Mahatma Letter No. 81: Difference between revisions

From Theosophy Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
No edit summary
(48 intermediate revisions by 5 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
[[Category:ML from Koot Hoomi]]
[[Category:ML needs background]]
[[Category:ML needs publication history]]
[[Category:ML needs commentary]]
{{Infobox MLbox
{{Infobox MLbox
| header1 = People involved |
| header1 = People involved |
Line 11: Line 7:
| writtendate      = unknown
| writtendate      = unknown
| receiveddate      = Autumn 1882  
| receiveddate      = Autumn 1882  
| otherdate        = none
| otherdate        = unknown
| header3 = Places
| header3 = Places
| sentfrom          = unknown
| sentfrom          = unknown
| receivedat        = [[Simla, India]]   
| receivedat        = [[Simla, India]]   
| vialocation      = none
| vialocation      = unknown{{pad|9em}}
}}
}}


'''This is Letter No. 52 in Barker numbering.''' See below for [[Mahatma Letter No. 81#Context and background|Context and background]].
This is '''Letter No. 81''' in''' [[The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett (book)|''The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett'']], 4th chronological edition'''. It corresponds to '''Letter No. 52''' in '''Barker numbering.''' See below for [[Mahatma Letter No. 81#Context and background|Context and background]].
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Line 51: Line 47:
{{Col-begin|width=98%}}
{{Col-begin|width=98%}}
{{Col-break|width=55%}}
{{Col-break|width=55%}}
There is nothing "below the surface," my faithful friend — absolutely nothing. [[Allan Octavian Hume|Hume]] is simply furiously jealous of anyone who received, or is likely to receive any information, favours (?) attention, or anything of the sort, emanating from us. The word "jealous" is ridiculous, but correct unless we call it envious, which is still worse. He believes himself wronged, because he fails to become our sole centre of attraction; he attitudinises before himself and feels maddened to fury in finding no one who would admire him; writes out a Hebrew passage which means in [[Eliphas Levi|Eliphas Levi's]] book as I have rendered it, and failing to catch me in a new contradiction, for the purpose of which he went to the trouble of quoting it, he impresses himself with the illusion that he is "far more of an Adwaitee" than either [[Morya|M.]] or myself ever were (an easy thing to prove since we never were Adwaitees). And writes an abusive letter directed against our system and ourselves to the [[Helena Petrovna Blavatsky|O.L.]] by way of soothing his feelings.
There is nothing "below the surface," my faithful friend — absolutely nothing. [[Allan Octavian Hume|Hume]] is simply furiously jealous of anyone who received, or is likely to receive any information, favours (?) attention, or anything of the sort, emanating from us. The word "jealous" is ridiculous, but correct unless we call it envious, which is still worse. He believes himself wronged, because he fails to become our sole centre of attraction; he attitudinizes before himself and feels maddened to fury in finding no one who would admire him; writes out a [[Hebrew]] passage which means in [[Eliphas Levi|Eliphas Levi's]] book as I have rendered it, and failing to catch me in a new contradiction, for the purpose of which he went to the trouble of quoting it, he impresses himself with the illusion that he is "far more of an Adwaitee" than either [[Morya|M.]] or myself ever were (an easy thing to prove since we never were Adwaitees). And writes an abusive letter directed against our system and ourselves to the [[Helena Petrovna Blavatsky|O.L.]] by way of soothing his feelings.


Are you really so generous as not to have suspected long ago the whole truth? Did I not warn you; and is it possible that you should not have perceived that he will never allow even an adept to know more or better than himself!; that his was a false humility; that he is an actor, who enacts a part for his own benefit, regardless of the pleasure or displeasure of his audience though when the latter is manifested to the slightest degree, he
Are you really so generous as not to have suspected long ago the whole truth? Did I not warn you; and is it possible that you should not have perceived that he will never allow even an [[adept]] to know more or better than himself!; that his was a false humility; that he is an actor, who enacts a part for his own benefit, regardless of the pleasure or displeasure of his audience though when the latter is manifested to the slightest degree, he


{{Col-break|width=3%}}
{{Col-break|width=3%}}
Line 63: Line 59:
{{Col-break|width=30%}}
{{Col-break|width=30%}}
'''NOTES:'''
'''NOTES:'''
* '''Adwaitee''' is a believer in [[Advaita Vedanta]], a [[Dualism|nondualistic]] school of Indian thought.
* '''Adwaitee''' is a believer in [[Advaita Vedanta]], a nondualistic school of Indian thought.


{{Col-end}}
{{Col-end}}
Line 71: Line 67:
{{Col-begin|width=98%}}
{{Col-begin|width=98%}}
{{Col-break|width=55%}}
{{Col-break|width=55%}}
turns round, concealing admirably his rage and hisses and spits internally. Every time I contradict and prove him wrong, — whether in a question of Tibetan terms, or in any other trifle, the record he keeps against me swells, and he comes out with some new accusation. It is idle, my dear brother, to be always repeating that there are, nor can there be any contradictions in what was given to you. There may be inaccuracy of expression, or incompleteness of detail; but to accuse us of blundering is really too funny. I have asked you several times to make notes and to send them to me, but neither Mr. Hume nor you have thought of doing it; and indeed, I have very little time to explore back letters, compare notes, look into your heads, etc.
turns round, concealing admirably his rage and hisses and spits internally. Every time I contradict and prove him wrong, — whether in a question of [[Tibetan]] terms, or in any other trifle, the record he keeps against me swells, and he comes out with some new accusation. It is idle, my dear brother, to be always repeating that there are, nor can there be any contradictions in what was given to you. There may be inaccuracy of expression, or incompleteness of detail; but to accuse us of blundering is really too funny. I have asked you several times to make notes and to send them to me, but neither [[Allan Octavian Hume|Mr. Hume]] nor you have thought of doing it; and indeed, I have very little time to explore back letters, compare notes, look into your heads, etc.


I confess my ignorance, in one thing at any rate. I am perfectly at a loss to understand why the expression used by me with regard to H.P.B.'s answer to [[C. C. Massey|C.C.M.]] should have so shocked you; and why you should object to my "exercising my ingenuity"? If, perchance, you give it another meaning than I do, then we are again both at sea — faut de s'entendre. Put yourself for a moment in my place, and see whether you would not have to exercise all the ingenuity you had at your command, in a case like that between C.C.M. and [[Helena Petrovna Blavatsky|H.P.B.]] In reality, there is no contradiction between that passage in [[Isis Unveiled (book)|Isis]] and our later teaching; to anyone, who never heard of the
I confess my ignorance, in one thing at any rate. I am perfectly at a loss to understand why the expression used by me with regard to [[Helena Petrovna Blavatsky|H.P.B.]]'s answer to [[C. C. Massey|C.C.M.]] should have so shocked you; and why you should object to my "exercising my ingenuity"? If, perchance, you give it another meaning than I do, then we are again both at sea — faute de s'entendre. Put yourself for a moment in my place, and see whether you would not have to exercise all the ingenuity you had at your command, in a case like that between C.C.M. and H.P.B. In reality, there is no contradiction between that passage in [[Isis Unveiled (book)|Isis]] and our later teaching; to anyone, who never heard of the


{{Col-break|width=3%}}
{{Col-break|width=3%}}
Line 82: Line 78:
{{Col-break|width=30%}}
{{Col-break|width=30%}}
'''NOTES:'''
'''NOTES:'''
* '''faut de s'entendre''' means "it is necessary for us to agree".
* '''faut[e] de s'entendre''' means "for lack of agreement".


