I am still writing papers. Yes I am.
I’ve been working quite diligently as of late, but I notice that the more I do work, the more I want to say, so it takes just as long as if I were distracted; it’s just a better end product.
I am stressing, though, for I have four papers due with the next 12 days. One is nearly finished, one has been started and two have yet to be touched.
Anyway, I had some thoughts while working on one of my papers, but it is personal speculation and not suitable for the paper itself. Once I post my research on the Theosophical Society, you will understand that to which I am referring. But for now, this may not mean much.
The two founders of the Theosophical Society are Madame Helena Petrovna Blavtasky and Colonel Henry Steel Olcott. HPB was a psychic who traveled all over the world studying world religions. She reportedly was also a medium and capable of telekinesis (which according to her was really astral projection interacting with the physical world). She is a very interesting character and did a *lot* of crazy stuff, including getting shot by a musket and hit with a sword while fighting for the unification of Italy.
But the more I find out about Olcott, the more I think this guy is totally underated. He set up numerous free schools all over India and is responsible for a Buddhist revival in the East. It’s true that he may never have become the man he was if he had not met HPB. I can imagine what it’s like to be the inspiration for greatness but never actually achieve anything yourself. That would suck. But in this case, HPB gets all the credit, well, all the credit in the US and Europe. Olcott remains honored in India.
HPB was extremely charismatic, but her eccentricites seemed to make the whole Theosophical Society look like a joke. What would you do if some lady came up to you, claiming she could communicate with the dead and levitate items with her astral body? Would you think she was cooky? What if you asked her to give you a demonstration, but she couldn’t because it doesn’t work under pressure? And then what if she said, “Hey, you should really subscribe to my new philosophy.” Would you? Would you even bother to look into it? What if her philosophy ended up being a combination of Hindu and Buddhist principles?
In my head, it’s as if Martin Luther King Jr had delivered his “I have a dream” speech in a Muppet voice. The message gets overshadowed by spectacle, by ridiculousness. It’s the new adage- “Don’t shoot the message.”