Theos-Talk Archives (October 1999 Message tl00138)

> If the internet is not able to change the TS organizations radically in
the
> next time (and I feel time is running out - or can anyone see the
messenger
> of 1975 among us?) -

It certainly has occurred to me that the "messenger" in the last quarter of
this century *IS* the internet.

People - not just Theosophists - seem so intent on trying to find the next
leader, the next teacher, the next savior (or are anxiously awaiting the
return of some previous leader/teacher/savior) that they may be missing the
birth and development of the most remarkable one in the world. The internet
does not spout one sectarian philosophy - hell, it spouts *all* of them -
credible and profound as well as deeply disturbed and twisted - and places
the responsibility for filtering, for discerning the true from the false,
squarely on the shoulders of each individual (as any great "master" does).
Spiritual powers? You can spend three decades learning to do funny stuff in
your energy system that gives you access to people and places at a distance
... but I've got instant messengers running on my desktop that let me
converse in real-time with an economist in Dallas, an artist in Paris, or a
Buddhist in India.

The next century (IMO) is not going to be about *personalities*, but rather
about *process*. And its spiritual leadership will not be a matter of a few
secret people that "know" graciously condescending to enlighten those who
"don't", nor a single figure that all the world acknowledges as some sort of
"master" ... but rather will be in the *environments*, the *forums* where
people of radically different perspectives, sensibilities, value systems and
religious and philosophical beliefs and assumptions rub up against one
another. Fight with each other. Agree with each other. But, more important
than any of that *communicate* - however poorly - with each other. A tiny
group of people sitting in a room at Wheaton listening to some dolt deliver
ponderous "courses" on the deeper meanings of karma is *not* spiritual
growth. This active discussion list - with its phases - and with almost
shockingly different sorts of people on it - *here* some measure of growth
perhaps *can* be found. -JRC