Theos-Talk Archives (September 2007 Message tt00037)

Josephine Ransom claims that ?The Masters and the Path? ?was based on
teachings given by the Master K.H. to a group of pupils about 1897.? [?A
Short History of the Theosophical Society, 1875-1937? TPH, Adyar,
1938:472]

This, presumably, refers to teachings allegedly given through Leadbeater
to an esoteric group founded by A.P. Sinnett within the London Lodge of
the TS. In 1882, in the midst of the period in which he was receiving
letters from the Masters (1880-1885) Sinnett had worked on a proposal for
a grade structure for the Third Section, and received Mahatmic advice on
this subject (see Mahatma Letter No XXXV); the Master advised that,
because of the limited education of many ?Asiatics?, it was virtually
impossible to create a system of grades which would be suitable to both
easterners and westerners, but nevertheless gave encouragement for the
development of a ?scheme of ?Degrees??. Sinnett?s proposal appears to have
been of seven degrees, but nothing seems to have come of it.

The Inner Group of the London Lodge eventually included Sinnett, William
Scott-Elliot, Francesca Arundale, Mr and Mrs Varley, and Leadbeater.
Sinnett published Transactions of the London Lodge on the basis of papers
prepared for the group, and which he claimed included material deriving
from contact with KH through various psychics, including Laura Holloway,
but most notably through ?Mary? (i.e. Maude Travers). The use of ?Mary?
declined after her marriage in 1893 and ended in 1898. From 1889 to 1894
Sinnett used Leadbeater as a medium through whom messages from the Masters
could be obtained. In June, 1894, Annie Besant was admitted to the Inner
Group of the London Lodge.

Leadbeater?s involvement with the Inner Group ceased when he moved into
the Avenue Road, London, house which was occupied by Besant and other
Theosophical workers; he was then financially supported by Besant, and by
his own Theosophical publications.

Jinarajadasa published some of the teachings received through Leadbeater
in a number of (now very rare) ES pamphlets: for example, C.W. Leadbeater
?Some Fundamental Teachings? Outer Head of the ES, Adyar, 1937. Of this
work, Jinarajadasa wrote in his foreword: ?papers in this compilation were
all written by Brother C. W. Leadbeater about the years 1892-95, in
London. The manuscript book, from which the papers which follow are
reprinted, is in my own handwriting. Brother Leadbeater used to write
first on small pieces of paper, usually the inside of envelopes received
with letters; from them I copied into manuscript books. It is from the
papers in this manuscript book in my handwriting that later he compiled
the larger work ?The Masters and the Path??. Regarding the subject of the
Rays, for several years there had existed with him a small memorandum,
with a table of the Rays, but there were no explanations; I recollect his
saying frequently that it was a very secret memorandum of the teachings
given at Adyar by the Master D. K. in 1885-6, concerning matters not
revealed to the world. The other papers contain teachings which Brother
Leadbeater had received at various times from the Master K. H. and His
senior pupils; here and there he has added to them explanations of his
own, in order to make the subject clearer. The paper on the Aura was the
result of his own investigations.?

Jinarajadasa?s publication of Leadbeater?s ?Some Fundamental Teachings? is
available on-line at:
http://www.anandgholap.net/Some_Fundamental_Teachings-CWL.htm

Dr Gregory Tillett