Theos-Talk Archives (January 2008 Message tt00045)

Hello All,
  I for one, am over this smoking issue and HPB.  So what if she smoked. What is so bad about smoking.  Does it effect our cognizance?  Considering that back in the 1800's the tobacco would have been pure and chemical free.  The Red Indians used tobacco for healing the body.  We are throwing our 20th century thoughts on smoking into a world and a product far far away from what we buy these days.  Even if the Masters had a choof, so what. Is a little pleasure a no-no at the end of a hard spiritual day? There is evidence that supports the idea that marijuana can assist in pain relief for cancer victims. As far as a chela having to overcome all addictions, where is it written that all addictions have to be overcome in one lifetime?  Is eating an addiction if we indulge in cake or any product that doesn't specifically contribute to the operation of the physical frame?  Perhaps Reading is an addiction if we cannot stop doing it?  Are anti-depressants addiction if we cannot stop
 taking them?  In seven years if all we can throw at her is tobacco then let one of us cast the first stone.
   
  Cass
   
  

Richard Semock <semockr@hotmail.com> wrote:
          --- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "Frank Reitemeyer" <dzyan@...> wrote:
>
> > Its well known that HPB was a chain smoker and addicted to
> > nicotine and possibly hash.
> 
> Richard, WHO says that she used hash?
> As far as I know, this rumour comes only from a New York reporter and 
HPB 
> has contradicted.
> Frank

All we know about the personal lives of the founders is hearsay or 
snatches in the letters they wrote to each other. I read somewhere that 
HPB had to stop her carriage periodically on long trips to have a 
cigarette and she rolled her own. 

You have to wonder if these numerous smoke breaks were engendered from 
a simple nicotine habit or if it wasnt a stronger addiction that drove 
her to these constant interruptions. 

Whatever it was, it was an addiction of some sort that was in control 
of her when self control is the basic tenet of progress on the Path. 
Now if the Masters were merely using her to convey their message than 
that is a different matter and in that case HPB was only a messenger 
and not a saint or even a chela. 

I like the comment someone made about her dying in Italy at one point 
whereupon a Master resusitated her and kept her going after that with 
cigarettes. Never let it be said that Theosophists are not resourceful 
in trying to protect their leader!

The letters to Sinnett were also suspected in certain Theosophical 
circles of being written by HPB posing as a Master. 

I would be happy to research any of this if needed but its a known fact 
that HPB was a heavy smoker with a dependence on tobacco and this was 
probably the reason that schisms formed in the movement. 



                         

       
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