Theos-Talk Archives (October 1995 Message tl00292)

According to MGRAYE@CCIT.ARIZONA.EDU:
>
> And you say that HPB was "one of countless messengers..." Would you please
> inform the Theos network of whom you refer to. Would you be so kind as to
> give us a list of say 100 of these messengers. Some of us may find the time

Good lord! This way of interrogating people can come
across as a way of silencing them. A list of 100? Why not ask for 10?

> don't want to read her, okay, that fine! But I believe (and I think Jerry HE,
> Rich, Eldon and even possibly Paul J would agree to some extent) that there

I do, except that neo-Theosophy is a less loaded term to use.
"Pseudo" has the implication that we can dismiss it just
because it doesn't agree with HPB. There are reasons to
dismiss a lot of this material. But I don't think we can
afford to make coherence with HPB the sole criterion by which
we evaluate later teachings; she herself would say (I hope)
that we should weigh that but also take into account other
factors.

> is alot of pseudo-Theosophy out there in the marketplace; tons of "wild and
> fanciful speculations" on Theosophical and Esoteric subjects that bear little
> if any resemblance to Theosophy as given by HPB and yet the writers of this
> pseudo-Theosophy would want you to believe that this "stuff" comes from the
> same SOURCE as where HPB got her stuff!
>
> I certainly agree that we should NOT nail HPB upon a pedestal but all I'm
> advocating is that *interested* students should try to take some
> time and effort to read and possibly even study HPB's writings
> and give them thoughtful consideration! Attempting to seriously
> understand the *ideas* to be found in HPB's writings and to try
> to understand the *system of philosopohy* which she outlines
> should not be equated with some attempt to establish her as an
> ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY, an INFALLIBLE SOURCE, and some attempt to
> put her on some pedestal!

But you would not deny that such attempts have been made?
>
It seems to me that all the Theosophical publishers bear some
of the responsibility for the way HPB's teachings are neglected
even by many Theosophists. All of them publish her works, but
rarely package them so as to make them more accessible to today's
readers. (Exception-- I haven't seen Michael Gomes's HPB
Teaches, but even from the announcement of it I would assume it
is a better book to give a beginning student of HPB than her
original works.) Back in 1988 I proposed to TUP that they
consider a series of brief compilations, by subject, bringing
together HPB's most currently relevant writings. There was
considerable interest, several volunteers were involved, but
none of the proposed compilations was acceptable. ULT reprints
articles in booklet form, but what we had in mind was something
that would excerpt from books as well as articles, pulling
together all the most germane material on such subjects as
reincarnation, the spiritual path, What is Theosophy, etc.