Version: October 10, 2004
Each year we are given the opportunity at Convention time to renew our commitment to the Great Lodge of Masters, to our Higher Selves, and to God. This year, the 101st Convention of the Temple of the People filled our minds, hearts, and souls with renewed aspirations and awareness of the tremendous help we receive from the Masters through Their love and teachings.
The week was filled with a rich variety of activities that allowed us time for quiet, prayer, meaningful interaction, and great joy. Now we have the task of translating this infilling force into action throughout every moment of our daily lives as we work to demonstrate Eternal Truth.
- Eleanor L. Shumway
Guardian in Chief
August 5-13, 2000
SATURDAY, AUGUST 5
At 10 a.m., many residents of the community gathered to clean and polish the University Center, Temple, and Hiawatha Lodge.
The Noon Service was conducted by Zelma and George Colendich.
The University Center was open from 2-4 p.m. so everyone could enjoy the wonderful watercolors and oils depicting the Song of Hiawatha, painted by Harold Forgostein.
At 7 p.m., the community gathered in Hiawatha Lodge for the informal opening of Convention.
Chris Thyrring read In the Lodge of the Red Star:
In the Lodge of the Red Star we have met and renewed our allegiance to the Tribes -- to the Warrior Forces of the Universal Chief of Life. His war lance is the flaming sun. His Peace Pipe is the silvery moon. His lance has points as many as the sands of the sea, and no one can escape them. When the Great Chief lights his pipe at night and passes it to his brothers, the Star Men, great rings and wreaths of light glow in the sky. This is the voiceless Chant of Peace that bears to the Great Spirit the message that all is well with his world children. And the Great Spirit lights another star with love; another soul glows with the fires of hope and faith in the Master Chief, whose songs of life and sweetness fill the cabins of the tribes.
-- Hiawatha
Everyone sang Bless This House, accompanied by Nashoma Carlson. The program that followed included songs by Rita and Sergey Moiseyev and Ivan Ulz.
The Guardian in Chief, Eleanor Shumway, officially opened the 101st Convention in the Blue Star Memorial Temple:
I want to extend to all of you a warm welcome to the formal opening of the 101st Convention of the Temple of the People. Convention gives us a formal time of honoring our ideals which nurture the spirit and provides us a setting for rich interaction among everyone. Dr. Dower told us: "Our yearly convening creates a magnetic matrix through which the forces of the Masters radiate to all points of the compass to members on the outside, and through them, to the world of humanity. Those who are here are charged with this force and, when they go away to their homes, they carry the force with them and radiate it in terms of force and light independent of any religious or philosophical truth they may carry otherwise. There is a time in the orbit of each planet in the solar system when it is nearest to the Sun. So these yearly conventions bring members nearest to the Temple Sun, to the Masters who energize our work." During these proceedings this morning, as well as throughout the ensuing week, let us open our hearts to the energy being showered unceasingly upon us by the Masters.
The congregation then stood to sing the Convocation Hymn, Gitche Manito the Mighty, accompanied by Nashoma Carlson.
The Guardian in Chief invoked the blessings of the Great White Lodge on all proceedings:
In the name of the Great White Lodge and by the power vested in me as the Guardian in Chief of The Temple of the People, I hereby open this 101st Annual Convention by invoking the guidance and blessings of the Powers that rule the destinies of worlds and races, the Brothers of the Fire Mist, the Dhyan Chohans and Dhyani Buddhas, and the Masters of Love and Wisdom, on all proceedings and all who participate in person or in spirit in the Convention for the benefit of all humanity, promoting the Brother/Sisterhood of all Creation.
The sacred charge, Warriors of Light, was sung by Larry Abrahamsen, accompanied by Nashoma Carlson. The congregation joined for the final part of the charge.
The Master's Message to the Convention was then read by the Guardian in Chief:
THE MASTER'S MESSAGE
TO THE 2000 CONVENTION
My Beloved Children:
I bring special greetings as you assemble in convention. We who labor on the inner planes are with you at this time. Your work, our work, cannot be separated by time or space. To advance Our work of the uplifting of all created consciousness, you must accomplish your own work. Do you realize your responsibility? Do you recognize your privilege? I have told you again and yet again you have been given the Charge and the Trust that through you is made the possibility of carrying the Light of the New Day into the darkness of a suffering world.
It is up to you, and your unswerving determination to walk the path of discipleship will assist us to spread the Light and Love of the Indwelling Spirit to all who hunger for spiritual sustenance. This is not a matter of your convenience, it is a matter of your one-pointed dedication to Truth. This is not a matter of your endless repetition of high-sounding phrases, it is a matter of your action, of making the Truth a living part of your life. A simple assignment; and yet the more simple anything appears to be, the greater and more complex it is in reality.
From the beginning of the Temple work I have tried to impress upon you that "there are no little things." Every great event rests upon the foundation of some seemingly little thing, some simple action, and you may rest assured no Initiate of The Lodge will waste time, force, or knowledge in propounding a conundrum; or for amusement, direct the accomplishment of a useless task. If you refuse to learn the alphabet of life, you can never understand or speak its language.
The Language of Life is to be used by you on the physical plane which, at this stage of your unfoldment, is your primary place of experience. Until you are able to bring Eternal Truth into expression in the world around you, you cannot progress further on the Path. I have given you instructions past telling, inspiration, admonitions, and My boundless love. All are expressions of the Eternal Truth. What do you wait for? Why do you ask for "new" material from me? You already have all the strength and help you need. Your pure purpose, pure heart, aspiration, and perfect love for God and all humanity will take you over the most terrible pitfalls in safety. Fearlessness, Faith, Hope, Trust, Joy, and Love are your milestones on the Path.
Renew your pledges to the Lodge and strike out with confident step, light heart, and eyes ever on the Goal.
In tender love, I am
Your Father-Brother, Hilarion
The congregation then sang Creeds Disappear, Hearts Remain, accompanied by Nashoma Carlson. The service was concluded with the Feast of Fulfillment.
The Noon Healing Service was conducted by Eleanor Shumway and George Colendich.
At 1:30 p.m., the community gathered at the Central Home for a barbecue and potluck.
At 7 p.m., the Sunday evening meditation meeting was held in the Temple.
At 10 a.m., a forum entitled "Voice of the Silence" was held in the Temple.
Speakers were Larry Abrahamson, Willy Gommel, Chris Thyrring, and Ivan Ulz.
Today's theme has a transcendentally wonderful trait: simplicity. At least we need not spend time worrying about what the words mean!
Yet that simplicity does not keep one from wondering: How do those words fit together so as to make sense to us? If an environment is silent, how can it have a voice?
I was having a chat with someone here a few days ago about monasteries. That struck me as a good place to start looking for meaning.
Have you ever been to a monastery? I have. Even just an hour or two spent on its grounds, within its walls, such as at a ceremony or service, should immediately make plain where I'm heading with this. It's not necessary to be a monk for a substantial time to see it. I suspect that a good many people have not been to a monastery, so let me tell you about my experience.
At the time, I was living in rural central Colorado, not far from Aspen. Down Highway 82 a ways from that well-known town, there's a hamlet named Snowmass. For anyone familiar enough with the area to wonder, I am not talking about that glitzy hillside ski resort of the same name well off the highway; I'm talking about that little hamlet down the road about 15 miles, the one the locals distinguish by calling it Old Snowmass.
The adventure begins right there next to the little store. A driveway? Nay, folks, that little patch of asphalt is actually a road. For close to ten minutes we wind our way through, away from what Istvan would call the Mammon-crazed busyness of Highway 82, flirting with this bubbling little creek (and, if it's winter, trying to keep our tires on that road at all), through the trees crowding this tiny little narrow notch through the overbearing mountain range to whose flank the greater Highway clings, till, a bit more than five miles later, we emerge into a gorgeous and rather wide valley on the other side. Ah, there on the left is Windstar -- but no, our interest lies, as C. S. Lewis puts it so beautifully, "further up and further in!"
So we turn right instead of left and promptly see, "Not a through road." That, of course, depends on where you're going. This region of Colorado is threaded all over with roads like this: you ascend. Then you climb. Then you rise. Then you go up. Further up! Further in! Beauty, beauty everywhere. It soon crosses your mind just how far you're leaving the busy, comfortable world of crowds behind. 20 minutes -- 25 -- long ago we lost count of the fields we've crossed, the bridges, the curves. We have passed all of two cars. Hmm. That mountain range up yonder seems to hem this valley in with a certain emphatic authority. Is this a wild goose chase after all? Another couple of elevation changes we hadn't noticed; we proceed on, determined to see it out.
