Mahatma Letter to H. S. Olcott - LMW 2 No. 23

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Quick Facts
People involved
Written by: Serapis Bey
Received by: Henry Steel Olcott
Sent via: unknown
Dates
Written on: unknown
Received on: 16 August 1876
Other dates: none
Places
Sent from: unknown
Received at: New York
Via: none

This is Letter No. 23 in Letters from the Masters of the Wisdom, Second Series. Mahatma Serapis Bey rebukes Henry Steel Olcott for not defending Helena Petrovna Blavatsky from an acquaintance who spoke against her. Serapis quotes verses from Buddhist texts.[1]

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Page 1 transcription, image, and notes

THREE SENTENCES FROM DHAMMA PADAM

ONE FROM SUTRAS

Daily Observances

XXII. He who hears his brother reviled, and keeping a smooth face leaves the abuse unnoticed, tacitly agrees with the enemy, as if he admitted the same to be proper and just. He who does it is either mouse-hearted, or selfishness is at the bottom of his heart. He is not fit as yet to become a “companion.”

LXI. Revenge is sinful and throws the “companion” in the embrace of and power of Zahak. He who permits his left hands to be polluted with dung without immediately wiping it with his right cares little for the cleanliness of his whole body. What constitutes the integral? – Parts. Of what is composed a human body? – Of limbs. If one limb cares not for the appearance of another limb, is not Zahak ready with trowel and brush to blacken the whole? Such a “companion” is not ready to become a Brother.

XXXI. It is easy to destroy the poisonous houâbà in its first germination. It is difficult to arrest its progress when once allowed to mature. Its unhealthy emanations will fill the atmosphere with miasms. It will spread and infect its healthy brethren and cause the limpid waters of the lake to stagnate and dry. Avoid the houâbà and its husbandman, Beloved.

LXXII. It is as difficult to become a Buddha as to find the flowers of Udumbara and Palaca along the highway. It is easy to try, and even follow the path of Buddha.

Translation correct.
SERAPIS

IMAGE IS NOT
AVAILABLE
AT THIS TIME

NOTES:

  • Zahak is possibly an evil figure from Persian mythology.
  • the poisonous houâbà has not been identified.
  • miasms refers to noxious fumes.
  • Udumbara is the tree, flower and fruit of the Ficus racemosa, which in Buddhist literature may carry the connotation of rarity and parasitism.
  • Palaca is an unidentified plant.

Context and background

No background information was provided by Mr. Jinarājadāsa.

Physical description of letter

The original of this letter is preserved at the Theosophical Society, Adyar, Chennai, India.

Publication history

Commentary about this letter

No commentary was provided by Mr. Jinarājadāsa provided this commentary.

Additional resources

Notes

  1. C. Jinarājadāsa, Letters from the Masters of the Wisdom, Second Series (Adyar, Madras,India: Theosophical Publishing House, 1925), 48-49.