Theos-Talk Archives (November 1993 Message tl00056)

by Brenda Tucker

Some people believe that when you discuss or represent another author in
your own work that you should do it in a way that some additional sense
has been added.  What you write about what someone else writes is a
worthy enhancement of the other's work.  Anyone who adheres to the
"dead letter" of a text by repeating it and refrains from adding his
own knowledge of the subject in some way is doing an injustice to the
original author.  Why can't Bailey be the one coming in the Twentieth
Century?  Why can't we all be?

I remember my first experience with theosophy.  It was through reading
a book given to me by a man who had received "knowledge" from Guru
Maharaji after seeking through European and American cities for someone
who could give him this "knowledge."  He had seen Guru Maharaji speak
on a mountain top in Switzerland.  Now, most Christians have lived this
vicariously by hearing the stories of Jesus speaking to crowds in his
few short years as "National Lecturer." (Just kidding.)  To return to my
story, he showed me in the introduction where the author of the book
makes approximately the same claim as "someone in the Twentieth
Century" only it contains a year, I believe.  And this year was the year
of Guru Maharaji's birth, so his idea was that this person with great
destiny was his beloved Guru.  If he was right, I don't know why I
missed out entirely on knowing about it.  The book was THE LIGHT OF THE
SOUL with commentary by Alice Bailey.

Everyone "adds" a sense to what they read by repeating it in a way that
perhaps you could think of it as "veiling" another persons work.  So it
makes sense that all people who come in the Twentieth Century add to the
work done prior in the world, or that those who come in the Twentieth
Century fulfill prophecies of those whom they greatly admire and
respect.  Would anyone out there work consciously to fulfill the
prophecies of a beloved author just for the sake of thanking them if it
were within their means?  If I could do anything to aid H.P.B's work and
make it more credible, I certainly would try to do that in hopes that
the relationship I've developed with her work could continue, that a
strengthening of the karmic bond would occur. The same with the other
writers I've been privileged to read and admire; what it is they are
speaking of is something special to the point that I've missed it
tremendously in the years when I didn't have access to it.  And believe
me, I hope I never have to live a single life without this wonderful
occult science, but if necessary to fulfill some other condition, I'd be
resigned to.

If you consider Leadbeater to be untrue, this must be because you refuse
to see the light in his work.  There must be details which don't ring
true to you because of prior conditioning or is it because he's speaking
in some detail about areas of experience in a way that his version of
life, whether in the future or on the inner planes, can serve as
fill-in.  This fill-in can prove valuable to a student of theosophy
because it's message is one of encouragement in an area that remains a
vast mystery in most people's experience.

What I wrote in my last message of a week ago about not enjoying the
purifications which I undertook in the past, I have reconsidered and
would like to say that each time I was able to take a major step in
refraining from drugs, alcohol, sex, etc. it was in concert with my
association with a group of "devotees."  In this way then, I was not
unhappy in undertaking purifications, but was greatly aided and blessed
by the support of a community of "servers."  These were the most
enjoyable and instructive times of my life and not in a sense
unenjoyable, because I was surrounded by those of like mind, who were
either behaving similarly or had done so in the past. It was probably
being admitted into the Esoteric School that gave me the strength to
abstain the first time.  After leaving the Esoteric School however about
two years later, I returned to my old habits.  This time it was my
desire to associate with and learn from the I AM Temple that allowed me
to take my life under control and this time firmly and finally.  I liked
it better because it was not a formal, written vow.  I could continue to
attend or I could miss as many classes as I chose.  No questions asked.
No reporting to any superior.  Just free to participate or not
participate, but before I was originally allowed to attend classes, I
was instructed to use violet flame exercises for six months, due to my
digressions, I believe.  I never wanted to be refused admission again,
so I never allowed myself to drink or smoke again.  (Being vegetarian
has never been a point of negotiation.  That took place only because of
my love for the "kingly science," which by the way has made me
definitely a SERVANT and I don't really expect to ever live like a king,
except when in my HIGHER SELF.  Which makes sense, I think, because the
LOWER SELF is or should be servant to the HIGHER SELF.  And I am very,
very, happy in my HIGHER SELF.  It's just I haven't been able to figure
out how to create a continuation of consciousness on that level yet.

So good luck to everyone in their efforts and Arvind, I want to thank
you for answering my question about progress in this direction.  I
really enjoyed your piece.