Theos-Talk Archives (September 1995 Message tl01059)

According to LIESEL@delphi.com:
>
> to Paul,
> 1.) To me, the whole ES set -up raises questions about the
> status of non-ES members in the TS. There's always a limit as
> to how far they can go in the TS. I was lucky in that I found a
> way to more esoteric knowledge without belonging, which is
> really what I wanted.

On the basis of your years of membership, do you have a guess
as to what proportion of TS members are ES? I reckon 35%?

> 5.) I think the TS is democratic to a degree.

True, I didn't mean to overstate the problem. Locally and
regionally (board members) TS elections are fine. Go higher,
and there are barriers to democracy.

> 6.) Who knows what's happening with the Adyar archives, & why
> people are being turned away. Some people about whom I know,
> who 've asked for access, were hostile, & if I were in charge
> of the archives, I wouldn't give them access either. For what?
> Smear some more Theosophists?

I understand where you're coming from, but I think it flies in
the face of our expressed principles. John Coats gets great
credit for encouraging Tillett to keep digging even when he
(Coats) was disturbed by what he was finding. "No religion
higher than truth" and all three Objects suggest that it is
untheosophical to restrict information access on the basis of
partisan bias.

> 7.) My feelings about the current International President are
> very mixed. They only come from having stood next to her in a
> Lunch line at Wheaton once for a few minutes, the vibes I get
> from the little bits of her speeches I've had the patience to
> listen to, & some hearsay. So that's not a very firm foundation
> for an opinion.

Like you, I've had only moments in her presence, and like you
the feelings are very mixed. Welcoming back Krishnamurti to
the Adyar grounds was a wonderful, healing way to begin her
presidency. But since then...
>
> If board members are elected democratically, I can see some
> sense in making a prerequisite to becoming the TS President
> that you be a board member first. In that way, you gain some
> experience as to how the TS is run before you take the helm.

True enough, but the circumstances under which the rule was
adopted are questionable.

> 9.) I have no idea how the TS would be changed if the ES would
> be abolished. I wouldn't go so far as to say that it should,
> because its motives are very postive. Again, I would go so far
> as to say it should stop being a secret organization. As far as
> I can see, there's nothing gained by that.

100% agreement.

Namaste.