Something catches our glance on the left. How could we have missed this? A toy hotel, sitting in a straw field. But then two things immediately strike our attention. First, the car's motion reveals that it is actually quite a ways from the road -- no toy, that! It's actually rather sizable. Second, it doesn't look quite like a hotel -- something about it says c-h-u-r-c-h. Yet what kind of church is it that sits far back -- half a mile -- in the middle of huge and apparently empty fields? Ah, here's the entrance: St. Benedict's Trappist Monastery, Snowmass, Colorado.
We turn in. The long driveway curves a bit this way and that and is maintained better than the public road we just left. Already a strange mood is settling upon us. We park and follow the signs to the chapel entrance, where Brother Thomas meets us and with subdued voice speaks gently with us about the schedule and the ceremony.
The surroundings aren't all that extraordinary. This is no hoary old architectural anachronism. It is actually quite a modern structure. Yet a page has been taken from church architecture: the immaculate hallway leads into a spacious anteroom nearly as tall as it is wide, and there is something incredibly peaceful about the chapel itself, with its arched beams and cathedral ceiling.
It's at about this time -- walking into the chapel and beginning to hunt for a seat in a pew -- that the first of several conversions takes place. Suddenly I'm a pilgrim, and this entire trip has become a pilgrimage. Recovering from this surprise and resuming my seat-hunt, I promptly encounter the second: Here, it makes absolutely no difference where I sit. So I merely fall into the nearest empty one (there are three or four other hardy pilgrims here as well).
I'm somewhat early. I wait. Thank God I'm patient. Third conversion: I must be silent here. Something about this place compels it. Immediately, the fourth happens as well: Time has no meaning at all here. Talk about a spectacularly different feeling! What an atmosphere! Am I creating all this? That seems implausible and, somehow, even disrespectful. I tentatively conclude that the atmosphere has been in place before my arrival. How this works is, of course, a fascinating study in itself, which I haven't time to pursue here. Another tangent for another time!
But at last my reflections are interrupted as gently as everything seems to happen around here -- yes, already, even now. The monks quietly enter in their white robes. The vespers begins. Meditative silences, quiet prayers, Gregorian chant, the incredible sound in this marvelous acoustic space. Too soon it's over.
We pause on the way out to talk to Brother Thomas at some length. Glimpses of a modern, carpeted corridor leading to the refectory and some of the cells come through another open door in the anteroom. Respect for their traditions, vows and program easily overrules the intense desire to go and learn something of those who live here, sharing something of their peace and profound philosophy and perhaps even to encourage. Yet Brother Thomas is an excellent window into a bit of it.
That experience has changed my life forever. I believe it has been an absolute prerequisite to my participation in the Temple of the People, not to mention my understanding of this year's theme title, which I believe it illustrates with a simplicity not touched even by the words I have had to use in presenting it. I believe that the attuned consciousness will already have discovered something in the story which I cannot put into any number of words.
My coming to Halcyon has been a pilgrimage also -- one both strikingly similar and dissimilar to my discovery of the Trappists' hidden paradise. A key similarity: I have found the Voice of the Silence here, and within the first hour or two, at that. A key dissimilarity: Here I am one of the monks -- yet my life does not, to the casual glance, look particularly monastic. Yet that Voice -- that overwhelmingly authoritative, compelling Voice -- is in, of, through, to, and from that self-same Silence that I found so abundantly in the far reaches of Old Snowmass.
What is the Silence? I feel strongly that it is nothing short of Me. I AM! Being -- in Being, there can be no noise. At this level, there can be no Doing. Here, all Doing has been left far below -- far behind. We are seated. We wait expectantly, yet utterly without impatience.
Hush! The Monks enter. Attend! They are about to give Voice!
-- Willy Gommel
The Voice of Silence. Kind of a dichotomy of terms, don't you think? Voice -- and silence. I was thinking about those terms, and I thought: What do they actually mean? So I looked them up in the dictionary, and found that "voice" means a sound made through the mouth; the ability to make sound, vocally or spoken; or an expressed wish or choice. And then "silence," which is a sense, a fact of keeping silent -- refraining from speech, absence of any sound or noise, stillness.
Completely opposite poles! They're expressions that have to exist simultaneously. Can one exist without the other? Can you have sound without silence? Can you have in without out, up without down, over without under, or any number of what we sometimes term antithetical expressions? So the "Voice of Silence" is actually an antithetical expression.
For years I have often thought how dramatic it would be to come up to this podium, greet everybody, and say "IS," and then go back to my seat and sit down. It's so simple. But can you have simplicity without complicity?
We tend to think of terms of good and bad, good and evil, dark and light, the Black Lodge and the White Lodge. Does one exist without the other? Is that at all possible? Is it not all one? Once again, does one create the other? Does one exist without the other? The Voice of Silence --
We know now what "voice" and "silence" mean, but what about those little innocent words that connect them together -- "the" and "of"? "The" is simply "an indeclinable article." Doesn't that clarify everything for us? So "indeclinable"-- let's see, what does that mean? "Has no case inflection." It's getting even more simple, isn't it? "Case" is an example, or inflection, or occurrence. "Inflection" is truth, a bending or turning. Whew! It's getting clearer and clearer all the time. An "article": Part of a formal deliberation, a separate item, a thing of a certain kind. So my conclusion is that "the" actually is an example or instance or occurrence that does not bend or waver. Very definitive statement!
Let's see, "of" is really simple. It just means "coming from." So I've sort of concluded that "The Voice of Silence" is "an absolute expression of sound coming from absolute absence of noise." The Voice of Silence. Really, really getting more difficult to comprehend, isn't it? The Voice of Silence.
I guess I have a theory that there's a duality of existence. How presumptuous of me to think that this is my theory, but since I'm the center of my own universe, it's my theory. Can I take a moment to honor every single one of the beautiful shining souls and pilgrims in this room on our adventures through life?
God is Love, and Love is the fundamental force of all being. To me that means that evil is also love, because it's just a definition of the same thing -- it's just a point of view. What one person may view as evil or wrong or morally abject, to somebody else, can be absolutely the most commonplace expression of absolute devotional joy. It comes down to personal judgment, I think -- what defines for each one of us "Black Lodge" and "White Lodge." Yet there are some absolutes, I would imagine. But the absolutes, when boiled down to their simplicity -- IS. Doesn't get much simpler than that.
The Voice of Silence was written by Helena Blavatsky. Most of us know that she was a remarkable woman from an age when to be known as an individual woman -- an eastern European woman, no less -- of strength and individuality almost is beyond comprehension in this day. She wrote, I believe in some very, very strong language, "There is but one road to the path. At its very end alone, Voice of Silence can be heard. The ladder by which the candidate ascends is formed of rungs of suffering and pain." She must have really had suffering and pain! Can you imagine being a woman in the 1800s -- an intelligent woman trying to express herself in a world completely dominated by men? Couldn't even vote! "Woe unto him who dares pollute one run with miry feet! The foul and vicious mud will dry, become tenacious, then glue his feet unto the spot and, like a bird caught in the wily flowers of lime, he will be stayed from further progress. His vices will take shape and drag him down."
You know, I got really turned off by this while I was reading it initially. I thought, "O God! What a mire of negativity this is!"I really started to think, "Boy, that's judgmental! Who knows? Get into her shoes and try to look at it from her point of view." And that's when I came to a kind of realization -- it is point of view. I'm looking at it as negative, and she's just looking at it as "Boy, oh boy!" She was struggling. Sure, she had a good time too, as we all do. Life is a struggle, but it sure can be a joyous struggle.
A couple of years ago I had the real pleasure and privilege of being invited to an ashram back east to study this word: the Pratyabindahardyam, which is some of the ancient teachings that The Voice of Silence is based upon. The Pratyabindahardyam is also a very, very simple concept. It's the process of recognition. God dwells in you as you. All joy dwells in you as you. All pain dwells in you as you. What a concept! Recognition! We already know everything. We just run around uncovering it -- rediscovering it, recognizing it. It's kind of what reincarnation and karma are all about.
We start out in life playing our first game. It's pretty universal. I don't care where you've been: babies love Peek-a-Boo. What wonder! And we spend the rest of our lives playing Peek-a-Boo -- rediscovering all those things we are, we know, we want to be, we can be, we have been, we will be.
The Voice of Silence. That says it all right there -- absolutely says it right there. There's a Temple hymn I love that ends with, "Let all the earth be silent, Let all the earth be silent, Let all the earth be silent, be silent before Him. Be silent, be silent, be silent before Him."
Thank you for this beautiful opportunity. Aum, shanti, shanti, shanti.
