Theos-Talk Archives (December 1995 Message tl00025)

I want to add on to those comments.

With all the glitches I think my 01 suggestion didn;'t go through.
By now I have several others.

I think a good start for anyone would be Shirley Nicholson's
pamphlet "A Program for Living The Spiritual Life". In brief the 04
suggested phases of the program with lots of leeway as to how to do
it are 1. Study 2.Meditation 3. Changing Yourself 4. Service.
There are brief lists of books to read at the end of each section
giving a beginner a perfect start.

Also Ed Abdill has made basic theosophy videos. I've been waiting
forever to get them to show them to my group of newcomers but Ed is
still working on the manual which'll go with the videos.

Also a few days ago there was news from the World Theosophical
Youth Federation which is either non-existent or very dormant in the
US. I wish the young people on the mailing list would get in touch
with these guys & get something going in this country. They were
talking about putting a facsimile of their membership applicatiion on
theos-l.

As for a certificate in Theosophical studies I don't see anything
wrong with it provided the person going for the certificate is given
enough latitude to be able to study theosophy to his/her own liking.
If it's a bunch of prescribed subject material after the basics
I'm against it too. It depends upon how it's done.

As for viewing newcomers with suspicion I'm not sure that it's
newcomers & not people who don't belong to the ES. I've gotten it
too & i've been in for a long time. I always have to prove again &
again that I know soemthing about Theosophy. I think it would be
great if olsder more seasoned theosophists would be helpful to the
new ones. I've been trying to do that but what I get from the
Library is "Don't send me anybody new. We have enough to do." That's
not very helpful. Maybe they don't have enough money for more staff.
Wel then maybe they could get more volunteers.

In the same vein I don't approve of the By-laws revision that says
newcomers have to wait for 02 years to be able to vote. What for?

I hope ther aren't tooo many typing errors on the message. I can
only see the right half of what I'm writing & don't know how to
correct it

Liesel.