Theos-Talk Archives (February 2006 Message tt00676)

The  text  given  below was apparently scanned from a printed book and
thereby  contains  a  few typos, but not beyond readability. I deem it
being quite pertinent to the recent debate on HPB's heirs.


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SOME OF THE CHIEF CAUSES FOR FAILURE IN THE DOMAIN OF OCCULTISM

That  there  has been a failure so far as the successful establishment
of  a  vast  organized body is concerned, is beyond controversy ; that
is,  such  a  body  as was planned by the Initiates of the White Lodge
when they sent their representative to the Western world. These causes
were, first abnormal development of the quality of egotism unsupported
by  knowledge,  among the early investigators of the Wisdom Religion ;
second,  great  increase  in  the number of imitators of the phenomena
produced  by  true  Initiates, and the natural reaction which followed
the  exposure  of  fradulent  methods  of producing phenomena ; third,
false  claims  to  personal  guidance of the unfaithfulness to vows of
discipleship,  and  consequent contempt for such weakness in the minds
of those who had previously considered such solemnly pledged disciples
as  examples  for  others  to follow ; fifth, false teaching along the
fine  of  sex  ; lest, but by no means least, an army of braggarts who
have  constantly  poured  forth  accounts of personal contact with the
Masters,  accounts  in  which the wisdom and worth of the braggart was
duly  extolled  and  the  lack  of spiritual perception in the case of
their  followers  greatly deplored. The final result in such instances
has  been  the  arousing  of  suspicion  and  the direction of adverse
currents of force against the true disciples of the Masters, which has
stultified  their  efforts  to  interpret  and give forth the valuable
teachings of the Wisdom Religion to a world in travail.

What should have been the greatest, most far reaching organized effort
for  good  in  the  world,  by  this  time, has become a heterogeneous
mixture  of  small  cults,  each  one  under  the  direction  of  some
pseudo-occultist who is incapable of fulfilling his or her promises to
followers.  Only  here  and  there  among  these groups may be found a
genuine  chela of the Masters who is endeavoring to leaven the lump of
fraudulent  or  unwise  teaching presented to their number. Of all the
enemies  by  whom  these  chelas  are  beset there are none capable of
inflicting  so  much  injury  to  the cause of occultism as the before
mentioned  braggarts,  who by their claims of superior development and
of  the  constant supervision of their "personal Master" arouse strong
feelings  of  envy  or  of  discouragement  on  account of the seeming
difference  between  the  claimant and his whilom student, who finally
sinks  into a state of despair or of disgust at everything bearing the
name  of occultism. Such an one is unable to recover from the shock to
his  inner  nature throughout his whole life. The evident ignorance of
the  causes  back  of the desertion of erstwhile followers is the most
hopeless feature of the failure of such self-deceived braggarts.

There  are  false  prophets,  deceivers  and  liars in every religious
movement,  but  there are not always the opportunities for braggadocio
in those others that there are in a body of students of occultism.

Eventually  the  truth will prevail in the case of the first mentioned
movements  and  the  deceived  one  will  be  rehabilitated in his own
estimation,   but   in  the  case  of  the  utterly  disheartened  and
discouraged  student  of  occultism it is difficult for him to recover
his  former  state  of  security,  for the claims of the braggart will
present  themselves  repeatedly  to  his  mentality, and he knows just
enough  of some of the facts of psychic development to understand that
such  claims  might possibly be justified in the case of the braggart,
while  at  the  same time his Higher Self is trying to convince him of
the  worthlessness of those claims, consequently there is a continuous
state  of confusion in his mind and he never feels sure of either side
of the argument.

But  for the fact that there are the few who have remained faithful to
the  teachings  of  the  Masters  who  gave  the  truths of the Wisdom
Religion  to  the Western world, those Masters might well despair. But
while  there has been the failure I have mentioned, in many instances,
and  despite  the injury inflicted on numerous groups of people by the
ignorant  and  selfish,  the  force  of  the main tenets of the Wisdom
Religion  –  Karma,  Reincarnation, and the Seven Principles of life –
has  permeated  the  thought currents of the world, as is evidenced in
changes which have occurred in science, art, literature and religion ;
and  it  is  because  of  that  fact  that  there  will  be sufficient
antagonism  opposed  to the present day revival of orthodox philosophy
to  prevent its reaching the same low level of cruelty, inhumanity and
pure  diabolism  which a similar wave reached in the 17th century when
the  notable  Blue Laws enforced the burning of suspected witches, the
jailing  of  the  Sabbath  breaker  and the inhuman treatment of women
accused  of  breaking  the  Seventh  Commandment, as well as countless
other  crimes  against  humanity  ;  and if only so much good has been
accomplished  the  work  of  the  Initiates of the White Lodge has not
failed, in the true sense of the word failure.

The return of the spokes of the cosmic wheel to a similar point of the
world  spiral is accountable for the present antagonistic wave against
materialism  and  occultism.  The  course the wave is taking was to be
expected.  It  will  do its appointed work and make way for the return
wave  of  the Wisdom Religion. Nevertheless, the has sustained a great
temporary loss by the failure of so many students of occultism to rise
to  the  heights  presented  to them, and their failure has made it so
much more difficult for the faithful to accomplish the task given them
to perform.
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