Theos-Talk Archives (October 1993 Message tl00008)

I think that Jerry H-E made some very significant points regarding our
discussion on the nature of Theosophy as it is found in the theosophical
movement, and would like to comment on them.

The original Theosophy was purely spiritual/intellectual, and was
opposed to both organized religions, materialistic science, as well as
spiritualism and psychic development.

I can see "syncretism" in varying degrees as the core theosophical
ideas were taken up by individuals and blended with other beliefs and
made into something different. There is probably a voodoo theosophy,
a catholic theosophy, a scientific-materialistic theosophy, and many
other flavors. Original Theosophy is more likely to make one a
philosopher/saint than a priest, magician, or scientist, although it
doesn't preclude these other vocations.

Except for someone with a almost-saintly personality, psychic
development was not just discouraged, but forbidden. The natural
consequence of psychic development would be the awakening of kundalini,
and the person could face maddness or death. And lessor psychic
development would be a hinderance to spiritual development. This was
why, for even people born with natural psychic capabilities, that one
was told to ignore, put aside, neglect, and forget about any psychic
development, including seeing auras, clarivoyance, astral projection,
etc. The senses were a distraction to spiritual development, and
were to be downplayed.

In meditation, we are taught to turn the attention away from the
senses, to focus on higher aspects of consciousness. Any attempt to
see at a distance, to push through to another plane, to focus on
external forces to bring them into play in the outer world, would
constitute sitting for psychic development, at best. It could also
constitute the practice of magic, and have dangerous karmic
consequences. Until the personality approaches sainthood in purity,
one is likely to be brought in touch with the dark side of life, things
we are normally protected from, something not good to even talk about
too much ...

----

The other important point of Jerry's is regarding the real first split
in the original Theosophical Society: between HPB and the T.S. as a
Mystery School and Olcott and the T.S. as a public free-thought
organization.

This split was undone (along with other, unfortunate events as well
that I won't go into) in the Pasadena T.S. during the Conger and Long
administrations, when they started with a T.S. with a regular membership
with lodges and an E.S., then proceeded to shut down and liquidate the
assets of all the lodges, and finally do away with the E.S./T.S.
distinction (everyone who remained a member in the dramatically smaller
organization was an E.S. member with loyalty to Long as their spiritual
teacher). This was turned around again in Knoche's administration, where
a few lodges, now called Library Centers, were reopened, and public
work was again started.

There could be a dual purpose to the T.S., there certainly is one to
the theosophical movement. First is to keep the door to the Mysteries
ajar, allowing a possible entry for individuals when they reach the
appropriate stage of readiness. The second is to help formulate
"Theosophy Lite" as the seed for a new religion for the next
2,160-year subrace in the West.

Much of the deeper teachings will be dropped out as the popularization
continues. And perhaps the Mystery School aspect to things will go
completely underground. I'm not sure that we will readily recognize
the face of "Theosophy Lite" a century from now. By then, it will have
done a much better job of blending into popular thought and language.
And perhaps it is the role of the Adyar T.S. to drive this effort?

                                 Eldon Tucker
                                 eldon@netcom.com