Theos-Talk Archives (March 2007 Message tt00241)

The first books I ever read
on Theosophy in college were:

THE ANCIENT WISDOM
by Annie Besant

This was followed by

A TEXTBOOK OF THEOSOPHY
by C.W. Leadbeater

Then probably:

A STUDY IN CONSCIOUSNESS
by Annie Besant

FOLLOWED BY (not necessarily
in order of how I read them)

THE GNOSIS OR THE ANCIENT WISDOM
IN THE CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES
by William Kingsland

ESOTERIC CHRISTIANITY
by Annie Besant

THE MAHATMA LETTERS TO A.P. SINNETT
3rd edition

AN ABRIDGEMENT OF THE SECRET DOCTRINE
edited by Elsie Benjamin and Christmas Humprheys

The Mahatma Letters book was the most confusing
book to read!!!!  The letters were NOT in
any chrono order.  It was a frustrating struggle trying to
understand what was being conveyed in the letters BUT
it soon became one of my favorite books!!!

I haven't thought about this for years but during this
time period I remember underlining in the Mahatma Letters
every passage that gave practical and spirtual advice to
the newcomer.  I even typed up all the quotes in a
binder.  

It was the reading of the MLs and
the Abridgement of the SD that made
me first think there were definite differences
between what Blavatsky/the Mahatmas taught
and what was later given out by Mrs. Besant
and Mr. Leadbeater.  

At first I was simply puzzled by this and thought
I was misreading something somehow!

Other books read during this period of
time (1968-1972) when I was in college
were:

THE SCIENCE OF YOGA
by I.K. Taimni

MAN, GOD AND THE UNIVERSE
by I.K. Taimni 

A SHORT HISTORY OF THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY
by Josephine Ransom

THE MATHEMATICS OF THE COSMIC MIND
by L. Gordon Plummer

THE HIDDEN WISDOM IN THE HOLY SCRIPTURES, Volume 1
by Geoffrey Hodson

MAN, THE MEASURE OF ALL THINGS
by Sri Krishna Prem

MAN, SON OF MAN
by Sri Krishna Prem and Sri Madhava Ashish
It must have been about 1971 (summer time)
that I somehow contacted Geoffrey Barborka
and wrote him about the view given in
MAN, SON OF MAN about the root races.

DID MADAME BLAVATSKY FORGE THE MAHATMA LETTERS?
by C. Jinarajadasa

WHEN WE DIE (1st 1967 ed.)
by Geoffrey A. Farthing

THE HALL OF MAGIC MIRRORS
by Victor Endersby

THE HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE METAPHYSICAL
MOVEMENTS IN AMERICA.
by J. Stillson Judah
Chapter III on "Theosophy and Its Allies" was
an eyeopener.  I believe it was probably this
book that lead me to realizing that there were other
branches of the Theosophical Movement other than
the Adyar Theosophical Society.

It was probably also during this same time period
that I also read:

CHRISTIAN DEVIATIONS:  THE CHALLENGE OF THE NEW
SPRITUAL MOVEMENTS 
by Horton Davies

and 

THESE ALSO BELIEVE: A Study of Modern American Cults 
& Minority Religious Movements 
by Charles Samuel Braden

Thess "cult" books prompted me to study the Theosophical Movement
within the larger "metaphysical" movement of cults, etc.

Three more books which were not necessarily "Theosophical" but
had a lasting influence on me were:

THE EXPANSION OF AWARENESS 
by Arthur Walter Osborn

and 

THE COSMIC WOMB
by Arthur W. Osborn

and 

THE IMPRISONED SPLENDOUR
by Raynor Carey Johnson.

These three books lead me to pursue my studies in psychical research 
(parapsychology), mysticism and spiritualism.

This four year period of time (1968-1972) was a very exciting
period of my life at least as regards pursuing these interests! 

Daniel
http://hpb.cc