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Dear friends,

 A brief history of Theosophy in China is published in our July 2012 newsletter and in our website at http://singaporelodge.org/2012_july_news.htm. The theosophical movement was started in China in the early twenties of the last century, by no less a dignitary than Dr. Wu Ting-Fang. Dr. Wu served briefly in 1917 as Acting President of the Republic of China when Dr. Sun Yat-sen was absent. Earlier, he served as Minister of Justice for the Nanjing Provisional Government and Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Republic of China. Unfortunately, he passed away on 23 June 1922, the same year he formed the first Chinese Lodge of The Theosophical Society. Despite such illustrious leadership the Theosophical Society in China never took off in a big way. Evidently there were some early translations of theosophical literature. Unfortunately, through the dormant years and the cultural revolution, none of the translations is extant to our knowledge. We did however uncover a particular translation by Dr. Wu himself through untraditional sources.

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By Juliana Cesano

Late on Sunday morning, July 1, we were surprised by unanticipated heavy clouds. In a matter of minutes, while some of us where at home and others in their respective rooms at the National Center, the sky turned unusually dark. The season has been quite dry so far, so we were all hoping for some rain. What we did not know was that this time rain would not be coming from above but would be seen traveling horizontally accompanied by a 100 mile-per-hour wind. We were bearing witness to the most powerful storm of the last 4 years.

After the storm passed and the sky cleared, the residents came outside to witness the extent of the destruction. It took nature only fifteen minutes to radically change the landscape around us and to leave more than 250,000 people in the area without power. Around 50 trees on TS property were either uprooted or split in half. A couple of 60-foot pines landed on some unfortunate cars, but most of the other trees crashed onto the road or the ground, creating nothing but sadness and a great amount of work for our grounds and maintenance department.

With no power on campus, many of our office staff arriving on Monday spent the morning helping with the cleanup process—hauling branches and clearing the roadways and parking areas. By the end of Tuesday, we had most of the debris immediately around the buildings cleaned into neat brush piles. The electric company worked hard to restore power to the area, but for some of us the wait wasn’t over until Tuesday evening. Our computer network suffered some damage from the power fluctuation as well, but we were able to restore network functionality in time for work on Thursday morning. In many ways, this was a reminder of our great dependence on electricity and how much we take the comforts that come with it for granted.

Nobody was hurt when the storm ripped through, and we are very thankful for that. It was interesting to see that none of the TS structures were touched or even scratched. Observing the pattern of trees downed, it even seems as if we have had some invisible protection guarding the buildings and houses.

Although relatively small in scale, the eminent power of nature was once more revealed, leaving us with a strong sensation of being a small part of a much greater life and power.

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By Lauren Rourk

As a teenager diving headfirst into the promised days of summer, I decided that I wanted to make this season's break meaningful. I knew a summer job would never work, and just vegetating at home wouldn't be an option either. So, I decided to go for a volunteering opportunity, which I knew, if anything, would pass the time and look good on the college applications in the fall. I began my search, and, after a while, I found the Theosophical Society in America. All I really knew about it was a place that religions were studied and compared, which sounded interesting. I decided to volunteer, knowing that if I accomplished anything, I'd at least learn a few things here and there. What I didn't know, was how much I would learn, and I how much I would experience.

Sooner than I knew it, my first day for volunteering came up like the morning sun. I really hadn’t thought at all of what the experience was going to be like, so with a mind as open as the sky, I started my first day. From the minute I stepped in the door, I felt like I belonged. Not to a club, not to an organization, but to something truly greater than myself, something that went even beyond the boundaries of the grounds. For I realized I was now in an environment, where people, from all walks of life, loved to live, grow, and experience life for all that it is. I found a place where it is okay to question everything, from “what does anima mundi mean” to “what’s the meaning of life”. New thoughts, beliefs, and ideas were not only accepted, but they were welcomed and embraced with the greatest compassion. I never had thought that I could have found somewhere, much less in the Chicagoland area, that would not only stimulate the mind, but also lift the soul in such a way. The vibe that I felt, was just incredible, and that feeling is so hard to find anywhere else. There were things I knew before, but after finding the Theosophical Society, I began to live them out. Just having the ability to talk on a deeper level, to think at a deeper level, and even to act in a deeper level, has certainly redefined who I am.

By Richard Smoley

Burnier noted that she is having “a great deal of contact” with lodges in countries where Theosophy has faced adversity, such as Russia, which now has three lodges, and Pakistan, which has two lodges left. The latter are “having a very difficult time” because of the opposition of certain Muslim groups who have even tried to take possession of lodge buildings.

In India itself, she said, “one of the important aspects of the work is unity” beyond differences of caste and religion. Since its earliest days, Burnier stressed, the Society’s main goal has been to “make people understand what are the real things, and which ones people should pay attention to.” Prime among these has to do with the Society’s First Object, which espouses the brotherhood of humanity and indeed of all life. “We are different, yet the same,” Burnier said. “We are one people from end to end of the earth.” For this reason, she said, it is necessary to emphasize love, “not in a physical, material sense, but in a real sense. Love is in essence the realization of the unity of all creatures, to realize it in one’s heart.”

To foster awareness of this truth is “why the Society is being kept alive” despite ups and downs in membership levels, Burnier went on to say. Describing the TS as “a forward-looking movement that will take people very far in their evolution,” Burnier looked forward to an increasing influence for the organization. “Although we are a small society, it is growing and inwardly taking shape” as a vehicle for helping people to realize “the importance of the unity of human beings.”