Good News

From Sy Ginsburg we received the following note:

This is Sy Ginsburg. I am a long time member of the Theosophical Society in America and also a member of the Miami-Deerfield Beach, Florida, Lodge. As a volunteer, I have been assisting the staff at Wheaton in developing the Online Initiative of courses and study groups. We call them webinars.

Sri Madhava Ashish

I was a pupil of Sri Madhava Ashish, visiting him every year in the Indian Himalayas from 1978 until his passing in 1997. My interest in the Stanzas of Dzyan attracted me to him, and I learned a great deal. As part of the Online Initiative, I am recently finishing up presenting a short online course on Ashish's teachings, preliminary to trying to develop a weekly study and discussion group based on Ashish and Prem's commentary on the Stanzas, and especially on the Anthropogenesis Stanzas taken up in their book, Man, Son of Man.

Adyar had a sizeable number of cattle, with the numbers increasing every year due to the presence of a few cows in the herd. Because of labour and financial constraints, a decision was taken by the TS management to send the herd to a well-run goshala, where they would receive good care and be able to spend the rest of their lives in comfort, in a peaceful environment. It was also decided to retain four bullocks for light garden work on the estate.

                  
Sri Jayam Govardhana Goshala                                                                 Cattle at the goshala

After a close scrutiny of a number of goshala-s in the state, Sri Jayam Govardhana Goshala at Mayiladuthurai, which is about 300 kms from Chennai city, was selected by Mr Anoop Jaiswal, Chairman of the TS Animal Welfare Committee, who was then the Director General of Police, on the basis of information obtained from his sources in the Police Department. The reports indicated that this Goshala was one of the best run in the state, known for the compassionate and excellent care given to the cattle housed there. Another advantage was the abundance of grazing area where the cattle could freely roam, before being taken into the shelter of the goshala in the evening.

Working with Children in Columbia

How does visiting a farm, trekking up a mountain side, making origami flowers and fantasy animals instill good moral values and a sense of brotherhood within children? As our Featured Project The TOS in Colombia may have the answer, as their continuing work with children shows.

Many of our TOS Sections support the scholastic and moral education of children in one way or another. Some build or run schools or orphanages. Some volunteer at these types of institutions, and others lend financial support or give material gifts. Children are our future, our hope for a better world. As theosophists we want to encourage positive values and the theosophical world view of spiritual transformation and oneness to children, as we ourselves model them.

Part of this impressive library

Those of you who know your editor, know that he loves books, real books, books you need to hold in both your hands and open, books in which you can make notes, books of which you can actually “smell” the pages. Yes, your editor is old fashioned, but he’s quite happy to be like that, a book is a book and any electronic, handheld device cannot in any way compete with it.

The Śiva-Sūtra
A Silent Retreat
by Trân-Thi-Kim-Diêu

October 2015, 14th till 18th

Language: English

Organized by:

The International Theosophical Centre
The Theosophical Society in the Netherlands
The European Federation of the Theosophical Society

Shiva Rishikesh

The Śiva-Sūtra is the culmination of the teachings for Occultists. These are composed mainly of Yoga-Sūtras, Pratyabhijñā Hṛdayam (Secret of Self-Realization ), and Śiva-Sūtra (The Ultimate reality and Realization ). This culmination pertains to the nature of the subjects developed in the treatise and also to the depth of I.K. Taimni’s work of analysis, leading the mind of the student towards the highest conceptual level of abstraction.

During the so called “Dutch Day” held at the ITC in Naarden, the Netherlands on August 23, it was also commemorated that the Centre was founded precisely 90 years ago. It was time for a fruity toast.  

Among others you’ll see from left to right: Arend Heijbroek, chairman of the Centre, Tim Boyd and Helma Kuit

Open day at ITC Naarden

[A unique event took place in Naarden on Saturday September 5; with great pleasure Theosophy Forward makes mention of this. The compiler wishes to thank Guido Lamot for giving permission to make use of some of the excellent photos he took].

Representation “on the Centre grounds” of the Dutch Section

A report received from the chairman of the Centre, Arend Heijbroek

ITC Naarden organised an open day on Saturday 5th September for the 12 spiritual organisations most active at the Centre. Some of these organisations were already present just after establishing the Centre 90 years ago, a fact celebrated in August. These include the Dutch section of the TS, Round Table, the local chapel of the LCC as well as Co-Masonry. From the early start there was connection with the work of Krishnamurti, who visited the Centre several times. With the improved facilities of the Centre we were able to welcome new organisations, such as those involved in Buddhist retreats as well as Raja yoga. All these activities are considered as different colours, which together result in and active Centre, symbolised as a shining diamante.

The theme for ITC 2015 conference was:

Helena Petrovna Blavatsky Through Different Eyes With One Heart

What is our understanding of H. P. B.’s writings?
How do they inspire all Theosophists, affiliated with an organization or independent, to embody and transmit her timeless message to the modern world?

