Theos-Talk Archives (March 2005 Message tt00350)

Hallo all,

--- To those of you who are eager to read and who are seeking understand some of the theosophical problems ---

--- Part 1 of 3 ---
The following might help to understand the serious situation
theosophy faces even today.
A few words to ponder. Try - the pages 54-57 and 10-11 and - in the PDF-file of Cyril Scott's 
book:
The Initiate in the New World down the page at 
(http://www.sanctusgermano.net/books/books.html )
MH or JMH is or was an initiate. And Sir Thomas in part 3 was said to be one of the english Masters.
:

CHAPTER X
THEOSOPHISTS
"WILL you come in for our meal?" M.H. asked when we arrived at his door. "I shall
be busy for about half an hour with my secretary, or rather my chela who acts as
secretary, but after that I'm free for a while. You can always find a book to pass the
time."
I was of course glad to do as he suggested.
M.H. had two chelas living in the house with him: a young Singhalese and the
secretary - chela just mentioned, a man named Heddon. After the meal was over (I
noticed M.H. hardly ate anything himself), and we were smoking excellent cigars, I
asked, in the course of conversation, what his views were concerning the future of the
Theosophical Society.
"That depends to a large extent on the behaviour of Theosophists," he answered with
one of his graver smiles. "Though the Society does not exactly come under my
surveillance, I am interested in its career, and it has already done and may continue to
do very good work. Unfortunately I see in some of the Theosophists themselves faults
both serious and trifling, but the trifling ones occasionally have as far - reaching
adverse results as the serious ones."
"What sort of faults?" Heddon enquired. He appeared to know very little about the
Society and its doings.
"Well- for instance, I think it's sad to see members of a Society which professes
Brotherhood engaged in civil warfare with words- which is only one degree better than
waging it with blows. From the very beginning the Society has at fairly close intervals
been preoccupied with quarrelling in one form of another, and what should best be
ignored or tolerantly forgiven, becomes augmented into a scandal, so that members
leave their Lodges in a body by way of protest, their chests expanded in an exhibition
of what they take to be righteous indignation."
"The bellows of convection." Murmured the Singhalese drily.
M.H. nodded. "In an occult journal I've read acrimonious letters relating to the
ordination of bishops and whether it was justified or not, and latterly there has arisen a
movement which, on the assumption that Madame Blavatsky said the last word on
occult wisdom, condemns all never teaching as a sign of disloyalty to her memory."
"Why, I thought," was my comment, "that even while she was still alive the Masters
pointed out that as yet they had only 'lifted a corner of the veil,' and admitted that with
all her qualities she wasn't entirely reliable in some respects."
"So they did," replied M.H.

The Initiate in the New World by His Pupil 55

"And what is the root - cause of all these - shall we say blemishes on the
Theosophical escutcheon?" in the calm soft voice of the Singhalese. "Lack of control;
control of temper, control of emotion, and control of the tongue."
"And its effect," said M.H. taking him up, "the alienation of those who might join the
Society and reap the benefits for which it was founded."
"Deaf people cannot hear loud noises," remarked the Singhalese in his measured way,
"but they can often hear soft whispers."
M.H., seeing my puzzled expression, looked at me with a twinkle, then at his chela.
"You mustn't expect two poor matter - of - fact Occidentals always to understand your
profound similes without elucidation," he teased him.
The Singhalese smiled in a manner that endeared him to me at once- it was so utterly
devoid of superiority. "Our Theosophical friends are deaf," he explained, "because
although they can hear the sot whispers from the astral planes, they cannot he ar the
loud voice of Reason telling them that intolerance can never be compatible with the
spirit of Brotherhood."
"I now understand," said I, bowing.
"And those minor faults you spoke of ?" Heddon asked M.H.
"They are trifles, I admit, and I hope and think we Brothers are the last to be
intolerant. But- to show you what I mean- when I sometimes focus my consciousness
on a theosophical gathering, I see far too many peculiar, vague, sloppy, absent -
minded and unpractical dreamers who perhaps ask: 'And what can I do for the
Masters.?' and who, when told, are unwilling to comply because the very thing the
Masters want them to do isn't spectacular enough to appeal to them." He smiled
indulgently. "I remember not so very long ago trying again and again to impress upon
the consciousness of a certain woman that she must cease to deny her husband his
conjugal rights, and thus cease to set in the selfish manner she was then doing. But I
could make no headway whatever, because she was so obsessed by high - falutin' ideas
of so - called purity that she was deaf to the promptings of my still, small voice trying
to speak to her ego,. Neither Theosophy nor any other form of occultism," he
continued after a pause, "should be use as a pretext for conjugal selfishness. It must
never render women (or men) neglectful of their duties, nor render them vague and
unpractical. After all, the practical lesson which Theosophy has to teach is that of
Control. Selfishness in any form, lack of common sense and all kindred weaknesses
are symptoms of uncontrol. Whenever possible I like my chelas to teach Theosophists
to be a credit to and an advertisements for their Society, not the reverse, as some of
them are. Merely to believe in the doctrines of Karma and Reincarnation, for instance,
may prove a consolation to them personally, but how will it benefit others who as yet
do not believe in these doctrines? Besides, these two doctrines are not absolute
essentials; they are but two of the many facets of the great Diamond of Truth." M.H.
rose from his chair and began pacing up and down.
"Even what is true, when over - emphasised, may assume the proportions of a
dogma," I suggested.
"Certainly," he replied. "I find, for instance, that a lot of members of the
Theosophical Society lay far too much stress on Karma, as they understand the word.

