Theos-Talk Archives (December 1993 Message tl00027)

Jerry S.

     Concerning your message on sex and reincarnation, I'm
essentially in agreement with you. People had scorned and
ridiculed you for these opinions? What is the world coming to?
Like you, I have also observed that most theosophists are very
puritanical about sex. My story about the member who couldn't
handle the vocalization of the word "penis" is my classic
example.

     Though H.P.B. and Purucker at least imply that celibacy is a
"holy and necessary condition to tread the path,"  I feel that
the message may have been distorted by the listeners. H.P.B.
also points out that nothing is gained (and perhaps damage is
done) by repressing one's sexual nature to become celibate. I
feel this celibacy stuff was directed to people who wish to tread
the path, and have already transcended or are in a position to
transcend their libidal nature. There are a few people like
that. I have met a few of them, but they are more the exception
than the rule. For the rest of us who have the normal range of
passions, I think there are a lot of spiritual lessons to be
learned in the school of family relations and marriage.

      Though Theosophists seem to be in a time warp, and live a
victorian morality and code of ethics, I believe that the
Leadbeater issue goes much deeper than a reluctance to talk about
"self abuse."  The initial accusations against Leadbeater, were
just surface issues to a much deeper and more complex story.
There appears to be an underlying fear that the whole story
concerning Leadbeater will someday become public, and it will
bring to light some details that will put the whole Theosophical
Society of that era into a very different light. Tillett made
public some of these details at the Theosophical History
conference in San Diego, and created a rather nasty reaction from
Wheaton that reverberated all the way to Adyar.

     The Theosophical Society is in a sense like a living entity.
An Organization, like people, can become pathological. Like
people, It can have repressed traumas, that it refuses to
acknowledge. And like traumas in humans, they will sit quietly
for years, then suddenly resurface again and again. Each time
they are pushed back under, just like people do with repressed
memories. One therapeutic technique for releasing these traumas,
is to allow them to come to the surface, so that they can be
faced. In Jungian terminology, it is called "embracing the
shadow side."  But this is very scary--and feels a little like
being sent to room "101" in the book 1984. We do have I think,
one instance where this purging was begun in the Adyar Society.
It began with the publication of CANDLES IN THE SUN in the
1950's. The book, written by an insider, gave a "too revealing"
inside view of the Krishnamurti years, there was quite an outcry
of pain among the membership. But at least the truth was out.
When KRISHNAMURTI, THE YEARS OF AWAKENING came out twenty years
later, covering the same ground, the outcry was much less, even
though the second book was much more revealing than the first.
In other words, it is through bringing these repressed traumas to
the surface and out in the open, the healing process begins. The
Theosophical Society today is beginning to come to terms with the
Krishnamurti issue. Discussion on this subject is no longer as
upsetting to people as it once was. The Leadbeater issue is
still too sensitive, however. Perhaps in another ten years, with
the publication of another history, the T.S. may begin to try to
come to terms with it. Perhaps, someday the T.S. might even be
able to deal with the Judge case.

     However, the Adyar T.S. isn't the only Society with
repressed issues. All the Theosophical Organizations have them,
and I'm afraid none have handled their situations any better than
the Adyar Society.

     Regarding reincarnation. I understand the theosophical
teachings as portraying a system of Divine Law, that has little
to do with human justice or morality. Our planet is a school of
learning, and the home for a long chain of existences for our
reincarnating egos, but mortality for our personalities. In a
way, this view embraces both the Buddhist view of a world of
suffering (from the view of our personal selves), and a divinity
that is within all there is. Reincarnation is part of divine
law, which is not going to change whether we rejoice in, or
grieve its reality.

     Regarding the number seven. My experience has also been
that my life changes in seven year cycles. I can follow and
predict these changes simply by following the transit of the
planet Saturn as it hits critical points in my horoscope. We are
near the same age (and have had similar life experiences) and our
Saturns are well into their second cycle. I'm told that the ride
is easier the second time around.

Arvind

     Did you receive my message through John Mead?

Jerry Hejka-Ekins