Theos-Talk Archives (March 2006 Message tt00173)

Dear Friends,


In the year 2000, the Theosophical Publishing House/Quest Books published 
the unfortunate volume "The Esoteric World of Madame Blavatsky", by Daniel 
Caldwell.

This 451 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 , 
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 
unexperienced student to identify 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.

Thus HPB’s image could be apparently put at the same level as some other 
“theosophical” leaders, perhaps. 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 (pp. 35-36 and pp. 
210-215) with no word from the “editor” Daniel Cadlwell 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. HPB wrote long enough in The Key to Theosophy   about the abuse 
of sacred names, even when the cause of such a desecration is not a 
collection of deliberate lies against the theosophical philosophy.


As to this kind of action, there are two levels of karma: the karma of 
actively publishing lies against the Masters and HPB, and the karma of 
anyone who knows about this and does nothing.  This will not be the  karma 
of earnest students. In the Preliminary Memorandum of the Esoteric Section 
of  Theosophical Society, issued in 1888, Mrs. Blavatsky made an inspiring 
quotation from the Book of Discipline in the schools of Dzyan and from a 
letter  of a Master: “He who wipeth not away the filth with which the 
parent’s body have been defiled by an enemy, neither loves the parent nor 
honours himself. He who defendeth not  the persecuted and the helpless (...) 
has been born too soon in human shape.”   I can only humbly aggree with 
these wise words.

It is true that the editor of "The Esoteric World of Madame Blavatsky"  
wrote at the preface of the book:

“These reminiscenses 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 “reminiscenses” the old, well-known falsehoods and proved 
lies.  He and TPH-Wheaton considered them  beautiful enough to go to the 
public.

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Best regards,  Carlos.


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NOTE:

The paragraphs above are part of my text "The Embellishment of Truth", 
published in "FOHAT", the magazine of the Edmonton Theosophical Society, 
Canada, in the Summer 2005 issue.

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