Official Social Network of The Theosophical Society in America
When Winter Refuses to Let Up
Life is inherently cyclical. Mother Nature is inherently cyclical too. The seasons come and go; everything is in a passing state eternally. Spring gives birth to summer, summer to autumn and autumn to winter. When people were wiser, they moved along with these seasons and led their lives attuning themselves to the passing cycles of their lives. Thus we have in the Vedas and the Taoist texts the ideal way of leading our lives. In Spring, when the soul is fresh into birth, one learns of the ways of life and people; in Summer, when the soul has matured a bit, one learns to bear responsibilities for the future, to marry, to have a household, to bring forth fresh life; in Autumn, one begins to give way to the fresh life (one's children) to prepare for their summer; and in Winter, when the soul has been through an entire journey in life and has grown old, feeble and tired, one moves out of activity into contemplation of the divine, of God, and provides guidance for the springs, summers and autumns in one's life.
In Adyar, today, however, the winters are refusing to let up, to let go, to pave and make way for the other seasons to flower and bear fruit; creating thus an unwholesome and unhealthy atmosphere totally against natural law and the cycles of life. This article proposes to look at some of the problems rooted in the unwillingness of older and elderly workers at Adyar to let go of their lust and greed for not only life, but also for position, power and authority.
Having been at Adyar since 1994, I have seen Adyar changing from a green, life- and youth-filled Adyar to the Adyar of 2009, with a drab, dead atmosphere. It is not only the dilapidated buildings, but there is a certain air of sadness or death that permeates the atmosphere in Adyar. The white ants run havoc on buildings and trees, building their anthills wherever it occurs to them to build one. Unoccupied rooms at Leadbeater Chambers – which at one time housed about 7 or 8 workers from around the world throughout the year – has now only Bernice living in it. It is common to find annual visitors complaining about the state of the building and the hike in the rates. And a recent comment from the Superintendent herself indicates the state of affairs. At the end of the February session of the School of the Wisdom, when all the guests had gone, Uma Nilakanta commented that the entire place – not just Chambers – looked and felt so desolate. Most buildings on the Estate are vacant, because there are no workers to fill them. Most departments function with piecemeal staff; some departments have no heads to run them and some people run more than one department.
Looking at the sorry state of affairs at Adyar, one would wonder why in a place that is only 133 years young, and that likes to claim that it is the international headquarters of a worldwide organization, and which had among its membership stalwarts like HPB, HSO and Annie Besant, there is today such a paucity of workers, such a dead, desolate look. The entire place resembles a home for the aged, where those who are too old to go anywhere else have settled in.
And these are the oldies that are permeating the atmosphere of Adyar with their entrenched attitudes to life, to people, to relationships, and perhaps worst of all, to the work of the Society; because even though they are old, they continue to work. The great number of octogenarians is soon going to join the nonagenarians; the septuagenarians will soon make up the octogenarians. And they constitute the majority of the population of Adyar. Being of that physical or chronological age, they are low in energy, high in memory loss, but also stubborn, unwilling to change their gutted ways, preferring to do things the way they were done in days of old. The proverbial generation gap is in large evidence at Adyar today, for the younger workers who worked there in the past will always find when they bring in new and fresh ideas an older person who disapproves of it, and tries to traditionalize these ideas. Thus, Shailendra Agrawal who works as Superintendent of the Garden Department is daily insulted and abused and belittled by Mr Harihara Raghavan, General Manager of the Estate who is about 70 years old, while Shailendra is a little over 40 and the youngest worker on campus today.
Another aged member, Mrs Helen Jamieson, doesn't understand the basics of computers and is dependent on younger workers to help her out with Adyar Newsletter. At one time, before the election results were announced, the President wanted to ease Helen's workload and thought she could share the Newsletter with Preethi, only for Preethi to find that Mrs Jamieson is not open to help. She will not let go of responsibilities because that makes her anxious and insecure. At the Editorial Office, a similar situation exists. Older members are unwilling to learn computer skills, though younger workers are willing to teach these. So they create a web of dependency such that accomplishing work goals is almost always obstacle-filled, because position matters much more to Subha Nilakanta, Sundari Siddhartha, Saraswati Anand than the accomplishment of goals and targets. Old as they are, with failing eyesight, the likelihood of their missing out on errors in text is higher, but being proof readers and copy editors, they will not appreciate a younger worker correcting that error, all because the younger worker works as a typesetter.
