Theos-Talk Archives (June 2006 Message tt00002)

Carlos writes many things in his posting at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theos-talk/message/34036

People can now read and compare what Carlos has written about
the SPR with what Leslie Price has written and come to their own
conclusions.

Moving on.

Below are a few choice comments of Carlos (which directly or 
indirectly I assume) he wants readers to associate with me:

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The issue is that --completely ignoring the historical events of 
1986 -- John Algeo and Daniel Caldwell have been circulating the 
same old charges, as if they had not been proven false and dropped 
by the very SPR?.

Leslie Price, Michael Gomes, Jean Overton Fuller, Radha Burnier and 
others have clearly STAYED AWAY FROM from this ambiguous but 
insistent policy of circulating libels as if they could be "probably 
true".

Readers in different countries and continents are reacting against 
this adoption of proven falsehoods.

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And then in another recent posting 
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theos-talk/message/34041>
he writes:

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What are the motives, then (more than one century later) for John
Algeo, Daniel Caldwell and a few others to try to adopt those
slanders as if they had been written by HPB herself? I will leave
that to the reader. 

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CONTRARY to what Carlos asserts, here is my editorial comments and 
opinion as expressed in THE ESOTERIC WORLD OF MADAME BLAVATSKY:

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p. 205: "Emma Coulomb later claimed that she
collaborated with HPB at Adyar, as she had earlier in
Bombay, in producing false phenomena; however, her
descriptions of what she did are not consistent with
the observatations of others, who witnessed the
phenomena, both Indian and Westerners, as some of the
following selections demonstrate."

p. 264: "The Coulomb attack, as was later evident, had
no solid foundation whatsoever...."

p. 406: "In May 1884, the Coulomb couple were expelled
from the Theosophial Society for theft, attempted
extortion and slander...."

p. 264: "In 1963, Adlai Waterman....refuted Hodgson's
contentions against Madame Blavatsky....Another
refutation of some of Hodgson's charges against HPB is
Vernon Harison's article...."

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And on my website I write:

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Some readers of the compilation titled "The Testimony of Emma 
Coulomb & Richard Hodgson Concerning the Appearances of the 
Mahatmas" may have noticed that Emma Coulomb's and Richard Hodgson's 
accounts concerning the "appearances" and "encounters" with the 
Mahatmas do not mention or explain what I will call the "paranormal" 
features of many of these encounters that various people testified 
about. This "silence" by Coulomb and Hodgson leads me to conclude 
that these "explanations" by Coulomb and Hodgson are (to say the 
least) inadequate and unconvincing. 

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I make more relevant comments at:

http://blavatskyarchives.com/mahatmasapparitions.htm#1

And as I stated previously, I quoted Madame Coulomb's and Mr. 
Hodgson's own words in my book so readers could read these 
statements for themselves, compare them with what other people 
stated and make up their minds for themselves. Apparently, Mr. 
Aveline has already made up his mind in this matter and that is just 
fine. But it would appear that he doesn't want other people to read 
something for themselves and come to their own conclusions.

I also notice Mr. Aveline mentions Mr. Carrithers and his research
and apparently holds them in high regard. Yet since I personally
knew Mr. Carrithers and was the executor of his literary estate, I
know from first hand knowledge that Mr. Carrithers would have wanted
each inquirer and student to read whatever he thinks is proper,
think for himself and come to his own conclusions. Notice what Mr.
Carrithers says in his book OBITUARY: The Hodgson Report on Madame
Blavatsky:

