Theos-Talk Archives (December 2011 Message tt00090)

Dear Jayananda,

 

Thanks for sharing your interesting thoughts on the relationship of Krishnamurti to Theosophy.  Iâm very interested in that myself. 

 

I have observed a tendency with many Theosophists of the Adyar stream, that they try to harmonize the two.  My position has been to promote a vigorous critique of Krishnamurti from a Theosophical point of view as you can read in my pamphlet â <http://www.alpheus.org/html/articles/krishnamurti/onk.html> Krishnamurti: An Esoteric View of his Teachings.â One could say that I was trying to protect Theosophy from Kâs iconoclasm. 

 

Meanwhile Iâm experimenting with another view: protecting Kâs teachings from Theosophy, because it now looks to me that Theosophy blunts or softens Kâs radicalism, or, as the Germans would say, there is some âVerharmlosungâ going on, that is, Theosophy makes K somewhat harmless.  

 

One helpful tool for both positions is the following comparison between the two:  <http://www.alpheus.org/html/articles/krishnamurti/TSL_Column.htm> Comparison between Theosophy and Krishnamurti

 

Hope this will provoke some further thoughts

 

Govert

 

 

 

From: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com [mailto:theos-talk@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Jayananda Hiranandani
Sent: Wednesday, December 28, 2011 8:22 PM
To: theos-talk; theos-talk@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: theos-talk Jiddu Krishnamurti on Religious Organizations

 

  

Dear MKR and Readers of the Forum:
 
MKR, you cited a very important and relevant matter.
 
I wish to supplement it as follows.
 
During my 25 years in the San Francisco area and the association with the TS, I cam in contact with Dr. John Hamaker.
 
He used to say that theosophy is not static, but theosophists are.
 
I would add two points for amplification.
 
Firstly, I will say that SOME members of the Theosophical Societies (I am using it in the plural to include Adyar and other groups) are static.
 
Secondly, my father used to say that he is a member of the TS, not a theosophist.
 
Based on the foregoing points, there is a four-fold classification. It is:
 
One, there are those who are, and have been theosophists, but not members any TS. This should be apparent from the fact   that theosophy is an ancient philosophy that has been there well before the TS.
 
Two, those who are members of the TS but not theosophists.
 
Three, those who are both members of the TS and theosophists.
 
Four, those who are neither.
 
Krishnamurti has amply worked on the three objects of the TS.
 
In the first object, he in his discussions has said that the problems are, to state roughly, not Indian or Western but human. He also says something like this that this is not the Russian or American earth, but our earth. More examples may be cited. But in short, he transcends the divisions stated in the first object.
 
For the second object, and this has relevance in context of the passage you have quoted, there is the comparative study of religion, philosophy and science.. His observation is that traditional religions have not gone far enough to help.
 
For the third object about about latent powers he has expounded awareness and insight, and may be others.
 
Yours cordially,
Jayananda H. Hiranandani
 

--- On Wed, 12/14/11, MKR <mkr777@Iu3LGTE9t5s1DiBgqhYktRoVSMAsCZst-hV62qC63gYMHvK1vzRNmOFRs3BjwHuk17CYK5NSMjQt.yahoo.invalid <mailto:mkr777%40gmail.com> > wrote:

From: MKR <mkr777@Iu3LGTE9t5s1DiBgqhYktRoVSMAsCZst-hV62qC63gYMHvK1vzRNmOFRs3BjwHuk17CYK5NSMjQt.yahoo.invalid <mailto:mkr777%40gmail.com> >
Subject: theos-talk Jiddu Krishnamurti on Religious Organizations
To: "theos-talk" <Theos-talk@yahoogroups.com <mailto:Theos-talk%40yahoogroups.com> >
Date: Wednesday, December 14, 2011, 6:12 AM

  

Jiddu Krishnamurti is known to be a very keen observer of the world around
him. Frequently, his comments wake us up to see situations as they really
are. Here is a quote, I saw this morning which made my day.

+++

To Climb High One Must Begin Low

Religious organizations become as fixed and as rigid as the thoughts of
those who belong to them. Life is a constant change, a continual becoming,
a ceaseless revolution, and because an organization can never be pliable,
it stands in the way of change; it becomes reactionary to protect itself.
The search for truth is individual, not congregational. To commune with the
real there must be aloneness, not isolation, but freedom from all influence
and opinion. Organizations of thought inevitably become hindrances to
thought.

As you yourself are aware, the greed for power is almost inexhaustible in a
so-called spiritual organization; this greed is covered over by all kinds
of sweet and official-sounding words, but the canker of avariciousness,
pride and antagonism is nourished and shared. From this grow conflict,
intolerance, sectarianism, and other ugly manifestations.

Would it not be wiser to have small informed groups of twenty or
twenty-five persons, without dues or membership, meeting where it is
convenient to discuss gently the approach to reality? To prevent any group
from becoming exclusive, each member could from time to time encourage and
perhaps join another small group; thus, it would be extensive, not narrow
and parochial.

To climb high one must begin low. Out of this small beginning one may help
to create a more sane and happy world.

J. Krishnamurti, The Book of Life

+++

MKR Comments:

Many of us see the above in theosophical organizations as well. In the
early days, there was no money or property or dogma (formal or informal) to
deal with. TS grew by the sweat and blood and original thinking of a few
pioneers and not because of fatcats who were able to write large checks and
meddle with how it should be spent - old adage, he who pays the piper,
calls the tune. Compared to early days, we see an emaciated organization
with dwindling members and tiny groups around the world. Now the emphasis
is money and property and its management and it seems theosophy and its
propagation is secondary. For example, we have not seen a single elected
official visiting San Antonio in the last ten years. San Antonio is the 7th
largest city in the USA. Why? There is no property or money in the bank.

Even in activities on Internet, the situation is pitiful. No active
interactive involvement in cyberspace nor attempts to make electronic
copies of publications available for free download so eager souls can
access them. Mind you, the number of individuals interested in theosophical
subjects is minuscule and TS was started not accumulate money and property,
but to spread theosophy and make theosophical doctrines available to those
starving for it.

MKR

There is no religion higher than Truth.

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