Theos-Talk Archives (December 1995 Message tl00048)

Ann:

>The arrogance
>I refer to is the inability of any organization to admit that their
>lack of membership may lie with the organization's attitudes and
>techniques. I am suggesting that there may be highly advanced people
>out there who perhaps through no fault of their own haven't got a
>clue as to how to proceed after they get their membership card.
>Failing to find a niche in the organization they drop out and join
>something else.

What do do after joining? This is the important question that comes
up again and again. We can provide people with books and hold study
classes but what do we really give them *to do*? They could become
lodge presidents and hold classes for others but what if they are
ready for more than reading books?

When someone wants something more that person can come up with a
self-devised approach to the Path. This is difficult though and
not a likely thing. It's more likely that anyone doing so is simply
"remembering" an approach taught them in a previous lifetime. More
likely people will leave theosophical groups to find a teacher and
practice.

The techniques of theosophical groups are based upon teaching the
basic philosophical ideas. The teachings stop short of actual
spiritual practice and training and are theoretical. The highest
person in a theosophical group may be a pundit but not a guru.
If this is the goal of theosophical groups then they are successful.
If we were to expect more of them then we could say that they
fall short.

The arrogance would come in I think when people active in
theosophical groups would claim that *this is the highest there is*.
That is when they claim that there are no higher practices training
or approaches to the Path other than the study of books in theosophical
lodges.

>If we state that they all must be a bunch of no-good no-account
>lower consciousness slobs because they don't join up or stay is
>throwing all the responsibility on them.

Perhaps some people feel insecure in their theosophical studies
and need the external validation of seeing others universally
acquire membership cards and profess their belief? If one is
uncertain about the philosophy the sight of others rejecting it
would be a blow. One would be inclined to put those people down
rather than question one's own beliefs.

People don't of course reject Theosophy simply by quitting a
theosophical group. Not anymore than someone rejects the idea of
gravity when quitting a local community college and no longer taking
introductory courses in physics there.

The important question which you and many of us raise is:
what do we give people to do when they've joined our theosophical
groups? And how can we improve over what we currently offer?
Let's move beyond potatoe-chip spirituality and see if we can
cook up a full meal for people...

-- Eldon