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It is safe to calculate that for every ten thousand persons who have
heard and believe that Richard Hodgson "exposed" H.P. Blavatsky as a
fraud and imposter, not more than one has read his "expose;" and,
that for every thousand of his readers, hardly one has ever seen
Emma Coulomb's pamphlet. And yet, by logic and every rule of common
sense, the latter document takes precedence over all others in
standing at the very heart of the controversy raised by the
Coulombs, comprising as it does the firsthand unadulterated
testimony of the chief accusers, together with documentary "proofs"
adduced for their claims. Yet, strange to say, practically no
attention was paid to THIS PRICELESS PAMPHLET - least of all by
indignant Theosophists who put no stock in what Mme. Coulomb might
have to say! -, not until, that is, the appearance in 1937 of Mrs.
Hastings' booklet, Defence of Madame Blavatsky (Volume II)
The "Coulomb Pamphlet". Unfortunately, Mrs. Hastings did not live
to complete her promising study of the case. [Caps added. DHC]

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I remember Mr. Carrithers telling me how he searched a long time for
a copy of the Coulomb pamphlet because he wanted to read the charges
for himself and not be like those  indignant Theosophists who put no
stock in what Mme. Coulomb might have to say!"

Instead Mr. Aveline apparently wants Theosophical inquirers and
students to be like ostriches and put their heads in the sand!

Notice how Madame Blavatsky dealt with Mrs. Annie
Besant. Mrs. Besant wrote in 1893:

=================================================

And so it came to pass that I went again to Lansdowne Road to ask
about the Theosophical Society. H.P. Blavatsky looked at me
piercingly for a moment. "Have you read the report about me of the
Society for Psychical Research?" "No; I never heard of it, so far as
I know." "Go and read it, and if, after reading it, you come back?
well." And nothing more would she say on the subject, but branched
off to her experiences in many lands.

I borrowed a copy of the Report, read and re-read it. Quickly I saw
how slender was the foundation on which the imposing structure was
built. The continual assumptions on which conclusions were based;
the incredible character of the allegations; and?most damning fact
of all?the foul source from which the evidence was derived.
Everything turned on the veracity of the Coulombs, and they were
self-stamped as partners in the alleged frauds. Could I put such
against the frank, fearless nature that I had caught a glimpse of,
against the proud fiery truthfulness that shone at me from the
clear, blue eyes, honest and fearless as those of a noble child? Was
the writer of "The Secret Doctrine" this miserable impostor, this
accomplice of tricksters, this foul and loathsome deceiver, this
conjuror with trap-doors and sliding panels? I laughed aloud at the
absurdity and flung the Report aside with the righteous scorn of an
honest nature that knew its own kin when it met them, and shrank
from the foulness and baseness of a lie. The next day saw me at the
Theosophical Publishing Company's office at 7, Duke Street, Adelphi,
where Countess Wachtmeister?one of the lealest of H.P.B.'s friends?
was at work, and I signed an application to be admitted as fellow of
the Theosophical Society.

On receiving my diploma I betook myself to Lansdowne Road, where I
found H.P.B. alone. I went over to her, bent down and kissed her,
but said no word. "You have joined the Society?" "Yes." "You have
read the report?" "Yes." "Well?" I knelt down before her and clasped
her hands in mine, looking straight into her eyes. "My answer is,
will you accept me as your pupil, and give me the honour of
proclaiming you my teacher in the face of the world?" Her stern, set
face softened, the unwonted gleam of tears sprang to her eyes; then,
with a dignity more than regal, she placed her hand upon my
head. "You are a noble woman. May Master bless you."

===================================================

That is the Madame Blavatsky I admire....

Yet when I quote only several pages from Hodgson's Report, Mr.
Aveline conjures up in his fertile imagination all sorts of negative 
things about me! I guess it makes for exciting reading.....

One more comment from Carlos and I will be done. He writes:

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One can only hope that John Algeo and Daniel Caldwell will re-think 
the whole issue and finally accept the central fact that HPB was a 
brave soul; that she had a pure heart; and that she was a Sage of 
humanity.

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Well I don't have to re-think the whole issue because I already 
believe she was a Sage of humanity.

See my essay titled:

"Bear Witness!": Who Was the Real H.P.B.?
http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/whitelotus2000.htm

Daniel
http://hpb.cc