BLAVATSKY LODGE: 7 - French Bridge, Mumbai 400007 Programme for June 2017
Tel: 23685026 (M): 9821459504 (M): 9819334333
DAY
|
TIME
|
DETAILS
|
Fri 2
|
6.00 pm
|
Members’ Meeting – Study of AB & CWL’s Book “MAN.. Whence, How and Whither” conducted by Sis Aban Patel
|
Sun 4
|
10.00 am
10.30 am
|
Bharat Samaj Pooja
BTF Council Meeting
|
Fri 9
|
5.45 pm
6.15 pm
6.15 pm
|
To gather for Ritual preparations
Mystic Star Ritual
Dr. Darius H. Umrigar’s Talk (in Lobby)
|
Fri 16
|
6.00 pm
|
Members’ Meeting for Readings & Discussion
|
Fri 23
|
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 25
|
10.45 am
|
Maitreya Round Table
|
Fri 30
|
6.00 pm
|
Members’ Meeting for Readings & Discussion
|
Tues 6, 13, 20 & 27
|
5.45 pm
|
Reading and discussion on Lives of Alcyone by AB and CWL presented by Sis Navaz Dhalla
|
BTF Bulletin for June 2017
THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF
THE BOMBAY
THEOSOPHICAL FEDERATION
Volume
86
|
—
|
No.9
|
–
|
June 2017
|
CONTENTS
Quote
|
Cover
|
News & Notes –
White Lotus Day/ Wesak Purnima
|
2
- 4
|
Theosophy In The
Home – Part 1
|
5
- 9
|
A Visit to Adyar Library by Sis. Thrity Dalal
|
10
|
BTF & Lodge Programmes June 2017
|
11 -
12
|
NEWS & NOTES
WHITE LOTUS DAY
MEETINGS of 2017:
AT ANAND LODGE On 8th May
: The Ananda
Lodge meeting for the month of May was held at the Lodge to
celebrate White Lotus Day. We were honored to have BTF President Bro.
Vinayak Pandya with us who explained the importance of White Lotus
Day. Dr. Ajay Hora shared a story of his Mother’s Life. One of our members Misty
Karla read a poetic verse. The youngest attendee of the meeting, Nimit
Mehta read a passage from the book The Divine which had an impact on him. A
guest speaker Mr. Savant, who is a Tai chi Master shared some beautiful
thoughts on the Gita. The meeting concluded with Farida and the members who
mutually decided that next month’s topic would be ‘Theosophy &
KARMA’. Last but not least we all
enjoyed Bhel & Pani-Puri.
–
Reported by Sis. Zenobia Khodaiji
AT BLAVATSKY LODGE On 7th May 2017:
Bro. Zinoo Master informs that a day
earlier some of the members met in Green Room near HPB’s photo to offer flowers
and for the Readings. Sis. Thrity Dalal read from Light of Asia and The Voice
of Silence. Bro. Zinoo Master & Sis. Manjula Kanabar read from Bhagvad
Gita.
*************************************************************
Editor – Bro. Rustom R. Dalal Cover Page By: Sis. Kashmira Khambatta
Editorial Committee – Sis. Mahazaver Dalal (Reporter
in charge of Mailing List), Sis.
Kashmira Khambatta, Sis. Aban Patel and Ex-Officio: President Bro. Vinayak Pandya. 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.
AT BLAVATSKY LODGE on 8th May 2017:
The meeting
started with the Prayers of All Religions and the Universal Prayer. Bro. Arni Narendran explained the White
Lotus Day as under: May 8th, 1891 was the day when the 19th Century’s most
outstanding occultist HPB left the body, which strode like Colossus in the
world of spiritual search for 60 years. HPB, Co-Founder of the TS was cremated
in London and her ashes were preserved in Pasadena, London and Adyar. Years
later the ashes were brought to India from London and sprinkled across the
Ganges at Varanasi. The White Lotus, profusely blossoming in unusual numbers on
the day of the Anniversary at the Adyar pond, is a symbol of her death
anniversary celebrated by Theosophists all over the world as ‘White Lotus Day’.
In a covenant registered at the High Court of Madras, Col. Olcott defined the
ceremony in all its dimensions, such as reading from the Bhagvad Gita &
Light of Asia, to which much later the Voice of Silence was included. The idea
is to avoid empty rhetoric and adulation of HPB and instead to rededicate our
lives to Theosophy, both in Theory and Practice. Blavatsky strived to collate
this Ancient Divine Wisdom, described as Theosophy for posterity not with the
intent of individual self-realization, but of the entire world for which all
members of the TS should be a facilitator. This macro consciousness is bound to
take the human civilization to the next level of evolution. Truths, Compassion
& Brotherhood are the hallmarks. May each member of Blavatsky lodge
rededicate oneself in this sacred mission and make the day’s celebration
meaningful. This is the best homage we can pay to the selfless soul.
