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Re: Theos-World Re: Did Pasadena TS tell lies under the name of Esoteric Instructions ?

Mar 08, 2006 12:17 PM
by Jerry Hejka-Ekins


Dear Anand,

What is your conclusion after studying this subject.

My conclusion is that mistakes were made on both sides and a lot of pain could have been avoided. My other conclusion is that whenever there is money, property and influence, there are always individuals trying to keep control of it and others trying to get control of it. This seems to be universal--no organization is immune to this dynamic.

If you have digital copies, send me or copy those things here.

I'm afraid that Theosophical History is a copyrighted scholarly journal. My position as an associate editor does not give me the liberty to copy and post articles from it on the Internet. I am sure that the Adyar Library receives a subscription to it, and you will be able to go through the articles there. If not, I will try to dig through the back issues and find the articles and make a copy for you. But I will have to work it in between other projects.

One would have to appreciate courage of James Long. It was not easy to boldly tell people that ES did not exist of which he was head. It must have been against popular ideas. Especially people in management generally like to keep holding to power and they could have opposed James Long when he removed that power.

Well, a lot of things can be made of Long's actions. But you must keep in mind just what power the ES represented. What I am saying is that certain individuals (a very small number), who were also in the ES, were responsible for recognizing and affirming the successor. Purucker had given them the necessary training and knowledge so that they would be able to recognize his successor. These individuals did not recognize Conger, Hartley or Long, because none of them gave the required signal. So, one could argue that the elimination of the ES was also the elimination of those who opposed these leaders. In the long run, the consensus has been that the elimination of the ES was a good thing. Emmett Small (who was the ES Secretary and opposed Conger etc.) remarked to me on many occasions that eliminating the ES was a wise move and ought to be eliminated in all Theosophical Organizations. So, in this case, individuals on both sides who were in management ultimately agreed on this point.
Best wishes,
Jerry





Anand Gholap wrote:

Dear Jerry,
Regarding the Purucker-Conger-Hartley-Long
situation, I have in my archives thousands of unpublished documents including letters, minutes of meetings, diary entries etc. concerning this sequence of events. I have also, over the years, personally interviewed many of the people involved concerning it, including Emmett Small, Kirby van Mater, and Judith Tyberg.
What is your conclusion after studying this subject.

If you ever come to the United States, you are welcome to visit us, examine the documents,and come to your own conclusions.

I would like to visit and see the documents and other good work you are doing.


In the mean time, there is in the back issues of Theosophical History an article on Conger by Alan Donant and a reply by Kenneth Small which addresses many of the issues and should give you a feel for the opposing views on this issue.

If you have digital copies, send me or copy those things here.

One would have to appreciate courage of James Long. It was not easy to boldly tell people that ES did not exist of which he was head. It must have been against popular ideas. Especially people in management generally like to keep holding to power and they could have opposed James Long when he removed that power.


AG




Anand Gholap wrote:


Dear Jerry,
Thanks for info. You said you found honest students in all organization. That is true but point I wrote is different. You wrote implying members belong to, are and should be loyal to their organization. Fact is there is no one organization to which serious students belong. Their goal should be to find the truth
from
all sources and organizations. Loyalty should be to truth and it should not be blind supporting of organizations of which a person
is
member.
My question is still not answered. So it is being written again.

Let us analyse facts given in message 30270.
Purucker wrote in ES circular



if within three months after
de Purucker's death or disappearance no-one could give "the
proper



proofs of



spiritual leadership", "then you will know that you have failed".


No such leader or Outer Head of ES emerged, which meant Pasadena
TS

failed, there was no ES after Purucker's death and so there was no
Outer Head of ES in Pasadena TS. Despite these specific
directions,

in 1945, Conger claimed to be the Outer Head of the Esoteric
School

which had ceased to exist. He appointed William Hartley as
successor, cabinet rejected him and appointed James Long as leader
in 1951. James Long closed ES and told that Purucker had already
stopped ES instructions in 1939. Does that mean Pasadena TS told
lies during 1939 to 1951 under the name of Esoteric Instructions ?

AG

--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, Jerry Hejka-Ekins <jjhe@> wrote:



Dear Anand, Friends,

Let's put it this way: in 1895, those who felt lied to, sided
with
either Besant or Judge, depending upon who they believed was

telling the


truth. Accordingly, those who felt lied in in 1945-46, sided
with
either Conger, or with the dissenting Board members, depending

upon who


they believed was telling the truth. In 1951, those who felt
lied


to


sided with either Long or with Hartley, depending upon...well,
you


know....



