Theos-Talk Archives (October 1995 Message tl00224)

Ann (writing to Rich):

>I have always considered Brenda to be a very intelligent, highly advanced and
>sweet person. She opened my eyes to the beauty of the Secret Doctrine by her
>posts. When you took it upon yourself to tell her to remove herself from the
>list, I simply could not tolerate your rudeness any longer.

I remember about 1 1/2 years ago Brenda and Jerry Hejka-Ekins also got into
an argument over if he would be entitled to continue posting regarding CLW.
Brenda asked him to stop writing on the subject, and he replied that he
should not have to stop writing about something just because she did not want
to read it.

A few months later, Jerry had a particularly long post on CLW and Brenda
decided to drop out, not wanting to see the historic materials anymore.
She came back about eight months later, and continued on the list for
perhaps half a year, but now has dropped out again, for the same reason:
not wanting to read the historic discussion about Leadbeater.

>I am very near to finishing Ancient Mystic Rites, a book by CWL. It is about
>the history of the Masons. Everyone on this list has the basic freedom to read
>whatever book we want, by whatever author we choose.

True. And to offer our own book reviews, which don't necessarily flatter
the authors.

>There may be others on the list who are eager to debate CWL versus Judge,
Bailey
>versus Blavatsky, etc. In my vision, it's just a lot of apples and oranges, but
>basically still fruit. Which one goes down the gullet better for you.

The discussion goes back to the granting of "authority", as Arthur Patterson
has described it. We decide which authors are authoritative, and give their
books greater weight.

>>Is it any wonder that Theosophy has so little public hearing today, so little
>>attention paid by the intelligentsia and empowered folks?

It's all based upon what we teach, and how well that appeals to the
spirit of others. If we can deeply stir them, we can do them good. If
we don't overpower the natural inertia and resistance against change,
we leave them untouched.

>I think the real power exists with Christ, Buddha, the Masters,
>their disciples, the New Group of World Servers, Theosophists and any sincere
>person working for unity and brotherhood.

Not so much, I'd say, for unity and brotherhood, as for leading people to
realize that "the kingdom of heaven is already on earth." That is, to bringing
people to awaken to the spiritual treasure that is *found within*, and to
become expressive of it in the world.

>The real power is on the inner planes.

The inner planes are impotent on this plane, except through us as
agents. The spiritual is impotent on the physical, except as we give it
expression. We are responsible to manifest the highest, most lofty, most
deeply moving of the divine as we are capable. It is in our creative acts
that the spiritual manifests in this world. What happens on the other planes
has no direct effect on our world, except in and through us.

-- Eldon