Theos-Talk Archives (April 1994 Message tl00035)

This is a report of the Inter-Theosophical Dialogue held at Krotona
last month.  Comments welcome.

                          THE INTER-THEOSOPHICAL DIALOGUE

     On March 26, 1994, The Krotona School of Theosophy in Ojai,
     California, sponsored the "Inter-Theosophical Dialogue: The
     Theosophical Movement Past and Future." Members of different
     groups who grew from the original Theosophical Society were
     invited to attend for the purpose of having a dialogue with each
     other.  This was the second time such an event has occurred.  The
     last time was in 1984.

      The subject for the morning session was, "The Theosophical
      movement in the 20th Century: What have we achieved?" Panelists
      speaking to this question were: Nandini Iyer, Associate, United
      Lodge of Theosophists, who pointed out that theosophy's effect on
      people's minds is reflected in 20th century thought: wherever
      thought tends to be free, there the theosophical movement can be
      found; Carmen Small, Point Loma Publications, who gave
      information on how a number of theosophical-oriented schools have
      influenced education; Jerry Hejka-Ekins, Theosophical Society,
      Adyar, who spoke of how theosophy has influenced and been
      influenced by paradigm shifts; Eleanor Shumway, Temple of the
      People, Halcyon, who described the formation and structure of
      Halcyon's Temple of the People; and Alan Donant, Theosophical
      Society, Pasadena, who spoke of how we have become cosmopolitan,
      citizens of a greater group.

      The afternoon session addressed the question: "Theosophy in the
      21st Century: Where Do We Go From Here?" The panelists for this
      session were: Rob McOwen, Associate, United Lodge of
      Theosophists, who discussed the need to understand and
      disseminate the concepts of unity and diversity; Nancy and John
      Coker, Theosophical Society, Pasadena, who talked of the danger
      of looking too much to the past, that we need to keep the message
      fresh and current and focus on reaching youth by speaking in
      their language; and John Algeo, President (American Section),
      Theosophical Society, Adyar, who reminded us of the original
      vision of theosophy to be the cornerstone of the future religions
      of humanity, and how a new institute for theosophical education
      could help fulfill that.

      The rest of the afternoon was devoted to actual dialogues between
      all attending theosophists.  Everyone was divided into groups of
      approximately 10-12 members each, making a total of 14 groups.
      This was pre-organized so as to mix members of various branches
      as much as possible.  Each group was asked to discuss two
      questions: 1) What does the theosophical movement need to do in
      the 21st century to be of service to the world; and 2) what steps
      could each of us take to contribute? After an hour and a half of
      dialogue, everyone reassembled and representatives gave a summary
      report from each group.  Through this process over a hundred
      separate items were presented; several common themes began to
      emerge which were echoed many times in different ways.

We compiled all this and have attempted to synthesize it down to a list
of ten themes which we present below.  Since we did not feel it was
possible to accurately prioritize them, we have tried to order them in
a logical manner based on the notion of taking care of inner needs
first, then expanding to outer concerns:

     1.  Clarify the teachings: Have a clear and sound knowledge of the
     wisdom presented in theosophy.

     2.  Practice theosophy as a way of self-transformation: Apply the
     theosophical teachings in our daily lives so that we can transform
     ourselves and set an example to others.

      3.  Balance mind and heart: Cultivate the heart aspect of the
      teachings in order to reach a middle point between intellect and
      heart.

      4.  Participate in theosophical activities with creative energy:
      Utilize our own unique talents and put our energies to work.  Get
      involved through study groups, social service, etc.

      5.  Make theosophy inclusive of other spiritual traditions:
      Accept the wisdom shared by other movements as part of our own.
      Be more embracing of other sources of literature, spiritual
      practices, and teachings in general.  Be discriminately open.

      6.  Adapt theosophy to the contemporary world and language:
      Explore new methodologies.  Restate and present the theosophical
      teachings in a modern, fresh, and current terminology.

      7.  Educate: Develop programs and methods to broadly disseminate
      theosophy.  Explore new educational means such as cultural,
      artistic, and entertainment activities.  Reach the people.

      8.  Involve Youth: Revitalize the theosophical movement with the
      presence and energy of young people.  Work together with them to
      bring forth activities that will stimulate youth participation.

      9.  Network: Increase interaction and association with
      sympathetic individuals and groups.  Promote cooperation among
      different organizations.

      10.  Reach Out: Encourage a broader outreach of theosophical
      activities on both community and worldly levels.  Take advantage
      of new media technologies.

      We would like to make special mention of one group's presentation
      which we feel summarizes the sentiments of the day in a
      particularly succinct and elegant manner:

      1. Clarify an understanding of the basic principles.

      2. Apply principles to self-transformation.

      3. Share principles with others.

      In other words, "learn it, then just do it!" This was from GROUP
      9 facilitated and presented by Diana Dunningham Chapotin.

      After the main events of the day, many participants gathered for
      dinner in the Krotona School where they had an opportunity to
      socialize in a more informal setting.  Following this, the group
      facilitators and a few others gathered for a post-conference
      debriefing which turned out to be the most intense gathering of
      the day.  This group also processed the days events and came up
      with a list of four priority questions for the theosophical
      movement:

      1.  What are the essential teachings of theosophy that all
      theosophists can agree on?

      2.  How should theosophy evolve with the new paradigm shift -- in
      other words, how do we adapt the old language and ideas to the
      modern world?

      3.  How should theosophy present itself to the world now?

      4.  Where's the party? In other words, does theosophy need to be
      so serious all the time? How do we attract new younger members?

      Everyone was very energized and wished to see the enthusiasm and
      dialogue somehow carried on.  It was decided that a longer
      weekend retreat was needed to continue and expand discussion; one
      was organized for the weekend of May 14th and 15th.

      For those interested, both audio and video recordings of the
      day's events are available.  For audio tapes, contact David Dynes
      at Krotona School, (805) 646-1139, for video tapes contact Steve
      Schwitzer at Olcott headquarters, 1-800-669-1571.

        - Reported by Tamara Gerard, John Shafer & Christina Zubelli