Mahatma Letter to Ramaswamier - LMW 2 No. 51

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Quick Facts
People involved
Written by: Morya
Received by: S. Ramaswamier
Sent via: unknown 
Dates
Written on: unknown
Received on: October 1882
Other dates: unknown
Places
Sent from: unknown
Received at: Allahabad
Via: unknown

This letter is Letter No. 51 in Letters from the Masters of the Wisdom, Second Series. In it, Mahatma Morya instructs S. Ramaswamier in the nature of chelaship and that Colonel Olcott would provide further instruction.[1]

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Page 1 transcription, image, and notes

Greeting My Chela, At my request, Olcott has explained the theory of chelaship. It is an educational as well as probationary stage, and the chela alone can determine whether it shall end in adeptship or failure. Chelas, from a mistaken idea of our system, too often watch and wait for orders, wasting precious time which should be taken up with personal effort. These remarks are suggested by your questions. You offer your services; well. You are willing to devote time, incur expense, run risks for OUR cause. Well, it is the cause of humanity, of true religion, of education, of enlightenment and spiritual elevation, of course. It needs missionaries, devotees, agents, even martyrs perhaps. But it cannot demand of any man to make himself either. If he so chooses, – well; – well for the world and for himself. For, to work for mankind is grand, its recompense stretches beyond this brief dream of life into other births. So now, you my chela, choose and grasp your own destiny. You wish to heal the sick, – do so; but remember your success will be measured by your faith – in yourself, more than in us. Lose it for a second, and failure will follow. I will give orders to Morya Junior – Olcott – to teach you the mechanical art. Have faith in your soul power, and you will have success. You wish to take leave for two years; decide after counting the whole cost, and may light of our Lord Tathagata’s memory aid you to decide for the best. But before proceeding to South, I would have you go on a mission to the Maharajah of Benares for Sinnett’s business which Olcott will explain. You could do great good in many cases and ways, besides endowing the Society, no doubt, were you free to act. But this idea is meritorious and just, and you have done well to choose it. Karma is not blind.

I will not say your surmise as to certain Prince’s relation is not correct; but the secret is not mine to impart. Use it in a discreet way, and use your own intuitions. There are two men in T. who know the secret, search them out.

As for our giving you an increase of psychic powers, that will come in time, and cannot come so soon. We have no right to force, and no good can come of forcing nature. She has been already generous to you. My blessing be with you, my son.

M.

P.S. – You will please forward the enclosed to its address, and write a note to explain who you are, and that you are my chosen chela. Upasika will tell.

IMAGES NOT
AVAILABLE

NOTES:

  • Upasika refers to Helena Petrovna Blavatsky.
  • our Lord Tathagata's memory refers to Gautama Buddha.
  • Sinnett's business refers to the proposed development of the Phoenix newspaper.
  • certain Prince's relation is not identified.
  • As for our giving you... my son, M is printed in the book but seems to be taken from letter 54 in an editorial error. It should probably be disregarded in this letter.

Context and background

Mr. Jinarajadasa provided this background information:

Received probably in Allahabad, October 1882.[2]

Several sentences in this letter, about Chelaship, occur verbatim in the letter which C.W. Leadbeater received in England on October 31, 1884. That letter is published as No. VII in the First Series.[3]

Mr. Ramaswami was in Government employ as District Registrar of Assurances.[4]

The affair of the Phoenix newspaper, which was to offset the Pioneer.[5]

Physical description of letter

Mr. Jinarajadasa wrote of the Ramaswamier letters:

I do not know where the original letters are now. He died in 1893, devoted as ever to his Master and the T.S..[6]

Publication history

Mr. Jinarajadasa wrote of the Ramaswamier letters:

In December, 1894, a son of his published the letters, with a facsimile of one of them, in an attack on the T.S. , which bore the title, "Isis Further Unveiled." I reprint the letters from this pamphlet.[7]

Commentary about this letter

Additional resources

Notes

  1. C. Jinarajadasa, Letters from the Masters of the Wisdom, Second Series (Adyar, Madras, India: Theosophical Publishing House, 1925), 93, 97-99.
  2. C. Jinarajadasa, 97.
  3. C. Jinarajadasa, 97.
  4. C. Jinarajadasa, 98.
  5. C. Jinarajadasa, 98.
  6. C. Jinarajadasa, 93.
  7. C. Jinarajadasa, 93.