The Society

Next year in Jerusalem* - Next year in Adyar … ?

Details: Published: Tuesday, 28 September 2021 17:20

Introduction – Jan Nicolaas Kind

In the middle of the at times tiring Zoom Boom with its overload of events from which it is hard if not impossible to make a choice, and with no prospect for many to travel all the way to India, it is good to remind ourselves what it is like to actually BE in Adyar during an International Convention. Let’s hope that before too long we can actually pack our bags again and make that effort by going there, meeting up with all our fellow seekers in the flesh.

So, for this upcoming International Convention we ‘ll do it the Zoom way, there is no other option, but let’s focus on the year after, who knows, we all might gather together in beautiful Adyar.

In order to get the taste of it again, a truly amazing write up by Jonathan Colbert, a student of the United Lodge of Theosophists in California, who attended the 142^nd International Convention in Adyar and who was also one of speakers on that occasion. (reprint TF April11, 2018)

*Jews of all backgrounds are familiar with the phrase “le-shanah ha-ba’ah bi-Yerushalayim,” “Next Year in Jerusalem.” It makes two appearances annually in Jewish liturgy: at the conclusion of the Passover Seder and at the conclusion of the Ne’ilah service of Yom Kippur.

IMPRESSIONS OF ADYAR, THE 142^nd CONVENTION

Jonathan Colbert – USA

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Jonathan Colbert on the Adyar podium

The sense of wonder… signifies that the world is profounder, more all-embracing and mysterious than the logic of everyday reason had taught us to believe.

Quote by Josef Pieper [German Catholic philosopher and an important figure in the resurgence of interest in the thought of Thomas Aquinas in early-to-mid 20th-century philosophy.]

Like Shangri-la beneath the summer moon,

I will return again…

Let me take you there,

Come on, oh let me take you there

[Text by Robert Plant [English singer, songwriter, and musician, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band Led Zeppelin.]

A variety of ….. APPLES!

Details: Published: Wednesday, 18 August 2021 12:40

Jan Nicolaas Kind - Brazil

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From ALAS

Those who swear that true Theosophy, or Truth in that respect, is only to be acquired through reading core literature should very carefully rethink the word CORE.

Look at the core of an apple for example, what is to be found there, and in the core of many other fruits? Yes, seeds, and what happens when those seeds are planted elsewhere? Yes, in case of the apple core, ultimately other apple trees will appear.

International Theosophy Conferences … ALAS …

Details: Published: Saturday, 31 July 2021 14:18

Jan Nicolaas Kind - Brazil

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: The article below was completed and ready for publication some time before the recent ITC Zoom gathering held from July 28 until August 1, 2021. It was decided to publish it after August 1, in order to eliminate a false notion, that the author ‘s goal was to jeopardize this conference. Postponing publication made it also possible to add one more YouTube link to the epilogue, leading to the recorded version of the "opening talk" by the leader of the TSPL.

A look at the Declarations and Purposes of International Theosophy Conferences, its development, its activities and what went wrong.

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G. de Purucker (1938)

In striving to retain the purity of the teachings of our blessed God-Wisdom, let us never drop into the dogmatic attitude, which will spell the death of free conscience, free thought, free speech, sane and legitimate freedom of all kinds, in the T. S.

G. de Purucker, The Theosophical Forum– January 1940

INTRODUCTION - a modest start and after

At the outset, International Theosophy Conferences (ITC), a highly ambitious initiative, was meant to represent and bring together unprejudiced seekers from various Theosophical streams. Its main objective was for participants to learn from each other and, more importantly, to break down the barriers that for so many decennia had separated them. As such, the organization, ITC, was not to turn into an instrument for the Masters, occupying itself with introducing Theosophy to the world through the writings or teachings of Helena Blavatsky. For that specific purpose, a number of well-established and respected Theosophical Societies and groups have been in existence for more than a century.

AN OVERVIEW

After around 15 years of rather informal and local get-togethers, primarily in the USA, and under the guidance of ULT student, Wiley Dade. ITC, beginning in 2008, began to grow into a more structured body with well-organized international annual meetings in The Hague, the Netherlands (2010), Julian, California (2011), Olcott, Wheaton Il (2012), and New York (2013) The big leap forward came in 2014 when ITC held its annual meeting at the International Theosophical Centre in Naarden, the Netherlands. This was in fact the 16^th gathering of ITC, since its humble start in the USA. It was especially clear that this gathering in the Netherlands would determine ITC’s further development.

Meetings that followed were held in The Hague (2015), Santa Barbara (2016), Philadelphia (2017), Berlin (2018) and Olcott, Wheaton Il (2019). Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the planned gathering in Brasilia, Brazil had to be cancelled. In its place a Zoom meeting was organized.

Mini-interviews Sara Gencarelli and Tobia Buscaglione

Details: Published: Tuesday, 18 May 2021 06:41

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Sara and Tobia, warmly dressed, Photo taken during the 144th International Convention held in Varanasi - India from 31 December 2019 until 5 January 2020

What are your names, where are you from and how long have you been a member of the TS?

We are Sara Gencarelli (S) and Tobia Buscaglione (T) and we live in the city of Feltre, Italy. We met each other twelve years ago and decided to become members in 2017.