Theos-Talk Archives (August 1997 Message tl00664)

MKR writes:

It was so nice of you to have taken the time to write your detailed
response. All of us are immensely benefitting by what you have said.

By the way, I am somewhat familiar with HPB and her writings, even though I
would consider myself more as a rookie in all Theosophical matters. 

Having grown up with computers for quite some time, I clearly see the
potential of Internet medium to help make theosophy accessible to the world.
Even though I grew up with computers, until I signed on to Internet and
started participating in the theos-l maillist (which is the grand dad of all
theosophical maillists and set up by an individual and not in any way
directly or indirectly supported or controlled by any Theosophical
organization and is totally free of any controls, editing, review etc -
called "moderated" in the technical computer slang) I could not first hand
fully understand its capabilities in terms of its potential to do an
outstanding job in helping disseminate Theosophy around the world. 

The maillists also help exchange ideas, seek information from those who are
"experts"  in specific fields etc and it has immensely helped the
participants including myself.

Again, your posts have been of much help to me and others would confirm this
as well.

MKR

PS: BTW, have you tried subscribing to theos-l, theos-news, theos-buds,
theos-roots, theos-tech, ti-l -- all theosophical maillists? they all have a
different flavor and especially theos-l has heavy traffic.

At 05:13 AM 8/29/97 +0500, W. Dallas TenBroeck wrote:
>Aug 29th 1997
>
>Dallas writes:
>
>Glad to hear from you "RAMADOSS" -- while age, in this incarnation, may
>have given us some flexibility, like all true students, we are what any
>student can make of oursleves by our particular focus, interest and
>subsequent discipline.   All such refinement is a personal endeavor.  Are
>you familiar with the TRANSACTIONS OF THE BLAVATSKY LODGE ?  After HPB
>published the Secret Doctrine in 1888, a number of students around her,
>including professors like Crooks, etc., desired more details, and
>accordingly they met week after week (and they had a court stenographer to
>record the actual proceedings).  HPB then used those reports to further
>elaborate the explanations in the written word, and as a result in the
>issues of LUCIFER of 1890-91 a series under this title was published.  It
>is now put up in book form by several publishers, including the THEOSOPHY
>COMPMANY, Los Angeles (the version I use).  There between pp 66 and 76 HPB
>gives intersting details about the nature of our inner consciousness.
>
>I also encountered in Mr. Judge's NOTES ON THE BHAGAVAD GITA,  pp. 99-101,
>the following:
>
>	 "Our consciousness is one and not many, nor different from other
>consciousnesses.  It is not waking consciousness or sleeping consciousness,
>or any other but consciousness itself...
>
>	...the one consciousness pierces up and down through all the states or
>planes of Being, and serves to uphold the memory--whether complete or
>incomplete--of each state's experiences...
>
>	...the one consciousness of each person is the Witness or Spectator of the
>actions and expereinces of every state we are in or pass through.  It
>therefore follows that the waking consciousness of the mind is not separate
>consciousness...
>
>	...the way to the ultimate goal must be entered.  To take the first step
>raises the possibility of success...
>
>	...the first step is giving up bad assoications, and securing a love of
>wisdom...the scond is joining good company, listening, practicing...the
>third is strengthening the first two, developing confidence and faith and
>continuing in it.  Whosoever dies thus, lays the foundation for ascent to
>adeptship, or true wisdom."
>
>I think that our, or any era in time, has little to do with the desire to
>know.  Where there is a will, there is a way.  But I have found no easy
>path to esoteric or occult, or even to self-knowledge.  
>
>I would add that most of what can be learned (in my esteem) about the
>doctrines and metaphysics of THEOSOPHY lie in HPB's writings, her books and
>articles.  As I have studied them over the years it is more an more pressed
>on my consciousness that we are dealing with a coherent whole, and that we
>are in fact dealing with a synopsis, of the great record kept by the
>ancient Lodge.  I have found this referred to in SD I 272-3, and elsewhere,
>as for instance in ISIS II 95-105.  Both references make for very
>intersting reading and reflection.
>
>I find it somewhat comforting to see that I/we are not swimming alone in a
>shorelesss sea at midnight, and are running out of energy and hope.  It is
>comforting to me to find that I am able to access the work of earlier
>seekers for wisdom and students of the perennial philosophy.  I am glad to
