Theos-Talk Archives (May 2011 Message tt00126)

Dear Joaquim,

Thanks for sharing that chapter from the "Judge Case" on the wills of HPB. 

After reading it a few times I have to conclude that Daniel Caldwell's and Brett Forray's conclusions about the book "The Judge Case" are at least valid and applicable to this chapter on HPB's wills. 

Daniel concluded:

"As I have read and carefully studied the narratives written by Pelletier in this book I have come to the conclusion that Pelletier employs (as much as Paul Johnson ever did) speculative possibilities with little or no documentation whatsoever."

As one progresses trough the chapter the insertions of one 'speculative possibility' after another become quite disconcerting. 

Mr. Forray observed that Pelletier's rendering of the story is heavily skewered in favor of Judge, the protagonist who he wants to exonerate, and that he excludes other points of view. Many others, in this case Besant and Olcott, are depicted as immoral schemers. 

It looks like that The Judge Case reads more like a piece of advocacy than non-partisan historical research. 

Best

Govert

Sources: 
The JUDGE CASE by Ernest E. Pelletier in 5 Parts. Reviewed by Daniel H. Caldwell

http://blavatskyarchives.com/pelletier_judge_case.htm

Brett Forray's review of Pelletier's "The Judge Case" on the Theosophical History website.

http://www.theohistory.org/Judge_Case_Review-XI-2.pdf

Pelletier's response can be found here:

http://www.theosophycanada.com/fohat_AddressCriticsTJC.htm

My evaluation of that response is here:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theos-talk/message/56122




  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: jdmsoares 
  To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2011 4:27 AM
  Subject: Re: theos-talk Interview With Ernest Pelletier


    

  Dear friends,

  While we don't have "The Judge Case" accessible online for
  everyone, we have published a chapter of the work of Ernest Pellitier.

  The chapter is entitled "The Wills of Helena P. Blavatsky".

  Here is an excerpt:

  00000000000000000000000

  Shortly after reviewing The Secret Doctrine Annie Besant joined the
  Theosophical Society on March 10th, 1889. Besant had made a name for
  herself as one of England's finest orators and her abilities were needed
  by the growing Society. Besant showed great promise as a student of
  Theosophy and was soon sitting at H.P.B.'s side acknowledging her as
  her new guru. She was quickly brought in as a pledged member of the
  Esoteric Section. Just one month before her death H.P.B. appointed
  Besant (April 1st, 1891) as the Chief Secretary of the Inner Group of
  the Esoteric Section and Recorder of the Teachings,[1] and arranged for
  her to go to America to meet William Q. Judge and deliver Blavatsky's
  message to the American Convention held April 26th - 27th, 1891, as her
  special delegate. At the time Besant accepted that Judge was an
  Occultist, a view she later discounted. On May 8th Blavatsky died in
  London while Besant was on her way back from America.

  Besant had sailed for England on May 6th and, upon receiving word of
  Blavatsky's death, Judge followed on May 13th, 1891. Olcott would not
  sail from India until June 15th. Evidentiary facts have been gathered
  and are presented here for consideration regarding that period between
  Blavatsky's death on May 8th and the time of Judge's arrival in London
  on May 21st, 1891.

  Blavatsky executed her first Will before she left India in early 1885.
  According to Olcott she drew up a Will on January 31st, 1885. Olcott
  stated:

  "The witnesses were P. Sreenivasa Row, E.H. Morgan, T. Subba Rao,
  and C. Ramiah. It contains a clause to the effect that she wishes her
  ashes to be buried within the compound of the Headquarters at Adyar; and
  another request that annually, on the anniversary of her death, some of
  her friends should assemble here and read a chapter of the Light of Asia
  and one of Bhagavad Gîtâ." [2]

  This is the Will and Testament which is being kept at Adyar to this day,
  and considered Blavatsky's official Will. But it was not the Last
  Will and Testament she executed.

