Theos-Talk Archives (August 1995 Message tl00297)

>U.L.T. does not do this. We have no rituals, holidays, interpretive texts,
>formal creeds, or anything else to distract from what was originally given
>out by the Masters. We don't add or take away, we simply try to CONCENTRATE
>on the teachings as they were given, and use photographic facsimiles to be
>sure we are getting the original, un-edited works. (Most Theosophists follow
>this U.L.T. practice nowadays, but eariler in the century, they didn't. It
>was hard to find the original S.D. for instance.)
>
>Rich

I'd agree that it's important to not lose the original Teachings. This is
especially important since what we think that we read may not be the deepest
truths embodied in the words before us. There may be deep truths in apparently
simple words that are hidden under a veil that require a key of further study
to unlock. When we begin to tamper with the words of the source Teachings, we
may lose significant ideas that we did not see.

Preserving the original Teachings, though, is not simply providing a
setting for the intellectual study of the core literature. The Teachings
themselves are -- I'd say -- a living tradition, and require a living
inner connection to unseen spiritual realities. An intellectual study without
the necessary accompaning inner ripening will lead to barrenness as best.

It's ok to explore new ideas, but we need to contrast and compare what we
come up with the original concepts. That's is why it's important with
later theosophical writers to contrast what they present with the original
presentation of Theosophy. If we are unaware of the differences, we may never
learn the original ideas, and there's the ever-present danger of our being
misled.

We have a problem with Theosophy that the Jungians perhaps don't have to
face. Imaging if there were major psychological groups calling themselves
Jungian, but disagreeing with what Jung taught. Imagine if those groups
taught their ideas as being Jungian, and never telling their followers that
the ideas disagreed with his. Then imagine what we are in danger of doing
when we present our own ideas about Theosophy as being Theosophy itself,
and not an opinion about Theosophy.

-- Eldon Tucker