Theos-Talk Archives (October 1996 Message tl00477)

I just read an interesting post in another list that might
prove interesting here.  The writer described Baha'i in terms
of what I think is Johari's Window:
1. Things we know about ourselves that are public knowledge.
2. Things the public knows about us that we don't know.
3. Things we know about ourselves that are unknown to others.
4. Things about ourselves that neither we nor others know.

Making a brief stab at this in terms of Theosophists:
1. In this category are the Three Objects, the writings of HPB
as the central focus, our eclecticism and global perspective.
2. Someone will get mad at any proposed answer to this one,
since by definition it involves matters we shut out of
consciousness.  But I would say that there was a lot of
deception in the early years of the movement, and Theosophists
refuse to admit or deal with it although it is the first thing
that comes to mind for outsiders. (No, I won't argue this with
anyone.)
3.  The amazingly widespread cultural influence of HPB is still
mostly known only to insiders, although this is changing.
4.  My books attempted to go into that; the extent to which HPB
was affiliated with genuine teachers of authentic spiritual
traditions from whom Theosophy is derived has been a matter of
faith, not knowledge, for Theosophists, and has been denied by
others.

But one could answer this a hundred different ways, and I hope
someone will try.