Theos-Talk Archives (February 1998 Message tl00225)

Following is the text from two letters regarding the New Acropolis
and the T.S. which I have a photocopy of.

In reading the letter, the following picture is painted:

The letters describe a dynamic couple that attracted many young
people to Theosophy as national members of their T.S. Section.
They accepted HPB but not later theosophical writers. Because they
presented themselves as "instructors" or having special knowledge,
and opposed the authority of their National Section, they were
expelled and founded two large and thriving sister organizations,
no longer associated with the T.S.

It would probably take both members of New Acropolis and of the
T.S. at the time to tell us the full story of what happened then.
Meanwhile, we're left wondering ...

Are the New Acropolis and Hastinapura organizations to be
considered as part of the Theosophical Movement, in the same sense
as we include the T.S. Adyar, T.S. Pasadena, ULT, and Temple of
the People? If so, we should learn more about them. If not, then
why? Because they are alleged to have far-right political
connections? Do we know that these connections are true, and
not false charges? And ... are all connections to politics bad?
If so, then we should also reject groups connected to far-left
politics too. (The general rule as I've learned it is that politics
and theosophical groups don't mix, although every individual may
follow his/her own political persuasion.)

What does everyone else think?

-- Eldon

----

[Undated typewritten letter]

To all General Secretaries of the
Theosophical Society in Europe:

In connection with the activities of the 'New Acropolis', the
Executive Committee of the European Federation recommends that
General Secretaries publish in their theosophical magazines and
newsletters to members the following communique:

> A WARNING
>
> The Council of the European Federation of Theosophical Societies
> requests us to draw the attention of all TS members to the
> following:
>
> In spite of certain appearances and allegations, in spite of
> official objects ostensibly similar to those of the Theosophical
> Society and in spite of references to H. P. Blavatsky and the
> late President Sri Ram, the organization known under the name
> 'New Acropolis' and founded by a former member of the
> Theosophical Society in the Argentine is fundamentally distinct
> from our movement.
>
> Careful study of its activities and of the spirit they express
> obliges us to dissociate ourselves formally from that
> organization and to refrain from cooperating in any way with it,
> in order to avoid very awkward confusion arising in people's
> minds.

----

[Attached letter, typewritten with handwritten corrections,
bearing the printed letterhead:]

> THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY
> ADYAR, MADRAS 20
> INDIA
>
> SOCIEDAD THEOSOFICA
> IN ARGENTINA
> SANTIAGO 320 - 2000 ROSARIO
>
> SECTRETARIO GENERAL

----

To the Vice-Chairman of the European Council
Dr. H. Van Der Hecht
166 Rue de la Cambre
B-1200 Brussels
BELGIUM

Dear Dr. Van Der Hecht:

By means of the present letter we are answering your kind of
2-2-82 which reached us just in time we have our vacation time in
the activities; afterwards we received the visit of our

International President Mrs. Radha Burnier. We hope you'll
excuse us of such delay in answering your kind letter.

We send now the required information:

Mr. Livraga joined to the Theosophical Society in Argentine many
years ago, when he was a young student of Theosophy. He got
married with a young student, Ada Albrecht who later founded the
New Acropolis together with him.

Since the beginning he showed indubitable qualities of leader,
attracting many boys and girls. It was obvious that he supported
a very particular point of view of Theosophy very different from
that held in general in those days. His methods for teaching
Theosophy were not the usual in Branches of the Theosophical
Society.

The match Livraga-Albrecht kept their activities for some years,
and we all say clearly how flew up and increased that phenomenon
as a movement inside the major movement of the Theosophical
Society.

Then they began to bring over an increasing number of boys and
girls to the Theosophical Society as "unattached members", it is
to say, not belonging to any Branch. The Sectional authorities
alarmed by that increasing and stronger day by day performance
saw it like a tentative of grabbing the Theosophical Society in
Argentine, this circumstance obliged the authorities of the
Section to make a change in our Statutes in order that those new
members had to belong to some Branch of Buenos Aires city, place
of events and place where those influenced members lived. The
controlled income of new members ceased and Livraga entered upon
a conflictive period in his connection with the Sectional
Authorities; this period was relatively short, it burst out in a
trial against the Society it Argentine promoted by Mr. Livraga
because of hypothetical violations of national laws.

