Theosophical Society of San Francisco

Just as in April 2017, TED conference attendees in Vancouver were graced with a surprise message from Pope Francis, who delivered a TED Talk via video link from his desk at the Vatican, in May 2017, SFTS Lodge members and guests attending our weekly "Friday Night Conversation In Theosophy" were graced with the same surprise message, courtesy of TED which makes all of its content publicly available. The profound insights Pope Francis shared in his talk are in deeply resonant with the motto and twin core principles of our Lodge: “No Religion Higher Than Truth, No Power Greater Than Love.” To further the reach of this vital message, we have also chosen Pope Francis’ TED Talk as our Dharma Message for 2017-2018 and embedding the video here.

Here is an excerpt from Pope Francis’ remarks (we also have included a link to the full transcript):

The third message I would like to share today is, indeed, about revolution: the revolution of tenderness. And what is tenderness? It is the love that comes close and becomes real. It is a movement that starts from our heart and reaches the eyes, the ears and the hands. Tenderness means to use our eyes to see the other, our ears to hear the other, to listen to the children, the poor, those who are afraid of the future. To listen also to the silent cry of our common home, of our sick and polluted earth. Tenderness means to use our hands and our heart to comfort the other, to take care of those in need.Tenderness is the language of the young children, of those who need the other. A child’s love for mom and dad grows through their touch, their gaze, their voice, their tenderness. I like when I hear parents talk to their babies, adapting to the little child, sharing the same level of communication. This is tenderness: being on the same level as the other. God himself descended into Jesus to be on our level. This is the same path the Good Samaritan took. This is the path that Jesus himself took. He lowered himself, he lived his entire human existence practicing the real, concrete language of love. Yes, tenderness is the path of choice for the strongest, most courageous men and women. Tenderness is not weakness; it is fortitude. It is the path of solidarity, the path of humility. Please, allow me to say it loud and clear: the more powerful you are, the more your actions will have an impact on people, the more responsible you are to act humbly. If you don’t, your power will ruin you, and you will ruin the other. There is a saying in Argentina: “Power is like drinking gin on an empty stomach.” You feel dizzy, you get drunk, you lose your balance, and you will end up hurting yourself and those around you, if you don’t connect your power with humility and tenderness. Through humility and concrete love, on the other hand, power – the highest, the strongest one – becomes a service, a force for good.The future of humankind isn’t exclusively in the hands of politicians, of great leaders, of big companies. Yes, they do hold an enormous responsibility. But the future is, most of all, in the hands of those people who recognize the other as a “you” and themselves as part of an “us.” We all need each other. And so, please, think of me as well with tenderness, so that I can fulfill the task I have been given for the good of the other, of each and every one, of all of you, of all of us. Thank you.

Full Transcript of Pope Francis’ Ted Talk

TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). TED began in 1984 as a conference where "Technology, Entertainment and Design" converged, and today covers almost all topics — from science to business to global issues — in more than 100 languages. Independently run TEDx events help share ideas around the world.

Friday, November 11, 2016

SFTS Lodge November 2016 Founder’s Day Statement

SFTS Lodge Altar for Founder’s Day, November 2016.

NOTE: On Friday, November 11, 2016, the SFTS Lodge held its annual celebration of Founders’ Day. (The Theosophical Society was founded in New York on November 17th, 1875.) As we do every year, we honored the contributions of H.P Blavatsky, Colonel Henry S. Olcott and William Q. Judge by sharing stories of their high adventures, great good works, exemplary characters and astonishing karmas. On this particular Founder’s Day, acknowledging the deeply troubling state of the nation and the world, we also discussed the Three Avowed Objects and their practical application, and collectively composed a statement affirming our dedication to these core principles, our core principles. The circle is unbroken. May all beings be well, may all beings be happy. Peace, peace, peace. — Blessings, SFTS Lodge.

SFTS Lodge November 2016 Founder’s Day Statement

We do not discuss politics or political issues. But we do …
Stand together in strength and solidarity and declare our cultivation of a humanity that meets upon a common ground of respect and tolerance; to form the nucleus of brotherhood-sisterhood in relation to all sentient beings, regardless of race, creed, sex, gender, caste, class …
Hold fast to the provision of a safe environment where learning and discussion prevail, one which does not tolerate superiority complexes (whether individual or group), hate speech, oppressive attitudes, aggressive behavior, or violent actions.
Defend all (ourselves and others) against the violence of hate speech, homophobia, xenophobia, misogyny, racism, economic prejudice and religious intolerance.
Continue to protect our religious freedom by studying comparative religion, philosophy and science, with empathy and the desire to progress in our understanding and our own spiritual growth,
Build our collective understanding through discovering and tapping into the unexplained powers of nature, and through cultivating and celebrating our relations with all sentient beings.

