Photo of the more than one century old student dormitory at the Theosophical Society in Adyar, which is said to have been the first reinforced concrete building constructed in India
Today was the 137th anniversary of the Foundation Day of the Theosophical Society, which was founded in 1875 in New York.
Guest of honour was Mr T. S. Krishnamurthy, the Indian National Election Commissioner, who gave an inspired talk on democracy. He said, that well organised elections are only the first step to democracy. There is the fear, that the Indian State might be at risk for its existence, if the climate of intolerance and violence continues and the speaker urged the T.S. to go out into the world and convince people of the necessity to become more altruistic.
Yesterday Mr. Blogger should have made his second blog, but he was taken to the Indian Institute of Technology, where the Madras Federation of the Theosophical Society organised a competition for some five teams of students, who gave presentations on Tolerance and Integrity. About a dozen students made a rich variety of opinions on the pros and cons of the imposition or inculcation of these items. It became clear, that tolerance should only be imposed in a most tolerant way. If the imposer has not himself integrated the different cultures and religions, he is not capable of tolerance and cannot give the necessary example.
The School of The Wisdom on the Secret Doctrine arrived today at Stanza one of Book one:
"The eternal parent, wrapped in her ever-invisible robes, had slumbered once again for seven eternities."
Then after the tea-break, we had the luxury of attending an English literature class on Mac Beth. The hero at first is perfect, but in the end is tempted to commit all kinds of murderous crimes.
When he is about to be defeated, he says :
"Tomorrow, tomorrow and tomorrow. All of our yesterdays have lead us fools with petty pace to dusty death."
All the seven stanzas of cosmology zipped together into a one liner!
Shakespeare learned his English only at school and did not go to college, but produced over 36 drama's, while his contemporary writers, who went to university, produced at the maximum three or four drama's.
The 15th November was the 89th birthday of the International President of the T.S., which was celebrated here at Bojansala with a lunch for some 60 members of the staff. Blogger has been eating with his hand again.
This and many other details form part of the process of integration of European into Indian life style. The local supermarkets are called "Life-Style" and appear rather occidental. For the moment I do my shopping in small toko's on the avenues, where from time to time somebody, including the all-brassed-up policeman, asks me where I am from.
We are the world,
Brooder