By 1931 there were dozens of "Theosophical" organizations

populated by


Theosophists who believed that they have been lied to. Who is

going to


cut through the Gordian knot and tell us who are the liars and
who


are


the truth tellers?
I have met the leaders of all these factions and others too.
They


all


strike me as sincere and dedicated people trying to promulgate

Theosophy


to the best of their ability. Isn't that good enough?

Perhaps the Theosophical Movement is better off with its
multitude


of


expressions coming from many organizations. Now, students of

Theosophy


have different schools to compare. They can choose the one (on

ones)


which best meet their temperament.
I submit that the most constructive thing a member of a

Theosophical


organization can do is to keep an eye on their own organization

and make


sure that those in charge are being honest. Let the members of

other


organizations keep watch on their own leaders.

Best
Jerry



Anand Gholap wrote:



Let us analyse facts given in message 30270. Purucker wrote in ES circular




if within three months after
de Purucker's death or disappearance no-one could give "the

proper





proofs of




spiritual leadership", "then you will know that you have

failed".





No such leader or Outer Head of ES emerged, which meant
Pasadena


TS


failed, there was no ES after Purucker's death and so there was

no


Outer Head of ES in Pasadena TS. Despite these specific

directions,


in 1945, Conger claimed to be the Outer Head of the Esoteric

School


which had ceased to exist. He appointed William Hartley as successor, cabinate rejected him and appointed James Long as

leader


in 1951. James Long closed ES and told that Purucker had
already
stopped ES instructions in 1939. Does that mean Pasadena TS
told
lies during 1939 to 1951 under the name of Esoteric
Instructions ?

AG

--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, gregory@ wrote:




In response to Damian's request for information on the Pt


Loma/Pasadena ES I am




sending a summary of a section from a paper I gave at a


Thosophical history




conference in California many years ago. It comes from a study

of





secret




societies and esoteric groups within the Theosophical
movement.


I





hope to




complete the work for publication one day.

Dr Gregory Tillett

De Purucker died suddenly and unexpectedly on September 27,

1942.





He had left




specific instructions regarding his successor: the successor
was



to "emerge"




within three years after de Purucker's death, and would be


recognized by "the




proper proofs of spiritual leadership". During those three

years,





the Society




was to be ruled by a Cabinet. If no Head emerged, then the


Cabinet was to




elect a leader.

No successor emerged, and the Cabinet elected Colonel Conger.

The





ES continued




without an OH. De Purucker had made no provision for a
successor



to be




appointed, but, at ES meetings he had given directions on the


matter, and these




had been published in a confidential ES circular: if within

three





months after




de Purucker's death or disappearance no-one could give "the

proper





proofs of




spiritual leadership", "then you will know that you have

failed".





The ES was




meanwhile administered by a Council.

Conger began to make claims to this position. At a meeting of

the





ES on




December 21, 1945, Conger claimed to be the OH of the ES. The


Cabinet divided




between those who accepted this claim (including John van
Mater



and Grace




Knoche) and those who rejected it (including Henry Edge and

Emmett





Small).




On December 25, ten leading members of the ES (including
Small,



Harrison and




Edge) presented Conger with a statement of protest against his


claim. They




challenged Conger to demonstrate knowledge of an inner degree
of



the ES. Conger




declined to do so.

A controversy developed between Conger and his supporters, and


those who denied




his claims. In March, 1946, Conger demanded the resignation
of



the dissidents.




It seems probable that the majority of members of the ES
within



the Point Loma




Society rejected Conger's claim.

At a meeting on Paris 4, 1946, Conger announced the closure of

the





ES "by the




Master's direction", and declared that esoteric activities
were



now "forbidden




by the Master". However, in October, 1946, a circular was
sent



out announcing




that ES activities were to be resumed, and those wishing to
take



part must sign




and return a pledge, whereupon they would receive de
Purucker's


ES





instructions.




Conger died on February 22, 1951, and left a witnessed
document



appointing




William Hartley as his successor. However, the Cabinet


unanimously refused to




recognize Hartley and James Long was appointed as leader.

Long claimed that de Purucker had stopped giving out teachings


about 1939, and




that there had been no instruction after that year even in the


ES. Long




finally closed the ES, saying, enigmatically, "the esoteric
has



now become




exoteric, and the exoteric esoteric".

Following Long's death on July 19, 1971, he was succeeded by

Grace





Knoche.









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