Theos-Talk Archives (March 2007 Message tt00077)

Hello to everyone who has spent time on this important topic.

In an upcoming editorial in Fohat magazine concerning false idols in the 
Theosophical Movement, I make the following argument:
"Franz Hartmann identified the most prominent theosophical idol when he 
wrote “The Talking Image of Urur.” Blavatsky was the idol that delivered 
the message of the deified Masters. This idolizing of theosophical 
leaders and deification of the Masters has got to stop. It interferes 
with our collective search for the truth. The Masters’ existence is a 
premise within the Theosophical Movement. That premise goes something 
like: “There exist a group of individuals who through many lifetimes of 
effort have obtained mastery over their lower selves.” Another premise 
exists that: “These Masters have presented, primarily through H.P. 
Blavatsky, and to some extent through W.Q. Judge and certain others that 
Blavatsky identified, an esoteric philosophy designed to combat 
materialism on the one hand and blind superstition on the other.” 
Finally, a third premise exists that: “By studying the esoteric 
philosophy and understanding why it must be true one can enter onto a 
path that will lead, probably over lifetimes, to a mastery of one’s own 
lower self.” This brings us full circle."

The above premises are unique to the Theosophical Movement and it is up 
to each and every member of the Movement to determine for themselves the 
truth or falsity of these premises. The only thing members of the 
movement are obliged to believe in is Universal Brotherhood and truth 
above all.

Daniel points us to the following statement by Leadbeater:
"She is a pupil of our Masters; from the fount of Their
archaic wisdom she derives her own, the plans which
she is carrying out are Their plans for the welfare
of the world. THINK THEREFORE, HOW GREAT AN
HONOUR IT IS FOR YOU that you should be permitted
to work under her, for in doing so you are virtually
working under Them. THINK HOW WATCHFUL YOU SHOULD
BE TO MISS NO HINT WHICH FALLS FROM HER LIPS, to carry
out EXACTLY whatever instructions she may give to you.

Remember...there will be times when you cannot
understand her motives, for she is taking into account
many things which you cannot see and of which
she must not tell you. BUT WHETHER YOU UNDERSTAND
OR NOT, YOU WILL BE WISE TO FOLLOW HER IMPLICITLY, JUST
BECAUSE SHE KNOWS.

THIS IS NOT MERE SUPPOSITION ON MY PART, NO MERE
FLIGHT OF THE IMAGINATION; I HAVE STOOD BESIDE YOUR
PRESIDENT IN THE PRESENCE OF THE SUPREME DIRECTOR
OF EVOLUTION ON THIS GLOBE, AND I KNOW WHEREOF I
SPEAK. Let the wise hear my words, and act accordingly."

Now, according to the esoteric philosophy that HPB set down in writing, 
the Mahatmas would never allow such a statement to be made on behalf of 
one of their chelas. They did not endorse blind trust in Blavatsky or 
even in themselves because it was against the principles of the 
Theosophical Cause. Theosophy was introduced to eliminate once and for 
all the evil of "blind faiths." That Annie Besant did not immediately 
repudiate this statement for the obvious lie that it must be 
demonstrates that knowingly or otherwise she was by this time WORKING 
AGAINST the Theosophical Cause. Adelaise is correct. We do not have to 
agitate elementals by going into stories, supported or not, of a sordid 
past, Leadbeater has provided sufficient cause through this statement 
alone to be officially removed from the Movement and ignored hereafter. 
Besant too, on this statement alone, shows a gross ignorance of the 
Theosophical Cause and must therefore be treated to a similar fate. 
However, Besant demonstrated her ignorance long before this.

To understand how Besant did this, theosophists have to understand that 
there is and always will be a direct conflict of interest in having an 
ES as part of any Theosophical Society. As the Theosophical Society 
developed, certain members came to KNOW that the above three premises 
(Masters existed, the esoteric philosophy was true, and they could 
become Masters) were true and they wanted to accelerate their growth. 
They asked Blavatsky and Judge for something more. In order to maintain 
TS neutrality on the above premises, an ES was created apart from the 
Society because the ES requires, by its very nature, an unshakable 
belief in the Masters and their teachings. Within the ES it was made 
known that Judge had been a Chela of the Masters since 1875. Letters 
sent by Judge to other ES Members periodically showed up with missives 
by the Masters written in the margins of the letters. Given that they 
knew Judge to be a chela, on Blavatsky's testimony, this should not have 
been surprising. Members of the ES were required to trust Blavatsky 
unequivocally and through Blavatsky's word, they were now required to 
trust Judge.

According to the ES pledge, we know that members were not to hint, etc. 
with any other member of the ES or TS that they had been contacted 
directly by the Masters. These letters with missives were evidence of 
such contact. Clearly, any member who forwarded letters to an 
investigating committee of the TS were breaking their ES pledges. Why 
would a representative of the Masters (as Besant now claimed to be) 
allow this to happen? By bringing this matter forward under the offices 
of the TS, TS neutrality was being undermined by requiring a belief in 
the Masters. The committee once it realized this threw the charges out. 
By bringing these charges forward a second time, Besant demonstrated a 
complete ignorance of the Theosophical Cause. Olcott by not suspending 
her or removing her from the Society at that very moment founded a 
Theosophical Church based on the false idol of Annie Besant and her 
direct access to the deities of truth, the new and disfigured 
Theosophical Masters. This is what made the nonsense spouted by 
Leadbeater all those years later acceptable.

For those brought up in this church it is going to be difficult to turn 
their backs on Besant and Leadbeater but in the end all theosophists are 
going to have to do this if they want to destroy the Church of 
Theosophy. As a former member of the Adyar Society, I can say that 
members can belong to Adyar and still not belong to that church, at 
least until you get booted out. Remember, if Besant and Leadbeater were 
working against the Theosophical Cause then what they were preaching was 
not Pseudo-Theosophy, it had nothing to do with theosophy at all.

Bruce