-- Larry Abrahamson
There is a Zen traditional piece of wisdom which says, "Water in the mother becomes milk; water in the snake becomes poison." A similar Zen Buddhist saying is, "The water falls on the banana leaf, but these are not tears of grief. It is only the anguish of him who is listening." That quote is taken from a fragment of traditional Zen wisdom which I referred to in my remarks for Convention in 1972. At the time that thought bore a lot of influence on me. I was pretty certain then that I had completed a great test in my life. As it happened, I was about halfway through that test at that point. I had another five or six years to go before that phase would be over -- before I would be able, as Robert Frost said, to complete "the miles to go before I would truly sleep."
We live in an era, in a world which is increasingly filled with noise. At the beginning of the last century there were no telephones to ring, no radios to emanate sound, no televisions, and only a handful of what would be called motor vehicles or construction equipment, things that indicated progress since the Industrial Revolution. I heard Paul Bowles, the writer, who left America when he was about 20 years old and lived most of the rest of his life in Tangiers. He said, "When I was a boy, there was no music. We could go to a concert hall on a Friday or Saturday night, or maybe a dance, but basically there was no music. You couldn't walk around a town and hear a radio or television or things playing music." He passed away last year at the age of 90.
It's hard for me to believe now that I live in New York City, in Greenwich Village, where there's music, music, and noise and sound all the time. And yet not all the time: if you got out about 9 o'clock on a Saturday or Sunday morning, it's really incredible how Greenwich Village can be as silent as it is.
From time to time one reads of an individual who commits a terrible crime -- a heinous crime -- because he or she believes that some broadcast was sending messages to them. I think that's something that we don't know enough about yet, unfortunately. But with all of these sounds, all of these cell phones, all of these radios -- I don't think people are faking this kind of thing. In fact, there have been some dramatic changes in medicine in the last 20 years. I used to be affected by some of these things -- thinking the television is talking to you. You have to be there, I think, to realize how dramatic that kind of thing really is.
I remember a friend of mine who went to a psychiatrist, and the psychiatrist asked, "What is your name?" The answer came. "What do you do for a living?" Another answer. "Do you hear voices?"
The fellow walked away, saying, "No, I don't. I don't hear voices. Thank you very much." You might remember that sometime if you ever need it. I know I've never used it, but I've always known it was there.
In a less dramatic and more common way, there's the noise around the clock that stills those voices within. I know people who, the second they wake up, turn on some kind of radio or television, who say, "I don't want to hear anything going on in here. I'd rather have the other kind of noise." Interference, I would call it.
It's not easy to accept voices that cannot be quickly identified, to hear what Blavatsky calls the "silent speaker." It requires a different kind of listening than the voice on the radio or the cell phone or the other electronic devices that we have.
I'll give you one example, and I think it's a pretty good one. I read lots and lots of stories to children up to maybe the age of six or seven years. One that I've read certainly hundreds of times is a book called The Noisy Book written by Margaret Weiss Brown, who wrote the finest children's books ever. She wrote Good Night Moon, which I'm sure many of you read during your childhood. She wrote The Runaway Bunny. Her stories are very poignant and profound, and absolutely beautiful. There's a great biography out about her and her incredible life.
The Noisy Book is basically a book about a little dog named Muffin, who gets a cinder in his eye. He has to go to the doctor -- the dog doctor, they call it in the book -- and the dog doctor puts a bandage around him and says, "Muffin, you will have to wear this bandage for the whole day, and you won't be able to see anything." The book keeps presenting the recurring theme that Muffin could hear. In the doctor's office he heard the phone ring.
He heard the scissors. I bring out the noise with the children, asking, "What do the scissors sound like?" We do this over and over again. Everybody gets a chance to yell.
In the story, Muffin goes outside and hears the noises on the street, and then, almost as a sudden shock, the author says, "And then the sun began to shine. But could Muffin hear that?" And that's the point that pulls the children in -- and me too, I might add. That's right. Here's the most powerful force that we're dealing with in the book, but could Muffin hear that? Could you hear that?
The process of cultivating our inner ear is sure to be a long and intricate one and an evolving one, but I believe that silent speaker, the Voice of the Silence, is certain to permeate, in the end, the noise in the world in which we live.
-- Ivan Ulz
The voice of the silence is -- What? Maybe we should all sit here for the next ten minutes and force our thoughts to think about our thoughts and feel what the outcome is like. We could then compare notes.
But let me list some other words that lead us to that place within. How about quiet, stillness, solitude, connecting, communion, Oneness? Why do we have these words in our vocabu]ary? I believe that they help lead us to a realization of our connection with God. That connection of knowing we are all things in God, of God -- they in us and we in them. Why do we need to make a connection with God if we are God? We are not a god. We are all part of each other and all things, and we need to REMEMBER this. That is to re-, or do again, and -member, join. A long time ago, we conveniently chose to unremember our connection to God. This talk is not about why we made that decision or the consequences of that decision. It is about what we can do right now to strengthen that connection and develop a Friendship With God. And what about the benefits of that connection? Volumes have been written on this subject. Everything from personal experiences to How-to manuals. But we don't need to read volumes on this subject. We only have to enter that place of quiet and solitude within ourselves.
This past year I have been increasingly amazed at the readings that have come my way regarding the transformation of life that we go through as we get older. It seems that to call them changes does not honor what we are introduced to and what we gain from the process. A more correct term is transformation. This is a more correct term in that it validates what we actually go through, as opposed to changes. Changes in life mean that we are doing something one way and we stopped doing that and are now doing it another way. The word transformation honors the fact that we are building upon what went before. Transforming one into another.
Now what better place to do this work but within the silence, when we listen to that voice within? What is this voice? First, what isn't it? It isn't that dialogue we carry on with ourselves continually. You know, the "I gotta do this" list -- the "I gotta make time for this" list, and the "Don't forget this" list. This is that endless cacophony of sound that continually runs through our mind. Sure, these are the sounds that get us through our busy day. They keep us alert; they keep us connected to the physical plane. And that's not bad. After all, it's here on the physical plane that we do our growth work.
I find it interesting that we choose to BE in this realm rather than in the alternative. What is the alternative? Well, remember, I was just talking about the transformations we go through. It seems that in this process we go through these stages at a rate of about every seven years. So for me, in a year and a month or so I'll be in my eighth cycle of seven. I've come to see that these stages of life are always evolving and changing. What was valid or Truth for me yesterday, is not today. It does not mean that it wasn't true yesterday. But today is today. I also find that my sense of urgency and needs are changing. And this happens in a direct proportion to how much time I spend working at calming my thoughts, stilling myself from the endless barrage of the outside world. I have come to see that this is not just thinking quietly, it is being quiet. As we BE quiet, we slow the thinking process down and as this process slows, or simmers, we can then start to think about what we are thinking about. We can think about where our thoughts are going and then stop those thoughts from going there, focus those thoughts and think about what we are thinking about. And this is the first step toward Mastery. By being still, we come to know God, to know we are One With God. This is how we will meet the Creator inside ourselves. As this bond builds, we can learn to trust God and trust ourselves. We can eliminate that fear, doubt, and indecision. We need to spend a few minutes each day embracing that place inside ourselves and inperience this phenomenon. As this continues to grow and expand, so do our lives and our relationships with each other. There is less urgency about non-essential things. I find that as I grow wiser with age, the transformations in my life are very exciting. I have a different understanding, a different empathy for the world. I cherish the Voice of the Silence.
-- Chris Thyrring
The Healing Service was conducted by Nashoma and Ron Carlson.
-- Derene Darrah
At 7 p.m., the Temple officers presented their annual reports in the Temple.
Report of the Treasurer
Extraordinary creations, worlds within worlds, lie quietly beyond our awareness until we take time to look, to consciously seek them out and study their riches. Our Teachings tell us that nature reveals the patterns for understanding all creation, a lesson which I clearly saw while in Yellowstone National Park, a magnificent center of natural treasures which holds a close parallel to the spiritual treasures of the Temple.
I had never before seen Yellowstone's vast array of geyser basins, geothermal springs, mineral formations and seemingly bottomless prismatic pools. The wildlife was abundant, and the trees went on as far as the eye could see; even where the park had burned in wildfire, the patterns of the forest -- whether green and lush or gray matchstick trunks -- seemed vast, endless, and constantly changing in the play of cloud shadows. The immense canyons and rumbling waterfalls dwarfed all other things, and I nearly wept when I looked down to the Yellowstone River and caught sight of a pair of osprey circling far below, calling to each other -- how often do we see these high flying birds from above? Even rock formations took on a life of their own, some like praying hands, others like carved Gothic saints standing shoulder to shoulder in this vast, natural cathedral.
