Blavatsky, Theosophy, Mystical Traditions & More
- M K Ramadoss
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From a recent account of the background to the SD commentaries by HPB, there was obviously foot dragging by the custodian for whatever reason he/she had. I think a great opportunity was missed in using Internet to spur the custodian to move quickly…
On the current topic, here is a footnote from an article by Algeo.
"Jack Brown, “I Visit Professor Einstein,” Ojai Valley News, 28 Sept. 1983, C-7. This article, for a copy of which I am indebted to William Laudahn, is part of the legend that Einst…
I too would be interested to see the response from Adyar Library. It may take some time.
As I recall, when Tillett was researching at Adyar, the Library was very responsive and produced the material so long as the material is specifically identifie…
Michael Gomes Speaks about H P Blavatsky and the Secret Doctrine in a radio interview. There are three parts posted by TS Lodge in Cardiff.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZWtN6AkDXo&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1QIiqi7YMs&feature=r…
Here are some more pictures from 2010 World Congress at Rome:
http://picasaweb.google.com/102457220926978186910/10thWorldCongress2010?authkey=Gv1sRgCIH65vaIr-T4uQE#
Enjoy them.
Now that we have printing on demand, at least in the USA, this is the way to go for publications for which the market is small. Some one needs to look at this option once the current inventory is sold.
Something is wrong with the business model the publisher has adopted. May be for the Dutch, the price is reasonable. On the other hand, if the decision maker who decided on the price had been a theosophist keen on getting the material to as many the…
I hope someone at The Hague is reading the comments here. They need to reduce the price considerably before sales takes off. Too expensive to most of us.
I enjoyed reading your very precise response to classifying Theosophy as a cult. I think, the title of the blog can be revised such as ‘Is theosophy a cult?’ so that the search machines would pick it up and may be bring visitors to this site.
I am…
This site now has 500 members and it is a milestone. It is one of the few sites which public can access without joining it. There is a tendency in traditional theosophical circles, to keep discussions private. Since the major search engines index th…
I missed the shipping costs. So the total cost comes to Euro 78.95 which converts to $100.74.
Surely it is out of reach for most of the middle class theosophists. The person pricing it seems to be really ignorant of the total cost to the buyers. At…
Wikipedia is a source we normally access to find detailed information
about any entity. Now there is an automated encyclopedia at www.cpedia.com. Since it is an automated one, compiling information in Cyberspace, it is likely to be more comprehensi…
Theosophical Order of Service has come up with a very professional on-line newsletter which has a lot of pictures and other information on World Congress. TOS should be congratulated for a nice job done. Here is the link.http://international.theoser…
:) Those were all from my site. For the complete collection see: http://www.moderntheosophy.com/2010/photographs-10th-world-congress-theosophical-society/
This book by Joy Mills, who is well known in theosophical circles, is very welcome. I have not read the book. It is not a cheap paperback . List price is US$39.95 and is out of reach of many interested theosophists (most of whom are not rich), espec…
M K Ramadoss's Photos
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M K Ramadoss's Blog
Michael Gomes on Secret Doctrine in a radio interview
Michael Gomes Speaks about H P Blavatsky and the Secret Doctrine in a radio interview. There are three parts posted by TS Lodge in Cardiff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZWtN6AkDXo&feature=related
… Continue
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZWtN6AkDXo&feature=related
… Continue
Posted on August 25, 2010 at 7:02am —
More pictures from 2010 World Theosophical Congress at Rome
Here are some more pictures from 2010 World Congress at Rome:
Enjoy them.
Posted on August 19, 2010 at 5:59am —
Theosophical Network now has 500 members
This site now has 500 members and it is a milestone. It is one of the few sites which public can access without joining it.
There is a tendency in traditional theosophical circles, to keep discussions private. Since the major search engines index the contents of sites they can access, I am confident that the membership here will steadily grow as more users in Internet become aware of this site. Congrats to the organizers of the site.
There is a tendency in traditional theosophical circles, to keep discussions private. Since the major search engines index the contents of sites they can access, I am confident that the membership here will steadily grow as more users in Internet become aware of this site. Congrats to the organizers of the site.
