Each of the great world movements had an Adept Founder who gave a Message and an
Impulse to the world before he departed. The disciples and adherents collected and
arranged the teachings given, then guarded and disseminated them through the
centuries. Witness the Tao of Lao-Tze and the Dharma of Gautama Buddha, for
instance, still powerful and vital after 2500 years.
The Adept Founders of The Theosophical Movement are no less in stature than the Adept
Founders of the preceding world movements. The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett
tells us that the Tibetan Brother who helped H. P. B. at Adyar reached “the further
shore,” achieving Arhatship, and how His Master, K. H., entered “the old tower,
within whose bosom have gestated generations of Bodhisatwas,” emerging victor.
The status of the Mahatma M. was well guarded by H. P. B. However, it is evident
that the Adept Founders of The Theosophical Movement stand equal to the Great Ones who
preceded them.
In the lives of all Adept Founders there are the usual stories of miracles and
phenomenal occurrences, but the teachings were the great miracles which endured through
the centuries. So, the Adeptship of the Theosophical Founder-Adepts is not proven by
“astral bells,” “materialized teacups,” or even by several apparently
miraculous recoveries of their Messenger, but by the transmission of their message through
space, its reception by their Messenger, and its publication for the enlightenment of
mankind. As Gautama Buddha once said --- “the true miracle is the miracle of
instruction and enlightenment.”
Their Message, Theosophy, is as important today as the Message of Shri Krishna or
Shankara was in their day, and it comes from the same source, the same Brotherhood, and
for the same purpose, the enlightenment of Humanity. The Adept Founders defined
Theosophy in The Secret Doctrine as “the accumulated Wisdom of the Adept-Seers
of the Ages.” Yet we realize that the writings given through H. P. Blavatsky
are but an exoteric introduction to the esoteric wisdom of the “initiates and
proficients in occult science and philosophy,” to quote the first revision of the
Original Programme. Hence, it is our first duty to collect the original Theosophical
writings, so that they too may be given the opportunity of enduring for centuries.
The Theosophical Society was founded for no other reason than to record and transmit the
Message of its Adept Founders, and to fulfill their Original Programme. This is our
mission.
To the Theosophical Society of Covina mainly belongs the honor and merit of collecting
and having published for the first time a series of volumes containing the complete works
of H.P. Blavatsky. (1) We
wonder how many Theosophists are aware that some of the articles already published in this
series, and others to be published, were written by the Adepts themselves? In the
first five years of The Theosophist, H. P. B. (also Subba Rao and Damodar, who
edited The Theosophist in her absence) received several articles for publication,
the source of these articles being discovered in books published since 1920, to which we
will refer.
1. “Thoughts on Death and Satan.” The Theosophist, October, 1881
(and Complete Works, Vol. III, p. 90). According to The Mahatma Letters
this is a contribution from the Master K. H., who says, page 196: “This will perhaps
make Eliphas Levi’s hints still more clear to you, if you read over what he says, and
my remarks in the margin, thereon.”
2. “Answers to Correspondents.” The Theosophist, March, 1882
(and Complete Works, Vol. III, page 288). By the Mahatma M. The
Mahatma Letters, p. 273, says: “See the infamous insulting letters she was sent
from England for publication against herself and us and the Society. . . . But the
‘Answers to Correspondents’ in Supplement are written by myself. . . .
M.” Here we see the difference between the typical Blavatsky letter and that of
the Adept.
3. “Mental Puzzle.” The Theosophist, June, 1882. Signed
“One of the Hindu Founders of the T. S., Tiruvallam Hills.” This is the
Adept often referred to by H. P. B. as “the Old Gentleman.” (Not
re-published).
4. “Harmonics of Smell.” The Theosophist, August, 1882 (and Complete
Works, Vol. IV, p. 59). In The Mahatma Letters, p. 102: “I
have just noticed an article on smell by some English professor (which I will cause to be
reviewed in the Theosophist and say a few words).” (K. H.)
