Theos-Talk Archives (April 1996 Message tl00154)

>In message <199604092151.JAA16756@nethost.whanganui.ac.nz>, Bee Brown
><bbrown@whanganui.ac.nz> writes
>>My understanding of
>>devachan, monads, life-atoms, manvantaras etc have helped a great deal with
>>how I deal with each new situation that arises. It has to be ingrained so to
>>be genuine reactions when I am phoned in the dead of night, fast asleep, to
>>deal with a distraught person. My world view has grown large enough to see
>>that in the end, it is maya but not for the people I deal with. I can
>>discuss death with them in a reasonable manner because of my understanding
>>of reincarnation, karma etc. I do not discuss theosophical concepts with
>>these people but what I do discuss is coloured by my involvement with
>>theosophy.
>
>Of course - is that not part of the wonder of theosophical study?  But
>you would not get very far if you used the terminology to the distraught
>person who would not understand it.  Maybe, after being helped by you,
>they might later, because of what they have found in your helping them,
>ask more detailed questions by means of which they may begin to study
>themselves.  I doubt if this often happens, but my guess is that it
>could, and maybe sometimes does - I know it has in my own work over the
>years.  Not everyone will take is as far as you or I - but maybe they
>are not so dumb as me, and get the hang of it faster!
>
>You are doing a great job - two, by the look if it :-)
>
>Alan
>---------
>THEOSOPHY INTERNATIONAL:
>Ancient Wisdom for a New Age
>TI@nellie2.demon.co.uk
>
I hope so :-)
I use the terminology for my own purposes to help the thinking process not
to talk about to others. It is like when I was a first year anthropology
student and some of us were sitting in the coffee shop with some 3rd year
students who were busy discussion anthropology in a language that we did not
understand and we asked them to explain it to us in plain English. They
explained to us that there is special terminology in anthro and other
disciplines that have whole concepts embedded in them and once we had
learned them then it was like a sort of shorthand of anthropology where a
few words were used to express a greater anthropological view. As we
progressed in our studies, we found this to be so and to a smaller extent we
could also sound learned to new students if we chose to. I look at the
theosophical terminology in the same way and there is no point in talking
about manvantaras and such things to anyone not acquainted with the concepts
embedded in them. I find them convenient tools to think with and to convert
what I can understand into daily life. If the views I have seen expressed
here about the theosopical terminology is anything to go by, I guess I must
be an old fuddy duddy who is getting covered in theosophical dust by now. I
have been theosophical for 5 years now but that is no guarantee that I will
remain so in future days. What ever happens I will be thankful for the leg
up the path that Theosophy has given me, dust and all. So I was only
attempting to illustrate that Theosophy from the founders was useful to me
but I suppose they are not everybodies cup of tea.
The paint brush behaved quite nicely and the net curtains are up so roll on
Friday and the library will be open for business.
Buye for now.
Bee Brown
Member TSNZ,Wanganui Branch.
Theos Int & L