Theosophy Cultural Perspectives

Kenneth Small and Robert Ray -- USA 

Revisiting Visionary Utopia - Katherine Tingley’s Lomaland

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 Kenneth Small and Robert Ray

Introduction - Kenneth Small

A series of serendipitous connections brought me to collaborate with Robert Ray, head of the Special Collections Library at San Diego State University (retired 2021), which resulted in ongoing exhibits centered on the Lomaland Theosophical Community beginning in 2016 through the spring of 2020. I was introduced to Robert Ray by Prof. Rebecca Moore, then chair of the religious studies department at SDSU in 2015.  This opened a period of collaboration and great creative effort on the part of special collections centered on the Lomaland community. The scope of our Lomaland and theosophical archive focused on the historical period from 1897-1942. Our extensive archival resources on the post 1942 Lomaland history, later theosophical resource materials and correspondence, theosophical and perennialism studies etc were viewed as outside the scope of these initial projects and maintained separately. Robert Ray and I decided to keep as a primary focus the culture of the Lomaland community and its creativity, values and internal culture and community/global influence. The Lomaland community’s events and Katherine Tingley’s more detailed, rather complex specific  history, we felt would come in future exhibits, studies and presentations and outside the scope of these initial cultural overview exhibits and presentations.  During the time period of these two exhibits, we hosted lectures by a variety of scholars, including Massimo Introvigne on Lomaland symbolist/visionary artist Reginald Machell; Dwayne Little, PhD, professor emeritus Point Loma Nazarene College on Katherine Tingley and Lomaland; Riain Ross-Hager on Lomaland resident and Welsh poet, Kenneth Morris; Kenneth Small on Raja Yoga Education, Art, Drama and Literature at Lomaland etc. It is our view that this broader understanding of Lomaland’s daily life, cultural and theosophical core values and ideals, sets the necessary stage for future more detailed examinations and presentations.

Perennial Wisdom Resources Library and Archive project

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A message from KENNETH SMALL, he’s also knocking on your door

Dear Friends,

We are seeking support and collaborative partners for our endeavor to establish a Perennial Wisdom Resources Library and Archive. The foundations of 'Perennialism' are rooted in the values of benefit for the common good within the context of the essential unity of the wisdom religions / philosophies as its basis. The manifestation of these perennialism qualities in culture and history are ever present and can be seen in a broad spectrum of transformative cultural events, from the European renaissance, to home rule and independence in modern India, to the influences and ideas that gave birth to the United Nations.  Greater presence  and access to this open spirit of inner inquiry and awakening is essential for our world today.

Japanese Buddhism

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Buddhism, both Theravada and Mahayana, was introduced into Japan in the middle of the 6th century, first from Korea and then from China. Initially, it was transmitted to the ruling class and attracted little attention from the general population, since it competed with the indigenous Shinto religion. When a temple complex was constructed in Nara, the capital at that time, and the central government promulgated the new religion, seeing in it a means for supporting their idea of a centralized nation-state, it began its popular spread. The government instituted a system for controlling the religion by establishing a state-supported monastery (kokobunji) and nunnery (kokobunniji) in every province and financing the construction of the Todai-ji Temple in Nara with its massive bronze image of Buddha seated in meditation. This time is known as the Nara Period (646-794). As Kazuo Kasahara writes, “Buddhism greatly impressed the Japanese with its beautiful rituals, elegantly inscribed sutras, monumental temples and pagodas, and splendid statues” (A History of Japanese Religion, p. 47). It also conveyed to the Japanese a level of culture which they had not previously known. Since six different schools of Buddhism — Hosso, Sanron, Kegon, Jojitsu, Kusha, and Ritsu — were introduced, the Japanese emphasized the “simultaneous study of all six schools,” seeking to understand their inner spirit as well as their outer form. The Hosso school taught the “consciousness only” (Sk. vijñaptimatrata) philosophy started in India by Arya Asanga and Vasubandhu. Sanron was the Japanese form of Pure Land Buddhism. Kegon was based on the Avatasaka (“Flower Garland”) Sutra (Kegon-kyo in Japanese) which taught that separateness is an illusion and all living things can become a Buddha. Jojitsu and Kusha were Theravada forms of Buddhist realism. Ritsu was based on the Theravada Abhidharmako sa.

