Theos-Talk Archives (April 1994 Message tl00021)

Greetings--
Radhasoami ended up being part of the first portion of my new
manuscript, along with the Arya and Brahmo Samajes and of
course the TS.  The overall question was-- what were educated
Indians looking for in 19th century religious movements, and
how did these various groups meet the needs of the historical
moment?  Intertwined with this is the question of the
relationships among all the groups, which in every case are
substantial.
As for CWL, I adhere to Tillett's theory of "unconscious
kriyashakti"-- that is that CWL's belief in his visionary world
was so intense that he could actually induce experiences in
others that led them to believe in its reality.  But also I am
inclined to share the ULT/Pasadena view that he was an
irresponsible psychic who muddled his perceptions with a high
degree of unexamined assumptions and outright fantasy.
This is not to say I don't believe in clairvoyance-- I do-- but
it's a very tricky business and most susceptible to
misinterpretation.
As to my reading, I think Old Diary Leaves is as fundamental to
my understanding of Theosophy as anything, with Caves and
Jungles a close second.  But that's because I'm more interested
in people and their lives than in metaphysical abstractions.
In most of the other early literature, historical reality is
much less vivid and real than in those two books.
Are you off to India soon?
Namaste