Here is the website for the TS, Pasadena: http://www.theosociety.org/

Here is a keynote for the TS as originally founded:

"The Theosophical Society teaches no new religion, aims to destroy no old one, promulgates no creed of its own, follows no religious leader, and, distinctly and emphatically, is not a sect, nor ever was one."

From an 1881 HPB article found at:

http://www.blavatsky.net/blavatsky/arts/YearOfTheosophy.htm

Happy Anniversary to the TS!

On November 17, 1875 the TS was formed, after a few months of pondering & planning.

A bit controversial of you to congratulate the TS Pasadena specifically for its birthday, when the TS Adyar could as easily be congratulated on that. Of course we could also mourn the splits in the movement, instead of celebrating.

I am a member of Pasadena, not Adyar, so I naturally think of that group first.

Neither celebration of splits not mourning of them seems profitable. But knowing the respective lineages & differing teachings is.

Feel free to congratulate Adyar TS if you wish; of course you will be a bit late.

Can only groups one is a member of be congratulated? I can understand that one thinks of ones own group first - still on this forum all are represented - so why not congratulate them in unison? I am an Adyar TS member but I try very hard to make my website as impartial as possible. I think this is my theosophical duty, actually.

Anyhow, I was under the impression you were a TS Adyar member as well, which is part of why I wrote what I wrote.

I do feel the split offs from the original TS were unfortunate and in that light congratulating the TS Pasadena sounds like you feel they are the only ones who continue the mission of the TS. It may be that I read too much into that simple congrats, but that was how I interpreted it.

I've been a sometime member of the Pasadena Society for well upon 50 years, and have nothing but "kudos" for it. I'm sort of a "back-to-Blavatsky" Theosophist, but also am a Traditional Roman Catholic, Arian Catholic, and Buddhist. Very syncretistic---comes from my upbringing in the 1960s. I usually use the ULT "Secret Doctrine" since it has everything pretty well together. I have lost so very much valuable correspondence with the Pasadena Society going back to the 1960s, and I regret that very much. Part of the hazard of having a military career and moving all the time! Very glad to find a Theosophical Forum on the Net!

Hi, Bupanishad,

It will be interesting to hear how you bring all of these differing belief systems into agreement with each other, and what they have in common with Theosophy. There have been many threads on the Buddhist Forum about people saying they are Chrisitian and Buddhist at the same time.

"Double-think"! LOL No, seriously, I look for the best or most interesting in everything---these are only a few of my manifold interests. I love the Latin Mass, Arian "Christology," and the Buddha (who was "sainted" by the Catholic Church once in history, oddly enough). I am an eclectic syncretist---go figure! LOL

Actually, I subscribe to the very first principle noted by HPB in "The Secret Doctrine" and that is that all religions today had one beginning from the ancient Wisdom Religion. "The Book of Dzyan" has been my only consistent and uniform "scripture" for lo these 50 years.

I agree that Theosophy shows that Christianity, Buddhism, etc., all come from the same source. Unfortunately, the church fathers (of all religions) have made it their main goal to convince everyone otherwise.

I have just completed a year-long study of the Stanzas of Dzyan. I will be curious to hear your observations and questions about the Stanzas.

Not disagreeing with you, but "Church Fathers" is much-too-used superfluous term. The title of Dan Brown's book (and soon-to-be movie) "Angels and Demons" comes straight out of Edward Gibbon's "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire," which I just recently read. It does not, in Gibbon or in Brown's book refer to Angels and Demons like we think, but to the warring factions of early Christians! Considering what happened to Hypatia, need I say more?

As to "The Stanzas of Dzyan," I read them more intuitively (like I gently approach my computer) than literally. I don't see them as a "revelation" in the Scholastic sense, but they are a revelation to me as I read them. I feel them. I feel the words penetrating into the very heart and soul of me. I carress them. I recite them outloud. You get the picture---I'm a "Secret Doctrine" and "Book of Dzyan" mystic. I do study the Stanzas individually, however, and intuit new parallels with other science, religion, and philosophy that I come across. HPB (one of my favorite people of all time---I'm her ardent disciple) was a great scientist, and that is proved by the Stanzas more than anything else. I think/feel that the very secret of all physics in the omniverse can ultimately be derived from "Book 1" of the Stanzas. Well, let me cut off here. I'm sure we'll have much to say to each and all in good time. Thanks again for having me on the Forum!