Printed in the Summer 2023 issue of Quest magazine.
Citation: Braun, Stephen, "Journey to Adyar" Quest 111:3, pg 14-15
By Stephen Braun
My journey to Adyar began with a flight under the first quarter moon just before the New Year of 2023. I was headed there to participate in the Theosophical Society’s 147th International Convention. Little did I know on that flight how rich of an experience awaited.
My first activity at Adyar was a silent meditation walk at 6 a.m., before sunrise, led by Ven. Ananda Olande of the Netherlands. The bird calls and insect sounds as we walked in the night evoked mystery and oneness. When the first signs of day broke, we meditated at the Garden of Remembrance, which contains ashes of deceased international presidents plus those of C.W. Leadbeater. Afterward, we continued our walk to the edge of campus through a door opening on the Bay of Bengal, where we could be one with the sunrise. What a glorious and contemplative way to start that first day and each day after!
During my weeklong stay, I met Theosophists from more than twenty-five countries. We enjoyed discussing and learning how we approach programs at home and how we can collaborate despite distance. Every section has its own approach to understanding and applying the Ancient Wisdom, and there is much to be learned when we look in the mirror as Theosophists. How exciting, in the world that is emerging, to be able to continue globally sharing and learning.
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| Sunrise among Theosophists at Bay of Bengal |
There is something about being in India that refreshes the soul: a revitalization and reset of all planes of being. India is a country that functions differently than we Americans are used to, making it a perfect place to see our personal world and attachments from another perspective. It reveals much about our own nature and the nature of humanity, allowing us to make conscious decisions about our lives going forward.
India is also a spiritual home for Theosophists, with beauty, experience, and interactivity speaking to us. This happens at Adyar, which is both a neighborhood in Chennai and how we refer to the headquarters and grounds of our international Society. Adyar, set on a campus of 250 acres full of life, spirit, and perhaps most importantly, applied Theosophy, refreshes the soul of the Theosophist.
I use the term applied to mean both what we do at Adyar and what we are able to see as examples. The local programs reflect the day-to-day potential of Theosophy to serve our world. The campus, for example, is home to the Besant Memorial Animal Dispensary, sheltering hundreds of animals who need rehabilitation or homes; there is also a clinic daily serving hundreds of animal outpatients from the community. One will find Theosophical elementary and secondary schools, a training center for women and a shelter for the poor, a bookshop, printing house, and residential and lodging quarters, all on campus. Outside the campus, one notices streets, neighborhoods, and ecclesiastical structures named after the Society or its leaders, particularly Annie Besant. Our impact on greater Chennai is remarkable and reflects what we can accomplish in our own communities as Theosophists.
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| The Blavatsky Bungalow at Adyar |
At Adyar, we can enjoy magnificent stone gateways, a majestic banyan tree, and a tropical forest. We find plenty of time to meditate, experiencing the energy of forebears like H.P. Blavatsky, Annie Besant, Henry Steel Olcott, and C.W. Leadbeater. This is a home of the Masters, with a palpable sense of their presence and guidance.
Here we may also enjoy time with Theosophists from around the world, sharing and learning from one another, enjoying a distinct sense of the extent of Universal Brotherhood. The unity of life and the brotherhood of humanity feel as if they intersect here.
The campus is very much alive with lectures, art, dance, camaraderie, and oneness. There is a sense of legacy—whether through objects displayed by the museum and archives, reflecting the foundations of our movement, or the crow calls coming from all directions—descendants of the same crows we hear ubiquitously in Krishnamurti recordings from Adyar. Those and other elements reflect our rich inheritance as Theosophists, and it resonates deeply within me to experience them firsthand.
Inside our international headquarters building are bas-reliefs of major world traditions and messengers. Above those, symbols of initiates from traditions throughout our cycle of humanity are to be found and may be reflected on at any of the temples or the mosque or church on campus, reflecting the many traditions which inform Theosophy and which, in the end, are one.
Adyar is filled with many other sorts of life. During the week we saw flying foxes, water buffalo, snails, spiders, snakes, frogs, and peacocks, among the more typical dogs and cats, adding further beauty and inspiration to our experience.
Is it an annual journey? Or a lifetime pilgrimage? The answer varies for each Theosophist, and the permutations of experience, learning, and love enrich the lives of all who attend. There is no sense of time at Adyar, only oneness.
My convention week ended with an extraordinary full moon in Cancer, enjoyed under clear nighttime skies at the Olcott memorial, located next to the Buddhist temple. I realized that my full being had been refreshed after a week steeped in Theosophy. I will make this an annual journey and look forward to seeing friends and acquaintances from around the world in years to come. I hope all who read this will consider joining me.