Theos-Talk Archives (May 2003 Message tt00166)

In March 1891, Madame Blavatsky wrote to W.Q. Judge that Annie Besant 
was "not psychic nor spiritual in the least -- all intellect, and yet 
she hears Master's voice when alone, sees His Light, and recognizes 
his voice from that of D----. Judge, she is a most wonderful woman, 
my right hand, my successor, when I will be forced to leave you, my 
sole hope in England, as you are my sole hope in America." -- Quoted 
from Countess Wachtmeister's "H.P.B. and the Present Crisis in the 
Theosophical Society", p. 4. 

Many students of Theosophy regard the above quote from HPB as very 
significant.

Annie Besant wrote of her first experiences with the Master:

"My first-hand experience of the Masters had been clear, definite, 
and absolutely convincing to me. The experience began in 1889. In 
the beginning of the year, before I joined the T.S., I was making 
desperate efforts to pierce the darkness, and was seeking with 
passionate earnestness to obtain some direct evidence of the 
existence of Soul and of the superphysical worlds; one evening as I 
sat alone, concentrating my mind on this longing, I heard the 
Master's voice --- but knew not whose its was ---and after some 
questions asked by Him and answered by me, came the promise that I 
should soon find the light --- a promise quickly verified. As I did 
not till later know Who had spoken to me, I ought not to put this as 
evidence at that time, and it was in the summer of of 1889 that I 
gained my first direct evidence. I was in Fontainebleau [staying 
with Madame Blavatsky], and was sleeping in a small room by myself; I 
was waked suddenly and sat up in bed startled, to find the air of the 
room thrown into pulsing electrical waves, and then appeared the 
radiant astral Figure of the Master [Morya], visible to my physical 
eyes." See Case 60a in:
http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/mastersencounterswith.htm

Compare Mrs. Besant's statement with what HPB wrote:

"[Mrs. Besant] hears Master's voice when alone, sees His 
Light. . . . "

Therefore when Mrs. Besant published a revised and edited version of 
THE VOICE OF THE SILENCE after HPB's death, many students saw no 
reason to question the revisions since HPB had previously said that 
Mrs. Besant was "my right hand, my successor...my sole hope in 
England."

Daniel H. Caldwell
BLAVATSKY STUDY CENTER/BLAVATSKY ARCHIVES
http://blavatskyarchives.com