Theos-Talk Archives (June 1997 Message tt00006)

To Paul Johnson,

I would tend to go with the third option you suggested, that HPB was right,
there are/have been one (or more) "Messengers", and Theosophists as a whole
have missed him/her/them.  I find this the least surprising and most likely
scenario given history.

HPB was at first "sent" to the Spiritualists in 1873 in Egypt, then in New
York, and none of them would have anything to do with her.  Then she worked
with Masons, Rosicrucians, Brahmins, most of whom pooh-poohed her.  Yes, a
few took notice, including the redoubtable Mason W.W.W. who helped her with
some work, Dharmapala, T. Subba Rao (for a while) and other worthies.  Mostly
she was laughed at, scorned, and misunderstood even by her friends.

HPB did NOT say that a Messenger was going to be sent to the Theosphists.
 Find me that reference !  That claim would be the height of arrogance.  What
have WE done to deserve special dispensation?  From HPB's own words we are
told that the Masters send out teachers to humanity at large when the cycles p
ermit, and those who have ears to hear, hear.

If I had to take guesses (and they are ONLY guesses) I would have to say that
several important trends have begun in the West from about 1975 on: (1) A
steadily growing envionrmental/recycling/Gaia movement (2) The coming West of
the Buddhist and Hindu Dharma, the Tao, and other highly evolved Eastern
teachings, brought not by white spokespeople but by articulate, accomplished
native practitioners (3)  the spread of democratic movements to the Third
World, using the U.S. Constitution as a blueprint for new constitutions the
world over  (4) a growing intolerance for religious authority, specifically
Christian authorities, which has prompted the reactionary rise of
fundamentalists who see their religion crumbling around them  (5) the growing
awareness in Western medicine of the reality and actual effectiveness of
acupuncture, herbs, chiropractic, homeopathy, meditation and other ancient
therapies (6) a huge jump in awareness of out-of-body and near-death
experiences.  The list could go on.

The Masters could be working directly in the field of any or all of these
trends -- as authors, politicians, educators, Buddhist lamas -- or working
behind the scenes, or both.  They are certainly working in ways neither I nor
anyone else at my level of evolution could perceive.

So I am not at all dismayed that I personally have no name on which to hang
the title of "messenger."  Perhaps the cycle wasn't right for one single
Adept to come and announce him or herself.  Indeed, in the 18th century cycle
we can look back and name not one but at least FOUR Adepts working
concurrently in Europe, all known to each other: Cagliostro, Mesmer, St.
Germain and Louis-Claude de Saint Martin.  Which shall be considered "The"
messenger of the 1770-1800 cycle?  And meanwhile, in America, Paine and
Jefferson are known by Occultists to have been used in galvanizing the
Revolution; Jefferson himself writes that the Declaration of Independence
came to him fully formed in a dream.

And if HPB weren't such a towering figure we might see a goodly number of
chela-adepts in the 19th century cycle as well, a list which would surely
include Mr. Judge, among others even less well-known than he.

Surely we don't expect the messenger(s) to seize the world stage and direct
all attention to himself or herself?  Would that be effective today?  Rather,
I say look to the small bands of people accomplishing change today and ask
who is at their head?  There we may find Mahatmas today.

Rich