The Three Readings: Vice-President Bro. Navin Kumar recited
shlokas of the ‘Bhagvad Gita’ and explained their meanings. Sis. Ketayun Irani
& Sis. Zeena Rustomji read passages from ‘Voice of Silence’. Bro. Rustom
Cooper read passages from the ‘Light of Asia’.
Bro. Berthram Redwood speaking on HPB said: HPB was known
to the world as an extraordinary woman with occult powers. She was endowed with
higher powers and clairvoyant faculties from her very childhood. She studied
magic in Egypt and joined the Druses of Lebanon, a secret society. She was
ordered by her Masters to sail to
India with Col.
Olcott. She landed in Bombay in 1879. She wrote the ‘Isis Unveiled’ and ‘The
Secret Doctrine’ which the Adapt Brothers had passed the information before the
inner gaze of HPB.
The verses of ‘The Golden Stairs’ authored by HPB
were recited by Sis. Kashmira Khambatta and followed by members present. The
frame of HPB was adorned with a beautiful garland, where members paid their
respect and took blessings.
-Reported by
Sis. Kashmira Khambatta
WESAK PURNIMA MEETING AT BLAVATSKY LODGE on 10th May
2017: Members gathered in Green Room near Lord Buddha’s statue. Near the Alter
Table Sis Kashmira Khambatta had
done beautiful Rangoli of Lord Buddha underneath the Bodhisattva Tree with
shining full moon. The meeting was opened with all reciting The Buddhist Prayer
together. Bro. Navin Kumar read
extracts of The First Sermon from The Light of Asia and The Buddhist Catechism
by HSO. Bro. Keki Palkhiwalla spoke
about the Wesak Ceremony and propounded on Lord Buddha’s Teachings to school
boy Chatta and the Mahamangla Sutta –
The Greatest Blessing. His message was, today man lives in outer circle
concerned with outer world. If Realization should dawn that he has to work from
Inner Circle and should try to follow the Truth. At the end, members partook
water as the blessings of Lord Buddha.
Sis. Perviz N. Cooper writes enclosing her Ex-Gratia
help for Shri Ganpat Jadhav: Ganpat was a very dedicated, hardworking and
kind hearted person. He used to look after my daughter Parinaz, when she was
small and I was attending a Masonic Ceremony. She used to love going to
Blavatsky lodge and be in care of Ganpat.
THEOSOPHY
IN THE HOME
[Part 1]
Extracts from a chapter of
a Theosophical book
By
Late Bro. Homi M. Mistry
What is the family, in the
light of these Theosophical truths? It is a meeting
place of souls to help each other towards perfection. No individual in a family
comes there by mere chance. The elders and the youngsters, the masters
and the servants, the guests, even the domestic animals are in a family because
each is to help and to be helped. There is no such thing as chance in
the Divine Plan; each individual in the family comes and goes, is a member of
it for a long or a short time, because he can co-operate to further the welfare
of all the other members of the family. He has a definite role in the family,
and his growth as a soul is by playing that role to the fullness of his
capacity. The home is a place for growth, and the ideal home is where the
conditions are such as enable each individual member of it to grow swiftest
towards his perfection.
There are several aspects of life in the home, and
each is affected by the principles of Theosophy.
What has Theosophy to say concerning the relation of parent and child, husband
and wife, master and servant, host and guest?
Relationship
of Parent and Child
First
let us take the relation of parent and child. The child has a dual nature, first as a soul and second as a body. It
is only the body which the parents provide; the soul of the child lives his
life independently, and takes charge of the body provided for him, because he
hopes to evolve through it. It is only as regards the body of the child that
the parents are the elders, but the child as a soul is the equal of the parents
and sometimes is wiser, more capable and more evolved than they.
Therefore the child does not belong to the parents.
They are only guardians of his body, so long as the
soul cannot fully direct the body during its infancy and youth. The phrase “my
child” gives no right over the destiny of the child. It gives only the
privilege of helping in the evolution of a brother soul. As the parents evolve
by learning to help their fellowmen, one such is sent to them as their child.
During the years of infancy, the parents’ duty is to
help the soul of the child to take control of his body so as to do his work. That soul comes with many experiences of past
lives, he is preparing himself for a vast work in the distant future. He takes
birth in a particular family because its environment is both what he deserves
and that from which he can get the experiences he needs for his growth. The
duty of the parents is to help the child to live those experiences.
