by Richard A. London, 6th Guardian in Chief
Given February 8, 2026 in the Blue Star Memorial Temple
I have come to believe that the old proverb, “All roads lead to Rome,” is a metaphor implying a universal direction or goal in life that we may all have in common. At this point in humanity’s evolution, a person’s ultimate road or path throughout their existence may simply be to realize the presence of an inner peace, calmness, and tranquility.
Upon reflection, my “Rome” has become a state of mind called Halcyon, a place where it might become possible to know a “Peace that passeth understanding, and a Power that maketh all things new.” I first encountered that peace in August of 1995, when the need to honor the 23rd anniversary of my kid brother’s death brought me into the Blue Star Memorial Temple to experience the daily Noon Healing Service. The prayers and meditation in that service are directed toward the health and safety of the world, and they resonated deeply within me. This was in sharp contrast to rumors I’d heard about Halcyon that had stimulated a sense of caution as I entered what I now know to be a sacred place.
This talk is about my road to Halcyon, and why the Temple of the People is so important to me.
With your indulgence, I will highlight some of the circumstances, choices, and diverse influences that have brought me here today.
I was born Richard Allen London on October 7, 1951 in Los Angeles. My parents named me after my great-grandfather, who was exterminated by the Nazis in 1942, on his 74th birthday. My three younger brothers and I were raised Jewish in a predominantly Christian San Fernando Valley neighborhood, and as I mentioned, one of my brothers was killed by a drunk driver when he was 17.
As a teenager, I spent two summers as a junior counselor at a Jewish kosher sleep-a-way camp, before becoming a school bus driver at a fraught time when school buses were used as the primary strategy for complying with the court-ordered desegregation of the LA Unified School District. That job carried me through LA Valley College and Cal-State University Northridge (CSUN), where I earned a degree in Business Administration before passing the CPA exam. In those years of exposure to diverse influences, I had become a Bar Mitzvah, joined a Presbyterian Boy Scout Troop, fell in love with the daughter of a Christian Science Practitioner, and took a class in Communism as an elective at CSUN.
While working for a business management firm, I was offered the opportunity to become the road accountant for the Eagles’ “Hotel California” tour, which was the start of my 18-year career in the music industry. The high point was when I became lead manager of Billy Joel’s tour of the Soviet Union, with the resulting production of two television specials and the first worldwide, live radio concert broadcast from Leningrad. But that time also brought a low point, when everything I had believed to be true, fair, and just about life was significantly impacted by several painful civil court litigations.
Encounters with diverse influences continued after I married into the Catholic faith and had a son, who has since blessed me and my former wife with two grandsons I love being with every single day. Another influence is my now-significant other, also Jewish, who was raised in Ukraine and speaks both fluent English and Russian. She miraculously and intentionally migrated her way to Halcyon with her late husband and three children in search of the Temple. I am grateful for this Russian-fluent second family and the many traditions we share.
My spiritual road includes 23 years at United Way of San Luis Obispo County, serving first as CFO and then as CEO. I remain grateful for the experiences of establishing a Youth Board, securing a license for a Low Power Community Radio Station, and facilitating an inmate communications program at the SLO County Jail.
Our focus was on programs that emphasized reading as well as financial and social emotional literacies, which are all necessary for nurturing resiliency and well-being in the community.
These various turns in the road have led me on what I believe to be my particular journey or path of necessity, one that has allowed me to know the potential for encountering inner peace, calmness, and tranquility.
Even before I became Guardian in Chief, my connection to the Temple honored an inner need to hold sacred the essence of Mother Nature and the interconnectedness of all forms of existence. I have long believed we are each a part of the interdependent web of all existence, and after that first Noon Healing Service I became intrigued as much by the Temple’s connection to the Native American tribes of the Great Lakes region as I was with its Theosophical roots.
