Theos-Talk Archives (January 2003 Message tt00468)

DHCibc> Throughout HPB's voluminous writings she is, in effect, making
DHCibc> a frontal "attack" on many of the IDEAS of exoteric
DHCibc> Christianity, materialistic science, the erroneous ideas of
DHCibc> Spiritualism, other exoteric religions including Buddhism,
DHCibc> pseudo-Occultism, etc.

DHCibc> Zack, you also comment:

DHCibc> "I agree with both HPB and AAB when they say that truth (or 
DHCibc> Theosophy) is ineffable, that all words are at best symbols of truth, 
DHCibc> but not the truth itself. So, why are we so fanatical about sets of 
DHCibc> words that, sooner or later, we will outgrow and relinquish?" 

DHCibc> Sets of words?? I think that our attention should be focused on not 
DHCibc> the words but the IDEAS, TEACHINGS, CONCEPTS, THEMES behind the 
DHCibc> words. It appears to me from reading and studying HPB's and the 
DHCibc> Master's writings that they were very much concerned with the IDEAS 
DHCibc> of Theosophy.

DHCibc> So when you write: "why are we so fanatical about sets of words 
DHCibc> that, sooner or later, we will outgrow and relinquish?", were the 
DHCibc> Masters and HPB also "fanatical" about sets of words?

DHCibc> I ask you to ponder on the following:

DHCibc> I have quoted this several times before but please bear with me. In 
DHCibc> HPB's E.S. Instruction I, she warns her esoteric students:

DHCibc> ". . . A new and rapidly growing danger. . . is threatening . . . the 
DHCibc> spread of the pure Esoteric Philosophy and knowledge. . . . I 
DHCibc> allude to those charlatanesque imitations of Occultism and 
DHCibc> Theosophy. . . . By pandering to the prejudices of people, and 
DHCibc> especially by adopting the false ideas of a personal God and a 
DHCibc> personal, carnalized Saviour, as the groundwork of their teaching, 
DHCibc> the leaders of this 'swindle' (for such it is) are endeavoring to 
DHCibc> draw men to them and in particular to turn Theosophists from the true 
DHCibc> path."

DHCibc> ". . . A close examination will assuredly reveal. . . materials 
DHCibc> largely stolen . . . from Theosophical writings. . . [and] distorted 
DHCibc> and falsified so as to be palmed off on the unwary as revelations of 
DHCibc> new and undreamed of truths. But many will neither have the time nor 
DHCibc> the opportunity for such a thorough investigation; and before they 
DHCibc> become aware of the imposture they may be led far from the 
DHCibc> Truth. . . . Nothing is more dangerous to Esoteric Truth than the 
DHCibc> garbled and distorted versions disfigured to suit the prejudices and 
DHCibc> tastes of men in general."

DHCibc> Zack, do you think HPB herself was being "fanatical about sets of 
DHCibc> words"? I'm sure that the "leaders of this 'swindle'" (if they ever 
DHCibc> became aware of HPB's words) would have considered HPB's words as 
DHCibc> harsh, fanatical, etc.!

DHCibc> Notice HPB's words:

DHCibc> ". . . A close examination will assuredly reveal. . . materials 
DHCibc> largely stolen . . . from Theosophical writings [and] distorted and 
DHCibc> falsified so as to be palmed off on the unwary as revelations of new 
DHCibc> and undreamed of truths."

DHCibc> Zack if you had been living in 1889, would you have deplored the 
DHCibc> harsh language used by HPB? Would you have written the following?

DHCibc> "In both HPB's and the leaders' writings, I have personally found 
DHCibc> some words to be inspiring, other words that I have disagreed with, 
DHCibc> other words that I have not understood, and still other words that I 
DHCibc> have found, for me, to be unimportant and a waste of my time. I am 
DHCibc> sure that there are areas of disagreement between HPB and the 
DHCibc> leaders, but I have found many areas of agreement. I am grateful that 
DHCibc> I have had access to both sets of writings." 

DHCibc> But in HPB's excerpt above, she seems to be quite concerned about the 
DHCibc> FALSE IDEAS of a personal God and a personal, carnalized Saviour. 
DHCibc> Notice that she speaks of IDEAS and in this case labels certain ideas 
DHCibc> as FALSE when compared to GENUINE THEOSOPHY.

DHCibc> Notice again what she writes:

DHCibc> "Nothing is more dangerous to Esoteric Truth than the garbled and 
DHCibc> distorted versions disfigured to suit the prejudices and tastes of 
DHCibc> men in general."

DHCibc> Here again she is concerned with "Esoteric Truth" and warns about the 
DHCibc> GARBLED and DISTORTED versions.

DHCibc> Was HPB being "fanatical about sets of words that, sooner or later, 
DHCibc> we will outgrow and relinquish?" 