Three Avowed Objects of the Theosophical Society (Slightly Modified)
To form a nucleus of the universal brotherhood-sisterhood without distinction of race, creed, sex, gender, class, or color.
To encourage the comparative study of religion, philosophy and science.
To investigate the unexplained powers of nature and the power latent in all human beings.

Monday, August 17, 2015

Anna Lee Schneider (1923-2015) – A Life of Unconditional Love

Our beloved friend, Anna Lee Schneider, has gone on to her next adventure. She departed this life peacefully, in her sleep, at the age of 91. Annalee was a shining star and ever-faithful companion on Joe Miller’s Thursday Morning Walks in Golden Gate Park, and at the San Francisco Theosophical Society. She led a life of unconditional love. She was a joy bringer! We will tenderly remember her, we will dearly miss her, and we will meet her again in our next journey on the wheel of life.

Anna Lee’s beloved family will be holding memorial services on Saturday, June 21st, 2015, from one to three p.m. at the Rossmoor Creekside Clubhouse, Club Room, 1010 Stanley Dollar Dr., Rossmoor.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to Tuleyome at www.tuleyome.org or Not In Our School at notinourschool.org.

“Never the Spirit is born, the Spirit shall cease to be never. Never is time, it is not. End and Beginning are dreams.” — Bhagavad Gita

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Dharma Message for 2015-2016: “THE BEST YOU CAN SAY IS NOT-TWO”

Our Dharma Message for 2015 is in honor of our beloved friend and SFTS Lodge comrade Chris Black, who transitioned from this plane of existence in 2014, after a three year struggle with cancer. In his many years of service and sharing at the SFTS Lodge, “Blackie” led numerous “Conversations in Theosophy” based on his favorite Dharma teaching, the Hsing Hsing Ming.

Here is the text of his preferred translation:

THE MIND OF ABSOLUTE TRUST…
THE GREAT WAY ISN’T DIFFICULT FOR THOSE WHO ARE UNATTACHED TO THEIR PREFERENCE LET GO OF LONGING AND AVERSION AND EVERYTHING WILL BE PERFECTLY CLEAR WHEN YOU CLING TO A HAIRSBREADTH OF DISTINCTION HEAVEN AND EARTH ARE SET APART IF YOU WANT TO REALIZE THE TRUTH DON’T BE FOR OR AGAINST THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL IS THE PRIMAL DISEASE OF THE MIND NOT GRASPING THE DEEPER MEANING YOU JUST TROUBLE YOUR MINDS SERENITY AS VAST AS INFINITE SPACE IT IS PERFECT AND LACKS NOTHING BUT BECAUSE YOU SELECT AND REJECT YOU CAN’T PERCEIVE ITS TRUE NATURE DON’T GET ENTANGLED IN THE WORLD DON’T LOSE YOURSELF IN EMPTINESS BE AT PEACE IN THE ONENESS OF THINGS AND ALL ERRORS WILL DISAPPEAR BY THEMSELVES IF YOU DON’T LIVE THE TAO YOU FALL INTO ASSERTION OR DENIAL ASSERTING THAT THE WORLD IS REAL YOU ARE BLIND TO ITS DEEPER REALITY DENYING THAT THE WORLD IS REAL YOU ARE BLIND TO THE SELFLESSNESS OF ALL THINGS THE MORE YOU THINK ABOUT THESE MATTERS THE FARTHER YOU ARE FROM THE TRUTH STEP ASIDE FROM ALL THINKING AND THERE IS NOWHERE YOU CAN’T GO RETURNING TO THE ROOT YOU FIND THE MEANING CHASING APPEARANCES YOU LOSE THEIR SOURCE AT THE MOMENT OF PROFOUND INSIGHT YOU TRANSCEND BOTH APPEARANCE AND EMPTINESS DON’T KEEP SEARCHING FOR THE TRUTH JUST LET GO OF YOUR OPINIONS FOR THE MIND IN HARMONY WITH THE TAO ALL SELFISHNESS DISAPPEARS WITH NOT EVEN A TRACE OF SELF-DOUBT YOU CAN TRUST THE UNIVERSE COMPLETELY ALL AT ONCE YOU ARE FREE WITH NOTHING LEFT TO HOLD ON TO ALL IS EMPTY BRILLIANT PERFECT IN ITS OWN BEING IN THE WORLD OF THINGS AS THEY ARE THERE IS NO SELF NO NON SELF IF YOU WANT TO DESCRIBE ITS ESSENCE THE BEST YOU CAN SAY IS NOT-TWO
IN THIS NOT-TWO NOTHING IS SEPARATE AND NOTHING IN THE WORLD IS EXCLUDED THE ENLIGHTENED OF ALL TIMES AND PLACES HAVE ENTERED INTO THIS TRUTH IN IT THERE IS NO GAIN OR LOSS ONE INSTANT IS TEN THOUSAND YEARS THERE IS NO HERE NO THERE INFINITY IS RIGHT BEFORE YOUR EYES THE TINY IS AS LARGE AS THE VAST WHEN OBJECTIVE BOUNDARIES HAVE VANISHED THE VAST IS AS SMALL AS THE TINY WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE EXTERNAL LIMITS BEING IS AN ASPECT OF NON-BEING NON-BEING IS NO DIFFERENT FROM BEING UNTIL YOU UNDERSTAND THIS TRUTH YOU WON’T SEE ANYTHING CLEARLY ONE IS ALL ALL ARE ONE WHEN YOU REALIZE THIS WHAT REASON FOR HOLINESS OR WISDOM THE MIND OF ABSOLUTE TRUST IS BEYOND ALL THOUGHT ALL STRIVING IS PERFECTLY AT PEACE FOR IN IT THERE IS NO YESTERDAY NO TODAY NO TOMORROW

