Good News

Introduction

On January 5 2020, the new Chief Knight of the Order of the Round Table in the Netherlands, Heleen van Beusekom, organized the ceremony of planting the first tree in the Garden of Remembrance (GOR) that presently is in a state of renovation. Heleen, creatively included the Universal mantra O Hidden Life by Annie Besant into the ceremony, each of the sentences recited by the Knights of Love, Wisdom and Strength. Round Table, very committed to the ITC, will be involved in the initiation/planting of the other trees of the GOR as well, probably during the next Spring Camp taking place on 4 and 5 April 2020: the youngsters of today might be our future workers. 

The oldest and youngest member of Round Table with the Chief Knight and the first tree in the Garden of Remembrance

Message received from our regular contributor Arni Narendran, Blavatsky Lodge, Mumbai

Sacred Journeys and an amazing benediction

Over the last sixty weeks (!!) the Blavatsky Lodge in Mumbai conducted a series of gatherings which were named “Sacred Journeys.” Held every Tuesday evening, the sessions started with mindful meditation and healing affirmations, followed with readings from the celebrated magnum opus of Paramhansa Yogananda, Autobiography of a Yogi.

CENTENARY OF THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY IN BRAZIL

The Theosophical Society in Brazil, the largest section in South America, commemorated its centennial in November 2019. From November 12 -17, festivities were organized on various locations in Brasilia, with hundreds of people participating.

Ulises Riedel de Resende 

The events began on November 12, with musical performances and the release of the book Theosophy, the Truth of All Ages, with texts and photos, covering the history of one hundred years of the Theosophical Society in Brazil. A lecture was delivered by Ulisses Riedel de Resende, who, as he was born into a Theosophical family, at the age of six (!) joined the Albor Lodge in Santos in São Paulo. Ulysses, a former National President, has been contributing to the Society's work for more than eight decades. Those who know him well consider Ulises Forever Young, since now, at the ripe old age of 86, he is ever active and going strong, writing, lecturing and above all innovating.

European Trip Extraordinaire 

An early and wonderful “black and white” of Jaishree 

Let me introduce myself as Jaishree, a voluntary worker at the Adyar Archives, TS Adyar.

My parents, Dr. Kannan & Mrs. Sarojini Kannan moved to Adyar to work in the Theosophical Society in 1964. My grandparents were primarily responsible for us to be associated with this movement. 

Message received from Vicente Hao Chin

INDO-PACIFIC CONFERENCE OF THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY HELD IN THE PHILIPPINES

Participants

The Theosophical Society held its 14th Indo-Pacific Conference in Manila, Philippines, last Nov. 9-12, 2019, with delegates coming from 10 countries in the Indo-Pacific region: Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, and Sri Lanka. Other visiting delegates came from the United States, France, Finland, and Brazil. The theme of the conference was “Let Your Light Shine.” The Guest of Honor of the conference was the Vice President of the Philippines, Leni Robredo. Another guest was the Mayor Joy Belmonte of Quezon City, the city within Metro Manila where the conference was being held. 

Message received from MICHIEL HAAS

The inauguration of LOTUS HOUSE on Friday, November 1 - 2019

[Note from the editor: the event on November 1 was a so called "soft" opening, the official opening will take place in June 2020 in the presence of International President TIM BOYD.]

Architect Michiel Haas on the right and Arend Heijbroek on the left

How Lotus House took off     

The Chairman of the International Theosophical Centre in Naarden - the Netherlands, Arend Heijbroek, took the initiative to see how we could upgrade Arundale guesthouse, making it more attractive. In 2014 he presented a sketch with a proposal to convert the old building into a fully renovated Arundale guesthouse. Arend wanted to know what I thought of this idea.

Quite fast we both concluded that renovation wasn’t a fitting solution. Although in this proposal each room had its own bathroom, there would be fewer rooms, but the quality of the accommodation remained on a low level.

Lotus House in all its glory, and yes, the weather on Friday November 1 was typical Dutch, beatuiful autumn colors though

[Note from the editor: Although a born optimist, I cannot but think that something went very wrong when I observe the awful and chaotic mess our planet earth is in. Mankind seems to have taken a wrong turn somewhere along the line. We need to go back to the drawing board and work from the bottom up. That`s  why I believe that the ATA initiative, where all is focused on Learning and Growing through Transformative Education, is one of the many admirable projects the Theosophical Society, Adyar, under the leadership of International President Tim Boyd, is currently engaged in. It definitely deserves all our support! – JNK]

Term I of Transformative Education at Adyar Theosophical Academy (ATA) 

Message received from Sonal Murali – Adyar

It was on 24^th June 2019 that ATA commenced its task to realize the vision of ‘Learning and Growing through Transformative Education’. It has been an eventful term for students who have taken to this novel adventure with great verve. The term has seen a plethora of activities and interactive sessions, all experiential in nature.