Posted on August 16, 2010 at 5:55am —
Automated encyclopedia at www.cpedia.com
Wikipedia is a source we normally access to find detailed information
about any entity. Now there is an automated encyclopedia at www.cpedia.com. Since it is an automated one, compiling information in Cyberspace, it is likely to be more comprehensive and uptodate. I ran into a compilation about Theosophical Society. Here is the link.
… Continue
about any entity. Now there is an automated encyclopedia at www.cpedia.com. Since it is an automated one, compiling information in Cyberspace, it is likely to be more comprehensive and uptodate. I ran into a compilation about Theosophical Society. Here is the link.
… Continue
Posted on August 8, 2010 at 8:24am —
More photos and information on World Theosophical Congress in Rome
Theosophical Order of Service has come up with a very professional on-line newsletter which has a lot of pictures and other information on World Congress. TOS should be congratulated for a nice job done. Here is the link.
http://international.theoservice.org/e-news/11/en11-01.html
Enjoy the pictures and information.
http://international.theoservice.org/e-news/11/en11-01.html
Enjoy the pictures and information.
Posted on August 5, 2010 at 7:33pm —
Comment Wall (30 comments)
- At 11:31pm on September 1, 2010,
Navin KUmar said… - The Blavatsky Lodge, Mumbai has more than 120 members. We meet mostly on sundays and fridays. The rituals of Mystic Star, Round Table, Bharat Samaj Puja are performed with fair regularity. Coming October Mrs Radha Burnier is likely to come as the chief guest for the annual gathering of Mumbai Federation.
- At 6:57am on February 9, 2010,
aristid havlicek said… - sorry I'm writing just now .. I was absent..yes its me on the photo. yiu can find me at http://lcc.cc/yr/...
- At 4:53pm on December 10, 2009,
Jackie Rodzinski (Mother Sanity) said…
- Thanks for the welcome. Currently my time has been devoted towards the physical plane, .....pyramid and ponzi scams. I hate to see people being taken advantage of by other people...I look forward to forgetting all of that and hetting back on 'the path'. thanks again, Jackie
- At 6:40pm on December 4, 2009,
roch paré said… - I like all kinds of spiritual endeavours, including ZEN, wich I believe is universal like the THEOSOPHIC movement. I have a big big karma!
RochParé(ULTIMASOL) I AM ALL!!!
- At 12:39pm on December 4, 2009,
kevin james swenson said…
- i need some help if possible. i have had three events in my life where i should by all means have been killed in each of the three instances. however a feminine voice takes complete control of my mind and my reactions and saves my life. it is a beautiful and comforting few seconds that seem to last an hour. what is the societies view on these expieriences. please forgive my ignorance for i have just learned that your beliefs are exactly what i have always considered. it is a beautiful belief and understanding that i am reasearching now. i dont know how to navigate this web site so please respond to kj.swenson@hotmail.com. and thanks for your time
- At 10:23am on November 24, 2009,
samwinphyoe said… - Thanks for your invitation and that's make me warm.I will share my interesting and you can too.Thanks for you mail and i warmly accept your words.
- At 1:06pm on November 7, 2009,
MIGUEL MARTINEZ DE PAZ said…
- Clarifications about Planetary Union and
Theosophical Society
Response to an article of Theo Curans.
Various members of the Theosophical Society.
September, 2009.
On April 2009, an article titled Information concerning the Planetary Union was published in a website called
Theosophy Forward, whose authorship is attributed to Theo Curans, probably a pen name because there is
not any reference to this person on Internet and this is the only document known with this name.
Moreover, the responsibles for Theosophy Forward do not state who they are, they do not have the courage
to sign their own ideas (1). The previously mentioned article has been translated into several languages and
has been widely distributed via email
among the members of the Theosophical Society, sometimes
promoted by the own authorities of the National Sections and Federations. This article tries to clarify the
"confusion" that according
to the authorexists
between the Theosophical Society and the Planetary Union
(PU).
