Programme for July 2016

BLAVATSKY LODGE: 7 French Bridge, Mumbai 400007.

DAY	TIME	DETAILS
Fri      1	6.00 pm	Members’ Meeting – Study of AB & CWL’s Book “MAN.. Whence, How and Whither” conducted by Sis Aban Patel
Sun    3	10.00 am	Bharat Samaj Pooja
Fri     8	6.00 p m	‘Great Experiences of the Lives of HPB, H.S. Olcott, Annie Besant & C.W. Leadbeater’ from Gujarati Book of Harjiwandas Kalidas Mehta – Reading by Sis Aban Patel
Sun   10	10.30 am 11.00 am	To gather for preparations Mystic Star Ritual
Fri    15	6.00 pm	Asala Purnima Meeting
Fri    22	4.30 pm 6.00 pm	Blavatsky Lodge Managing Committee Meeting  Members’ Meeting – Study of AB & CWL’s Book “MAN.. Whence, How and Whither” conducted by Sis Aban Patel
Sun   24	10.45 am	Maitreya Round Table
Fri    29	6.00 pm	Members’ Meeting - Talk on ‘Demystifying Pathanjali’ by Bro. Arni Narendran
Tues 5, 12, 19, 26	4.15 pm  5.30 pm	Yoga Session conducted by Shernaz Vatchha SS Meetings for Theosophical Readings & discussions

Volume 85

—

No.10

–

July 2016

“Conquer the angry one

By not getting angry;

 Conquer the wicked by goodness; Conquer the stingy by generosity, And the liar by speaking the truth.”

Verse 223

― Gautama Buddha, The Dhammapada

CONTENTS

Quote of Gautama Buddha	Cover
News & Notes	2 - 6
Empty your Mind  by late Sis Mehra Dhalla	6 - 8
Today’s Education-Prize winning essay	8 - 10
BTF & Lodge Programmes July 2016	11 - 12

NEWS & NOTES

CALL TO BLAVATSKY LODGE TS AGM from PRESIDENT BRO. NAVIN KUMAR: All Members of Blavatsky Lodge are requested to note that the AGM of Blavatsky Lodge Theosophical society will take place at 11.30 a.m. on 7th August 2016 in Besant Hall. All members are requested to attend for guiding the deliberations. Members over the age of 75 years will be given taxi fare up to Rs.200/- and they can bring a companion for assistance. There will be a pooled lunch after the AGM is over.

BTF REQUEST TO THE LODGES FOR BTF 85TH ANNUAL SESSION SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2016:

(1)  Lodges should send their Annual Report for July 2015 - June 2016 to BTF Secretary by 31st July 2016. The Annual Report Form will be sent to the Lodges.

(2)  BTF Election for 2 Year Term of 2016-2018 will be held at the 85th Annual Session. The Nomination Forms will be sent to Lodges for the Elected Offices of [1] President [2] Vice-President [3] Treasurer and [4] Four Council Members.

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Editor – Bro. Rustom R. Dalal     Cover Page By: Sis.Kashmira Khambatta. Editorial Committee – Sis. Mahazaver Dalal (in charge of Mailing List), Sis.  Kashmira Khambatta,  Sis. Aban Patel and Ex-Officio: President Dr. Ajay Hora, Secretary  Sis. Aban Amroliwalla.  Note: News, Notes and Programmes to be printed in the Bulletin, be forwarded by e-mail to: rrpdalal@hotmail.com    or kashmirakhambatta@yahoo.com latest by 16th each month.

(3) The Lodges should elect, according to their membership,

      Lodge Representatives to BTF Council for 2 Year

      Term of 2016-2018 and inform BTF before BTF AGM.

 (4) Dates & Programme of BTF 85th Annual Session will be

       informed in due course.