As a youngster, were you to try to meet the President with suggestions, she most likely will tell you that there is no need for change because after all, things have been going on like this for 133 years. She refused to let Elvira make a map of the Estate for visitors to have easy access to the different places on the huge estate of Adyar. That was on the pretext of making it difficult for sandalwood thieves to enter the Estate. Who can explain to the President the unreasonableness of such thinking? For the sandalwood thieves have not stopped coming into the Estate; in fact, most of them come at night and are most probably not literate enough to read a map with its different points indicating buildings on the Estate. Yet to date, no map of the Estate exists and most members who come to visit go about asking for one so that they can get from place to place on the campus. But of course, one can suggest nothing to the President if she is not open to those suggestions.
But one will notice that there are those who can suggest even the silliest of things and those get accepted by the President. So what decides whether one's suggestions will be heard or not? One factor is the willingness of the other to play the President's game. Like, for example, Shailendra once suggested getting a golf cart to take aged members from place to place on the campus. According to Shailendra, the President approved of the suggestion. Pedro Oliveira, Keshwar Dastur and Radha Muthiah can almost always get what they want from the President. Uma and Subha Nilakanta can get away with almost anything on campus. But even these are not fixed.
After you have worked with the President for a while, you will have to admit that she is rather whimsical. Today, if she is in a good mood, you can get away with murder. If she is, on the other hand, in a bad mood, even the best you can do will meet with criticism of the worst kind. If she likes you, you are God. If she doesn't like you, you are the Devil incarnate. And once you have entered her bad books – does not matter at all whether due to your fault or not – she will not forgive you easily. In fact, she never forgives. She will constantly remind you – either directly or through her pets – of your past mistakes. She will keep it in the back of her mind every time you meet her face to face. She will also use that information to initiate gossip and an entire coterie of `enemies' around you. And this is a President who will call you immature when you go to her with the sword of honesty and truth. She will call you and shout at you, berate you and denigrate you.
One of the toughest things about Adyar is for one to recognize that in order for everyone to live in peace at Adyar, one has to give a lot of leeway to the President, even though she is older than most of us, we must adjust to her, we must understand her, we must obey her, we must forgive her, we must overlook her flaws; for she will never do any of these with us. She will speak about compassion, but that is what you have to give her; not the other way around. In fact, it is never the other way around. So we have essentially a taking President, not a giving one. The only thing that freely flows out of her is criticism of your ways and anger that you don't speak her language.
But coming back to the topic of seasons and cycles, let us look at what the unwillingness of the President to let go of position, power and authority does to the younger members and workers. Over the years, an abundance of elderly workers on the Estate of Adyar has meant that the younger generations feel a lack of expression in their need to do something for the Cause. And if they do, then they must of a necessity compete. Thus, greedy Helen, Harihara Raghavan, N. Muthuswamy or possessive Radha Burnier have given birth to competitive (though not necessarily competent and efficient) Uma Nilakanta, Subha Nilakanta, Radha Muthiah, Keshwar Dastur and such others. Competitive 55-70 year olds like the ones mentioned here and many others have given birth to competitive Maithreya, Pedro Oliveira, Jaishree, Geetha Jaikumar, and younger still, competitive Sushama, Juliana, Pablo. That is where all this competition being so talked about these days springs from – an entire older generation (the elders of Adyar) unwilling to let go of power, position and authority, unwilling to work in an entirely advisory capacity rather than heading departments that need younger and fresher ideas and energies. Instead of spending time preparing for death, or contemplating their lives thus far, these elderly spend time doing that which the youngsters ought to be doing.
And what does competition have to do with Theosophy, or with Brotherhood? Virtually nothing. In fact, competition is opposed to the ideal of realizing a nucleus of Universal Brotherhood. This is one of the reasons why there is no longer any fresh life in Adyar, because the older ones have not learned to or are unwilling to learn how to let go. So one of the things that I would suggest to readers of this article is to bring in a rule in the Constitution of the TS regarding the maximum age limit at which a person can be working at Adyar and limit it to 75. Anyone above that age ought to work at Adyar solely in an advisory capacity, rather than working as a head of a department. This anyone also includes the President of the TS.
