Theos-Talk Archives (March 2006 Message tt00744)

thanks a lot for your kind and detailed information.


--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "robert_b_macd"
<robert.b.macdonald@...> wrote:
>
> Alaya, the leadership of Edmonton Theosophical Society has for many
> years been concerned with preserving the history of the Theosophical
> Movement.  At our web site www.theosophycanada.com you can get a sense
> of our reprinting program.  We have reprinted "Transactions of the
> Scottish Lodge", "The Irish Theosophist", "The Theosophical Forum",
> Endersby's "Theosophical Notes", just to name a few.  Ernest and
> Rogelle Pelletier were the force behind this reprinting program that
> saw rare material, photocopied reprints, placed in libraries around
> the world.  Rogelle and Ernest also have an extensive archival file
> system.  One of the places that they have photocopied much material
> from is "The HPB Library" established by Alice Cleather here in Canada
> many years ago.  The current caretaker of that library is Joan
> Sutcliffe and I suspect that she would be a valuable source for some
> of the information that you are looking for, as indeed would be our
> own library.  Joan is a gracious woman and the library does carry
> books and pamphlets written by Cleather.
> 
> It is this background in theosophical history that has allowed Ernest
> Pelletier to do the research necessary to put a book like "The Judge
> Case" together.  For students of TS history, the book is highly
> recomended as it contains a vast collection of rare material reprinted
> in the Appendices in Part 2.  It really is a book that all Lodge
> Libraries and serious students of history should possess.
> 
> I hope this gives you some idea.  The Basil Crump article was simply
> taken out of the pages of "The Judge Case".
> 
> Bruce
> 
> 
> --- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "Alaya" <lalaya7@> wrote:
> >
> > robert, how did you have acess to this article by basil crump?!!!
> > there are some articles of his and of Mrs. Alice Cleather i long to
> > read but since they are from ol theosophical magazines... i can't find
> > them
> > how did you do?!
> > please , informe me!
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > --- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "robert_b_macd"
> > <robert.b.macdonald@> wrote:
> > >
> > > --- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "krsanna" <timestar@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Bruce & All -- "The Compiler" may be of help on this
reference.  I 
> > > > first read the letter in "The Theosophical Movement," with an 
> > > > explanation of the context in which the letter was written.  As I 
> > > > recall, the lodge to which the letter was directed had refused to 
> > > > accept the first object.  Lodges were asked to accept at least
one 
> > > > object and the Prayag lodge had declined to accept the first 
> > > > object.  The Prayag lodge assumed a die-hard Brahman position
that 
> > > > embraced the caste system.
> > > > 
> > > > Members of the Prayag Lodge had complained that many other lodges 
> > > > had received letters from the Mahatmas, but they still had
received 
> > > > nothing.  If my memory is correct, this is the situation at the 
> > > > Prayag lodge when the letter was written.  
> > > > 
> > > I think the Prayag Lodge's biggest concern was that the Masters were
> > > dealing with Westeners, specifically Sinnet and Hume, who ate
beef and
> > > used alcohol, while the Prayag group was comprised of orthodox
> > > Brahmans who observed all the proper rituals.  The Prayag Lodge felt
> > > that they were clean and these Westerners were dirty (this is
unspoken
> > > but I think the implication is that they keep their auras clean
> > > through the practice of all their rituals whereas the Westerners do
> > > nothing, hence why are the Westerners deserving).  It is not
generally
> > > realized today, but for Brahmans, and indeed Indians in general, the
> > > Americas were Patala at this time.  They were in virtue of being on
> > > the other side of the world from Indian unclean, Patala having the
> > > connotation of below the feet.  It was a huge deal for
Chakravarti to
> > > come to North America, the Brahmans could easily have ostracized
him.
> > >  It was probaably this demonstration of courage, of going beyond
> > > orthodoxy that had Judge musing for a short while that Chakravarti
> > > might make a good president of the Indian Section.
> > > 
> > > > It must be noted that many Mahatma letters were precipitated, 
> > > > including the one to Olcott on the Shannon, that affirmed that 
> > > > Blavatsky was their agent and that no other communication had
been 
> > > > given to anyone in Europe or America since 1885, except
through HPB.
> > > > 
> > > > The first line of the Prayag letters indicates that Blavatsky was 
> > > > writing on behalf of "The Brothers." No fraud can be construed
from 
> > > > that introduction.    
