A Report On Its Activities Since June 2005
Carlos Cardoso Aveline
“The Fire and Light”, part of the front cover
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Editorial Note:
During the 19th century, women were still seen as deprived
of intellectual or philosophical capabilities. It was in this century
that Helena P. Blavatsky, a woman who lived alone, challenged
the main dogmas of our materialistic society. HPB showed that
both Darwinistic materialism and the blind faith of conventional
religions were unsustainable. She questioned the dominant views
in Politics, in Science and Religion, and proposed a civilization
based upon the principle of universal brotherhood. By founding the
theosophical movement, HPB created a precursor nucleus of the
future civilization; a precarious one, yet real. As a result of its
confrontation with the collective ignorance in its organized aspects,
the least one should expect is that Blavatsky would be attacked and
vilified as a person, and that the theosophical movement would be
infiltrated by ideas and individuals covertly hostile to Ethics and to
the search for truth. This took place during her life, and this occurs
in the 21st century. Hence the need to defend the truth about HPB,
even in the movement which she founded. It is in this process that
the Independent Lodge of Theosophists emerges.
(CCA)
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“If the ‘false prophets of Theosophy’ are to be left
untouched, the true prophets will be very soon – as
they have already been – confused with the false. It is
nigh time to winnow our corn and cast away the chaff.”
Helena P. Blavatsky
“It is the duty of esoteric students to unmask error and hypocrisy;
to face lie with truth; not as personal criticisms but as facts against
mis-statements. (…) The custodians of Truth voice it in the face of lie,
ignorance and error (…). Theosophy is in the world for that purpose.”
Robert Crosbie
It was in December 2003 that John Algeo and the USA/TPH published “The Letters of H.P. Blavatsky, Volume I, 1861-1879”. The book had 634 pages and was presented as part of the Collected Writings of H.P. Blavatsky.
I received a copy of it by the end of April 2004 and saw in its pages many of the worst libels invented against HPB by Vsevolod Soloviof and others.
In the following months I sent some 38 air mail letters stating the facts to theosophical students and leaders around the world.
Among those who answered to the document were Ms. Radha Burnier, Mr. John Algeo, Ms. Dara Eklund and Ms. Joy Mills. Ms. Radha wrote that the letters in question were “obviously spurious”. Ms. Dara Eklund’s position was less clear. Joy Mills and John Algeo avoided admitting the facts. None of them thought it was necessary to do something to stop the circulation of falsehoods against the honor and the character of the founder of the movement.
José Ramón Sordo, from Mexico, and the Fohat magazine, from Canada, were among the first to act. Fohat published an updated version of my circular letter under the title of “Defending the Old Lady”.
In March 2005, Jerome Wheeler, then editor of “The Aquarian Theosophist”, asked my permission to publish the text “Defending the Old Lady”.
From then on, both “Fohat” and “The Aquarian” were in the frontline of HPB’s defense. The two magazines published a number of articles on this topic, as well as on the future of the theosophical movement and related issues. “Theosophy” magazine, from Los Angeles [1], and “Sunrise” magazine, from Pasadena [2], published short notes on the efforts being developed.
After consulting with us, in June 2005 Jerome Wheeler and “The Aquarian Theosophist” announced the creation of the “HPB Defense Fund”. Every month the magazine reported on the Fund’s progress in the pages of “The Aquarian”. The stated goal was to counteract the fraudulent volume published by John Algeo. Canadian magazine Fohat, edited by the Edmonton Theosophical Society, gave full support to the Fund. From the United States, Mr. Dallas TenBroeck supported the project and made valuable suggestions.
A number of donors emerged from around the world, including India. In May 2006 “The Aquarian Theosophist” announced that the money aimed at – some 10,000 US dollars – was already available and complete in a bank account in Los Angeles. Donations should therefore stop.
There was bad news in June 2006, when Mr. Wheeler left the coordination of the project due to health problems. Some time after that, the money of the Fund was transferred, as requested by Wheeler, to an account controlled by The Theosophy Co., Los Angeles. Since then the Theosophy Co. has made it clear that it is not concerned with the destination and use of the money. Its sole purpose is safekeeping it, upon request of “The Aquarian Theosophist”.
For three years, in 2007, 2008 and 2009, a small group of friends exchanged ideas as how to proceed with the work. Among them, Will Windham, then editor of “The Aquarian Theosophist”, two or three ULT associates in the USA, and myself. Dialogues were useful and provided insights. We took our time to think matters over.