What Adyar and the TS movement worldwide need urgently is fresh ideas, fresh ways of looking at and practising Brotherhood, because the current leadership and her assistants at Adyar are not capable any more of practising the First Object of the TS. We need elders willing to understand, rather than all the time seeking to be understood and obeyed. We need a leader who is rooted in life, has a deep insight and understanding into causes of events or happenings, is empathetic rather than whimsical, someone who is morally strong and can lead and guide those who work with her or below her upwards on the Path.
Preethi
In Adyar, today, however, the winters are refusing to let up, to let go, to pave and make way for the other seasons to flower and bear fruit; creating thus an unwholesome and unhealthy atmosphere totally against natural law and the cycles of life. This article proposes to look at some of the problems rooted in the unwillingness of older and elderly workers at Adyar to let go of their lust and greed for not only life, but also for position, power and authority.
Having been at Adyar since 1994, I have seen Adyar changing from a green, life- and youth-filled Adyar to the Adyar of 2009, with a drab, dead atmosphere. It is not only the dilapidated buildings, but there is a certain air of sadness or death that permeates the atmosphere in Adyar. The white ants run havoc on buildings and trees, building their anthills wherever it occurs to them to build one. Unoccupied rooms at Leadbeater Chambers – which at one time housed about 7 or 8 workers from around the world throughout the year – has now only Bernice living in it. It is common to find annual visitors complaining about the state of the building and the hike in the rates. And a recent comment from the Superintendent herself indicates the state of affairs. At the end of the February session of the School of the Wisdom, when all the guests had gone, Uma Nilakanta commented that the entire place – not just Chambers – looked and felt so desolate. Most buildings on the Estate are vacant, because there are no workers to fill them. Most departments function with piecemeal staff; some departments have no heads to run them and some people run more than one department.
Looking at the sorry state of affairs at Adyar, one would wonder why in a place that is only 133 years young, and that likes to claim that it is the international headquarters of a worldwide organization, and which had among its membership stalwarts like HPB, HSO and Annie Besant, there is today such a paucity of workers, such a dead, desolate look. The entire place resembles a home for the aged, where those who are too old to go anywhere else have settled in.
And these are the oldies that are permeating the atmosphere of Adyar with their entrenched attitudes to life, to people, to relationships, and perhaps worst of all, to the work of the Society; because even though they are old, they continue to work. The great number of octogenarians is soon going to join the nonagenarians; the septuagenarians will soon make up the octogenarians. And they constitute the majority of the population of Adyar. Being of that physical or chronological age, they are low in energy, high in memory loss, but also stubborn, unwilling to change their gutted ways, preferring to do things the way they were done in days of old. The proverbial generation gap is in large evidence at Adyar today, for the younger workers who worked there in the past will always find when they bring in new and fresh ideas an older person who disapproves of it, and tries to traditionalize these ideas. Thus, Shailendra Agrawal who works as Superintendent of the Garden Department is daily insulted and abused and belittled by Mr Harihara Raghavan, General Manager of the Estate who is about 70 years old, while Shailendra is a little over 40 and the youngest worker on campus today.
Another aged member, Mrs Helen Jamieson, doesn't understand the basics of computers and is dependent on younger workers to help her out with Adyar Newsletter. At one time, before the election results were announced, the President wanted to ease Helen's workload and thought she could share the Newsletter with Preethi, only for Preethi to find that Mrs Jamieson is not open to help. She will not let go of responsibilities because that makes her anxious and insecure. At the Editorial Office, a similar situation exists. Older members are unwilling to learn computer skills, though younger workers are willing to teach these. So they create a web of dependency such that accomplishing work goals is almost always obstacle-filled, because position matters much more to Subha Nilakanta, Sundari Siddhartha, Saraswati Anand than the accomplishment of goals and targets. Old as they are, with failing eyesight, the likelihood of their missing out on errors in text is higher, but being proof readers and copy editors, they will not appreciate a younger worker correcting that error, all because the younger worker works as a typesetter.
