Printed in the Fall 2024 issue of Quest magazine.
Citation: Keene, Douglas, "The Krotona Centenary" Quest 112:4, pg 8-9
By Douglas Keene
On April 21 of this year, the centenary celebration for Krotona Institute of Theosophy in Ojai, California, was held. During the week leading up to the event, there were classes on the topic of “From Inner to Outer Transformation.” The public was invited to activities on Saturday and Sunday, with the formal ceremony of public addresses performed on the Sunday afternoon. Talks were given by Linda Oliveira, a prominent Theosophical Society member from Australia, Betsy Stix, mayor of Ojai, TSA archivistr Janet Kerschner, and me. Here are my remarks.
Good afternoon.
It is my pleasure to participate in the celebration of the centenary of the Krotona School in Ojai. I’ve been coming to programs at this facility for nearly three decades and am always inspired and uplifted by being on these grounds. This is a beautiful sanctuary, nestled in the hills of Ojai Valley, which those of us who spend time here have come to love and cherish.
I have many fond memories of coming to Krotona. I recall that I would often fly out for a program on the weekend from New Hampshire. I would take a 6 a.m. cross-country flight out of Boston early on Friday morning, which required me to get up at midnight or 1 a.m. Eastern time (which, of course, is three hours earlier here). I never slept well on planes, and therefore I could be up for a twenty-four-hour cycle by the time I attended the program that evening. I remember watching Joy Mills through blurry eyes until at last it was time to fall asleep. The weekend would fly by, and suddenly I was on a red-eye flight back home on Sunday night, landing in the early morning hours of Monday. I would sometimes try to work later in the day. Even though the travel was stressful, for the hours I was in Krotona, I felt rejuvenated and uplifted.
The TSA and Krotona divided in the early 1920s for a variety of reasons, with the Theosophical Society moving to Chicago and later Wheaton, Illinois, while the Esoteric School of Theosophy established itself in this location, now a hundred years ago. The Krotona Institute of Theosophy, also located here, has helped spread the message and deeper resonance of Theosophy and its fundamental principles to thousands over the years. The KIT has shared in the mission of the Theosophical Society, which is to “encourage open-minded inquiry into world religions, philosophy, science and the arts in order to understand the wisdom of the ages, respect the unity of all life, and help people explore spiritual self-transformation.”
The Krotona Institute and the TSA have had a sibling relationship for the last century. Like many siblings, we occasionally disagree but have always been mutually supportive and encouraging and have a deep devotion to each other. I have known KIT vice president and resident head Elena Dovalsantos most of the time she’s been living here—well before each of us held our present offices—and I believe our capacity to communicate and promote harmony within our two organizations is excellent. We share a message, which is to expand the teachings of the Ageless Wisdom and promote unity and compassion within our world today.
How can we bring a shared vision of the future? First, by education. Through a series of diverse programs, we can share our experiences and teachings with a new generation and a wide array of individuals. In this time of global crisis, many are looking for depth of experience and understanding. The desires of the body and the lower mind begin to recede as we search for something more enduring, more real. One place to find these enduring principles is within the Theosophical tradition. When the news of daily events grinds us down, when the pursuit of popularity feels empty, we crave a deeper connection, a profound sense of purpose in our lives. People are seeking light, as they do in all ages and places. Although no one can provide final answers, much can be learned and shared.
Second, the teachings engender an attitude of altruism. When we recognize our unity with other human beings and with all life, it is natural to wish to be of benefit in some way, particularly to those who may be wanting in basic necessities, but also to those who are struggling with spiritual confusion or alienation.
Krotona is an oasis, but also a way station, where we learn to take our energies and abilities out into the greater world in an empathetic and practical sense. We each have something to share, even if it is only our own humanity, letting others know that they are not alone.
We must have eyes to look outward, to know what our place and work in the world is and will be. But we must also look inward in order to understand our inner nature, sense our unity, and see the divine path. We must know ourselves through self-reflection and self-evaluation. We must understand not only our desires and capacities, our instincts and intuition, but the deepest aspects of our nature and our links to divine aliveness. When our vision becomes clear, looking inwardly and outwardly, these two must be assimilated, working in harmony, as we unfold toward our greater potential.
Let us remember what Annie Besant has written: “Never forget that life can only be nobly inspired and rightly lived if you take it bravely and gallantly, as a splendid adventure in which you are setting out into an unknown country, to meet many a joy, to find many a comrade, to win and lose many a battle.”
Krotona is about to embark on its second hundred years in Ojai. There is an enormous aptitude here for creating deep and profound programming and providing connecting experiences. It can bring understanding, harmony, and resonance to us in our often chaotic lives. These teachers can gather fellow seekers together and lift our consciousness so we can see and feel the oneness, the uniqueness, the intertwining of all of us. It is a valued treasure, a jewel, which radiates for us and beckons us to come and find the peace and stillness we seek.
Congratulations and best wishes for the next century.
Thank you very much.