Theos-Talk Archives (October 1997 Message tl00140)

Alan, you are touching on a sensitive and tricky subject here as I
> am sure you are aware of Maslow's famous Hierarchy of Needs. Although
> considered a theory, it does seem to work well with society. If true,
> then only the "upper-crust" will ever pursue theosophy because
> only the upper classes (who have their lower needs already met) will
> ever have time.  Maslow did a lot of research and discovered that
> Peak Experiences and Self-Actualization pursuits such as Theosophy
> will only occur to those in the highest level of his hierarchy of needs
> which is only a few percent of the population. This brings up the 
> infamous question of just how do we go about bringing the "masses" 
> into the theosophical fold?  According to modern psychology, we never 
> will.
> 
I've had some peak experiences and hardly qualify as the upper crust.
Others who have lived at the poverty line have probably even better
experiences - think of monks and nuns.  Do we have drive a
Maserati, live in a mansion with twenty servants and wear tuxes to dinner
to attain self-actualization?  I doubt it.  We'd be having too good of
time to care about anything else but our own fat butts.

My own husband regularly astral projects to escape the pressures of
his job.

As for the masses being brought into the theosophical fold, I predict that
if the organization shows the attitude and service that it does now, not only 
will
it never see a tiny portion of the masses, but TS will slowly sink into the 
sunset.

A. Safron

Keith:  Thanks A. Safron.  I was just about to make the same point.  The 
extremely rich get to be eccentric, the poor get to be crazy outcasts, but the 
teachings are open to all if they take the time to seek, no matter the cost.

I fall in the latter category, as I am poor, but often put such things ahead 
of obligations, but that fall under karma and dharma, doesn't it?  I should 
pay my bills, I have a duty, but I want to explore this because, I MUST!

Namaste
Keith Price