Theos-Talk Archives (January 2002 Message tt00065)

The following is quoted from Charles J. Ryan's book 
"H. P. Blavatsky and the Theosophical Movement":

It is an error to think that H.P.B. denied the
principle of reincarnation in Isis, as some have said.
She denied the misleading view of it held by the Allan
Kardec school of spiritualism, then popular in France,
which claimed that the human personality regularly and
quickly returned to earth-life. She touched lightly on
the subject, as it seemed to be too soon for the full
exposition of it in view of the unpreparedness of the
Western mind, which in general regarded reincarnation
as "heathen foolishness." In order to understand the
process of reincarnation properly a study of the
complex nature of man is necessary -- of the seven (or
four) aspects of his nature, according to the
subdivisions given in Indian psychology -- the
so-called seven principles of man. As the Masters
found it was almost impossible for the audience H. P.
Blavatsky was then addressing to understand even three
principles -- "body, soul or astral monad, and the
immortal spirit" -- the full exposition of
reincarnation was postponed until a few years later,
when it was more easily assimilated. This is explained
by the Master K.H. in one of his letters to A. P.
Sinnett (page 289). 

Today, after years of continuous work by the Society,
it has become widely accepted in the West, even by
many spiritualists. Periodical reincarnation of the
higher ego on earth is only one example of the
universal law of rhythm or periodicity -- the "habit
of Nature," reimbodiment. 

The apparent denial of reincarnation in Isis relates
only to the lower mundane personality which H.P.B.
called the "astral monad," never to the true spirit,
the higher ego, as can be seen in volume I, pages
348-9, and volume II, pages 145, 277, 279, 280, and
320. She speaks of "a series of births and deaths" and
makes plain the difference between the "immortal Ego,"
the spirit, and the "soul," the ephemeral personality
of each life. She even declares that the conditions of
each incarnation depend upon the karma of the previous
acts and deeds: 

"Nirvana means the certitude of personal immortality
in Spirit, not in Soul, which, as a finite emanation,
must certainly disintegrate its particles a compound
of human sensations, passions, . . . before the
immortal spirit of the Ego is quite freed, and
henceforth secure against further transmigration in
any form. And how can man ever reach this state so
long as the Upadana, that state of longing for life,
more life, does not disappear . . . Thus the
disembodied Ego, through this sole undying desire in
him, unconsciously furnishes the conditions of his
successive self-procreations in various forms, which
depend on his mental state and Karma, the good or bad
deeds of his preceding existence, . . . " -- Isis
Unveiled, II, 320 

The teaching, even in its most occult form, could
hardly be more plainly suggested without going into
the detailed exposition that was deliberately avoided
as being premature. 

H. P. Blavatsky said she suffered intensely for years
from the errors that crept into Isis Unveiled,
unwittingly by her, and too late to be remedied. One
specially unfortunate mistake has caused much
controversy, and as her opponents seized the
opportunity to charge her with denying reincarnation
in the New York days, it is necessary finally to clear
up this point by presenting a conclusive point in
rebuttal which could not be brought forward till
lately. 

The 'difficult' passages usually cited against her
occur in the first volume of Isis. On page 346 this
sentence is found: "This is what the Hindu dreads
above all things -- transmigration and reincarnation;
only on other and inferior planets, never on this
one." And on page 347: ". . . this former life
believed in by the Buddhists, is not a life on this
planet, for, more than any other people, the
Buddhistical philosopher appreciated the great
doctrine of cycles." 

H.P.B. deals with these passages in Lucifer, III,
527-8, February 1889, and in Lucifer, VIII, May 1891
("My Books"), as well as in The Path, November 1886
("Theories about Reincarnation and Spirits"). In
regard to the first sentence, she points out that she
had written on the same page: "Thus, like the
revolutions of a wheel, there is a regular succession
of death and birth, the moral cause of which is the
cleaving to existing objects . . ." and that without
some rational explanation the whole thing "reads like
the raving of a lunatic, and a jumble of contradictory
statements" (Lucifer, III, 528). 

She continues: 

"Since 1882 when the mistake was first found out in
"Isis Unveiled," it has been repeatedly stated in the
Theosophist, and last year in the Path that the word
"planet" was a mistake and that "cycle" was meant,
i.e., the "cycle of Devachanic rest." . . . The same
and a worse mistake occurs on pages 346 and 347 (Vol.
I). For on the former it is stated that the Hindus
dread reincarnation "only on other and inferior
planets," instead of what is the case, that Hindus
dread reincarnation in other and inferior bodies, of
brutes and animals or transmigration, while on page
347 the said error of putting "planet" instead of
"cycle" and "personality," shows the author . . .
speaking as though Buddha had never taught the
doctrine of reincarnation!! " -- Ibid., III, 527, Feb.
1889 

Now, H. P. Blavatsky was no lunatic, and as in several
places in Isis she definitely teaches reincarnation,
the explanation obviously lies in her statement that
this confusion (and other obscurities) was caused by
faulty proofreading by well-meaning persons on whom
she had to depend, owing to her imperfect knowledge of
English, and who were entirely ignorant of the
problems in question. Not wishing to give offense, she
guardedly says the trouble was largely due to the fact
that "one of the literary editors" was "ignorant of
Buddhism and Hinduism." 

Today, however, it has been revealed why H.P.B. had to
suffer vilification in this matter, especially for the
statements quoted above from pages 346-7. According to
a footnote in the Mahatma Letters, page 77, by the
Master K.H., the "literary editor" responsible for the
errors (innocently, of course) was Colonel Olcott:
"By-the-bye, I'll re-write for you pages 345 to 357,
Vol. I., of Isis -- much jumbled, and confused by
Olcott, who thought he was improving it!" These are
the very pages on which the enemies of H. P. Blavatsky
have depended for their unfair attack. 

[Quoted from "H. P. Blavatsky and the Theosophical
Movement",Chapter 7, "ISIS UNVEILED" by Charles J.
Ryan.
http://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/hpb-tm/hpbtm-7.htm

You can obtain a copy of this book from Theosophical
University Press at
http://user.aol.com/tstec/hmpage/hpb-tm.htm ]

=====
Daniel H. Caldwell
info@blavatskyarchives.com
BLAVATSKY ARCHIVES
http://blavatskyarchives.com
You can always access BLAVATSKY ARCHIVES 
by simply typing into the URL address bar 
the following 6 characters: hpb.cc

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Send FREE video emails in Yahoo! Mail!
http://promo.yahoo.com/videomail/