This is to be done first
by surrounding the child with all that makes for a healthy life. It is the duty of the parents to know the rules of hygiene and
sanitation, so that the physical conditions for the child may be as perfect as
possible. Next the parents must provide an emotional and mental atmosphere that
helps the child. The soul of the child is not perfect. He comes from his past
lives where he has been both good and evil; tendencies of both are in him as he
takes his new birth. But the parents can help the child’s growth by recalling
to his memory in his early years only the good and helpful experiences and not
the evil and vicious. It is true that the soul must eradicate the evil in
himself only by his own action, but others can make it easier for him,
especially when he begins a new life as a child by throwing their weight on the
side of his good rather than of his evil.
Therefore the parents must understand the invisible
power of thought and feeling. How a thought of
anger, whether expressed or not expressed, waters the hidden seeds of anger
which the child has brought from the past lives, and how equally thoughts of
love and affection starve out the germs of evil while they feed the germs of
good. A soul with both good and evil in him can start his new experiment with
life as a good child rather than as a bad one, if the parents will foster in
themselves their good thoughts and feelings rather than the evil.
While the duty of the
parents is to surround children with all that tends to goodness and beauty, the failure of the child to be good under those circumstances is
not necessarily due to the parents. The soul of the child may find the seeds of
evil in himself too strong for control. The parents can but attempt to guide
him, but if he will not be guided he must go his own way. The soul will learn
through his mistakes and through the suffering resulting to him and to others
from them. If the parents do their duty, they have done all the Divine Plan
expects of them. They cannot make or unmake the nature of a soul for the soul
himself must work out his salvation. A mistake is not the calamity that appears
to be when we know that the soul has not one life only within which to set
right his error, but several lives. The Divine Plan gives the soul as many
opportunities as he needs, till he finally grows into strength and virtue.
Therefore no parent need blame himself, if he has done his duty, because his
child does not respond to ideals of virtue. The opportunities that the child
refuses to take will come to him again, though only after he has been taught by
pain to grasp them. What the parents must always do under these circumstances
is not to think of the soul by his failures and so increase his weaknesses, but
to think of the soul by his virtues and so strengthen them.
In the training of children, one important question is
how to make a child do the right thing and not the wrong. Unfortunately, civilization hitherto has believed that some kind of
corporal punishment is inevitable as a part of the method. While parents have
the duty of training a child, they have no right whatsoever to force him. The
excuse that the punishment is good for a child is not really borne out in the
light of the fullest facts. It is true that in early years the child body is
very largely an animal intelligence overshadowed by the soul nature, and that
many of the child’s activities have little or no direct association with the
soul, it is not the soul that eats and drinks, is pettish or obstinate, or is
made happy with toys, or laughs when tickled. The animal side of the child does
indeed often require curbing, but any kind of outward pressure by corporal
punishment while it may achieve the intended result, brings about also a
certain coarsening of the child’s vehicles which makes them more obstructive to
the spiritualizing influences of the Ego.
The higher nature of the
child, represented by his latent emotions and thoughts, has in childhood great
sensitiveness. If proper care is taken, a fine and
happy emotional nature and an open and intuitive mentality can result for the
child as he grows up. Harsh treatment of any kind coarsens his finer vehicles,
however much it may temporarily check the crudities of the physical and
repeated shocks of this kind finally coarsen and deaden that higher
sensitiveness which should be prominent in all men and women as a normal
characteristic of human beings. The man who is thankful that he was made to be
good by punishment does not realize how much better he might have become, had a
more rational system or training been understood by those who had his young vehicles
in their charge.
When parents and
educationists realize that all the experiences of
life have not to be condensed into one
brief lifetime, that the soul has an eternity of growth before him, that he has
the right to make his own experiments in life, so long as he does not hinder
the growth of others, that each individual alone is responsible for him only as
they are his brothers and fellow men, then we shall have a saner outlook upon
this matter of child welfare and training and there will be little difficulty
in arranging methods of child discipline which will curb the child’s animal
nature in ways that are not derogatory
to his higher nature as a soul.
NOTE: Part 2 of this
article about Relationships of Husband & Wife, Master & Servant and
Master & Animals will be printed in BTF Bulletin of July 2017
·
“Who is your best friend?”
A
temple was asked.
“A small mosque across
the street”,
It replied.
·
Reckless deforestation.
Rising temperatures made them sweat
profusely.
