Theos-Talk Archives (April 1996 Message tl01123)

I never got this posting back from theos-l, and assume
that it somehow got lost, so I'm reposting it.

-- Eldon

----

MKR:

Some quick comments on your statements ...

>1. When we all the wars and killing that is going on around the world in
>the name of nationalism, religion and pure politics, are things
>improving around the world?

I'd say that there are short-term trends and long-term trends.
In the long run, things are improving as people acquire wisdom
and slowly evolve. In the short run, there are various cultural
cycles, periods of war and peace, times of spiritual fruitfulness
and times of spiritual barrenness.

The changes we see from one generation to the next may have more
to do with a differing mix of evolved people coming into birth
than with changes made in society. Society does not make us; we
are self-made, and come into birth with our own strengths and
weaknesses.

We're affected by society, given opportunities to be good or to be
evil, and repressed at other times. But we're not *made* because
of the external influences of world affairs.

>2. Again and again, in many of the Mahatma Letters to Sinnett,
>the need for the establishing a Brotherhood of Humanity is
>mentioned as the most important objective of Theosophical Society.

Warfare and ethnic hatreds are to humanity like physical illness
is to an individual. It's the last and poorest way to work out
inner problems. There are issues to be dealt with between people
and peoples, and things that must be done, but enforcing an
external peace upon the world only represses the problems, which
will only later emerge, with renewed vigor. What are the unresolved
conflicts? Group karma, unresolved evolutionary issues and lessons
that must not be skipped, and perhaps maladjustment of individuals
to the evolutionary process. (These are my speculations, anyway...)

>Much valuable information was given out by HPB and other writers
>dealing with Man and the Universe. There seems to be an implication
>even then in 1880, there was some great emphasis on "school of
>philosophy" while unequivocally this letter states that what
>was expected of all of us is to work towards this noble idea of
>Brotherhood of Humanity.

Working towards the brotherhood of humanity is really working on
healing the current sickness or disease that plagues modern
humanity. This healing would result in getting people back on track
with their spiritual evolution, and therefore is part of the
general work of compassion. The T.S. certainly would play a role
in this work.

The Mahatmas may not have cared to found a school of philosophy,
nor a nursery for occultists, but such projects are equally
valuable, and there's nothing wrong for such to exist inside or
outside of theosophical organizations.

We might consider how theosophical groups were intended to
help in the work of reestablishing a universal brotherhood?
Not, I think, by simply being a membership organization that
everyone in the world would join, regardless of belief or
one's behavior. I think it's help would be through the
dissemination of the theosophical doctrines, through the uplifting
effect that those ideas would have upon society in general. The
stress upon universal brotherhood was to impress on our minds
that these doctrines are not just for us as individual students,
but were *intended to be shared*.

>They were looking for noble and unselfish persons to help them
>in this very important task and how very grateful They are to
>any one who gives a helping hand in this task.

Very true.

>3. Considering the non increase in the membership (and possibly
>gradual decline), is there something that all of us are not doing
>right? Is there too much emphasis placed on the philosophy and not
>many are turned on to be unselfish to work towards the noble idea
>of Universal Brotherhood of Humanity?

I attribute the decline to the death of the philosophy as a
living, dynamic truth, as a powerful force to transform people.
It's not that we have too much emphasis on the philosophy. It's
that there is too little of the philosophy presented with *depth*
and *dynamic power behind it*. We're turning into the custodians
of a dying language, one whose life is ebbing away, until or
unless people can awaken their own inner understanding of the
doctrines, an inner life that they can then share with others.

>Let us brain storm on the above and any related and relevant items.
>May be we can learn from each other as to how we can more
>effectively work towards this noble idea of Brotherhood of Humanity.

Healing the discord in the human family is certainly an important,
immediate task before the world. It's certainly something that
would be high on the Masters' priorities. Apart from simply being
nice people, observing the golden rule, though, our highest benefit
to our human family is through our individual efforts to tread the
Path *and share the fruits of what we realize*. Our job is to become
independent forces for good in the world, and in doing that job
we help raise others and bring about a universal brotherhood of
humanity.

-- Eldon