Theos-Talk Archives (June 1996 Message tl00581)

 Excerpt From: 	The Key to Theosophy - H. P. Blavatsky
 	
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            THE FUTURE OF THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY

 Enq:	Tell  me  what  do  you  expect  for Theosophy in the
        future?

 THEO:	If you speak of *Theosophy*, I answer that, as it has
        existed eternally throughout the endless cycles  upon
        cycles on the Past, so it will ever exist  throughout
        the infinitudes  of the  Future because  Theosophy is
        synonymous with *Everlasting Truth*.

 Enq:	Pardon  me;  I  meant  to  ask  you  rather about the
        prospects of the Theosophical Society.

 THEO:	Its  future  will  depend  almost  entirely  upon the
        degree  of  selflessness,  earnestness, devotion, and
        last, but not the  least, on the amount  of knowledge
        and wisdom  possessed by  those members,  on whom  it
        will fall  to carry  on the  work, and  to direct the
        Society after the death of the Founders.

 Enq:	I quite  see the  importance of  their being selfless
        and devoted but I do not grasp how their  *knowledge*
        can be  as vital  a factor  in the  question as these
        other qualities. Surely the literature which  already
        exists,  and  to  which  constant additions are still
        being made, ought to be sufficient?

 THEO:	I do not refer to technical knowledge of the esoteric
        doctrine,  though  that  is  most  important; I spoke
        rather of the great need which our successors in  the
        guidance of  the Society  will have  of unbiased  and
        clear   judgment.   Every   such   attempt   as   the
        Theosophical Society has  hitherto ended in  failure,
        because, sooner or later,  it has degenerated into  a
        sect, set up hard-and-fast dogmas of its own, and  so
        lost  by  imperceptible  degrees  that vitality which
        living truth alone can impart. You must remember that
        all our members have been bred and born in some creed
        or  religion,  that  all  are  more  or less of their
        generation   both   physically   and   mentally,  and
        consequently that their judgment is but too likely to
        be warped and unconsciously biassed by some or all of
        these influences. If, then, they cannot be freed from
        such inherent bias, or  at least taught to  recognize
        it instantly and so avoid  being led away by it,  the
        result can only be that the Society will drift off on
        to some  sandbank of  thought or  another, and  there
        remain a stranded carcass to moulder and die.
 Enq:	If this danger be averted?

 THEO:	Then the Society  will live on  into and through  the
        twentieth  century.  It  will  gradually  leaven  and
        permeate the great  mass of thinking  and intelligent
        people  with  its  large-minded  and  noble  ideas of
        Religion, Duty, and  Philanthropy. Slowly but  surely
        it will burst asunder the iron fetters of creeds  and
        dogmas, of social and caste prejudices; it will break
        down racial  and national  antipathies and  barriers,
        and will open the way to practical realization of the
        Brotherhood of all men. Through its teaching, through
        the philosophy which  it has rendered  accessible and
        intelligible to the modern mind, the West will  learn
        to understand  and appreciate  the East  at its  true
        value. Furthermore,  the development  of the  psychic
        powers  and  faculties,  the  premonitory symptoms of
        which are  already visible  in America,  will proceed
        healthily and  normally. Mankind  will be  saved from
        the terrible dangers,  both mental and  bodily, which
        are inevitable when that unfolding takes place, as it
        threatens to do, in a hot-bed of selfishness and  all
        evil passions. Man's  mental and psychic  growth will
        proceed in harmony with his moral improvement,  while
        his material surroundings will reflect the peace  and
        fraternal  good-will  which  will  reign in his mind,
        instead of the discord and strife which is everywhere
        apparent around us to-day.

 Enq:	A  truly  delightful  picture!  But  tell  me, do you
        really  expect  all  this  to  be accomplished in one
        short century?

 THEO:	Scarcely. But I  must tell you  that during the  last
        quarter of every hundred years an attempt is made  by
        those "Masters," of  whom I have  spoken, to help  on
        the spiritual  progress of  Humanity in  a marked and
        definite way. Towards the  close of each century  you
        will invariably find  that an outpouring  or upheaval
        of spirituality -- or call it mysticism if you prefer
        -- has  taken place.  Some one  or more  persons have
        appeared in the world as their agents, and a  greater
        or less amount of  occult knowledge and teaching  has
        been given out. If you  care to do so, you  can trace
        these movements back, century  by century, as far  as
        our detailed historical records extend.

 Enq:	But  how  does  this  bear  on  the  future  of   the
        Theosophical Society?

 THEO:	If the present attempt,  in the form of  our Society,
        succeeds better than its predecessors have done, then
        it will be in  existence as an organized,  living and
        healthy body when the  time comes for the  efforts of
        the  XXth  century.  The  general  condition of men's
        minds and hearts will have been improved and purified
        by the spread of its teachings, and, as I have  said,
        their  prejudices  and  dogmatic  illusions will have
        been, to some extent at least, removed. Not only  so,
        but besides a  large and accessible  literature ready
        to men's hands, the next impulse will find a numerous
        and *united* body of people ready to welcome the  new
        torch-bearer of Truth. He will find the minds of  men
        prepared for his message, a language ready for him in
        which  to  clothe  the  new  truths  he  brings,   an
        organization awaiting his arrival, which will  remove
        the   merely   mechanical,   material  obstacles  and
        difficulties from  his path.  Think how  much one, to
        whom such an opportunity is given, could  accomplish.
        Measure it by  comparison with what  the Theosophical
        Society actually *has* achieved in the last  fourteen
        years,  without   *any*  of   these  advantages   and
        surrounded  by  hosts  of  hindrances which would not
        hamper the  new leader.  Consider all  this, and then
        tell me whether I am too sanguine when I say that  if
        the Theosophical Society  survives and lives  true to
        its  mission,  to  its  original impulses through the
        next hundred years -- tell me, I say, if I go too far
        in  asserting  that  earth  will  be  a heaven in the
        twenty-first century  in comparison  with what  it is
        now!

 	Finis
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******** Peace to all living beings*****************

         M K Ramadoss