Theos-Talk Archives (November 2004 Message tt00328)

Anand Gholap,

You wrote:

---------------------------------------------
On 4 th January 1887 HPB wrote letter to
Col. Olcott after Subba Raw (S.R.) gave opinion
about Proem of SD. HPB writes " ........Let
S.R. do what he likes. I give him carte
blanche. I trust in his wisdom far more
than in mine, for I may have
misunderstood in many a point both Master
and the Old G. (other Adept). They give me
facts only and rarely dictate in succession. I
am no maker of books you know it........"
It not only tells wisdom of SR but also tells that she did
misunderstand things which went into her writing.
Later when she sent draft of Secrete Doctrine
to Subba Raw for correcting mistakes. He went
through it and told her that if he was
to correct it he would have to write whole
book again.

------------------------------------------------

Dear Anand,

You write: "HPB admitted that she misunderstood teaching
given by the Masters."

No she didn't admit that. She wrote:

"...I MAY have misunderstood in many a point both Master and
Old. G...."

She didn't consider herself infallible and she did
admit that she might be capable of making mistakes.

I MAY have misunderstood....does not mean that she did
misunderstand.

And please consider what HPB wrote later:

"Now Tookaram writes me a letter. In it he says that S.R. told him he
was ready to help me and correct my S.D. provided I took out from it
every reference to the Masters! Now, what's this? Does he mean to
say that I should deny the Masters, or that I do not understand Them
and garble the facts They give me, or that he, S.R. knows Master's
doctrines better than I do?...."

Read the rest of this letter and see what HPB writes.

But Anand, why RELY on what Subba Row may or may not have said about
the S.D. when we have the following assurances from the Master Koot
Hoomi:

"I have also noted, your thoughts about the 'Secret Doctrine.' Be
assured that what she [HPB] has not annotated from scientific and
other works, we have given or suggested to her. Every mistake or
erroneous notion, corrected and explained by her from the works of
other theosophists was corrected by me, or under my instruction. It
is a more valuable work than its predecessor, an epitome of occult
truths that will make it a source of information and instruction for
the earnest student for long years to come. . . ." Letters from the
Masters of the Wisdom, Series I, p. 47

Anand, you seem to want to IGNORE what Master K.H. says above.

The Master says that the Secret Doctrine is "an epitome of occult
truths that will make it a source of information and instruction for
the earnest student for long years to come. . . ."

That appears to me a recommendation....and totally opposite of what
you say.

Previously, you have said HPB made mistakes.

You need to back up with specific examples your broad sweeping
generalization if you want people to consider your statement accurate
and creditable.

Show some examples where you think HPB made mistakes ...hopefully
major mistakes in the SD.

A few....two or three or 5 of them.

HPB may have made some mistakes ..... but does that negate the worth
of the SD. Please ponder on what KH said in the quote I gave you
earlier in this letter.

Are you also trying to say that Leadbeater, for example, never made
any mistakes comparable to what you think HPB did?

I really wonder if you have carefully thought all of this through.

Show some prime examples of HPB's mistakes and furthermore why we
should rely on Leadbeater's writings over HPB's writings.

Daniel
http://hpb.cc