Theos-Talk Archives (July 2001 Message tt00366)

Frank wrote, " ... that kind of clairvoyance which was promoted by Besant &
Leadbeater is not an ability for which one shouls strife for, as it helps
not to develop higher occult power, but rather prevents one, real
clairvoyance and not psychic adventures into the lower astral world marks a
white adept."

Leadbeater and Hodson also caution against lower psychism and channeling
as being dangerous and deceptive. Hodson was apparently born clairvoyant.
Leadbeater's Master assigned him a yogic practice, which resulted eventually
in clairvoyance.

Frank:
"The interpretation that a Master in as Adept who accepts chelas is somewhat
confusing to me as it seems that an Adept is is higher then a Master in the
Adyar sheme according to you. We (Point Loma) would not accept that, as an
Adept may be skilled in a occult domain, but that does not mean that he has
mastered it."

We use the term Master so as to say an Adept is the Master of a certain
chela. Not as mastery of some particular occult practice. Other Adepts
may be at the same level, but are doing different work.

Frank:
What about - say HPB? Wasn't she an Adept for herself? She has had chelas.
What about Judge? Wasn't he an Adept? (Perhaps not for Adyar, but for Point
Loma, Pasadena and ULT) And he has had chelas. And what about T. Subba Ow?
Wasn't he an Adept? And he has had chelas.

Similarly Annie Besant had pupils. One of these, in the US, said she
was required to sleep at certain times, and AB would come to her during
sleep time to teach. But we don't call any of these adepts, not even HPB
because she still required the guidance of her own Master,. Morya.. But I
don't think that I am not be qualified to say whether anyone was an adept.
It would be like asking a third-grader about his teacher's educational
level.

Annie Besant apparently was clairvoyant only when Leadbeater was
present. I have heard of this in another connection. A Theosophist I know
attended many Hodson lectures in the 50s and 60s, and she once told me,
"Some of us became temporarily clairvoyant when we were in his presence."

I think Annie Besant became overly-dependent upon clairvoyance, so that
when Leadbeater went to Australia, and Aurndale thought he was clairvoyant,
she jumped at the opportunity of having clairvoyant guidance. Most likely,
Arundale was actually gaining clairvoyance, but didn't yet understand what
he was seeing. That would explain why Leadbeater took him back to Australia
with him in 1926, so that he would learn to see properly, or if not, to
remain quiet. Apparently the latter is what happened, as I don't think
there was any more mention of his clairvoyance.