Theos-Talk Archives (January 1995 Message tl00126)

Nicholas>> The division of Authority vs Individualism is false,
both metaphysically and practically.  I was not holding forth for
Tradition *instead* of Self-reliance -- just saying do not rely
*exclusively* on either.  For most folks, staying close to a
tradition and its noble ethics, provides a valuable balance to
our personality's self-cherishing.

Arthur> No doubt that this is true.  I only wanted to see how you
blended these sources.  What particular aspect is most appealing
for what kind of issues.  What sort of checks are there to
Tradition and Self Reliance have you learned to put into
practise.

N> Rather than a blend, I try to think of them as identical, as a
unity.  So it is not a matter of switching focus from *external*
ideas found in an ancient religion to *inner* ideas confined
within my skull.  Without confusing myself (or you) overmuch --
let us just say it is possible to know and live as if there is
only One Self; thus tradition would become part of me.
Conversely, one can also extinguish the self and there would only
remain the continuum or tradition.  In other words, expand our
notion of self to become the All or evaporate self and only the
All is left.  This is not some mystic state I'm referring to, it
is just an attitude based on the conviction that there is no real
separation, only unity.

A> Interesting that you read the post in a dichotomous manner of
either/ or.  I do assume a both /and approach but in order to
learn, sometimes discussing the sources separately is helpful.  I
think that you were coming down on the side of Tradition a little
harder than that of Self Reliance in your abortion posts.  I am
not arguing with you about the right or wrong of that I merely
want to know why.

N> Actually Arthur, "To One and All" was directed to those other
chaps who seemed so exercised over *Traditional Values* being
connected to Theosophy.  I was fostering Tradition because those
gents *seemed* to have cut off all input from that area of
thought and become too self-focussed.

A> I think that the setting of the abortion issue can be viewed
from the Societal view as well as from the Individual's view.
The closer to the situation you get I would imagine the closer to
the individual view you become - what do you think?

N> I'm not sure what you mean here.  What are the Societal and
Individual views?