Theos-Talk Archives (May 1998 Message tt00353)

May 19th 1998

Dallas writes:

                    HPB said to be initiated into "Tibetan
Buddhism."

I have looked for any reference that says this, or anything she
writes which says this in so many words.  I have not found it.

Does anyone have a reference to this event, either by HPB or the
Masters ?

Initiation into exoteric Buddhism in Ceylon:

Both HPB and Olcott were "initiated" ( took Pansil - Pancha
Shila ) when in Ceylon and technically that made them
"Buddhists."  Later on in India, Olcott was initiated into the
caste of a prominent Brahmin -- so that also made him a technical
Hindu "Brahmin !"  And perhaps he was initiated in Japan into
some of the Japanese Buddhist sects -- and what would that prove,
other than the liberalism implied in theosophical doctrines, and
that it is a wisdom which embraces all religions and philosophies
equally, and which always traces them to their origins ?

HPB received a Masonic Diploma, unasked for, after the
publication of ISIS UNVEILED -- implying that such occultism as
resided in Masonry recognized a wise sister.  There is also a
hint (as I recall) that she may have been initiated into the
Druze fraternity.

All this is evidence that there is universal brotherhood of the
Wise and that we all belong to it to the extent that we work to
spread its wisdom among our friends and contemporaries.

There is no question that HPB acquired initiation into the
ancient esoteric Lodge of the cis-Himalayan BROTHERHOOD -- but
that does not mean that she was initiated into "Tibetan
Buddhism."

Her writings from "A Few Questions to HIraf" through her books,
to the last article:  "My Books" are her living certificate to a
wisdom we can only dream of.  And including "COLLECTED WORKS --
Blavatsky, we have some 15 to 20 hefty volumes to absorb -- if we
wish to take advantage of our incarnation this time 'around', and
our proximity (under karma) to Theosophy.

Nor does it mean that all the Brothers are either Hindus or
Tibetans by this recent birth.  (We seem to be so bound by the
political and racial ideas of our present incarnation, and our
desire to put 'labels' on everything !  But, labeling alone does
not confer an understanding of the implications .)  I recall that
she writes of there being European Initiates and African ones (I
mean their physical bodies in this incarnation) who visited the
early T S in New York and were responsible for the early
'initiations.'

The T S originally started out as a "secret society," similar to
Masonry.  Its meetings for several years were not open to the
public, and were for the instruction and benefit of "members."
The history of its progress and development needs to be traced
with accuracy if we desire to see what has happened .

Of the "original founders" all those except HPB, Olcott and Judge
left the society.  And it was to these three steadfast ones that
we owe our present basis of knowledge.

Behind the T S stood Theosophy.

HPB provided the necessary link between the exoteric T S and the
esoteric Lodge of Adepts.  Her writings represent Their
teachings.  For the "Secret Doctrine" we have a certificate of
authorship given to Dr. Hubbe-Schleiden and reproduced at the
beginning of Vol. 8 of THE PATH -- and also, the several
references in MAHATMA LETTERS to this fact.

What does it matter ?  HPB was initiated and there is a Grand
Lodge that has survived the aeons since "Man was Man."  And
through Theosophy we have an opportunity of making a closer
contact with the wisdom that the Brothers preserve.  Are we going
to waste time on the details of temporality when we have a grand
philosophy to work with and use ?  Are we seriously working with
that philosophy to prove or not prove to ourselves its value ?

So to be accurate, while the focus of the Esoteric Grand Lodge,
or at least its libraries, as a locale, may be "placed" somewhere
in the fastness and inaccessibility of the thousands of square
miles of the rugged and barren Himalayas -- giving that area of
many ranges its common designation -- we cannot locate it
geographically or politically with accuracy.  [ Look for instance
at Damodar's " "A Hindu Chela's Diary" -- printed originally from
his letters to Judge and then reprinted partially in PATH  Vol. 1
as a series. ]

I hope this can be of some help in this question of accuracy in
statement.

Dallas

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