Theos-Talk Archives (June 1996 Message tl00494)

At 09:41 PM 6/6/96 -0400, Eldon wrote:
>Jerry S:
>
>The basic point of the analogy, which I'd agree with, is that
>"sheep" refers to those following a group approach, using an
>organization or supporting sangha of fellow students to better
>themselves and the world. And the "wolves" are individualists,
>going out on their own.
>
>Regardless of approach -- through a spiritual organization or on
>one's own -- the steps need to be the same. One must awaken an
>inner fire, an inner seed needs to germinate and start to sprout,
>an inner calling must be heard and responded to. This is the same.
>This awakening can and is found in both types of students.
>
>A participant in a group, if it is a bona fide spiritual group, is
>not a passive "follower", but just as challenged by life -- both
>within and without -- as a loner.

I found most of these "sheep - wolf" postings to be ego strutting, more or
less sofisticated. Eldon's contribution stands out as something different,
though. There is some real realization and wisdom here.

>The "sheep versus wolves" analogy does not sit right with me.
>There's an unsavory connotation that those mining for gold in the
>theosophical doctrines -- taking a Platonic or Jnana Yoga approach
>-- are passive followers, people avoiding a real experience of
>life. This is simply untrue.

Community is a real important aspect of the path. For one thing, when
functioning in a community your ego is going to be confronted, time and time
again. There is a lot of opportunity to practice compassion, forgiveness,
service.

>There are, of course, many people in either approach -- the
>individual or the group approaches -- that are pretenders,
>deluded, with a dead inner life, and perhaps overcome with
>psychological inflation.  These people are the "smoke" that
>proves that there is "fire" nearby.

I find this to be true also. Their are many advantages to community but for
some people it becomes an escape from responsibility and challenge.

>What is needed by students of any approach is a willingness to go
>beyond the social norms and conventions, to follow an inner quest.

>Theosophy needs to be studied *in its own context*. It's highly
>helpful to keep up on modern science, and to draw parallels from
>it and one's personal experience. But the study is of deep
>teachings that go beyond modern society and one's mundane
>experience.  One has to let one's mind dare step beyond the
>confines of one's personality and embrace *something more*.

Very well said. Eldon, are any of your writings online? What have you written?

>
>The relative stress one may pay upon the two approaches may
>depend upon whether someone prefers "bottum up" (the psychical
>or introverted sensation approach) or "top down" (the
>spiritual-intellectual, or introverted intuition approach).

I don't quite follow this. Why are "introverted sensation" so different from
"introverted intuition"?

>We'll get along better, I think, as a group, when there's more
>general recognition of the validity of the different approaches.

Yes. All the princpal forms of yoga are valid approaches and some definitely
suit some people better than other.

>It *also means* that the people with a pro-psychic approach

What is this, pro-psychic approach? I am still a newcomer and I seem to have
missed something important here.

>Am I a sheep? No. Am I a wolf? No. Just a student that wants to
>get at the deep Truths buried in Theosophy, like many others.

I'd like to echo this conclusion.

Bjorn

roxendal@alpinet.net