Mahatma Letter No. 131

Quick Facts
People involved
Written by:	Koot Hoomi
Received by:	A. P. Sinnett
Sent via:	unknown
Dates
Written on:	unknown
Received on:	October 10, 1884
Other dates:	postmark October 9, 1884
Places
Sent from:	unknown
Received at:	London
Via:	Bromley postmark

This is Letter No. 131 in The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett, 4th chronological edition. It corresponds to Letter No. 66 in Barker numbering. See below for Context and background.

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Envelope

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Envelope

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Page 1 transcription, image, and notes

For reasons perfectly valid though not necessary for me to enter into in detail, I could neither answer your letter at Elberfeld, nor transmit it to you through L.C.H. Since it has become impossible to utilize the main channel — H.P.B. thro' which I have hitherto reached you, because of your personal and mutual relations with her I employed the common post. Even this required more expenditure of power from a friend, than you can imagine.

It would not be the part of a friend to withhold the truth when the speaking of it can do good, so I must tell you that you ought to put a close watch upon yourself, if you would not put an end for ever to my letters. Insensibly to yourself you are encouraging a tendency to dogmatism and unjust misconception of persons and motives. I am well aware of your ideas upon that what you call the "goody goody" absurdity; and I feel as painfully confident that since in your world no one is allowed to moralize the other and that you are very likely to resent it, these words are probably written in vain. But I also know your sincere desire that our correspondence should not be broken; and knowing this, I point out to your notice that which is certain to have that result.

Beware then, of an uncharitable spirit, for it will rise up like a hungry wolf in your path, and devour the better qualities of your nature that have been springing into life. Broaden instead of narrowing your sympathies; try to identify yourself with your fellows, rather than to contract your circle of affinity. However caused — whether by faults at Adyar, or Allahabad, or by my negligence, or H.P.B.'s viciousness — a crisis is here, and it is a time for the utmost practicable expansion of your moral power. It is not the moment for reproaches or vindictive recriminations, but

NOTES:

• Impossible to utilize the main channel. Mr. Sinnett had become suspicious of the communications precipitated through Mme. Blavatsky, thinking she was distorting the messages, in spite of the Master's assertions to the contrary.
• Faults at Adyar, or Allahabad refers to H. S. Olcott at the Theosophical Society headquarters in Adyar, India, and to Sinnett and his associates at Allahabad.

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for united struggle. Whomsoever has sown the seeds of the present tempest, the whirlwind is strong, the whole Society is reaping it and it is rather fanned than weakened from Tchigadze. You laugh at probations — the word seems ridiculous as applied to you? You forget that he who approaches our precincts even in thought, is drawn into the vortex of probation. At any rate your temple totters, and unless you put your strong shoulders against its wall you may share the fate of Samson. Pride and "dignified contempt" will not help you in the present difficulties. There is such a thing when understood allegorically — as treasures guarded by faithful gnomes and fiends. The treasure is our occult knowledge that many of you are after — you foremost of all; and it may not be H.P.B. or Olcott or anyone else individually who have awakened the guardians thereof, but yourself, more than they and the Society collectively. Such books as the Occult World and Esoteric Buddhism do not pass unnoticed under the eyes of those faithful guardians, and it is absolutely necessary that those who would have that knowledge should be thoroughly tried and tested. Infer from this what you will; but remember that my Brother and I, are the only among the Brotherhood who have at heart the dissemination (to a certain limit) of our doctrines, and H.P.B. was hither to our sole machinery, our most docile agent. Granting that she is all you describe her — and I have already told you that the ricketty old body becomes sometimes positively dangerous — still it does not excuse in you the smallest relaxation of effort to save the situation and push on the work (and especially protect our correspondence) all the faster. Deem it, what it is, a positive advantage to the rest of you that she should have been what she is, since it has thrown upon you the greater stimulus to accomplish

NOTES:

• Tchigadze (Shigatse) was the seat of the Tashi Lama of Tibet, and was one of the centers where the Masters worked. It is the second largest city in the Tibet.
• The fate of Samson. According to the biblical narrative, Samson died when destroying the pagan Temple of Dagon by grasping and pulling its two pillars.

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in spite of the difficulties you believe she has created. I do not say we should have preferred her had a more tractable agent been available, but still, so far as yourselves are concerned it has been an advantage, yet you have alienated her for a long time if not for ever and thereby thrown tremendous difficulties in my way. Remember what I said to you some two years ago "were H.P.B. to die before we found a substitute," the powers through which we work in our communications with the outside world may permit the transmission of two or three letters more, then it would die out and you would have no more letters from me. Well — she is virtually dead; and it is yourself — pardon me this one more truth — who have killed the rude but faithful agent, one moreover who was really devoted to you personally. Let us drop the subject if it is distasteful to you. I have done my best to stop the evil but I have neither jurisdiction or control over her, nor shall I have any better chance with Mrs. H. She is a magnificent subject naturally but so distrustful of herself and others, so apt to take the real for hallucination and vice versa that it will require a long time before she becomes thoroughly controllable even by herself. She is far, far from being ready; moreover she understands neither herself, nor us. Verily our ways are not your ways, hence there remains but little hope for us in the West.

