President's Blog

Love at Its Finest

September 29, 2019

Do not blame Love for the agony it brings;
Love is the King of all paths,
And the heart not wild with longing
Is already dead, already a burial ground.

One evening in September, author Andrew Harvey came to speak at the TS headquarters about the poetry of Kabir. I had never heard him speak before. I remember reading some of his work years ago and not feeling drawn to it. At the time my (exhausted) mind was occupied with raising children and all that comes with it. From the moment a child is born, one’s life is handed over to them. It is the way it is and the way it needs to be. Children are, for a good portion of their life, defenseless creatures who need hands on help, encouragement, and immense nurturing. This is why it is the hardest job ever given to anyone. Even when you feel you have nothing left within you, your heart warms at their cry despite the frustration that all you want is to close your eyes and sleep. Many people who don’t have children can recognize this experience—all too brief from where I am now—if they have ever had a puppy. It is this constant dance between exhaustion and invigorating love that revives you to keep on going and giving. Read more about Love at Its Finest

Pondering Miracles

April 18, 2019

One of my favorite stores to shop at is Farm and Fleet. It’s a good old store found in the Midwest that once upon a time was where all the farmers and their families shopped. I remember the first time I visited the store, I felt completely intimidated. At the time, I lived in what would have been considered the country (until people like me moved in.) I lived in a subdivision on land that once belonged to a farming family. The farm lands were and still are disappearing because farmers can no longer afford to keep and cultivate their land. Read more about Pondering Miracles

Good Wishes and Housekeeping

January 23, 2019

I would like to wish everyone a joyful new year. From the photo, you can see that a few of us from the US were in India over the holidays attending the international convention. As always, the international convention is like a family reunion. (Not too different from our national summer convention at Olcott!) It was wonderful to spend some time with TOS International Secretary Nancy Secrest who is now living in Adyar working as international treasurer. Kathy Gann, who is standing next to Nancy, visited Adyar and India for the first time as did Christopher Dixon, TSA’s chief of staff. Read more about Good Wishes and Housekeeping

Honey in the Heart

October 9, 2018

It is said that Buddhi or “pure knowing” is seated in the heart. Such knowing is not attached to anything. It is does not come by absorbing knowledge from various books or teachers, because it is not intellectual. Yet it is conscious intelligence. It is not created over time so is not conditioned by circumstances or the world around us. And yet, its intelligence allows one to see things at a deeper level. There is no way to actually put such knowing into words because it must be experienced to be known. And it is only for the knower to know. Each experience is different depending on the person. Read more about Honey in the Heart

Suffering and Fear

April 28, 2018

One of the questions that arises in discussions with TOS workers is whether we fear the suffering that we encounter in our work. Despite our Theosophical background, we are human. And despite being human, we carry within us the animal instinct to protect ourselves for our survival. We respond to threats in different ways. We either confront it, run from it, or just stand there unable to move. Read more about Suffering and Fear

Spiritual Midwifery

February 20, 2018

During our last webinar on “What Inspires You?” (see our website www.theoservice.com under “Resources”), one of the participants asked how the TOS is different than any other service organization. It was a valid question. There are many service organizations in the world that help the homeless, advocate for animal rights and the environment and so on, what makes the TOS different? This led to a deeper discussion about why we do what do and what the significance of the TOS is in our lives. Read more about Spiritual Midwifery

Boots on the Ground

October 12, 2017

As many people know, when a donation is made to the Theosophical Order of Service, 100% of your donation goes toward the cause or project you have chosen. This is because the TOS works as an All-Volunteer Organization (AVO) and while this may not seem like anything consequential, in fact it is. Today, very few organizations are able to put 100% of your donated dollars toward its designated purpose. In many organizations, charitable dollars are used to help with the administrative costs. Read more about Boots on the Ground

Our Most Holy Mission

August 16, 2017

With the unrest in the nation lately, many of us who are members of the Theosophical Society and who practice Theosophy as a way of life are quite fortunate. Theosophy gives us a wider lens in which to observe the unfolding of something that we realize does not just reside outside of ourselves, but is within us as well: “As within, so without.” The teachings of Theosophy provide a guideline as to “why” things may be happening and that, no matter what, the most important thing is to keep universal brotherhood first and foremost in our awareness. What we do to another, we do to ourselves. Read more about Our Most Holy Mission

Changes on the Horizon

Ananya Sri Ram Rajan
April 14, 2017

Happy spring! 

It is said that change is inevitable. We see this with the weather patterns, in technology, with what is “in” and what is “out,” and we see it in society as a whole. In the US we are facing changes in our governmental administration and what it decides to focus upon. The possible decrease in funding for the environment, healthcare, social welfare, education, and other areas means that even greater stress will be placed on non-profits (NPOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), who will be left to figure out how to best help those who are in need. This puts the TOS in a unique position. Read more about Changes on the Horizon

The Magic Within

February 18, 2017

In the movie Nanny McPhee, Emma Thompson plays a rather unattractive, almost scary, looking nanny who comes to care for seven unruly children. When she arrives and finds she is unwelcomed by them (they in fact tell her to leave), she quietly informs them, "When you need me, but do not want me, then I must stay. When you want me, but no longer need me, then I have to go." Using her magical powers, she eventually gets the children to behave. The oldest child, who is the most unruly and stubborn of all, is Simon. His understanding of the lessons he needs to learn come a bit slower because his anger gets in his own way. But eventually he too softens, becoming more congenial and gentle. Read more about The Magic Within

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