I kept a sketch diary of the trip for two reasons: not only do quick sketches and notes bring back the magic of an experience, but more importantly, the process of observing helps us all to see more deeply. I remember a wonderful poem/painting by Sister Mary Corita Kent, which said: "To understand is to stand under which is to look up which is a good way to understand." One treasure for the mysterious business of living is in our desire to look higher and deeper in order to understand. For artists, a drawing is the manifestation of the desire to understand coupled with the action of observing; since we are ALL artists crafting our lives, people in every walk of life have learned a variation of this truth through experience: until I draw it (or really study it), I don't really know what it looks like (or how it works).
The treasures of the natural world are similar to the treasures of the spirit, and without conscious endeavor on our part, we can miss aspects of life's richness, order, and mystery. The Wisdom Religion has held its place in the great scheme of creation, quietly enriching those who study it, quietly awaiting those who will one day look to it for a broader view of life. The Temple of the People existed long before I ever came to Halcyon, but until I made the effort to enter, it was just another place on the map. Like many, when I discovered it, I was inspired; Theosophy remains so compelling that I still feel as if I'm seeing it for the first time.
Occultism means "hidden," and it is our desire to understand our place in the universe that nudges us on to look and to study the laws of life. In The Ocean of Theosophy, William Quan Judge talks about how the universe evolves from the unknown into the sevenfold differentiation of life. He says, "As was taught of old, the little worlds and the great are copies of the whole, and the minutest insect as well as the most highly developed being are replicas in little or in great of the vast inclusive original. Hence sprang the saying, `as above, so below' which the Hermetic philosophers used."
When we study and observe the laws and patterns of nature's universe, we better understand our own place in it, our connection to it, so that in the end we can live more meaningful lives. Convention is the time each year which inspires us to open our eyes and look more closely at our responsibility to the Temple work and to all life. It provides renewed impetus to become truly conscious seekers, studying the treasures, great and small, of the Temple. These treasures lie in our philosophy, our history, our traditions, and in one another, as unique expressions of God, who -- by whatever name -- dwells within each of us, as us. It is our time to look at what we believe, to appreciate treasures large and small in our philosophy, our history, our traditions, and in one another, with the wonder and awe of new discovery.
-- Marti Fast
Report Of The Scribe
The century the twentieth has passed before us, with its last minutes still ahead, the exoteric closing time being December 31st, 2000. We may not have noticed it, but this little window of opportunity called one century -- a mere blinking of an eye in the vastness of Eternity -- was the holiest hour for all Humanity. An Avatar, a divine presence or incarnation came and abided with us, entering the aura of mankind in a mysterious way, which was and still is nonetheless real, saving us from annihilation and decay -- as far as we permitted Him, that is -- and the eye of God may see things here which we would rather not permit to enter our consciousness and prefer to sweep under the rug.
As John the Baptist or the Voice Crying in the Wilderness, the Temple was founded on November 15, 1898, in Syracuse, New York. With the ending of seven cycles simultaneously, the evolutionary forces laboring with tremendous pressure made it possible and inevitable that the Mahatmas of the Great White Lodge, building on the incomparable pioneer work of Madame Blavatsky and aided by William Quan Judge, continued centralizing a most important effort in America, for this New World, or Atlantis of ours, is the birthplace for a New Race of Humanity, the intuitional Sixth Race which will replace the present intellectual race marked by argument, contention, separation, war, ignorance, arrogance, competition, haughtiness, pride, and black magic. The blasphemy against God, Mankind, and Nature, must give way no matter at what cost, thrown out altogether with its instigator and partner in crime, dogmatic religion -- creeds of coercion and exclusiveness forced upon the people -- in the name of an exoteric personal god. Differently, Creeds Disappear, Hearts Remain -- dogmas must go until only the Heart Doctrine or Wisdom Religion or Ancient Wisdom or Occultism or Theosophy remains. Creeds Disappear, Hearts Remain -- this is more than the Temple motto -- it is a command from the Godhead. But why? The answer is given by Master Morya who said in 1927: "Manas in its lower aspect has too long been wedded to desire. Kama Manas in its highest -- the divine aspect, Prometheus -- shall merge into, aspire to, Buddhi, the divine soul. He known as Zeus, the human Soul only, the jealous God, yielding to the lower passions, revengeful and cruel in his egotism, is the intellectual tempter of man. Zeus as serpent shall perish from the earth, but shall notwithstanding beget, in the course of Time and Cyclic evolution, the `Heavenly Wise One, the Man-Savior' who, with the coming tenth Avatara, the Glorified Spiritual Christos, will liberate the suffering Christos, mankind or Prometheus, from its trial. Then will Zeus, Brahma, Ahura Mazda, Jehova the jealous, repenting, cruel tribal God of the Israelites, and all their kind in the universal pantheon of human fancy and imagination, be silenced, vanish and disappear in thin air."
The Temple -- of the People, i.e. belonging not to any one particular creed, class, caste, race or sex, but to all people of Mother Earth -- was brought into existence as an expression and mouthpiece of the Avatar. On January 10, 1899, Master Hilarion told us: "-- It is now that the first monads of the Seventh Race are being conceived on the lower plane -- You will have great reason in the future for remembering this month of the year 1899." This child of the Seventh Race -- used by the Holy Master C. as a vehicle to come out as the New Avatar -- was conceived on the lower astral plane in 1899. It developed a fully grown mature astral body in thirty years of our time. After that time -- the date is marked as August 18/19, 1927 -- the Great and Holy Master entered in full force the physical plane, and is still there in the aura of Humanity. It was in 1898 that the Temple -- a symbol of Humanity past, present, and future, and a nucleus of the New Race -- made the first announcement about the coming again of that Ego which manifested in the body of Jesus, the Christ. There was no commercial or theatrical ballyhoo, no extraordinary claims, no occult fireworks. The announcement was made and when, as expected, aside from a few imitators, nobody from the human family seemed to pay attention, the warrior souls of the Temple went on silently performing their duties for the establishment of a Brotherhood of Man, a world free from the trammels of the lower self -- the curse of Mammon -- where individuals, groups and nations, one by one, two by two, may be able to enter the Temple door, that is, find and realize LOVE. Living as a group from many nations and helping each other without coercive dos and don'ts, Templars established and built Halcyon, the place of quiet, learning and hard work where you could live in harmony and become one with Nature.
During the past century the twentieth, terrible forces were unleashed to block the way of Him who came. But they could not succeed and the curtain in the Temple was not rent. That the Temple -- an integral part of the Theosophical Movement -- is not a man-made organization but a fact in Nature, and despite its smallness and seeming insignificance part of something much bigger that cannot be conquered -- not even by the combined power of Heaven and Hell -- can be easily seen from its history, its survival against all odds, and the fact that, uninterruptedly since its foundation, it was capable of keeping a direct link to the Great White Lodge live and intact for over an entire century. There must have been some great force behind Templars whose story reads thus: A little group of average humans longs for the Master and listens to Him like a child, and follows the command to leave the East Coast, the Holy Ground in Syracuse, New York, where the Inner Group sees Master Hilarion directly in His Nirmanakaya body, and hears, at the night of initiation, the mighty voice like a deep rolling river of the Holy Master C. Then, in 1903, after great strains of moving across an entire continent, leaving behind many of our possessions, many of our Brothers and Sisters and the Syracuse we loved, we reach another Holy Ground in the West, and keep building, since then, "The City That Is To Be" -- where, yes, there is a healing force active. And one day the dynaspheric force revolutionizing all industry will be discovered, and the Avatar will make His first appearance on the physical plane. The voice of John the Baptist was raised through the agencies of five Guardians in Chief. Blue Star, Red Star, Gold Star, Violet Star, and Green Star, and the Temple Knights, past and present, protected the Temple Agent against any and all attacks successfully, showing by deeds, not by words, that what we see of the Temple on the physical plane is but a small part, a tiny atom of the Great Holy Temple of the Universe that is almighty, inexpressible, invincible.
Halcyon became a spot on this earth where the Masters could walk, and a broadcasting center of the Avatar. It is the Holy One in truth who does the work; we may only assist or hinder. The Master whom we once knew as Yehoshua ben Pandira, has returned. We were, and still are, always being asked: In what way did He return? And the answer was always invariably the same: He does not inhabit or overshadow this or that form; there is no need for that. In a sacred and mysterious way, he sounds his voice and shows his face in the human heart, "In great power and glory." If there is any need, he can appear in his own form and not in that of others, " -- For through His Crucifixion He gained Mastery over all Earth's forces and in the coming day, he will, at WILL condense His Astral Form until it will appear before those of us who are prepared to receive Him, even as He appeared to His Disciples after the Resurrection, in a form like, yet unlike, the physical body. Those who have built a place in their hearts for Him will know Him; those who have not again will pass Him by."