{{Col-end}}
{{Col-end}}
Line 90: Line 86:
{{Col-begin|width=98%}}
{{Col-begin|width=98%}}
{{Col-break|width=55%}}
{{Col-break|width=55%}}
[[principle|seven principles]] — constantly referred to in [[Isis Unveiled (book)|Isis]] as a trinity, without any more explanation — there certainly appeared to be as good a contradiction as could be. "You will write so and so, give so far, and no more" — she was constantly told by us, when writing her book. It was at the very beginning of a new cycle, in days when neither Christians nor [[Spiritualism|Spiritualists]] ever thought of, let alone mentioned, more than two principles in man — body and Soul, which they called Spirit. If you had time to refer to the spiritualistic literature of that day, you would find that with the phenomenalists as with the Christians, Soul and Spirit were synonymous. It was H.P.B., who, acting under the orders of [[Atrya]] (one whom you do not know) was the first to explain in the Spiritualist the difference there was between [[Psyche|psyche]] and [[Nous|nous]], [[Nefesh|nefesh]] and [[Ruach|ruach]] — Soul and Spirit. She had to bring the whole arsenal of proofs with her, quotations from Paul and [[Plato]], from Plutarch and James, etc. before the Spiritualists admitted that the theosophists were right. It was then that she was ordered to write Isis — just a year after the Society had been founded. And, as there happened such a war over it, endless polemics and objections to the effect that there could not be in man two souls — we thought it was
[[principle|seven principles]] — constantly referred to in [[Isis Unveiled (book)|Isis]] as a trinity, without any more explanation — there certainly appeared to be as good a contradiction as could be. "You will write so and so, give so far, and no more" — she was constantly told by us, when writing her book. It was at the very beginning of a new [[Law of Cycles|cycle]], in days when neither [[Christianity|Christians]] nor [[Spiritualism|Spiritualists]] ever thought of, let alone mentioned, more than two principles in man — [[Sthūla-śarīra|body]] and [[Soul]], which they called [[Spirit]]. If you had time to refer to the spiritualistic literature of that day, you would find that with the [[phenomena]]lists as with the Christians, Soul and Spirit were synonymous. It was [[Helena Petrovna Blavatsky|H.P.B.]], who, acting under the orders of [[Atrya]] (one whom you do not know) was the first to explain in the Spiritualist the difference there was between [[psyche]] and [[nous]], [[nefesh]] and [[ruach]] — Soul and Spirit. She had to bring the whole arsenal of proofs with her, quotations from Paul and [[Plato]], from Plutarch and James, etc. before the Spiritualists admitted that the [[theosophist]]s were right. It was then that she was ordered to write Isis — just a year after the [[Theosophical Society|Society]] had been founded. And, as there happened such a war over it, endless polemics and objections to the effect that there could not be in man two souls — we thought it was


{{Col-break|width=3%}}
{{Col-break|width=3%}}
Line 100: Line 96:
{{Col-break|width=30%}}
{{Col-break|width=30%}}
'''NOTES:'''
'''NOTES:'''
*
* '''Atrya''' is the name of one of the [[Masters of Wisdom|Masters]] belonging to the [[Brotherhood of Adepts#The Egyptian Brotherhood of Luxor|Egyptian Brotherhood]].


{{Col-end}}
{{Col-end}}
Line 108: Line 104:
{{Col-begin|width=98%}}
{{Col-begin|width=98%}}
{{Col-break|width=55%}}
{{Col-break|width=55%}}
premature to give the public more than they could possibly assimilate, and before they had digested the "two souls"; — and thus the further sub-division of the trinity into 7 principles was left unmentioned in Isis. And is it because she obeyed our orders, and wrote, purposely veiling some of her facts — that now, when we think the time has arrived to give most of, if not the whole truth — that she has to be left in the lurch? Would I, or any of us, ever leave her as a target for the Spiritualists to shoot at, and laugh at the contradictions when these were entirely apparent, and proceeded but from their own ignorance of the whole truth; a truth they would not listen to, nor will they accept it even now, except under protest and with the greatest reservations? Certainly not. And when I use the word "ingenuity" — that may be an American slang expression for all I know, and that I suspect has with the English another meaning — I meant neither "cunning" nor anything like a "dodge," but simply to show the difficulty I had to labour under, to explain the right meaning with an endless and clumsy paragraph before me, that insisted upon non-reincarnation without inserting one word in it to show that
premature to give the public more than they could possibly assimilate, and before they had digested the "two souls"; — and thus the further sub-division of the trinity into [[Human Constitution|7 principles]] was left unmentioned in [[Isis Unveiled (book)|Isis]]. And is it because she obeyed our orders, and wrote, purposely veiling some of her facts — that now, when we think the time has arrived to give most of, if not the whole truth — that she has to be left in the lurch? Would I, or any of us, ever leave her as a target for the [[Spiritualism|Spiritualists]] to shoot at, and laugh at the contradictions when these were entirely apparent, and proceeded but from their own ignorance of the whole truth; a truth they would not listen to, nor will they accept it even now, except under protest and with the greatest reservations? Certainly not. And when I use the word "ingenuity" — that may be an American slang expression for all I know, and that I suspect has with the English another meaning — I meant neither "cunning" nor anything like a "dodge," but simply to show the difficulty I had to labour under, to explain the right meaning with an endless and clumsy paragraph before me, that insisted upon non-[[reincarnation]] without inserting one word in it to show that


{{Col-break|width=3%}}
{{Col-break|width=3%}}
Line 126: Line 122:
{{Col-begin|width=98%}}
{{Col-begin|width=98%}}
{{Col-break|width=55%}}
{{Col-break|width=55%}}
the latter had reference but to the animal soul, not Spirit, to the astral, not the Spiritual monad.
the latter had reference but to the [[Soul#Animal soul|animal soul]], not [[Spirit]], to the astral, not the Spiritual [[monad]].


