Theos-Talk Archives (September 1995 Message tl00467)

 Five small groups deliberated on three questions, and the
one I was in spent most of its time on the first. I had hoped
that my list of characteristics of extraverted thinking,
introverted feeling, etc., would help people focus on one
preferred mode of approaching the Masters. Instead, it seemed
to backfire in a way, but lead in a fruitful direction, as
people embraced all the modes. That is, it is important that
the Masters teach the truth and that they truly existed
historically (thinking); but also that we see them as ideals of
goodness (feeling) and necessary links in the structure of life
in the cosmos (intuition). Generally, I got the feeling that
intuitive responses to the Masters outweighed thinking and feeling.
That is, the meaningfulness of the ideal gives
inspiration, independently of the specifics of any particular
Masters. People seemed generally to lack interest in a
devotional focus on the Masters (feeling) and not to be too
concerned with historical questions about them (thinking)
compared to the meaning they find in their teachings and
example.
 It was widely agreed that no two people approach the
subject from exactly the same point of view, and that the TS
allows maximum space for the individual to develop his/her
unique understanding.
(Jerry, Guy if you're there, please correct any misperceptions
you see here based on your own group's discussions.)