The Theosophical Movement
Does Not Need Whited Sepulchres
Does Not Need Whited Sepulchres
Helena P. Blavatsky
Helena Blavatsky: a bust by Ukrainian sculptor Alexey Leonov
“Sorry to find that the Irishman
is ever smothering the candidate to ?.
(…….) Now do not lose a friend & a true
one, you infernal Irish goose of the age!”
(Helena P. Blavatsky to William Q. Judge)
A 2012 Editorial Note:
The following letter from H. P. B. to W. Q. Judge is reproduced from the magazine “The Theosophical Forum”, June 1933, pp. 299-301, where it was published under the title “Leaves of Theosophical History”.
The original is held in the Archives of The Theosophical Society, Point Loma/Pasadena.
The editors of “The Theosophical Forum” report:
“…The letter is undated, but in Judge’s own handwriting, written in pencil at the top of the first page, is given the date ‘oct. 89’. Several names have been deleted, and in place of them are used the following initials: S, T, F, R, B, E, G, H, and L.”
In this letter, once again one can see two of the main founders of the theosophical movement, not as legendary fictionalized masks of would-be human perfection. The reader here meets instead real people. He sees two brave and honest souls struggling with all kinds of obstacles and difficulties, including their own personal limitations, in their work for mankind.
Such a knowledge of the human dimension in theosophical endeavor is an important step away from adoration of personalities. Honest leaders have the duty to avoid being personally adored, and to prevent adoration of any institution. The true process of leadership is described in “Isis Unveiled”, where H.P.B. reproduces these words ascribed to the Lord Buddha himself, in dialogue with King Prasenagit:
“Great king, I do not teach the law to my pupils, telling them ‘go, ye saints, and before the eyes of the Brahmans and householders perform, by means of your supernatural powers, miracles greater than any man can perform’. I tell them, when I teach them the law, ‘Live, ye saints, hiding your good works, and showing your sins’.”[1]
Therefore there is no reason for theosophical leaders to be hypocrites or pose as saints. They are not supposed to act as the whited sepulchres whom Jesus denounces in those authentically theosophical and “Blavatskian” lines which one can find in Matthew, 23:13-27.
This is why H.P.B. frankly discusses Judge’s “Irish” temper and his tendency to create personal conflicts, which she makes an effort to prevent and to avoid. She opens her valuable letter saying that this sort of personal emotion is a significant obstacle for Judge, as a candidate to initiation.
(Carlos Cardoso Aveline)
NOTE:
[1] “Isis Unveiled”, H.P. Blavatsky, Theosophy Co., Los Angeles, Vol. I, p. 600.
Letters Between Blavatsky and Judge – 16
Helena P. Blavatsky
Bert [1] sails with Parker
tomorrow, by New York City.
My dear W. Q. J.
Sorry to find that the Irishman is ever smothering the candidate to ?. You are wrong & unjust to Parker. He is an eccentric, a character jumped out of a novel by Dickens, yet the most honest man in the world, too stupidly honest for this world. Not mean. He gives almost all he has; but $4,000 he was going to give for the S. D. & the T. S. were borrowed from him by a F. T . S. & an Esotericist of Chicago (!!) whose name he will not divulge & when he had made some 40,000 dollars out of the 4, he never gave back Parker back a two penny dam; Parker gave here, right & left, & is going to work for us. What he was told of you by one who hates you, he does not believe in it now, for he believes in me, & I told him I knew you better than any one of his acquaintances. Now he says he loves & respects you & repeats it 20 times a day. Now do not lose a friend & a true one, you infernal Irish goose of the age! I send Bert with him on a solemn mission & Bert may stop with you for three months & more. Bert will explain all. Parker is the oddest and dearest little crank that you can set your eyes upon. He is the soul of honour, Judge, & you will find it out. Believe me when I say this I speak on authority; and he now believes you too, the same soul of honour; for I told him that you were a great deal better than I am, or Olcott ever was, & such is my honest opinion. As for temper, you are – what I just said – an Irish goose.