Will you kindly explain to me at the first opportunity what you mean by referring to my expression as "an unhappy phrase"? If you asked a friend to draw for the [[The Pioneer (periodical)|Pioneer]] a cow, and that friend starting with the intention of reproducing a cow would owing to his inability in drawing sketch instead an ox or a buffalo, and the engraving would so appear — perhaps, because you were crowded with other work, and had no time to perceive the short-comings — would you not "exercise your ingenuity" and try your best to set the readers right, to prove to them that in truth a cow was meant by the artist: and confessing your friend's inability, do whatever you could, at the same time, to screen him from unmerited humiliation? Yes, you are right. H. has neither delicacy of perception and feeling, nor any real, genuine kindness of heart. He is one to sacrifice his own family, those nearest and dearest to him (if there are such for him, something I doubt) — for any whim of his own; and he would be the first to allow a hecatomb of victims if he needed one drop of blood; to insist upon the advisability of Sutee if it were the only thing that would keep him warm, help his benumbed fingers to do their work, and he diligently writing a treatise upon some philanthropic subject during that time and sing sincerely "Hosanna" to himself in his own thought. Exaggeration, you think? Not so; for you have no conception of
Will you kindly explain to me at the first opportunity what you mean by referring to my expression as "an unhappy phrase"? If you asked a friend to draw for the [[The Pioneer (periodical)|Pioneer]] a cow, and that friend starting with the intention of reproducing a cow would owing to his inability in drawing sketch instead an ox or a buffalo, and the engraving would so appear — perhaps, because you were crowded with other work, and had no time to perceive the short-comings — would you not "exercise your ingenuity" and try your best to set the readers right, to prove to them that in truth a cow was meant by the artist: and confessing your friend's inability, do whatever you could, at the same time, to screen him from unmerited humiliation? Yes, you are right. [[Allan Octavian Hume|H.]] has neither delicacy of perception and feeling, nor any real, genuine kindness of heart. He is one to sacrifice his own family, those nearest and dearest to him (if there are such for him, something I doubt) — for any whim of his own; and he would be the first to allow a hecatomb of victims if he needed one drop of blood; to insist upon the advisability of Sutee if it were the only thing that would keep him warm, help his benumbed fingers to do their work, and he diligently writing a treatise upon some philanthropic subject during that time and sing sincerely "Hosanna" to himself in his own thought. Exaggeration, you think? Not so; for you have no conception of


{{Col-break|width=3%}}
{{Col-break|width=3%}}
Line 145: Line 141:
{{Col-begin|width=98%}}
{{Col-begin|width=98%}}
{{Col-break|width=55%}}
{{Col-break|width=55%}}
the potential selfishness there is in him; of the cruel, remorseless egotism he brought back with him from his last incarnation — a selfishness and egotism which remained latent only owing to the uncongenial soil of the sphere he is in, of his social status and education — and we have. Can you believe he wrote his famous article in the [[The Theosophist (periodical)|Theosophist]] simply for the reason he gives you — to help breaking the unavoidable fall? to save the situation, and by answering Davidson and C.C.M., etc. to make the work — of answering in the future and reconciling the contradictions in the past — easier? Not at all. If, he sacrifices in it remorselessly H.P.B., and the author of the Review of the "Perfect Way," and shows the "Brothers" as inferior in intelligence to the "educated European gentlemen," and devoid of any correct notions about honesty or right and wrong — in the European sense — selfish and cold, stubborn and domineering — it is not at all because he cares one button for either of you, least of all for the Society; but simply because in view of certain possible events, that he is too highly intelligent not to have fore-shadowed in his mind — he wants to screen himself; to be the only one to come out unscarred if not immaculate in case of a crush, and to dance, if need be, the "death dance" of the Maccabreans over the prostrate body of the T.S. rather than risk one little finger of the great Simla "I am" to be sneered at. Knowing him as we do, we say that Mr. Hume is at perfect liberty to quote the "unhappy phrase" as many times a day as his breath will allow him to, if it can in any way soothe his ruffled feelings. And, it is just because Morya saw through him as plainly as I see my
the potential selfishness there is in him; of the cruel, remorseless egotism he brought back with him from his last incarnation — a selfishness and egotism which remained latent only owing to the uncongenial soil of the sphere he is in, of his social status and education — and we have. Can you believe he wrote his famous article in the [[The Theosophist (periodical)|Theosophist]] simply for the reason he gives you — to help breaking the unavoidable fall? to save the situation, and by answering Davidson and [[C. C. Massey|C.C.M.]], etc. to make the work — of answering in the future and reconciling the contradictions in the past — easier? Not at all. If, he sacrifices in it remorselessly [[Helena Petrovna Blavatsky|H.P.B.]], and the author of the Review of the [[The Perfect Way (book)|"Perfect Way"]], and shows the [[Masters of Wisdom|"Brothers"]] as inferior in intelligence to the "educated European gentlemen," and devoid of any correct notions about honesty or right and wrong — in the European sense — selfish and cold, stubborn and domineering — it is not at all because he cares one button for either of you, least of all for the [[Theosophical Society|Society]]; but simply because in view of certain possible events, that he is too highly intelligent not to have fore-shadowed in his mind — he wants to screen himself; to be the only one to come out unscarred if not immaculate in case of a crush, and to dance, if need be, the "death dance" of the Maccabreans over the prostrate body of the T.S. rather than risk one little finger of [[Allan Octavian Hume|the great Simla "I am"]] to be sneered at. Knowing him as we do, we say that Mr. Hume is at perfect liberty to quote the "unhappy phrase" as many times a day as his breath will allow him to, if it can in any way soothe his ruffled feelings. And, it is just because [[Morya]] saw through him as plainly as I see my


{{Col-break|width=3%}}
{{Col-break|width=3%}}
Line 154: Line 150:
{{Col-break|width=30%}}
{{Col-break|width=30%}}
'''NOTES:'''
'''NOTES:'''
* '''his famous article in The Theosophist''' refers to the article ''"C.C.M." and "Isis Unveiled"'' published in [[The Theosophist (periodical)|''The Theosophist'']] in Sept., 1882, pp. 324-326. Click [http://books.google.com/books?id=HonldmjaWK0C&pg=PA324&lpg=PA324&dq=%22C.C.M.+and+Isis+Unveiled%22+The+Theosophist&source=bl&ots=Cot2WJh2rd&sig=u9f7GRyUxcrjDRjsWzHSMwDZkPc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=lntMUYi_B8rN2QW304H4CA&ved=0CEkQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=%22C.C.M.%20and%20Isis%20Unveiled%22%20The%20Theosophist&f=false# here] to read the article.
* '''Davidson''' refers to an ornithologist who worked for [[Allan Octavian Hume|A. O. Hume]] as a private secretary.
* '''Davidson''' refers to an ornithologist who worked for [[Allan Octavian Hume|A. O. Hume]] as a private secretary.
* '''''The Perfect Way''''' was written by [[Anna Bonus Kingsford]] and [[Edward Maitland]].
* '''the Review of the The Perfect Way''' was anonymously published in two installments in ''The Theosophist'', in May and June 1882. (Sinnett was its real author; see Letter No. 63).
* '''"death dance" of the Maccabreans''' refers to the Danse Macabre or Dance of Death, a medieval allegory on the universality of death.


