Theos-Talk Archives (May 2005 Message tt00069)

Anand,

When you have to throw in such comments as
"....Blavatsky who died with cigarette in mouth"
plus in light of some of your similar comments
in previous posts, one may wonder if Mme. Blavatsky's
smoking "bothers" you.

Apparently Mr. Leadbeater and Mrs. Besant were
NOT so "bothered" or "disgusted" with HPB's smoking.

Remember what Master Morya said to Sinnett:

"The sweet pulp of the orange is inside the skin...."

I quote some other possibly relevant passages from the
same letter of the Master's:

"You saw only that Bennett had unwashed hands, uncleaned nails and 
used coarse language and had -- to you -- a generally unsavoury 
aspect. But if that sort of thing is your criterion of moral 
excellence or potential power, how many adepts or wonder producing 
lamas would pass your muster? This is part of your blindness. Were 
he to die this minute -- and I'll use a Christian phraseology to 
make you comprehend me the better -- few hotter tears would drop 
from the eye of the recording Angel of Death over other such ill-
used men, as the tear Bennett would receive for his share. Few men 
have suffered -- and unjustly suffered -- as he has; and as few have 
a more kind, unselfish and truthful a heart. That's all: and the 
unwashed Bennett is morally as far superior to the gentlemanly Hume 
as you are superior to your Bearer." 

"... our Buddha-like friend [KH] can see thro' the varnish, the 
grain of the wood beneath and inside the slimy, stinking oyster -- 
the 'priceless pearl within!' B---- is an honest man and of a 
sincere heart, besides being one of tremendous moral courage and a 
martyr to boot. Such our K.H. loves -- whereas he would have only 
scorn for a Chesterfield and a Grandison. I suppose that the 
stooping of the finished "gentleman" K.H., to the coarse fibred 
infidel Bennett is no more surprising than the alleged stooping of 
the 'gentleman' Jesus to the prostitute Magdalene: There's a moral 
smell as well as a physical one good friend. See how well K.H. read 
your character when he would not send the Lahore youth to talk with 
you without a change of dress. The sweet pulp of the orange is 
inside the skin -- Sahib: try to look inside boxes for jewels and do 
not trust to those lying in the lid. I say again: the man is an 
honest man and a very earnest one; not exactly an angel -- they must 
be hunted for in fashionable churches, parties at aristocratical 
mansions, theatres and clubs and such other sanctums -- but as 
angels are outside our cosmogony we are glad of the help of even 
honest and plucky tho' dirty men."

Daniel
http://hpb.cc