In December 2009, after consultations, I felt it was time for someone to make a more practical decision. I announced that as of January 2010 I would act, on a voluntary basis, as the editor of the HPB Defense Project. There was no opposition in the group: by then we were entering the seventh year since the publication of the libels by John Algeo and the TPH in the United States.
I gradually invited more people to the group of those who followed the effort. We needed other students sharing the process as “friendly witnesses”.
The Portuguese-Brazilian ULT Lodge – registered in Los Angeles in November 2009 – decided to support the project and started expanding its English-language work.
We felt it was not only a question of having a paper book published. More importantly, it was a question of developing a living and active relationship with the reading public. We saw we had to make a self-devised effort that could grow as living organisms do. We should start publishing the book independently from money, and online.
In 2011, the Portuguese-Brazilian ULT had already three websites with texts in English. The number of their readers was significant, and has been growing since then. Many of the texts to be used in the book and in the project were already published online.
In February 2012, after being invited by Will Windham, I took over as Editor of “The Aquarian Theosophist”, and formed an editorial council. [3]
In the following months, it became clear that “The Aquarian” had no access to information about the money raised for the publication of a book in defense of Helena Blavatsky. The “Aquarian” then made it public that those interested in knowing anything about the destination of those funds should write to “Theosophy Co.” in Los Angeles. [4]
It seemed the directors of the Theosophy Company-Los Angeles could not accept the publication of a book which while defending HPB, would criticize Dr. John Algeo, a remarkable disseminator of lies and falsehood against the main founder of the esoteric movement. By that time, of course, Algeo had a strong political influence, especially in the United States.
Having observed these facts, the Portuguese-Brazilian lodge of the United Lodge of Theosophists decided to edit and publish the book in defense of HPB with its own resources. The decision would then be one of the main factors leading to the creation several years later of the Independent Lodge of Theosophists.
The co-editors of the associated websites saw that the editorial effort had to be pioneer. Not everyone can understand the meaning of these words by H.P. Blavatsky:
“If the ‘false prophets of Theosophy’ are to be left untouched, the true prophets will be very soon – as they have already been – confused with the false. It is nigh time to winnow our corn and cast away the chaff.” [5]
And some people prefer not to examine with due care these words by Robert Crosbie:
“It is the duty of esoteric students to unmask error and hypocrisy; to face lie with truth; not as personal criticisms but as facts against mis-statements. (…) The custodians of Truth voice it in the face of lie, ignorance and error (…). Theosophy is in the world for that purpose.” [6]
Our associated websites and the Independent Lodge of Theosophists consider that preserving respect for truth regarding the life of Helena Blavatsky – especially within theosophical circles – is no irrelevant task. Such a project aims at defending the living center of the magnetic aura of the theosophical movement as a whole, and constitutes a decisive factor for the future Karma and Dharma of the movement, and of humanity.
The work on the book in defense of HPB made good progress until it was published by “The Aquarian Theosophist” in October 2013. The volume has 255 pages and includes 16 illustrations, some of them being parts of original manuscripts of a letter from a Mahatma, and of a letter from Helena Blavatsky.
“The Fire and Light of Theosophical Literature” also discusses the role played and to be played by the theosophical movement in the awakening of a civilization of brotherhood, which is taking place – not without suffering – in the 21st century.
NOTES:
[1] “Theosophy” magazine, November / December 2005, p. 32. The note is entitled “Questionable Letters and the Blavatsky Defense Fund”.
[2] “Sunrise” magazine, edited by the Pasadena Theosophical Society, February / March 2005 edition, p. 82.
[3] The editorial council of “The Aquarian” is formed by every active associate of the Independent Lodge of Theosophists.
[4] The 2,400 dollars donation that had been made by the “Biosofia” magazine, from Lisbon, was returned to “Biosofia” by the Theosophy Co. upon request.
[5] “On Pseudo-Theosophy”, an 1889 article included in “Theosophical Articles”, Helena P. Blavatsky, Theosophy Company, Los Angeles, 1981, volume I, pp. 161-175. See p. 163. “On Pseudo-Theosophy” is also available in our associated websites.
[6] “The Friendly Philosopher”, by Robert Crosbie, Theosophy Company, Los Angeles, 1945, 416 pp.; see p. 181.
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In September 2016, after a careful analysis of the state of the esoteric movement worldwide, a group of students decided to form the Independent Lodge of Theosophists, whose priorities include the building of a better future in the different dimensions of life.
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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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