The Aquarian Foundation

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Introduction by Dr. James Santucci

Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies

California State University

Fullerton, CA 92834-6868

Cults generally possess negative connotations to the general public: consisting of adherents who follow false teachings, who engage in strange practices in its teachings, and who are incapable of pursuing a rational outlook on life. More precise, and less judgmental is the definition in R. Stark and W. S. Bainbridge's A THEORY OF RELIGION: "A cult is a deviant religious organization with novel beliefs and practices."  Although cults came to the attention of the public in the early 1960s, one organization that arose decades earlier was the Aquarian Foundation founded by Edward Arthur Wilson (1878–1938)—better known as Brother XII—a charismatic and brilliant exponent of teachings that reflected and in some ways advanced the Theosophical Movement. 

Historical Photos from the Surendra Narayan Archives (Adyar Archives) – the young Jiddu Krishnamurti

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Jaishree Kannan, Officer in Charge of the Archives, kindly invites you to come in and have a look around ... the photo series is published at the end of the biographical sketch

Jiddu Krishnamurti (May 11, 1895 – February 17, 1986) was an author and lecturer on spiritual and philosophical subjects who had a major impact on Twentieth Century thought. He was "discovered" as a child in India by Charles W. Leadbeater, who prophesied that the then sickly and almost illiterate boy would become a great religious leader. From that point Krishnamurti and his younger brother Nitya were raised and educated by Theosophists at the Theosophical Society based in Adyar, Chennai, India. The Order of the Star in the East was established, to promote the idea that Krishnamurti was going to be the "vehicle" of the "World Teacher" or Maitreya. Eventually Krishnamurti rejected the title, disbanded the organization, but spent the rest of his life speaking around the world to all kind of people about a spiritual life based on awareness, inquiry, and freedom.

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Krishnamurti was often referred to by his friends as "Krishna", "Krishnaji", and "K". His very early writings were published under his "star name," Alcyone.

More glimpses of the history of Young Theosophists

Arni Narendran – India

The  International Theosophical Youth Centre ( ITYC) Adyar

A Rainbow in the Sky

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In the early seventies I was living in an apartment by the sea on Elliots Beach at Adyar in the city of Madras, now known as Chennai. The Beach was famous in my day as a parking Bay for motorized caravans travelling by road from Scandinavia and the hinterland of Europe to Australia via Port Kelang in Malaya.

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A famous landmark at Elliot Beach

These caravan Serais were bartering spots for emerging “New Age” music that was not available in the city.  On the far end of Elliot Beach was a huge sylvan stretch of land within an enclosure, which was the International Headquarters of the Theosophical Society, standing on the southern banks of the Adyar River meeting the Bay of Bengal on the Coramandel coast. For years I would pass by the gates of the Theosophical Society on my way to college downtown, oblivious of its existence until a chance meeting with an Australian writer and music composer, Bro. Peter Glasson.

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Peter Glasson

Dear Peter, who sadly passed away in Brisbane in 2020, opened a new pathway in my life which to this day continues to  illumine my world: the Light of Ancient Wisdom. He introduced me to the fascinating world of Theosophy through a book that he presented to me – The Mahatma Letters to A.P. Sinnett- on 6th November 1974.

Glimpses of the history of Young Theosophists

 

We are all delighted with the founding or, if you wish, the reinitiating of the World Federation of Young Theosophists (WFYT) during an event that recently took place at the International Theosophical Centre in Naarden, the Netherlands. To read about that important event click HERE.

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Young Theosophists at the International Theosophical Centre in Naarden, the Netherlands, June 2022

Over the past many decades Young Theosophists have been ever active, especially during the presidency  of John Coats who in the seventies of the last century went out of his way to make room for the at that time new generation, in order to give them the opportunity to go deeper into Theosophy as workers for Theosophy, thus developing themselves.

Together with Jaishree Kannan in Adyar and Janet Kerschner at Olcott in Wheaton we have tried to shed some light on the rich history of the Young Theosophists. Well this ain’t an easy task for many a reason but this chapter on Theosophical Encyclopedia is a very first attempt. 

This is a big and difficult topic to research, difficult because of inconsistency in the naming of the youth groups. Children and teenagers were always a focus of the TS, certainly back into the 1890s with Lotus Groups and Round Table. The Young Theosophists came into existence at the Vienna Congress in 1923, according to the 1937 Year Book (page 172-173)  and at the 1935 Diamond Jubilee, the World Federation of Young Theosophists was established with Rukmini Devi as President (page 165). The latter was frequently referred to as the "Youth Federation," but it seems to be the same as Young Theosophists. In 1962, John Coats took over from Rukmini.

Our presentation here on Theosophy Forward the e-Magazine is far from complete, but at least it is a start. Any additional information or further assistance is more than welcome.