Theos-Talk Archives (February 2005 Message tt00775)

<< Mrs. Cleather continues >>

The first of the old papers I shall quote from is by my old friend 
Mr. William Kingsland. He was one of the leading members in the early 
days who, when Mrs. Besant in 1907 reinstated Mr. Leadbeater, 
resigned his membership. Mrs. Besant had reviewed a new book by Mr. 
Kingsland and took the opportunity to refer to his resignation. 
Replying in "AN OPEN LETTER TO ANNIE BESANT", december 1909, he tells 
her: 
"..Your words convey the implication that there is a connection 
between the form in which my book is presented, and recent events in 
the Theosophical Society which have led me as well as many others to 
sever our connection with that Society; and also implicates that we 
now `refuse to walk with Theosophy' because she `is not now 
fashionable'. Neither of these statemens is true, and the implication 
is most unworthy of you. .. That is a small matter compared with the 
implication that I and others have turned our backs on Theosophy for 
so unworthy reason.
Let me ask you to look at the names of the old and tried workers WHOM 
YOU HAVE FORCED OUT OF THE SOCIETY BY YOUR DISASTROUS POLICY,
<< capslock mine - Alaya >>, and then ask yourself wheter it is true 
that any of them have deserted Theosophy.. Did any of us shrink 
obloquy then, and do you really think we are less ready to face it 
now? It is one thing to inccur obloquy for the sake of Truth, and 
quite another thing to be asked to do it in support of immoral 
teachings... you are now making the grand mistake of thinking that 
there can be no Theosophy in the world outside the Theosophical 
Society, and no Theosophist... You must know that in leaving the 
Theosophical Society, the great majority of us at all events have not 
given up Theosophy...
In the old days we did at least think that the T.S. stood for pure 
Theosophy and pure Morality. We cannot think or say this any longer. 
The `Theosophy" of the Theosophical Society is now a definite creed 
and dogma based upon authoritative psychic pronouncements, from which 
those who dare to differ are squeezed out of office by the President 
and compelled to leave de T.S, being denounced in the strongest 
language as `persecutors' and `haters'. I am quite aware that all the 
time you are preaching freedom of opinion; but that is one of the 
farcical aspect os the regimè which you inaugurated.
..Whatever you may preach, it is now notorious that your practice has 
been the exact reverse. You commenced by turning out the Vice-
President for daring to hold a different opinion from your own.. ... 
Well, you succeeded in getting your own supporters appointed – and in 
losing many hundreds of old members.
Doubtless you will now have complete control and be able to mould the 
Society to your own will... Let none imagine that this is the basis 
on which H.P.Blavatsky founded the Society.... And if your statement 
is true that the T.S is now `in the days of scorning', possibly even 
more than it was in the old days; What and who is it that has made it 
so?
... And now, since you have had your own way, and have cleared the 
Society of the elemenst of the so-called `hatred and persecution'; 
can you not at least refrain from hitting behind our backs? Nothing 
is sadder for your old friends and comrades than to see you stoop to 
veiled insinuations and even direct untruths; missing no opportunity –
not even in the review of a book – of striking unjustly and 
falsely..."

Mr. Leadbeater's sinister hand already grasped the Society and its 
infatuated President, and his vile and immoral teachings, supported 
by her, had driven out some of the oldest and most clear-headed and 
clear-sighted of H.P.Balvatsky friends and pupils; among them Mr. 
G.R.S.Mead, one of the Leadbeater Commitee of Inquiry, who also 
resigned at the time Mrs. Besant became President for the same reason 
as those stated by Mr. Kingsland. The "practice" to which he alludes 
in his Open Letter is of course now well known to be that taught and 
advocated by Mr. Leadbeater, who claims that in so doing he is acting 
on the advice of one of the Masters of Wisdom. Could a more terrible 
infamy be perpertrated!