We, the undersigned of the present letter, are members of the Theosophical Society of different National
Sections who have the obligation to publish this reply to the Theo Curans' article because it makes
assertions and accusations which are not true, and contrary to the proclaimed intention of the article, cause
a false image of the institutions and people mentioned in it. Finally, the article tends to confuse and give
biased viewpoints, not based upon facts. When Theo Curans' article was published for first time in April, we
were cautious enough to not answer that publication, to allow the facts to answer on their own, because it is
an article without true authentic foundations. But as its wide distribution was insisted several times without
varying its content, we think that it is our duty to clarify some ideas.
The Theosophical Society members are free people to realize our ideas into action and we do not need
enlightened beings who write anonymously as leaders of our behaviour.
The Planetary Union (Uniâo Planetaria) is a nongovernmental
organization (NGO) created in Brazil by
several members of the Theosophical Society, leaded by Ulisses Riedel Resende, in order to spread the
main ideas about human elevation (UP), awareness of the wholeness of life, and the practice of healthier,
more responsible and supportive ways of life. The aims and declaration of principles of PU can be read in its
website: http://www.uniaoplanetaria.org.br
It is true that PU is not the TS, because it was conceived and is run by members of the TS as a separate
organization to have more facilities to spread the theosophical message through current mass media, to
which the Theosophical Society has difficult access. It is remarkable that PU has no members but simply
supporters who can contribute financially through donations, according to its website. They do not hold
special meetings nor do they have a specific ideology other than the message to broadcast because they
have not got their own books or teachings. The list of institutions that collaborate among which are the
Theosophical Society in Brazil and the Theosophical Institute of Brasilia are of a universal character and
related to the purposes of PU. Its activity is the spreading of theosophical ideals, of the Theosophical Society
and the likes, mainly through the TV channel “TV Supren” that PU operates by broadcasting directly by
satellite, through cable and on the Internet ( http://www.tvsupren.com.br ).
The economic model of PU, as far as we know, is based on incomes generated by donations, sponsored by
public entities, and some advertising and selling of audiovisual material of its own production.
Our impression is that, economically, UP shows losses and therefore it requires the input of money from its
closest supporters.
Then, we can see in PU a model of economically independent initiative but ideologically committed with the
theosophical ideals as can be seen in its programming guide, with the particular purpose of the spreading of
Theosophy. Isn´t it then the same model of the Theosophical Publishing Houses?
1
For example, let’s take a look at Quest Books ( http://www.questbooks.net/ ), the Editorial of the TS in the
USA. In its website it is stated at the footnote:
Quest Books publishes nonfiction works to facilitate spiritual growth and healing; to encourage the study of religion, philosophy, and
science; and to promote fellowship among all peoples of the world. In addition to a comprehensive selection of Theosophy titles by
noteworthy authors like H.P. Blavatsky, Annie Besant, C.W. Leadbeater, and others, Quest offers books on a variety of topics
including alternative healing, development of creativity, transpersonal psychology, deep ecology, mythology, comparative religion,
consciousness, spiritual evolution, ancient wisdom, mysticism, esoteric studies, and perennial philosophy.
This website is made possible by generous grants from the Kern Foundation
This page and its contents are copyright ©2007 by the Theosophical Society in America.
Quest Books ® The Theosophical Publishing House
The Theosophical Society in America
International Headquarters, Adyar, India
Isn´t Quest Books' model similar to PU's? The fundamental difference is that Quest Books is devoted to the
spreading of Theosophy by publishing books and PU does it mainly through the production and broadcasting
of audiovisual material via TV and Internet. Only the medium is different. The PU’s initiative does not come
from India nor from the USA, but from Brazil, and perhaps this fact surprises and causes mistrust which is
feeding with this criticism. Wouldn't it be judging PU with a different standard, when accusing PU that many
of its programmes have nothing to do with Theosophy and however accepting Quest Book publishing "non
theosophical" material?
But getting deeper in reasoning, what is theosophical material and what is not? Is it more theosophical
reading a book about rounds and chains or invisible protectors, for example, than teaching a vegetarian
recipe or listening to one of Bach's concerts? The great leaders of the TS such as Sri Ram made it clear that
because of its very nature of Divine Wisdom, Theosophy can’t be defined. If a study doesn’t promote the
transformation of the human being and its environment, if it doesn’t inspire to diminish misery and suffering
in the world, it doesn’t matter who has written it, it isn’t a real theosophical study (2). In the bookshops and
libraries of the Lodges there are many various books of theosophical authors and of others, and there is not
such a discrimination like that is asked to PU. Who are the theosophical authors? Just those who have
belonged to the TS? What about Plotinus and Pythagoras, for example, weren’t they theosophical authors?