Not many have heard the term Haudenosaunee, which is the preferred name for a group of people belonging to the Iroquois Confederacy. The Temple was formed in Syracuse, New York, just seven miles from tribal land at the heart of the original League of Five Nations. I was surprised to learn about their sacred reverence for the Creator, about the significant leadership roles designated to women, and about the authentic concern of the Haudenosaunee for their children’s children, who are known as the Seventh Generation.
I was surprised to learn about the role their great leader Hiawatha played over a thousand years ago, as he helped facilitate a lasting peace amongst the warring neighboring Nations of the Onondaga, Mohawk, Cayuca, Seneca, and Oneida. I was surprised to learn that the Haudenosaunee Peace Arrangement became the framework for the United States Constitution and had an influence on the evolving democratic principles of the United States of America.
As for the Temple’s Theosophical roots, the term Theosophy is defined as the Wisdom of God, the Ancient Wisdom, or the Wisdom Religion. I was surprised to learn about the establishment of the Theosophical Society in the year 1875, by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, also known as HPB.
The Society’s motto is “There is no Religion Higher than Truth,” and it is guided by the following three objects:
1. To form a nucleus of the universal brotherhood of humanity, without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste or color;
2. To encourage the comparative study of religion, philosophy and science;
3. To investigate unexplained laws of nature and the powers latent in humanity.
Theosophy is unique in its intentional blending of Eastern and Western mystical and metaphysical perspectives.
Parenthetically, I am a Nonviolent Communication or NVC practitioner, meaning I endeavor to communicate compassionately, although not always as adeptly as I aspire to. I mention this as a reminder that while we may all assume we are speaking the same language, the intended meaning behind our words is not necessarily received with the same understanding as it was offered.
For instance, for the Theosophical Society back in 1875, the terms brotherhood and mankind were considered to be inclusive of both women and men, but that is not the case nowadays. You may also know that the more than 15,000-years-old ancient Sanskrit symbol known as the swastika held the sacred meaning of peace, auspiciousness, and life’s journey, until it was appropriated by the Nazi party and perverted into a symbol of hate. Meanings can change, as cultures and times evolve.
In my first encounters with Halcyon, I remember being impressed by the Temple’s emphasis on the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” This first rule of being human was universally reflected in the Temple pamphlets I found free for the taking in the Halcyon Store and Post Office — which is where I noticed my initial apprehensions about the Temple were in the process of dissipating. (By the way, it was in 1908 when the Halcyon Post Office first opened its doors, which were only recently closed for good, even after Halcyon had become a State and Federal Historic District.)
In those pamphlets and other materials, I learned about the Temple motto, the Objects of the Temple, and the Foundation Stones, all of which made sense to me.
The Temple motto is “Creeds Disappear, Hearts Remain.”
The Objects of the Temple are like a mission statement. This is the fifth object: “The promotion of a knowledge of true social science based on immutable law, showing the relationship between one human being and another, and between human beings, God, and nature. When these relationships are understood, we will, instinctively, formulate and follow the Law of true Brother-Sisterhood: the unity of ALL life.”
The Foundation Stones of the Temple are Religion, Science, and Economics. The Temple teaches that “…there can be no true religion without its scientific basis, and there can be no right economic system not based on a science that is religious and a religion that is scientific.”
Shortly after experiencing that first Noon Healing Service, I began attending the Tuesday and Friday evening study classes and the Sunday morning services, which continue to include a monthly communion service, lectures, and a monthly meditation service.
Initially, I was on a mission to investigate claims made by some outside the community that Halcyon and the Temple were a cult. Some thirty years later, it is quite clear to me that the town of Halcyon consists of people from various walks of life, in various stages of life, who have been drawn to Halcyon for a variety of reasons. Most are spiritual seekers and students of life; many have been teachers, artists, scientists, musicians; all have unique personalities and whether they belong to the Temple or not, do the best they can at living the Golden Rule within the parameters of the Law of Centralization. Like a drop from the ocean contains the ocean, Halcyon (as with most communities) contains the essence of humanity, with all of its aspirations and infirmities.