Do not, I pray you, attribute the above to any influence from H.P.B. She has doubtless complained bitterly to her Master and says so openly, but this does not alter his opinion nor affect my own attitude towards you in the least. Not alone we two, but even

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she knows how important to the Society's welfare are your services, and no personal grievances of hers would be allowed to stand in the way of your receiving strict justice; or to prevent our according it to her either. Her Master and I directed her to do and say all that she did concerning Mrs. H. Any unpleasantness resulting, was due to the execution of her orders. We had found Mrs. H. in America, we impressed her to prepare for the writing of the book she has produced with the aid of Mohini. Had she consented to stop at Paris, as requested, a few days longer and come over to England with H.P.B. the later complication could have been averted. The effect of her coming to your house has been described to you by her before; and in resenting what Mohini and H.P.B. were saying to you and Mrs. H. you have been simply resenting our personal wishes. You will resent my words even now when I tell you that you have been — unconsciously, I agree — in my way, in her development. Yet you would have been the first one to profit thereby. But not understanding our ways and the occult methods you insisted upon knowing the cause and reason for everything done — especially things that did not suit you. You even demanded that the reason why you have been asked to come to Elberfeld should be thoroughly explained to you. This is unreasonable — from the occult point of view, good friend. You either trust in me, or do not. And I must frankly tell you that

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my friendly regard suffered a shock from the hearing of your "ultimatum" which may be condensed thus: — "Either Mrs. H., passes a week or so at our house, or I (you) leave the L.L. to get on as best it can." It almost meant this; "Masters" or no Masters to the contrary notwithstanding, I must and shall show the L.L. that anything they may have heard about this affair was false, and that the "Masters" would never consent to any action hurtful to my pride: that must be protected in any event." My friend, this is treading upon dangerous ground. In our mountains here, the Dugpas lay at dangerous points, in paths frequented by our Chelas, bits of old rag, and other articles best calculated to attract the attention of the unwary, which have been impregnated with their evil magnetism. If one be stepped upon a tremendous psychic shock may be communicated to the wayfarer, so that he may lose his footing and fall down the precipice before he can recover himself. Friend, beware of Pride and Egoism, two of the worst snares for the feet of him who aspires to climb the high paths of Knowledge and Spirituality. You have opened a joint of your armour for the Dugpas — do not complain if they have found it out and wounded you there. Mrs. H. did not really want to go to your house, for, as she said to you very truthfully, I had told her not to do so for reasons that you must know yourself by this time; you also should have known, that if we were worth anything in our

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individuality, and not mere powerless puppets, we were not to be influenced by H.P.B., nor driven by threats to do anything contrary to our light and the necessities of Karma. I am sorry that you did not recall these facts before speaking, as this makes my position still more embarrassing before my chief, who, of course has had the "ultimatum" put on record. You deny, having ever applied to be accepted as a chela: Ah! my friend, with such feelings smouldering in your heart, you could not be even a "lay chela". But once more I say let us drop the subject. Words will not obliterate deeds, and what is done is done. My brother M. who has more authority than I, has just written the promised letter to the "Inner Circle". Your "honour" good friend, is saved — at what price — read and you shall see.

You do not find certain recent letters and notes of mine — including the one to the treasurer of the L.L., "philosophical" and in my usual style. It could scarcely be helped: I wrote but on the business of the moment — as I am doing now — and had no time for philosophy. With the L.L. and most of the other Western Branches of the T.S. in a deplorable state, philosophy may be invoked to restrain one's impatience, but the chief thing called for at present, is some practicable scheme for dealing with the situation. Some, most unjustly, try to make H.S.O. and H.P.B., solely responsible for the state of things. Those two are, say, far from perfect — in some respects, quite the opposite. But they have that in them (pardon the eternal repetition but it is being as

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constantly overlooked) which we have but too rarely found elsewhere — UNSELFISHNESS, and an eager readiness for self-sacrifice for the good of others; what a "multitude of sins" does not this cover! It is but a truism, yet I say it, that in adversity alone can we discover the real man. It is a true manhood when one boldly accepts one's share of the collective Karma of the group one works with, and does not permit oneself to be embittered, and to see others in blacker colours than reality, or to throw all blame upon some one "black sheep", a victim, specially selected. Such a true man as that we will ever protect and despite his shortcomings, assist to develop the good he has in him. Such an one is sublimely unselfish; he sinks his personalty in his cause, and takes no heed of discomforts or personal obloquy unjustly fastened upon him.

I have done, my good friend, and have nothing more to say. You have too much intelligence not to see clearly, as the Americans would say — the fix I am in, and that I, personally can do very little. The present situation, as you will find from M's letter has been gradually created by all of you as much as by the wretched Founders. Yet without at least one of them we can hardly do, for several years more to come. You have treated the old body too cruelly

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and it now has its day. You will never agree in this fully with me — but it is fact, nevertheless. All I can do for you personally — I will do it, unless you make the situation still worse by not changing your policy. One who would have higher instruction given to him has to be a true theosophist in heart and soul, not merely in appearance.

Meanwhile, receive my poor blessings.

K.H.

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Physical description of letter

The original is in the British Library, Folio 3. George Linton and Virginia Hanson described the letter this way:

KH script is sharp blue pencil on both sides of four sheets of full-sized white paper. The evnelope, which is in the British Museum folio, is a plain one addressed, in unknown calligraphy:

"A. P. Sinnett, Esq. 7 Lodbroke Gardens

Notting Hill, London"