Andrew Rooke – Australia
How important is it to strive for Happiness? Everyone has their own ideas of what it is to be happy and most people direct their life-long efforts towards that end. In Australia, our social, economic, cultural, and political institutions are based on the visions of generations of immigrants seeking greater happiness in a new land.
Tim Boyd – India, USA
Tim Boyd, International President of the TS, and his wife Lily on a visit to the National Headquarters of the Australian Section in Surry Hills, Sydney
Before talking about “Spirituality and the Practical World”, it would be good to establish a common vocabulary. Often, we use words assuming they mean the same thing to all of us. Spirituality and the world are not unknown words to us, but it does not hurt if we give them finer definitions.
Tim Wyatt – England
Tim Wyatt relaxing near Lake Maggiore in Switzerland
The 150th anniversary of any organization clearly provides an excellent opportunity not only to appraise its achievements and failures but to identify viable pathways for the future. In order to do that any collective body needs to undertake an honest analysis of its history so that if necessary, it can re-set its priorities.
Ananya Sri Ram – USA
Included in HPB’s Collected Writings, Vol. VIII is a small essay titled “A Heart-Space of Silence.” For those who are not familiar with it, the authorship is uncertain despite it being in HPB’s papers. The essay follows with edits made for grammar and to neutralize gender. It begins:
In the hours of silent meditation, the student will find that there is one space of silence within where they can find refuge from thoughts and desires, from the turmoil of the senses and the delusions of the mind. By sinking one’s consciousness deep into one’s heart we can reach this place—at first only when we are alone in silence and darkness. But when the need for silence has grown great enough, we will turn to seek it even in the midst of the struggle with self, and we will find it. Only we must not let go of our outer self, or body; we must learn to retire into this citadel when the battle grows fierce, but to do so without losing sight of the battle; without allowing oneself to fancy that by so doing we have won the victory. That victory is won only when all is silence without as within the inner citadel.
Barbara Hebert - USA
The challenges we face in our world today seem almost impossible to overcome. We often look to our leaders—religious, political, and spiritual—to make a difference, but it doesn’t happen. Instead of looking outside of ourselves to make change happen, it is time to start looking within. Each of us has the power—as well as the responsibility—to change the world. We cannot wait for others to step up...each one of us needs to take matters into our own hands.