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The United Lodge of Theosophists or ULT is an informal and wholly voluntary association of students of Theosophy. It was founded in 1909, mainly through the efforts of Robert Crosbie.[1] The first parent lodge of the ULT was started in Los Angeles by Robert Crosbie and seven other associates through the adoption of its Declaration on February 18, 1909.[2] Owing largely to the revival efforts of B.P. Wadia [1] after Crosbie's death, there are currently about twenty active lodges spread all over the world.[3] The ULT is considered to be part of the second generation [4] or the third section [2] of the Theosophical Movement started in 1875 by H.P. Blavatsky in New York. Presently, it is also one of the existing four main "branches" of the original Theosophical Movement.[5] The following founding principles [6] when taken as a whole, sets apart the ULT from the other Theosophical Organizations:
- Recognition of W.Q. Judge as H.P. Blavatsky's colleague and co-worker from the beginning and hence as one of the original founders of the Theosophical Movement
- Exclusive adherence to the unaltered works of H.P. Blavatsky and W.Q. Judge along with only those other works that are philosophically in consonance with the aforementioned
- Rejection of any other "authorities" in the form of "leaders" or "teachers" and reference to all of its associates as "students" with emphasis on self-reliance
- Absence of organizational elements such as constitution, by-laws or officers and complete reliance on the "similarity of aim, purpose and teaching," as the only basis of unity
- Anonymity of living persons who write on behalf of ULT to protect against exaltation of personalities and self-advertising
ULT Los Angeles publishes the Theosophy Magazine which was started by Robert Crosbie in 1912. It was the revival of an earlier periodical called The Path that was edited by W.Q. Judge.[7] ULT India publishes the Theosophical Movement Magazine, founded under B.P. Wadia in 1930 in Mumbai. ULT Santa Barbara publishes a quarterly periodical called Vidya, and uses Concord Grove Press to publish theosophical texts including a pamphlet series on themes from The Secret Doctrine. The Theosophy Company was registered in 1925 on behalf of ULT as a fiduciary agent [1] and an eleemosynary, non-profit corporation to publish photographic facsimile of the Original Editions of books by H.P. Blavatsky and W.Q. Judge.
- ^ a b c Lewis 2002.
- ^ a b SharmaSharma 2004.
- ^ Campbell 1980, p. 177.
- ^ HammerRothstein 2013.
- ^ Akman 2015.
- ^ Crosbie 1945.
- ^ Kuhn 1930.