And the case of Quest Books is similar to most of the Theosophical Publishing Houses, as can be seen in
the following links:
TPH in Philippines: http://www.theosophy.ph/publications.html
Editions Adyar in France: http://www.editionsadyar.com
Editora Teosófica in Brazil: http://www.editorateosofica.com.br/et/index.asp
Editorial Teosófica in Spain: http://www.tinet.org/~jgar/
We are not criticizing Theosophical Publishing Houses, we are just showing that they do the same kind of
work that PU does but by using other means. Are we then applying the same standards when judging
Theosophical Publishing Houses and PU?
According to Theo Curans, in parts 6 and 7 of his article, should the hired personnel and collaborators of
Quest Books or TPHs refrain from going the TS and mingle with its members and even talk to them? And
according to section 8, should we sell books from the Theosophical Publishing Houses or from any other
publisher in the Lodges premises? As you can see, it’s an absurd to apply the dead letter to the TS principle
of independence. Its spirit tries to keep the TS autonomous and not be used by other organizations and
ideologies that attempt to leverage its infrastructure and contacts, but we do not believe that in the General
Council´s aims there was the intention of hindering the work of enthusiastic collaborators who have found the
opportunity of employing new technologies for this work. We truly believe that PU doesn’t want to use the TS
to become wellknown
by the world as
Theo Curans saysbut,
on the contrary, to allow the message of the
TS be known in the world.
2
When some of the members of a family have an initiative and decide to put it into motion through founding a
company, generally they set up a Limited Liability Company so they do not to transfer risks and
responsibilities to the family heritage. Isn’t the PU´s initiative something similar? What is wrong in that? We
are glad that the message of Theosophy can be spread through such a wide mass media as Katinka
Hesselink says in her blog: http://theosophicalsociety.wordpress.com/2009/04/18/theosophicalpromotionandtheosophicalwork/
.
The TS General Council statement on the PU (3), held in December 2008 in Adyar, is clear and it is
interpreted as a support because it is what it says, whether Theo Curans likes or not, who tries to minimize it
in his/her 5th section. It is a matter of pure grammatical analysis.
The fourth section of Theo Curans is worth to be analyzed. It says that “the TS is a vehicle for Theosophy”.
So far so good, but…is it the only one? And before the foundation of the TS, there were not vehicles?
Should we not earn the members of the TS with our honest, unselfish and intelligent work the right to make
the institution a vehicle of Theosophy? Let´s get down from the pedestal, we are students of Theosophy,
aspirants to understand the Ancient Wisdom, but it doesn’t seem that we should arrogate the possession of
Theosophy as a gift that we lavish to people who approaches to us.
The final observations of Theo Curans article are riddled with statements which are not based on facts.
How can it be stated that “many of the programmes have nothing to do with Theosophy”?
As Ulisses Resende reports, in TV Supren programming there are about 17 hours a day (14 hours in
Portuguese, 2 in Spanish and 1 in English), devoted to programmes produced by the Theosophical Society,
some of them recorded by the TS in Brazil and by the Theosophic Institute in Brazilia, others yielded by the
TS in the USA for its spreading, and others made by theosophists in TV Supren studies. Just like that, for
example, the programme "En busca del autoconocimiento" (“In search of the self knowledge”) consists of
lectures recorded in the headquarters of the TS in Brazilia.
The remaining seven hours of the programming are devoted to varied programmes with theosophical
contents such as meditation, Yoga, TaiChiChuan,
“Amongst friends”, “ Chatting with the world”,
documentary films, arts, ecology, vegetarianism, ethics and sustainability of the Earth, interviews, and other
themes. TV Supren programming can be seen in their website:
http://www.tvsupren.com.br/GradeHorarios.aspx . Do not have anything to do these topics with Theosophy?
