Theos-Talk Archives (December 1998 Message tt00114)

Leon asked:

"Was there any other training to be had in Tibet (at HPB's time) other
than Tibetan Buddhism?"


Tony replied:

"On page 157 of vol I of the SD, for example:"...we hold in this work to
the "time-honoured" classification of the trans-Himalayan "Arhat
Esoteric School."" Unfortunately, I do not have their address:-)
Somebody did actually ask for it the other day. There is nothing to
connect the "school" above, specifically with a religion, such as
Tibetan Buddhism.  All religions are the same at source. HPB was trained
by the Mahatmas."


Daniel comments:

In THE MAHATMA LETTERS, KH wrote about "our secluded 'Ashrams'. . . ."

Elsewhere KH stated:

". . . we have our schools and teachers, our neophytes and shaberons
(superior adepts). . . "

Colonel Olcott also spoke of the Schools of the Adepts:

"I know the Brothers to be living men and not spirits; and they have
told me that there are schools, under appointed adepts, where their
Occult science is regularly taught."

Elsewhere Colonel Olcott mentioned that (some of) the Masters'
ashrams/schools were BOTH *in the Himalayas and the Nilgiris.*

In KH's first letter to A.O. Hume, speaking of "our fraternity", the
Master goes on to write:  "Tracing our lineage through the vicissitudes
of Indian civilization TO A REMOTE PAST. . . ."

Also consider what HPB writes at the very beginning of her preface to
THE VOICE OF THE SILENCE:

"The knowledge of them is obligatory in that school, the teachings of
which are accepted by many Theosophists."

What "school" is HPB referring to?  Some school of Tibetan Buddhism???

The "fraternity" to which KH and M belonged may have had ashrams and
schools in the Himalayas and even in Tibet but should we conclude that
either their ashrams or teachings were of Tibetan Buddhism or even of
the Gelukpa sect?  I don't think so.