Theos-Talk Archives (October 2008 Message tt00380)

Dear readers


My views are:

...She was supposed to be dying and now she was not going to die...


H. P. Blavatsky sometimes went away on the inner planes. Sometimes people thought she were sick because she looked like being sick. Here we will see how she used this as an actor on the stage, and how she "cheated" death and a few wishful idiots. :-)

Here are a few pages from that very interesting book by Countess Wachtmeister
REMINISCENCES OF H. P. BLAVATSKY AND "THE SECRET DOCTRINE"

"To my great distress, I now began to notice that she
became drowsy and heavy in the middle of the day, and
often was unable to work for an hour together. This increased
rapidly, and as the doctor who attended her pronounced
it to be an affection of the kidneys, I became
alarmed, and sent a telegram to Madame Gebhard to tell
her of my apprehensions, and to beg her to come and help
me. I felt that the responsibility was too great for me to
cope with alone. I had also tried getting a nurse to help
me with the night work, but it was only possible to find a
sceuy de charite, and I soon discovered that she was worse
than useless, for whenever my back was turned she was
holding up her crucifix before H.P.B., and entreating her
to come into the fold of the only church before it was too
late. This nearly drove H.P.B. wild. I therefore sent
this nurse away, and no other being available, I hired a
cook, and this set Louise free to devote more attention to
H.P.B. ; but, as Louise's little girl had been sent to her
only a few weeks previously from Switzerland, I found
that even her help was not very valuable, as her child
occupied all her thoughts. I was, therefore, thankful when
I received a cordial response to my telegram and knew
that in a few hours I should see Madame Gebhard.
When she came I felt as if a great burden had been
lifted off my shoulders. In the meanwhile H.P.B. was
getting worse, and the Belgian doctor, who was kindness
itself, tried one remedy after another, but with no good

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result, and I began to get seriously alarmed and anxious
as to what course I should adopt. H.P.B. was in a
heavy lethargic state, she seemed to be unconscious for
hours together, and nothing could rouse or interest her.
Finally a bright inspiration came to me. In the London
group I knew there was a Doctor Ashton Ellis, so I
telegraphed to him, described the state that H.P.B. was
in, and entreated him to come without delay.
I sat by H.P.B.'s bed that night listening to every sound
as I anxiously watched the hours go by, till at last, at
3 a.m., the joyful sound of a bell was heard. I flew to the
door, opened it, and the doctor walked in. I eagerly
told him all her symptoms, and described the remedies
that had been applied, whereupon he went to her and
made her drink some medicine that he had brought with
him. Then, after giving me a few directions, he retired to
his room to get a few hours' rest. I told Madame Gebhard
of the doctor's arrival, and finally returned to my post.
The next day there was a consultation between the- two
doctors. The Belgian doctor said that he had never
known a case of a person with the kidneys attacked as
H.P.B.'s were, living as long as she had done, and
that he was convinced that nothing could save her.
He held out no hope of her recovery. Mr. Ellis replied
that it was exceedingly rare for anyone to survive so long
in such a state. He further told us that he had consulted
a specialist before coming to Ostend who was of the same
opinion, but advised that, in addition to the prescribed
medicine, he should try massage, so as to stimulate the
paralysed organs.
Madame Gebhard suggested that, as H.P.B. was so
near death, she ought to make her will, for if she died in

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testate in a foreign country there would be no end ot
confusion and annoyance about her property, as she had
no relations near her. She added that she had already
consulted with H.P.B., who had told her that she was
willing to sign a will, that she wished all her property to
be left to me, and that she would give me private directions
how I was to dispose of it. Later on H.P.B. told
me exactly what I was to do with her property, which,
however, amounted to but little consisting only of her
clothes, a few books, some jewelry, and a few pounds in
cash ; but still it was thought advisable that the will should
be made, and the lawyer, the two doctors, and the American
consul, were to be present.
The night passed quietly, and several times the following
day Mr. Ellis masse'd her until he was quite exhausted ;
but she got no better, and to my horror I began to detect
that peculiar faint odour of death which sometimes precedes
dissolution. I hardly dared hope that she would
live through the night, and while I was sitting alone by her
bedside she opened her eyes and told me how glad she was
to die, and that she thought the Master would let her be free
at last. Still she was very anxious about her Secret
Doctrine. I must be most careful of her manuscripts and
hand all over to Col. Olcott with directions to have them
printed. She had hoped that she would have been able to
give more to the world, but the Master knew best. And
so she talked on at intervals, telling me many things. At
last she dropped off into a state of unconsciousness, and I
wondered how it would all end.
It seemed to me impossible that she should die and leave
her work unfinished ; and then, again, the Theosophical
Society .... what would become of it ? How

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could it be that the Master who was at the head of that
Society should allow it to crumble away. True, it might
be the outcome of the Karma of the members, who through
their false-heartedness and faint-heartedness had brought
the Theosophical Society to such a point that there was
no more vitality in it, and so it had to die out, only to be
revived in the course of the next century. Still the thought
came to me that the Master had told H. P. B. that she
was to form a circle of students around her and that she
was to teach them. How could she do that if she were to
die ? And then I opened my eyes and glanced at her and
thought, was it possible that she who had slaved,
suffered and striven so hard should be allowed to die in the
middle of her work ? What would be the use of all her
self-sacrifice and the agony she had gone through if the
work of her life was not to be completed ? Day after day
she had suffered tortures, both of mind and body : of mind
through the falsity and treachery of those who had called
themselves friends and then had slandered her behind her
back, casting stones at her while they in their ignorance
thought she would never know the hand that had thrown
them ; and of the body, because she was compelled to
remain in a form which should have disintegrated two
years previously in Adyar, if it had not been held together
by occult means when she decided to live on and work for
those who were still to come into the Theosophical Society.
None of those who knew her, really understood her. Even
to me, who had been alone with her for so many months,
she was an enigma, with her strange powers, her marvellous
knowledge, her extraordinary insight into human nature,
and her mysterious life, spent in regions unknown to
ordinary mortals, so that though her body might be near,