DHCibc> Let us now look at another excerpt from HPB's writings. In THE 
DHCibc> SECRET DOCTRINE, HPB wrote:

DHCibc> "The publication of many of the facts herein stated has been rendered 
DHCibc> necessary by the wild and fanciful speculation in which many 
DHCibc> Theosophists and students of mysticism have indulged, during the last 
DHCibc> few years. . . ." Vol I, p. viii 

DHCibc> Here again she is concerned with IDEAS. . . . this time WILD and 
DHCibc> FANCIFUL IDEAS and SPECULATION.

DHCibc> Was HPB being "fanatical about sets of words that, sooner or later, 
DHCibc> we will outgrow and relinquish?"

DHCibc> Also notice what Master KH said about HPB's writing of the SD:

DHCibc> "Every mistake or erroneous notion, corrected and explained by her 
DHCibc> from the works of other theosophists was corrected by me, or under my 
DHCibc> instruction." 

DHCibc> Here it appears to me that KH is concerned about NOTIONS, IDEAS. And 
DHCibc> states that certain NOTIONS were ERRONEOUS....MISTAKEN IDEAS.

DHCibc> Was KH being "fanatical about sets of words that, sooner or later, we 
DHCibc> will outgrow and relinquish?"

DHCibc> Again let me quote Master KH:

DHCibc> "I dread the appearance in print of our philosophy as expounded by 
DHCibc> Mr. H[ume]. I read his three essays or chapters on God (?) cosmogony 
DHCibc> and glimpses of the origin of things in general, and had to cross out 
DHCibc> nearly all. He makes of us Agnostics!! We do not believe in God 
DHCibc> because so far, we have no proof, etc. This is preposterously 
DHCibc> ridiculous: if he publishes what I read, I will have H.P.B. or Djual 
DHCibc> Khool deny the whole thing; as I cannot permit our sacred philosophy 
DHCibc> to be so disfigured. He says that people will not accept the whole 
DHCibc> truth; that unless we humour them with a hope that there may be 
DHCibc> a 'loving Father and creator of all in heaven' our philosophy will be 
DHCibc> rejected a priori. In such a case the less such idiots hear of our 
DHCibc> doctrines the better for both. If they do not want the whole truth 
DHCibc> and nothing but the truth, they are welcome. But never will they find 
DHCibc> us -- (at any rate) -- compromising with, and pandering to public 
DHCibc> prejudices." The Mahatma Letters, 2nd ed., Letter 54 

DHCibc> Master KH appears to me to be quite concerned with IDEAS. 

DHCibc> Zack if you had read Mr. Hume's three essays you might "have 
DHCibc> personally found some words to be inspiring." Maybe even I would 
DHCibc> have. But notice that KH is concerned about Mr. Hume presenting 
DHCibc> ERRONEOUS IDEAS about Theosophy to the public. He writes:

DHCibc> ". . . if he publishes what I read, I will have H.P.B. or Djual Khool 
DHCibc> deny the whole thing; as I cannot permit our sacred [Esoteric, 
DHCibc> Theosophical] philosophy to be so disfigured." 

DHCibc> DISFIGURED IDEAS?

DHCibc> Was KH being "fanatical about sets of words that, sooner or later, we 
DHCibc> will outgrow and relinquish?"

DHCibc> Moving on....

DHCibc> Master KH wrote to Mrs. Holloway:

DHCibc> "Your vivid creative fancy evokes illusive Gurus and chelas, and puts 
DHCibc> into their mouths words coined the instant before in the mint of your 
DHCibc> mind, unknown to yourself. The false appear as real, as the true, and 
DHCibc> you have no exact method of detection since you are yet prone to 
DHCibc> force your communications to agree with your preconceptions. . . . "

DHCibc> Notice KH's words: "The false appear as real, as the true. . . " 

DHCibc> And in a letter to Mr. Sinnett, KH commented:

DHCibc> Her [Mrs. Holloway's] surexcited fancy, putting a mask on every stray 
DHCibc> spook, created the 'Student' and made him serve her purpose and 
DHCibc> desire. She believed in it sincerely. . . . Try to save "Man" [the 
DHCibc> book "Man: Fragments of a Forgotten History"] by looking it over 
DHCibc> with Mohini, and by erasing from it the alleged inspirations and 
DHCibc> dictation by 'Student.' " 

DHCibc> Quoted from:
DHCibc> http://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/mahatma/ml-64.htm 

DHCibc> Zack if you had read this unedited book you might "have personally 
DHCibc> found some words to be inspiring" among "the alleged inspirations and 
DHCibc> dictation by 'Student.'" But it appears that KH was again concerned 
DHCibc> about ERRONEOUS IDEAS being presented to the public.

DHCibc> Was KH being "fanatical about sets of words that, sooner or later, we 
DHCibc> will outgrow and relinquish?"

DHCibc> Many more examples could be given.

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



























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