The more I study and practice the Temple Teachings, the more gratitude I have for how Halcyon and the Temple came to be. I am especially grateful for the work of Francia A. LaDue and William H. Dower, M.D., the first two Guardians in Chief and co-founders of the Temple of the People. Here’s a little historical background for you.
William Quan Judge was one of the three co-founders of the Theosophical Society in 1875, along with HPB and Col. Henry Steel Olcott. While studying medicine in New York City, Dr. Dower met Mr. Judge and became interested in Theosophy. In the early 1890s, Dr. Dower organized a branch of the Theosophical Society in Syracuse, New York, and Mrs. LaDue became a member.
Even as a young man, Dr. Dower had been active in causes related to Native American rights — in particular with the local Onondaga Nation — and in 1897 both he and Mrs. LaDue were initiated into the Turtle Clan of the Onondagas. His advocacy of Native American rights was closely integrated with his Theosophical beliefs.
In 1898, Dr. Dower and Mrs. LaDue were divinely inspired to form the Temple of the People in Syracuse.A few years later, under the guidance of the Master Hilarion, Dr. Dower was instructed to relocate his medical practice to the West Coast. Occult Science teaches that there are lines of force encircling the earth in all directions, and the intersections of these lines are centers of power that have been used as places of healing and consecration throughout the ages.
Mrs. LaDue made two trips to California to investigate several healing centers designated by the Master, and was directed to a place just east of Oceano. After the site was dedicated to the Temple work in January 1903, Dr. Dower and those of the original Temple group in Syracuse who could so arrange their affairs came to join Mrs. LaDue in California to establish the community now known as Halcyon.
A large three-story Victorian home in Oceano, which was purchased in 1904, became the Halcyon Hotel and Sanatorium. With the railroad depot just a short distance away, people came from all corners of the world to be treated for many things, including drug addiction, alcoholism, nervous disorders, and tuberculosis. Time spent being in tune with the nature forces, in the magnificent sweep of sand dunes and at the beach, benefited healing.
Dr. Dower also procured the first X-ray machine on the Central Coast, and used treatments including color, sound, and electricity. All patients were treated without regard to financial status, but there were pleas for patient sponsors in the Temple’s monthly magazine, The Temple Artisan, requesting donations of $10 a month for resident treatment.
In addition to the focus on the healing arts, opportunities were explored for Temple members to earn a living. Although it was established as an intentional community, Halcyon has never been a commune; its members have always supported themselves. As land was purchased and leased to members, some began raising food crops, others tried poultry production, still others commercially produced herbs and flower seeds. Some worked in the Robertson Art Pottery Studio, which was established in 1909; it is notable that pieces of this pottery are now prized possessions in several museums.
Francia LaDue, the first Guardian in Chief, also known as Blue Star, passed in 1922, when Dr. Dower became the second Guardian in Chief. He oversaw the design and construction of the Blue Star Memorial Temple, which was completed in 1924 in honor of Mrs. LaDue. An example of sacred architecture, the Temple is built on lines of mathematical and geometrical symbolism. Surrounded by white pillars that support the porch roof, this unique structure is triangular in shape, symbolizing the heart and Unity of all Life as well as the many trinities central to the core of all great spiritual teachings throughout history. The windows are placed high to symbolize the Divine Light that comes from Above, and are glazed with a special opalescent glass to diffuse the sunlight into a golden glow. Its seven doors are symbolic of the key number of the Universe.
As a religious society, the Temple is non-denominational, with members and friends coming from a wide variety of religious backgrounds. The three basic tenets of the Temple are: “Creeds Disappear, Hearts Remain”; “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”; and “Judge not, lest ye be judged.”
Temple members who desire to pursue our course of study may do so. If a member so chooses, this study, combined with service and continued dedication, can lead to the priesthood.
In the Temple, priests do not intercede, as the teachings clearly state that each person is their own priest with an individual connection to God, or All That Is.
