Theos-Talk Archives (June 1996 Message tl00695)

At 01:47 AM 6/22/96 -0400, you wrote:
>Comments on today's digest and recent posts:
>
>Re: subscribing to alt.theosophy.  Someone, maybe Martin,
>posted a website address through which one could get to the
>newsgroup even if one's server didn't carry it.  I feel
>unwilling to request anything of the State Library in this
>regard, since time on the newsgroup could be considered goofing
>off.

Paul: Welcome back,I hope you had a good vacation. This is the way I get to
post messages on alt.theosophy, I use by "web cruiser" Netscape to read the
news group but I cannot post from it as yet.
>
>Re: Krishnamurti's fame.  I checked WorldCat, the biggest
>bibliographic database (OCLC) in catalog format, and found 297
>books under the subject J. Krishnamurti.  This includes
>multiple editions or translations of the same title.  PB had
>341, Edgar Cayce 724, Jesus Christ more than 77,000.  Cayce is
>well ahead of major founders of American religious groups like
>Mary Baker Eddy and Ellen G. White, but behind Joseph Smith.
>In India, I saw K.'s books in every bookstore, and everyone
>seemed to know who he was, more so by far than in the West.  So
>he did have a big impact, but whether or not it is a lasting
>one remains to be seen.

It may last longer in India because there's an immense element of National
Pride involved.
>
>Re: Theosophy as process.  HPB put it this way (pardon my
>paraphrase); "Theosophy is the philosophy of rational
>explanation of things, not the specific tenets."  And
>"Theosophist is as Theosophy does" NOT "Theosophist is as
>Theosophy *believes*"-- which I take to mean both attaining
>some level of gnosis and transforming your life accordingly.

Thanks for the agreement.
>
>Re: the individuals being better than the organization.  Isn't
>this true everywhere?  In the TSA, it seems particularly so,
>but what does this mean?  My guess is that for every step up
>the ladder toward becoming an "important Theosophist" one has
>to jettison certain values.  Like openness and honesty and
>responsiveness to perceived needs.  Those values get supplanted
>by values like solidarity with the in-group, secrecy,
>manipulativeness, ambition.  It is the way organized Theosophy
>has been permeated by secret societies which has brought this
>about.  Perhaps one could go so far as to say that the very
>qualities of which the movement is most in need are the
>qualities most likely to cause a person to be ostracized or at
>least marginalized.
>
TRUE....TRUE....TRUE...TRUE!


ALEXIS DOLGORUKII