As a youngster, were you to try to meet the President with suggestions, she most likely will tell you that there is no need for change because after all, things have been going on like this for 133 years. She refused to let Elvira make a map of the Estate for visitors to have easy access to the different places on the huge estate of Adyar. That was on the pretext of making it difficult for sandalwood thieves to enter the Estate. Who can explain to the President the unreasonableness of such thinking? For the sandalwood thieves have not stopped coming into the Estate; in fact, most of them come at night and are most probably not literate enough to read a map with its different points indicating buildings on the Estate. Yet to date, no map of the Estate exists and most members who come to visit go about asking for one so that they can get from place to place on the campus. But of course, one can suggest nothing to the President if she is not open to those suggestions.
But one will notice that there are those who can suggest even the silliest of things and those get accepted by the President. So what decides whether one's suggestions will be heard or not? One factor is the willingness of the other to play the President's game. Like, for example, Shailendra once suggested getting a golf cart to take aged members from place to place on the campus. According to Shailendra, the President approved of the suggestion. Pedro Oliveira, Keshwar Dastur and Radha Muthiah can almost always get what they want from the President. Uma and Subha Nilakanta can get away with almost anything on campus. But even these are not fixed.
After you have worked with the President for a while, you will have to admit that she is rather whimsical. Today, if she is in a good mood, you can get away with murder. If she is, on the other hand, in a bad mood, even the best you can do will meet with criticism of the worst kind. If she likes you, you are God. If she doesn't like you, you are the Devil incarnate. And once you have entered her bad books – does not matter at all whether due to your fault or not – she will not forgive you easily. In fact, she never forgives. She will constantly remind you – either directly or through her pets – of your past mistakes. She will keep it in the back of her mind every time you meet her face to face. She will also use that information to initiate gossip and an entire coterie of `enemies' around you. And this is a President who will call you immature when you go to her with the sword of honesty and truth. She will call you and shout at you, berate you and denigrate you.
One of the toughest things about Adyar is for one to recognize that in order for everyone to live in peace at Adyar, one has to give a lot of leeway to the President, even though she is older than most of us, we must adjust to her, we must understand her, we must obey her, we must forgive her, we must overlook her flaws; for she will never do any of these with us. She will speak about compassion, but that is what you have to give her; not the other way around. In fact, it is never the other way around. So we have essentially a taking President, not a giving one. The only thing that freely flows out of her is criticism of your ways and anger that you don't speak her language.
But coming back to the topic of seasons and cycles, let us look at what the unwillingness of the President to let go of position, power and authority does to the younger members and workers. Over the years, an abundance of elderly workers on the Estate of Adyar has meant that the younger generations feel a lack of expression in their need to do something for the Cause. And if they do, then they must of a necessity compete. Thus, greedy Helen, Harihara Raghavan, N. Muthuswamy or possessive Radha Burnier have given birth to competitive (though not necessarily competent and efficient) Uma Nilakanta, Subha Nilakanta, Radha Muthiah, Keshwar Dastur and such others. Competitive 55-70 year olds like the ones mentioned here and many others have given birth to competitive Maithreya, Pedro Oliveira, Jaishree, Geetha Jaikumar, and younger still, competitive Sushama, Juliana, Pablo. That is where all this competition being so talked about these days springs from – an entire older generation (the elders of Adyar) unwilling to let go of power, position and authority, unwilling to work in an entirely advisory capacity rather than heading departments that need younger and fresher ideas and energies. Instead of spending time preparing for death, or contemplating their lives thus far, these elderly spend time doing that which the youngsters ought to be doing.
And what does competition have to do with Theosophy, or with Brotherhood? Virtually nothing. In fact, competition is opposed to the ideal of realizing a nucleus of Universal Brotherhood. This is one of the reasons why there is no longer any fresh life in Adyar, because the older ones have not learned to or are unwilling to learn how to let go. So one of the things that I would suggest to readers of this article is to bring in a rule in the Constitution of the TS regarding the maximum age limit at which a person can be working at Adyar and limit it to 75. Anyone above that age ought to work at Adyar solely in an advisory capacity, rather than working as a head of a department. This anyone also includes the President of the TS.
What Adyar and the TS movement worldwide need urgently is fresh ideas, fresh ways of looking at and practising Brotherhood, because the current leadership and her assistants at Adyar are not capable any more of practising the First Object of the TS. We need elders willing to understand, rather than all the time seeking to be understood and obeyed. We need a leader who is rooted in life, has a deep insight and understanding into causes of events or happenings, is empathetic rather than whimsical, someone who is morally strong and can lead and guide those who work with her or below her upwards on the Path.
