theos-talk.com

[MASTER INDEX] [DATE INDEX] [THREAD INDEX] [SUBJECT INDEX] [AUTHOR INDEX]

[Date Prev] [Date Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next]

Re: Theos-World Re: The 3 societies

May 09, 2005 04:16 PM
by Jerry Hejka-Ekins


Dear Perry,

It's a tangled web isn't it, maybe all we can do is discuss and explore these issues in whatever limited way we can and theos talk may be that vehicle for this point in time.

Yes. Some good seems to come out of theos-talk. Occasionally someone will comment upon how much they have learned from these discussions. I always feel encouraged when I read them. The August network get-togethers in California are also doing a lot to bring Theosophists from the different organizations together. I would like to see more such gatherings in other parts of the country and other parts of the world. Maybe we might be ready for some networking between the various idealogical factions within TSA. Not to argue about doctrinal differences, but to discover what the have in common and what we can do together for the Theosophical Movement. Also, we might, over time, evolve a common rhetoric which we can share.
Maybe the best way you can work within the society is to stay out of the politics as best you can and simply present the theosophical teachings in courses or reading groups...


Yes. We had weekly study groups, meetings and public lectures when I was President of Los Angeles Lodge. But, Krotona was 90 minutes up the highway and they watched us very closely. They also kept the Olcott management informed of our activities. It was rare that what was said of us through the "Theosophical grapevine" ever got back to me. But, strangely, they assumed that I already knew all about what was being said about us. Every now and then, I would run into some Theosophical official who would suddenly begin lecturing me on one thing or another in order to "set me straight." I course I rarely had any idea what they were talking about, and it took me a long time to figure out that they were telling me off for some terrible thing they heard through the "Theosophical grapevine" that I did or said. There were a couple of exceptions though. One piece of gossip that got back to me was that the Krotona Board had decided that Los Angeles Lodge was "too narrow" in what we presented as Theosophy. But, I don't know what they meant by that, since Krotona and Los Angeles Lodge shared the same pool of speakers who spoke on the same subjects at both places. Rather, I later recognized it as a preliminary rhetoric to establish a basis for more direct threats. From these experiences, I learned that one can stay out of politics and still be dogged by them at every step.
Before the above preliminary rhetoric progressed very far, we moved to Central California. Since there were no Theosophical groups in the area, we started our own. However, we were still exhausted from constantly being harassed by Olcott and Krotona, so we decided not to charter a study group. Instead, we would just independently organize meetings and study Theosophy with whoever was interested. We also held our own weekend long Theosophical conferences. Theosophists from all organizations and other interested people from Los Angeles, Oakland and San Francisco would attend. Without having Lodge or study group status, no one could bother us. It was such a simple solution and gave us incredible freedom. We could work with or not work with any Theosophical Organization as we chose. No one to argue with, no annual reports to write and submit.
Eventually, we founded our own organization, which we call "Alexandria West." The name is an allusion to the great city of learning in Ptolemaic Egypt.
Jerry




Perry Coles wrote:

Hi Jerry,
It's a tangled web isn't it, maybe all we can do is discuss and explore these issues in whatever limited way we can and theos talk may be that vehicle for this point in time.

We can only do what we can as an individual I suppose and that may be precious little but at least the issues are discussed openly somewhere.

Maybe the best way you can work within the society is to stay out of the politics as best you can and simply present the theosophical teachings in courses or reading groups...

You wrote:

"I don't follow. Do you mean opinion pages, like those found in
newspapers or news magazine? Editorials are normally the views of the
Editor or the President."

Yes sorry I meant letters to the editor or opinion pages.


Regards

Perry









[Back to Top]


Theosophy World: Dedicated to the Theosophical Philosophy and its Practical Application