We have reached the end of the cycle; it remains to be seen if mankind can be saved, now that this most horrendous and bloody of all centuries is nearly over. We must now keep building the New City, for, "In no other city can the next Avatar make his first appearance among men on the physical plane -- and is it likely that this can occur in an age when the land, which should be free as the air, has been seized and held as personal property by those who have gained a certain amount of money -- where ten men control all the finances of the country -- in a land where thousands of women are driven to prostitution every year by the men who control the present financial system -- In a land where little children are forced to labor worse than slaves for a bare pittance, and strong men must stand idle by thousands, and starve or steal --?"
These questions were put to us by none other than Master himself one hundred years ago. Let us abide by an answer given by the very same source. In 1899, in the communication "The Curse of Mammon," the Master Hilarion demanded not less than this much from the future century now fading into the past:
"The accumulated evil of the age has reached its zenith and readjustment must follow. A short day of grace is still ours, a single century; for, if before the end of that century the peoples of the earth have not awakened sufficiently to enable them to behold the canker in the bud of their great (so-called) civilizations, and destroy that canker, nothing can save them from decay and annihilation. The kingdom of Satan or Evil, and the kingdom of God or Good, cannot exist simultaneously in one place and age --"
-- Istvan Balogh
Report of the Inner Guard
Good evening!
Here we are once more, gathered together celebrating one more Temple convention. I want to thank each of you for your learning, sharing, and much more as I served as Inner Guard this past year. We as Temple members are very fortunate. We are given a second new year to renew resolutions and to find once more our goals and aspirations at Convention time. We are given this gift each year. What is magical about this gift is that we can choose to celebrate a new beginning every day. What can I do to make use of the Master's love each day?
Carolyn Myss offers this concept in Anatomy of the Spirit: "Our spirits, our energy, and our personal power are all one and the same force." I think this is the thread that links each of us to the Higher Power -- to God.
And how would I look for and strengthen this thread? As life around me continues to speed up at an alarming rate, I can choose to slow down and gather the magical gifts waiting for me to notice: joy, sharing, service, sorrow, empathy and love are just a few. I can just be still: simple words; a simple solution to any concern or issue.
When I still the ever-present activity in my brain, I can then listen. Some of our most powerful insights may come to us through this silence. Practice allows us to touch this silence more readily. We are trainable, I promise you! It took a while, but I did train myself to not run into the dishwasher door when it was open. So there is hope!
I am choosing to practice being still and listening. This might be where our unique ability to make choices comes into play. Self-responsibility also sneaks in here. Choices and self-responsibility are so closely interwoven that it's difficult to separate them. All of these really are simple, straightforward words. What makes them magical is that they can be the answer to every little and big concern or issue that comes my way every day. A worthy goal for the days to come: "Be still and listen."
Oh, and one last thing: it's best not to argue with the answers one receives. Master really does know best.
-- Margaret C. Thyrring
Report of the Outer Guard
Good evening. The position of Outer Guard symbolizes the responsibility to the masculine aspect -- the protecting, questing, balancing force.
Responsibility. If you obligated yourself or made a commitment and failed to follow through, you are allowing other forces in. The Master Mason in charge is unable to proceed along the designed lines until repairs have been made or until such time as another has provided the requisite stone. It may be wise for us to give some thought to the loyalty of our pledges and commitments.
As the Master said in this Convention message in the year 2000, "Renew your pledges to the Lodge and strike out with confident step, light heart, and eyes ever on the goal."
-- Ron Carlson
Report of the Guardian in Chief
Our Teachings are filled with detailed instructions on how to deal with the opportunities, problems, challenges, trials and failures, happiness and success that fill our lives. Compare the richness of our Temple life to the lives of so many people who feel they have nothing to do, or feel that what they are doing has no real meaning, or who are swept into the maelstrom of commercialism and frantic activity. "I will endeavor to realize the presence of the Avatar as a living Power in my Life," can be the pivotal point of our lives, the basic tool for tapping into a dimension that enriches and nurtures everyone who touches it. People all over the world are reaching for a spirituality that transcends creeds or dogmas, that touches the very core of life itself.
As I look back at the past year of the Temple work, I can see this world hunger touching each and every one of us. We spend considerable time ourselves sending prayers and love interiorly to all other units of humanity, asking that "Thy Will, not my will be done." This is a two-way street and every other unit of humanity affects each of us in varying ways. The concept of the unity of all life is real, concrete, and something to deal with on every plane including the physical, and we must behave in ways that express that unity.
In some respects our world and our lives are changing in ways far beyond our imaginations. "Constant Change is Here to Stay" is the sign on my study door. Everyone who reads it gives a wry smile and mutters something like, "That's for sure!" But so-called constant change is difficult for most of us to deal with, as we rely on the structured order of our lives for a sense of stability. It's all right as a mental concept, but let it happen in someone else's back yard.
Seventy years ago the Master told us that
more and more people would be coming to the Temple doors and our task was, and
is, to make them welcome in terms they could understand, sharing the wealth of
teachings and love He has showered upon us. He has repeated these instructions
over and over during the past several years. And scores of people have indeed
arrived, bringing their spiritual hopes, aspirations, and questions, along with
their very human qualities. These new people challenge us, asking for time and
room in our lives, and enriching, expanding, changing our lives. Most of us are
skilled at welcoming the inquirers. But I feel our real talent, as well as our
real challenge, is when people begin to return time after time. As Zelma once
quipped about a recent visitor: "He isn't company anymore, he is family."
Family is the place where it is safe to be yourself, to allow the sandpapering
of family life to test and stretch yourself, knowing the solid base of love
holds it all together.
The joy and security of Temple life is that very sense of family and the transcending love which binds us together with no limits of time and space. The Temple message of love, hope, self-responsibility, and trust permeates the world, available for all who want or need it. This has been clearly demonstrated this past year during the visit to Moscow by Temple members; by the renewed commitment of our German brothers and sisters during the difficult time of the passing of their beloved leader, Emil Giel; by the strong steady growth of everyone who begins to see the direct application of the Teachings as a bright Light which points the way through the seeming darkness of our immediate circumstances.
Every convention we focus on this message: "Warriors of Light, Warriors of Truth, I salute you in the name of the Great White Brotherhood. Go forth to battle, with the Powers of Darkness, armed with the Sword of the Spirit of God, the Breastplate of Righteousness, the Helmet of Eternal Truth. See to it, then, that no stain rests on that armor, no rust on that sword, that ye may become one with us, on that Great Day; `Be With Us.' " How many of us have put this together with the message from the Christos given in 1927 which says: "Children of Light, greetings unto you, Children of Truth, drawn together in a Chord of Love, in the Name of the Brothers of Inner Whiteness, Peace be unto you! You have battled well with the powers of darkness; you have held high the Sword, the Breastplate secure, the Helmet fast. The Armor is unstained, the Sword untarnished. May you now Become One With Those Who Sent You Forth, One With Us in The Day Now Upon Us. As you come together in joyous Victory, Sheathe the Shining Blades. Lift in their stead, The Lily of Renunciation, Purity, The Rose of Simplicity, that you may go forth once more and spread them wide o'er the Fields of Humanity, again to return to us with them thousand-fold on a STILL GREATER DAY OF LIGHT BE WITH US."
The responsibility is to be armed with Truth, Light, and Love, and then, through the strength gained from renunciation, purity, and simplicity, we must pass the message on to others that all may return to our Father's House. We can do it, or we would not be asked. Remember, though the message speaks of returning to the Masters with thousands of others we have gathered into the Light of the day now upon us, the word is spread one by one, often by a seeming chance remark, a glimpse by another of you or me in action in an unguarded moment of our daily life. Think of the impact if each one could teach another one something more about courage, endurance, perseverance, hope, and commitment. In short order the impact of Brother/Sisterhood would change the world. It was Carl Jung who said, "One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious."
So here we are: the Temple in August, 2000, 102 years after becoming manifested on the physical plane. Over the years I have found that Convention time is always a good time to take stock, to do a little self-examination. Convention for me is the spiritual New Year when I renew my pledges and make resolutions for the ensuing year. This year, as I go through this process both personally and as the Guardian in Chief, I find an increasing clarity of purpose and commitment. I know that the universal Truth, embodied in the principles of Love and Brother/Sisterhood is unchanging. At the same time, the form side through which these truths must be entitized and lived out in the crucible of daily living is ever-changing to meet the needs of the times in which we live.
