Dear friends of Theosophy,
in regard to the last three months, also the quarter of the 125th White Lotus Day on May 8, I can state, on the whole, bussines as usual in the theosophical world.
And like in every issue, I collected News from Theosophical Societies, from theosophical websites and you can also find a review of press-releases about Theosophy from none-theosophical websites, additional, new magazines and events, that were published within the last three months (on the right sidebar, in mobile below the main-content).
And if you want to see an animated HPB speaking to you, have a look in the video-section :)
The Theme of the quarter in this Issue is, quite unusual, about Theosophical Behaiviour using the example of the collpased constructed roof of the Adyar Theatre in May.
And know I wish you an interesting reading and a peaceful summer.
With kind regards from Germany
Steven Otto
Editor of Theosophy World News
You will find the following sections below:
Topic of the quarter | Upcoming (int. or nationwide) events | News from Theosophical Societies | Articles from Theosophical sites | Theosophical Magazines | Press about Theosophy | Twitter | Facebook | Videos | New Books | Letter to the editor | Comments
Probably you heard of the collpased constructed roof of the Adyar Theatre within the TS Adyar Headquarter in Chennai, India. Of course a sad matter, even if no one was hurt, but so far no "Theme of the quarter" and If I understood it correct, an investigation was started about occurrence. But what it let became such an issue is the way, how we latterly "discuss" controversy occurrences. Retrospectively it is as follows:
First we could read at theos-talk yahoo-group about this accident, f.e. here, here, here and an open letter here.
Later we received a message from Tim Boyd, International President of the TS Adyar via the e-mail-list of Theosophy Forward, as follows:
About the accident was also talked on other sites, f.e. in the videblog of Mr. Boyd (see below), but let us be focused on what happend then. End of June Jan Nicholas Kind published it's quarterly editorial on his website.
There, we have to read from "creepy little dwarfs" and "trolls" that have "created an imaginary darkish world where they are the prosecutor, judge and executioner" and furthermore "Frustrated, unfulfilled, small-minded as they must be they won’t stop angrily throwing mud around, because that is the only thing they know how to do. In their ignorant troll-heads the whole world revolves entirely around them and through the facilities the internet offers they found their shady way of letting the world know that they exist." (Maybe it refered to this this post (Message 3), but I don't know, because it comes not clear).
And please understand me correct: I've no opinion about it (expect the fact, that the effort for Theosophy of Jan Nicholas Kind usualy is enormous), but was affected me, is the brutalisation of handling or association (not for the first time).
Indeed, who does not understand in some way such a reaction, if we remember some posts, f.e. from Dave's Theosophy News Board. To focus only on bad things in a malicious way don't help. But beside that, is that a theosophical behaviour or way of discuss things, even if this "trolls" in a "sarcastic tenor" "exploited the sad news, by reporting triumphantly about this incident" and "diminish and belittle the hard work undertaken by the current International President of the TS-Adyar and his team"?
Would not be the "faintest understanding of what brotherhood is all about" prevent us for such personal defamation below the belt. And if not that, where do we end, if we all give back as what us were given? On the other hand, is provocation and sarcasm adequate in or for a reasonable dispute?
No. Our discussions should allways be based on facts, not (bad) emotions or speculations and that in a kindly way. F.e. there is the statement, that it "had been raining with strong winds on May 17", and also that "the rain was moderate with very little wind" and so only facts can help, f.e. this site to figure out the truth (of course there is the possibility, that in a specific location "strong winds" (is very relative) could took place, even if the weather-forcast said something else, so we should all be carefully if we think we own the truth).
However, I wish we would show particular in such controversy issues more theosophical behaiviour. A good style of discussion, f.e., displayed lately some people, that reply an critical article about G. de Purucker with a fact-based reply and not with emotions and that is in every case more sucesfull then malicious insults, derision, unproved assumptions or hate.
In The Times of India we can read an interesting article about ULT's Theosophy Hall in Mumbai.
At biography.com an isnight of Frank Baum's live is given, the writer of the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, were the 1939's film is based on and therfore, a little esoteric interpretation of it, in the light of Theosophy, can be found there.
The Guardian writes about Indra Devi, Theosophy and also J. Krishnamurti in an article about the strange story of how yoga became popular.
The well known author Dan Brown spend money to digitize some of the world’s rarest documentsand that will soon be available online for everyone, f.e. the original Corpus Hermeticum, Jakob Böhme’s works in English etc.
Telegraph.co.uk reports about the theosophy inspirated artist Hilma af Klint, the female pioneer of abstract painting before Kandinsky.
Once again some articles were published about the Mexican artist Santiago Borja who "has built a thatched observatory on the roof of one of Holland's best-preserved Modernist houses" in Rotterdam, f.e. here and worth seeing here with some pictures.
A performances illuminate the Central Coast history of theosophy in Halcyon where in 1903 a "branch" of the TS called the "Temple of the People" was founded.
