Editorial
(FOHAT, Summer 2000)
Cycles:
A Return to the 1930s?
"[T]he
government in Germany had prohibited the Theosophical Society,
and G. de P.,
who was our Leader then, gave us the message that during
this period each
member in Germany would have to become his own center,
his own Theosophical
Society. You must know that in that time, dear
Companions,
circumstances were very difficult in Germany. Everybody was
seized by
the Gestapo, and it was prohibited to write a letter to
another companion, or
to meet him; and if we did so it was demanded that
we inform the Secret
Police after the receipt of a letter or a visit of
a companion. . . .
We learned then what it meant to keep the cause of
theosophy, and devotion
for the cause of the Masters, alive in our
hearts. And . . . to remain
connected inwardly with the International
adquarters." - Karl Baer, General
Congress TS, Liverpool, Aug. 1, 1955
The
April/May 2000 edition of "Sunrise" included the above timely passage in
a
biographical sketch of G. de Purucker. We received word recently from
a
friend in Germany, Frank Reitemeyer, that Theosophical foes were once
again
making noise in central Europe. Bärbel Ackerman, Vice-President
of TS Point
Loma -Covina, Hannover, received a phone call from a distressed
Austrian
book dealer seeking help, and referred him to Frank. The owner
of the
esoteric bookshop, "OM-Esoterik," told Frank that he had received a
call
from a Mr. Hlava of the Austrian C.I.D. asking him to appear before him
on
April 12th to answer to criminal charges brought against "The
Secret
Doctrine." At the shop owner's request, Frank used his 10 years
of study of
"The Secret Doctrine" to prepare a five page paper for the April
12th
meeting. Frank tried to get as much information as he could but
his
attempts to contact the C.I.D. agent proved fruitless, and although
the
President of TS in Vienna got through to him, he was told that
no
information was being given to third parties. Everyone would have to
wait.
Going on the only vague rumour he had, that "The Secret Doctrine"
speaks of
"astral Negroes" and includes racist theories, Frank put a paper
together
denying any mention of "astral Negroes" nor of any other sentence
that could
be construed as racist. Frank went on to say:
Further I
stated that the terms race and root race in theosophical
understanding are an
enlargement to the common understanding as a root
race includes all the
various tribes and races known to anthropology.
Many quotations are given
that show that HPB was against racism and
appealed for mutual understanding
and brotherliness.
On April 17th, further news was received. Frank
received an e-mail from the
Vienna bookseller outlining the following
details:
1. The criminal charges were against the bookseller personally
for
having violated the anti-racism law by selling The Secret Doctrine.
2.
So far, he is the only bookseller to be charged.
3. The charges concern the
4th volume of the Den Haag publication of The
Secret Doctrine (Die
Geheimlehre).
4. The officers appeared friendly and they seemed to be
familiar with
Esotericism.
5. They speculated that the offending
paragraphs in the SD might have to
be blackened out.
6. When asked who had
made the complaint, he was told simply that the
District Attorney was laying
charges.
Frank further determined that the offending passages, using the
Theosophical
Publishing House (Boris de Zirkoff) edition, were as
follows:
p.162: (b) Here the inferior Races, of which there are still
some
analogues left . . .
p.168: This explains the otherwise unaccountable
degrees of
intellectuality . . . [through to p.193, line 5.]
p.195: For
there are, or rather still were a few years ago, descendants
of these
half-animal tribes . . .
p.195-6: [Footnote]
p.780: As Lefevre remarks . .
. [up to the end of the paragraph]. . .
is able to account for
these.
These passages all refer to the varying development of various
family races:
the more evolved, the less evolved, and the degenerate.
Within the
doctrines of modern materialism, they can be misunderstood to be
exalting
certain Races and denigrating others. As Theosophists, it is
up to us to
correct those who get hold of our literature and misrepresent it,
whether
from ignorance or otherwise. Although no official information was
given,
there seems to be confirmation given in confidence that the
Youth
organization of the Social Democratic Party and/or Austrian historian
Mr.
Gugenberger were responsible for the action. A 1997 pamphlet on
Esotericism
published by the Socialistic Youth contains lies and slanders
against
Theosophy and Madame Blavatsky. Mr. Gugenberger is responsible
for a
chapter in which he claims H.P. Blavatsky's ideas were the forerunner
of
National-Socialism, supported by isolated quotations taken out of
context.
The C.I.D. ended their investigation in early May after visiting
the
headquarters of TS in Vienna, where they put on a friendly face.
They have
included Frank's paper in their investigation file and everyone is
now
awaiting word. Again, the DA is close mouthed on what progress is
being made.
As the Vienna bookseller was phoning around seeking help, I
believe it is
the responsibility of all of us to render help lest we forsake
our karmic
responsibilities. I am sure that our Vienna brothers echo
this sentiment
and would ask all of us to do what we can to help. As
Blavatsky says in The
Voice of the Silence, "If thou art taught that sin is
born of action and
bliss of absolute inaction, then tell them they
err." We are an
organization that teaches brotherhood, lets act wisely
and accordingly.
For those who need to be reminded as to the salient
points regarding the
doctrine of Races within the Theosophical system, there
is a very good
article in this issue titled "Who are Blavatsky's
Aryans?" Also, within
this issue is an article on the Hopi Indians
which takes a speculative look
at the races but more importantly tries to
illustrate the difference between
the spiritual life of self-culture, and the
materialistic existence bent on
accumulation of things, tangible and
intangible, and the satisfaction of
desires. We believe in karma and
reincarnation and that we are all part of
the One Life. The Bodhisattva
waits at the threshold of Nirvana until the
last blade of grass has reached
enlightenment, as aspiring Bodhisattvas, how
can we hate anyone?
Europe is particularly vulnerable and North America increasingly so,
with
their centralized trade zones and the governing bureaucracies growing
up
around them. Extreme Jewish organizations are lobbying and having
laws
passed all over Europe concerning Holocaust denial. We must
educate. The
different races are like brothers, they help each other
when asked, desire
the success of each other, reprove the immoral behaviour
of one another, and
try not to interfere in one another's business.
This is all predicated on a
doctrine that calls for, first and foremost, the
greater Spiritual
understanding of all people. We also understand that
it is through the
intermingling of older races that new and better races are
developed.
Nowhere in this doctrine is there any room for hatred.
Perhaps if we let
the Austrian representatives in the consulates and
embassies located in our
areas of the world know this, we may be able to have
an effect.
It sometimes seems incredible to me that the whole world could
possibly have
reached this state of materialistic insanity, "the horror, the
horror." It
is time Theosophists work to shed light on this heart of
darkness before it
is too late.
FOHAT
- A Vehicle for the Ancient Wisdom Tradition. A Quarterly Publication of
Edmonton Theosophical Society, Vol. IV, No. 2, Summer
2000.
FOHAT
Box
4587
Edmonton,
Alberta
Canada
T6E 5G4
Fax:
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