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The '''Fragments of Occult Truth''' is a series of articles published in [[The Theosophist (periodical)|''The Theosophist'']] in the early 1880's. The articles were written by [[Allan Octavian Hume]] and [[Alfred Percy Sinnett]], based upon teachings they received from [[Helena Petrovna Blavatsky|H. P. Blavatsky]] and Mahatmas [[Koot Hoomi|K.H.]] and [[Morya|M.]]
The '''Fragments of Occult Truth''' is a series of articles published in [[The Theosophist (periodical)|''The Theosophist'']] in the early 1880's. [[Allan Octavian Hume]] and [[Alfred Percy Sinnett]] wrote the articles based upon teachings they received from [[Helena Petrovna Blavatsky|H. P. Blavatsky]] and the [[The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett (book)|letters]] written by Mahatmas [[Koot Hoomi|K.H.]] and [[Morya|M.]] These articles are replies to letters written by Australian Theosophist [[William H. Terry]] about the [[Spiritualism|Spiritualistic]] phenomena and the [[Occultism|occult]] explanation of them.


The first three "Fragments" were written by A. O. Hume, without signing them, and published in ''The Theosophist'' on October 1881 (pp. 17-22), March 1882 (pp. 157-160), and September 1882 (pp. 307-314). These articles are replies to letters written by Australian Theosophist [[William H. Terry]] about the [[Spiritualism|Spiritualistic]] phenomena and the [[Occultism|occult]] explanation of them. The first article in the series marks the first time that the [[Principle#Seven principles in human beings|seven-fold constitution of human beings]] was publicly taught in [[Theosophy|Theosophical]] literature. In 1895 [[G. R. S. Mead]] wrongly assigned them to Mme. Blavatsky, publishing them in the book [[A Modern Panarion (book)|''A Modern Panarion'']].
== History and authorship ==


On November 1882 an article entitled "Occult Fragments and the Book of Khiu-Te" was written by "N.D.K.---, F.T.S." (assigned by some to Mme. Blavatsky), commenting upon the teachings of the first "Fragment".
The first three "Fragments" were written by A. O. Hume, without signing them, and published in [[The Theosophist (periodical)|''The Theosophist'']] on October 1881, March 1882, and September 1882. To verify Hume as the author, we can turn to the correspondence of H. P. Blavatsky with A. P. Sinnett. She wrote to him in  August 1882, while reviewing materials that had been submitted for the September 1882 issue of The Theosophist. She refers to the third "Fragment" as being the work of Hume.<ref>H. P. Blavatsky letter to A. P. Sinnett. August 1, 1882. Barker’s transcription published as letter 6 in [[The Letters of H. P. Blavatsky to A. P. Sinnett (book)|''The Letters of H. P. Blavatsky to A. P. Sinnett'']], 8–9.</ref>  There is evidence of Hume's work within the third "Fragment," which has mentions of "Mr. Sinnett." On page 308, section 5, Hume writes of "my experience given in the last 'Fragments of Occult Truth,'" confirmng that the second "Fragment" was written by Hume rather than Sinnett.  


The later installments of the "Fragments" were written by Mr. Sinnett and signed by him as "A Lay-Chela" (authorized by Mahatma K.H. in [[Mahatma Letter No. 68#Page 34|Letter 68]] (ML-16)). They were published in ''The Theosophist'' on October (pp. 2-5) and November 1882 (pp. 46-48), and March (pp. 131-135), April (pp. 161-164), and May 1883 (pp. 194-195). The titles of the articles were the following:
The first article in the series marks the first time that the [[Principle#Seven principles in human beings|seven-fold constitution of human beings]] was publicly taught in [[Theosophy|Theosophical]] literature. The information came from teachings that Hume and Sinnett were receiving from the [[Mahatmas]], as well as conversations with [[H. P. Blavatsky]], who stayed as a guest of Hume in Simla for a couple of months at the time. In 1895 [[G. R. S. Mead]] wrongly assigned them to Mme. Blavatsky, publishing them in the book ''A Modern Panarion''.  


