Theos-Talk Archives (January 2003 Message tt00233)

Phillip Lindsay wrote:

"So who decides or has decided what teaching does not'share the 
KEY or BASIC tenets of HPB & her Gurus' - what great authority, TS or
otherwise claimed it thus?"

This is a good question. In 1889 Mme. Blavatsky herself pointed out 
that certain teachings did NOT "share the KEY or BASIC tenets" of 
what she and her Masters taught. HPB wrote:

". . . A new and rapidly growing danger. . . is threatening . . . the 
spread of the pure Esoteric Philosophy and knowledge. . . . I 
allude to those charlatanesque imitations of Occultism and 
Theosophy. . . . By pandering to the prejudices of people, and 
especially by adopting the false ideas of a personal God and a 
personal, carnalized Saviour, as the groundwork of their teaching, 
the leaders of this 'swindle' (for such it is) are endeavoring to 
draw men to them and in particular to turn Theosophists from the true 
path."

". . . A close examination will assuredly reveal. . . materials 
largely stolen . . . from Theosophical writings. . . [and] distorted 
and falsified so as to be palmed off on the unwary as revelations of 
new and undreamed of truths. But many will neither have the time nor 
the opportunity for such a thorough investigation; and before they 
become aware of the imposture they may be led far from the 
Truth. . . . Nothing is more dangerous to Esoteric Truth than the 
garbled and distorted versions disfigured to suit the prejudices and 
tastes of men in general." H. P. Blavatsky, E.S. Instruction No. I., 
1889. Quoted from: 
http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/hpbes1extract.htm

Notice HPB's words:

". . . the FALSE ideas of a personal God and a personal, carnalized 
Saviour. . . . "

And Master K.H. wrote in 1882:

"I dread the appearance in print of our philosophy as expounded by 
Mr. H[ume]. I read his three essays or chapters on God (?) cosmogony 
and glimpses of the origin of things in general, and had to cross out 
nearly all. He makes of us Agnostics!! We do not believe in God 
because so far, we have no proof, etc. This is preposterously 
ridiculous: if he publishes what I read, I will have H.P.B. or Djual 
Khool deny the whole thing; as I cannot permit our sacred philosophy 
to be so disfigured. He says that people will not accept the whole 
truth; that unless we humour them with a hope that there may be 
a 'loving Father and creator of all in heaven' our philosophy will be 
rejected a priori. In such a case the less such idiots hear of our 
doctrines the better for both. If they do not want the whole truth 
and nothing but the truth, they are welcome. But never will they find 
us -- (at any rate) -- compromising with, and pandering to public 
prejudices." Master Koot Hoomi, The Mahatma Letters, 2nd ed., Letter 
54 

Quoted from:
http://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/mahatma/ml-54.htm

Looks to me like HPB and KH decided.....

A question for Phillip Lindsay: 

Do you believe that there really are:

"charlatanesque imitations of Occultism and Theosophy. . . ."?

Do you agree with HPB when she warns her Esoteric students:

"Nothing is more dangerous to Esoteric Truth than the garbled and 
distorted versions disfigured to suit the prejudices and tastes of 
men in general." 

Daniel H. Caldwell
BLAVATSKY ARCHIVES
http://hpb.cc