Theos-Talk Archives (December 1995 Message tl00052)

>

>

>BB
>>From what I can see the majority of branch members do not study
>the SD anyway because it is too hard for them.
>
>JHE
>Too bad because HPB says that the SD is an outline of the
>esoteric philosophy. On the other hand she said in the ~Key~
>"To the mentally lazy or obtuse Theosophy must remain a
>riddle..." xi.
>
>BB
>Why not allow them to get their sustenance from sources they can
>understand and if that turns out to be A B so what?
>
>JHE
>I have no problem with that. But those who claim to understand
>the SD because they have read what AAB CWL AB ect. said about
>the SD but find the SD itself too difficult to read--then I
>think they have a problem.
>
>I agree with that but the average person that I was talking about isn't
likely to get into involved discussions on the SD anyway. They are mostly
concerned with their own spiritual growth and trying to get enough
information to understand what is being talked about in general in their
lodge. If they are 'mentally lazy' then they won't be interested in debating
the finer points of theosophy. As Liesel said people learn quickest if they
are enthusiastic about what they are reading and if that is A B then I would
rather they did that than say 'no no' and give them SD. Sadly many want
titilation with their knowledge so while they are going through that stage
they will not take on something that takes serious thought. I raved on about
de Purucker and how much easier he was to understand to one of our members
who I knew was upset at not understanding SD and she took his book out. Two
weeks later it was returned and nothing has been said since. As it was one
of his larger books it could not have been read in two weeks.
If people want to discuss and they say their source is other than SD then of
course it is debatable how much store to put on their ideas but even reading
SD does not preclude misunderstanding what HPB meant by what she wrote. So
it seems to boil down to each persons interpretation of what they have read
what ever that may be. On this list debate goes on between persons who are
familiar with the same books yet see things differently. That is good for
the rest of us as we then have to think about it and decide how we each
understand it. This is discrimination at work.
>
Bee Brown
Member Theosophy International