Theos-Talk Archives (September 2004 Message tt00053)

Our modern knowledge of Theosophy sprang 
from two sources: The Mahatma Letters & 
the writings of H.P. Blavatsky.

>From the Masters' letters, A.P. Sinnett 
wrote 2 books "The Occult World" & "Esoteric 
Buddhism." From the knowledge gained directly 
from these Masters, Madame Blavatsky penned 
more than 10,000 pages of writing including 
her major works "Isis Unveiled," "The Secret 
Doctrine," "The Key to Theosophy" & "The Voice 
of the Silence."

Since HPB's death in 1891, NUMEROUS individuals 
have claimed contact with her Masters, stating 
that they were new "messengers" conveying further 
esoteric teachings. See a partial list of 
claimants at:

http://blavatskyarchives.com/latermessengers.htm#six

The end result has been a CONFUSING MORASS of claims, 
counterclaims & various contradictory teachings.

Even during her lifetime, Mme. Blavatsky told the Theosophists:

"Great are the desecrations to which the names of two of the Masters 
have been subjected. There is hardly a medium who has not claimed to 
have seen them."

HPB & the Mahatmas also warned about "imitations of Occultism and 
Theosophy" and "disfigured" expositions of Theosophy. They wrote 
about "wild and fanciful speculation" and "erroneous notions" about 
Theosophy that were distorting the original teachings.

Concerning certain "false ideas" grafted onto Theosophy, Blavatsky 
penned the following:

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

For more background on the above, see:

H.P.B.'s Occult Status & the Claims of Latter-Day Messengers of the 
Masters
http://blavatskyarchives.com/latermessengers.htm

In light of the above confusion and conflicting claims, the Blavatsky 
Study Center recommends inquirers & new students to go directly to 
the fountain source of Modern Theosophy: the original writings of 
Blavatsky & the Mahatmas. 

These source writings contain a wealth of valuable material on 
metaphysics, esoteric lore and knowledge, occult laws and processes 
in nature, ethical, spiritual and devotional material, and much more.

Whether the student is inclined to believe Blavatsky's claims or not, 
whether one ultimately comes to accept or reject what she wrote, we 
have available HPB's major books, more than 1000 of her articles, 
hundreds of her personal letters to correspondents, more than a 
hundred Mahatma letters received during HPB's lifetime,
and voluminous historical accounts of people who met and knew
HPB and her Teachers. Some of these latter accounts have been 
compiled in the book ESOTERIC WORLD OF MADAME BLAVATSKY. 
http://esotericworld.net

The Blavatsky and Mahatma source material is now available on CD-Rom.
See http://blavatskyarchives.com/tsclassics2.htm

Also see much of this material online at
http://blavatskyarchives.com/hpbwritingsalphalist.htm 

Interested inquirers and students are encouraged to read and study 
this original material. No one is asked to believe or disbelieve what 
is written but simply encouraged to try to gain an UNDERSTANDING of
what is being conveyed in material from the pens of HPB and the
Mahatmas. 

Far too many readers don't take the time and effort to try
to understand what HPB is attempting to convey in her many writings. 
Far too often students interject their own thoughts & understanding 
on to the subject. Nothing is inherently wrong with that approach 
but the Center recommends that a student should try to ascertain FIRST
OF ALL what HPB's and the Mahatmas' views actually are on various 
subjects. This can be a challenge in itself but it can be done. 

A reader would do well to ask: "Do I really understand what HPB and 
the Mahatmas are trying to convey in their writings?"

One student's advice has been: Give HPB and the Mahatmas the lectern 
and allow them to speak. The initial goal should be to try 
to "listen" to them, to try to understand their view, their take on 
the subject. 

This is not to say that one should assume that they are always right 
or anything like that. HPB and the Mahatmas never claimed they were 
infallible. But many students have reasonably concluded that HPB and 
her Teachers were very knowledgeable on a wide range of subjects.

Furthermore, keep in mind the following words of HPB:

"Every reader will inevitably judge the statements made from the 
stand-point of his own knowledge, experience, and consciousness, 
based on what he has already learnt."

We also might do well to keep uppermost in mind how limited our OWN 
knowledge, experience and consciousness MAY be.

Daniel H. Caldwell
BLAVATSKY STUDY CENTER
http://hpb.cc