Theos-Talk Archives (July 1997 Message tl00074)

I don't have the exact message anymore, but Alan approximately said:

There are many who possibly have a stall in the marketplace of Theosophical
telepathic downpourings. (I hope I remembered right. Apologies, Alan, if
I distorted it.)

Bart asked:

> Once again, are you going to include Elizabeth Claire Prophet?

Doss answered:

> If Prophet's writings appeal to someone, so be it. Every view point however
> unacceptable to one's personal views should be tolerated. Tolerance is what
> brings people together and we need all the help we can get from anyone and
> everyone to get Theosophy to every man, woman and child.

I think I see what you are getting at, Bart. Like Doss, I have an
abstract ideal of tolerance, especially having been on the receiving
end of intolerance. But your question does provoke some thought as to
how far one should take tolerance and in what sense to apply
it. Groups from small ones to nations have had to grapple with similar
questions. For example, does one tolerate sado-masochistic images, or
graphic images of child abuse or racist statements in the media - even
if they are not acted out?

Every group of people that come together to utilize their collective effort
for something have to have some kind of focus and identity. If a member comes
in with too divergent a vision from the common one, does it make sense to make
the identity more tenuous and dilute the vision? Or perhaps is this divergent
vision really a badly needed enrichment that everyone will incorporate after
painful soul-searching? It could be either. The kind of basic honesty and
discernment of the membership as a whole determines whether they will reject
the former, but accept the latter.

If an avatar is present in the group there is no problem. For example,
Sri Yukteswar gave varying degrees of latitude as to how things
functioned in his ashram. But on occasion, he would ask someone to
leave. Enlightened tolerance.

When the avatar dies the group seems to function well for a
while. Eventually the core virtue becomes diluted. The group is left
with lesser mortals such as you and I who are left with the difficult
question as to what kind of tolerance is an enlightened tolerance.

Life then becomes exciting.