Theos-Talk Archives (January 2004 Message tt00450)

Friday, January 30, 2004

Dear Peter:

Thank you for sharing the quotes and opinion of your friend on the
editorial policies of the old magazines that carried the banner of
THEOSOPHY so long ago - we owe so much to them and to those who worked
to publish them: LUCIFER, PATH, THE THEOSOPHIST.

Articles published there form the visible links of thought and
discussion between students who had profited from their study of ISIS
UNVEILED and the SECRET DOCTRINE. They carried (and today, carry)
doctrine and history into practical living and serve us as evidence of
the similarity and indestructibility of principles inherent in THEOSOPHY
.

I also take note that HPB (in part) describing the work of PATH states:


"Once that the Masters have proclaimed your 'Path' the best the most
theosophical of all theosophical publications - surely it is not to
allow it to be rubbed out!! I know what I am saying & doing, my
'commanding genius' not withstanding. To prove this - (which will be
proven to you by the first number of Lucifer when you see its polemical
contents) I will write every month regularly for "Path" occult,
transcendental & theosophical articles. I give you my word of honour of
HPB. I will force people to subscribe for Path & this will never hurt
'Lucifer.' One is the fighting, combative Manas - the other (Path) is
pure Buddhi...."

We can select other statements, and voice our opinions about what might
have been thought and done then. The real focus of the matter is that
HPB and Judge worked and collaborated closely - working for THEOSOPHY
and for its future as a system, which if taken seriously, will
revolutionize life.

However we cannot reverse history nor, in my opinion are any one of us
qualified to gauge, the quality of those who directed or edited those
magazines.

[ Read what is written in MAHATMA LETTERS pp 274-890 as a kind of
overview of a situation there and in England, of the students involved
in occult study and work - most interesting. I like him describing
"our firecracker Editor." Also the difficulties of "occultism" in being
presented.]

I agree that THEOSOPHY and the Masters ought to be defended by any and
all of us when we see them traduced or misrepresented.  

But the chief objective of all Theosophical literature and publications
is, in my opinion, not only the redressing of error but of EDUCATING.  

What theosophy teaches on reincarnation, karma and universal evolution
is supremely important. Its logical metaphysics, if fairly and simply
presented, will serve to attract and convince even children of their
worth. And, are we not all "children" still in the use of our minds?  

To me, the key word that covers these primitive and fundamental ideas is
BROTHERHOOD. The next is cooperation. These are constructive and build
for the future. 

The UNIVERSE is ONE, and each of us are ineradicable parts of it. 

Best wishes as always,


Dallas


=====================================


-----Original Message-----
From: peter.m [mailto:snowlion@btopenworld.com] 
Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2004 12:02 PM
To: study@blavatsky.net
Subject: [bn-study] On Presenting Theosophy

A fellow student marshalled together a number of relevant passages from
HPB,
which deserve attention. See below.

Peter 
---------------

The very month (Sept. 1887) H.P. Blavatsky founded her
magazine LUCIFER in London, she wrote to W.Q. Judge
about the differences between THE PATH and her new
magazine:

"If I thought for one moment that 'Lucifer' will 'rub
out' Path I would never consent to be its editor. Now
listen to me my good old friend: Once that the Masters
have proclaimed your 'Path' the best the most
theosophical of all theosophical publications - surely
it is not to allow it to be rubbed out!! I know what I
am saying & doing, my 'commanding genius' not
withstanding. To prove this - (which will be proven to
you by the first number of Lucifer when you see its
polemical contents) I will write every month regularly
for "Path" occult, transcendental & theosophical
articles. I give you my word of honour of HPB. I will
force people to subscribe for Path & this will never
hurt 'Lucifer.' One is the fighting, combative Manas -
the other (Path) is pure Buddhi. Can't both be united
in an offensive & defensive alliance in one rupa or
Sthula Sarira - theosophy? Lucifer will be Theosophy
militant - 'Path' the shining light, the Star of
Peace. If your intuition does not whisper to you - it
is so: then that intuition must be wool-gathering. No
Sir; the 'Path' is too well, too theosophically edited
for me to interfere. I am not born for meek &
conciliating literature!" Quoted from:
http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/hpbwqj0987.htm

Notice some of the key phrases in HPB's letter:

"polemical contents" of LUCIFER

LUCIFER is to be "the fighting, combative Manas."

"Lucifer will be Theosophy militant"

"I am not born for meek & conciliating literature!" 

Almost two years later, HPB felt the need to write to
Judge again urging him to found a new journal
different from THE PATH:

". . . What you need in America is a Weekly if not a
fighting daily. Path is a 'lamb-Job' an ever meek
Jeremiah, as is our Revue Theosophique in Paris. You
hardly dare to say booh in it, for fear it should look
like polemics. If, profiting by the occasion, you
should address every Theosophist & Esotericist and
have Buck & a few others to help you - and
representing them the truth, namely that Theosophy
cannot triumph so long as every paper pitches into it
and none will print an answer, collect money enough to
publish a weekly, a theosophical pucka fighting paper
'the Champion' or the 'Wrangler', or some such thing &
set Fullerton as nominal editor & you the real Boss,
then we could get on. Now Mrs. Candler. . . will start
up a subscription for a Weekly for you & is sure to
head it with a good sum. Your Path is a most excellent
theosophical paper, but useless for militant
purposes." 

Notice again in this letter HPB's emphasis:

"What you need in America is a Weekly if not a
FIGHTING daily."

"You hardly dare to say booh in it [THE PATH], for
fear it should look like polemics."

You need "a weekly, a theosophical pucka fighting
paper"

Again one sees the editorial policy of LUCIFER in the
following words from HPB's pen:

"Open your columns to free and fearless discussion,
and do as the theosophical periodicals have ever done,
and as LUCIFER is now preparing to do. The 'bright Son
of the morning' fears no light. He courts it, and is
prepared to publish any INIMICAL contributions 
(couched, of course, in decent language), however much
at VARIANCE with his theosophical views. He is
determined to give a fair hearing in any and every
case, to both contending parties and allow things and
thoughts to be judged on their respective merits. For
why, or what should one dread when fact and truth are
one's only aim?" 

I have put "variance" and "inimical" in caps.

One might also review what HPB and the Mahatmas wrote
about the purpose of THE THEOSOPHIST when it was first
founded by HPB in 1879 in India.

I won't marshall all these additional quotes but will
select one of my favorite quotes from HPB when she was
still in India:

"...Contrast alone can enable us to appreciate things
at their right value; and unless a judge compares
notes and hears both sides he can hardly come to a
correct decision."

Although there is always dangers in generalizing, I
would suggest that in the 20th century the great
majority of magazines published by Theosophical groups
have followed THE PATH model of "meek &
conciliating literature" avoiding at all cost any
thing that looked like polemics. To many Theosophical
students nowadays anything remotely suggesting
"polemics" or "militant" or "fighting" is viewed as
almost ANTI-Theosophical.

But serious students of Blavatsky's writings might
profit from pondering on the implications of HPB's own
words quoted above.

Daniel





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