Theos-Talk Archives (June 1996 Message tl00007)

Bjorn:

>>I'd agree that it is in a rut. But I think that the problem is
>>that it stops short of being a spiritual organization, of making
>>some living connection with the Mysteries. It remains a book
>>study club, and does not serve the spiritual needs of its
>>members or its community.

>Seems like you see this clearly. Perhaps it is likely to remain a book study
>club. To transform it to an organization that would serve the spiritual
>needs of its members would take a new impulse from the sponsoring masters.
>If that occurred, it would probably not be recognized as such by the
>leadership, or a majority of the members, so, what can be done?

The burden, I think, is upon the individual members to take
responsibility for their lives, and to approach the spiritual
themselves. They have to get something going in themselves, in
order to become in touch with the work of the Masters, and
make their lodges and theosophical groups living centers of
the spiritual.

The books contain various terms, concepts, ideas. Behind the
dead-letter of the books are buried significant esoteric
doctrines. Working through to the jewels and nuggets of gold
under the surface dross, we can become ennobled and start to
tread a valid approach to the Path.

Things like leadership of the theosophical group, its organization
and structure, etc. are all superficial, and insignificant.
What's important is our giving expression to the high, the
holy, the sacred, the most spiritual side of life. There is
much that does not exist in the world, simply because there's
no one ready and able to give it expression.

The Masters, I think, work to express in the world these
same higher qualities. They're more adept at doing it than we
are. I tend to think that we are individually responsible for
making our own spiritual impulse in the world, and don't need
to wait for one from the Masters to give us a shove. Our
connection to the spiritual is inward, direct, immediate, and
does not need someone outside ourselves, even Masters,
Bodhisattvas, or Buddhas to power us and keep us going.

(This is not to say, though, that there's no value to having
a Guru. Having a spiritual teacher is highly important, at times,
depending upon our karma, needs, and current lessons in life.)

-- Eldon