Theos-Talk Archives (September 1995 Message tl00426)

Rich:

>[Writing to Liesel:]

>I partially agree and partially disagree. I agree that the presentation of
>the teaching need to be in the language of the people, accessible and
>understandable. And I agree that that's our job, to keep the teaching
>available in that way.

The Teachings need their exoteric garb overhauled from time to time.
They need to replace their tattered, worn clothing when it becomes unusable.

>But I don't agree that the Teaching evolves. If Theosophy is truly "truth"
>based on facts in nature, then it simply IS and does not change. However the
>PRESENTATION of those truths may vary from culture to culture, time to time.

The Teachings, as they relate to absolute things, things that are timeless,
channot be definition change, except in their outer garb. But the Lessor
Teachings, if I may coin a term, that relate to the way things are *in our
particular world or universe,* are subject to change. Our particular laws of
nature, as they change, need to be described differently, for the world that
we live in is living, growing, and subject to change.

>I don't ever think we will outgrow the original stuff taught by HPB and
>William Q. Judge, but I do think their written English will differ more and
>more from the spoken and written vernacular as the decades, and centuries go
>by.

The Teachings that they gave out won't get stale, although we may need
to put the ideas into our own words, if the ideas are to be genuine on
our lips. And the terminology needs to grow, from the makeshift terms
that HPB and Judge had to coin.

>The question is: how do we keep ourselves based firmly on the tradition
>handed down to us -- that tradition of eternal truths -- while keeping it
>current, at the same time avoiding the pitfall of "pandering" to popular
>prejudices, like and dislikes, thus altering or losing the essential truths.

We do so by establishing and maintaining our own *living connection* with
the Wisdom Tradition, a connection made in our hearts and minds that allows
us to recognize and appreciate the Wisdom whereever we find it.

>It seems to me the only way to prevent this decay is to really KNOW and
>MASTER the original stuff, and be able to rephrase it in our OWN WORDS at any
>time, differently for every audience (scientists, scholars, Christians,
>Buddhists, housewives, business people, farmers, kids, etc.) Learning the
>original stuff well also allows one to spot other people's interpretations
>and see of they are on track or not.

Agreed. But when we say so, we also have to point out, for the record, that
we are not talking about an exclusive approach to the spirituall, just about
our role as helpers with a particular presentation of the Mystery Teachings.

-- Eldon