Participants ITC 2015

The 17th annual conference of International Theosophy Conferences Inc., took place from August 6 – 9 in The Hague, the city where the Dutch government resides and the International Court of Justice is situated. One year earlier, during ITC 2014 in Naarden, also held in the Netherlands, the so called “Naarden Declaration” was drawn up by the participants and the declaration was one of the starting points for the gathering in The Hague.

This report was sent to TF by Mirva Jaatinen, General Secretary Finnish Section of the TS.

Tim Boyd and Finnish members

The Finnish Section had the great pleasure of hosting International President Tim Boyd and his family from 7th to 14th August on their first ever visit to Finland and Estonia. The visit began with a weekend seminar of Theosophical sister organizations in Kreivila, the summer course centre of the Finnish Section. There Tim gave a lecture titled The Imprint of Theosophy and participated in an English speaking discussion group. The seminar was well attended with approximately 70 participants.

A new study course in Theosophy organized by the Belgian Theosophical Society in Brussels entitled: The Secret Doctrine, 100 Years Later

A brand new program of eight guided study sessions on basis of a series of videos made by no one less than Mrs. Joy Mills on The Secret Doctrine, the opus magnum of H.P. Blavatsky. This is a great opportunity to get to know The Secret Doctrine without having to read it from cover to cover. But trust us, eventually you will love to read this classic of the Wisdom Tradition.
This unique series will start on October 14, 2015 and it finishes on June 8, 2016.

For detailed information write to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Aim of the European School is to provide opportunities in Europe to study the original teachings of modern Theosophy in order to ensure the continuing preservation and dissemination of the esoteric philosophy as recorded in the writings of H.P. Blavatsky and related source literature.

European School of Theosophy
18th - 23rd October - 2015
Birmingham UK

with

David Nieuwejaers
Pablo Sender
Michele Shields
Joseph MacDermott
Elizabeth Crofts

THEME:

THE GREAT
SACRIFICE

Tim Boyd

A look at the president’s itinerary for this coming period:
ENGLAND
31 July to 7 August, Birmingham
Summer School of the TS in England on The Relevance of Theosophy: Spirituality in Daily Living, with the International President.
2 August, Birmingham. The Blavatsky Lecture.
4 August, Birmingham city. Public Lecture
FINLAND
7 to 8 August, Kreivilä
Theosophical co-operation weekend. Lecture and group study by the International President on The Imprint of Theosophy.

Last year, during the ITC 2014 Conference, eager participants from the various Theosophical traditions who had come to Naarden in the Netherlands from the four corners of the earth, created a vibrant atmosphere by working together in the light of the theme "Theosophy, Unity and Helping the World."
This encouraging ambiance resulted in the "2014 Naarden Declaration".
Key elements of the declaration are:

“We commit ourselves through learning, training and cross-pollination to popularize and keep the teachings alive for future generations.”

“Our shared and most important objective is to keep the spirit of ITC 2014 alive.”

Theosophy Forward received the following report from Fareeda Amir, former Honorary Secretary of the TOS in Pakistan.

As the global war on terrorism continues and governments join hands spending billions of dollars to rid the world of this evil, another war is also taking place, albeit silently and very often unnoticed. It is a war against the ignorance, superstition and tradition that deny millions of women and girls in underdeveloped countries their inalienable rights. While her sisters in the West rose up and demanded equality, the Eastern woman, with some remarkable exceptions, has largely been helpless in changing her circumstances. A mere glance tells us why she continues to be equated with worldly possessions and subjected to social and cultural injustice of all sorts: because of her ignorance. She is subjugated and has no control over her own life because she is uneducated. It must be the ultimate goal of those committed to brotherhood to aid her to gain the knowledge that will empower her.

A report sent by Arend Heijbroek, chairman of I.T.C. - Naarden.

Arend Heijbroek

Seminar “Revolution in Education” at ITC, 9 and 10 May 2015

It is hardly possible to summarize this seminar, followed by several days of dialogue on the same subject. The seminar attracted over sixty enthusiastic participants.

Speakers from different backgrounds gave their views on the challenges of education today.

Keynote speaker Prof. P. Krishna from India stressed that education should be engaged with a change in consciousness. Creating a true learning environment implies that the educator and the educated help each other to understand the role of the ego, which corrupts all when we identify with it. Krishna listed eight points as a new vision of education.

Nancy Secrest visit in Belgian TS, Brussels HQ – May 7, 2015

Theosophists in Belgium were glad to welcome Mrs. Nancy Secrest, International Secretary of the Theosophical Order of Service on their premises in Brussels.

Nancy Secrest

Nancy gave a very inspiring talk about the work of the TOS in the world and a numerous and very interested audience attended the event. At the same time, a fundraising initiative was rolled out with a satisfactory outcome, given the fact that the whole program was set up at relatively short notice.