Theos-Talk Archives (June 1996 Message tl00006)

Chuck:

>Joe Sixpack is exactly who the founders had in mind.
>Right now the TS is a debating society for people who know more about
>sanskrit than about living and it has damned little that relates to
>everyday life.

We can speak of Theosophy for the millions, but that's only one
aspect of it. It can be applied to social reform, to changing the
everyday lives of people in general. That work is fine, but it is
something that anyone can do.

There's another important work, and that involves the preservation
and carrying forward of the theosophical doctrines, as a living
tradition. That work provides an opportunity for people, when they
feel the attraction, to draw closer to the Mysteries.

Carrying forward the doctrines as a living tradition, there needs
to be people that have learned them and made them a part of their
lives. These people provide an opportunity to pass on an understanding
of the philosophy that cannot be approached simply by reading books.

>We are about to see Theosophy for the Millions.  Just wait until we can all
>post to the newsgroup (with any luck I will solve a problem with my com
>program and be on in couple of days) and the newsgroup gets hundreds of
>postings a day, most of them from people who are decidedly not theosophists.

But what is it that you or I have to *offer* the millions? Are we
firmly established on the Path, and actually expecting to draw *millions*
to find the way? Can we do what great teachers haven't? I don't think so.

On a more basic level, if we're simply dealing with social work, with
political reform, with adjustments to the external lives of people to
make things a bit more peaceful and harmonious, we certainly could do
this. But so could Christians, Buddhists, Marxists, Humanists, Spiritualists,
and Anarchists. There's nothing special to the theosophical doctrines
that is needed to do this work.

>We can't hide in our little holes anymore and content ourselves with boring
>each other to death with rounds and chains.  There is a huge world out there
>that needs us and if we cannot make ourselves relevant to them, they will go
>somewhere else.  We are about to come blasting into the world and that means
>that we are going to have to talk about practical applications of what we
>know.

But we've never been hiding in holes. We talk in one language to joe
sixpack, and in other languages to people of other backgrounds, in other
contexts. In a theosophical class, intended for students of Theosophy, it's
right and appropriate to study the doctrines and to work on new inner
realizations and insights. This is not elitism nor ignoring suffering humanity.

We have individual ways to grow and develop in life, and we express our
special natures to the world in our own unique ways. Some people may express
themselves as politicians. Others as artists, educators, scholars, scientists,
etc. None of these approaches is wrong, unless an individual has not found
what is right for him, and is doing something that his heart feels is wrong.

It's wrong, I think, to judge the value of someone's contribution to the
world in terms of quantity, in terms of numbers of people affected. The
measure is in terms of how true someone is to their own heart and inner
calling. This is something that others cannot tell; each of us has to
look within and be our own judges.

I agree that some superficial aspect of Theosophy, something with a
theosophical flavor to it, would have mass appeal, and do good for the
millions. But I'd hope that for people ready for something more, that we
don't close the gate to the teachings, to the esoteric philosophy, hiding
or obscuring the public availability of the teachings.

>Hang on.  It's gonna be a hell of a ride.

It'll be wild. This type of work is good, as good as any other, and I
wish you well with it. It's not the only show in town, though, so don't
start tearing down posters for the quiet, still, unseen attractions that
a few people of deep heart slip away to attend.

-- Eldon