Theos-Talk Archives (June 1996 Message tl00808)

The wisdom of Richard Ihle regarding the current situation of
the TSA calls to mind some wisdom of G. I. Gurdjieff about
spiritual organizations' inevitable entropy.  If we want to
know why there is so much subtle shifting from internally
accessible theosophy to scriptural Theosophy, from being a
nucleus of human brotherhood to being an outpost of the
Masters, I think G. has some interesting insights.

A, B, and C influences are the most relevant theme from his
writings to this situation.  He says that spiritual influences
from the Conscious Circle of Humanity, those who are in the
vanguard of spiritual evolution, start out as "C" influences.
Meaning that there is encoded in them the very taste or essence
of the enlightened consciousness from which these influences
flow.  Let us say, then, that HPB was a transmitter of these
influences from relatively enlightened humans.  But Gurdjieff
also describes A influences-- those of ordinary mundane life,
repetitive, devoid of vision, wanting only the security of
predictability and control.  Whenever C influences are
transmitted from any teacher or group of teachers, they
immediately start to interact with the A influences in the
environment.  Generation after generation, the A influences
grow stronger and the C influences grow weaker.  So there is
less and less immediate access to theosophia, gnosis,
illumination, what have you-- and more and more reliance on
formulations, authorities, codes of behavior, scriptures, etc.
The combination of C and A influences produces B influences.
These have traces of the original inspiration still present,
but with a heavy admixture of the visionless, dull, repetitive
reality of the unenlightened mind.  Religions in general are B
influences.  Theosophy IS a religion, no matter how strongly
some Theosophists deny it; theosophy is not, but is indeed the
essence from which religion (d)evolves.  HPB herself said that
every previous such effort had degenerated, and warned of the
likelihood of the same results with her own effort.

So where are the newer C influences?  I think you all know
where I find them, so no need to beat that drum here.