*Fragments of Occult Truth (IV) The Evolution of Man -- A Lay Chela
After the third of the unsigned articles, authorship transferred from Hume to Sinnett. The later installments of the "Fragments" were written by Mr. Sinnett and signed by him as "A Lay-Chela" (authorized by Mahatma K.H. in '''[[Mahatma Letter No. 68#Page 34|Letter 68]]''' (Barker No. 16)). They were published in ''The Theosophist'' on October and November 1882, and March, April, and May 1883. Most of the information in these articles was later used by A. P. Sinnett in his book [[Esoteric Buddhism (book)|''Esoteric Buddhism'']]. H. P. Blavatsky confirmed his authorship in a letter to A. P. Sinnett, writing that "I have your 'Evolution of Man,'” referring to the fourth "Fragments" article.<ref>H. P. Blavatsky letter to A. P. Sinnett. September 17, 1882. Barker’s transcription published as letter 18 in [[The Letters of H. P. Blavatsky to A. P. Sinnett (book)|''The Letters of H. P. Blavatsky to A. P. Sinnett'']], 37.</ref>


*Fragments on Occult Truth (V) The Evolution of Man - Continued -- (Anon)
On November 1882 an article entitled '''[https://theosophy.wiki/w/images/5/5f/Occult_Fragments_and_Book_of_Khiu-Te.pdf "Occult Fragments and the Book of Khiu-Te"]''' was written by "N.D.K.---, F.T.S.", commenting upon the teachings of the first "Fragment". This has been ascribed by some to Mme. Blavatsky, but "N.D.K." refers to [[N. D. Khandalavala]].


*Fragments of Occult Truth (VI) Devachan -- A Lay Chela
On March 1883, following the sixth installment of the Fragments, there is an '''[https://theosophy.wiki/w/images/5/5f/Appendix_to_Devachan.pdf "Appendix to 'Devachan'"]''' consisting of five notes (from A to E) without stating the author. In '''[[Mahatma Letter No. 104#Page 17|Letter 104]]''' (Barker No. 25) KH writes, "Hence — my orders to a chela to reproduce in an Appendix to your article extracts from this letter and explanations calculated to disabuse the reader..." Much of the Appendix is verbatim from this letter.


*Fragments of Occult Truth (VII) The Human Life Wave -- A Lay Chela
<blockquote>
Misconceptions of the true value of such terms as "[[Spirit]]", "[[Soul]]", "[[individuality]]", "[[personality]]", and "[[immortality]]" (especially) — provoke wordy wars between a great number of idealistic debaters, besides Messrs. [[C. C. Massey|C.C.M.]] and [[Roden Noel]]. And, to complete your [[Fragments of Occult Truth (article)|Fragment]] without risking to fall again under the mangling tooth of the latter honourable gentleman's criticism — I found it necessary to add to [[devachan]] — [[Avichi|Avitchi]] as its complement and applying to it the same laws as to the former. This is done, with your permission, in the Appendix.<ref>[[Mahatma Letter No. 104#Page 25|Letter 104]], page 25.</ref>
</blockquote>


*Fragments of Occult Truth (VIII) The Progress of Humanity -- A Lay Chela
On May 1883 (p. 202) [[Franz Hartmann]] wrote the article '''[https://theosophy.wiki/en/File:Hartmann_on_Devachan.pdf "Devachan (Explanations of Fragments of Occult Truth)"]''' and on July of that year there was an anonymous article '''[https://theosophy.wiki/en/File:Karma_Appendix_to_Fragments.pdf "Karma (An Appendix to Fragments of Occult Truth)"]''' which has been assigned to Mme. Blavatsky.


Most of the information in these articles was later used by A. P. Sinnett in his book [[Esoteric Buddhism (book)|''Esoteric Buddhism'']].
== Series summary ==


