Good News

Julian, breathtaking surroundings

Update on Julian International Theosophy Conference - August 11 – 14

As officers of ITC we have “good news” to share with you. The international flavor of our conference increases. We are delighted that more than 20 Theosophists from Holland have already registered for the conference.  In total, we have over 70 people registered at this time. 

We have a wonderful roster of speakers. We will start with speakers from four different Theosophical traditions to highlight our unity at the beginning of the conference. This includes Myrra Lee from ULT, Tim Boyd from TS in A, Herman Vermeulen from TS Point Loma, and two representing Independent Theosophists, Joe Fulton and Jerry Hejka-Ekins. The next morning we highlight Theosophical publications from around the world. The rest of the program will focus on our theme, “The Heart of Wisdom: A Confluence of Science and Spirituality.”  We will have presentations by well-known Theosophists, as well as some new voices.

African Art

Mr. Navin Shah, the General Secretary of The Theosophical Society in East & Central Africa writes the following:
Greetings to you from Nairobi and East & Central Africa.
We are pleased to inform you that 45th Convention of the East & Central African Section of the Theosophical Society and 3rd Conference of the Pan African Theosophical Federation (PATF) will be held at Kitwe, Zambia over the Easter weekend – Friday 22nd April 2011 to Sunday 24th April 2011.

Mary Anderson (r) and Terezinha Kind (l)Terezinha lectured in Africa in 2000, Mary will travel and lecture there next April and May

The Guest Speaker is Mary Anderson, former International Secretary and Vice President.  The Theme of the Convention is: ‘Oneness as a Natural Law’.  Mary Anderson’s tour will cover visits to all our lodges in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, in addition to the Convention in Zambia – from 8th April to 9th May 2011.
For additional information please contact:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Theosophical Society in Ukraine has the pleasure to announce the H. P. Blavatsky Anniversary Forum, to be held from June 23 till 26, 2011 in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine.

Dnipropetrovsk SKY LINE

You are cordially invited to participate in the Forum that commemorates the 180th birth anniversary of Helena Blavatsky and the 120th year since her leave.

HPB, as a young woman

The year of 2011 is jubilee and commemorative of HPB’s service and her notable contribution still deepening the gem of human wisdom and encouraging spiritual development of humanity.
HPB’s work inspired a new scientific world outlook to arise opening a contemporary stage of the evolution of humanity. This encompassed all spheres of culture – religion, science and arts. She laid the corner stone of a new way of human relationships – the Universal Brotherhood.
Please contact the organizers:
Tel.:   +38 044 287 20 71; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Svitlana Gavrylenko  
Tel.:   +38 0562 463 239;  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Tatyana Golovchenko

His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet

We are thrilled to announce that The Theosophical Society in America will be hosting an event with His Holiness The Dalai Lama on July 17 & 18, 2011.

For more information go to:
http://www.theosophical.org/

Joe Fulton

The compilers of Theosophy Forward have recently noticed that excellent things are happening on the Internet. In this issue they want to highlight a site that has developed remarkably. The Theosophical Network has improved its lay out, accessibility and contents. Joe Fulton, one of the enthusiastic persons, actively involved with this site says:

. . . . We are continuing the research on the Stanzas, by David Reigle, Jacques Mahnich and a cast of others.  David Reigle is steadily producing documents for the Sanskrit Text Archives and Nancy Reigle is conducting Sanksrit classes.  Paul Johnson is contributing regular articles on items of historical interest and an entirely new group of scholars, from Alan Kazlev, considered by many to be the leading authority on Max Theon and Marc Demarest, likewise the authority on Emma Hardinge Britten contribute regularly.  Lastly we are embarking on a major effort, which may be considered by some to be heresy within the movement, but we are engaging in efforts to completely redefine theosophies for the 21st century.  The participants are non-theosophists, in the sense that they do not buy into the Adyar/PL/ULT traditions…however, something quite interesting is happening…the results remain to be seen.

Check out for yourself:

http://www.theosophy.net/

INTERNATIONAL THEOSOPHY CONFERENCES, INC.
FOR JULIAN 2011 AUGUST 11, 12, 13, 14

Science and Spirituality

(ITC) INTERNATIONAL THEOSOPHY CONFERENCES IS DEDICATED TO THE PRINCIPLE OF THEOSOPHICAL UNITY.

