Theos-Talk Archives (October 1995 Message tl00212)

>Surely it is the popular press that creates the prevailing image
>of Theosophy, and they need something to "rip apart" in order to
>sell newspapers. However, if the Theosophical Organizations were
>involved in relief for the starving; finding ways to better live
>in harmony with our environment; teaching people practical ways
>to work towards word peace etc. then the TS would probably be
>pretty much ignored.

This is interesting. But if TS became a world-wide environmental and charitable
organization, that wouldn't erase its past. I know Olcott has groups that deal
with the elderly, provide Braille books for the blind and other things. Am I
right in assuming from your post that you think they should spend less time on
the esoteric and more energy on the exoteric?

>On the other hand, an Organization whose
>primary teachings and activities are things like: revealing to
>the world the existence of advanced civilizations on Mars; that
>the world is really run by an inner government that no one can
>see or confirm the existence of; . . . creates a lot of
>attention for the popular press.

These events happened many years ago. It's too late to hang Leadbeater by his
toes. Your comment on an inner government suggests that you personally wish TS
to disclaim the Masters. Correct me if I'm wrong. Seems to me if you took the
Masters out of theosophy, you'd be cutting the guts out of the movement. How
far can you homogenize until you suddenly realize you have another bland and
trivial organization, very acceptable to the *masses*, but devoid of any
esotericists.

Maybe they will all join the ARE, a group that follows the teachings of man who
spent a large portion of his time in a trance and gave out info from the Akashic
records. Or they dashed to the Bailey group, ready to chant invocations and
meditate to lift the illusion of the world. O they could help Dannion Brinkley,
a former mercenary, build his centers around the country. He got zonked by
lightening through his telephone and died not once, but twice and when he as
revived, found he had *psychic* powers.

God's a great writer. He's sure got one heckuva imagination. I hope he never
succumbs to the clamors of his publishers, the business men who never look at
the quality of a book, but only at how many copies it will sell. His writing
would simply go to the devil.

>However, I personally neither blame the newspapers nor the public. It is the
>karma of the TS, created by the TS, and the TS needs to take responsibility for
>it.

How do you think they should take responsibility? How should those in present
leadership and membership deal with the karma created by those who were in power
in the early part of this century?

In a sense, no one could blame the press for being anything than what they are.
Unconscious and adrift on the astral.

- ann