INDIAN SECTION TS CELEBRATION OF 125 YEARS WITH NATIONAL SEMINAR JOINTLY WITH DELHI THEOSOPHICAL FEDERATION:

Theme: Theosophy and the Modern World

Dates: 30th & 31st July 2016

Venue: Patel Nagar, New Delhi

From outside Delhi: 20 Delegates – each Federation should

                                   send at least one member

Boarding & Lodging for visitors: from 29th July [Evening]

                                                          to 31st July 2016 [AM]

Registration by 15th June 2016 ( but one can try)

Contacts: Bro. Pradip K. Mahapatra, Asst. Gen. Secy. IS TS

(M): 09437697429

Dr. Rajiv Gupta, President Delhi Theosophical Federation

(M): 09650015396

WESAK BLESSINGS MEETING at Blavatsky Lodge on 20th May 2016: In Green Room a traditional table near Lord Buddha’s statue was prepared by Sis. Navaz Dhalla. President Bro. Navin Kumar opened the meeting with The Universal Prayer. There were readings from the Mystic Star Ritual about the Teachings of Lord Buddha and recitations of Hymns and ‘The Greatest Blessings’ by Brn. Navin Kumar, Jesmin Cawasji & Navaz Dhalla. Bro. Keki Palkhiwalla with The Great Invocation and In His Name told Brethren that we have much to learn and we should be ready with fresh mind to absorb the Teachings. He explained the deeper significance of the terms: Piety is absolute purity of physical & subtle bodies; Sanctity is connected with sanctified places & objects and Holiness is a ladder to totality of Oneness. The process begins when man starts reading. He may or may not believe in what he reads. If his Karma permits he will study deep. At the stage of Psychic he will have extra sensual perception. An Occultist is a spiritual archeologist, who treads the matter from lower to subtler levels. For the Mystic, his personality disappears and dissolves in to Higher Consciousness with Creations of all degrees.

Speaking about the significance of The Wesak Ceremony, Bro. Keki said that it is the Great Sacrifice of Lord Buddha to stay in our Cosmos to bless humanity. During the ceremony the Adepts with humility mingle with ordinary villagers. A deserving mortal pupil becomes one with the Aura of the Adept and gradually moves from objective world to subjective world. Immortals can only help & guide mortals for Nirvana. The Great Teachers of Religions have been the Reformers. The Truth is unchanging & permanent. Monad is an out-breathed manifestation. Do not be enslaved of Knowledge. It is important how much one can absorb and put it in life. To seek Divine Knowledge and to become The Path should be the quest. Every sinner has a future, he can become a saint. Understand the Teachings and Ashtang Marg of Lord Buddha. Avoid extremes of Joy & Sorrow and do not harm any creation of God. Religion is within one’s Self, i.e. to return to the state from where one has come.

The meeting ended with recitation of Buddhist Prayer and symbolical par taking of water kept near Lord Buddha’s statue.

VAISHAKH CEREMONY BY MAITREYA ROUND TABLE on Sunday 22nd May 2016 in Besant Hall at their Annual Meeting: The Officiating Leading Knight Rashna Jehani welcomed all. Kt. Thrity Dalal explained the significance of each office, morals of Round Table for ‘Universal Love & Compassion’ and the message of the Compassionate One Lord Buddha through Vaishakh Ceremony. The ceremony was beautifully performed by young officers accompanied by Sis. Freny Paghdiwalla on piano. Before the closing of the ceremony Officiating Knight Rashna Jehani invited the Knights & others to share their thoughts. Past Chief Knight of India Russy Toddywalla spoke about the Teachings of Lord Buddha & Morals of Round Table and encouraged the Knights to carry on good work. Past Chief Knight of India Mahdev Desai sharing his experiences said that Round Table is a beautiful order to learn Morals. Kt. Bana Mehta appreciated the ceremony and the opportunity to participate in it. Benafsha Driver, Navaz Dhalla  & Durgi Singh  shared their experiences of joining Round Table. Kt. Aban Master urged to encourage children & grand children to join Round Table to learn good values & morals at a young age. Sis. Mahazaver Dalal & Bro. Navin Kumar expressed thanks on behalf of invited Brethren. Kt. Rashna Jehani thanked all & Naina Kanabar performed the Vote of Thanks. The Closing of Round Table was equally inspiring. There was a fellowship and bonhomie at the lunch hosted by Maitreya Round Table.