MANY THEOSOPHICAL TRADITIONS WILL BE PRESENTING AT THE JULIAN CONFERENCE.
For more information click here: http://www.theosconf.org/
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The General Secretary of the Belgium Section, Mr. Jan Jelle Keppler, wishes to share the following with you:

CENTENARY CELEBRATION OF THE BELGIAN THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY

The Centenary Celebration of the Belgian Section of the Theosophical Society will be held at Hotel “De Linde”, adjacent to the manorial domain of Retie, which location is situated not very far to the east of Antwerp, from 3 to 6 June 2011.

Outside Hotel De Linde

Hotel “De Linde”, Kasteelstraat , 67, B 2470 RETIE, Belgium.
Tel.: +32 (0) 14 38 99 80, Fax.: +32 (0) 14 39 02 60
Website : www.de-linde.be
E-mail : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

INTER-AMERICAN CONGRESS OF THEOSOPHY
September 22-25, 2011, San José, Costa Rica.
THEME: LIVING TO SERVE MANKIND

For more information contact: Ana Lorena Howell: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

San José, capital of beautiful Costa Rica

Good News from Israel

Lord Buddha said: Hatred will never cease by hatred; only love can transform hatred—this is an eternal law.

The Theosophical Society in Israel invites everyone to participate in a convention to be held in Neve Shalom village (near Jerusalem) on May 12-14, 2011. The convention theme is “The Spiritual Quest and Interreligious Brotherhood,” and the convention will accommodate speakers, mentors, and religious scholars from Israel and abroad. The focus will be on connecting people and creating bridges between philosophical and spiritual principles of different religions and traditions.

Preliminary plans for the convention include talks on “Many Shades, One Truth,” “Divine Wisdom and Human Brotherhood,” “Theosophy and the Comparative Study of World Religions,” “The Thirst for God in the Book of Psalms,” “The Way to the Beloved in the Sufi Tradition,” “The Mystical Experience in Christianity,” and “Making the Buds of Compassion Blossom.” Panels will be devoted to religious leaders discovering points of contact between their religions and sowing seeds of Brotherhood in community service.

Other subjects to be addressed include “Can we contain the anger and fear in ourselves and others?” “How can we transform anger to forgiveness?” and “How long shall we let fear separate us?” Other activities will be singing in prayer and praying in songs, circles of interreligious spontaneous prayer, circles of motion and meditation in nature, and other music and singing events.

For details concerning accommodation and tours contact us by email at

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

GOOD NEWS FROM SLOVENIA
CHAIRMAN OF THE EUROPEAN FEDERATION (EFTS) VISITS SLOVENIA

From October 31st till November 7th 2010, the EFTS Chairman, Ms. Tran-Thi-Kim-Dieu, visited Slovenia. Ms Dieu’s visit was organized jointly by the EFTS and the private Institute Rman in Koper.

The event was initiated with a meeting of TS members with the aim of stimulating cooperation between Theosophical workers, after which the guest lectured on the theme: “Steps of Spiritual Realization”. This was followed by a series of public lectures at the three main Universities in Slovenia - Ljubljana, Koper and Maribor – at the public library in Ljubljana and at the Creative Center Abram in Pedrovo, a private artistic center in Primorska region.

The lecture at the Faculty for Humanities of the University of Primorska

The TOS is happy to announce the free distribution of a 40-page booklet, Helping the Dying, by Nelda Samarel.  Dying often requires assistance, not only for those in transition but also for their families and loved ones.  This Guide is intended for those who are helping.  It discusses how to meet the dying person's physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs through all phases of the dying process, offering not only an understanding of the experiences of the dying, but also practical suggestions to assist them through their final transition.  The booklet contains a list of useful resources for further reading, including ones with theosophical perspectives on death and after.

You may order a copy by writing to the TOS in the Philippines at 1 Iba St, Quezon City, 1114 Metro Manila, Philippines or to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .  A donation will be requested to assist with postage if multiple copies are wanted.

The booklet can also be downloaded as an Acrobat PDF file and it is available in an e-Book version for which you will need to install a special (free) program.   Pease follow this link for further instructions.

http://international.theoservice.org/news/201010-helpingthedying.html

Version in Spanish

Maria Rosa Martinez of the TOS in Argentina has kindly translated the booklet into Spanish. Maria Ester Larraza checked the translation. The Spanish edition will be available soon in an electronic form that makes it easier to print out and photocopy. Details will be posted soon on the TOS website.

Participants gather

Here in Stockholm we are enthusiastic about a series of workshops initiated by one of our members.