  (.)

  000000000000000000000000

  The complete chapter can be read at
  http://www.esoteric-philosophy.com/2010/02/wills-of-helena-p-blavatsky.h\
  tml
  <http://www.esoteric-philosophy.com/2010/02/wills-of-helena-p-blavatsky.\
  html> .

  Best regards, Joaquim

  --- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, MKR <mkr777@...> wrote:
  >
  > I just visited the interview with Pelletier, many have heard of his
  > voluminous work 'The Judge Case.' Not only is it very voluminous and
  > contains a lot of material, it is also pricey. Thus very few have seen
  the
  > book and not many average theosophists can afford to buy it. The net
  result
  > is the very purpose of publication is defeated. Most theosophists do
  want to
  > read first hand material and come to their own conclusions. We are yet
  to
  > see a digital copy of the book which will make it easily accessible to
  > members world-wide almost instantaneously.
  >
  > It looks like the decision makers who who come up with pricing of
  > theosophical publications seem to be totally blind to the need to make
  > theosophical material easily accessible to middle class theosophists
  most of
  > whom work full time and live on a month to month budget and cannot
  afford
  > pricey books.
  >
  > Other leaders and authors in theosophical circles also are not
  sensitive to
  > the price issue. This may be because most of them may have received a
  > complimentary copy or may be the books are paid for by the
  organizations
  > they are part of.
  >
  > Until the publications are converted to electronic format and made
  available
  > for free or for a $1, we cannot expect a good circulation.
  >
  > Let us all pray that those in charge of deciding on the pricing, soon
  wake
  > up to reality of the Internet world and digital publication.
  >
  > MKR
  >
  >
  >
  >
  > On Tue, May 24, 2011 at 7:00 PM, theos-talk-owner@yahoogroups.com
  wrote:
  >
  > >
  > >
  > > (note prior message was truncated. now checking on group's
  > > settings...weird) admin
  > > ===================================
  > > Dear friends,
  > >
  > > We can see that the world scenario of the theosophical movement is
  > > slowly changing.
  > >
  > > Old lies are being debunked, step by step. Some masks are falling.
  The
  > > defense of truth is gaining strength. The true history of the
  movement
  > > starts to being known by an increasing number of students.
  > >
  > > Many have contributed so far to the revitalization process of the
  > > movement as a whole. One of those devoted students is Ernest
  Pelletier,
  > > author of the important book "The Judge Case".
  > >
  > >
  > > We have just published in our websites a recent interview with this
  > > lifelong worker for the Cause.
  > >
  > > The text is entitled:
  > >
  > > Ernest Pelletier´s Viewpoint
  > >
  > > A 2011 Dialogue On the Karma and
  > >
  > > Dharma of the Theosophical Movement
  > >
  > > The direct links are:
  > > www.esoteric-philosophy.com/2011/05/ernest-pelletiers-viewpoint.html
  and
  > > www.theosophyonline.com/ler.php?id=237
  > >
  > > Best regards, Joaquim
  > >
  > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
  > >
  > > --- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "jdmsoares" jdmsoares@ wrote:
  > > >
  > > >
  > > > We have just published in our websites a recent interview with
  this
  > > > lifelong worker for the Cause.
  > > >
  > > > The text is entitled:
  > > >
  > > >
  > > >
  > > > Ernest Pelletier´s Viewpoint
  > > >
  > > > A 2011 Dialogue On the Karma and
  > > >
  > > > Dharma of the Theosophical Movement
  > > >
  > > >
  > > >
  > > > The direct links are:
  > > >
  www.esoteric-philosophy.com/2011/05/ernest-pelletiers-viewpoint.html and
  > > www.theosophyonline.com/ler.php?id=237
  > > >
  > > >
  > > >
  > > > Best regards, Joaquim
  > > >
  > > >
  > > >
  > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
  > > >
  > >
  > >
  > >
  >
  >
  > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
  >

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