Theos-Talk Archives (February 1997 Message tl00348)

CK
>To all of you on this list, I thankyou for the input.  This list
>has confirmed what I already knew, and I have made a decision
>for myself that I will cut the umbilical to the TS.  I see it
>now as a black spot in my aura against which I constantly have
>to battle.  Better to cut it off.  However, I intend to feed
>whatever information comes from this list to someone else in my
>Lodge who has been following up on all the legal aspects of our
>local problems.  So I will continue to press for those when the
>opportunity arises.

JHE
On the other hand, members leaving the TS once they figure out
that something is rotten in Denmark (double entendre intended) is
a big reason why the TS never changes.  There are never enough
members left at any one time who know enough about what is going
on who can raise a meaningful opposition.  When I began to sense
that the tide was moving against me, I became a life member.  I
have little hope anymore, but I still have a vague dream that the
members who figure out the game will dig into the front lines
instead of resigning.  If enough of us stay around, things will
have to change.


CK
>In what ways can we work for Theosophy outside existing
>organizational frameworks?

JHE
Great question.  We have been doing it for years now.  Here is
for starters, some fodder for the brainstorm:

1. form a network of fellow workers around the world.  The
internet is great for this, and TI would be ideal.

2. Share resources, ideas, accounts of successes and failures.
In other words--support each other.  There was a comment I
remember seeing in the Mahatma letters saying that the failure of
the London Lodge would be the result of the selfishness of the
members.

3. Make your group more than a place of study.  Make it also a
resource for service to humanity.  Theosophy in the end is pure
altruism.  I think this has been forgotten by the organizations.



CK
>..or some such question. (for me I would want to know what you
>guys mean by Theosophy before I could even start with this
>question)

Theosophy (capital "T") to me is the study of the ideas
promulgated by the Theosophical Society found in 1875; ideas
promulgated by the schisms; and ideas promulgated by
organizations inspired by the original Organizations.  Small "t"
theosophy, on the other hand, is the study of those ideas
believed to be derived from intercourse with God, the gods, or
angels.  This includes but is not limited to the study of
kabalah, hermetic philosophy, alchemy, Boehmenism and
Swedenbourgianism.   My personal interests embrace all of these
areas and more.