Business:
Accounts finished. I have paid Bert his capital for S. D. and interest on the 1,100 odd pounds; therefore the rest what comes is all mine. Please now when you make accounts, send the money to me in my name deducing [2] what I owe you & Path for commission. I find that Arch took from you of my money £65 – and that all the money got from the “Key” & “Voice of Silence” – (which has paid itself & over assuredly is sunk in the office Duke St. They are bankrupts, & Parker tries to save us. I try to save Lucifer, & want the money for the T. S. but I must have it in my own hands. Bert will tell you this & explain. Bert is no good for business & Arch, worse than he is; that’s truth. Mrs. S swears she loved & loves me the same. Swears on her God she never said an evil word about me, & tried hard to know who told me, as she thought it was you. I swore you never opened your mouth to me about her; never told me anything (& so you have not told me orally), but said to her that I had received letters to that effect years ago from America & so I have. Well, never mind her; better half a friend than a full enemy. L is very shakky. I lent him 3 pounds the day he arrived penniless, and took him to live with us for a month. Parker gave him 5 pounds, & he borrowed from everyone. Well he is out of the house. Is it true that he is Mrs. T’s nephew? He says so. F? Let him go to the devil & G along with him, if he believes [3] in himself so much. My answer to his printed manifesto the copy of which I sent you will show you that I tell him plainly that it is all Pledge Fever & personality on his part. – Self-worship combating hero-worship for somebody else. He is an honest & sincere man, however, and I repeat so again. But he cannot believe in R’s guilt & B is behind his back. What do I mean by your playing into H’s and E’s hands? What I say. E will give half his wife’s fortune to crush you, myself & Society. He tries to set us two at logger heads as Mrs. Ver Plank truly remarks. Let us defeat them (for H is E’s creature) by remaining as united as the five fingers on one hand. This is what I mean:
Now I ask you one thing. Can’t you take back poor George Cheiney who is here, and readmit him into the T. S.? It is this infernal E who pitched him out. Please do, if you can. He is a magnificent orator & I want him here in the “Blavatsky Lodge” but unless you take him back I cannot make him a member of the British Section or the Blavatsky Lodge, or can I?
And now my old comrade & friend, be of good cheer. I’ll do the work myself now. You reproach me with having done this & that sending telegrams & letters, outside of you & the devil a bit I knew that I had to do this! Now be so kind as to write to me plainly (so that I could read) what you expect me to do, & what I must not do. And I give my word that I shall follow your instructions. Let us understand each other, both of us, mutually. But till now no one ever said to me a word about your asking to do this or that. Write to me direct & I will do it. But if you write it to the Countess or Arch or Bert – they all forget.
Goodbye my Irish crocodile; & may 
[4] protect you. Yours ever
[4] protect you. Yours everH P B.
NOTES:
[1] Bertram Keightley. (CCA)
[2] “Deducing”; “The Theosophical Forum” has it “deduing”. We have corrected the misspelling. (CCA)
[3] The editors of “Theosophical Forum” report that “following this, on the top of the second page of the second sheet of the letter, written upside down”, are the two following sentences: “Master’s last letter made me very miserable & I am hardly getting over it. Damn, my weakness for the fools!” The present letter by HPB is dated October 1889. The letter of reproof from the Master to her is discussed in depth in one of her texts addressed to her esoteric students. See “Blavatsky Collected Writings”, TPH, Volume XII, pp. 582-585. (CCA)
[4] In such a context, the triangle formed by three dots stands as a symbol for a Master of the Wisdom, or a high Initiate. (CCA)
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On the role of the esoteric movement in the ethical awakening of mankind during the 21st century, see the book “The Fire and Light of Theosophical Literature”, by Carlos Cardoso Aveline.
Published in 2013 by The Aquarian Theosophist, the volume has 255 pages and can be obtained through Amazon Books.
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