Theos-Talk Archives (August 1998 Message tt00023)

There may be many who have embarked, or who are considering embarking, on
the paper-chase in the West for 'Adepts', 'Teachers' and other self-styled
guru's.

The following is an extract from "DOOMED!", c/o Collected Writings Vol IV,
"The Theosophist", Vol III, No 6, Supplement, March 1882, pp 3-5:-

"A real adept will either conceal forever his adeptship from the world's
gaze, or, if forced to live among the common herd, will prove far above it,
by his moral grandeur, the loftiness of his cultivated mind, his divine
charity and his all-forgiveness of injury.  He will correct the faults of
those who strive - as he himself has once striven - after initiation, with
polite kindness, not by using Billingsgate language.  A *true* adept is
*above* any petty feeling of personal resentment - least of all of
ridiculous vanity.  He cares not whether he is physically handsome or plain,
but ever shows the moral beauty of his spotless nature in every act of life.
Finally we say, it is not enough to be a learned Kabbalist, a successful
mesmerizer, a great alchemist or even a commentator upon Occult Science -
what one would call a "theoretical" occultist - to deserve the name of an
*Adept* in the real sense of that word*.  Though we have never claimed
ourselves *Adeptship* or a "very high degree of Initiation," yet we claim to
know something of real Adepts and Initiates, and are pretty certain of what
they look like - the whole host of English Occultists notwithstanding.  And
we maintain that, at the present moment, and ever since the spring of 1881,
there is no more in the membership of the Theosophical Societies, than among
the whole conclave of "secret societies" of English and other Occultists -
Mr. Barnes Austin speaks about - one single Adept, let alone "an advanced
Initiate into the highest degrees."  The true mysteries of the genuine Aryan
and Chaldean lore, are receding with every day more from the Western
Candidates.  There are yet in Europe and America some advanced students,
some neophytes of the third and perchance of the second Section, and a few
"natural-born seers."  But like a gallant ship sinking under the weight of
barnacles attached to it, even they lose ground daily, owing to the
indescretions of hundreds of self-deluded parasites, who would have people
believe each of them brings to humanity a new Revelation from heaven!  It is
the adherents of the "adepts" of this latter class, who believe in and
unwisely defend them, but who, deluding themselves, but delude others, who
thus create all the mischief.  And these, we say, are but an impediment to
the progress of THE Science. They only *prevent the few true adepts, that
remain, to come out and publicly assert the survival of the ancient
knowledge and - their own existence*".

Best wishes,
Paul.