Theos-Talk Archives (October 1997 Message tt00209)

It is evident in the Theosophical literature that neither HPB nor
her Masterrs were the pristine non-partisan beings that some
listmembers and several other Theosophists claim them to have
been.  These passages from various Mahatma letters make that
clear: "The whole future of the `brightest (!) jewel'-- oh, what
a dark satire in that name!-- in the crown of England is at
stake, and I am bound to devote the whole of my powers as far as
the Chohan will permit me to help my country t this eleventh hour
of her misery."(ML XXXII, 6pp.  from K.H.  to Sinnett devoted
almost entirely to Indian politics.) "Seel not to secure help from
those whose hearts are not patriotic enough to unselfishly
work for the good of their countrymen...Luke-warm patriots,
verily, are they.  In the presence of his country perishing in
its nationality for want of vitality, and the infusion of fresh
forces, the patriot catches at a straw.  But are there any true
patriots in Bengal?"(LMW I, p.  34, K.H.  to unnamed recipient)
"You have worked unselfishly and with great profit to both your
country and the good cause."(LMW II:100, M.  to Ramaswamier)
"There was a time when a man of large fortune and influential
family would have considered it a duty to work for his country
regardless of consequences.  And until that feeling once more
prevails, you must not expect to be looked upon with confidence
and respect, by those who-- think what you may-- still watch over
the destinies of India though themselves unseen and unsuspected."
(LMW II:115-15, unsigned, presumably from K.H.  to Pillai) "Do as
you are bid.  Save your nation-- my blessings upon you." (Ibid,
119, K.H.  to Pillai)

One could provide more quotes from HPB showing similar support
for Indian nationalist aspirations, but there's a more general
point to be made.  She very clearly pointed to Saint-Germain and
Cagliostro as involved in a work to which her own was
historically linked, and there is no doubt in her writings or
others that these two were profoundly entangled in the
international politics of their time.  HPB and Judge are both on
record as seeing adept involvement in early American politics.
In the present, would wee say that the Dalai Lama can't possible
be a spiritually evolved being because he's involved in
nationalist politics? I wouldn't.  The keynote of adept
invovlement in history would appear to be that their energies are
focused where needed and where they can have maximum effect.  In
late 19th century India, that was the emergent Freedom Movement.
If we say there's no 20th century Messengerr and a prior reject
anyone who is active on the political scene, no wonder we can't
see any candidates.

I must challenge the accusation that I have *impose* a political
interpretatioon on HPB's life and ties to her Masters.  Taking
the clues in her own writings and those of her acquaintances, I
sought her spiritual teachers and occult sponsors and found her
linked to Russian Rosicrucians, "Oriental" Masons, Carbonari,
Arya Samaj, Singh Sabha members, and Indian rajas and maharajas,
to name the highlights.  In every case there was a profound and
sincere spirituality *intermingled with* subversive political
agendas.  I didn't invent this consistent theme in her
associates, I discovered it; and didn't invent the passages in
the Mahatma letters appealing to patriotic motives, I noticed
them after making the abovementioned discoveries.  The accusation
of reductionism is being made by the very people who are
themselves reductionists.  I see spirituality and politics
consistently intertwined in HPB's life and never have suggested
that she can be reduced to a purely political being.  But my
critics on this point see her as a purely spiritual being and
deny that she or her teachers/sponsros had any partisan political
motivations whatever, despite abundant evidence to the contrary.
That's spiritual reductionism.

PS-- I know Dara's piece was not a review, which was precisely my
complaint.  Surely the title and timing were no accident, and it
was an oblique comment on my book.  Whatever her intent, mine was
the first book endorsing the existence of HPB's Masters to be
published by a university press, and the flagship periodical of
the Theosophical movement chose to notice it only in this oblique
and dismissive way.  Squelching on Radha's part of not Dara's,
and not the first such behavior.  Fortunately Indian readers have
not been prevented from learning about the book, as an Indian
edition has recently been released by a major academic publisher
in Delhi.