The form side of the Temple organization is made up of two divisions: The Religious Society and the Corporation Sole. The Religious Society is the Temple and all it stands for, the Truth that called us here. It is the philosophy, and the actual working out on the physical plane of these wonderful principles in which we move and have our being. The Corporation Sole is a support system for the religious society. In the person of the Guardian-in-Chief and under the laws of the state of California, the corporation sole administers the property for the benefit of the religious society. The Corporation Sole is the bridge between the Society and the outer world, the entity that enables the form side to happen.
We need to keep focused on the interrelationship of the two, and the priority of the Religious Society, for it is that which brought us here and it is that which keeps us here. The sacrifice and dedication of those who have gone before us must serve as an example, a beacon of light to lead us on. Everyone who lives here, everyone who visits, even for just a few hours, has his or her particular part to play in the wonderful interaction of forces that is the reality of our spiritual live. We are brought together in an ever changing tapestry of color and pattern to put into practice the thing we believe in. This is where our particular Temple job lies. And I am asking that we spend as much time consciously focusing on the spiritual side as on the form side. We are told that this can often happen at the same time. It is a matter of our own inner focus, our own awareness, the choosing of our priorities.
The officers of the Religious Society of the Temple of the People are the Inner Guard, Outer Guard, Scribe, Treasurer and three Delegates-at-Large. Each office symbolizes a certain aspect or facet of the Temple work. The office of Inner Guard symbolizes the responsibility to the feminine aspect of manifestation, the nurturing, connecting, indwelling spiritual force. The position of Outer Guard symbolizes the responsibility to the masculine aspect, the protecting, questing, balancing force. The position of Treasurer symbolizes the responsibility to our storehouse of spiritual treasure filled with the jewels we have been given to use, to care for and enhance. The position of Scribe symbolizes the responsibility to the records of our aspirations, hopes, and faith and the flow of these to and from all human hearts and minds.
The three positions of Delegates-at-Large, chosen from those Temple members who do not live here in Halcyon, symbolize the many members world-wide whose dedication to the Truth expressed through the Temple teachings is inspiring. They are meeting the challenge of putting these teachings into daily practice without the outer group support and daily meetings that we are privileged to enjoy here at the Center.
These officers are not elected, rather they are appointed at the suggestion of the Master. They meet with me regularly to discuss matters that relate directly to the Religious Society and the out picturing of the inner work of the Temple. As in years gone by, each one will bring their own consciousness to the office, thereby enlarging, sustaining, and nurturing the Temple, themselves, and all of us. For the ensuing year the officers of the Religious Society of the Temple of the People will be Margaret Thyrring, Inner Guard; Ron Carlson, Outer Guard; Marti Fast, Treasurer; Istvan Balogh, Scribe; Natalia Toots, Natasha Rykman, and Vera Barstad as Delegates-at- Large.
You and I must walk serenely together where duty directs, letting our entire being mirror the indwelling, upwelling infinite Spirit, the jewel in the Heart of God. Together we will experience joy and sorrow, together we will learn to love one another, and together we will forge the bonds of Brother/Sisterhood and Unity. Only in this way will we enter together the fulfillment that comes with being one with God and all Good.
-- Eleanor Shumway
Guardian in Chief
At 5 a.m., many community members and guests went to the high dunes to watch the sunrise and eat a picnic breakfast.
The Healing Service was conducted by Marti Fast and Willy Gommel.
In the University Center at 5:30 p.m., the regular study class was held. Letters from the Masters, Dr. Dower, and Francia LaDue from the Temple archives were read. This was followed by a potluck dinner in Hiawatha Lodge.
At 10:00 a.m., the Social Science session was held in the Temple. Any interested members and guests were asked to share thoughts on the subject, "Every Good and Perfect Spirit."
Warm greetings were extended to the Temple Convention by Grace F. Knoche, Theosophical Society, Pasadena; Daniel Entin, Director, Nicholas Roerich Museum, New York City; John Algeo, President, Theosophical Society in America, Wheaton, Illinois; Valerie Blustin, London, England; Natalia Toots and Vladimir Nadezhin, Editor-in-Chief and Director of Delphis Magazine Foundation, Moscow, Russia; Dmitri and Marina Skopin, Moscow, Russia; Nadezhda Bikalova, Washington, DC; Mary Workman, Marina Yurovsky, Yolanta Pisareva, New York City; Cathy Greer, Riverside, California; Maggie Covington, Rocklin, California; and Natalia Tsvetkova, St. Petersburg, Russia. Then the following papers were shared:
CONVENTION 2000
Convention time is a wonderful moment in the year for focusing us all on many questions: Why do we attend meetings? What does the Temple of the People mean to us? Are we living the life to which we aspire? Do we enjoy each moment of life and do we try to apply the teachings in everyday opportunities? Are we allowing in others that which we allow in ourselves?
This wonderful organization, The Temple of the People, gives us so much advice for the welfare and continued growth of every living organism that exists on our Earth. Another question then comes to mind, "Is it the Organization we belong to, or more -- is it that the Organization is a doorway into a conscious promise from our mortal natures to the Absolute for truth, growth, compassion, humility and the ability to see all life unfolding as a living network of soul energy in the Great Plan of Existence?"
We do make a commitment when we join the Temple of the People, but it is less to teach others, than to learn from others. It is less that we think we are `becoming spiritual' than that we discover the spirit in all things. And it goes far beyond our tiny self-importance -- rather, we begin to discover the magnificent and unique workings of everything in the world of form.
A religion or organization is almost like a piece of silk; it can warm us when we need it, protect us in the lightest of fashions when the winds come to take us off course. It can cool us when the sun beats down to burn the dross of human weaknesses. The silk itself does not change, but its ingredients protect us whenever we need it. If the religion becomes wool, or a synthetic material, it begins to crystallize and therefore loses some of its many abilities that flow through its elements.
At this Convention time, let us all deeply contemplate our promises, aspirations, our commitments to others, to life, and to the Temple of the People. Let our thoughts be of expansion, of compassion, of humility and of fluidity. We have been given this marvelous opportunity for life, for living a life where we have choices: to be explorers into ourselves and the inner dimensions of Truth.
-- Elaine Wight
Custodian of the London Group
I am at this moment -- perfect.
Suddenly you were in my garden
You ask for the magic places?
Well, the old cypress at the entrance to the village does creak the loudest.
You want me to tell you who lives beyond it? You want me to tell you what path to take?
Trust the voice you hear within, trust your eyes to become clear.
You think I talk too much? That I don't know what I am saying?
As the sun sets, as the moon rises, let us walk without talking. Let us climb the hill on a mid-summer eve.
There is no rest in the fairy circle of my mind.
This is the night we gaze upon the face in the mirror.
You dream -- you remember what you have not completely forgotten --
How everything has power.
Have you forgotten the way? Do I need to show you?
The dance in the forest at midnight.
The wind in your hair.
That every forest is magical.
Is it not enough to want beauty in my words? Are you the measurer?
Look! A star shines.
I belong to myself -- I belong to my dreams.
Would you love me without my mask?
My life is now half gone.
Yet each night is whole.
You stand there against a splendid tree.
You are firm and strong.
Your hair a radiance of flame.
There is no sound on nights like this,
The dance of life and death.
There are no secrets.
If I meet you -- will you know yourself?
Can you stare into the flame of fire --
Seeing as clearly as ever?
I am every good and perfect spirit.
-- A Temple Member
ILLUMINATION
So long as man, mistranslating the term "happiness," believes to find the key to the "pursuit of happiness" in one of the pairs of opposites of the outer plane of matter or circumference of the spirit, he is still victim to both Maya -- Illusion -- and his lower self. For no lasting happiness can be found in transitory hot and cold, yes and no, for or against, so-called love and hate. Happiness cannot be found in this or that circumstance, this or that relationship, this or that human being, this or that nation, this or that political system or this or that state. Happiness, like true marriage, is not of this world. It can be found only in the things of the spirit, i.e. things which are not from this plane of retarded and highly distorted physical matter. Even if this fact is the standard put-off for average humanity -- that is, us -- because our minds are chained to the physical and scared to death when told that happiness is unattainable as long as our spirit is imprisoned in the flesh -- as the Romans used to say, "Nemo ante mortem beatus," "No one is happy as long as he is not dead" -- one day all of us will have to take courage and move on to the plane of "every good and perfect spirit," from where we can see everything much better -- even the pollution, exploitation, commercialization and destruction of all mankind and its planet -- and still be at peace, and not lose our balance at the sight of worlds colliding and nothing but darkness in this age of Kali Yuga.
