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Re: Theos-World The Krishnamurti Cult & the KH 1900 Letter

Mar 18, 2009 08:29 PM
by Govert Schuller


Dear Daniel,

I do agree with you that the so-called Huizen manifestations (named after the Dutch village where the Adyar TS had an important center) of appointing apostles were highly questionable, if not spurious. The idea came from (or through) Mr. Arundale and was not confirmed by CWL nor K himself. Both were upset with this development, but, out of maybe misplaced loyalty to Besant, they didn't protest specifically. It did lead later to a situation in which K was asked whom he would accept as disciples and he answered none, though he might make an exception for Besant. 

Yes, it was cultish around K, but there were powerful transcendental experiences feeding it and given human nature the cultishness probably was to be expected. both Besant and CWL were also responsible for exagerating it. On the other hand HPB is also to be 'blamed' with her glowing and optimistic prophecy about the TBT. Go and read the passage and see if you're not getting any upsurging feelings of great hope and potential devotion. I'm sure that if a TBT had arrived acceptable to your standards a certain cultishness still would have built up. 

So the  "Krishnamurti cult" qua cult is for me not necessarily an indication of something devoid of Mahatmic involvement. And if ever a "Blalvatsky cult" would develop (and some would say it actually exists), would that refute then her claim to Mahatmic connections? 

Govert  



  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: danielhcaldwell 
  To: theos-talk@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Tuesday, March 17, 2009 8:57 PM
  Subject: Theos-World The Krishnamurti Cult & the KH 1900 Letter


  A study of the history of the Adyar Theosophical Society between the time when Krishnamurti was "discovered" and the time when he renounced all the claims that had been made about him shows the creation of a "Krishnamurti cult" which unfortunately dominated much of the life of the TS. 

  Yet I have often wondered what would have happened if Annie Besant had really taken to heart and practiced the advice found in the 1900 KH letter to her.

  Take for example just these words from this 1900 letter:

  --------------------------------------------------------
  The cant about "Masters" must be silently but firmly put down. Let the devotion and service be to that Supreme Spirit alone of which each one is a part. 
  --------------------------------------------------------

  Instead it appears the devotion and service of hundreds if not thousands of Theosophists were given instead to Krishnamurti and the supposed Maitreya "overshadowing" him.

  And Mrs. Besant not only ignored the Master's sage advice about letting the "devotion and service be to that Supreme Spirit alone of which each one is a part," but instead promoted the following:

  "And now I have to give you, by command of the King, His message,
  and some of the messages of the Lord Maitreya and His great
  Brothers. . . what I am saying, as to matter of announcement, is
  definitely at the command of the King whom I serve.

  His taking possession of His chosen vehicle . . . will be soon.
  Then He will choose, as before, His twelve apostles . . . and their
  chief, the Lord Himself. He has already chosen them, but I have only
  the command to mention seven who have reached the stage of Arhatship,
  Who were the 'Arhats'?

  The first two, my brother Charles Leadbeater and myself, . . . C.
  Jinarajadasa, . . . George Arundale, Oscar Kollerstrom, . . . Rukmini
  Arundale....

  I left out one and must leave out another. Naturally, our
  Krishnaji [Jiddu Krishnamurti] was one, but he is to be the vehicle
  of the Lord. And the other is one who is very dear to all of us, as
  to the whole Brotherhood: Bishop James Wedgwood. He had borne his
  crucifixion before the seal of Arhatship was set upon him by his King.
  Those are the first seven of the twelve whom He has chosen, with
  Himself as the thirteenth. 'Ye call me Master and Lord, and ye do
  well, for so I am.'

  Now the wonder may come into your mind: H.P.B. was the only one
  who was really announced as the messenger of the Master. Since then
  the world has grown a good deal, and it is possible that while the
  few may be repelled, many thousands will be attracted to the
  Christ. . . . Whatever the effect, since He has said it, it is
  done. . ."

  The Theosophist, November, 1925

  Also compare Mrs. Besant's above words with what Madame Blavatsky had said about similar claims:

  'Lo here! and lo there!': The Messiah Craze 
  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theos-talk/message/49396

  Daniel
  http://hpb.cc



  

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