Theos-Talk Archives (October 1997 Message tl00054)

In message <343693D3.15A6@sprynet.com>, Bart Lidofsky
<bartl@sprynet.com> writes
>> Oh boy, does it!  I love the idea of a Theosophical bubble bath.  I
>> recently saw (in a book) a picture of Annie Besant and other very
>> important Theosophists engaged in a very esoteric pursuit - playing
>> croquet .... just the thing for the brotherhood of humanity, don't you
>> think?
>
>       I have been known to be sarcastic, and overreact in the past.

So I've noticed :-)

> In this
>case, however, I really don't understand your message. I can't see how
>croquet is important to the brotherhood of humanity, so you must be
>showing sarcasm,

English sarcasm.

> except that I can't see how playing croquet could be
>working AGAINST the brotherhood of humanity either. It seems to be a
>relatively neutral pursuit. Annie Besant certainly had her share of
>faults, but I would not consider playing croquet to be one of them.

Hardly a fault or a virtue; I was subtly [failed] attempting to bring
attention the the fact that the earlier Theosophists, who were
relatively few per head of population, were mostly of the class who
could *afford* to play croquet - very much an "upper-crust" pusuit in
those days, not to mention the time involved. It was these people (such
as the famous Miss Dodge) who poured funds into the TS, fed and clothed
Krishnamurti, bought large amounts of real estate for the Society, etc.
"Humanity" in the shape of the great mass of working people hardly got a
look in.

Oh well.

Alan