At thehindubusinessline.com you can read an article about Vasudeo Gaitonde one of India’s most important abstract painters that was like f.e. Kandinsky inspirated of HPB's writings.
An article in the huffingtonpost.com about Akashic Records refered to HBP.
HPB is also a tiny part of a Haunted Orange County's Ghost Walks and paranormal investigations in LA, as we can read in the LA Times.
Wired.com wrote about Mark Adams new Book about Atlantis to make a fool of him and Theosophys view of Atlatnis and if I understand it correct, both have not a correct idea of what Theosophys teaches about it.
Torontolife.com published, beside an interesting story about the theosopy inspirated artist Lawren Harris also some false alegations against HPB.
If we can believe the belfasttelegraph.co.uk, also the woman who shot Mussolini was "inspirated" by "the ding-bat quasi-religion" Theosophy.
Fortnightlyreview published a long article about HPB and Theosophy, also with the false results of the Hodgsons Report and missed to write about the work of Vernon Harrison, who proofed that Hodgsons was a liar.
The Island.lk wrotes about the hidden history of Buddhism in the West and within also a "mish-mash" of false allegations and a bit truth about those, whow really brought (esoteric) buddhism not only to the west.
Also Music-Bussines would not want to do without to ridicule HPB and married she wit bigfoot.
Other marginal reference to Theosophy can be find here, here, here, here, here and here.
If the ʺspirit,ʺ or the divine portion of the soul, is preëxistent as a distinct being from all eternity, as Origen, Synesius and other Christian fathers and philosophers taught, and if it is the same, and nothing more than the metaphysically‐objective soul, how can it be otherwise than eternal? And what matters it in such a case, whether man leads an animal or a pure life, if, do what he may, he can never lose his individuality? This doctrine is as pernicious in its consequences as that of vicarious atonement. Had the latter dogma, in company with the false idea that we are all immortal, been demonstrated to the world in its true light, humanity would have been bettered by its propagation.
EFTS - European Federation of the TS Adyar
TS (Adyar) Australia
Indo-Pacific Federation
European School of Theosophy
TS Adyar in England
ITC Inc.
The TS (Adyar) German Section
The TS Point Loma Blavatsky House announced a new series of international lectures in English from October 2016 till May 2017 and will this lectures also made avilable as videos (see below). This TS is also glad to present to you the first Portuguese edition of Lucifer and it will starting a course that helps you to change the world by changing your own thinking.
Furthermore it published some video-recordings from helt lectures: Compassion and responsibility - Standing beyond matter, yet in the midst of society and The esoteric origin of human rights.
There are two new entry for April an May in the President's Diary of Tim Boyd, President of the TS (Adyar) in America.
In the TS Adyar Headquarter in Chennai was a huge clean up project was forced, what became necessary after the flood at the end of last year. Another Invitation to the ITC 2016 in Santa Barbara in August and a note in regard to the 141st International Convention was published. And what is new, at least for me, that everyone can read the Issues of The Theosophist as PDFs for free, so in the future I'll list it also in the magazine-section of the newsletter.
The Singapore Lodge of TS Adyar published its newsletter with two articles one from CW Leadbeater and another one from G. Hodgson, named The Asala Festival and The Third Object.
In the News-Section of TS Adyar New Zealand you'll find some Videos of different lectures about the Mahatmas, Manasaputras and other issues related to H.B. Balavtsky.
And if you will get an update of what's going on in the TS Pasadena, then you should have a look in the current Issue of Theosophy Downunder the Newsletter of the TS (Pasadena) Australasian Section starting on page 3.
And of course some Magazine from different TS were publishes, that you can find in the right sidebar under the topic Magazines, for the first time we can now read The Theosophist (TS Adyar) for free, special thanks for that, so have a look.
The TOS International Section hosted for the very first time an all-India TOS gathering at its headquarters in Varanasi for representatives from most of its 21 regions. And there are also some Informations about the TOS's Youth Empowerment Programme in Kenia.
Finally I'll mention here the current FOTA Newsletter Issue (PDF) and some information about the 5th Theosophical Conference in Moscow via theos-talk yahoo group.
Devachan is the idealized continuation of the terrestrial life just left behind, a period of retributive adjustment, and a reward for unmerited wrongs and sufferings undergone in that special life.
TheAquarianTheosophist.com
The TS Adyar Indian Section
United Lodge of Theosophists (ULT)
The TS (Pasadena) Australasian Section
Sons of Fire
I published the firts part of my book, that presented a tenfold system and it starts with a criticism of modern science and some alternative approaches to combine Theosophy and exact science in seven short parts.
Theosophy Forward
Theosophy Watch
Blavatsky Theosophy UK
The function of Theosophists is to open men's hearts and understandings to charity, justice, and generosity, attributes which belong specifically to the human kingdom and are natural to man when he has developed the qualities of a human being. Theosophy teaches the animal-man to be a human-man; and when people have learnt to think and feel as truly human beings should feel and think, they will act humanely, and works of charity, justice, and generosity will be done spontaneously by all.
