Theos-Talk Archives (September 1995 Message tl00008)

Brenda:

>Angels are messengers and according to what I have read here, they do not
>participate in the "desire to receive." They are strictly associated with
>God's light, not the vessels, and would be a developed being that lives
>within the "Desire to Impart" of God and man. When we bless others with
>light, the angel does the work and lives in this activity.

Being messengers and working to carry out the energies of life, that
matches the descripton of elementals.

>Anyway, I wrote some of this because Eldon was writing so selfishly about
>"what people could get out of the books they were reading" and it's more
>theosophical to think (which he does in a later writing admit) also what we
>can give to the authors and others who are our fellow travellers on the
>path. After reading a book, we don't just keep everything for ourselves, we
>try to practice, develop, or share what we learned.

You're right that it would be selfish if one's only interest was to read
for one's personal benefit, without thought of others or sharing what one
has received. And one does own a debt to others for the wisdom and knowledge
that has been imparted to one. We all have a responsibility to make use of
what we have received, and to *share it with others.* I think that I have
been following that approach. The percentage of my time devoted to personal
studies, as compared to that devoted to writing and working for Theosophy,
has dropped significantly over the years. It won't entirely go away, but I
see an increasing emphasis on making a creative contribution to others using
what I have been priviledged to learn. Hopefully I am not in a minority in
this regard.

-- Eldon