>try to review their work, and see if their findings are still valid.  The
>little experience that I have in this body has added to some aspects of
>that research, and being quite sure of Egoic immortality, I am content with
>the idea that when this body ceases, in the futur,the actual work done will
>be resumed.  It would be quite pointless to work so hard and get so little
>for it.
>
>If reincarnation is a fact, then, as EGOS, we have all been "back" in many
>previous ages and times, (and look forward to continued usefullness and a
>continuity of our search), and have adapted to ancient and different
>languages, cultures and situations.  By this I mean that those are the
>outward clothing only of the TRUE AND IMMORTAL EGO within each of us.  That
>does not change, but serfes as the RECORDER of all our experiences in so
>many personalities past and also, of many more to come.
>
>That this HIGHER EGO (some use the designation:  HIGHER SELF -- ATMA-BUDDHI
>) is innate is easily cheked by quietly seeking for IT and appealing to IT.
> There can be no reservations -- as an example if you are familiar with
>Edward Bellamy's essay TO WHOM THIS MAY COME, the reflections made there by
>one who is NOT a mind-reader, when placed in an environment of
>compassionate mind-readers (but voiceless people) are most appropriate  [
>The current issue of THEOSOPHY magazine is in the process of reprinting
>this marvelous essay of Bellamy.]
>
>But enough -- we need not make a party of two or more, only that we can
>share what we have learned with others who might profit from that.
>
>Allow me one more comment:  "Theosophical Organizations" as HPB put it
>succinctly, are forms or bodies where individualstudents can come together
>to enlage their views of what Theosophical principles are, and how they may
>be applied.  No T.Organization, according to her had any right to try to
>mold the thinking, or direct the study of any of its "members."  Therefore
>the "Leaders" of such T. Organizations had only one duty:  to serve as
>colorless sustainers and maintainers of a free forum at which all could be
>invited to come and share in a common feast:  the earch for knowledge and
>wisdom.  The submission to a "leader" has implied the danger of NOT
>employing one's own free-will, and developing one's independent
>discrimination.  If we are IMMORTALS, then, resident in each one of us is
>an IMMORTAL who retains a memory of all experience [see HPB KEY TO
>THEOSOPHY p. 107] that is the esence of each personality.  Of course we owe
>reverence and gratitude to allwho have served us by opening our eyes to
>perennial truth, but not to the extent of allowing ourselves to be led or
>channeled in areas where we have to exert our own independent will and
>decision making faculty. 
>
>[ If you are interested in HPB's vies concerning the difference between
>Theosophy, and the "Theosophical Societies" then read again her articles:
>	WHAT IS THEOSOPHY ?  Theosophist, Vol 1  # 1
>	HHAT ARE THE THEOSOPHISTS?   -- idem. -
>	WHY I DO NOT RETURN TO INDIA, Theosophist July 1929
>	A PUZZLE FROM ADYAR,	Lucifer Vol. 4, p. 506
>These have been reprinted in pamphlets and are available from THEOSPHY
>COMPANY, Los Angeles.]
>
>		Best wishes to you and all		Dallas
>
>======================================
>
>At 10:21 PM 8/28/97 -0500, you wrote:
>>--------------------------------------
>>
>>"Dallas TenBroeck" <dalval@nwc.net> wrote in theos-world:
>>
>>	Having been educated some 60 years ago, my link to the 19th century may
>be closer than most who have been educated recently--and I have noticed
>that for them it is a distinct effort to force their minds and
>understanding to
>>go back and meticulously examine the maning of what was said 50, 100 or
>150 years ago.  But no serious scholar refuses this kind of challenge for
>the "ease" of putting those ideas into the modern lingo, which is, as I
>look at
>>it, very superficial indeed.  
>>
>>-----------------------------------------------
>>
>>MKR: 
>>
>>When I read the above comment, I was elated to see someone belonging to an
>>earlier generation becoming active in the Internet. Congratulations Dallas!
>>
>>When we look around the leadership of the Theosophical Organizations, most
>>of them belonging tothe non-computer generation and their lack of interest
>>and active participation, perhaps mostly attributable to their lack of a
>>clear understanding of how Internet works, many times I have thought that it
>>is a lost cause until such time the computer generation comes to leadership
>>position. 
>>
>>With Dallas' above comment, it has made my day -- we can still have some
>>hope that those belonging to previous generation can learn to use e-mail etc.
>>
>>So let wait and keep looking to see them getting active.
>>
>>.........mkr
>>
>>PS: I am sure there are others here belonging to Dallas' generation and my
>>congratulations to them too.