Can we keep our balance, then, while still on the physical plane? Most assuredly yes, and it is a must to do so. Depression because of, and outrage against, existing conditions is a most insidious condition, nourished in us by the Black Lodge, calculated to paralyze and block all constructive effort we otherwise would be capable of performing. How then not to be thrown off our feet?
First, we can devote a little time to the power and the consequences of the fact that "-- On the higher planes of being there is far more of the soul than can now be conceived possible." That is, the soul of man is something much bigger than any of us can imagine. Second, there is the injunction: "Be still and know that I am God. Body be still, Soul know, that I Spirit, Higher Self, am God." Third, we have the tremendous opportunity to repeat this mantram: "I will endeavor to realize the Presence of the Avatar as a living power in my life." It is no mistake to think of the Higher Self as a Christ figure within ourselves, so to visualize the face of the Avatar in our souls is the surest guide, not only believing but also knowing that, "-- In me dwelleth every good and perfect Spirit." This is a sacred power invincible, and the more the eyes of our souls realize this deep truth, the more we will see through all layers of illusion.
Pondering on these realities, one day I suddenly found myself at a haven of peace. There was no turmoil there. The struggle, the contention, the unrest, the war of the physical were all somehow far removed and away, as if on the other side of a river, or underneath some very high tower enabling one to have unlimited view when looking down. From there, one could see the outer plane from a different angle. One could see things as a unit. Whatever was opposed to and fighting with one another, became but two sides of one medal. Both were indispensable for whatever manifestation. If one had been taken away, all would have disappeared.
Then I thought about the constant differences of opinion. Take, for example, any Temple task. Give it to any two of us, and odds are that both of us would go in opposite directions -- mind you, still trying to accomplish the very same task. Why is that? Because the true solution to the problem can only be approximated by walking at least two opposing paths simultaneously. Or, to put it from a different angle: a task of the fourth dimension can only be translated into work methods of the third dimension by using diametrically opposing approaches. What does that mean? Pick any reality from the fourth dimension, say some spiritual truth. Now ask one human to express it. He can't. Why not? Because he is alone, and from one standpoint you cannot express any inner truth on the outer plane. Because of the limitations of physical matter -- one of which being that it is an illusion -- you need at least two (in reality a much greater number) humans to approximate any truth. Again, what does that mean? It means that if any of us has any opinion about anything, be it a Temple matter or not, this opinion has no real value until it has been combined with its very opposite. And yet, even all contradicting opinions combined cannot give us the full truth as long as we permit ourselves to be kept chained to the outer plane consciousness. Only the inner man can have some faint idea about any reality or truth, and the battle of the outer planes is only a Gleichnis -- a simulacrum of the fullness of the idea on inner planes.
On the plane of forces, which is the fourth dimension, you can easily see the necessity for all the battle and confusion. One party always believes itself to be right, attributing all wrong to the other. But falling back on the spiritual standpoint of the fourth dimension, we can see that both are right and wrong at the same time. And, then -- what? Then, all we need is an even more perfect expression of truth, so instead of merely two contesting opinions we need seven. Why seven? Because seven disciples simultaneously in incarnation are needed for fully expressing interior truths on the outer plane, seven disciples who can be used by the Lodge to transmit all seven aspects or colors or rays of light from the Central Sun to mortal humanity on the outer earth plane, and put much more force into the Great Work, achieving much greater and much more balanced results when all seven avenues needed for a perfect result of uplifting humanity are available. As long as one of the seven rays cannot be expressed because no one is there to transmit it, truth will suffer and something will be lacking in a teaching or religion or political system. Also, to ensure such a group of seven was ever the goal of the Lodge, not achieved since Lemurian times. Millions of years passed, and it is only now that the seven are in manifestation again on the earth plane, making the founding of the Temple possible a century ago.
So, when we see Templars quarrel we can rest assured that each party has some element of truth in whatever is advanced as an argument, and that, seven major sides being needed to every story, "unbridgeable differences of opinion" should be immediately seen and identified as a warning sign that somebody or somebodies are missing from the group of seven.
To say that "differences of opinion simply cannot be right," or to feel personally attacked when encountering disagreement, is to be way off the track, not only because "We must be daily fed on the fruits of injustice and misunderstanding," but also because we would be guilty of the crime of stupidity, betraying our ignorance that for any expression of anything on the physical plane, be it a word, a thought, an idea, a force, a harmony, a unity, a health, a silence, a courteousness, a gratitude -- and so forth endlessly -- there must be an opposing pole; so, there are always at least two poles in this universe, thesis and antithesis -- plus five others, if we have the eyes of occultism. To expect only full agreement and hosanna to whatever we say, think or do, is a sign of deep confusion. Confusion here is meant in the sense of mistaking, mixing up, for example, incarnations. For many years I thought that the biggest source of trouble for people was to mix up, or confuse, incarnations. I thought that many people would still subconsciously recall what they had in past lives -- health, beauty, a life as royalty, etc. -- and expect or even demand it from their present, very different surroundings, thus making themselves permanently unhappy and miserable. Then, much later I realized that it is not incarnations that people confuse -- it is the planes! So, you and I coming from Devachan where we were before this, still feeling the perfection of that dooryard to nirvana, expect the same beauty and absolute oneness and harmony on the earth plane -- a misconception of almost fatal consequences! Truly, most of us confuse and keep confusing planes until the end of our lives, and expect from the physical plane things which it cannot give, will never be able to give because it is simply not intended for a divine expression of absolute perfection, which is the domain of the spiritual plane.
In truth it is both incarnations and planes we keep confusing, for both are one. The biggest confusion of all, of course, is the mania to think that what we see is real; to believe that the manifested universe, as such, was no illusion. The greatest waking up, then, is to see and realize that all we see, think, or perceive, is but Maya from the angle of the spiritual plane. Let us all wake up to the unreality of this illusion, and attain to the illumination of the only reality, which is the fourth dimension, the Christos, the Great Central Sun.
-- Istvan Balogh
Nashoma Carlson conducted a walk through various Halcyon gardens which gave us all fresh insights into how the residents cope with different soils, different micro-climates, and many varieties of plant materials. This was followed by tea at the Carlson home.
At 10 a.m. in the Temple, "Temple Treasures," a program of special readings, was presented by the Guardian in Chief and Temple Officers.
The Healing Service was conducted by Barbara Ricardo and Istvan Balogh.
At 7 p.m., "Halcyon Memories," a video presentation of times past, as well as three films done by Kaety Rollison, were shown at the Balogh home.
After the films a community campfire took place in a corner of the Four Acres near the Central Home.
-- Linda Rollison
At 8 a.m. we all gathered in the Lodge for a wonderful breakfast cooked by the Lowman family.
The Healing Service was conducted by Linda Rollison and Willy Gommel.
At 5:30 p.m., the study class was held in the University Center. The Guardian in Chief read papers from the Temple archives.
After class, we had a Pasta Potluck supper in Hiawatha Lodge, followed by a campfire at the four acres.
The Healing Service was conducted by Chris and Margaret Thyrring.
From 2 to 6 p.m. we attended an Open House at the Baloghs', enjoying their spa and lovely patios.
Again, at sunset, a community campfire was enjoyed by all. Corn from the garden was roasted in the hot coals.
At 10:30 a.m., the Temple Builders Program was held in the Temple. The Guardian in Chief spoke of the Builders -- the children's department:
The Builders have been an important focus for the Temple, particularly since moving from Syracuse. The children's movement was discussed at the Convention of 1902 and put into effect in 1903. In the Artisan from that time we read, "The lessons for the children will contain the simple fundamental truths of Science and Religion, as elaborated by the Masters of Wisdom in all ages. They will be written in childhood's language and will abound in illustrations from nature and other lines familiar to children." By June of 1903 the children's movement reported to have nearly 100 members from around the country--partly children, partly teachers, and partly grown members who found the lessons helpful to themselves.
Over the years since, the numbers have increased or decreased, the language of childhood has changed with the times, but the simple, fundamental truths of Science and Religion have not changed. These are timeless. This year the Children's Movement, expressed through the Builders is celebrating its 97th birthday. I have asked our Builders to share with you some thoughts of other children and teachers during previous Builder Anniversaries as we honor our children and all children everywhere.
Several Builders present read papers written for this occasion.
Welcome, you dear people.
In Christ's dear name we greet
You children of the Temple
Who in Convention meet.
May golden light surround you;
May Christ's own seal be thine,
May Love and peace attend you,
Dear you and yours and mine.
-- by Duncan Ferguson, read by Johnny Foremaster
Before coming to Halcyon I never took my mom's spiritual philosophy seriously. When I came to Halcyon I met people like my mom. I enjoyed staying at Halcyon the first time I came. I was amazed at how beautiful it was and how nicely I was treated. I came a second time, but this time I wanted to come. I wanted to see the friends I made during my first trip and to see the interesting residents, who are also my friends. I want to come to Halcyon next year with my mom.