Preethi
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kerry James Goodhew on -
Exactly Manohar!
as Preethi indicates the using (taking) & destructiveness of "wider world" competitiveness should not have a home in theosophy!
;-)
kjg
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Permalink Reply by Preethi Muthiah on -
Thank you for your comments Kerry.
Well, that is not just my realization. HPB also says that in 'The Key to Theosophy' when she defines who a Theosophist is. Or as someone else said Theosophist is as Theosophy does. The unfortunate thing in all of this is that the President and her supporters worldwide twist these words to suit their images, so that they can fulfill their conveniences and justify their needs for power, position and authority, as if Theosophy or even the Objects of the TS were solely power-, position- and authority-related.
The Mahatma Letters to AP Sinnett would tell us that we ought, as Theosophists, to eradicate the preachings of the priestly class. Is it perhaps just a coincidence that Mrs Radha Burnier is a Brahmin by birth? So, consequently, she has installed a "priestly class" into the Theosophical foundation and today her lies are passed around the world as "Theosophical truths".
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Permalink Reply by Pablo Sender on -
Always, there are facts and there are perceptions of those facts. Each person has his/her own personal characteristics, likes and dislikes, abilities and shortcomings, so it is always very difficult to ascertain the realities of anything based on testimony, rather than knowing it by first hand. Take any historical or current issue, any Theosophical Center, and you will find equally earnest members holding sometimes opposite opinions or having had very different experiences.
I stayed at Adyar for almost 2 years (2005-6) and my experience was very positive.
It is true that most people at Adyar is advanced in age. First of all, not many young people in the world are interested in Theosophy. And less are those who, although interested, can commit themselves to the TS work. In this period of life they are usually building their future, their carriers and families. It is difficult for young people to leave everything behind and go to India to work. Besides, the low pay at Adyar also makes it difficult for people to live there, unless they have another external income (like a retirement, etc). Young people usually don't have this kind of income. Of course, there are things that could be done to change this. This would imply, however, to change the whole economy at Adyar (which is very austere). It cannot be fixed with little changes, unless you say: "Young people will receive 10 times more money than older people". This is a complex subject.
Now, I cannot agree with Preethi when she says "the younger workers who worked there in the past will always find when they bring in new and fresh ideas an older person who disapproves of it, and tries to traditionalize these ideas."
This was not my experience while I worked at the archives. At the beginning of my work there I was told to get familiar with the place and the material. After being there for three weeks I went to talk to Radha Burnier and told her I thought it was necessary to digitize the catalogue and some material, and that for this I would need them to buy a computer and a scanner. They bought it right away, absolutely trusting my judgment. During my time working there I was free to determine what kind of work was needed to be done. From time to time I would communicate what I was doing to Dr. Agarwal and to Radha Burnier.
The same can be said about my experience organizing theosophical activities. Some people told Juliana and I that it would be nice if we organize a course on the Secret Doctrine. We prepared a schedule and wrote a letter asking permission to use the classroom of the School of the Wisdom for that purpose. The permission was granted and we had this course during three months, with more than 20 people coming regularly. We also tried to form a youth group. We got permission to meet in the Headquarters, and later in the YT building. We had no opposition. Later on, talking with some people we thought of creating a weekly discussion group for staff to study literature related to the treading of the spiritual path. We were allowed to meet in the place we asked for, in the Leadbeater Chambers.
So, in Adyar I found people trusting me, even when they didn't know me. I had only recently published my first article in The Theosophist, which Dolores Gago had translated for me from the Spanish original. I could barely speak English at that time.
There are other things in Preethi's writing that were not my experience, especially regarding the atmosphere there, which I found very elevating.
I'm not trying to say there is nothing to be changed. There are always things to be improved. But in any field, the first step to improve anything (if improving, and not mere complaining is our aim) is always to get to a balanced view of the situation, without being too naive or too pessimistic. I am just trying to convey my experience.
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Permalink Reply by Kerry James Goodhew on
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This thread of Preethi's raises some very interesting things, not the least it raises the specter of opportunity. ...how individuals respond to this. It is very good observation and learning for those who want to just stay on the sidelines!
Before i say more I wish to point that just because I proclaim Preethi's courage does not mean that I am saying she is all right (or all wrong) or that her protagonists are right (or wrong).
