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Dr. Robert
D. Stelle Founder of
the Lemurian Fellowship To the world, and to the
many students of the Lemurian Philosophy who are acquainted with the background and
formative years of the Fellowship, he is known as
Dr. Robert D. Stelle. But to Those of the Lemurian
and other Brotherhoods, he is known simply as Rhu, the one who ever since the
days of the Rhu Hut Plains on the Continent of Mu (see the book The Sun Rises) has done so much to
bring people together in a cooperative endeavor for the purpose of building
an ideal and permanent civilization. Dr. Stelle established the
Lemurian Fellowship on September 16, 1936. Through his contact with the
Lemurian Brotherhood, he was given all the data and
information relating to the Great Work which it was believed necessary for
him to have. As this information was received from the
Brotherhood much of it was released and incorporated into the lesson
material of the Fellowship. It is now being used
throughout the Philosophy to help students in their striving for unfoldment by giving them a deeper appreciation of life
and its great purpose. On March 8, 1952, Dr.
Stelle went through transition, thus ending his physical participation in the
work of the Fellowship. While we all miss him personally, his responsibility
to the Brotherhood, as well as his continued guidance in the affairs of the
Fellowship has gone on uninterrupted.. Not long ago, a student who
heard us make a similar statement about Dr. Stelle and his present
participation in mundane Lemurian affairs, asked, “How do you know that he
continues to guide the Fellowship and help you and others?” This is not an easy
question to answer conclusively, let alone prove to another, but each member
of the staff has his own special way of recognizing help from higher
sources—particularly that which comes from Dr. Stelle, During the years we spent
together in this Work, each of us became attached to this beloved Ego in ways
which the mere laying aside of a physical body could not possibly sever. If we maintain an attitude
of awareness (which we try always to do) we can sense his desire to help us
and can recognize his help when it comes. For example, when we are plagued by
a problem which persists in spite of our having done
everything within our power to solve it, we are often amazed by the
suddenness with which the solution appears. And in
turning our thoughts to Dr. Stelle, we can usually tell if it was through him
that our anxiety was relieved. This we call “attunement.” Often Dr. Stelle assists us
in matters and decisions which are beyond our
experience, but whenever he does, we are expected to learn from this help and
know what to do the next time a similar situation occurs. Once we have been
shown and have had the experience, we are on our own,
The Great Ones simply do not solve our problems for us. I remember what Dr. Stelle
once said to me when I asked for help unnecessarily. He said, “This is yours
alone to work with, and I’m afraid you are going to have to sweat it out
under the armpits.” Yes, these were his exact words, and they left no doubt
in my mind as to what he meant. I imagine that right about
new some reader is thinking: My! Anyone
who talks like that can’t be very spiritual! Well, in my book, an
observation such as this would reveal much more about the observer than
about the observed. Quite frankly, I have never met
a more genuinely spiritual person, and I an trying sincerely to become more
like him. To me, it has been a privilege to know this dedicated Ego and to be
associated with him in our
work. Dr. Stelle never spoke to
us about his own advancement, although, admittedly, we did try to trip him up
on occasion to find out, But he didn’t fall for our
tricks, and would only say that he had not yet attained the status of an
Elder Brother. This was quite in keeping with a statement in one of the
Lemurian lessons to the effect that people who have gained one or more
Initiations in the course of their unfoldment never
reveal this information to others of lesser advancement, And when they do,
one nay be sure their statement is false. Anyone
unacquainted with Dr. Stelle would not take particular notice of him in a public place, such as a store, or
a restaurant. Nor is it likely that a stranger would be impressed if he were
to exchange a few words with him while waiting for the bank to open, or for a
bus. True greatness is not a matter of physical appearance or dress. Instead,
it is something that shines from within, often requiring considerable time
before becoming apparent to others. The recognition of
greatness depends upon the perception of the viewer. Some perceive readily,
others more slowly, still others not at all. Christ standing before Pontius
Pilate is testimony of this. Dr. Stelle was of medium
height, rather large of frame, strong of limb and quite heavy set—a physical
appearance altogether different from what many people “expect” to find in one of his caliber and advancement. But his countenance! And who
could fail to see here the happy and cheerful look of confidence—the strength
and assurance which comes from incarnations of soul-experience filled with
mixed measures of sorrow and happiness, discouragement and success? And his penetrating, dark brown eyes—kindly and
understanding, yet firm—tolerant and forgiving, yet ever observing—impishly
bright with twinkling good humor, yet filled with unmistakable sincerity of
purpose, dedication to cause and devotion to God. In these eyes
one found a depth of perception, which could cause the insincere, and the
guilty to turn away, but would attract with warmth and compassion those who
had nothing to be ashamed of or to hide. Modest, unassuming,
disdainful of calling attention to himself, Dr.