{{Col-end}}
{{Col-end}}
Line 163: Line 161:
{{Col-begin|width=98%}}
{{Col-begin|width=98%}}
{{Col-break|width=55%}}
{{Col-break|width=55%}}
writing before me, that he allowed the "sell" as you call it. Nay more; for the things are so prepared, that in the case the "Eclectic" has to sink, — he will be the only one to go down with it; the only one laughed at, and thus his selfishness and carefully prepared plans will prove of no avail. Believing he knew better than I did, he was kind and considerate enough to add his explanations to mine in H.P.B.'s answer to C.C.M — and with the exception of Karma — that he explained correctly enough — made a mess of the rest. And now, the first time I contradict what he says in his article, he will turn round in fury and express his disgust at what he will call my (not his) contradictions. I am sorry to have to — what will appear to you — denounce him. But I must draw your attention to the fact, that nine times out of ten, when he accuses me of having entirely misconceived his meaning — he says, what anyone has a right to regard as a deliberate falsehood. The instance of [[Eliphas Levi|E. Levi's]] ["I am that I am" (1)] — is a good instance. In order to prove me at fault, he had to become an Adwaitee and deny his "moral Governor and Ruler of the Universe," by throwing him overboard "for the last 20 years." This is not honest, my friend, and I do not see any help for it. For who can prove — when he says that the arguments embodied in his letters to me were not the expressions of his own personal belief and opinions, but brought forward simply to answer the probable objections of a theistic public — that it is no better than cheating? With such an intellectual acrobat, ever ready to perform the "grand trapeze" whether in reference to what he states verbally, or — puts on paper even we have to appear beaten. For the latter we care very little
writing before me, that he allowed the "sell" as you call it. Nay more; for the things are so prepared, that in the case the [[Simla Eclectic Theosophical Society|"Eclectic"]] has to sink, — he will be the only one to go down with it; the only one laughed at, and thus his selfishness and carefully prepared plans will prove of no avail. Believing he knew better than I did, he was kind and considerate enough to add his explanations to mine in [[Helena Petrovna Blavatsky|H.P.B.]]'s answer to [[C. C. Massey|C.C.M]] — and with the exception of [[Karma]] — that he explained correctly enough — made a mess of the rest. And now, the first time I contradict what he says in his article, he will turn round in fury and express his disgust at what he will call my (not his) contradictions. I am sorry to have to — what will appear to you — denounce him. But I must draw your attention to the fact, that nine times out of ten, when he accuses me of having entirely misconceived his meaning — he says, what anyone has a right to regard as a deliberate falsehood. The instance of [[Eliphas Levi|E. Levi's]] אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה — is a good instance. In order to prove me at fault, he had to become an [[Advaita Vedanta|Adwaitee]] and deny his "moral Governor and Ruler of the Universe," by throwing him overboard "for the last 20 years." This is not honest, my friend, and I do not see any help for it. For who can prove — when he says that the arguments embodied in his letters to me were not the expressions of his own personal belief and opinions, but brought forward simply to answer the probable objections of a theistic public — that it is no better than cheating? With such an intellectual acrobat, ever ready to perform the "grand trapeze" whether in reference to what he states verbally, or — puts on paper even we have to appear beaten. For the latter we care very little
{{Col-break|width=3%}}
{{Col-break|width=3%}}


Line 171: Line 169:
{{Col-break|width=30%}}
{{Col-break|width=30%}}
'''NOTES:'''
'''NOTES:'''
*
* '''אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה''' is the Hebrew for the phrase "I am that I am".
* '''grand trapèze''' is a highly dangerous figure performed in circus where acrobats are flying from one moving trapeze to another one, with no safety net.


{{Col-end}}
{{Col-end}}
Line 179: Line 178:
{{Col-begin|width=98%}}
{{Col-begin|width=98%}}
{{Col-break|width=55%}}
{{Col-break|width=55%}}
personally. But then he is ever ready to crow victory in his private letters, and even in print. He is willing that we should exist — he is too clever to risk at this hour being caught in a want of sagacity, since he knows through correspondents who are dead against the [[Founders|"Founders"]] of the actual existence of our Brotherhood — but, he will never submit to the recognition of such powers or knowledge in us, as would render his unasked advice and interference as ridiculous as they are useless; — and he works on that line.
personally. But then he is ever ready to crow victory in his private letters, and even in print. He is willing that we should exist — he is too clever to risk at this hour being caught in a want of sagacity, since he knows through correspondents who are dead against [[Founders#The Founders|the "Founders"]] of the actual existence of our [[Brotherhood of Adepts|Brotherhood]] — but, he will never submit to the recognition of such powers or knowledge in us, as would render his unasked advice and interference as ridiculous as they are useless; — and he works on that line.


I had no right to suppress the "offensive" article — as you call it, for several reasons. Having allowed our name to be connected with the T.S. and ourselves dragged into publicity, we have to suffer (the verb, a simple figure of speech if you please) — as [[Henry Steel Olcott|Olcott]] would put it "the penalty of our greatness." We must permit the expression of every opinion whether benevolent or malevolent; to feel ourselves picked to pieces — one day; "preached" — on the following, worshipped — on the next; and — trampled down in the mud — on the fourth. Reason No. 2 — the [[Maha Chohan|Chohan]] has so ordained it. And with him this means fresh developments, unexpected results, and DANGER, I am afraid. The two names that you find heading the signatures of the 12 chelas who protest, belong to the confidential chelas of the Chohan himself. In this direction there is no more hope for Mr. Hume — consummatum est. He has overdone the thing, and, I will never have any more opportunities of pronouncing his name before our venerable chief. On the other hand, the denunciation has done good. The Chohan gave orders that the young Tyotirmoy — a lad of 14, the son of [[Babu Nobin Bannerjee|Babu Nobin]]
I had no right to suppress the "offensive" article — as you call it, for several reasons. Having allowed our name to be connected with the [[Theosophical Society|T.S.]] and ourselves dragged into publicity, we have to suffer (the verb, a simple figure of speech if you please) — as [[Henry Steel Olcott|Olcott]] would put it "the penalty of our greatness." We must permit the expression of every opinion whether benevolent or malevolent; to feel ourselves picked to pieces — one day; "preached" — on the following, worshipped — on the next; and — trampled down in the mud — on the fourth. Reason No. 2 — the [[Maha Chohan|Chohan]] has so ordained it. And with him this means fresh developments, unexpected results, and DANGER, I am afraid. The two names that you find heading the signatures of the 12 [[chela]]s who protest, belong to the confidential chelas of the Chohan himself. In this direction there is no more hope for [[Allan Octavian Hume|Mr. Hume]] ''consummatum est''. He has overdone the thing, and, I will never have any more opportunities of pronouncing his name before our venerable chief. On the other hand, the denunciation has done good. The Chohan gave orders that the young Tyotirmoy — a lad of 14, the son of [[Nobin K. Banerjee|Babu Nobin]]


{{Col-break|width=3%}}
{{Col-break|width=3%}}
Line 191: Line 190:
{{Col-break|width=30%}}
{{Col-break|width=30%}}
'''NOTES:'''
'''NOTES:'''
*
* '''The two names''' in the "Protest"<ref>See [http://www.katinkahesselink.net/blavatsky/articles/v4/y1882_102.htm# "A Protest"] for a reproduction of this document.</ref> to [[Allan Octavian Hume|Mr. Hume]]'s article (published in [[The Theosophist (periodical)|''The Theosophist'']] in Sept., 1882, p. 326) are "Deva Muni" and "Paramahansa Shub-Tung". The ten other chelas, all members of the [[Theosophical Society]], were [[T. Subba Row]], [[Dharbagiri Nath]], [[S. Ramaswamier]], [[Gwala K. Deb|Guala K. Deb]], [[Nobin K. Banerjee]], [[T. T. Gurudas]], [[Bhola Deva Sarma]], [[S. T. Krishnama Charya|S. T. K.....chary]], [[Gargya Deva]], and [[Damodar K. Mavalankar]].
* '''consummatum est''' is Latin for "It is finished." Jesus Christ is quoted as saying this phrase when he was dying upon the cross.