All 3 perspectives can be in essence (essentially) correct: The view of Preethi, yourself Pablo, and the President and her administration can be all right!
No human is omnipresent, omniscient, or to put it specifically here omniperspective! One reason why we struggle so much is because we are not these things. Our struggling is just "learning" to get to these things!
Perspective by definition is a single point view. Humans do not have a 3-D global view. Joining 'god' for a moment can allow us to experience this but generally humans cannot stay there in every day life!
I think it was Einstein who said (something like)...
a problem cannot be solved at the level that it was created
This means that ....
if we do what we've always done, we get what we've always gotten!
I am sure that there are people on this forum (in Theosophy that is) who you could consult with Preethi who could help you elevate to a level above the problem to see a GREAT way through and UPWARD. Transform the feelings of competitiveness, and "the fight" to something at a higher objective. People could consult with you on this thread or you might want to take it to your "My Page" and discuss in private!
You have great energy. Great energy has got to be correctly channeled !
Just a thought!
;-)
kjg
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Permalink Reply by Janeth on -
Re: Reply by Pablo Sender 1 day ago - "Always, there are facts and there are perceptions.."
►"..There are other things in Preethi's writing that were not my experience, especially regarding the atmosphere there, which I found very elevating..."<---For the record, Pablo and Juliana were at the Society's multi-national center before the furor caused by the courageous action of TS leaders, some of them members also of the ES, realizing the need to change the archaic by-laws, created a 'draft', I repeat, a 'draft' not ready yet to be formally present it to the members--as we already know it was Machiavellicaly leaked to the public and caused the furor its leaking was intended to provoke.
Also, Pablo and Juliana may have been at Adyar after the elections, when courageous TS members convinced a TS member to be nominated to run for the position of president, which caused another, very unpleasant --honestly, I do not know which of the two ugly furors is the worst of the two--furor. And what do we have now, an autocratic system. A system where those who do not agree with it either leave on their own or are made to leave. And that is that! What did the courageous TS members who dared to try to create some kind of change get? Detrimental to the mind, heart and soul retaliation and comments/unfounded accusations/rumors trying to smear they reputation. But since, no matter how long it takes, goodness and truth always prevail, well, guest what? We may have what we deserve after all!! All because of what? Because people do not listen! Because people do not bother to do their homework, so to speak! Because most people allow their personal feelings to cloud their judgment!
Is it accurate to imagine things at Adyar have dramatically changed since Pablo and Juliana were at Adyar? I would say.., obviously so!
In addition, Did Pablo and/or Juliana ever expressed any discontentment whatsoever about anything? I doubt it. I believe they are so busy focusing in other matters that they may not have time to get involved with administrative affairs, let alone listen to things they may not have been interested at the time.
One person expressing his/her inconformity about administrative issues, o.k., not big deal; but two, three, four, five, and lots more…, that, I believe, is a real indication that something very wrong is going on! That other TS members have observed and experienced unpleasantness/irrationality/autocracy, and God knows what else, at Adyar, and have not made their inconformity public, that, ladies and gentlemen, that is another matter.
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Permalink Reply by Janeth on
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ERRATA: Regarding "Reply by Janeth 2 hours ago - Reply by Pablo Sender 1 day ago - "Always, there are facts and there are perceptions.."<---
►"Also, Pablo and Juliana may have been at Adyar after the elections"<---I meant to say before, no after. Thank you for your compassion/divine love and understanding.
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Permalink Reply by Kerry James Goodhew on
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I've just finished "The Common Experience: Signposts on the Path to Enlightenment" by Cohen & Phipps to find a bit of synchronicity with this discussion on the very last page!
"It is not only creatures that die and are reborn. Religious traditions too may disappear from their original homes, to be transformed and to arise again in other places and among other people. They too undergo rebirth. Uprooted from its own land after more than a thousand years, Tibetan Buddhism lives again in India, Europe, America and Australia. Of the necessity for such death and rebirth, Lama Govinda writes:
We are transformed by what we accept. We transform what we have accepted by understanding it. We are transformed by the act of giving, and we contribute to the transformation of others by what we are giving. He who opposes the process of transformation will die the death of rigidity; he will be expelled and rejected from all that lives, like dead matter from a living organism. Death is a deficiency of the faculty of transformation. Creative Meditation and Multi-Dimensional Consciousness
Truth cannot die. But its forms seem to disappear utterly from the place in which they flourished. Elsewhere, however, it will be reborn in new forms. When death is accepted, rebirth is certain".
