Theos-Talk Archives (October 1995 Message tl00216)

Ann,

JHE
>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.

AB
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.

JHE
I wasn't suggesting the TS becomes anything. I was trying to
draw attention to the irony that Organizations that are dedicated
to charitable and environmental causes seem to get a lot less
media attention than Organizations with strange (to the general
public) beliefs. I'm aware of the TOS and the TBAB and we
participate in this work.

AB
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?

JHE
They wasn't what I was suggesting, but I for one wouldn't object
to more concentration on charitable work.

JHE
>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.

AB
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.

JHE
My "personal wish" would be that the TS disclaim the Masters as
represented by CWL--but not the Masters as they represented
themselves.

AB
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.

JHE
I agree

AB
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.

JHE
I think you are reading something into my post that isn't there.

AB
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.

JHE
People join what ever turns them on. My interest in this
Organization is because of HPB's now forgotten denotation of
theosophists as being seekers of truth--not recipients of
revelation.

AB
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.

JHE
Think you could ask him to post something on theos-l? :-)

JHE
>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.

AB
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?

JHE
They could start by allowing CWL's writings to stand or fall upon
their own merits, instead of hiding his errors and making him
appear as something that he was not through the selective editing
of his writings. They could do this by either: (1) publishing
his works as he had originally written them or; (2) Publishing
them in an edited form, but admitting in a publisher's preface
that they are indeed extensively edited, and explain exactly what
was edited out and why. They by the way, this option is the
standard procedure of any respectable publisher who feels that a
writer, though partially out of date, still has some merit. (3)
Admit how racist, outdated and foolish the original works are,
dump them and get on with the work that this Organization was
intended to do in the first place.

Interesting post.
Thanks

Jerry HE