{{Col-end}}
{{Col-end}}
Line 199: Line 199:
{{Col-begin|width=98%}}
{{Col-begin|width=98%}}
{{Col-break|width=55%}}
{{Col-break|width=55%}}
Banerjee whom you know — should be accepted as a pupil in one of our lamaseries near Chamto-Dong about 100 miles off Tchigadze, and his sister, a virgin Yoginn of 18, at the female monastery of Palli. Thus, the [[Founders]] will have two witnesses in good time, and will not depend upon the caprice of Mr. Hume to kill and resurrect us at pleasure. As to proving whether we do, or do not know more of the mysteries of nature than your men of Science and your theologians do, it rests with you and those you will select to help you in the important task.
[[Nobin K. Banerjee|Banerjee]] whom you know — should be accepted as a [[chela|pupil]] in one of our lamaseries near Chamto-Dong about 100 miles off Tchigadze, and his sister, a virgin Yogini of 18, at the female monastery of Palli. Thus, [[Founders#The Founders|the Founders]] will have two witnesses in good time, and will not depend upon the caprice of [[Allan Octavian Hume|Mr. Hume]] to kill and resurrect us at pleasure. As to proving whether we do, or do not know more of the mysteries of nature than your men of Science and your theologians do, it rests with you and those you will select to help you in the important task.


I hope, my dear friend, that you will undertake to impress upon Mr. Hume the following facts: — Though the work done by him for the Society would become ultimately most important, and that it might have borne the most useful fruits, yet his denunciatory article has nigh upset the labour done by him. People will now regard him more than ever a lunatic — Hindu members will blame him for years, and our chelas can never be made to look upon him but in the light of a iconoclast, a haughty intruder, incapable of any gratitude, hence — unfit to be one of them. This you must give out as your personal opinion — of course not unless it meets your own views, and may be given as the expression of your real feelings in the matter — for I, personally am ordered not to break with him until the day of the crisis comes. If he desires to retain his official position in the [[Simla Eclectic Theosophical Society|Eclectic]], help
I hope, my dear friend, that you will undertake to impress upon Mr. Hume the following fact: though the work done by him for the [[Theosophical Society|Society]] would become ultimately most important, and that it might have borne the most useful fruits, yet his denunciatory article has nigh upset the labour done by him. People will now regard him more than ever a lunatic — [[Hinduism|Hindu]] members will blame him for years, and our chelas can never be made to look upon him but in the light of a iconoclast, a haughty intruder, incapable of any gratitude, hence — unfit to be one of them. This you must give out as your personal opinion — of course not unless it meets your own views, and may be given as the expression of your real feelings in the matter — for I, personally am ordered not to break with him until the day of the crisis comes. If he desires to retain his official position in the [[Simla Eclectic Theosophical Society|Eclectic]], help


{{Col-break|width=3%}}
{{Col-break|width=3%}}
Line 210: Line 210:
{{Col-break|width=30%}}
{{Col-break|width=30%}}
'''NOTES:'''
'''NOTES:'''
*
* '''Tchigadze''' (officially Xigazê, also spelled Shigatse) is the second largest city in the Tibet.
* '''Yogini''' is a female practitioner of yoga.
* '''his denunciatory article'''; see note on [[Mahatma Letter No. 81#Page 6|Page 6]]


{{Col-end}}
{{Col-end}}
Line 218: Line 220:
{{Col-begin|width=98%}}
{{Col-begin|width=98%}}
{{Col-break|width=55%}}
{{Col-break|width=55%}}
him to do so. If not, I beg you most urgently to accept the position of President yourself. But I leave all this to your tact and discretion. Let him also know that the Protest of the Chelas is no work of ours, but the result of a positive order emanating from the Chohan. The Protest was received at the Headquarters, two hours before the postman brought the famous article, and telegrams were received from several chelas in India on the same day. Together with the foot-note sent by [[Djual Khool|Djual Khoul]] to be appended to [[William Oxley|W. Oxley's]] article the [[The Theosophist (periodical)|September Number]] is calculated to create a certain sensation among the mystics of England and America not only among our Hindus. The "Brothers" question is kept up pretty alive, and may bear its fruit. Mr. Hume's graphic pen spurts under the mask of philanthropy, the bitterest gall, assailing us with weapons which for being represented or rather imagined as lawful and legitimate, and used for the most honest of purposes — wield by turns ridicule and abuse. And, yet he has so preserved the semblance of a sincere belief in our knowledge, that we are more than likely to be thenceforth remembered as he has painted us, and not as in reality we are. What I once said of him, I maintain. He may, outwardly, sometimes sincerely forgive, he can never forget. He is that which Johnson is said to have much admired, "a good hater."
him to do so. If not, I beg you most urgently to accept the position of President yourself. But I leave all this to your tact and discretion. Let him also know that the Protest of the [[Chela]]s is no work of ours, but the result of a positive order emanating from the [[Chohan]]. The Protest was received at the Headquarters, two hours before the postman brought the famous article, and telegrams were received from several chelas in India on the same day. Together with the foot-note sent by [[Djual Khool|Djual Khoul]] to be appended to [[William Oxley|W. Oxley's]] article the [[The Theosophist (periodical)|September Number]] is calculated to create a certain sensation among the mystics of England and America not only among our Hindus. The [[Masters of Wisdom|"Brothers"]] question is kept up pretty alive, and may bear its fruit. [[Allan Octavian Hume|Mr. Hume]]'s graphic pen spurts under the mask of philanthropy, the bitterest gall, assailing us with weapons which for being represented or rather imagined as lawful and legitimate, and used for the most honest of purposes — wield by turns ridicule and abuse. And, yet he has so preserved the semblance of a sincere belief in our knowledge, that we are more than likely to be thenceforth remembered as he has painted us, and not as in reality we are. What I once said of him, I maintain. He may, outwardly, sometimes sincerely forgive, he can never forget. He is that which Johnson is said to have much admired, "a good hater."


Oh, my friend, with all your faults, and your rather too lively past, how much, how immeasureably much higher you stand in our sight than our "I am," with all his high "splendid mental capacity," and outwardly pathetic nature concealing the inward
Oh, my friend, with all your faults, and your rather too lively past, how much, how immeasureably much higher you stand in our sight than our "I am," with all his high "splendid mental capacity," and outwardly pathetic nature concealing the inward
Line 229: Line 231:
{{Col-break|width=30%}}
{{Col-break|width=30%}}
'''NOTES:'''
'''NOTES:'''
*
* '''the Protest of the Chelas'''; see note on [[Mahatma Letter No. 81#Page 8|Page 8]]


{{Col-end}}
{{Col-end}}
Line 239: Line 241:
absence of anything like real feeling and heart!
absence of anything like real feeling and heart!