(This is me!) If the theosophy at Adyar is found to be fake and allegations around at the moment determined to be true, and that continued intransigence means evolution at Adyar is unlikely, then theosophy will have to die at Adyar!
Theosophy is growing in other places around the world!
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Permalink Reply by Janeth on
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►"Reply by Kerry James Goodhew 8 minutes ago - "(This is me!) If the theosophy at Adyar is found to be fake and allegations around at the moment determined to be true, and that continued intransigence means evolution at Adyar is unlikely, then theosophy will have to die at Adyar!"--
Theosophy/Divine Wisdom will never die, Kerry.-☺
The Theosophical Society may disappear but Theosophy never will!!
Considering each TS Section around the globe is basically independent and governed by their own by-laws as well as the rules/legislation of its particular country, even the thought of the Society disappearing, I would say, is a very remote illogical/unreal/hypothetical idea--that is the beauty of the system created by the great minds, hearts and souls occupying the physical body of Madam Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, Col. Henry Steel Olcott, Mr. William Judge, and others who contributed to the creation/set up of the Society. Each Section around the Globe is basically/technically independent!!☺
Yes, the Society is facing serious challenges now, but it will survive and become stronger!!☺ Of that I have no doubt!!☺ Too many brilliant minds, kind hearts and altruistic souls in it, ya know what I mean?!!☺☺☺☺☺ ♥-J.
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Permalink Reply by Kerry James Goodhew on
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Hi Janeth,
if you're commenting to me as a counter-claim, wasn't actually saying this, quite opposite, which is clear when context is taken into consideration.
Theosophy/Divine Wisdom will never die, Kerry.-☺
The Theosophical Society may disappear but Theosophy never will!!
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Permalink Reply by Preethi Muthiah on
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But, of course, Pablo, you had good experiences with Mrs Radha Burnier because you were part of her "bullying gang" as I call them. I heard from several people that the letters of pain and hurt and humiliation at your, Juliana's and Sushama's hands I shared with you three were read by Mrs Burnier and co. You were willing to play her game, to engage in gossip and slander, to be infected by and to spread her spiritual disease, so you had good experiences at Adyar. The ones who suffered at Adyar were those unwilling to go against their own conscience and participate in her gossip and her lies, and those unwilling to allow her to play her power games.
Try next time to do any of these courageous acts of standing up against the corruption she practises and you will experience a different Adyar. The Adyar that Preethi experienced for 16 years. And not just me...there are others who I don't name here but who have experienced that kind of alienation and bullying of which I have talked since 24 May 2009.
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Permalink Reply by Pablo Sender on
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Dear Preethi,
I don't know if you are interested at all in knowing the truth about this, or you prefer to stay with your own perception. While in Adyar you sent me that letter you talk about, with such a version of simple acts that I couldn't even relate to it. I didn't know what you were talking about.
What I did, in all honesty, after reading your letter was to throw it away. That same day. I didn't even show that letter to Juli and Sushama. They never read it. And I told you that I wouldn't pass on that letter. So, nobody else even knew about the letter.
Now, the fact that you are now saying I showed it to Radha (?!) shows me again your way of perceiving things. I am sorry to say this, but i cannot just remain silent to things I know are not true, especially regarding what you say about a lot of good people in this post.
Anyway, I'm not going to engage in a further exchange about this, because it is useless. I respect your feelings. Don't think I am upset. I'm not judging you as a person, just stating what I think is true.
Have a nice day
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Permalink Reply by Preethi Muthiah on
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Thank you for clarifying Pablo. But the point still remains that you had a good time at Adyar basically because your viewpoints are similar to Mrs Radha Burnier's. I had a good time at Adyar despite Mrs Burnier, because she definitely bullied me and used others to do so. Perhaps it is my mistake to think that you were also one of them, but Mrs Burnier told me herself that she did see one of the letters I sent you/Juliana/Sushama in which I expressed my feelings of pain and hurt at your rejection of me as a person. And the reason she told me that was when trying to explain to me that I must be careful while using the written word as a way to communicate.
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