The Society

[Note from the editor: José presented his mini interview in both Spanish and English. Although Theosophy Forward mostly publishes the interviews in English, we gladly also print the Spanish version simultaneously]  

1. What’s your name, where are you from and how long have you been a member of the TS?

¿Cuál es su nombre, de dónde es y cuánto tiempo ha sido miembro de la ST?

Mi nombre es José Leonardo Curihuinca Becerra, nacido en 1951 en el sur de Chile, en una zona donde se radican muchos exponentes de la raza nativa Mapuches. Mi primer apellido corresponde a dicha etnia aborigen y el segundo no. En mi juventud, después de titularme de Ingeniero Agrícola en mi ciudad natal (Temuco), emigré y me radiqué por razones laborales en la ciudad de Santiago -la capital de Chile-, donde me desempeñé en mi profesión; en la actualidad, después de una vida de trabajo, a mis 68 años estoy felizmente en retiro.

En cuanto a mi conocimiento de la ST, ocurrió en Santiago de Chile -en 1980-, donde reconocí o felizmente, me reencontré con la Teosofía, pues desde la primera conferencia pública que escuché, comprendí que eran conceptos y enseñanzas ya conocidas por mí, pues, en mi íntima convicción cuando las escuché por primera vez, las acepté sin reparos, como algo muy natural y que sus conceptos era como piezas de un puzle que encajaban perfectamente en las dudas que tenía acerca de mí vida. En esa íntima convicción, rápidamente solicité mí Ingreso y desde entonces, soy Miembro, desde junio de 1980, siendo en la actualidad el Miembro más antiguo de la ST en mi país, con un poco más de 40 años de membresía.

My name is José Leonardo Curihuinca Becerra. I was born in 1951 in the south of Chile, in an area where many descendents of the native Mapuche live. My first surname corresponds to that ethnic group but the second one does not. In my youth, after graduating as an agricultural angineer in my hometown Temuco, I moved and settled for work-reasons in the city of Santiago, the capital of Chile, where I worked in my profession. Today, after a lifetime of work, at the age of 68, I am happily in retirement.

As for my introduction to the TS, it happened in Santiago de Chile in 1980, where I recognized, and reconnected with Theosophy. From the first public conference I heard, I understood that there were concepts and teachings which were already familiar to me. Well, in my intimate conviction, when I heard them for the first time, I accepted them without hesitation, as something very natural. The concepts were like pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly into the doubts I had about my life. I quickly applied for my membership and since June 1980, I have been a member. Currently I am the the oldest member of the TS in my country, with a over 40 years of membership.

Tim Wyatt – England

The author

In just a few dozen months The Theosophical Society will celebrate its 150^th anniversary, a major milestone for any organisation and especially the TS which has been beset by challenges, obstacles, conflicts and divisions from the very outset.

Two questions immediately spring to mind:

1. What has the TS achieved over the past fifteen decades?
2. Will the TS survive in its present form for another 150 years?

The brief answers to these twin questions are: A great deal. And definitely not.

1. What's your name, where are you from and how long you have been a member of the TS?

My name is Paurnamasi Pattnaik. I am from Bhubaneswar, Odisha which is located in the eastern part of India. I have been associated with the TS since my childhood and formally I became a member starting 2001.

Catalina Isaza Cantor – Colombia, India

Statues of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and Henry Steel Olcott in Adyar's Headquarters building

It is a pleasure and an honor to celebrate Adyar Day in Adyar itself, the international headquarters of the Theosophical Society (TS), and to be able to share some thoughts about the deep imprint that this place generates. Living and working in Adyar (and even visiting the place for a period of time) are not only great pleasures but also opportunities for transformation. Once one becomes a member of the TS, the name Adyar becomes familiar thanks to anecdotes from other members, documentaries, writings, images, and so on. Once we begin to learn more about the place, a deep affection for it is born, as well as a yearning to visit this sanctuary some day.

1. What’s your name, where are you from and how long have you been a member of the TS?

My name is Pranab Misra, I am from Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha, in India and have been a member of Utkal Theosophical Federation since the latter part of 2018.

1. What’s your name, where are you from and how long have you been a member of the TS?

My name is Lipa Rath. I’m from Odisha, I’m a member of Debapi Lodge, Bhubaneswar. But I live in Gurgaon, on the outskirts of New Delhi, India. I have been a member since 2012.

Jan Nicolaas Kind – Brazil

In fact it is so simple, one plus one equals two and not four, the world is round and not flat, while it took around 4,54 billion years to come into being, and not just seven days (sorry, Mr. Vice-President).

1. What’s your name, where are you from and how long have you been a member of the TS?

My name is Catalina Isaza Cantor. I am from Colombia in South-America, got to know the TS in 2003, and eventually became a member in 2006, during the VIII Seminar of the Caribbean Basin held in my country.

1. What’s your name, where are you from and how long have you been a member of the TS?

Hello, greetings. My name is Hilary Lillie. I was born in Athens, Greece and after many years of travelling now live in Devon, England.

1. What’s your name, where are you from and how long have you been a member of the TS?

My name is Gabriel Burgos. I am from Colombia, was born in 1925, and am close to turning 95 years old! In 1958, at the age of 33, I became a member of the TS.

Jan Nicolaas Kind – Brazil

I wear a mask and use it not to protect myself, but to protect others. I am free because now I can read or re-read all those amazing books I hardly touched because I told myself there was no time. For sure, free I am, because I concluded that the pandemic is climate change in a pressure cooker.

Free because I could go inward, in the quiet surroundings of my meditation room and garden, while trying to connect with all the goodness that still surrounds us on this planet. Really free, because instead of going to my favorite vegan restaurant, I now experiment with various delicious recipes myself, didn’t know the dishes would turn out so well.

1.  What’s your name, where are you from and how long have you been a member of the TS?

My name is Enrico Sempi, and I live in Novara, Italy. In 1981 I joined the Italian Theosophical Society, and on 3^rd June 2016 I became an honorary member.