Theos-Talk Archives (July 1997 Message tl00213)

Keith:

>A Master needs slaves.

There is more than one definition of "Master". Besides the one
that is the owner of slaves, we have someone highly skilled,
adept at some area of life. And there are some people that are
highly skilled at spiritual unfoldment, adepts or Masters of 
life.

>An organization needs leaders to lead and followers to follow.

A cult that uses power and mind control wants people to boss
around. But that is only one kind of organization. Other
groups exist with altruistic aims, and seek to serve others.
Not all organizations are malevolent and harmful to the welfare
of humanity. 

>A spiritual leader needs disciples or chelas or he is casting 
>pearls in the wind, to mix a metaphor.

Perhaps a fake one does, someone on an ego trip and lacking
in genuine spirituality. A real guru is like a great artist,
producing wonderful creations in the world, unconcerned with
the size of admiring audience that is attracted for the show.

>So what is the problem. The problem is in the psychology of 
>the REBEL, the Promethean, the luciferian who will bring 
>light to men at the expense of his own life and eternal 
>well-being as an eternal P RAISER.

We do have to take responsibility for our own progress, and
not depend on others to do it for us. That sometimes means
waking up to our surrounding circumstances and making 
changes. We may quit groups and discover that some of our
friends are really a destructive influence on us -- and 
walk away to new friends and activities.

This does not mean that a guru is not important. But it's
up to us to judge when we need to seek out expert training
and when we need to walk alone on the path.

>I would say that 90 per cent if not all theosophists share 
>the rebel psychology in that we would all follow our family 
>religions if we just wanted to learn a tradition, a practice 
>and not cause changes, distress, revolution to some extent.

We're all questioning what we're taught by society, and no
longer accept the status quo. Often our spiritual awakening
goes hand-in-hand with personal problems or external conflict,
as life is adjusting itself about us and we're in a state
of progressive turbulence.

>The problem is that TSA and other organizations are largely 
>conservative ossified, if not petrified, although they do 
>a lot of good work in archiving and transmitting the work 
>so far accomplished.

The main function that they've concentrated on was in an
educational aspect, of preserving the basic philosophy and
making it available to future generations. But we can only
go so far in reading the books before we want something
more, and the theosophical groups are lacking in that 
respect. They aren't Lessor Mysteries, with a lineage of
gurus waiting to be our spiritual trainers. We have to look
elsewhere or to ourselves for the next step.

>But I asked this before, do the Masters want spiritual 
>brown nosers?  Do they want their astral asses kissed?

Not from what they've written. They want self-initiative,
people willing to be independent centers of light in an
otherwise dark world. It would seem silly to them, I
think, were people to put their pictures on alters, place
flowers before the pictures, and pray to them. On the other
hand, there are many who would speak for the Masters that
use that claim to attract a large following and perhaps
fatten their wallets at the same time.

>Or do they admire the rebellious spirit, because they once, 
>if not eternally share it, despite allegiance to THE HIERARCHY
>and ULTIMATE UNITIVE TRUTH?

I'd expect that they'd admire the willingness to think through
and decide things on one's own. This manifests as a rebellious
spirit when it is right to rebel; it manifests an faithful,
to-the-death devotion when that is right. The important thing
here is knowing which is right, in a particular place in life,
and doing it.

You're basically making a good point about the importance of
us becoming independent thinkers, learning to live our lives
with greater intelligence and higher standards that the world
about us requires. But the urge to rebel must be balanced 
with the urge to establish harmony and unity. The two are
both needed in living life skillfully. Objecting to and
escaping the negative is only have of the process.

-- Eldon