5. “Isis Unveiled and The Theosophist on
Reincarnation.” The Theosophist, August, 1882 (and Complete Works,
Vol. IV, p. 63). See The Letters of H. P. Blavatsky to A. P. Sinnett, p. 26:
“K. H. was so kind as to dictate to me last night nearly all of my answer to
Massey.” Also see Mahatma Letters, p. 183.
6. “What is Matter and What is Force?” The Theosophist,
September, 1882 (and Complete Works, Vol. IV, page 82). See The Letters of
H. P. Blavatsky to A. P. Sinnett, p. 8: “And finally a criticism upon Col.
O.’s Lecture ‘Is electricity Force or Matter’ and an answer by Ma. K. H.
--- who is becoming a true penny-a-liner, a proof reader through astral
light and what not.”
7. “Death and Immortality.” The Theosophist, November, 1882 (and
Complete Works, Vol. IV, page 111). This article is a continuation of No. 1
above, because of controversy. The first part is a letter by N. D. Khandallawala
with a long note by the Mahatma K. H. See The Mahatma Letters, page 189:
“the answer to which you found incorporated in yours when I wrote for you the
materials for your answer to Mr. Khandallawala’s letter that you had sent back to H.
P. B.”
8. Throughout The Mahatma Letters there are many references to Eliphas Levi
and his Works. It would be interesting to know why the Adepts were referring to
him. The Mahatma Letters, page 134: “To reconcile you still more
with Eliphas, I will send you a number of his MSS. --- that have never been
published, in a large, clear, beautiful handwriting with my comments all
through.” The comments are signed E. O. for Eminent Occultist, or K. H.
They were written in French and translated by A. O. Hume. The Mahatma Letters,
page 156: “In the forthcoming Theosophist you will find a note or two appended
to Hume’s translation of Eliphas Levi’s Preface in connection with the
lost continent.” K. H., referring to The Theosophist of November,
1882. (E. O. footnotes are given in the Complete Works, Vol. IV, page 120).
9. Another Eliphas Levi article, with E. O. footnotes. The Theosophist,
January, 1883 (and Complete Works, Vol. IV, p. 141).
10. A long article by Eliphas Levi which was not published in The Theosophist,
but was published in the Theosophical Miscellanies, series, Calcutta, 1883.
(Out of print.) One of the E. O. footnotes is about Jesus: “but he preached a
century before his birth. E. O.” There may be other Levi articles, since
we find H. P. B. saying, page 56, Letters of H. P. Blavatsky to A. P. Sinnett:
“Except of the volume annotated on the margin by K. H. and sent to Hume and a MS.
commented upon by Djwal Khool, I took no interest in Eliphas Levi’s MSS.”
11. “Devachan and Avitchi.” The Theosophist, March, 1883. The
Mahatma Letters, page 196-7: “There must be for such a nature a state
corresponding to Devachan, and this is to be found in Avitchi. . . . And, to
complete your ‘Fragment’. . . I found it necessary to add to devachan ---
Avitchi as its complement and applying to it the same laws as to the former. This is
done, with your permission, in the Appendix.” K. H.
12. “Replies to Inquiries Suggested by Mr. A. P. Sinnett’s Esoteric
Buddhism.” Answers as follows: I. Do the Adepts deny the Nebular
Theory? II. Is the Sun merely a Cooling Mass? III. Are the Great
Nations to be swept away in an hour? IV. Is the Moon immersed in Matter?
V. About the Mineral Monad. VI. “Historical Difficult” -
Why? VII. Philological and Archaeological “Difficulties”; Sakya
Muni’s Place in History (by Subba Row); Inscriptions Discovered by General
Cunningham. VIII. Sri Sankaracharya’s Date and Doctrine (Subba
Row). The Theosophist, August, September, October, November, 1883. The
references to the “Replies” are so many that it would take too much space to
quote them all. After the vicious attack upon the Messenger of the Adepts in 1884 it
is rather curious to note that these “Replies” were addressed to Mr. Myers, a
member of the Society for Psychical Research. In Old Diary Leaves, Vol. 2, p.