Yet the lonely tree on
the roadside
Happily offered them
shade
Messages posted on
Smartphone by
Bro. Farhad C. Dalal of Unity
Youth Lodge
|
THE
SECRET OF CHANGE IS TO FOCUS
ALL
OF YOUR ENERGY,
NOT
ON FIGHTING THE OLD,
BUT
ON BUILDING THE NEW.
SOCRATES
A
VIST TO ADYAR LIBRARY
Sis. Thrity C. Dalal of
Shanti Lodge TS
I
had always wanted to visit the Adyar Library and see for myself the various
relics on display there, but never really got the opportunity on my various
visits to Adyar. But the opportunity came during my recent visit to Adyar. The peaceful atmosphere of Adyar was
compounded by the atmosphere of serious reading at the Adyar Library and Research
Centre.
I was
told that members of the Library had access to all literature which they could
read in the Reading Room. The members were allowed to take choice of their
books home after two years of membership.
The
spacious Reading Room provided a perfect setting to go through various books,
journals, write ups from all over the world – all were not necessarily
theosophical literature. I could find all sorts of journals from various
philosophical organisations, in various languages, with special reference to
eastern philosophies.
I also got
a chance to view the various relics in the Display Room which included 20,000 palm-leaf manuscripts from India,
Sri Lanka, China, and other places, some rare works like the smallest Bible,
Khordeh Avasta, personally signed letters from Col. Olcott and C. Jinarajadasa,
etc. It gave an insight into the past glories of various religions.
It was a very short visit but an uplifting
experience which I would definitely like to repeat on my next visit.
BTF & LODGE PROGRAMMES JUNE 2017
1.ANANDA LODGE: Theosophical Colony, Juhu, Mumbai 400049.
Contact Ananda Lodge Secretary Sis. Zenobia Khodaiji (M): 9820308163 or Ananda
Lodge Representative to BTF Sis. Anjoo Narain (M): 9820132473 for Meeting of June 2017
2. BLAVATSKY LODGE: 7 -
French Bridge, Mumbai 400007
Tel: 23685026 (M):
9821459504 (M): 9819334333
DAY
|
TIME
|
DETAILS
|
Fri 2
|
6.00 pm
|
Members’
Meeting – Study of AB & CWL’s Book “MAN.. Whence, How and Whither”
conducted by Sis Aban Patel
|
Sun 4
|
10.00 am
10.30 am
|
Bharat
Samaj Pooja
BTF
Council Meeting
|
Fri 9
|
5.45 pm
6.15 pm
6.15 pm
|
To gather for Ritual preparations
Mystic
Star Ritual
Dr.
Darius H. Umrigar’s Talk (in
Lobby)
|
Fri 16
|
6.00 pm
|
Members’
Meeting for Readings & Discussion
|
Fri 23
|
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 25
|
10.45 am
|
Maitreya
Round Table
|
Fri 30
|
6.00 pm
|
Members’
Meeting for Readings & Discussion
|
Tues
6, 13, 20 & 27
|
5.45 pm
|
Reading
and discussion on Lives of Alcyone by AB and CWL presented by Sis Navaz
Dhalla
|
3. CENTENARY LODGE:
Please contact Sis. Najma Dewan (M):
9987204038
4. JYOTI LODGE: C/o Bro. Taral Munshi, C/101, Building No.19,
New Mhada, Garden Hill C.H.S., New Mhada Colony, Behind N.P.A., Goregaon
(East), Mumbai 400065 (M): 9820187317
5. SHANTI
LODGE:
C/o Bro. Rustom Dalal, Vijay Niwas, 2nd Floor, Plot 5, Sleater Road, Mumbai 400007 Tel: 23800422
Thursdays at 6.15 p.m. (M): 9833131216
1
|
Study of
P. Pavri’s Book ‘The Living Wisdom’
|
8
|
Study of
P. Pavri’s Book ‘The Living Wisdom’
|
15
|
Talk by Dr. Darius H. Umrigar (at Blavatsky Lodge)
|
22
|
Shanti
Lodge 71st Foundation Day Meeting
followed
by Refreshments
|
29
|
Study of
P. Pavri’s Book ‘The Living Wisdom’
|
6. UNITY YOUTH LODGE: Sis.
Soonoo Vesuna (M): 9619339787
Wed 21
|
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: C/O Dr. Ajay Hora, Kamla Sadan 1st Floor, Pherozsha
Mehta Rd., Santa Cruz West, Mumbai 400054. (M): 9820302371 (M): 9892147659
Wednesday 7, 14, 21 & 28 Meetings at
6.30 pm.