The article also says that "In Brazil TS membership has not increased, but rather decreased. Nor do the
programs seem to have deepened an understanding of Theosophy". How does Theo Curans, or who hides
behind that name, knows about it? Does he have any method to measure the understanding got by the
audience of TV Supren? The rate of new members in the TS is decreasing all over the world, that is why this
indicator does not give us any clues. The data refute the article vague and biased opinions.
Finally, the author attacks the Theosophy LusoHispanic
Meeting, at that time under preparation and which
was celebrated in Brazilia on July 14th to 19th, 2009. We do not find justifiable the claims that do not
conform to facts.
Firstly, the article refers to the visit made by a member of the Spanish Section of the TS, María del Carmen
César to Latin America. The author claims that the purpose of that tour was the promotion of TV Supren
when in fact, the programme was developed according to the necessity of promoting the interest in the LusoHispanic
Meeting, as people who has attended it can state (4).
We find in the article another unjustified disqualification when placed in quotation marks theosophical
character of LusoHispanic
Meeting. This does not correspond with the facts. The invitation to the Meeting
has been done by the Brazilian Section of the TS and 220 members and sympathizers participated in it. The
topics revolved around "Theosophy in the 21st Century" so there is no doubt about the theosophical
character of the event. Moreover, there were two more invitations to other events, to “Young Theosophits”
and the “International School of Theosophy”. On the one hand, it is true that there were hurries on having
3
anticipated the programme draft, but people were warned that it was an advance and it was later corrected
(5). On the other hand, the testimony of assistants (6) and the content of the joint declaration issued by the
attendees with the name of “Letter of Brazilia” can prove the event spirit.
The best thing of all this is that it is not necessary to believe in opinions that are in favour or against it.
Thanks to technology, anyone can watch TV Supren online ( http://www.tvsupren.com.br ), to see its
programmes, visit the Planetary Union website ( http://www.uniaoplanetaroa.com.br ), to judge for
themselves and draw their own conclusions. We will not waste our time answering each of the missives
published by the people who are behind these attacks. This one will be our only communication. We have a
more important mission to which we devote ourselves: to understand and to spread Theosophy and improve
the world.
NOTES
(1) The persons in charge of Theosophy Forward do not say in their website who they are, contrary to what
is usual. The website manager uses the pseudonym “ST Adelante”, and when some people asked for the
identity of the responsible of the website, the answer was: “It is not necessary to know the people who are in
charge”. On the other hand, they know that some authority in the TS has said that “it was forbidden to
mention who is behind Theosophy Forward”.
(2) In the book “Letters from KH to C. W. Leadbeater”, C. Jinarajadasa says:
"A very noteworthy fact is that, though the Theosophical Society was originated by the Masters, and is their
messenger to the world, and they have guided it in its chequered career, there is no mention of the word
Theosophy in the Constitution of the Society which regulates the work of its constituent parts, the National
Societies or "Sections." There is no official definition of what is Theosophy. Therefore every member of the
Society can claim the right, under the Constitution, to declare what Theosophy is, or what it is not. For the
work of the Society is not primarily to proclaim a cutanddried
philosophy, but to establish a Universal
Brotherhood."
(3) Minutes of the meeting of the General Council of the Theosophical Society held in Adyar, December
2008.
"Planetary Union, an organization created by members of the Brazilian Section, which broadcasts
theosophical lectures to 66 cities in Brazil by cable TV, to all Central and South America by satellite, and
globally on the Internet, was explained in detail. The organization is a nonprofit
entity and managed
independently of the TS so as to place no financial burden or risk on the assets of the TS in Brazil. The
directors are all TS members who receive no remuneration. The President noted that this is a new idea and
each Section needed to be free to develop its own way of promoting Theosophy."
(4) As examples of these testimonials, Silvia Liliana Pastore, President of the TS in Argentina says:
"The sister Carmen César visited Argentina, gave public lectures in Buenos Aires and San Rafael. She also
held meetings just with members of the TS, emphasizing the essential work of the TS. She never talked as
representative of the PU or TV Supren. She invited the members to participate in the LusoHispanic
Meeting
in the name of the TS Brazil and of his president Marcos Borges Ressende".
