January 2012 Newsletter
The following articles are reproduced from the January 2012 Newsletter to members. Non-members may or may not be able to relate to the contents.
"A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! This seems easy enough to say, and everyone expects some such greeting. Yet, whether the wish, though it may proceed from a sincere heart, is likely to be realized even in the case of the few—is more difficult to decide. According to our theosophical tenets, every man or woman is endowed, more or less, with a magnetic potentiality, which when helped by a sincere, and especially by an intense and indomitable will—is the most effective of magic levers placed by Nature in human hands—for woe as for weal. Let us then, Theosophists, use that will to send a sincere greeting and a wish of good luck for the New Year to every living creature under the sun—enemies and relentless traducers included. Let us try and feel especially kindly and forgiving to our foes and persecutors, honest or dishonest, lest some of us should send unconsciously an “evil eye” greeting instead of a blessing."
H. P. Blavatsky
“May no further karma attach to those who have sinned last year in thought as well as in deed. Personally they are forgiven. Let a new year and new hopes begin for them.”
An Adept
Significance of The New Year
“.... let no one imagine that it is a mere fancy, the attaching of importance to the birth of the year. The earth passes through its definite phases and man with it; and as a day can be coloured so can a year. The astral life of the earth is young and strong between Christmas and Easter. Those who form their wishes now will have added strength to fulfil them consistently.”
H. P. Blavatsky
New Executive Committee
Our 2011 AGM was held on 17 December 2011. It was attended by 51 members in person, which is more than the required quorum, and 21 through proxies. The following office bearers and members of the new executive committee were elected without contention.
President: Chong Sanne
Vice President: Kam Chai Heng
Secretary: Lily Chong
Asst, Secretary: Tang Kwok Choon
Treasurer: Nancy Yeo
Asst. Treasurer: Choong Tsui Wei
Librarian: Vivekhananthan M.
Asst. Librarian: Serena M. L. Lee
Committee Members:
Lee Suit Fun
Choong Chi Pin
Lynette Loke Hui Ling
Hauw Tio Hiong
N. C. Raghava (co-opted)
Tey Ghee Kwan (co-opted)
The Basic Truths of
Religion
Theosophy, the Divine Wisdom, is the root of all the great religions, living and dead; all are branches of that ever-living Tree of Life, with its root in Heaven, the leaves of which are for the healing of the nations of the world. Each special religion brings out and emphasizes some special aspect of the Truth, necessary for the evolution of humanity during the age it opens, and shapes the civilization of that age, enriching the religious, moral and cultural heritage of the human race.
The World Religion, of which all special religions are integral parts—whether or not they recognize their places in the World Order—declares:
(1) There is one transcendent Self-Existent Life, eternal, all-pervading, all-sustaining, whence all worlds derive their several lives, whereby and wherein all things which exist live and move and have their being.
(2) For our world this Life is immanent, and is manifested as the Logos, the Word, worshipped under different Names, in different religions, but ever recognized as the One Creator, Preserver and Regenerator.
(3) Under Him, our world is ruled and guided by a Hierarchy of His Elder Children, variously called Rishis, Sages, Saints, among whom are the World-Teachers, who for each age re-proclaim the essential truths of religion and morality in a form suited to the age; this Hierarchy is aided in its work by the hosts of Beings—again variously named Devas, Angels, Shining Ones—discharging functions recognized in all Religions.
(4) Human beings form one order of the creatures evolving on this earth, and each human being evolves by successive life-periods, gathering experiences and building them into character, reaping always as he sows, until he has learned the lessons taught in the three worlds—the earth, the intermediate state and the heavens—in which a complete life-period is passed, and has reached human perfection, when he enters the company of just men made perfect, that rules and guides the evolving lives in all stages of their growth.
These are the Basic Truths of the World Religion, of which all religions are specialized branches; to proclaim and teach these the Theosophical Society was founded and exists.
The Theosophical Society admits to its fellowship all who desire to enter it, whether or not they hold any of these Basic Truths, or belong to any religion or to none, since all belong to the Universal Brotherhood of Humanity, of which it is a nucleus.
Issued by the General Council of the Theosophical Society, Adyar, 1925.
Fundamentals of Theosophy
At the Round Table Conference held in Lützelau-Weggis on July 11, 1947, there was some discussion about what constituted the fundamental teachings of Theosophy. The International President then, Bro. C. Jinarâjadâsa, appointed a small group to consider these fundamentals, who submitted the following statement of twelve points:
(1) Theosophy describes the evolution of the system to which we belong.
(2) Energy, life and consciousness arise from one source, the Divine Life.
(3) Life unorganized is spirit, life organized is matter. Spirit is free, matter is conditioned.