THE MYSTIC STAR RITUAL IN MEMORY OF LATE SIS. DHUN BOTTLEWALLA on Sunday 12th June 2016 in Besant Hall: Sis. Dhun Cawas Bottlewalla, one of the senior most members of our BTF with Shanti Lodge membership of 63 years passed away on 5th June 2016. She had imbibed Theosophical Teachings from Late Sis. Mehra Dhalla, Bro. Homi Shroff, Bro. Rustom Aria and other stalwarts of yester years. She had opportunities to actively interact with Geoffrey Hodson, J. Krishnamurthy, Rohit Mehta and International Presidents N. Sri Ram & Radha Burnier. She and her husband Cawas Bottlewalla have served Lotus Class, Shanti Lodge, Blavatsky Lodge and BTF for many years. She was an active participant of Mystic Star Ritual, Round Table and Co-Freemasonry and was a Co-Freemason of a very high Degree. With her lilting voice she has inspired Brethren on many occasions singing Bhajans, hymns  and devotional songs. On Adyar Day 2016, on phone she sang Adyar Song for members who like her were not able to attend the Adyar Day Meeting. She was a friend and guide to many. Sis. Navaz Dhalla organized the Mystic Star Ritual of June 2016 in her memory. It was a well attended beautiful ceremony. Ms. Mahfrin & Ms. Binaifer, who were like Dhun’s daughters, also attendeded the ceremony. During the ceremony Sis. Navaz Dhalla paid tributes to her and fondly recollected her words “Aapri Chai ni Dosti Chhe”.  She used to feel very happy when Navaz used to call her. All present silently prayed for peace to Sis. Dhun Bolltlewalla and opportunities for her to serve on Higher Planes.

EMPTY YOUR MIND

A translation of a Gujarati Article by

Late Sis Mehra Dhalla of Blavatsky Lodge

When the monsoon comes the pond gets filled. Slowly this water level reduces and sometimes the pond dries up completely. Likewise, things which are full need to be emptied. One such thing is the mind of Man. We have to learn how to do this.

We store in our minds many useless and damaging things, such as fear, contempt, enmity, guilty feelings, and sinful thoughts --  all have a place in our mind, and worries are always ready to pounce and occupy a permanent place in our mind. When we forcefully throw out these things from our minds, then we empty our mind. Then we have to quickly fill it up because the mind is never ready to remain empty. So we must fill it up with good (peaceful) and healthy thoughts and when worry stands at the door of the mind, we shall tell it to stay there. “My mind has no place for you”

Those who can banish worry from the mind can sleep peacefully. Those who let it stay will toss and turn half the night and cannot sleep.

We have to guard the mind day and night and keep it active. To do this we should recall happy and beautiful thoughts, such as hills, peaks, mountains, rivers which we have seen in our travels. It is possible to see in our mind’s eyes all such things with a pure mind, we can relive past experiences which are happy. Through good activity, we can spend our days and nights peacefully.

Many persons in trains and buses either read or recite God’s name, some keep turning prayer beads to keep the mind always active and invite peaceful thoughts. Thus evil thoughts are kept at bay, such a person has faith that in this way all fears and troubles will recede. One should not be shy to read or recite God’s name in public.

There is another way to keep the mind clean. Every person must talk to himself. Using his name, he must say ‘my friend, my loving companion, my Mind, now you become quiet.’ We have to dispel all useless thoughts. We have to invite good, happy, and useful thoughts. By explaining this to the mind, it will cooperate with us.

At times when dining, guests have come and are laughing together and are happy one will say “this year there will be such shortage of water that villages will have to leave homes.” We should not make such pessimistic talk; such talk destroys the peace of mind of all guests. On such occasions one must talk only things which increase happiness.

What we talk and hear has a direct effect on our thoughts. Thoughts can travel from one heart to another. Similarly, we talk to convey our thoughts to others. Such talk should be done peacefully using proper words which will not disturb the peace of mind.

