The Society

ALAS and after - Theosophists, Truth, and the Pathless Land

Details: Published: Saturday, 30 October 2021 07:03

Barbara Hebert – USA

Pathless Land

Krishnamurti told us that “Truth is a pathless land.” Certainly, one could interpret this statement in any number of ways, but it seems clear that one of the primary meanings of Krishnamurti’s statement is that there is not simply one path that leads us to Truth. There are many paths that lead us in this direction.

ALAS and after- The Conditions of True Union

Details: Published: Tuesday, 26 October 2021 14:28

Henry Travers Edge

LUCIFER

[Note from the editor: In the series “Alas and after” an historical and very appropriate article written by H. T. Edge (1867- 1946). He was a personal pupil of Helena P. Blavatsky, a prolific author on Theosophical subjects and he devoted some fifty-eight years of his life to theosophical work. H.T. Edge was a life-long affiliate of the Point Loma-Covina (USA) community]

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Harmony results from the analogy between contraries, says Éliphas Lévi, and all stability is based on antagonism or polarity. A magnet is a magnet only by virtue of its having two opposite poles; without the simultaneous presence of two dissimilar bodies no electricity is generated.

ALAS and after - A question and an answer

Details: Published: Saturday, 16 October 2021 05:47

Robert Pullen – the Netherlands

The Society 213 RP b

Robert at the North Sea

The question:

Can Theosophy make a difference in the coming years in our hopelessly divided (theosophical) world?

The answer:

Most certainly, as long as Theosophists do not cling to slogans like “our Society is the only true theosophical organization with an exclusive and straight connection with the Mahatmas and the Hierarchy of Compassion.”

ALAS and after - Liminality and Theosophy

Details: Published: Tuesday, 12 October 2021 11:35

Ananya Sri Ram Rajan – USA

asr

Ananya in her office

Freedom of thought is imperative within Theosophical settings. Without such ability, the meaning of Theosophy is lost and means nothing. Historically, it is through the process of freedom of thought that Theosophy came into being. The latest collapse of the melding of minds under the banner of International Theosophy Conferences, for some time a remarkable endeavor after years of fragmentation in TS circles, shows how important this declaration is. Freedom, at one level, allows us as seekers to connect to our higher selves, unknown to others, a sacred place to ourselves. At an even higher level, it follows the laws of nature which hold nothing, allowing everything to unfold in its own way. This freedom is liminality or the space in-between.

ALAS and after- International Theosophical Conferences - the Rise and Fall

Details: Published: Sunday, 10 October 2021 11:15

Jacques Mahnich – France

The Society JM 213 b ITC

Jacques in his garden

The initiative carried out by International Theosophical Conferences (ITC) for more than 10 years is a good example of the modes of operation and the difficulties that exist in communities which transmit spiritual teachings.

Driven at the outset by momentum, great enthusiasm and a sincere desire to improve the quality and scope of the message conveyed, this type of movement almost inevitably encounters pitfalls on its path. The history of religious, spiritual, philosophical, political movements is littered with difficulties and failures, and they all have one thing in common: PEOPLE. More precisely, that part of the human we call the personality at this stage of development on this earth, has not yet acquired the maturity to approach the challenges of life with serenity and hindsight. As each failure is also an opportunity to bounce back and rebuild, it is important to understand and properly diagnose the root causes that lead to the difficulties and the inability to resolve them. Lucidity and honesty will be essential, so we do not hide behind pseudo-justifications.