(4) The human mind expresses the interaction between spirit and matter.
(5) All evolution, including that of man, is under the guidance of superhuman hierarchies, whose function in the universe is often personified in religion as a Divine Trinity.
(6) The one divine life ensouls all men: humanity is a spiritual brotherhood.
(7) Human consciousness evolves through successive civilizations, each representative of one level of man’s spiritual nature.
(8) Each individual man evolves through all these civilizations in a series of successive lives.
(9) In each life the individual inherits from his past lives the results, good and bad, of his past thoughts, feelings and actions, and has to conquer that determinism by the free exercise of the three functions of the spirit: Will, Understanding and Love.
(10) Man can, by his own efforts and under the guidance of superhuman brothers, rise to transcendent levels of consciousness, thereby achieving, in himself, the purpose of the whole evolutionary scheme.
(11) The perfection of man means the development in him to an infinite capacity of knowledge, love and service.
(12) The Theosophical Society has no dogmas. The preceding statements are no more than an enumeration of some important points in its doctrines, the enumeration being indicative and not limitative.
International Visitor
We extend a warm welcome to Bro. Tim Boyd coming from the Theosophical Society in America (TSA). Bro. Tim will be visiting us on Saturday, 14 January 2012, to meet our members and give a talk at 5 p.m. on “An Experiment in Openness: The Life and Work of Bill Lawrence ”.
Bro. Tim is the current president of the Theosophical Society in America. He has been a student of the Ageless Wisdom since his encounter with Bill Lawrence in 1973 which led to the founding of a spiritual community that was active in Chicago for twenty-five years. Through his involvement with the Theosophical Order of Service and the Chushul orphanage in Tibet, Tim’s connections led to an audience with the Dalai Lama resulting in the TSA sponsoring his visit to Chicago in July of 2011.
Some of you might remember meeting Bro. Tim previously. He first visited us in August 2005 and again in August 2008. On both occasions he gave us a talk. Come and meet Bro. Tim Boyd on Saturday, 14 January 2012 at 5 p.m. and hear him talk on a subject that is close to his heart. Please take note that this programme is restricted to members.
January Programme
We start the year with a number of talks in the month of January which may be of special interest to members. Indeed, these talks are restricted to members and are given only once a year, normally in January, if only for the benefit of new members. The talks which include computer-based illustrations are continually being updated either with additional information, graphics or pictures as they become available. All earnest members and students of theosophy will find these talks both interesting and useful. Those who have attended these talks previously may find it worthwhile to refresh their memory and see if anything new has been added and also so that they may be better equipped to do their part in spreading the theosophical teachings!
One of the annual talks is on the Purpose of The Theosophical Society. This talk reminds us why the Society was founded in 1875 by Madame Blavatsky and Colonel Henry Steel Olcott. More importantly, we are reminded of the words of the Great Ones on the true purpose of The Theosophical Society. Understanding the purpose of the Society is important if the Singapore Lodge, as a part of this great worldwide movement, is to contribute to the noble ideals of the Society. We must realize our specific mission. As this talk will be given on 21 January 2012 when we celebrate our 123rd anniversary, you have one more good reason to come and join us in our celebration.
For those who are interested to know more about clairvoyants and psychic abilities, you may wish to attend the talk on The Nature of Psychic Abilities on 7 January 2012. In this talk we will realize that the unfoldment of psychic powers is a natural process in evolution.
Another annual talk which is intended exclusively for members is The Occult Hierarchy. As students of theosophy, we know that just as there are many below us climbing the ladder of evolution, there are also many above us, way ahead of the mass of humanity, who have achieved perfection—the Adepts. We also know that amid the seeming chaos in the world, there is perfect law and order supervised by the Inner Government of the World. In this talk we learn about the quest for perfection and the august fraternity of humanity who have reached the other shore—The Masters and The Path. This talk is scheduled for 28 January 2012. Don’t miss it if you are a student of occultism.
Let’s Celebrate Our 123rd Anniversary
The Singapore Lodge Theosophical Society was formed by Col. H.S. Olcott on January 24, 1889. Many of us may not realise that we have been in existence for 123 years! As a matter of fact, the Singapore Lodge was formed only 14 years after the founding of the parent Theosophical Society in 1875.
To commemorate this momentous occasion, we are gathering together on Saturday, 21 January, 2012, to have an anniversary bash. On this day, we shall remind ourselves of the Purpose of the Theosophical Society and reaffirm our dedication to it. Diplomas of Fellowship will be presented to all new members on this auspicious day.
A real party is not complete without food—so there shall be food! This is one of our most important days in the year. Do come and join the merriment and rejoice together. Remember, it will be on Saturday, 21 January 2012 at 5 p.m.