Theos-Talk Archives (March 1995 Message tl00241)

The following like all art is a lie.  Any resemblance to persons
or organizations living, dead or dieing is purely coincidental
(except for HPB).  Fasten your seatbelts!

Let's create an imaginary discussion of theos-l a la the one Bill
Moyers had with Joseph Campbell on TV about the power of myth.
The interviewer is Pat Not-Moyers (of indetrminate sex),
hereafter referred to as PN and Keith Not-Price, hereafter
referred to as KN.

PN: Well, I can't say I liked your long winded discussion of art
and spirituality.  It was a compete waste of my time.  Why didn't
you focus on something important like the truth in the "The
Secret Doctine" of "The Mahatma Letters".

KN: Well actually I was coming to that.  It finally occured to me
that the reason why HPB eschewed a discussion of art and why she
didn't include it in the synthesis is that this was her greatest
unconscious fear.

PN: What the heck do you mean?

KN: That "The Secret Doctrine" would be labeled art.  That is
something made up like a novel to amuse children.  That she
didn't really have any Senzar palm leaves or hear voices of the
Masters, but was very skillfully creating her own Gnostic system
(as Jung suggests, see collected works CGJ).  The Gnostic's (as
their very successful critics pointed out) created a new Gospel
of Christ everyday right out of their heads and in fact were
expected to do so.

PN: Well did she have the palm leaves and hear the voices or not?

KN: You know I have no idea and I really don't care.  "The Secret
Doctine" either stands or falls on its own merits not on any palm
leaves or voices.

PN: You can't really me saying that the SD is only a myth.

KN: Why only?

PN: Let me get this straight, you're saying that the SD is not
historical fact, but a work of art, a lie.

KN: Well again, I really don't know and I really don't care.  The
SD is obviously the greatest occult work to date, why label it?

PN: But you can't really be saying that history about Lemuria and
Atlantis is just a moral fable.

KN: Well, let me put it to you this way.  I really don't know and
I really don't care.  There are obviously great lessons to be
learned if one looks.

PN: But you can't be trying to tell us that the Stanza of Dzhan
are just a fairy tale.

KN: How can I phrase it? I really don't know and I really don't
care.  The Stanzas open the eye of intuiton to the collective
unconcious where the storehouse of all humanity's encoded wisdom
lies.  Some can access this wisdom easier than others.  Some call
these people Masters, some call them artists, some call them
liers.

PN: Aren't you saying something very dangerous? What if everyone
thought this way?

KN: Let me just give you the first letter of each word to save
time.  IRDKAIRDC.  What so dangerous about a modern perspective.
After Jung and Campbell and others most people are comfortable
with the idea that things don't have to be literally true to
contain important information about our humanity, where we came
from, where we are at, and where we are going.

PN: But shouldn't we keep up a front.  I mean what if people
found out that the "Secret Doctrine" is only a heavily researched
creation of HPB and cannot claim a higher authority.

KN: IRDKAIRDC.  With what 10,000 mebers (a generous figure), I
don't really think we are going to get many more seekers by
bringing up percipitated teacups and letters that fell from the
ceiling or that were discovered in chests with false backs.  Do
you?

PN: Well, we can't backtrack now.  We have a tradition to uphold!
We must remember who we are?

KN: Who are we?

PN: People with a claim to a higher authority?

KN: Well, you know you might be right.  It works for the
Catholics and Islamics.

PN: Yes, we must not have any talk of art.  That's the worst.  We
must not utter its name.  People back in the 1800's knew that art
is for idleness and entertainment.  Today it is the opiate of the
masses.  Who could place any importance on art.

KN: You know I've come over to your side.  Art is lie.  We must
not breath its name in the same breath as theosophy ever again.