Theos-Talk Archives (September 1995 Message tl00659)

Daniel Caldwell:

>Why is it so difficult to believe that these Adepts would have an association
>worldwide, with physical locations for their activities; ashrams, etc?
>Buddhist monks have their monasteries, etc. etc. Why could not the adepts
>also communicate with one another by letter, phone, telepathy, out of the
>body communications, etc. etc.?

Our discussion about what organization the Mahatmas may have brings up an
important aspect of the study of Theosophy. We have fragments of information
buried in our source writings. Further ideas are presented by later writers,
some may make sense, others we may question.

In a study of Theosophy, when we try to understand it, to clothe the ideas in
our own words and see where it leads us in life, we are undertaking a personal
spiritual practice. What we come across in our own explorations may often be
personal, and not authoritative in the same sense as writings in "The Secret
Doctrine". We need to keep clear the distiction between our views and that
which we have been directly taught, and to be open about what sources our
views are based upon. But in embracing the ideas, and going into this "practice"
we are working through many of the fragments of knowledge, given us, to their
logical conclusions. We are unconsciously putting pieces together that we may
not have seen connected in writing. We are, in a sense, working through a
great puzzle which is itself akin to a Koan or puzzle that can function as a
spiritual exercise.

Talking about the Masters and their organization, it would be interesting to
use what information we have been given, and some reason, common sense, and
understanding of other theosophical Teachings, to put together a better under-
standing about what they do, and what their life is about. This could be
called "speculation" in a sense, but it is not idle speculation, nor random
speculation, but perhaps "reasoned speculation" or an attempt to work out as
a plausable explanation things which we haven't been plainly told.

-- Eldon