M. wants me to tell you that he refuses most decidedly to take any precaution of the nature you suggest. He despises H. thoroughly; yet in a case of any real danger would be the first to protect him for the pains and labour given by him for the T.S. He says that in case H. comes to know of his ridiculous blunder, he will be ready to prove to others the existence of occult powers, but will not leave H. one leg to stand upon. His punishment must be allowed to be complete or else it will have no effect upon him, and he will only retaliate upon innocent victims. H. has shown us to the world as dishonest and lying, before he ever had one single undeniable proof that we were that, and that he was justified in his denunciation by even an appearance, a semblance of dishonesty. If H. chooses to-morrow to represent us as murderers M. will try to raise a maya to make the words good, and then destroy it, and show him a calumniator. I am afraid he is right, from the standpoint of our rules and customs. They are anti-European, I confess. With the exception of the telegram, M. never wrote Fern but one letter, the five or six other letters in his handwriting emanating from the Dugpa who has charge of [[Edmond W. Fern|Fern]]. He hopes that you will not spoil his work, and that you will ever remain a loyal and true friend to him, as he will be one to you. Fern will never repeat any experiment a la napkin, for the simple reason that he will be trusted with no more letters.
[[Morya|M.]] wants me to tell you that he refuses most decidedly to take any precaution of the nature you suggest. He despises [[[[Allan Octavian Hume|H.]] thoroughly; yet in a case of any real danger would be the first to protect him for the pains and labour given by him for the [[Theosophical Society|T.S.]] He says that in case H. comes to know of his ridiculous blunder, he will be ready to prove to others the existence of [[Siddhis|occult powers]], but will not leave H. one leg to stand upon. His punishment must be allowed to be complete or else it will have no effect upon him, and he will only retaliate upon innocent victims. H. has shown us to the world as dishonest and lying, before he ever had one single undeniable proof that we were that, and that he was justified in his denunciation by even an appearance, a semblance of dishonesty. If H. chooses to-morrow to represent us as murderers M. will try to raise a [[Māyā|maya]] to make the words good, and then destroy it, and show him a calumniator. I am afraid he is right, from the standpoint of our rules and customs. They are anti-European, I confess. With the exception of the telegram, M. never wrote [[Edmond W. Fern|Fern]] but one letter, the five or six other letters in his handwriting emanating from the [[Dugpa]] who has charge of Fern. He hopes that you will not spoil his work, and that you will ever remain a loyal and true friend to him, as he will be one to you. Fern will never repeat any experiment a la napkin, for the simple reason that he will be trusted with no more letters.


{{Col-break|width=3%}}
{{Col-break|width=3%}}
Line 248: Line 250:
{{Col-break|width=30%}}
{{Col-break|width=30%}}
'''NOTES:'''
'''NOTES:'''
*
* '''maya''' refers to illusion.


{{Col-end}}
{{Col-end}}
Line 256: Line 258:
{{Col-begin|width=98%}}
{{Col-begin|width=98%}}
{{Col-break|width=55%}}
{{Col-break|width=55%}}
I have received a letter from [[Colonel Chesney]] and will answer it in a few days with a young chela who will deliver it to your care with my respectful greeting. Do not frighten the boy. He is ordered to answer all the questions he can answer, but no more. From Simla he will proceed to Budda Guya [these two words are not clearly decipherable. — ED.] and Bombay, on business, and will be back home about November.
I have received a letter from [[Colonel Chesney]] and will answer it in a few days with a young [[chela]] who will deliver it to your care with my respectful greeting. Do not frighten the boy. He is ordered to answer all the questions he can answer, but no more. From Simla he will proceed to Budda Guya and Bombay, on business, and will be back home about November.


With sincere friendship,
With sincere friendship,
Line 262: Line 264:
Yours,
Yours,


K. H.
[[Koot Hoomi|K. H.]]


{{Col-break|width=3%}}
{{Col-break|width=3%}}
Line 271: Line 273:
{{Col-break|width=30%}}
{{Col-break|width=30%}}
'''NOTES:'''
'''NOTES:'''
*
* '''Budda Guya'''. Although these two words are not clearly decipherable, they seem to refer to Bodh Gaya, the site of the Buddha's enlightenment.


{{Col-end}}
{{Col-end}}
== Context and background ==
== Context and background ==


Line 292: Line 295:
== Notes ==
== Notes ==
<references/>
<references/>
<br>


== Additional resources ==
[[Category:ML from Koot Hoomi]]
[[Category:ML needs background]]
[[Category:ML needs publication history]]
[[Category:ML needs commentary]]

Revision as of 15:42, 17 December 2019

Quick Facts
People involved
Written by: Koot Hoomi
Received by: A. P. Sinnett
Sent via: unknown
Dates
Written on: unknown
Received on: Autumn 1882
Other dates: unknown
Places
Sent from: unknown
Received at: Simla, India
Via: unknown 

This is Letter No. 81 in The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett, 4th chronological edition. It corresponds to Letter No. 52 in Barker numbering. See below for Context and background.

< Prev letter chrono  Next letter chrono >  
< Prev letter Barker  Next letter Barker >

Cover sheet

Received Simla, Autumn, 1882.


81-0_Cover_sheet_6753_thm.jpg

NOTES:

Page 1 transcription, image, and notes

There is nothing "below the surface," my faithful friend — absolutely nothing. Hume is simply furiously jealous of anyone who received, or is likely to receive any information, favours (?) attention, or anything of the sort, emanating from us. The word "jealous" is ridiculous, but correct unless we call it envious, which is still worse. He believes himself wronged, because he fails to become our sole centre of attraction; he attitudinizes before himself and feels maddened to fury in finding no one who would admire him; writes out a Hebrew passage which means in Eliphas Levi's book as I have rendered it, and failing to catch me in a new contradiction, for the purpose of which he went to the trouble of quoting it, he impresses himself with the illusion that he is "far more of an Adwaitee" than either M. or myself ever were (an easy thing to prove since we never were Adwaitees). And writes an abusive letter directed against our system and ourselves to the O.L. by way of soothing his feelings.

Are you really so generous as not to have suspected long ago the whole truth? Did I not warn you; and is it possible that you should not have perceived that he will never allow even an adept to know more or better than himself!; that his was a false humility; that he is an actor, who enacts a part for his own benefit, regardless of the pleasure or displeasure of his audience though when the latter is manifested to the slightest degree, he

81-1_6754_thm.jpg


NOTES:

  • Adwaitee is a believer in Advaita Vedanta, a nondualistic school of Indian thought.

Page 2

turns round, concealing admirably his rage and hisses and spits internally. Every time I contradict and prove him wrong, — whether in a question of Tibetan terms, or in any other trifle, the record he keeps against me swells, and he comes out with some new accusation. It is idle, my dear brother, to be always repeating that there are, nor can there be any contradictions in what was given to you. There may be inaccuracy of expression, or incompleteness of detail; but to accuse us of blundering is really too funny. I have asked you several times to make notes and to send them to me, but neither Mr. Hume nor you have thought of doing it; and indeed, I have very little time to explore back letters, compare notes, look into your heads, etc.

