Theos-Talk Archives (November 2006 Message tt00241)

--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "carlosaveline" <carlosaveline@...> 
wrote:

> Therefore you see that in Russia now you have more books published
> by Leadbeater than books by HPB, who was born there.

Carlos, it is a wrong impression. Almost all works by Blavatsky are 
translated and published in Russian, though the quality of translation 
is sometimes low. For example, I had to translate "Key to theosophy" 
anew. The older version, many times reprinted, contained the word God 
which was absent in the original, while one phrase "better a 
philosophical atheism than ignorant worship" was omitted. 
Nevertheless, probably only some small articles and letters remained 
unpublished.
While much less than a half of works by Leadbeater are published.
In every central bookshop one can probably find some work by 
Blavatsky, while works by Leadbeater have to be searched for.
The overall printing of "Key to theosophy" during 2004-2005 was in 
21000 copies, and Transactions around 8000 copies.
I wonder whether in America Transactions of Blavatsky Lodge were ever 
printed in such quantities during 2 years.

> Does he think people in Russia/Ukraine would receive well,
> or not welcome, other views of Theosophy, more in line with HPB?

The situation is the following. There are not much theosophists here 
but much of the Roerich followers. Many of them are intolerant and 
sectarian. They regard Leadbeater and Bailey as kind of devils, and of 
theosopical writers only Blavatsky and Judge are regarded correct. But 
they are adding to them Dower with "Temple Teaching" and the numerous 
books by Roerichs which are regarded the last and best revelation (HPB 
is regarded as old testament and Roerichs as a new testament). These 
books included Agni Yoga series and several volumes of letters. They 
involve belief in God, desirability of prayer, belief in Lucifer as an 
evil being, doctrine of twin souls, etc. They also believe that Master 
Morya in previous lives was an emperor Akbar and a russian saint 
Sergiy.

So, in my view, they diverge from original teachings of Blavatsky much 
more than any follower of Leadbeater or Bailey could dream.
Many who regard themselves theosophists are under strong influence of 
Roerichs and share admiration to them and disbelief to Leadbeater. So 
reading his works is somewhat like being a dissident.

Crosbie and ULT are almost completely unknown. I wonder if I am the 
only ULT associate here or there are some others. ULT declaration was 
published only once ... on the back cover of "Dreams" by CWL!

> I have a strong admiration for Farthing

I think that at least some of his works are not very deep insighted. 
Once I tried to write to him with my arguments regarding his article 
about etheric double but to my disappointment I discovered that he 
recently died.

> I believe any people who wants to understand the Adyar movement 
should
> get a copy of the well-documented book "The Elder Brother", a CWL's 
biography

I think it will not work. I am sure that CWL is an easy false target, 
a lighning rod to deflect the blow from the real manipulators behind 
the scene. In Russia he was almost discredited during the 1990's but 
it didn't help at all.