Theos-Talk Archives (September 1995 Message tl00635)

John,

 First let me tell you how much I am enjoying your "valiant defense
of those who are unjustly attacked." I have been printing your posts
and showing them to my wife, who is quite interested in them, unlike
most of the "intellectual stuff" she says I have shown her.

> .. in fact the discipline required to turn them into tools for
> service is hard, torturous and boring work (learning multivariate
> calculus was *nothing* compared to the continual work of vision
> clarification and stabilization); exercising them is not fun, but
> often quite draining; and I believe they are only "glamorous" to
> those that do not possess them

 This is a point I had picked up reading CWL, and those I have met
who used their psychic faculties have required periods of rest away
from the demands of others before and after using them.

> :), the largest and most beautiful aura I've ever seen belonged
> to a housewife who had no particular ties to religion, and
> wouldn't be able to tell you the difference between the Buddha
> and Brahma - but as I watched her now and then (she was a
> neighbor for awhile) I was absolutely awed ... she would walk
> into a restaurant and sit at a table next to a arguing couple,
> and in all of five minutes harmony would be reigning ... her mere
> presence in a room altered the entire environment, and as far as
> I could tell, she never had any idea she was doing anything ...
> and people had no idea why they unconsciously felt so much
> pleasure in her presence].

 What a great story! It was stories like these that so fascinated
me when I first found theosophy.

> I *am* concerned about the fact that Theosophy, and the TS,
> has such a tiny membership in an age increasingly full of (IMO)
> genuinely advanced, compassionate souls

 Something which also concerns me. But, I have considered the
problem more from an organizational perspective. Olcott and HPB
played different roles. The Masters considered both important to the
success of their efforts, as I recall.

> - and that I believe many
> of these people touch Theosophy and are chased away by what seems
> to be incredibly arrogant and condescending attitudes present in
> the Theosophical current, by people setting themselves up as
> authoroties in matters spiritual, by the pervasive attitude that
> holds that most people are too lazy, or too desirous of cheap
> thrills to do the *real* spiritual work that *real* Theosophists
> do (as though spiritual growth is some sort of gawdammed *macho*
> thing (-:) ... but at least in recent times, the vast majority of
> this arrogance has not come from "psychics" saying "I see things
> you don't" ... but by intellectuals saying "I *know* things that
> you don't".

 Yes, I have seen some of this, altough I tend to take a more
charitable view of them. Most of those members are unaware of the
impact they have on our more sensitive members. The society attracts
individuals who had to have a certain amount of independence of
thought (which easily translates to being opinionated) to explore
these ideas. So strong minded, strong willed fellows are frequently
encountered in the groups.

> ... Precisely what is *wrong* with offering a few
> "wonders" ... in fact, I must say that I consider the sense of
> awe, of wonder, the very *foundation* of my own personal
> spiritual orientation. It is not "fear of the Lord" (as Daniel
> might say), but a continually growing awe at the enormity, the
> complexity, the absolute beauty of this 'ol universe that drives
> me ... and all clairvoyance has done has opened yet another
> avenue through which to glimpse this.

 The glimpse one gets into this "other world" which HPB,
Sinnett, and CWL describe in their books raises (or at least awakens
in) my consiousness out othe mundane world. It gives me a chance to
escape the maya, the grand illusion, and reminds me there so much
more to our world and for me to discover and understand!

> ...In some stupid old movie (I
> think Joe vs. the Volcano), a character says something like "Most
> people spend their days fast asleep, they walk in their sleep,
> work in their sleep, and play in their sleep, but for those few
> who are awake, life is spent in a state of continual and utter
> amazement" - and I don't think this is at odds with spiritual
> philosophy.

 Have this movie on laser disc. It is one my wife and I's
favorites. I seem to recall someone saying HPB described the crowds
of people walking the streets of London as the "walking dead",
because they were asleep to what they were.

> Headquaters is currently locked up by a little group of people
> absolutely determining (or attempting to) what Theosophy is or is
> not ... passing laws that increase control ... and would love to
> squeeze out *any* mention of actual abilities (expect in
> historical accounts), any mention of people who believe the
> Masters work with them, in their attempt to make Theosophy
> "acceptable" to the mainstream academic and philosophical worlds.

 I think you judge them to harshly. I worked there and still know
several people there. I can see how you could get this impression,
but they, too, like you and your friends you mention have private
lives. Their interests are not as hostile to your views as you may
think.

> That dynamic balance between the ordered and chaotic, between
> known and the unknown, between the existant and the possible,
> seems to have swung far to the side of order and form. 40 years
> ago, I would have agreed with *everything* you've said, but I
> believe that today we could use some fresh life, we could use
> something to upset the applecart. We could use a few *wonders*.
>

 Here I tend to agree. It does seem the pendulum has swung to far
to the conservative right!

Lewis

 llucas@mercury.gc.peachnet.edu