I confess my ignorance, in one thing at any rate. I am perfectly at a loss to understand why the expression used by me with regard to H.P.B.'s answer to C.C.M. should have so shocked you; and why you should object to my "exercising my ingenuity"? If, perchance, you give it another meaning than I do, then we are again both at sea — faute de s'entendre. Put yourself for a moment in my place, and see whether you would not have to exercise all the ingenuity you had at your command, in a case like that between C.C.M. and H.P.B. In reality, there is no contradiction between that passage in Isis and our later teaching; to anyone, who never heard of the

81-2_6755_thm.jpg

NOTES:

  • faut[e] de s'entendre means "for lack of agreement".

Page 3

seven principles — constantly referred to in Isis as a trinity, without any more explanation — there certainly appeared to be as good a contradiction as could be. "You will write so and so, give so far, and no more" — she was constantly told by us, when writing her book. It was at the very beginning of a new cycle, in days when neither Christians nor Spiritualists ever thought of, let alone mentioned, more than two principles in man — body and Soul, which they called Spirit. If you had time to refer to the spiritualistic literature of that day, you would find that with the phenomenalists as with the Christians, Soul and Spirit were synonymous. It was H.P.B., who, acting under the orders of Atrya (one whom you do not know) was the first to explain in the Spiritualist the difference there was between psyche and nous, nefesh and ruach — Soul and Spirit. She had to bring the whole arsenal of proofs with her, quotations from Paul and Plato, from Plutarch and James, etc. before the Spiritualists admitted that the theosophists were right. It was then that she was ordered to write Isis — just a year after the Society had been founded. And, as there happened such a war over it, endless polemics and objections to the effect that there could not be in man two souls — we thought it was

81-3_6756_thm.jpg


NOTES:

Page 4

premature to give the public more than they could possibly assimilate, and before they had digested the "two souls"; — and thus the further sub-division of the trinity into 7 principles was left unmentioned in Isis. And is it because she obeyed our orders, and wrote, purposely veiling some of her facts — that now, when we think the time has arrived to give most of, if not the whole truth — that she has to be left in the lurch? Would I, or any of us, ever leave her as a target for the Spiritualists to shoot at, and laugh at the contradictions when these were entirely apparent, and proceeded but from their own ignorance of the whole truth; a truth they would not listen to, nor will they accept it even now, except under protest and with the greatest reservations? Certainly not. And when I use the word "ingenuity" — that may be an American slang expression for all I know, and that I suspect has with the English another meaning — I meant neither "cunning" nor anything like a "dodge," but simply to show the difficulty I had to labour under, to explain the right meaning with an endless and clumsy paragraph before me, that insisted upon non-reincarnation without inserting one word in it to show that

81-4_6757_thm.jpg


NOTES:

Page 5

the latter had reference but to the animal soul, not Spirit, to the astral, not the Spiritual monad.

Will you kindly explain to me at the first opportunity what you mean by referring to my expression as "an unhappy phrase"? If you asked a friend to draw for the Pioneer a cow, and that friend starting with the intention of reproducing a cow would owing to his inability in drawing sketch instead an ox or a buffalo, and the engraving would so appear — perhaps, because you were crowded with other work, and had no time to perceive the short-comings — would you not "exercise your ingenuity" and try your best to set the readers right, to prove to them that in truth a cow was meant by the artist: and confessing your friend's inability, do whatever you could, at the same time, to screen him from unmerited humiliation? Yes, you are right. H. has neither delicacy of perception and feeling, nor any real, genuine kindness of heart. He is one to sacrifice his own family, those nearest and dearest to him (if there are such for him, something I doubt) — for any whim of his own; and he would be the first to allow a hecatomb of victims if he needed one drop of blood; to insist upon the advisability of Sutee if it were the only thing that would keep him warm, help his benumbed fingers to do their work, and he diligently writing a treatise upon some philanthropic subject during that time and sing sincerely "Hosanna" to himself in his own thought. Exaggeration, you think? Not so; for you have no conception of

81-5_6758_thm.jpg

NOTES:

  • Sutee or suttee is the Hindu practice of a widow sacrificing herself by burning alive in her husband's funeral pyre.

Page 6

the potential selfishness there is in him; of the cruel, remorseless egotism he brought back with him from his last incarnation — a selfishness and egotism which remained latent only owing to the uncongenial soil of the sphere he is in, of his social status and education — and we have. Can you believe he wrote his famous article in the Theosophist simply for the reason he gives you — to help breaking the unavoidable fall? to save the situation, and by answering Davidson and C.C.M., etc. to make the work — of answering in the future and reconciling the contradictions in the past — easier? Not at all. If, he sacrifices in it remorselessly H.P.B., and the author of the Review of the "Perfect Way", and shows the "Brothers" as inferior in intelligence to the "educated European gentlemen," and devoid of any correct notions about honesty or right and wrong — in the European sense — selfish and cold, stubborn and domineering — it is not at all because he cares one button for either of you, least of all for the Society; but simply because in view of certain possible events, that he is too highly intelligent not to have fore-shadowed in his mind — he wants to screen himself; to be the only one to come out unscarred if not immaculate in case of a crush, and to dance, if need be, the "death dance" of the Maccabreans over the prostrate body of the T.S. rather than risk one little finger of the great Simla "I am" to be sneered at. Knowing him as we do, we say that Mr. Hume is at perfect liberty to quote the "unhappy phrase" as many times a day as his breath will allow him to, if it can in any way soothe his ruffled feelings. And, it is just because Morya saw through him as plainly as I see my

81-6_6759_thm.jpg

NOTES:

  • his famous article in The Theosophist refers to the article "C.C.M." and "Isis Unveiled" published in The Theosophist in Sept., 1882, pp. 324-326. Click here to read the article.
  • Davidson refers to an ornithologist who worked for A. O. Hume as a private secretary.
  • the Review of the The Perfect Way was anonymously published in two installments in The Theosophist, in May and June 1882. (Sinnett was its real author; see Letter No. 63).
  • "death dance" of the Maccabreans refers to the Danse Macabre or Dance of Death, a medieval allegory on the universality of death.

Page 7

writing before me, that he allowed the "sell" as you call it. Nay more; for the things are so prepared, that in the case the "Eclectic" has to sink, — he will be the only one to go down with it; the only one laughed at, and thus his selfishness and carefully prepared plans will prove of no avail. Believing he knew better than I did, he was kind and considerate enough to add his explanations to mine in H.P.B.'s answer to C.C.M — and with the exception of Karma — that he explained correctly enough — made a mess of the rest. And now, the first time I contradict what he says in his article, he will turn round in fury and express his disgust at what he will call my (not his) contradictions. I am sorry to have to — what will appear to you — denounce him. But I must draw your attention to the fact, that nine times out of ten, when he accuses me of having entirely misconceived his meaning — he says, what anyone has a right to regard as a deliberate falsehood. The instance of E. Levi's אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה — is a good instance. In order to prove me at fault, he had to become an Adwaitee and deny his "moral Governor and Ruler of the Universe," by throwing him overboard "for the last 20 years." This is not honest, my friend, and I do not see any help for it. For who can prove — when he says that the arguments embodied in his letters to me were not the expressions of his own personal belief and opinions, but brought forward simply to answer the probable objections of a theistic public — that it is no better than cheating? With such an intellectual acrobat, ever ready to perform the "grand trapeze" whether in reference to what he states verbally, or — puts on paper even we have to appear beaten. For the latter we care very little

81-7_6760_thm.jpg

NOTES:

  • אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה is the Hebrew for the phrase "I am that I am".
  • grand trapèze is a highly dangerous figure performed in circus where acrobats are flying from one moving trapeze to another one, with no safety net.

