took up the Besant/Leadbeater ideas, yet they remained within the T.S.
Just a few years ago, they were expelled en masse (the section, lodges,
and members, ... everything) on a pretext, presumably to maintain the
"purity" of the Besant/Leadbeater nature of the Adyar T.S. There have
been numerous explusions originating in Adyar over the years.

When you go in to buy a car, you could be met with high-pressure
sales tactics, or sometimes with low-pressure tactics. Theosophical
organizations follow the latter.  The tolerance for varying beliefs in
most organizations is, unfortunately, just to provide an opportunity
for potential "believers" to gradually be introduced to the ideas of
the organization. You're welcome if you are someone looking for
answers (e.g. a potential believer) but not if you do not buy into the
package of beliefs presented.

The behind-the-sceens control is a mixed bag, there's both good and
bad in it. Take the T.S. in America [Aydar]. Because of the high
turnover in membership, in five-to-ten years a majority of members are
new and it would be easy for the section to take on an entirely
different approach and belief. Without any control, it would not take
long to oganizationally forget what Theosophy is and have entirely
different ideas and beliefs taught in its place. Some might even argue
that this has already happened at some point.

An important question that we face in our studies is: What is Theosophy?
There are several ways that we could look at it, and will each feel
happiest with the explanation that describes how we are using Theosophy
in our lives. This understanding is a relationship that we have with
the reality that Theosophy is; it is not Theosophy itself.

I believe that there are genuine Mystery Teachings, in an exoteric
form, at the core of the theosophical writings, and feel concerned
that they are being hidden from or lost to the general public behind
a smoke screen of personal opinions and interpretations.

I'd like to write more about this next time.

                                 Eldon Tucker
                                 eldon@netcom.com