> > > > 
> > > > "The Brothers desire me to inform one and all of you natives..."
> > > > 
> > > > The Prayag lodge's complaint appears to have been that the TS was 
> > > > Buddhist propoganda.  Olcott was very active in the Buddhist
world 
> > > > and his courage in the face of opposition was never extolled by 
> > > > anyone.  HPB praised Olcott's hard work and dedication, but his 
> > > > courage was not mentioned as a notable character trait.  
> > > > 
> > > Therefore, because it was Buddhist propoganda, Blavatsky must have
> > > forged the contents of the letter, it could not be genuine.
> > > 
> > > > Krsanna
> > > > 
> > > 
> > > For John and others interested, this would be a good place to
include
> > > Basil Crumps article from the "Irish Theosophist."
> > > 
> > > ADEPTS AND MEDIUMS.
> > > 
> > > In The Theosophist for April appears a "postscript" by Colonel
Olcott,
> > > repudiating the letter sent by one of the Masters through H.P.B. to
> > > certain Brahmans, which was published by Mr. Judge in the April Path
> > > and declared by him to be genuine.  Colonel Olcott asserts that the
> > > communication contains "palpable proof of fraudulency" in that he
> > > thinks it to be "an ill-tempered attack" on Brahman orthodoxy, and
> > > that, moreover, it "grossly violates that basic principle of
> > > neutrality and eclecticism on which the Theosophical Society has
built
> > > itself from the beginning." There are many, however, who differ
> > > absolutely from the Colonel in their opinion of this letter, and
> > > consider it to be one of the finest of the series.  It is
reprinted in
> > > a recent pamphlet issued to many members of the T.S., who will
be able
> > > to judge for themselves.  It is a candid but just criticism, not of
> > > the spirit of the Brahmanic philosophy, but of the hard forms,
castes
> > > and creeds which have grown up around it, and which it was H.P.B.'s
> > > mission to break up and sweep away from all religions.
> > > 
> > > Colonel Olcott twice misquotes from the letter a very important
word.
> > >  He says that it asks the Brahman to "repudiate his religious
beliefs,
> > > cast aside his splendid Scriptures and turn Buddhist" !  Italics are
> > > mine.  And again he quotes a passage thus: "which of them is
ready to
> > > become a Buddhist, a Nâstika, as they call us." The word used in the
> > > letter is "Budhist," not "Buddhist." Why, does he so misquote it
when
> > > H. P. B. has so carefully explained the radical difference
between the
> > > two words?  Owing to the impression conveyed by the title of Mr.
> > > Sinnett's book, Esoteric Buddhism, that Theosophy was only a form of
> > > Buddhism, she explained in her Introduction to The Secret Doctrine
> > > that Buddhism is the religious system of ethics preached by the Lord
> > > Gautama, and named after his title of Buddha, "the Enlightened,"
while
> > > Budha means "wisdom" or knowledge (Vidya), the faculty of cognizing,
> > > front the Sanskrit root "budh," to know.  She further said that
> > > Buddhism is not correctly spelt or pronounced in English, and should
> > > be Buddhaïsm.  The word Nâstika means, according to The Theosophical
> > > Glossary, one who does not worship or recognize the gods and idols.
> > > 
> > > Colonel Olcott advances the theory, which both he and Mrs.
Besant have
> > > already applied to the case of Mr. Judge, that H.P.B. was a
medium not
> > > always responsible for what was given through her.  He is driven to
> > > invent this miserable and insulting excuse in order to avoid
accusing
> > > her of conscious fraud.  This theory is untenable, and to prove it I
> > > cannot do better than quote from an article by Jasper Niemand,
> > > entitled, "Judge the Act, Not the Person," which appeared in The
Path
> > > of July, 1889.  The writer there says:
> > > 
> > > What difference is there between the instrumentality of H.P.B. and
> > > that of any transmitting medium?  There is that radical difference
> > > which exists between the two extremes called by its poles. 
H.P.B. is
> > > an Adept; the other not.  The Adept is such by virtue of the active
> > > principle.  The medium is such by virtue of the passive
principle. . .
