Theos-Talk Archives (November 1996 Message tl00186)

In message <2.2.16.19961107094619.26c7a1ee@mail.eden.com>,
ramadoss@eden.com writes
>The white anglo professor
>grew-up in the Southwest in the traditional Baptist religious environment
>and the book was an eye opener and was like lighting up a dark room in which
>one has spent half his life and was thrilled. While he did not formally join
>the TS, he was a practical humanitarian who helped everyone without any
>discrimination - an achievement for a man who grew up in a segregated
>southern environment.
>
>      I feel that the book could do some good in spite of its shortfalls.

I totally agree.  It was my own first real intriduction to theosophical
ideas, and I have pressed it on may a student over the past 40 years,
every one of whom complained that it was very hard to follow - but those
that persevered went on to gain other benefits, mostly like your
professor.  They may not have become card carrying theosophists, but
they got a whole new outlook on life and the world.

It took me two whole weeks to fully understand what the book was trying
to say (I was 23) and that was reading it almost non-stop whenever I had
time to read!  Most of my own teaching has been based on Kabbalah, as
you know, but I have always told students that they will never properly
understand Kabbalah if they cannot first get a grasp of theosophical
ideas.

(In case anyone missed the reason for all this, we are talking about
~First Principles of Theosophy~ by C.Jinarajadasa, which was published
by TPH in Adyar, Madras India through many editions and reprints for
many years, but is no longer available.)

Alan
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