Theos-Talk Archives (April 2004 Message tt00080)

Olcott: ". . . one of the Masters . . . gave each of us a fresh 
rose. . . . "

by Daniel Caldwell

Henry S. Olcott wrote:

"'...at a shrine [at the Golden Temple] where the
swords, sharp steel discs, coats of mail, and other
warlike weapons of the Sikh warrior priests are
exposed to view in charge of the akalis, I was
greeted, to my surprise and joy, with a loving smile
by one of the Masters, who for the moment was figuring
among the guardians, and who gave each of us
[Blavatsky & Olcott] a fresh rose, with a blessing in
his eyes...." (Old Diary Leaves, Volume III, pp.
254-255, 1974 printing.) 

In Olcott's own handwritten diary, the entry for
October 26, 1880 reads: 

"...In the afternoon we went to the Golden Temple
again & found it as lovely as before. Saw some
hundreds of fakirs & gossains more or less
ill-favored. A Brother there saluted H.P.B. and me &
gave us each a rose." 

What is the explanation of this event? See:

http://blavatskyarchives.com/chart4stepgoldtem80bm.htm

or

http://theosophy.info/chart4stepgoldtem80bm.htm

for a list of the possible explanations.

K. Paul Johnson in his book THE MASTERS 
REVEALED believes (to some greater or
lesser degree) that Olcott met a "real adept" (??) and
even speculates that this man MIGHT HAVE BEEN Thakur
Singh. Perhaps. 

But in light of the Westbrook and Coulomb testimonies
would it not be just as possible (if not more likely)
that Blavatsky simply asked some stranger in the crowd
to give each of them a rose and salute them? For a few
rupees I'm sure a number of men in the crowd at the
Golden Temple would have played this simple part!! 

Also Brigitte Muehlegger has stated previously how
credulous Olcott was even as early as 1874. Westbrook
gives testimony to that effect (in the case of the
maid) as follows:

"Olcott seemed white with astonishment and reverently
whispered, 'an elementary'."

Perhaps also at the Golden Temple when the
unidentified man gave the roses and saluted, Olcott
was also "impressed" and whispered "reverently" to
Blavatsky, "a Brother". Perhaps Blavatsky nodded in
agreement. Amazing what a nod and a few rupees can
produce! Poor credulous Olcott. . . .

I wonder what is the opinion of a certain "neutral"
scholar on this Golden Temple incident??

Daniel

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

--------------------------------------------------------------
"...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."
H.P. Blavatsky. The Theosophist, July, 1881, p. 2
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