Theos-Talk Archives (May 1996 Message tl01355)

Liesel writes,

> I'm especially interested in your correspondence with the imprisoned
Tibetan
> nun. What language do you use? Can you tell us some of what she writes, or
> would that put her into more danger? I think correspondence with people
like
> that can do some good. You can make her feel that she's not all alone, &
> that someone on the outside knows she's there, & cares about her.

Actually, I am not able to correspond with her, the Chinese certainly
wouldn't allow that.  I simply followed Amnesty International's instructions
on which Chinese leader to write to, asking for the nun's release before she
is killed.  Two other women this month too, one in Korea and one in South
America, all being held for their beliefs.  All in great danger of execution,
I think.  I know that I won't hear from the Tibetan nun, but hearing that she
is 25 years old and I'm 27, and so interested in the religion she has
dedicated her life to, I was very moved.  I don't know if she will ever know
that we in America and around the world have written for her, but Amnesty
International will keep us posted as to her release, I hope.

> You know, you yourself have taught me something. I didn't know anything
> about the ULT before I came up against you, except for a brief, amicable
> conversation with a ULT member at a conference. I thought of you in terms
of
> Christian Fundamentalist fanatics. & you aren't that at all. You know a
lot,
> have sensible opinions, & I've come to respect ULT a lot more from having
> had contact with you.


That's one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me.  Thank you so
much.

The thing I would most like to emphasize though (for the list more than for
you) is that ULT is not an organization.  It literally exists just to keep
the teachings in print, and to provide study groups.  It can take no position
as a whole because there is no structure.  No one is authorized to say "ULT
says  x, y, and z."

It's members are VERY diverse in opinions.  I often hear "ULT thinks this" or
"ULT thinks that."  Truth be told, there is no leadership to enforce opinion.
 No one can be thrown out.  I have known several ULT folks doing OUTRAGEOUS
things (like claiming they are HPB reincarnated) and even they couldn't be
"thrown out."  It is a voluntary association of students, and no one has
authority over anyone else.  It is true that the older students have a lot of
clout, but they can't MAKE you do anything.  Each lodge does its own thing,
and let me tell you, some of them buck what the majority of lodges think
should be read and studied.

I think ULT comes across as "fundie" because as a whole it tends to focus on
HPB and Mr. Judge as the two primary writers of the first generation, in
direct touch with the Masters (and nearly every Theosophist agrees with that
I think).  ULT people, as a whole, are generally not so interested in later
stuff, though many I know read it.  As for me, when I hear Mr. Purucker said
so-and-so, I think "oh.  Okay."  I have neither a chip on my shoulder about
him, nor do I think he's the cat's meow.  He was just a student, like me,
though probably a whole lot smarter and better read.  Which is cool.  I wish
the Purucker students well, and I enjoy hearing from them, but Purucker is
(at this point) neither here nor there to me.