Friday, February 13, 2015

In Celebration of Light – Honoring the Life and Work of Light Devoy Edwin Harris – Video Archive

Light Devoy Edwin Harris in a San Francisco Opera production of Aida (circa 1980s).

On 12/22/14 at 11:13 p.m., our beloved friend of many years, Light Devoy Edwin Harris passed on from the physical plane, at the age of 81. Light was a great alchemist (in the technical sense of that term) as well as a great maestro and scholar of African-American spirituals.

Over the decades of his friendship and support for the Theosophical Society San Francisco Lodge, Light delivered many erudite lectures on the occult sciences and led many amazing performances by his choir, the Jubilee Singers. Light was a dear friend and ally of Joe and Guin Miller, and after their passing he was a dear friend and ally of those of us who kept that circle of light alive.

A celebration of Light's life and work was held at the SFTS Lodge in early 2015. The SFTS Lodge sponsored a video recording of this extraordinary wonderful event.

Here is a You Tube playlist of recordings from this magical night of LIGHT, SOUND and MOVEMENT --
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[NOTE: The seventeen video clips in the playlist include both excerpts from the formal program, and personal messages from some of Light's friends and students recorded after the end of the formal program, as well as a pre-recorded message from afar.]

Here is Phil Deal's Elegy for Light --

[NOTE: A recording of this original composition was played a continuous loop in the lead up to the evening's main program.]

Friday, January 16, 2015

Joe and Guin Miller’s "Songs to Live By" Continue to Inspire Seekers

David Thompson, W. W Blake Derby and Radhe Diana Baz (January 16, 2015)

Joe and Guin Miller’s “Songs to Live By” are a great resource for all who journey on the mystical path, and they are one of the treasures that the San Francisco Theosophical Society is dedicated to preserving and offering up freely to the ever-flowing future …

On the occasion of what would have been Joe Miller’s 111th birthday (homage to Bilbo Baggins), the Lodge held a beautiful event that featured both a wonderful talk by David Thompson and a marvelous concert of selected “Songs to Live By" from Radhe Diana Baz and W. Blake Derby.

To add to our treasure trove, here are three audio recordings of Radhe and Blake’s performance …

Radhe & W. Blake Derby Set 1 –

Radhe & W. Blake Derby Set 1

Radhe & W. Blake Derby Set 2 –

Radhe & W. Blake Derby Set 2

Radhe & W. Blake Derby Set 3 –

Radhe & W. Blake Derby Set 3

The wisdom of love has no end, it is relentless and inexhaustible.

“Ours is not a caravan of despair.”