The Initiate in the New World by His Pupil 56

In young and unevolved souls it is often productive of valetudinarianism. The would -
be interesting man or woman- usually woman- says: 'I am ill- it is my Karma- I must
bear it.' And she feels quite proud of the fact, or what she considers to be the fact. But
if we probe into her subconsciousness we find it is not her 'Karma'- " he again smiled
indulgently- "but her vanit y which lies at the root of the trouble, and which prompts
the desire to draw attention to herself. As you know, in this circle here we employ the
word Karma in its more literal sense- as the Law of Cause and Effect in relation to all
actions, and not merely to those of past incarnations. We say, for example, if a man gets
drunk one night that the splitting headache with which he wakes up next morning is his
Karma!"
We had to laugh at this.
"And why?" continued M.H., ignoring our amusement, "because it is the effect of a
cause- in other words, that man is paying up, not for the sins of a previous night. If
Karma is merely understood in the restricted sense in which the more narrow - minded
Theosophists understand it, those evils arise- valetudinarianism and others- which we
try to avoid here. So you'll benefit them by teaching them by teaching them that the
results of Karma are nothing whatever to be proud of, and that the sooner they cease to
give the doctrine such undue prominence, the better." He stopped to re - light his cigar.
"Altogether I am sorry to see an attitude of dogmatism among Theosophical members
- some of them go so far as to think that they as Theosophists have the exclusive right
to attention from the Masters. They'd doubtless get a shock if you told them that there
is many an atheist and even a harlot more receptive to the teachings of the Masters than
they are. This dogmatic type of Theosophist is the exact opposite to the vague woolly -
minded type- which at least usually has a good deal of love in its make - up- and is,
spiritually speaking, worse off because imbued with a quite unconscious
conventionalism. The mental bodies of such people are hard and unyielding; because
they have embraced an unconventional religion, they think themselves
correspondingly unconventional. But they're mistaken; within the confines of their
Theosophical outlook, they're nearly as narrow and sectarian as the most bigoted of
Christians."
"They should beware of Theosophical Pharisaism," the Singhalese observed, "for
although the Masters' love shines upon them as the great orb of day, the windows of
their minds and hearts may be too small to give it entrance."
"Thank you, my son," said M.H. with quiet humour. Then, becoming more serious:
"The Theosophical Society stands at a very critical moment of its career. It may
continue to grow in membership, but unfortunately the size of a Society is not
necessarily what counts, but the quality of it. If the Society is to remain a great force
for good in the world, and I fervently hope it will do so, then for one thing its members
must uproot cowardice. There have been cowards who have run away at the moment of
danger, and instead of giving a had at the pumps, have deserted the ship. It doesn't
matter whether the danger has appeared in the form of a scandal, having for its basis
some kink in the ner vous system of one of its members, or whether dissensions have
arisen around opinions and pronouncements about the World Teacher. If Brotherhood
means anything at all, it means standing by one another not only in moments of safety

The Initiate in the New World by His Pupil 57

but also in danger. To my mind the future of the Theosophic al Society depends before
all else on the moral heroism of its members."


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