Theos-Talk Archives (March 2006 Message tt00636)

Dear Krsanna,

Now I see this followup, and realize it was you and not Steve who 
asked the original question.  (He had written me privately at the 
same time.)  You wrote:
>
> Paul -- Thank you for clarifying your admiration for HPB.  Is it 
> fair to say that HPB lived the first object as a condition of her 
> life and worked ceaselessly to accomplish this among the many 
races, creeds, religions and genders with whom she associated? 
> 
PJ-- No, that is anachronistic IMO.  The First Object came along a 
few years after the TS was founded, and the sole objective of 
the "original" TS-- to collect and diffuse knowledge of the laws of 
the universe (pardon the paraphrase) strikes me as more or less what 
HPB had been living all her life up to that point.  I don't think she 
saw herself so much in terms of a mediator among or reconciler of 
different spiritual traditions (or peoples) until after going to 
India, which occurred around the time of the adoption of the First 
Object.

snip

> viewed.  HPB said that "The Secret Doctrine," was written as a form 
> of jnana yoga for Westerners.  The Bowen Notes:  "As one progresses 
> in Jnana Yoga one finds conceptions arising which though one is 
> conscious of them, one cannot express nor yet formulate into any 
> sort of mental picture. As time goes on these conceptions will form 
> into mental pictures. This is a time to be on guard and refuse to 
be  deluded with the idea that the new found and wonderful picture 
must represent reality. It does not. As one works on one finds the 
once admired picture growing dull and unsatisfying, and finally fading
> out or being thrown away."
> 
PJ-- I always loved that passage, but have heard or read that there 
are objections to the Bowen notes, some case that has been made in 
recent years that they aren't authentic.  Perhaps someone here will 
recall details.
> 
> The main difference between age 20 and age 57 is that I know this 
is the process of growth, that those who become fixed in dull and 
> unsatisfying images are not progressing at a personal level.  At age
> 20 I thought I knew it all, but at age 57 I HOPE I don't know it 
> all.  It would be really disappointing to think that what I know is 
> all there is.  
> 
PJ-- One of the notable features of visiting this yahoo group 
intermittently over the years is seeing which members are saying 
exactly the same things in the same ways, and which ones are not so 
predictable.  I usually have a new set of enthusiasms every time I 
come back, but often find people determined to fight the battles of 
1994-96 (re TMR) over and over daily.

> If this list is not of value to you at this time, then it might be 

PJ-- "At this time" is a very poor benchmark, in light of the 
relentless accusations and insults from Carlos that make Daniel seem 
like a piker.  Interesting in that they emanate from someone who 
feigned interest in friendship but turned into a Theosophical 
cyberstalker who outdoes his apparent role model.  

a good idea for you to leave it.  I do not say this with any rancor, 
> but with an eye for what is best for you at this time. 

PJ-- At this time, a single hostile individual is going off the deep 
end with relentless aggressive posts-- after starting out telling me 
he was going to put an end to "twelve years of persecution" of me 
here by Daniel.  From the looks of things, we could be in for another 
twelve years of this kind of behavior.  Probably it's best for *most* 
individuals to leave the list rather than endure such an atmosphere, 
and I understand why Erica and Pedro have done so.  But what about 
the group itself?  What is best for theos-talk?  Plenty of 
listmembers seem to think that what is best for theos-talk is not to 
let honest, sincere, and well-meaning people be run off the list by 
fanatical bigots who are none of the above.  

> My hope for you is that you grow in the context of jnana yoga that 
> HPB envisioned with "The Secret Doctrine," as expressed in the 
Bowen Notes:  "... The process goes on, until at last the mind and 
its pictures are transcended and the learner enters and dwells in the 
> world of NO FORM, but of which all forms are narrowed reflections."
> 
I hope you hope that for everyone here- and elsewhere.  We can all 
use such wishes.


Thanks,

Paul