For a peaceful mind, one must talk less and keep silent whenever possible. To keep silent, seek out quiet places. At such times one should not write, read or do any other activity.

At such times, one should try to empty the mind. In the beginning it is very difficult to keep the mind quiet, thoughts will crowd the mind but by continuous effort slowly the mind will become quiet.

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 TODAY’S EDUCATION

Prize Winning Essay of

Jamubhai & Suryaben Dani Memorial

Inter School Competition

The importance of education in our life is great. It is a wise, hopeful, and a respectful cultivation of learning with the belief that all should have a chance to be educated and experience its benefit. Thus it is imperative for any government to ensure that there is a proper education system in place for its youth who are the future of the next generation. This will not only take care of the aspirations of the people but also take care of the growth and economic development of the country. The present education system has failed on both counts and hence, has outlived its use.

Unfortunately, we in India have still persisted with the system devised by the British that enabled them to rule over this country for over 200 years. This system ideally suited them to meet their requirements of clerks and assistants who could implement the dictates of their white masters. Thus this system enabled a handful of imperialist forces, to hold hegemony over the entire sub-continent.

It is indeed a matter of shame that even after more than half a century of our independence, we have still not been able to remove the shackles of this outdated system. This arrangement has continued to produce an army of graduates and post graduates, who have no vocational training whatsoever, making them unemployed. The consequence of this is that corruption, slowly and gradually, has taken deep roots in our country as everyone wants to make a fast buck at any cost. Even the education system has not been left out. With demand of high capitation fees, the rich and the wealthy flaunt their status by bribing and spending money for a degree in professional higher education. Whereas the poor or even middle class people have to settle with second or third preference. Due to this type of corruption, the intelligent and deserving students get a setback. This leads to frustration, which in turn forces those intelligent ones into illegal practices to make a fast buck. Moreover, with economic liberalization and current thinking of downsizing of jobs, there will be fewer opportunities of employment. The over emphasis on awarding degrees in a variety of subjects, from social sciences to music and dance, the present youth, when he cannot get employment, gets disgruntled, as he thinks that spending money, time and energy to obtain a degree takes him nowhere, making the entire exercise irrelevant.

Apart from preparing him for gainful employment, it does not even prepare him for life. The overemphasis on passing through theoretical examinations, at the end of the year, leads to highly subjective assessment of an individual’s true potential and in-depth knowledge. Thus we see students resorting to selective cramming to obtain excellent grades in the examination. Those with more ingenuity and muscle power are able to resort to cheating and manipulating marks, reducing the system to a farce. This is but an irony, for instead of imbibing good values; it rewards those resorting to cheating and using unfair means.

The Government’s insistence for having graduation as the minimum qualification for government jobs, has led to a large scale distribution of degrees. Some of which can be procured from dubious institutions. This leads to rampant corruption in the so-called universities that are the temples of learning; thus making mockery of the system that has indeed outlived its use.

It is therefore, imperative that as we enter the new millennium we replace the structure with a more humane, objective, forward looking system where there is more stress on character building and vocational training and a system where the youth not only grows up with a healthy personality, but also with wholesome knowledge for his own as well as the nation’s progress.        

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Don’t ever take away someone’s hope; it may be all they have to hold on to.

Don’t make decisions when you are angry.

Take care of your physical body.

Learn to say “no” but do so with kindness and caring.

Don’t put things off. Do what is needed to be done in the moment.

Anger is like a storm rising up

from the bottom of your consciousness.

When you feel it coming,

turn your focus to your breath.

Breathe in deeply to bring your mind

 home to your body.

Then look at, or think of, the person

triggering this emotion: with mindfulness,

you can see that they are unhappy and suffering.

You can see their wrong perceptions.

You will feel motivated by a desire

 to say or do something

 to help the other person suffer less.

This means compassionate energy

has been born in your heart.