From the Bhagavad Gita to Biblical Scripture, from HPB’s Secret Doctrine to the Teachings of the Temple, the volumes of offerings can truly nurture one’s connection between their Soul and the Light, when incrementally put into practice one word, one sentence, one page at a time. Needless to say, it took awhile before the Theosophical principles of Reincarnation and Karma — and their intrinsic connection to the concepts of Hope and Responsibility — began to make sense to me.
I would like to conclude my travels on the road to Halcyon and the Temple by quoting from the Temple’s Ten Rules of Discipleship. For any dedicated student of Life, these profoundly straightforward guidelines can nurture a direct connection with the Golden Rule and cultivate respect for the interdependent web of life, of which we are all a part.
Listen to the preamble and the Temple’s first two Rules of Discipleship:
“God is Love, and Love is the fundamental source of being. Therefore, if thou sin against Love, that sin is against God.
“1. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and mind, and thy neighbor as thyself. This is the highest law.
“2. Thou shalt obey the laws of Life. The Higher Law will hold thee accountable for the breaking of every lesser law.”
Together, the Ten Rules of Discipleship offer a conscious, cohesive concept for a caring, constructive embodiment of the necessary forces of civility which are intrinsically contained within each constituent part of the human body. In the body’s perfect correspondence to the Garden of Eden, consider how our present physical existence began with the impulse of a single cell, then evolved into a multitude of differentiated, diversified cells, organs, and systems that continue to instinctually, intuitively, and lovingly cooperate as they work together in concert — without distinction of usefulness, responsibility, or bodily location. Each human body is a precious Temple, if you will, a sanctuary for each human Soul to gain experience, learn, and evolve.
I believe this embodiment is the ultimate example of respect for the interdependent web of existence, of which we are a part, and is the ultimate universal blueprint for living by the Golden Rule. To truly know and honor the age-old invocation “Thy Will be done” with gratitude and obedience, a kind of courage is required — one that is fortified by a faith that acknowledges the emergence of all existence from a single sacred Source of Divine Sparks, eternally emanating fertility into the Womb of Outer Space, leading to the evolutionary progress of every living thing and creature.
I find it particularly challenging to live during a time and cycle when freedom and rights seem to overshadow the need for more consideration and self-responsibility; when the desire to win seems to take precedence over truth; when scapegoating seems more prevalent than honesty; and when convenience and amusement appear to be preferential over a more natural way of making one’s living. While it is true that a single candle can bring light into a very dark space, the same holds true as one single, unfettered, selfish, self-centered individual or malignant cell has the potential to overpower a system, an organism, or any organization.
More than anything else, the road to the Temple and Halcyon has taught me the importance of usefulness, self-responsibility, and consideration. In the face of today’s dark challenges, that simply means it is up to each of us to be the Light shining in the darkness; it is up to each of us to be the Unity we seek.
From the Unknowable Creator to the created, to the created becoming a creator; from Intelligence to instinct, to instinct becoming intelligent; throughout this process without beginning and end, the ultimate goal is to realize that “we are God, in God, of God, and that all things, all creatures, are in us and we in them.” The evolving consequences of free will becoming conscious of its consciousness from within the Garden of Eden has played a significant role in our being able to congregate together here today, a journey we may never want to take for granted.
From my impatient perspective, knowing what is Truly Sacred is a necessary step in the progress of discerning whose words and actions can be trusted. This knowing will always require a courageous form of never-ending open-mindedness integrated with devotion to vigilance and the Holiness of Humility, Grace, and Mercy.
I continue looking forward to a time when all the races, creeds, sexes, castes and colors of the world come to terms with the necessity for Unity in Community; a time when we all embrace the necessary values, attitudes and behaviors for enhancing our abilities to more joyfully approach the concept of “a more Perfect Union.”
Until that great day, may we come to know the presence of an inner peace, calmness, and tranquility.
Thank you!
—Richard A. London
6th Guardian in Chief