Stelle was content to remain in the background so that we who worked with him
would have full opportunity to try our ideas and methods, thus learning from
our mistakes and gaining valuable experience. Time after time we have seen
him wave aside well-deserved credit directed to him so that others might
receive full recognition for their efforts, plus the satisfaction of having
done a good job. But there is one quality Dr. Stelle has always
displayed which perhaps means more to us than any other because it happens to
be one of the most difficult virtues to acquire and consistently maintain.
The virtue is humility... and he has it to a fine point! His is not an
on-the-surface facsimile of this quality, nor is it a bowing-and-scraping
brand of humbleness, It has no kinship with passiveness, or condescending
meekness, or self-effacement. In him, humility is a deep-rooted virtue,
outgoing and genuine. His is the kind of humility which
appears only in the demeanor of those who feel intensely about life and its
great purpose, and who mentally walk hand-in-hand with God. Now, noble though this
beloved Ego is in every respect, we would not want you to think that while he
was with us in person he was always dead-serious and
long-faced, On the contrary, he seemed to lean the other way. His keen sense
of humor and the delight he took in kidding, frequently saved us from the
doldrums, If he was ever depressed or discouraged (and I an sure he often had
reason to be) he never let us know about it. In fact, his cheerfulness was so
contagious that one could not help but feel better just for having been with
him. One of the things that made
Dr. Stelle so unforgettable among those he knew, was
his outstanding ability to tell stories. Everyone enjoys a good story, and
everyone especially likes a good storyteller. Seemingly, Dr. Stelle had an
inexhaustible supply of delightful stories, anecdotes and jokes—one for every
occasion and situation. Being a member of Rotary
for several years, Dr. Stelle found among his fellow Rotarians quite an
appreciative audience for some of the so-called “tales” he told them every
now and then. it least once a year they managed to
wind him up enough to get him talking about his early-life experiences while
traveling throughout the world. For example, they especially
enjoyed hearing him tell of his experience in One veteran Rotarian had
this to say about his “good friend, Bob Stelle.” He said, “Some of the yarns
he used to spin were pretty hard to believe. I’m not
sure they were all true, nor an I so sure they weren't. Anyway, we never
seemed to tire of Bob’s stories because they were always filled with
excitement and adventure.” People have often asked
about Dr. Stelle’s professional career as a physician. Just what kind of a
doctor was he? During his earlier years in But quite frankly there is
no diploma or professional recognition for the kind of doctor he really is… .a doctor of all human ills, one might
say. We of the Fellowship staff, and countless other students of the Lemurian
Philosophy, can attest to the incomparable help we have received from and
through him, for he has taught us not only how to mend our physical bodies,
but our mental and spiritual lives as well. Undoubtedly there are greater Divine Physicians and greater
teachers, but none have been so close to us, nor have any touched our lives
with such personal magic as has this beloved Ego of whom we think and speak
so fondly. In trying to give you an
adequate description of Dr. Stelle, I realize how difficult it is to convey
in mere words the respect and warmth of feeling that finds its way into one’s
heart and mind as a result of having lived and
worked with such a truly fine individual. I should imagine that at
this stage of our unfoldment it is practically
impossible to appreciate fully the Christlike qualities which are a part of such an Ego. In fact, I
rather feel that my own appraisal of Dr. Stelle leaves much to be desired, particularly in the minds of the Elder
Brothers. But I have done my best to help you see him as we
see him… to help you sense perhaps a little more clearly the magnitude of the
responsibilities he bears and the wonderful qualities of character he must
possess in order to be chosen by the Lemurian Brotherhood for that phase of
the Great Work with which he has been entrusted. |
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