9. VIMADALAL BILIA LODGE:
Family House, Parsi
Colony, Dadar, Mumbai 400014. Tel:
24185510
Thurs
1
|
6.00
|
Lodge Meeting by Sis.
Armaity Tirandaz
|
Thurs
8
|
6.00
|
Lodge Meeting by Sis.
Armaity Tirandaz
|
Thurs
15
|
6.00
|
Members’ Meeting
|
Thurs
22
|
6.00
|
Talk by Mrs. Meher
Contractor
|
Thurs
29
|
6.00
|
Talk by Dr. Firdos
Shroff
|
********************************************************
To serve the Almighty,
Who is manifested in all living creature;
With whatever faculty each one of us has,
Is the greatest worship, the highest
spiritual living.
-
Courtesy THINK!: A quote of Swami Chinmayananda
********************************************************
Price: Rs. 1/- Annual
Subscription: Rs. 10/-
********************************************************
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)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MINUTES OF THE MCM OF JUNE 2017
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MINUTES OF THE MCM OF JUNE 2017
Blavatsky Lodge
THE
THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY
7, French Bridge, Rangnekar Road, Chowpatty, Mumbai-400 007
Minutes of the
Managing Committee meeting held at 4.30 pm on Friday, the 23rd of June, 2017 at
Blavatsky Lodge, Mumbai.
The meeting chaired
by the President Sis. Kashmira Khambatta began with the Universal Prayer.
Members Present: Bro. Navin Kumar,
Sis. Nawaz Dhalla, Sis Jasmine Cawasji, Bro.Arni
Narendran, Rustom Cooper
Leave of Absence: Bro. Noor Baig, Bro. Rustom Dalal, Sis. Freny Pagdiwalla, Bro. Roy Mathews, Sis.
Aban Patel, Sis. Ruby Khan
The deliberations
of the Meeting were as under:
1. Confirmation
of Minutes:
Minutes of the MC
meeting held on 26th May, 2017, which were distributed to members in
advance to facilitate careful reading beforehand, were considered and confirmed.
2. Hon.
Treasurer’s Report:
The Treasurer’s Report for the month of May, 2017 was read by Bro. Arni
Narendran and approved by the Managing Committee Members present.
3. Matters Arising
From the Minutes:
a) Cleaning of the Mathai Room.
b) Estimate from PCI
c) AGM date fixed on Sunday 3rd September 2017.
3. Miscellaneous:
a) Balance Sheet: The Committee approved the accounts prepared by Mr.
Kunal. The same has been forwarded to Ms. Rashida for audit by the treasurer.
The Treasurer also informed that the accounts are being sent to the collector
for giving us exemption for the Land Revenue for the year 2016 -2017.
b) The Committee members joined the President in wishing a speedy
recovery to Bro. Dalal.
There being no other business, the Meeting ended with a vote of thanks to
the chair.
Secretary
President
(Jasmine
Cawasji)
(Kashmira Khambatta)
Blavatsky Lodge
THE
THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY
7, French Bridge, Rangnekar Road, Chowpatty, Mumbai-400 007
Minutes of the
Managing Committee meeting held at 4.30 pm on Friday, the 28th of July, 2017 at
Blavatsky Lodge, Mumbai.
The meeting chaired
by the President Sis. Kashmira Khambatta began with the Universal Prayer.
Members Present: Bro. Navin Kumar,
Sis. Nawaz Dhalla, Sis Jasmine Cawasji, Bro.Arni
Narendran, Rustom Cooper, Sis. Aban
Patel, Sis. Ruby Khan
Leave of Absence: Bro. Noor Baig, Bro. Rustom Dalal, Sis. Freny Pagdiwalla, Bro. Roy Mathews.
The deliberations
of the Meeting were as under:
1. Confirmation
of Minutes:
Minutes of the MC
meeting held on 23rd June, 2017, which were distributed to members
in advance to facilitate careful reading beforehand, were considered and confirmed.
2. Hon.
Treasurer’s Report:
The Treasurer’s Report for the month of June, 2017 was read by Sis. Ruby
Khan and approved by the Managing Committee Members present.
3. Matters Arising
From the Minutes:
a) Decided to give PCI, the contract for the control of white ants for
the period of five years.
b) AGM Notice to be printed in September 2017 BTF Bulletin.
3. Miscellaneous:
a) The Committee Members have agreed to donate Rs.45,000/- to assuage the
burden on the Lodge for the PCI 5 year contract amount.
There being no other business, the Meeting ended with a vote of thanks to
the chair.
Secretary
President
(Jasmine
Cawasji)
(Kashmira Khambatta)
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