And when compassion appears, anger is deleted

                             

 

  - Thich Nhat Hanh

( Courtesy ‘The Theosophist’ May 2016)

BTF & LODGE PROGRAMMES JULY 2016

 1. ANANDA LODGE: Theosophical Colony, Juhu, Mumbai 400049. Sunday 17th July 2016 at 12.00 noon. Contact Dr. Smruti Hora Tel: 26151060 for details

2. BLAVATSKY LODGE: 7 French Bridge, Mumbai 400007.

DAY	TIME	DETAILS
Fri      1	6.00 pm	Members’ Meeting – Study of AB & CWL’s Book “MAN.. Whence, How and Whither” conducted by Sis Aban Patel
Sun    3	10.00 am	Bharat Samaj Pooja
Fri     8	6.00 p m	‘Great Experiences of the Lives of HPB, H.S. Olcott, Annie Besant & C.W. Leadbeater’ from Gujarati Book of Harjiwandas Kalidas Mehta – Reading by Sis Aban Patel
Sun   10	10.30 am 11.00 am	To gather for preparations Mystic Star Ritual
Fri    15	6.00 pm	Asala Purnima Meeting
Fri    22	4.30 pm 6.00 pm	Blavatsky Lodge Managing Committee Meeting  Members’ Meeting – Study of AB & CWL’s Book “MAN.. Whence, How and Whither” conducted by Sis Aban Patel
Sun   24	10.45 am	Maitreya Round Table
Fri    29	6.00 pm	Members’ Meeting - Talk on ‘Demystifying Pathanjali’ by Bro. Arni Narendran
Tues 5, 12, 19, 26	4.15 pm  5.30 pm	Yoga Session conducted by Shernaz Vatchha SS Meetings for Theosophical Readings & discussions

3. CENTENARY LODGE:

Will inform when they are able to hold meeting.

4. JYOTI LODGE: Contact Bro. Taral Munshi, c/o Dr. Ajay Hora, B-7, Juhu   Theosophical Colony, Mumbai 400049 Tel 26151060

5. SHANTI LODGE: C/o Bro. Rustom Dalal, Vijay Niwas, 2nd Floor, Plot    5, Sleater Road, Mumbai 400007    

7	Talk by Sis. Bana Mehta
14	Study of C. W. Leadbeater’s book ‘Man Visible & Invisible’
21	Talk by Dr. Darius H. Umrigar (at Blavatsky Lodge)
28	Study of C. W. Leadbeater’s book ‘Man Visible & Invisible’

6. UNITY YOUTH LODGE: C/o Blavatsky Lodge

Wed  20

5.30 pm

Theosophical readings guided by Sis. Soonoo Vesuna at her residence Vijay Niwas, 4th Floor, Sleater Road

7 & 8 VASANTA LODGE & GANESH LODGE: Please note NEW ADDRESS: C/O Dr. Ajay Hora, Kamla Sadan 1st Floor, Pherozsha Mehta Rd., Santa Cruz West, Mumbai 400054.

Wednesday 6 (Bank Holiday – Lodge closed), 13, 20 & 27 Meetings at 6.30 pm.

9. VIMADALAL BILIA LODGE: Family House, Parsi Colony, Dadar, Mumbai 400014.     

Thurs    7	6.00	Lodge Meeting by Sis. Armaity Tirandaz
Thurs  14	6.00	Commemoration of Ashadha Purnima (July 20, 04.26 am IST)
Thurs  21	6.00	Lodge Meeting by Sis. Armaity Tirandaz
Thurs  28	6.00	Lodge Meeting by Sis. Armaity Tirandaz

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As social animals, human beings need friendship, but friendship does not come from wealth and power, but from showing compassion and concern for others.

                                   His Holiness the XIV Dalali Lama

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Price: Rs. 1/-                                                 Annual Subscription: Rs. 10/-

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Edited & Published by Editor Shri. Rustom R. Dalal, The Bombay Theosophical Federation, c/o Blavatsky Lodge, 7 – French Bridge, Chowpatty, Mumbai – 400 007. (Tel: 23685026) and Printed at Vijay Copy Centre, 48/A, Saidunnisa Building, Sleater Road, Opposite Grant Road Station (West), Mumbai - 400 007 (Tel:23865137)