Theos-Talk Archives (February 2005 Message tt00783)

The Truth about the E.S Council, and the Inner Group.

... I was a member of H.P.B's Inner Council which was responsible for 
what was done after her death, I am in a position to state the true 
facts as known to me, and as they appear in the E.S documents in my 
possession. These facts are: - When H.P.B died – suddenly and 
unexpectedly, Mr. Judge at once came over from New York, and after 
much consultation and informal meeting of the E.S Council (composed 
of the Ineer Group members) and two others, Mr. W. Kingsland and Dr. 
W.W.Westcott; a formal and "full meeting of the Council" was held at 
Headquarters on May 27th, 1891, when "Bro. Wm. Q. Judge attended as 
the representative of H.P.B under a general power given as below."

"As Head of the Esoteric Section of the Theosophical Society, I 
hereby declare thet William Q. Judge, of New York, U.S., IN VIRTUE OF 
HIS CHARACTER AS A CHELA OF THIRTEEN YEARS' STANDING, and of the 
trust and confidence reposed in him, is my only representative for 
said Section in America, and he is the sole channel through whom will 
be sent and received all communications between the member of the 
said Section and myself, and to him full faith, confidence and credit 
in that regar are to be given. *** Done at London this fourtheenth 
day of December, 1888
[seal]							
H.P.Blavatsky ***

... Finally, whe – The Council – declared over our signatures 
that "from henceforth William Q. Judge and Annie Besant rest the full 
charge and management of the School."
Thus the Council establish the "Dual Headship", and until her meetin 
with Mr. ----, two years later, and her subsequent visit to India, 
Mrs. Besant continued to work harmoniously with Mr. Judge.
.. the error was that of speaking of themselves as H.P.B's agents and 
representatives after her departure... Mrs. Besant was merely an 
official confirmation of a secretarial office she had filled since 
the formation of the I.G, scarcely nine month previously (thus giving 
her the precedence of Mr. Mead)... Mr. Judge's appointment was 
conferred on him "in virtue of his charachter as a chela of thirteen 
year's standin"; whereas Mrs. Besant had been "on probation" only, 
for barely a year. Moreover, when Mr. Judge became the object of 
attacks in 1889, H.P.B issued the followiong very significant 
notice: - 
							
London, october 23rd, 1889
"The Esoteric Section and its life in the U.S.A depends upon W.Q.J. 
remaining its agent and what he is now. The day W.Q.J. resigns H.P.B 
will be virtually dead for the Americans..."
								
H.P.B ***

... The absolutely Jesuitical nature of her methods is patent, in 
that she completely ignores the documentary facts set forth above.... 
Mrs. Besant "blunders" were far more serious tha Mr Judge's; though 
both of them were, in the firs instance, mislead by others, whose 
real aim was to disrupt the Society and defeat H.P.B's work.

.. in her last paragraph of the Key yo Theosophy expressed the hope 
that, "when the time comes for the effor of the twentieth century 
9i.e., in 1975] besides a large and acessible literature ready to 
men's hands, the next impulse will find a numerous and united people 
ready to welcome the new Torch-beares of Truth."
It has been my painful talk to show how lamentably we have failed to 
realise her hopes. The `united body' she sacrificed so much to create 
and hold together was disrupted barely four years after her death; 
the main body unde the Besant-Leadbeater régime is followiong strange 
gods; while the great literary legacy left by H.P.B has not only been 
seriously tampered with, but even largely superseded and obscured by 
books which will certainly not be of any assistance to the 
next "Torch-Bearer".
Some years ago I founded an H.P.B Lending Library with my original 
editions of her works and others that are reliable and in line with 
her teaching. It has already done much good, especially among those 
who have been misled and kept in ignorance of them. If others would 
do the same we can in time hope to stem the tide of evil and error, 
and preserve H.P.B's message untainted until 1975.... The bridging of 
this gap, however, has been rendered more difficult than it should 
have been; first by the failure of the T.S. as a living spiritual 
force in the world; and second, by the sinister activities of 
this `ill-omned partnership' which almos immediately followed. The 
whole tragic and dreadful history, fragments only which I have been 
able to give in this brief examination, proves what incalculabe 
harm "Leadbeaterism" is working on the minds of the rising 
generation. Not only is he the virtual director of Mrs. Besant's 
Society, but he has completely infected her mind with his soul-
destroying teachings. Hers is the real responsibility therfore (In a 
letter from a Master to a friend occur these words – "You are 
responsible for the influence that you permit others to exert over 
you."); and hers the karma of ruining H.P.B's life-work, and carrying 
out with her in her fall thousands upon thousands of honest, but too 
credulous and easily deceived souls along the broad and flowery 
road "leading to destruction."
As H.P.B says: - "If, while turning their backs on the narrow gate, 
they are dragged by their desire for the Occult one step in the 
direction of the broad and more inviting Gates of that golden mystery 
whoch glitters in the light of illusion, woe to them! It can lead 
only to Dugpa-ship.."

... If the "Back to Blavatsky" movement accomplishes nothing else, 
let us hope it may succeed in getting rid of all this vandalism and 
re-establishing H.P.B's works on their original basis, that she may 
go down to posterity on her own merits and not altered and distorted 
by the brain-mind notions of her followers.

Alice L. Cleather