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.

Silent Retreat with Tran-Thi-Kim Dieu

Participants

The first Italian edition of the “Silent Retreat”, dedicated to meditation, masterfully conducted by Sister Tran-Thi-Kim Dieu - and excellently translated from English by Daniele Urlotti - took place from 27 to 29 September 2019.

About twenty members - coming from Milan, Vicenza, Turin, Mondovì, Aosta, Reggio Emilia and Feltre - participated in the event.

Impressions of ITC 2019 at Olcott in Wheaton

Jonathan Colbert – USA

Participants ITC 2019

In the final summing up session of the ITC Event this summer at Wheaton—Ann, a woman with a wonderful Texas accent, said she, “was impressed that people can express ideas intelligently without hubris, in a heartfelt way, with a thread of justice for all humanity—all willing to sacrifice in order to bring the vision of HPB into being—and that no one here will rest until that vision is accomplished.” I think she summarized the totality of the conference and what the living, Integral Wisdom of Theosophy is.

Centre for Transformative Education 

The Adyar Theosophical Academy (ATA) is being established by The Theosophical Society, Chennai, in its tranquil campus of Besant Gardens. Surrounded by lush green foliage and innumerable trees, including a large banyan tree, the large indoor and outdoor classrooms provide space for creativity and exploration for children.

Front of the building (formerly TPH)renovation work is being done

ATA aims to prepare students for life in all its dimensions, imparting wholesome education in its true sense. Whilst striving for academic excellence, ATA intends to promote an enlightened educational system that will incorporate the art and science of living wisely. ATA strongly believes that it is of central importance for students to learn to embrace their common humanity and their place in the web of life in our increasingly divisive world.

Artist’s impression of the  Academy’s entrance after the work is done 

ATA’s vision is to educate and raise children to become competent, well-balanced, emotionally mature, socially responsible, morally upright, and spiritually sensitive individuals.

International Theosophy Conferences and the Theosophical Society in America

BACK TO BACK - It’s all Theosophy

For registrations click here

The next session of the School will be held in beautiful Greece from 13 – 18 October, 2019.

Theme of this year’s edition is:

REINCARNATION – Science and the Ancient Wisdom Tradition

Sculpture by Matteo Pugliese

Svitlana Gavrylenko – Ukraine

The author

[Talk given during the 143^rd International Convention of the TS – TOS Session]

Dear Brothers and Sisters, it is a great privilege and honor for me to have this opportunity to address you at the TOS Session of the 143rd annual convention.

First, I would like to point out that TOS efforts reflect the Theosophical Society's world-wide spiritual maturity and altruistic devotion, just like selfless devotion and service for the sake of common good is a measure of the spiritual maturity and disciple qualification or efficacy of each individual aspirant, including each of the TS members.

Certainly, we perform our service not only as a part of ТОS activities, and this, by the way, should not be ignored. For example, currently, in our country, Ukraine, the voluntary movement associated with the long military and humanitarian crisis has widely spread. However, there is a tendency not to present such TS voluntary service activities as TOS.

Message (unabridged) received from Arni Narendran.

This year’s Budha Purnima celebrations which falls in the holy month of Vaisakh was celebrated with great veneration and participation of both members and non members of the Blavatsky lodge. The programme started with Universal Prayer in the Green Room of the Blavatsky Lodge which has echoed the wisdom of Theosophy for over ninety years. The evening started with Lighting of Lamps by the Lodge President Sr. Kashmira Khambatta and Vice President Bro Navin Kumar.Sr.Jasmine Cawasji recited the Buddhist Prayer and this was followed by a talk by Brother Arni Narendran on the “Esoteric significance of Buddha Purnima” A fervent appeal to develop a quality of ‘Compassion’, a fundamental trait in Buddhism was made by the speaker.

Message received from Theosophy Forward’s contributor Paulo Baptista

Madeira, The Pearl of the Atlantic 

On White Lotus Day, May 8^th, a lecture on Theosophy was given by Paulo Baptista on the island of Madeira, which is part of Portugal.