We started in the spring with Discipleship, partly inspired by Annie Besant. Then followed Self-knowledge. In September we have had Integration, Wholeness and Balance, inspired by Taoism and Ken Wilber. We will continue in November with Esoteric Christianity .”Love your neighbor” comparing with other religions, especially Taoism.

Books without Borders – An Outreach to Swaziland

Unpacking the pickup truck

Our long time friends the Thornes who we had not seen for a few years have a farm in Swaziland. Annine Wycherley a T.S. friend visiting from U.S.A, was keen to see some wild animals in the Kruger Park and Swaziland, so we took her to the game parks. Whilst in Swaziland, we called in to see the Thornes and they told us they had built a School called The Moya Centre.

This centre was built by them because the family was deeply concerned about the plight not only of their workers children, but the local people in the valley of Malkerns who are far away from the cities of Mbabane and Manzini. HIV and Aids have hit the community hard. Children are bringing up children. The Centre has facilities for Nursery School children, Primary School children and High school learners who come in the afternoon to be supervised and to do their homework. Looking in the classrooms we saw no books, which meant that there was a serious gap in their education.

Sponsoring the education of underprivileged girls in Pakistan

As the global war on terrorism continues and governments join hands spending billions of dollars to rid the world of this evil, another war is also taking place, albeit silently and very often unnoticed. It is a war against the ignorance, superstition and tradition that deny millions of women and girls in underdeveloped countries their inalienable rights. While her sisters in the West rose up and demanded equality, the Eastern woman, with some remarkable exceptions, has largely been helpless in changing her circumstances. A mere glance tells us why she continues to be equated with worldly possessions and subjected to social and cultural injustice of all sorts: because of her ignorance. She is subjugated and has no control over her own life because she is uneducated. It must be the ultimate goal of those committed to brotherhood to aid her to gain the knowledge that will empower her.

While the situation for women in urban Pakistan is not as bleak as in rural areas, it is nevertheless a far cry from the privileges that women and girls take for granted in the West. From birth a female child is discriminated against. She is fed only after her brothers have eaten (and therefore is always malnourished); she takes care of her younger siblings and helps with heavy domestic chores while she is still a child. Helping her overburdened and perpetually pregnant mother is her lot. Play and recreation are alien to her world. She has no self-worth and believes that she is inferior to her brothers. She is made to believe that her role in life is to be servile and obedient to the men in her family. First to her father, brothers and other male family members (grandfathers, uncles, male cousins) and after marriage – which often takes place when she has barely stepped out of her childhood – to another set of males (husband, father-in-law, etc.).

Introduction by Jan Nicolaas Kind

In 2007 I was fortunate enough to be present on the wonderful grounds of the International Theosophical Centre (ITC) in Naarden Holland, to participate in the Dutch Summer School. It was during a morning session in the Besant Hall, when I witnessed one of the most amazing presentations I have seen so far. That particular morning in July, Ali Ritsema, former General Secretary of the Dutch Section, gave an introduction to the Stanzas of Dzyan, I will not lightly forget. 

What made Ali’s introduction so dynamic and unique, was her PowerPoint presentation with impressive images to accompany the rather difficult to understand and mysterious texts of the Stanza’s. Believe it or not, but by looking at those images, in combination with Ali’s presentation, H. P. B.’s  ”puddingbags” and ”jelly-like” creatures of the first race came to life.

Drinking Water for All

A Project of TOS, Chennai

It was a small gathering behind Kashi Vilas [Earlier Pranavalaya] & in front of Vasantalaya, on the TS Adyar Estate on Friday, June 4, 2010.  Tea & refreshments were served at 5 p.m. before the inaugural. Following the Universal Invocation, Ms.K.Jaishree sang a verse from a classical composition. The International President, Mrs.Radha Burnier cut the blue ribbon inaugurating the Reverse Osmosis plant that is capable of producing as much as 500 liters of pure drinking water per hour.  Mr. C.V.K.Maithreya offered her the first glass of water and dedicated the plant to The Theosophical Society and all its allied organisations, including the Social Welfare Centre.  Mrs. Radha Burnier spoke a few words about her childhood in Vasantalaya where she would watch the workers drawing water from the well along with other youngsters.  She remarked that the quality of water was very good in those days. Other residents also sampled the water, as the function came to a close.  The plant has been operating successfully ever since.

The link for the photographs with titles…

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=proconserv&target=ALBUM&id=5483692430450346545&authkey=Gv1sRgCI-SmIqX1-eiAw&invite=CODQyIMC&feat=email