Theos-Talk Archives (January 1999 Message tt00177)

> >"Thus the reader is asked to bear in mind the very important difference
> >between *orthodox* Buddhism - i.e., the public teachings of Guatama the
> >Buddha, and his esoteric *Budhism*."
> >
> Do you know this difference?  Actually the Theravadin teachings are
> the orthodox Buddhism, and the Mahayana (at least according to
> the Mahayanists) have the esoteric teachings.

Would you not agree that that which is public knowledge is, by default,
exoteric?

>  There are, according to the Tibetan schools,

What "Tibetan schools" are these?

> three such levels of Buddha's teachings. The
> lowest addresses the Sutras, which is where HPB got virtually all
> of her Buddhism (Olcott never got much higher than this anywhere that
> I can tell).

Are you suggesting HPB only knew or had access to the "lowest" (?) Buddhist
scriptures?

We know virtually nothing about the real/inner Olcott, BTW.  Because a man
does not speak Chinese we should not *assume* he knows nothing of China.

>  Most of her teaching was directed toward the masses

We are the "masses". Theosophy was/is directed toward Humanity as a whole :
the practical realization of Universal Brotherhood.

> and only her Voice contains any real esotericism.

It "contains" as much "esotericism" as we can, or can not, discern; as does
"The Secret Doctrine".  It is, maybe, pertinent to recall that 'The Voice of
the Silence' is "Dedicated to the few".  It gives (or witholds) as the case
may be.

>  Probably the
> single most
> important teaching in all Buddhism is emptiness, and this HPB never
> discusses. .

Study "The Secret Doctrine" where you will discover countless pointers to
*so-called* "emptiness" as it is meant to be understood.

Best wishes,
Paul.