Theos-Talk Archives (June 2005 Message tt00576)

I thought some readers might be interested
in the following.

In the latest issue of FOHAT magazine 
(Summer 2005, pp. 31-32) Carlos Cardoso 
Aveline in an article titled "The 
Embellishment of Truth: Understanding 
Self-Delusion in the Esoteric Movement" 
described my book THE ESOTERIC WORLD OF MADAME
BLAVATSKY as a "disgusting volume"! :)

He wrote in part:

"In the year 2000, the Theosophical Publishing
House/Quest Books published the unfortunate volume THE
ESOTERIC WORLD OF MADAME BLAVATSKY by Daniel Caldwell.
This 452 pp. book is a collection of testimonies,
false and true, about the life of H.P. Blavatsky. With
this book, Daniel Caldwell inaugurated a new
'editorial policy' adopted by the 
Adyar Theosophical Society in America, [see footnote
below] which consists of publishing lies and libels
invented by the old enemies of H.P. Blavatsky and of
the theosophical movement as if they were authentic
documents. The new editorial 'policy' also includes
publishing these false accusations scattered amidst
authentic documents, which makes it harder for the
inexperienced student to identity the falsehoods whose
effect - if unresisted - would be killing HPB's memory
and destroying its spiritual vibration at the moral,
ethical and occult levels, which are inevitably
interconnected....In the disgusting volume THE
ESOTERIC WORLD OF MADAME BLAVATSKY - while believing
the editor has selected truthful documents -the reader
will bump into many of the lies written against HPB. 
There he will see two texts by Emma Coulomb ... with
no word from the 'editor" Daniel Caldwell admitting he
is publishing documents which have no trace of truth
in them whatsoever."

"Caldwell's book also contains two texts by Mr.
Solovyov with attacks against HPB; one false testimony
by Mr. Richard Hodgson, several false accusations
against HPB made by Moncure D. Conway and many other
unjust attacks AIMED AT HER WHO IS NOT HERE TO DEFEND
HERSELF. The disgusting material includes utter
disrespect for two Sacred Teachers and Their names, in
one of the libels signed by Emma Coulomb. Its
reproduction by a Publishing House which calls itself
'Theosophical' is something which surpasses and goes
relatively far beyond the limits of absurdity...."

"It is true that the editor of THE ESOTERIC WORLD OF
MADAME BLAVATSKY wrote at the preface of the book: 
'These reminiscences by her relatives, acquaintances,
friends, co-workers, and enemies give a vivid
portrayal of Madame Blavatsky's personality and allow
the reader to enter into the historical milieu of her
time.' But he forgot the profound difference between
an enemy and a liar. An enemy, says the dictionary,
is an adversary or an opponent - often an honest
person. A liar is a person who tells lies - or who
KNOWINGLY HELPS PROPAGATING THEM. Enemies may say
unpleasant truths and we should be able to learn from
them. The problem is not with enemies, then, but with
FALSE TESTIMONIES. The editor
of THE ESOTERIC WORLD OF MADAME BLAVATSKY wrongly
called "reminiscences" the old, well-known falsehoods
and proven lies. He and TPH-Wheaton considered them
beautiful enough to go to the public."

[Footnote: "This Editorial 'policy' does not have the
approval of the International President of the Adyar
Society, Mrs. Radha Burnier, as she clarified in a
letter addressed to me and dated 24 June 2004."]

Some food for thought.

As time permits, I will try to respond to the
"charges" made in the above excerpts.

Details on how to purchase the book will be found
at:

http://blavatskyarchives.com/esotericworldam.htm

Daniel H. Caldwell
Blavatsky Study Center
http://hpb.cc

th lis