Page 8

personally. But then he is ever ready to crow victory in his private letters, and even in print. He is willing that we should exist — he is too clever to risk at this hour being caught in a want of sagacity, since he knows through correspondents who are dead against the "Founders" of the actual existence of our Brotherhood — but, he will never submit to the recognition of such powers or knowledge in us, as would render his unasked advice and interference as ridiculous as they are useless; — and he works on that line.

I had no right to suppress the "offensive" article — as you call it, for several reasons. Having allowed our name to be connected with the T.S. and ourselves dragged into publicity, we have to suffer (the verb, a simple figure of speech if you please) — as Olcott would put it "the penalty of our greatness." We must permit the expression of every opinion whether benevolent or malevolent; to feel ourselves picked to pieces — one day; "preached" — on the following, worshipped — on the next; and — trampled down in the mud — on the fourth. Reason No. 2 — the Chohan has so ordained it. And with him this means fresh developments, unexpected results, and DANGER, I am afraid. The two names that you find heading the signatures of the 12 chelas who protest, belong to the confidential chelas of the Chohan himself. In this direction there is no more hope for Mr. Humeconsummatum est. He has overdone the thing, and, I will never have any more opportunities of pronouncing his name before our venerable chief. On the other hand, the denunciation has done good. The Chohan gave orders that the young Tyotirmoy — a lad of 14, the son of Babu Nobin

81-8_6761_thm.jpg


NOTES:

Page 9

Banerjee whom you know — should be accepted as a pupil in one of our lamaseries near Chamto-Dong about 100 miles off Tchigadze, and his sister, a virgin Yogini of 18, at the female monastery of Palli. Thus, the Founders will have two witnesses in good time, and will not depend upon the caprice of Mr. Hume to kill and resurrect us at pleasure. As to proving whether we do, or do not know more of the mysteries of nature than your men of Science and your theologians do, it rests with you and those you will select to help you in the important task.

I hope, my dear friend, that you will undertake to impress upon Mr. Hume the following fact: though the work done by him for the Society would become ultimately most important, and that it might have borne the most useful fruits, yet his denunciatory article has nigh upset the labour done by him. People will now regard him more than ever a lunatic — Hindu members will blame him for years, and our chelas can never be made to look upon him but in the light of a iconoclast, a haughty intruder, incapable of any gratitude, hence — unfit to be one of them. This you must give out as your personal opinion — of course not unless it meets your own views, and may be given as the expression of your real feelings in the matter — for I, personally am ordered not to break with him until the day of the crisis comes. If he desires to retain his official position in the Eclectic, help

81-9_6762_thm.jpg

NOTES:

  • Tchigadze (officially Xigazê, also spelled Shigatse) is the second largest city in the Tibet.
  • Yogini is a female practitioner of yoga.
  • his denunciatory article; see note on Page 6

Page 10

him to do so. If not, I beg you most urgently to accept the position of President yourself. But I leave all this to your tact and discretion. Let him also know that the Protest of the Chelas is no work of ours, but the result of a positive order emanating from the Chohan. The Protest was received at the Headquarters, two hours before the postman brought the famous article, and telegrams were received from several chelas in India on the same day. Together with the foot-note sent by Djual Khoul to be appended to W. Oxley's article the September Number is calculated to create a certain sensation among the mystics of England and America not only among our Hindus. The "Brothers" question is kept up pretty alive, and may bear its fruit. Mr. Hume's graphic pen spurts under the mask of philanthropy, the bitterest gall, assailing us with weapons which for being represented or rather imagined as lawful and legitimate, and used for the most honest of purposes — wield by turns ridicule and abuse. And, yet he has so preserved the semblance of a sincere belief in our knowledge, that we are more than likely to be thenceforth remembered as he has painted us, and not as in reality we are. What I once said of him, I maintain. He may, outwardly, sometimes sincerely forgive, he can never forget. He is that which Johnson is said to have much admired, "a good hater."

Oh, my friend, with all your faults, and your rather too lively past, how much, how immeasureably much higher you stand in our sight than our "I am," with all his high "splendid mental capacity," and outwardly pathetic nature concealing the inward

81-10_6763_thm.jpg

NOTES:

  • the Protest of the Chelas; see note on Page 8

Page 11

absence of anything like real feeling and heart!

M. wants me to tell you that he refuses most decidedly to take any precaution of the nature you suggest. He despises [[H. thoroughly; yet in a case of any real danger would be the first to protect him for the pains and labour given by him for the T.S. He says that in case H. comes to know of his ridiculous blunder, he will be ready to prove to others the existence of occult powers, but will not leave H. one leg to stand upon. His punishment must be allowed to be complete or else it will have no effect upon him, and he will only retaliate upon innocent victims. H. has shown us to the world as dishonest and lying, before he ever had one single undeniable proof that we were that, and that he was justified in his denunciation by even an appearance, a semblance of dishonesty. If H. chooses to-morrow to represent us as murderers M. will try to raise a maya to make the words good, and then destroy it, and show him a calumniator. I am afraid he is right, from the standpoint of our rules and customs. They are anti-European, I confess. With the exception of the telegram, M. never wrote Fern but one letter, the five or six other letters in his handwriting emanating from the Dugpa who has charge of Fern. He hopes that you will not spoil his work, and that you will ever remain a loyal and true friend to him, as he will be one to you. Fern will never repeat any experiment a la napkin, for the simple reason that he will be trusted with no more letters.

81-11_6764_thm.jpg

NOTES:

  • maya refers to illusion.

Page 12

I have received a letter from Colonel Chesney and will answer it in a few days with a young chela who will deliver it to your care with my respectful greeting. Do not frighten the boy. He is ordered to answer all the questions he can answer, but no more. From Simla he will proceed to Budda Guya and Bombay, on business, and will be back home about November.

With sincere friendship,

Yours,

K. H.

81-12_6765_thm.jpg

NOTES:

  • Budda Guya. Although these two words are not clearly decipherable, they seem to refer to Bodh Gaya, the site of the Buddha's enlightenment.

Context and background

Physical description of letter

The original is in the British Library, Folio 3. According to George Linton and Virginia Hanson, the letter was written:

On both sides of six sheets of thin white paper in dark blue ink. Toward the end, one page is in blue pencil, but the letter is continued in blue ink on the back. Fine lettering.[2]

Publication history

Commentary about this letter

Notes

  1. See "A Protest" for a reproduction of this document.
  2. George E. Linton and Virginia Hanson, eds., Readers Guide to The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett (Adyar, Chennai, India: Theosophical Publishing House, 1972), 137.