And Julia Ballesteros, President of the TS in Colombia says: "I testify that the brothers María del Carmen
César, Ulisses y Wanda Resende came to Bogotá and Medellín in January 2009 and they specifically
devoted themselves to promote the TS and the LusoHispanic
Meeting. Thanks to those visits in which they
gave public conferences, interviews in Universities and talks to the members, the interest in knowing about
the TS and belonging to it grew. I also state that they generously spend their time and money for this trip and
that the TS did not have to spend any money during their visit."
(5) In this regard, Maria del Carmen César clarifies:
"Together with the agenda of the event, a letter of invitation was sent to each member dated April 27th, in
which there was this footnote: 'EXPLANATORY NOTE: MEETING AGENDA: In this regard we want to
4
inform you that previously we have sent a draft in advance of the programme. We want to make clear that
this DRAFT was sent by requests of some General Secretaries because they wanted to begin studying the
themes to be discussed, and they also wanted to know how the works would be distributed (we make clear
that several countries have taken part directly, in different ways, in the preparation of the agenda). We also
want to clarify that the relevant invitations were sent at the appropriate time to both Presidents of the
European and American Federations at the same time as this ADVANCE of programme, to allow them to
check their inclusion in the agenda. So far, we have just received the answer of Sister Kind (by a phone call
made by our organization a few days), who replied that she would not be able to attend because she would
be travelling with her husband that same date. With regard to Mrs. Kim Dieu, we still have not received any
answer'."
(6) On the Brasilia meeting, Silvia Liliana Pastore reports:
"To the LusoHispanic
Meeting traveled from Argentina 17 atendees (8 young), who participated in activities,
panels and workshops, fully connected with Theosophy and the TS. The atmosphere of brotherhood and
excitement experienced during the meeting showed the quality of spiritual energy that only circulates in
gatherings engaged with the Service to Mankind."
On the other hand, Miguel Martínez de Paz, Madrid, member of the Spanish TS says:
"Meeting of Theosophy LusoHispanic
held at the Theosophical Institute in Brasilia last July, we went 11
Spanish and were internally motivated by the profound spiritual experience that took place there, being
strengthened and will theosophical spirit given to extend that spirit in a global environment, confused and in
crisis. "
“Eleven Spanish people attended the LusoHispanic
Meeting celebrated in the Theosophical Institute of
Brazilia, last July, and we were internally motivated by the deep spiritual experience that took place there,
begin strengthened the theosophical spirit and with the will commited to extend that spirit in a global
environment, confused and in crisis.”
Signed by the following TS members:
Adela
Bonomini Francovich (Madrid, Spain)
Ana María Cáceres (Paraguay)
Ana María Oncina Cordón (Lanzarote, Spain)
Antonio Castillo (Asunción, Paraguay)
Antonio Martínez Segura (Bogotá, Colombia)
Carlos Pérez Menéndez (Madrid, Spain)
Edith Padilla Johnson de Pomar (Lima, Perú)
Elena Ortiz (Montevideo, Uruguay)
Erica L. Georgiades (Athens, Greece)
Julia Ballesteros de Martínez (President, TS in Colombia)
Julio Gerardo Pomar (Presidential Agent, ST in Peru)
Lissette Arroyo Jiménez (President, TS in Mexico)
Marcos Resende (President, TS in Brazil)
María del Carmen César Galante (Madrid, Spain)
Miguel Martínez de Paz (Madrid, Spain)
Mónica Pastore (Rosario, Argentina)
Norberto Cicirelli (Rosario, Argentina)
Ricardo Lindemann (Brazilia, Brazil)
Silvia Liliana Pastore (President, TS in Argentina)
- At 10:00pm on November 6, 2009,
roman tony said… - Thanks for the welcome,i will not post alot cause my englisch is not so good.But i will read alot and try to understead it
- At 2:37am on November 5, 2009,
marlun jones said…
- hi
im an old sol witch with strong interest in science & the escoteric
hop hear from you
marlun
- At 1:02am on September 17, 2009,
NIKOS FOKAS said… - thanks for the welcome comment,i just need some time to adapt,and i will soon share my thoughts...be well
+n-
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