Theos-Talk Archives (November 2001 Message tt00175)

Daniel is right. Hartmann addressed his writing (written in haste) in 1886
to the German TS
which was before its collapse because of the Coulomb conspiracy and the
Hodgson report. Hartmann tried (but failed) to save "his" branch with a
rationale which the members would accept. His motive was to save the
collapsing TS in Germany and not to blame HPB or others as frauds. If one
ignores the historical sequence and context Hartmann's quote could be
misleading.
Nowhere in the given quote H. says anything against the Mahatmas or their
letters. He argues from the point of view of a holy man and from that point
of view the letters can indeed be regarded as poetical fictions as they need
them not. What H. wanted was a level-headed view on the Mahatma letters and
to reject any extreme position, on the one side regarded as holy as
the bible with the risk of blind faith in the aftermath and on the other
side an object of quarrel on outer forms. He never has had any doubt in
the actually existence of HPB's teachers, i.e. in living men in physical
bodies or the superior knowledge of the content of the letters.
The best proof of the genuinity of the letters is the content.
As every holy text also the Mahatma letters are a mirror of the soul of the
viewer.
You just receive what you earn.
My humble view.
Frank

----- Original Message -----
From: "Blavatsky Archives" <blavatskyarchives@yahoo.com>
To: <theos-talk@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, November 11, 2001 5:04 PM
Subject: Theos-World Hartmann on the Mahatma Letters


Brigitte wrote:

"Didn't Hartmann, a Theosophist untill the end of his life, wrote for
example in relation to the Master Letters:

'There seems to be a general desire on the part of the followers of
Madame Blavatsky to represent many of these so-called occult letters
as something more than what they really are, namely poetical fictions
extended to the physical plane for the purpose of making spiritual
truths palatable to the ignorant, and to make use of the credulity
and superstition of the wonder-loving, to teach them something useful
and good.' "

But Brigitte, are you saying that we should take what Hartmann wrote
as gospel truth, without asking some relevant questions about what he
said?

(1) For example, how does Hartmann know what he says about the
Mahatma Letters? What information/facts/evidence did he have that
led him to the conclusion you quote?

(2) Remember Hartmann also received letters from the Mahatmas. Did
he consider the letters he received as "poetical fictions" too? Did
he consider himself among "the ignorant" and "the wonder-loving"?

(3) When year did Hartmann make this statement that you quote?

(4) What did Hartmann write about the letters from the Masters
(especially the letters he received) AFTER he wrote the statement you
are quoting?


Brigitte, have you considered these questions in your study of this
subject?

Daniel H. Caldwell
BLAVATSKY ARCHIVES
http://hpb.cc








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