New TOS Director in Spain
The TOS International welcomes its newest TOS Director, Alejandro Bueno, (photo above) from Spain, with open arms and looks forward to working with him and the TOS in Spain with renewed vigor and dedication to the “work.” Here is a letter that Alejandro recently wrote to Nancy Secrest, the TOS International Secretary:
Dear Nancy,
I received your welcoming message, and I thank you for it and for all your good wishes on my new responsibility. My first acquaintance with TOS activity took place two years ago, when Àngels proposed me to translate into Spanish your address to the European Congress, and that first contact awoke in me a deep urge to take a further step in my involvement with the Theosophical teachings, which had already changed my behavior towards my ‘entourage’, following Krishnamurti's answer to an attendant to his talks, when asking him how to contribute to change the world: “Change yourself,” replied Krishnamurti.
That is my aim since I joined the TS in 2013, and after the European Congress in Barcelona, the need to take a step further, trying to do something to help others, emerged strongly from inside, and I shared, on the spot, this new attitude with Àngels. I frequently recall HPB’s words in her The Key to Theosophy, stating that Theosophy without altruism is useless.
This is why, when Àngels proposed me to assume the responsibility of heading the TOS in Spain, to her surprise, I did not hesitate for a single instant. My answer was: to you – Angels (General Secretary TS Spain) – I could say no, but to me, I can't.
Most of my life, I've been extremely self-centered, what, in time, led me into depression more than once. And last time, 15 years ago, I finally realized that its origin was my self-centered attitude, and, following my psychologist’s advice, I started fighting to reverse my attitude like a glove. And there I am.
And additionally, I have a huge debt with life, that threw me into a potentially comfortable material/economic position, which reasons I always questioned to myself, and therefore I have always been very implicated to develop and improve it, without ever allowing myself nor my family, to indulge in it.
Coming now to my challenge to develop TOS activities in Spain, after being, for well over 20 years, CEO of a small US/French technical conglomerate in Madrid, I have solid experience to facilitate communication and coordination among groups from different places and countries, but, as for the contents of TOS activities to be developed in Spain, I am totally a newcomer.
So far, after initial contacts with several branches/loggias or groups, it seems that most common activity carried along regularly in groups are healing rituals/meditations. I am not aware at this moment of any other type of group activity, though I know of several members personally involved in helping others within their own possibilities. I would like to stimulate this more pragmatic type of helping others at the group level, and, to learn from what is being done at other places, Angels is providing me with TOS contacts in other countries – Patrizia in Italy, Esteban in Argentina, Narendra Shah in Kenya, and others to come. Any contact or information you could provide as well, would be most welcome.
We intend, after Angels’ idea, to take advantage of the gathering of members and sympathizers, from different lodges/groups over the country, on the occasion of this year’s Summer School at San Feliu, during last week of August, to make a kind of brain storming to find opportunities for being of service with the inputs and experiences from the different attendants.
Finally, regarding your suggestion of making this communication in English and/or Spanish, I am perfectly at ease doing it in English – starting by apologizing for the countless orthographic and grammatical mistakes that I am incurring, but I wonder whether your idea of making it in Spanish had the rear thought of getting a wider diffusion in Latin America. If this were the case, I would willingly prepare a parallel Spanish version. Hoping to have covered above all your points, I look forward to hearing from you again. My kindest regards and brotherly greetings,
Alejandro Bueno TOS Spain