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her soul was often away in commune with others. Many
a time have I observed her thus and known that only the
shell of her body was present.
Such were the thoughts which passed through my mind,
as I sat hour after hour that anxious night, watching her
as she seemed to be getting weaker and weaker. A wave
of blank despondency came over me, as I felt how truly I
loved this noble woman, and I realised how empty life
would be without her. No longer to have her affection
and her confidence would be a most severe trial. My
whole soul rose in rebellion at the thought of losing her, . .
I gave a bitter cry and knew no more.
When I opened my eyes, the early morning light was
stealing in, and a dire apprehension came over me that I
had slept, and that perhaps H. P. B. had died during my
sleep died whilst I was untrue to my vigil. I turned
round towards the bed in horror, and there I saw H. P. B.
looking at me calmly with her clear grey eyes, as she said,
"
Countess, come here." I flew to her side. "What has
happened, H. P. B. you look so different to what you did
last night." She replied, "Yes, Master has been here;
He gave me my choice, that I might die and be free if
I would, or I might live and finish The Secret Doctrine. He
told me how great would be my sufferings and what a
terrible time I would have before me in England (for I am
to go there) ; but when I thought of those students to
whom I shall be permitted to teach a few things, and of
the Theosophical Society in general, to which I have
already given my heart's blood, I accepted the sacrifice,
and now to make it complete, fetch me some coffee and
something to eat, and give me my tobacco box."

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I flew off to do her errands and ran to tell Madame
Gebhard the good news. I found her just dressed, ready
to relieve me from my night's watchings, and after several
joyous exclamations she insisted on my going to bed while
she attended on H.P.B herself. I felt so excited that I
thought that I should nver sleep again, but my head was
no sooner on the pillow than I was in a deep slumber, and
I did not wake till late in the day.
When I came down all was joy. H.P.B. was up and
dressed, talking merrily to us all. Mr. Ellis had again
masse'd her and given her medicine, and all were awaiting
the arrival of the party who were to come and superintend
the making of the will. H.P.B. was in the dining room
ready to receive them, and they looked aghast with astonishment,
as they came in with long and serious faces expecting
to be shown into the presence of a dying woman. The
doctor was beside himself. He said, "Mais, c'est inoui ;
Madame, aurait du mourir." He could not make it out,
H.P.B. seated on her chair, smoking her cigarette, quietly
offered him one and then began chaffing him. The lawyer
was puzzled and turned to the Belgian doctor for an
explanation. The other began excusing himself, repeating
several times,
" Mais die aujc.it du mourir," when the
American Consul, 'like a man of the world, came forward,
shook hands with H.P.B. and told her that he was
delighted that she had cheated death this time, and an
animated and amusing conversation ensued.
Then the lawyer called us all to order and the serious
task of making the will began. H.P.B. was asked to give
details about her husband, but she broke forth : She
knew nothing about old Blavatsky, he was probably dead
long ago, and they had better go to Russia if they wanted

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to know anything about him ; she had asked them to come
there to make her will. She was supposed to be dying
and now she was not going to die, but as they were present
it was a pity that they should have come for nothing, so
they might make the will all the same and she would leave
everything to me.
The lawyer now expostulated. Had she no relations ;
would it not be right to leave her property to them ? And
then he looked askance at me, as if he thought that I
might have been unduly influencing H.P.B. to leave her
money to me to the detriment of her relatives. H.P.B.
flew out at him, and asked him what business it was of
his ; she should leave her money, she declared, to whom she
chose. Madame Gebhard, fearful of a scene, interposed
and said gently to the lawyer :
"
Perhaps, when
you know the amount which Madame Blavatsky has to
will away, you will have no further objections to making
the will as she desires ; for had Madame Blavatsky died
there would not have been sufficient money to pay for her
funeral expenses."
The lawyer could not restrain an expression of surprise,
but set to work without further comment. In a few
minutes the will was made and signed by those present,
then coffee was served and a general talk followed. After
three hours had passed the American Consul got up and
said: "Well, I think this is enough fatigue for a d}'ing
woman," and so with a few flying compliments the little
party left the room, while we who remained -enjoyed a
hearty laugh at one of the most original and amusing
scenes we had ever witnessed. We then thought that
H.P.B. ought to go to bed, but she rebelled most vigorously
and sat there till a late hour playing her "
patiences."

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I will add a few words here to say that I never saw that
will again. After H.P.B.'s death in Avenue Road, London,
on the eighth of May, 1891, I went to Ostend to see the
lawyer and ask him what had been done with the will. He
told me that after my departure he had given the will
to H.P.B., and I suppose that she must have destroyed the
deed, as it was never found among her papers."

_________________________________



So H. P. Blavatsky is dead you think?
:-)

And are the teachings of all ages past, present and future dead?
No!

The Key to Theosophy, p.71-83, 128-134
http://www.phx-ult-lodge.org/aKEY.htm


I think some of you are allowing your selves to be cheated too easily about the realities on Death and re-incarnation. The theosophical teachings are still true. There is life after death!
We know, what we talk about. I know what I talk about, and not what I believe.


M. Sufilight

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