Theos-Talk Archives (May 1998 Message tt00472)

>Daniel Caldwell comments:
>
>Jerry, once again I ask what are the "few scholarly works"
>that mention Devachan?  We already know Tucci writes about
>the term.  I have asked David Reigle (who is very knowledgable
>on Sanskrit and Tibetan) about the word "Devachan".  He
>says it IS a Tibetan word.  That Tucci is, of course,
>correct.  And no, Tucci did NOT get the word from HPB!
>So are you ready to amend your statement about HPB &
>the term "devachan"?

OK, devachan is a good solid Tibetan word as the name
of some obscure heaven world. I like Tucci, and so I will
amend my statement gratefully. However, it seems to have
little to do with the after-death state which is how HPB uses
the word. She misuses the term Nirmanakaya also. She has
its meaning the opposite of its Tibetan meaning -- the
physical body of an incarnated Buddha. My own opinion is
that if this is all she got wrong, then she did amazingly well.

Jerry S.