Theos-Talk Archives (December 1995 Message tl00485)

This morning I found something in the Edgar Cayce readings that
describes IMO the fighting I've witnessed on theos-l
Talisman alt.religion.eckankar soc.religion.bahai and quite
a few other newsgroups:

It was given "Except your righteousness exceed the
righteousness of the Pharisees ye shall all likewise
perish."...What was the righteousness of the Pharisees and
what was their sin? How were the disciples to discern between
the righteousness of the Pharisees and the righteousness as
presented by the Teacher?...The righteousness of the Pharisee
was that as indicated by the prayer offered in the temple; that
he thanked God he was not like other people. Here we find
then self-righteousness...who is to judge as to what is sin
and what is righteousness for the individual? As we remember
as has oft been given "Study to show *thyself* approved unto
God a workman not ashamed." Here we find much that may need
analyzing looking into in our own individual experiences. Do
we as children of God as seekers after God have firsthand
knowledge? or do we accept only that others have told us? Do
we condemn any? Do we know or is it only self-righteousness
that speaks?

Pharisaic self-righteousness henceforth to be referred to as
PRS is a nearly universal element in disputes among
Theosophists Baha'is Eckists and ex-Eckists and various
other disputants I've observed on the Internet. The bottom
line message is always "thank God I'm not like you/them"
although it takes myriad forms:
1. Thank God I'm a believer in the Sylvia Cranston version of
Blavatsky and thus on the side of the White Lodge and not like
those who give credence to alternative views of Blavatsky
inspired by the Brothers of the Shadow.
2. Thank God I'm a true believing Baha'i who never questions
authority and not like those who teeter on the brink of
becoming Covenant-breakers.
3. Thank God I'm an Eckist who has genuine spiritual
experiences with the Masters not like those envious
unbelievers who are incapable of any spiritual experience
whatsoever.
4. Thank God I had enough sense to see that Eckankar is a
fraud not like you dummies who just don't get it.
5. Thank God I'm a liberal Baha'i who understands something
about human rights and scholarly discourse not like you
fundamentalist anti-intellectuals.
6. Thank God I'm a progressive Theosophist who welcomes new
ways of thinking about Blavatsky not like those fanatics who
attribute any new idea to occult "opposing forces".

And so it goes. Can we all say in unison "Thank God we're not
all alike" and leave it at that? Guess not. When I look at
the world of spiritual movements in light of the injunction to
overcome Pharisaic self-righteousness things look pretty
bleak. Not only can I think of dozens of instances it's been
meted out to me by one Pharisee or another sometimes in the
scholarly form of "Thank God if I wrote a book about HPB it wouldn't
have any of the contemptible scholarly lapses yours do". I
can also admit that I have doled it out in liberal measure.
But what Edgar and Jesus seem to be saying is "you cannot
advance a single step on the real spiritual path until you get
past Pharisaic self-righteousness." Interestingly of all the
spiritual teachings I've encountered Cayce's is the only one
that seems totally devoid of PSR.

A New Year's resolution then based on this passage from the
readings: when confronted with PSR in a post or in person I
will try to: arecognize that PSR is the commodity being
delivered bignore it if possible and respond to any or all other elements
of the communication cat times give a comment as to the
intensity of PSR displayed but dnot reciprocate by giving an
even larger dose of PSR in return.