Dear friends of Theosophy,
this issue is a shorter one, fore some reasons. First, there is unfortunately no press review from outside the movement, because of technical problems (but the next issue will include such press-review again).
Second, there is no topic of the month, but I will use this space to ask you an important question. Let me in this connection also underline, that controversial articles, that were or will be published here, reflect not my opinion or indeed necessarily 'the truth'. I only bother to serve a wide range of opinion and I think it is not within the meaning of freedom of opinion etc. to prevent for whomsoever uncomfortable articles.
We all more or less commemorated Mde. Blavatsky on 8th of May, the so called 'Wihte Lotus Day' and for that reason I want to share with you an Artwork of HBP from the picture taken 1877 in New York. I retouched her left hand, a bit the face and hair, colorized the whole picture a bit an added a suitable background.
The Picture has no claims/copyright (also the background) so use it for your own purpose for whatever you want without to mention me. I think she looks beautiful. It's a kind of an idealistic appearance, maybe as she will look like during a discussion with us in Devachan :) or at least an idea of that > Download Picture (0,8 MB)
Beside the new articles from theosophical sites, I added a lot of international event-dates on the right sidebar (mobile below) and also a lot of new magazines, witch often contains many news, that are not mentioned in this newsletter and also for other reasons this magazines are worth to read.
And now 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
I'm asking here within this newsletter (see the poll in the right sidebar) all readers of Theosophy World News the following Question:
Do you think you are an immortal being, even if you live a bad, materialistic and non-virtuous life?
Related to this poll, more than 80% think so and that means they think, equal what they do in their live, they are immortal beings.
I'm shocked! This is nothing else as the teaching of satisfaction theory of atonement, means, Jesus Christ suffered crucifixion as a substitute for human sin and therefore everybody who confess to Jesus will go to heaven, because his sins are forgiven.
H.P. Blavatsky highly admonished this false dogma based in the Catholic Church not only because of its disastrous moral effects (see f.e. Isis Unveiled, Vol. I, p. 284 f.):
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...
So something is quite wrong here, isn't it? Especially if you understand as the main goal of Theosophy the moral revolution of the Occident, if it is explained in the article 'The Theosophical Society: Its Mission and its Future' by HPB:
The Society was founded to become the Brotherhood of Humanity... [and] putting in the foreground... the moral revolution, of which our old world stands in such need... If the TS succeeds in refuting this pretended law ofd the struggle of life... it will have done in our day a miracle greater then those of Sakyamuni and of Jesus... And this miracle the TS will perform...
and also if you know what Theosophy has to do and what a true Theosophist is:
Ethics are the soul of the Wisdom-Religion... Theosophy has to inculcate ethics... a true Theosophist must put in practice the loftiest moral ideal. (H.P. Blavatsky in 'The Key to Theosophy')
So my conclusion is, based f.e. on Quotes like this from Mahatma KH:
And it is clear, that 'this teaching is not in opposition to our former doctrine' and that while 'shells will be many, - Spirits very few. (Letters to A.P. Sinnett, Letter No. 20 c)
that we are of course not a priori immortal beings (it depends on our lives) and that those who teach or think the opposite, are in my opinion not on the right path of Theosophy. And so we don't have to wonder about the fact, that it seems, that Theosophy slowly but surely passes by, when we are not doing, what we should do.
Please write me what do you think about this (could be published in the next issue).
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.
EuST
TS Adyar - UK
TS Adyar - German Section
T0S International
EFTS - European Federation of the TS Adyar
International Theosophy Conference Adyar
A new edition of The Voice of the Silence is being published on 8th May 2017, in the Voice’s 128th year, by ULT, also available as PDF download.
TS Point Loma Blavatsky House The Hague published the latest Issue of Lucifer (PDF) and also the Video Evolving gods, men and animals from a recently held lecture.
Tim Boyd from TS Adyar in America published a new entry in his President's Diary, have a look here, the March Issue is also the last Issue from him as a President of TS Adyar in Amierca, because he will focus his time only for the Presidentship of TS Adyar.
TS Adyar announced also the date of the 11th World Congress of TS Adyar in August 2018, read more. Also a new international Vice-President of the TS Adyar, Dr Deepa Padhi, was voted.
TS Adya Indian Section published its e-newsletter issue May 2017 as PDF.
You can read the new issue (with many news not only from downunder) of Theosophy Downunder June 2017 from the TS Pasadena Australasian Section (many thanks for the recommendation of this non-commercial newsletter within the news-section in the current Issue). Dr Don Shepherd has recently completed a series of 4 major articles in this magazine, where he attempts to examine the evidence from theosophical literature related to the Buddhic Cycles.
TOS Uganda launched in April as TOS (international) reported on its Website. TOS (USA) published a news about Earth Day 2017 and also a new blog entry of the president Ananya Sri Ram Rajan about Changes on the Horizon .
The 2nd International Gathering of Young Theosophists (TS Adyar) tooks place in Brasilia in February but I don't found information about that yet.
I.S.I.S Foundation published some Videos from its Symposium 2017: Compassion and Wisdom – Keys to a harmonious and healthy world taht tooks place on May 20, 2017.
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.
The TS (Pasadena) Australasian Section
The TS Adyar Indian Section
United Lodge of Theosophists (ULT)
The Aquarian Theosophist
Theos Talk @ Yahoo
Universal Theosophy
Blavatsky News 2.0
Theosophy Watch
Theosophy Forward
Book of Dzyan Research
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.
2017/04/25
Via e-mail from Ramanujachary N.
A very good compilation from various sources.
2017/04/28
Via e-mail from Andrew R.
Hi Steven and greetings from Melbourne Australia. Thanks very much for sending us the quarterly bulletin of activity throughout the theosophical movement. Very interesting to catch up with other groups, who often, for what ever reason, are not in contact with one another. Also thanks for listing Theosophy Downunder which I hope you enjoy reading every quarter. Cheers for now,