> > > . H.P.B. is an active, conscious agent, acting through will power,
> > > having attained the power of perfect registration and trained
> > > concentration, able at all times  to give a full account of all she
> > > knows, and one fitted to the development of the questioner, one
> > > responding to his physical, astral or spiritual sense.  She is
> > > learned, acute, profound; disease of the body has not impaired her
> > > work, its quality, quantity, or her fidelity to it.  The great proof
> > > is thorough comprehension, to the fullest depth, of all she has
taken
> > > or received, and the body of H.P.B. is her own instrument; she even
> > > holds it back from dissolution.  [Capitals mine.&#8210;&#8210;
B. C.]
> > > 
> > > The medium theory being disposed of, a second question arises out of
> > > the position taken up by Mrs. Besant, Colonel Olcott and others.
> > > 
> > > Granting that H.P.B. was a Messenger front the Masters, would those
> > > Masters Whose name had once been taken in vain ever use the same
> > > instrument again?
> > > 
> > > The answer is undoubtedly No.  All that has been written by
H.P.B., by
> > > W. Q. Judge, by Jasper Niemand and others on the rules of occult
> > > training, on the qualifications necessary for real chelaship, on the
> > > sacred relations between Master and chela, prove that such a
thing is
> > > utterly impossible.  H.P.B. has written that all the so-called
> > > "occult" letters must stand together or fall together.  Yet it is
> > > sought to get rid of what is not approved by inventing theories
which
> > > throw mud at the Masters and Their Messenger, and which violate the
> > > cardinal rules of Occultism.  This is a question for those to
whom the
> > > existence of Mahâtmas is a fact or a matter of personal belief, and
> > > that is why the charges against Mr. Judge can never be tried without
> > > fixing the dogma upon the T.S.  Those who take teaching and advice
> > > from one whom they believe to be a Messenger of The Lodge cannot say
> > > that some is true and some false.  They may test by their intuition
> > > and assimilate what they can, but they may not attempt to put
the seal
> > > of their paltry condemnation upon that which does not see in to them
> > > to be good.  H.P.B. once wrote in Lucifer that "a member of the E.S.
> > > who receives instructions, emanating from the Masters of the Occult
> > > Philosophy, and doubts at the same time the genuineness of the
source,
> > > or the honesty of the humble transmitter of the old esoteric
doctrines
> > > &#8210;&#8210;lies to his own soul, and is untrue to his pledge." 
> > [Capitals
> > > mine.&#8210;&#8210;B. C.]
> > > 
> > > Hear also this extract from "the words of great Teachers," given
by H.
> > > P. B. to her pupils as "the golden stairs up which the learner may
> > > climb to the Temple of Divine Wisdom":
> > > . . . . A loyal sense of duty to the Teacher, a willing obedience to
> > > the behest of TRUTH, once we have placed our confidence in, and
> > > believe that Teacher to be in possession of it. . . .
> > > 
> > > We have, then, these definite facts before us at last&#8210;&#8210;I
> > speak to
> > > those only who believe in Mahâtmas and that they communicate through
> > > chosen disciples.
> > > 
> > > 1. That both H.P.B. and Mr. Judge are accused of making bogus
> messages.
> > > 2. That it is admitted that genuine messages were delivered by
H.P.B.
> > > and Mr. Judge after those which are alleged to be false.
> > > 3. That the charges cannot be gone into before the T.S. without
fixing
> > > the dogma of the Mahâtmas upon it.
> > > 
> > > Finally Colonel Olcott asserts that the question of this letter
to the
> > > Brahmans does not bear upon the issues which [he thinks] he will
have
> > > to judicially dispose of in London.  I say that it is the
fundamental
> > > and only issue, the complaint in both cases being identical at the
> > > root, and the step that the President has now definitely taken shows
> > > more clearly than ever that H.P.B. is the real centre of attack, and
> > > through her the movement she sacrificed so much to call into being. 
> > > Once let her image be dimmed, once let her integrity be shaken,
and it
> > > will be but the beginning of the end.  For remember that Esoteric
> > > Buddhism was built on some of the "occult" letters, and that The
> > > Secret Doctrine will lose its foundation stones if H.P.B. was
not true
> > > as steel to her trust.
> > > 
> > > So let the indomitable loyalty of William Q. Judge to his
Teacher and
> > > ours be the keynote to our action, and let us help him to keep
> > > unbroken the links which bind us to the Head and Heart of our
> > > movement, without whom it would not exist to-day.
> > > Basil Crump.
> > >
> >
>