This document contains material which occupied 8 pages of a 36 page pamphlet (11cm by 13cm) probably published in 1927 by the OSE. It has been reset (1997) for clear reproduction. Omitted portions contained lists of National Secretaries, Periodicals, & Literature (books & pamphlets) & listed one forthcoming publication, titled Self-Preparaton, by J Krishnamurti.
The general work and purpose of the Order are summed up in its Declaration of Principles, an acceptance of which is the only* condition binding upon those who apply for membership. That Declaration runs as follows:
* The International Star Organisation levies no fixed subscriptions from the members but carries on its work with the financial aid given voluntarily by them. Certain National Sections, however, have found it convenient to fix a regular subscription but this practice is not in any way binding on the Order as a whole.
Recently a project has been set on foot for the development of the wider life of the Order, and this has consisted in the inauguration of International Centres. Students of occultism will be well aware of the importance of any highly magnetized Centre, in the physical world, which can be used by the Directing Powers behind human evolution as a focus for the sending down and distribution of spiritual forces. Of such specially magnetized Centres the Order now has four. The oldest established is at Adyar, Madras, India, which, as headquarters of the world-wide Theosophical movement for the past forty-five years, is a unique focus of spiritual life-energies, strongly linked up with the vital currents flowing from the great Occult Hierarchy. The Theosophical Society has for several years offered unofficial hospitality to the Order of the Star at Adyar. Last December, however, this hospitality was given an official character, and on the 28th of that month the foundation stone of a Star Headquarters was laid with full masonic honours. It is hoped that the building will arise ere long. When it is completed it will be the official Headquarters for Asia. In addition, it will contain the office of the General Secretary-Treasurer and will house the Star activities. In time, too, it is hoped to establish there a central Star Library.
Another Centre, which has been in existence since 1914, is at Sydney, New South Wales. This, which since its inception has been in charge of Bishop C. W. Leadbeater, will be the Centre for Australia, and one of its features is the open-air Star Amphitheatre completed a year or two ago. The third Centre, which will be the European Headquarters of the Star, is at Ommen, in Holland, where the beautiful estate of Eerde has lately been presented to the Order by its owner, Baron van Pallandt.
In America, a Centre has been lately founded at Ojai, California - a charming spot on which Nature has lavished her rarest beauties, and which has already been consecrated by certain very significant happenings in the inner world.
It often happens that members, on reading the Messages, get the mistaken idea that they come straight from the very Highest. This of course is not so. When, for instance, I wrote some months ago about diet, I indicated what I thought was right; I carefully said, that the suggestions made suited me and were certainly not intended as hard and fast rules for others. Yet, when I was in America and took a weak cup of coffee, one of the members said: "What! you drink coffee, when you told us we must not do so?" If people will not use their common sense, absurd difficulties are bound to arise.
They should not blindly follow anything that anybody says, it does not matter who it is. If they think a thing is wrong, let them not do it, and if they think it is right, let them do it. What the Teacher requires of us is that we should be sanely independent, that we should act on our own judgment and be leaders in our turn, instead of mere followers.
By following blindly we are apt to create a new religion or sect and that is the last thing we desire.
In my Messages I try to express my own ideas, my own particular way of looking at life, and they may be the Master's words or they may not; in this respect members must use their own judgment.
My Messages are only meant to serve as a guide along the road, but they are certainly not the Path itself. You must yourselves become the Path, before you can really tread it.
J. Krishnamurti
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