Theos-Talk Archives (December 2000 Message tt00038)

Extracts from a letter from a Mahatma to A.P Sinnett.

Letter No. 2

Received Simla, October 19th, 1880.
Much Esteemed Sir and Brother,

We will be at cross purposes in our correspondence until it has been made
entirely plain that occult science has its own methods of research as fixed
and arbitrary as the methods of its antithesis physical science are in their
way. If the latter has its dicta so also has the former; and he who would
cross the boundary of the unseen world can no more prescribe how he will
proceed than the traveller who tries to penetrate to the inner subterranean
recesses of L'Hassa -- the blessed, could show the way to his guide. The
mysteries never were, never can be, put within the reach of the general
public, not, at least, until that longed for day when our religious
philosophy becomes universal. . . .

...Having then expressed therein my opinion that the world in general was
unripe for any too staggering proof of occult power, there but remains to
deal with the isolated individuals, who seek like yourself to penetrate
behind the veil of matter into the world of primal causes, i.e., we need
only consider now the cases of yourself and Mr. Hume. This gentleman also,
has done me the great honour to address me by name, offering to me a few
questions and stating the conditions upon which he would be willing to work
for us seriously. But your motives and aspirations being of diametrically
opposite character, and hence -- leading to different results I must reply
to each of you separately.

The first and chief consideration in determining us to accept or reject your
offer lies in the inner motive which propels you to seek our instructions,
and in a certain sense -- our guidance. The latter in all cases under
reserve -- as I understand it, and therefore remaining a question
independent of aught else. Now, what are your motives? I may try to define
them in their general aspect, leaving details for further consideration.
They are: (1) The desire to receive positive and unimpeachable proofs that
there really are forces in nature of which science knows nothing; (2) The
hope to appropriate them some day -- the sooner the better, for you do not
like to wait -- so as to enable yourself -- (a) to demonstrate their
existence to a few chosen western minds; (b) to contemplate future life as
an objective reality built upon the rock of Knowledge -- not of faith; and
(c) to finally learn -- most important this, among all your motives,
perhaps, though the most occult and the best guarded -- the whole truth
about our Lodges and ourselves; to get, in short, the positive assurance
that the "Brothers" -- of whom everyone hears so much and sees so little --
are real entities -- not fictions of a disordered hallucinated brain. Such,
viewed in their best light appear to us your "motives" for addressing me.
And in the same spirit do I answer them, hoping that my sincerity will not
be interpreted in a wrong way or attributed to anything like an unfriendly
spirit.

To our minds then, these motives, sincere and worthy of every serious
consideration from the worldly standpoint, appear -- selfish. (You have to
pardon me what you might view as crudeness of language, if your desire
really is, that which you profess -- to learn truth and get instruction from
us -- who belong to quite a different world from the one you move in.) They
are selfish because you must be aware that the chief object of the T.S. is
not so much to gratify individual aspirations as to serve our fellow men:
and the real value of this term "selfish," which may jar upon your ear, has
a peculiar significance with us which it cannot have with you; therefore,
and to begin with, you must not accept it otherwise, than in the former
sense. Perhaps you will better appreciate our meaning when told that in our
view the highest aspirations for the welfare of humanity become tainted with
selfishness if, in the mind of the philanthropist there lurks the shadow of
desire for self benefit or a tendency to do injustice, even when these exist
unconsciously to himself. Yet, you have ever discussed but to put down the
idea of a universal Brotherhood, questioned its usefulness, and advised to
remodel the T.S. on the principle of a college for the special study of
occultism. This, my respected and esteemed friend and Brother -- will never
do!

Having disposed of "personal motives," let us analyze your "terms" for
helping us to do public good. Broadly stated these terms are -- first: that
an independent Anglo-Indian Theosophical Society shall be founded through
your kind services, in the management of which neither of our present
representatives shall have any voice; and second, that one of us shall take
the new body "under his patronage," -- be -- "in free and direct
communication with its leaders," and afford them "direct proof that he
really possessed that superior knowledge of the forces of nature and the
attributes of the human soul which would inspire them with proper confidence
in his leadership." I have copied your own words, so as to avoid inaccuracy
in defining the position.

>From your point of view then, those terms may seem so very reasonable as to
provoke no dissent; and, indeed, a majority of your countrymen -- if not of
Europeans -- might share that opinion. What, will you say, can be more
reasonable than to ask that teacher -- anxious to disseminate his knowledge,
and pupil -- offering him to do so should be brought face to face and the
one give the experimental proofs to the other that his instructions were
correct? Man of the world, living in, and in fulI sympathy with it -- you
are undoubtedly right. But the men of this other world of ours, untutored
in your modes of thought, and who find very hard at times to follow and
appreciate the latter, can hardly be blamed for not responding as heartily
to your suggestions as in your opinion they deserve.

The first and most important of our objections is to be found in our Rules.
True, we have our schools and teachers, our neophytes and shaberons
(superior adepts), and the door is always opened to the right man who
knocks. And, we invariably welcome the new comer; -- only, instead of going
over to him he has to come to us. More than that: unless he has reached that
point in the path of occultism from which return is impossible, by his
having irrevocably pledged himself to our association, we never -- except in
cases of utmost moment -- visit him or even cross the threshold of his door
in visible appearance....

Koot Hoomi Lal Singh
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