Theos-Talk Archives (July 1996 Message tl00511)

In message <31F1AFBD.513C@whanganui.ac.nz>, Bee Brown
<bbrown@whanganui.ac.nz> writes
>It is not a big city that I live in and the 
>spiritually interested people circulate around most of the groups in town and 
>exchange gossip as well as advice. It wouldn't take long for other members of 
>the Lodge to become aware that I have been dispensing 'theosophical advice' 
>and what sort it is. This list showns just how hard it is to get Theosophists 
>to agree on the teachings so I imagine the same will certainly apply to Lodge 
>members too. If I hit on e.g. Raja-Yoga and draw up the relevant info on it 
>and it becomes known in town that this is the Theosophical method and others 
>come and request some teaching on it, I could be in deep mire because I know 
>some of our members would be very upset. That is not how they see Theosophy. 
>This is why I have asked about an official method approved off by TS to help 
>accessing the higher self.

I understand your problem, and apologise if I offered superfluous
advice, as I should know that you would give freelyof your own
experience if asked.  Having said this, I cannot see how the TS *as
such* can have an "official approved" method of working, as there is no
provision in either the objects nor the rules [Adyar] for such a thing,
as the bliefs and opinions of individual members are (or should be)
respected.  In my own work, which for the greater part of my esoteric
life has been *outside* the TS I have always prefaced any method or
practice with a) the information that this worked for me; b) that
anything I teach should be questioned and examined - "This is the
teaching as I have received and understood it.  Don't believe a word I
tell you," and c) that any consequences of taking my advice were the
responsibility of the taker.

Like all who teach in these areas, I have had people tell me that they
do not think I am doing/telling it right, and I have said (and say) to
them, "Then take set aside my views, and explain what is wrong with
them; maybe we can both learn this way."

There is always a body of people whose main function in life seems to be
to criticise others' work (in a negative sense) but who offer no real
alternative.  With such people I have always been "in the mire" as you
eloquently put it!  So, if I were (say) to put together a raja yoga
offering and some people did not like it, I would say that it was *they*
who had a problem, not me.  Perhaps they would like to put an imporoved
version together for the student(s) who were *asking* for some guidance?
Thus they would be serving the first object in *co-operation* with you. 

Alan
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