Theos-Talk Archives (October 1994 Message tl00065)

Hope you don't mind if I put in a few phrases here & there.  If
you 2 guys would rather talk to each other, please inform, & I'll
butt outsky.

Art "Their emphasis on discipleship and suffering got them into a
denial of the world situation".

Jerry "....  insulated theosophists...  are also into
discipleship..." Seems to me, you're talking about the old
conflict between spirit & matter.  As you have, Jerry, I've also
come across far out Theosophists; but I thought that actually our
belief is that in all manifestation spirit & matter exist
together, not always in the same proportions, but together; that
they work with each other, in tandem.  Also, one tries to achieve
a more spiritual path not only for a beautiful hereafter, but
also to achieve a more fulfilling life in this body, for oneself
& for others.  Speaking of suffering, it took me a very long time
to find out that meditating was suppposed to be a joyful
experience.  I was so tangled up in German ideas that I thought
all religious quests were realized through suffering.

Jerry "Even when we escape the ideologies, we can still get
caught up in the one we create for ourselves".  Yeah.  It's very
hard to see that your truth may not fit somebody else, especially
if yours really works for you, & you believe it wholeheartedly,
and you think it'll be just as good for the other person.  (I
hope no one objects to my saying that either.)

Art ""I understand from what you say ..  that Theosophy has to do
with the roots of human spirituality....  I have deep doubts that
it is because I have heard claims to ultimacy before ..."

Our proofs of that this is so is that one can find ancient
traditions all over the world which agree with our belief system.
I mentioned a few to you in my first reply.  There are also the
Native Americans & some of the ancient South Americans.  When I
read about these things, I was amazed that this could be so.
There were not communication satellites, no e-mail then.

But...  no doubt, you will finally choose the belief system which
fits in with your personality & your experience.  If it turns out
not to be theosophy, I think knowing about theosophy will at
least be a big help to you in finding which way you'd like to go.
I myself have been studying theosophical books & teachings for a
good 30 years now.  I was very much at sea before.  The more I
studied, the more I found an anchor.  It works for me.  It hasn't
failed me yet.  But that's me.  That's Jerry...  everyone on
Theos-l.  You have to test theosophical principles for yourself,
& adopt whatever makes sense to you and works for you, in
whatever form it does.  It is there in Christian form, or
translatable into Christian concepts, which is probably what's
best suited to you.

Art "Creation In 7 Days" - I think either Geoffrey Hodson or
Lawrence Bendit wrote a symbolical interpretation of Adam & Eve.
Blavatsky, I think did as well.  If you care to look around,
there are other creation myths available.

Are we going on with "The Voice...."?