-- Simon Rykman
I like coming to Halcyon because it's a very beautiful place. My problems just seem to float away. I can breathe fresh air in Halcyon. While I am away, I feel like a broken cup, but when I come to Halcyon, I feel as good as new.
-- Alex Moiseyev
I like to come to Halcyon and the Temple to find my peace of mind. I feel myself being lifted up in spirit just by breathing the Halcyon air. I could sit here and do nothing for hours, and yet leave an improved person. When I return from Halcyon, I feel like I am a cup that was broken into many pieces and suddenly is in one piece again. Being a teen-ager, I believe that Halcyon helps me get through my adolescent years smoothly.
-- Julie Moiseyeva
I like Halcyon because of the friendly atmosphere here. All of the people are very open and loving, and make you feel welcome in their home. Halcyon is a special place, and the people who live here are very unique. I guess that I can't help liking Halcyon. Being here, I always feel more relaxed and uplifted. Coming to Halcyon is always a happy occasion, and leaving a sad one. I'm very glad that we found a place like Halcyon.
-- Alena Pletneva-Veller
Why I Come to Halcyon
In my life there are many obstacles -- many rocks that can create an unsafe passage for my ship of development; rocks that can break the hull of emotions and rip the sail of idealism. To me, Halcyon has been a lighthouse guiding me, in some ways, safely throughout my trip of adolescence.
It is here in Halcyon that I can forget all the troubles of my ever-stressful life and approach them from a different perspective.
As my mom once put it, "We come here to recharge our batteries" -- our spiritual batteries, our social, mental, and of course the "Die Hard" emotional batteries.
When my family moved to Sacramento, our ideal of a vacation was Hawaii, Tahiti, or the Caribbean. However, now it is Halcyon.
Although not one of the major tourist attractions, Halcyon in itself is perfect. I mean, think about it: undisturbed, yet filled with life; peaceful, yet strong in spirit -- and by far unparalleled in its caring and friendship.
I would say that my semi-annual trip here is, was, and will be worth the reward of coming here.
-- Konstantin Veller
I've been going to the Temple of the People for three years now, and am happy to say it has been a very exhilarating experience. Starting in the days when Rick Ricardo taught us the meaning of "Creeds Disappear, Hearts Remain" to my father's run through the Ten Rules of Discipleship, the Temple has always given me support in these troubled times. It gives me great comfort to know that while I interpret Theosophy for myself and try to understand others, I am respected for my own thoughts as I try to find my way along the Path.
-- Sam London
Temple Builders teachers spoke.
Since this is a day about children, I'm just going to read something that I wrote about seeing life through the eyes of a child.
Walking down the street one day with a four-year-old little child -- my daughter -- was a very enlightening experience. Have you ever walked down the street worrying that someone will notice that you have a stain on your pants, or you forgot to brush your teeth, or whatever is concerning you at that moment? Everybody seems to grow into this self-awareness, thus forgetting to stop and smell the roses.
While walking down the street with my daughter, hurrying as always, she suddenly stopped. This time, instead of saying "Hurry up!", I decided to stop with her and experience life on her level.
What a wonderful world she lives in! In the middle of a busy sidewalk with busy people, she has found the one beautiful thing that most of us are stepping on just trying to get where we are going: a flower. Simple as it may sound, it completely changed my life. We sat there for a while, looking at the beautiful color and how it grew there, etc.
Then I looked up and saw something even more beautiful: the world. Everywhere you look, there is beauty -- the sky, the clouds, or just a couple who look like they've been married for centuries. It's all beautiful. And that is how children see the world. We create their insecurities. They are not instinctive. The instinct of a child is to see the beauty in everything. We are the ones who teach them what our perception of beauty is -- or is not. That old saying, "If I knew then what I know now," should be just the opposite: "If I knew now what I knew then --" That is how we should live.
-- Jenny Foremaster
According to the Funk and Wagnalls Dictionary, Theosophy is "a mystical speculation applied to deduce a philosophy of the universe. In its modern phase, a system that claims to embrace the essential truth underlying all systems of religion, science and philosophy. Its doctrines resemble closely those of Buddhism and Brahmanism, teaching the existence of an omnipotent, infinite, eternal and immutable principle, transcending the power of human conception and the identity of all souls through the cycle of incarnation with a universal spirit."
Whew! That's according to Funk and Wagnalls. According to the Theosophical Glossary by H. P. Blavatsky, Theosophy is "the Wisdom Religion, or divine wisdom." A little simpler! According to Rick Ricardo, Theosophy is the study of God. In our very first Builders meeting with Rick, he pointed out that in Greek, theos is God, and sophos is wise: to become wise in divine matters through study and experience. Although we have missed Rick's physical presence for some time now, I can remember my first Temple Builders meeting with him as though it was just yesterday.
He went on to quote the first line from the preamble of the Rules of Discipleship: "God is love, and love is the fundamental source of Being." He concluded that if Theosophy was the study of God, and God is love, Theosophy must therefore be the study and living of love. He was referring to the kind of love implied by the Golden Rule. Continuing, he said, "It all boils down to `Creeds Disappear, Hearts Remain.' All else is non-essential," which he said in his usual jovial way.
Rick later went on to share with us the stories he wrote on subjects like karma and reincarnation for the Builders who were growing up in the `80s. Since Rick's passing, we continue to explore, discover, and expand our appreciation and gratitude for the enlightening connections between the Temple Teachings and everyday living. As for myself, I have come to realize that we are all Temple builders.
-- Rick London
Sergey and Rita Moiseyev sang a Russian song to the children and Ivan Ulz involved all of us in singing The Lollipop Tree with him.
The candles were lit by Johnny Foremaster and Sam London. The offering was taken by Violet Drummond and Tara Crowne-Herold and Megan Foremaster. The candles were extinguished by Tory Drummond and Alex Moiseyev.
The Healing Service was conducted by Barbara Ricardo and Willy Gommel.
At 3 p.m., the annual Ice Cream Social made us all very happy at the home of Karen and Will White.
At 7 p.m. the Convention Benediction Service was celebrated in the Temple.
Temple groups: There are groups in New York City and London, England, as well as several in locations in Germany, Lithuania, Russia, and Ukraine who meet regularly to study and discuss the Temple Teachings. Anyone wishing more information about these groups can contact the Temple offices in Halcyon.
Internet:
ginc templeofthepeople.org -- Send e-mail to the Temple directly
Look for the Temple of the People on the Web at:
William Quan Judge Library serves Temple members, residents of Halcyon, and friends with an interest in Theosophy, or who are doing research involving some of our special collections. Our library is staffed by volunteers; hours are Mondays, 9-11 a.m. and 6-8 p.m., and Fridays, 9 a.m.-12 noon. Other hours are by appointment through the Temple office.
The University Center Gallery is open by appointment. Please call the Temple office at (805) 489-2822 for information. This year the exhibition consists of paintings by Harold E. Forgostein, fourth Guardian in Chief of the Temple. This exhibit, "The Song of Hiawatha," features 12 of the series of 24 four-by-four-foot oils depicting the life and legends of Hiawatha and the League of Six Nations, along with their working watercolor sketches. The sketches give the viewers a glimpse of the creative process Forgostein experienced as he developed the final compositions for the larger paintings. Also on display are many interesting articles and artifacts accumulated through Temple history.
The Temple Healing Service is held at 12:00 Noon each day in the Temple. All are welcome to attend. A Meditation Meeting is held in the Temple on Sunday evening from 7 to 7:30.
Study Classes under the auspices of Temple Officers and various Temple Orders are held regularly in the University Center on Tuesdays and Fridays at 5:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Sunday Services are held at 10:30 a.m. in the Temple. thFeast of Fulfillment (the Communion Service of the Temple) is celebrated on the first Sunday of each month. The last Sunday of each month is a prayer and meditation meeting. Other Sundays are speakers meetings. The public is cordially invited to all services.
Speakers in the Sunday services were: June 11, Marti Fast, "The Spirits in Us"; June 18, Sam London, "Coming of Age"; July 9, Linda Rollison, "Moscow"; July 16, Eleanor Shumway, "Life with God"; July 23, George Colendich, "On Truth"; August 20, Chris Thyrring reading Elmer Hedin's "The Middle Point"; September 10, Eleanor Shumway, "Convention 2000 Revisited"; September 17, Margaret Thyrring reading Arlene Seaton's "God is Love."
ginc templeofthepeople.org -- Send e-mail to the Temple directly