Theos-Talk Archives (July 1996 Message tl00697)

Bee Brown wrote:

>As the party referred to :-) I couldn't agree with you more. what I was 
>asking about was a Theosophical way before the above mentioned effects become 
>a part of life. Telling an inquirer that if they take up study of theosophy 
>they will have internal changes in a few years time that are recognisably 
>different from how that person feels now, doesn't seem to inspire them to 
>take up that study but something they can get hold of right at the time of 
>inquiry, interests them more. 
>Personally I have experienced the gradual change of awareness that you speak 
>off through a devoted study of theosophical literature over the past few 
>years. 
>Bee

Dr. de Purucker addressed this issue in his respnse to a question at the
European Convention of the Point Loma TS in October, 1932. He commented that
yoga practices are not necessary and can be injurious to an individual from the
West.  He characterized the study and opractice of Theosophy as raja yoga or
jnana yoga. He, in effect, stated that practicing truthfulness, kindliness,
gentleness, self-control, and having command of a situation amounted to
practicing "the proper yoga".  His tag line in this passage is beautiful:
"...all of these other different kinds of yoga --Karma Yoga, and Bhakti Yoga,
and all the rest of them--don't amount to a snap of the fingers as contarsted
with the actual spiritual and intellectual training under our Masters. All these
things are but crutches for men who do not know anything better. Do you
understand? Is the answer responsive?"

Of course, I would not lay that entire rap on a potential new member. ;-{)> But
I would stress that this is a gradual process that has the virtue of efficacy. 

Now, it may strike the potential member as elitist to put the situation in those
terms. I say, so what? As an old and wise member of the New York TS once told me
"I don't see great masses of people being drawn to Theosophy". And this is very
true. It's not for everybody.  There are certainly many other New Age type
activities that those who are not presently ready can engage in so that at some
point in the future they will be able to differentiate between spiritual pabulum
and teachings that have real substance. 

Anyway, doesn't it give you a sense of continuity that they were talking about
these things at a TS convention in 1932? Talk about the Eternal Return!

--Frank