Good News

Inside ATA’s Transformative Online Program

This June 2020, Adyar Theosophical Academy (ATA) made a seamless transition from in-person to online classes. Thanks to the hours and hours of preparation by the Teachers who have attended scores of workshops and continue to do so while seeking out and experimenting with resources to make the knowledge transfer enjoyable and enriching despite the absence of physical interaction. Also a special mention of the children of ATA who have taken to this new medium with their innate curiosity and capacity to adapt. 

Unique photos of the inauguration of the Surendra Narayan Archives.

On Saturday 25^th January the so-called ‘soft-opening’ of the Surendra Narayan Archives (formerly the Adyar Archives) took place. The ‘official’ grand-opening will happen during the 145^th International Convention, in January 2021. Both Michiel Haas, who is the Creative Chief Officer of the renovations taking place in Adyar, and International President Tim Boyd and his hard-working team, ought to be congratulated with this significant and historical step forward. Actually, your editor would rather call it a LEAP forward. In any case it is truly a dream come true.

Officer in charge Jaishree Kannan and Tim Boyd

The opening began in the Library Hall with Tim Boyd giving a short talk and lighting a lamp, and Jaishree Kannan, who is the officer in charge of the Archives, accompanied by Jyotsna Narayan chanting. After this officers and invitees proceeded to the well-airconditioned premises of the new Archives for short but solemn ceremony and tea.

THIS EVENT WAS CANCELLED DUE TO COVID19

ADVANCE NOTICE

The 2020 venue, Newbattle Abbey

The European School of Theosophy (EuST) will be held at Newbattle Abbey in Edinburgh, Scotland from 12 to 17 October. Its theme is” The Mystery of Consciousness” and at the moment, the confirmed guest speakers include Edi Bilimoria and P. Krishna.

The full program will be presented in February 2020.

 THIS EVENT WAS CANCELLED DUE TO COVID19

The 39th European Congress

Healing Oneself – Healing the World

The Federation of Theosophical Societies in Europe

The 39th European Congress – August 3–7, 2020

Venue: University of York

Central Hall, University of York

Special guest speaker: Tim Boyd International President of The Theosophical Society-Adyar 

(photo: © George Wester)

Good News from the TOS – India

Seven Ways for Combating Depression - A program in the TOS Bubaneshwar, India is doing to combat depression.

Seven easy-to-follow steps by Prof. Fakir M. Sahoo, Ph.D., Xavier University, Bhubaneswar (member of TS and TOS)

Professor Sahoo receiving flowers after explaining and discussing the Seven Ways, on the left International Vice-President Dr. Deepa Padhi

TOS YOUTH – International Youth Conference 2019

Theme: “Meditation and Human Regeneration.”

Participants in front of Headquarters Building, Adyar

The 3-day International Youth Conference, from 27^th Dec to 29^th Dec, was successfully completed with a total of 35 participants from different parts of India and the world. The main topics covered in the session related to Human Re-generation and Meditation, which were divided into 4 sessions each day. The sessions included a mixture of both theory and practical aspects.

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.