On March 1883, following the sixth installment of the Fragments, there is an "Appendix to 'Devachan'," which consists of five notes (from A to E) without stating the author. In [[Mahatma Letter No. 104#Page 17|Letter 104]] (ML-25) KH writes, "Hence — my orders to a chela to reproduce in an Appendix to your article extracts from this letter and explanations calculated to disabuse the reader,.." Much of the Appendix is verbatim from this letter.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; background:Seashell; width:90%;"  
|-
! Article
! Title (linked to PDF)
! Author
! Month, year
! Volume, issue number
! Pages
|-
| 1
| [https://theosophy.wiki/w/images/f/f0/Fragments_1.pdf Fragments of Occult Truth]
| [[A. O. Hume]]
| October, 1881
| Vol. 3 No. 1 (No. 25)
| 17-22
|-
| 2
| [https://theosophy.wiki/w/images/f/f0/Fragments_2.pdf Fragments of Occult Truth]
| [[A. O. Hume]]
| March, 1882
| Vol. 3 No. 6 (No. 30)
| 157-160
|-
| 3
| [https://theosophy.wiki/w/images/f/f0/Fragments_3.pdf Fragments of Occult Truth]
| [[A. O. Hume]]
| September, 1882
| Vol. 3 No. 12 (No. 36)
| 307-314
|-
| 4
| [https://theosophy.wiki/w/images/f/f0/Fragments_4.pdf The Evolution of Man]
| [[A. P. Sinnett]]
| October, 1882
| Vol. 4 No. 1 (No. 37)
| 2-5
|-
| 5
| [https://theosophy.wiki/w/images/f/f0/Fragments_5.pdf The Evolution of Man - continued]
| [[A. P. Sinnett]]
| November, 1882
| Vol. 4 No. 2 (No. 38)
| 46-48
|-
| 6
| [https://theosophy.wiki/w/images/f/f0/Fragments_6.pdf Devachan]
| [[A. P. Sinnett]]
| March, 1883
| Vol. 4 No. 6 (No. 42)
| 131-135
|-
| 7
| [https://theosophy.wiki/w/images/f/f0/Fragments_6.pdf The Human Life Wave]
| [[A. P. Sinnett]]
| April, 1883
| Vol. 4 No. 7 (No. 43)
| 161-164
|-
| 8
| [https://theosophy.wiki/w/images/f/f0/Fragments_6.pdf The Progress of Humanity]
| [[A. P. Sinnett]]
| May, 1883
| Vol. 4 No. 8 (No. 44)
| 194-195
|-
|}


On May 1883 (p. 202) [[Franz Hartmann]] wrote the article "Devachan (Explanations of Fragments of Occult Truth)" and on July of that year (p. 252) there was an anonymous article "Karma (An Appendix to Fragments of Occult Truth)" which has been assigned to Mme. Blavatsky.
== Other digital versions ==
 
===Online publication===


*[http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/humefrags1.htm# Fragments of Occult Truth, No. 1]
*[http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/humefrags1.htm# Fragments of Occult Truth, No. 1]
*[http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/humefrags2.htm# Fragments of Occult Truth, No. 2]
*[http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/humefrags2.htm# Fragments of Occult Truth, No. 2]
*[http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/humefrags3.htm# Fragments of Occult Truth, No. 3]
*[http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/humefrags3.htm# Fragments of Occult Truth, No. 3]
== Related materials ==
* [https://theosophy.wiki/w/images/5/5f/Appendix_to_Devachan.pdf Appendix to Devachan] ''The Theosophist'' 4 no. 6 (March, 1883), 135-137. Signed as "N.D.K.---, F.T.S.", who was probably [[N. D. Khandalavala]].
* [https://theosophy.wiki/w/images/5/5f/Occult_Fragments_and_Book_of_Khiu-Te.pdf "Occult Fragments and the Book of Khiu-Te"]  ''The Theosophist'' 4 no. 2 (November, 1882), 28.
* [[Mahatma Letter No. 68#Page 34|Letter 68]] (Barker No. 16), page 34.
* [[Mahatma Letter No. 104#Page 17|Letter 104]] (Barker No. 25), page 17.
* [https://theosophy.wiki/en/File:Hartmann_on_Devachan.pdf "Devachan (Explanations of Fragments of Occult Truth)"] by Franz Hartmann. ''The Theosophist'' 4 no. 8 (May, 1883), 202.
* [https://theosophy.wiki/en/File:Karma_Appendix_to_Fragments.pdf "Karma (An Appendix to Fragments of Occult Truth)"]. Ascribed to H. P. Blavatsky. ''The Theosophist'' 4 no. 10 (July, 1883), page 252.
* H. P. Blavatsky letter to A. P. Sinnett. August 1, 1882. Barker’s transcription published as letter 6 in [[The Letters of H. P. Blavatsky to A. P. Sinnett (book)|''The Letters of H. P. Blavatsky to A. P. Sinnett'']], 8–9.


== Notes ==
== Notes ==

Latest revision as of 19:02, 20 June 2022

The Fragments of Occult Truth is a series of articles published in The Theosophist in the early 1880's. Allan Octavian Hume and Alfred Percy Sinnett wrote the articles based upon teachings they received from H. P. Blavatsky and the letters written by Mahatmas K.H. and M. These articles are replies to letters written by Australian Theosophist William H. Terry about the Spiritualistic phenomena and the occult explanation of them.

