About the Theosophical Order of Service

Many of us like to feel we have a strong sense of humanitarianism, a necessary quality for helping others and seek to join the growing tide of thought expressing these yearnings through active service. In 1908 Annie Besant, then international president of the Theosophical Society, and herself an activist of great social conscience, founded the Theosophical Order of Service (TOS). Many members of the Society wanted to organise various lines of service for the active promotion of the First Object of the Society:

“To form a nucleus of the Universal Brotherhood of humanity without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste or colour”.

The TOS offers a framework in which individuals may demonstrate practical and humanitarian actions in a theosophical spirit, whether or not they are members of the Theosophical Society. Committed to improving the material and spiritual condition of humanity this worldwide organisation has active groups around the world including India, Pakistan, United Kingdom, Canada, United States of America, Brazil and Australia; the message has spread far indeed from its humble beginnings nearly a century ago.

In our busy lives amidst the hustle and bustle of jobs, families, holidays and enduring endless traffic jams we tend to have little time for contemplation on the lives of others. In New Zealand’s relatively safe and comfortable lifestyle it is easy to forget that:

Every day, thousands of children die due to the effects of malnutrition. Yet sufficient food is produced to feed every adult and child in the world.

Thousands of children do not go to school even when tuition fees are free in public school. They cannot afford to buy shoes, uniform, books, pencils and writing materials.

Thousands of parents have little knowledge on the basics of health care, treatment of children or how to conduct right human relations.

These are some of the overwhelming problems faced by society today and are inflicted upon millions of our fellow human beings. Surely we must strive to do our small part in lifting the burden placed so heavily and wearily on our brothers and sisters. We can do no better than reflect upon the words of our esteemed founder H. P. Blavatsky when she said:

“Every Theosophist is bound to do his utmost to help on, by all the means in his power, every wise and well-considered social effort which has for its object the amelioration of the condition of the poor. Such efforts should be made with a view to their ultimate social emancipation, or the development of the sense of duty in those who now so often neglect it in nearly every relation of life.”

Theosophy in Action.

In a recent evening held at the HPB Lodge in Auckland to celebrate the life of Annie Besant a small plea was undertaken to gather like-minded workers together to form a local group of the TOS to provide opportunities to put into practice the ideals of theosophical philosophy. Those feeling that social and ecological changes are desperately needed and desire to assist have banded together in 'a union of those who love for the service of all who suffer'. The TOS Auckland extends this concept to embrace all of life and will focus on various forms of service including fund raising for our ‘nominated’ causes, World Peace, Health, Healing, Education and Humanitarian assistance amongst others.