--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "Anand Gholap" <AnandGholap@A...>
wrote:

> I don't think there was any noble motive behind smoking. And perhaps
> you might try to justify smoking also.
> Should we keep ideal of smoking before people. Should we promote hippy
> culture where people under spiritual practice smoke and do all kinds of
> ridiculous things. We can not allow sacred science to degenerate like
> that.


Wouldn't be easier if you saw HPB's smoking just as a historical fact,
instead of going on a moral rampage about it?

Was HPB's Teacher, in the passage below, trying to "promote hippie
culture" and "do all kinds of ridiculous things"?

"Very kind Sinnett Sahib -- many thanks and salams for the
tobacco-machine. Our frenchified and pelingized Pandit tells me the
little short thing has to be cooloted -- whatever he may mean by this
-- and so I will proceed to do so. The pipe is short and my nose long,
so we will agree very well toge[ther] I hope. Thanks -- many thanks."

(http://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/mahatma/ml-71.htm)

pedro