The trial was short, once presented the defense by the Section it
was correctly declared innocent of charges and exonerated.

When the verdict of the Justice was known Mr. Livraga was
expelled from the Theosophical Society in Argentina.

He never was General Secretary of the Argentine Section nor ANY
OTHER.

Here we detail some strokes of his particular dispositions which
were emphasized after his expelling of the Society:

1. Livraga's theosophical devotion was a strong attachment
expressly to H.P.B. with exclusion of the leaders who followed
her.

2. New Acropolis was established as an academy of theosophical
and philosophical studies with definite subject matter and
grades.

3. He and his wife acquired from the beginning a character, a
temper of "instructors" assuming a strong "spiritual authority".

4. There are many evidences about the real nature of that
institution which was internally connected with extremism of the
ultra right and Nazism.

5. Those and many others evidences that we omit show that he was
never suitable to the structure of the Theosophical Society which
never could support such disposition.

Mr. Livraga left this country six or seven years ago to get
established in Spain, he is suspected of leaving the country for
political or pseudo-political reasons and in a hurry.

On the other hand, the match Livraga-Albrecht broke up, separated
and Mrs. Livraga established a movement of similar
characteristics to New Acropolis called Hastinapura, apparently
without extremism or political connotations.

New Acropolis grew over iberoamerican countries, it offers an
interesting attraction for youth because of its teaching plans
and dynamic structures. There are nearly no adults in those two
movements. We repeat that Livraga-Albrecht are both leaders and
posses a very strong magnetic attraction.

They have tried to infiltrate in the Theosophical Society in
several places maybe in order to make use of its structure for
their purposes, maybe to destroy the Theosophical Society,
nevertheless this is a supposition.

Some material from our register books:

> EXPULSION FROM THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF
> Mr. Jorge Angel Livraga
> ACCORDING TO THE LIST OF MEMBERSHIP OF THE ARGENTINE SECTION
> Book No. 6 - No. 3451
>
> NAME: Jorge Angel Livraga
> NATIONALITY: Argentine
> DATE OF BIRTH: 3/9/30
> DATE HE ENTERED THE T.S.: 30/5/50
>
> He entered Dharma Branch, then he went to the Peace and Harmony
> Branch, afterwards he changed to the Lautaro Branch. At last he
> became a "unattached member".
>
> TERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP
>
> A National Congress expelled him from the T.S.
>
> REASON OF THE CANCELLATION
>
> Because he laid a deceitful information against the Theosophical
> Society before the General Attorney for the Province of Santa Fe.
>
> REMARKS
>
> The National Council of the T.S. in Argentina decided to stop
> the entrance of "unattached members" on 6/8/61 until the Rules
> were amended. (See pages 214, 215, 217, 219, and 222 in the
> Records of the National Council for the year 1961.)
>
> As An unattached member Mr. J. A. Livraga organized and
> established a group with the name of the Argentine Theosophical
> Youth Group, that had nothing to do with the T.S. in Argentina
> (without any link in the whole with the real "Argentine
> Theosophical Youth" which was legally led by Mr. Luis Spairani).
> That "private organization" of Mr. Livraga had its meetings on
> Amenabar 863 (Buenos Aries).
>
> Since 1959 until 1962 Mr. Livraga, held constantly attacks
> against the Argentine T.S. and its established authorities. The
> last sentence from the State Attorney was completely favorable to
> the T.S.; because the information he laid against the T.S. was
> lacking of reason Mr. Livraga had to pay all the costs of the
> lawsuit.
>
> World President Mr. Sri Ram was informed about the case and he
> answered to the General Secretary Brother Nazareno Rimini.
>
> To the new Rules of the T.S. which were approved according to
> Decree No. 01355 of 26/11/64 by the Higher Government of Santa
> Fe, it is established that the T.S. in Argentina is not allowed
> to hold "unattached members", except in particular cases.
>
> Of all the components of Mr. Livraga's group, seven left him and
> came in the Fraternity Branch of the T.S.

We are always at your entire disposal. We hope this information
will be useful for you. In opportunity of the visit of our
International President we have give her a copy of this letter.

Kindly receive our warm greetings.

(signed) Pauline de Palmeri, Secretary

(signed) Juan Carlos Palmeri, Secretary General