466, Colonel Olcott says: “Part of her work was the taking from dictation from her
invisible teacher of the ‘Replies to an English F. T. S.’” One of the
questions was of such an esoteric nature that when H. P. B.’s co-chela, Subba Rao
read it, Damodar said he “turned green.” See also Letters of H. P.
Blavatsky to A. P. Sinnett, page 46: “It is I who had to copy most of the Replies
written half by M.” etc. And page 63: “But [Dr. Kingsford] can hardly be
an infallible Seer, or else Maitland would not have attributed to ‘Mad.
Blavatsky’ a sentence written by the Tiravellum Mahatma in Reply No. 2 of October. .
. . I have his MSS.” Also page 68: “What do you mean by saying that
‘their Lordships’ write too much for your London Society. It is my Boss
and two others you do not know.” Enough has been quoted to prove that the
“Replies” are the work of three Adept Brothers and their chelas. These
“Replies” began August, 1883 and continued for several months, and with the
exception of the first, are to be found in Five Years of Theosophy. The
“Replies” contain priceless information by three Adepts, and hence deserve our
closest study. (2)
13. “The Elixir of Life.” The Theosophist, March and April,
1882. H. P. B. says in her article “Re-classification of Principles”:
“The Elixir of Life was written by its author under direct dictation, or inspection
in his own house.” (Out of print.)
14. Review of Oxley’s Philosophy of Spirit. The Theosophist,
December, 1881. The Mahatma Letters, page 274: “Having received no reply
to his summons to K. H., he criticises --- mildly so far --- the utterances of that
‘Internal Power’ --- for which new title I feel rather obliged to him. At
the sight of the gentle rebuke, our blunderbuss Editor failed not to explode. Nor
would she be soothed, until Djwal-Khul, with whom the famous review was concocted. . . was
authorized, under the safe nom-de-plume of ‘Reviewer’ to answer. . . the
Seer, in a few innocent foot-notes.” K. H.
15. The footnotes by the ‘Reviewer,” otherwise the Master Djwal-Khul,
appeared in The Theosophist, March, 1882.
16. Statement on behalf of his Master, by the Master Djwal-Khul, in The Theosophist,
September, 1882.
17. “The Real and the Unreal.” “Dream Life.”
“Various States of Devachan.” The Theosophist, August, 1883.
See The Mahatma Letters, p. 339: “Again and once more, an attempt has been
made to dispel some of that great mist that I find in Mr. Massey’s Devachan. It
will appear as a contribution to the August number of the 'Theosophist,' and to that I
shall refer Mr. Massey and yourself.”
The above list is by no means exhaustive, as everything that has been published would
have to be carefully sifted. Bound together in one volume, these writings would find
their place beside The Secret Doctrine and The Mahatma Letters.
As the disciples and adherents collected and preserved the Messages of the Adepts of
the past, just so should we collect and correlate every word, foot-note, letter or article
of the Theosophical Adept Founders, because only by doing so will it be possible to end
the present controversies as to what is or is not Theosophy.
We must provide a yardstick and a body of proof in writing, which will prevent the next
generation of Theosophists from falling into the errors which have been the cause of so
much delusion in our time. Only the Adept writings can extricate us now: only their
Wisdom can form the basis for a sensible and logical exposition of what these Great Beings
intended to be called “Theosophy.” With the help of all true students and
seekers it can be done.
John Roger
7011 Woolston Road, Philadelphia, 38, Pa.
Endnotes
(1) The first four volumes of this series have been published
by arrangement made with Rider and Co., London, England; also a reprint (in one large
volume) of Isis Unveiled. We have been assured by Rider and Co., that
printing of the rest of the volumes will be resumed after the war. --- Eds. [of Theosophical
Forum]
(2) The “Replies” will appear in Vol. V of the Complete
Works. --- Eds. [of Theosophical Forum]