History and authorship

The first three "Fragments" were written by A. O. Hume, without signing them, and published in The Theosophist on October 1881, March 1882, and September 1882. To verify Hume as the author, we can turn to the correspondence of H. P. Blavatsky with A. P. Sinnett. She wrote to him in August 1882, while reviewing materials that had been submitted for the September 1882 issue of The Theosophist. She refers to the third "Fragment" as being the work of Hume.[1] There is evidence of Hume's work within the third "Fragment," which has mentions of "Mr. Sinnett." On page 308, section 5, Hume writes of "my experience given in the last 'Fragments of Occult Truth,'" confirmng that the second "Fragment" was written by Hume rather than Sinnett.

The first article in the series marks the first time that the seven-fold constitution of human beings was publicly taught in Theosophical literature. The information came from teachings that Hume and Sinnett were receiving from the Mahatmas, as well as conversations with H. P. Blavatsky, who stayed as a guest of Hume in Simla for a couple of months at the time. In 1895 G. R. S. Mead wrongly assigned them to Mme. Blavatsky, publishing them in the book A Modern Panarion.

After the third of the unsigned articles, authorship transferred from Hume to Sinnett. The later installments of the "Fragments" were written by Mr. Sinnett and signed by him as "A Lay-Chela" (authorized by Mahatma K.H. in Letter 68 (Barker No. 16)). They were published in The Theosophist on October and November 1882, and March, April, and May 1883. Most of the information in these articles was later used by A. P. Sinnett in his book Esoteric Buddhism. H. P. Blavatsky confirmed his authorship in a letter to A. P. Sinnett, writing that "I have your 'Evolution of Man,'” referring to the fourth "Fragments" article.[2]

On November 1882 an article entitled "Occult Fragments and the Book of Khiu-Te" was written by "N.D.K.---, F.T.S.", commenting upon the teachings of the first "Fragment". This has been ascribed by some to Mme. Blavatsky, but "N.D.K." refers to N. D. Khandalavala.

On March 1883, following the sixth installment of the Fragments, there is an "Appendix to 'Devachan'" consisting of five notes (from A to E) without stating the author. In Letter 104 (Barker No. 25) KH writes, "Hence — my orders to a chela to reproduce in an Appendix to your article extracts from this letter and explanations calculated to disabuse the reader..." Much of the Appendix is verbatim from this letter.

Misconceptions of the true value of such terms as "Spirit", "Soul", "individuality", "personality", and "immortality" (especially) — provoke wordy wars between a great number of idealistic debaters, besides Messrs. C.C.M. and Roden Noel. And, to complete your Fragment without risking to fall again under the mangling tooth of the latter honourable gentleman's criticism — 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.[3]

On May 1883 (p. 202) Franz Hartmann wrote the article "Devachan (Explanations of Fragments of Occult Truth)" and on July of that year there was an anonymous article "Karma (An Appendix to Fragments of Occult Truth)" which has been assigned to Mme. Blavatsky.

Series summary

Article Title (linked to PDF) Author Month, year Volume, issue number Pages
1 Fragments of Occult Truth A. O. Hume October, 1881 Vol. 3 No. 1 (No. 25) 17-22
2 Fragments of Occult Truth A. O. Hume March, 1882 Vol. 3 No. 6 (No. 30) 157-160
3 Fragments of Occult Truth A. O. Hume September, 1882 Vol. 3 No. 12 (No. 36) 307-314
4 The Evolution of Man A. P. Sinnett October, 1882 Vol. 4 No. 1 (No. 37) 2-5
5 The Evolution of Man - continued A. P. Sinnett November, 1882 Vol. 4 No. 2 (No. 38) 46-48
6 Devachan A. P. Sinnett March, 1883 Vol. 4 No. 6 (No. 42) 131-135
7 The Human Life Wave A. P. Sinnett April, 1883 Vol. 4 No. 7 (No. 43) 161-164
8 The Progress of Humanity A. P. Sinnett May, 1883 Vol. 4 No. 8 (No. 44) 194-195

Other digital versions

Related materials

Notes

  1. ↑ H. P. Blavatsky letter to A. P. Sinnett. August 1, 1882. Barker’s transcription published as letter 6 in The Letters of H. P. Blavatsky to A. P. Sinnett, 8–9.
  2. ↑ H. P. Blavatsky letter to A. P. Sinnett. September 17, 1882. Barker’s transcription published as letter 18 in The Letters of H. P. Blavatsky to A. P. Sinnett, 37.
  3. ↑ Letter 104, page 25.
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