Theosophical Society,
H P Blavatsky
"A Meeting With H P Blavatsky"
by
Charles Johnston
I
first met dear old "HPB," as she made all her friends call her, in
the spring
of
1887. Some of her disciples had taken a pretty house in
huge
glass nave and twin towers of the
streets
and terraces.
HPB
was just finishing her day's work. My first impression was of her rippled
hair
as she turned, then her marvelously potent eyes, as she welcomed me: "My
dear
fellow! I am so glad to see you! Come in and talk! You are just in time to
have
some tea!" Then a piercing call for "Louise," and her Swiss maid
appeared,
to
receive a voluble torrent of directions in French.
When
we were comfortably alone, she told me a charming tale of Louise's
devotion.
HPB had got away from her base of supplies somewhere, in
think,
and things were rather tight for a while. A wealthy gentleman called to
see
the famous Russian witch, and tipped her maid munificently. As soon as he
was
gone, Louise appeared, blushing and apologizing: "Perhaps Madame will not
be offended," she stammered, "but I do not need money"; and she
tried to transfer the douceur to her mistress.
Louise's
entry cut short the story, and HPB turned with a quizzically humorous
smile
to another theme: "Of course you have read the SPR Report? -- The
Spookical
Research Society -- and know that I am a Russian spy, and the champion impostor
of the age?"
Yes,
I read the Report. But I knew its contents already. I was at the meeting
when
it was first read, two years ago. But as far as I could see, [Hodgson] had
never
really investigated any occult phenomena at all; he simply investigated
dim
and confused memories about them in the minds of indifferent witnesses.
[Myers]
came down among us after the meeting, and smilingly asked me what I
thought
of the Report. I answered that it was the most unfair and one-sided
thing
I had ever heard of, and that if I had not already been a member of your
[HPB's]
Society, I should have joined on the strength of that attack. He smiled
a
kind of sickly smile, and passed on. . .
"They
will never do much. They go too far on material lines," said HPB,
"and
they
are far too timid. That was the secret motive that turned them against me.
They
were afraid of raising a storm if they said our phenomena were true. Fancy
what
it would have meant! Why it would practically have committed modern science to
our mahatmas and all I have taught about the inhabitants of the occult world and
their tremendous powers.". . .
Then
she told me something about other Masters and adepts she had known -- for she
made a difference, as though the adepts were the captains of the occult
world,
and the Masters were the generals. She had known adepts of many races,
from
Northern and
European
nations, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, English; of certain races in South
"There
are certain members of the Lodges who pass from centre to centre, keeping the
lines of connection between them unbroken. But they are always connected in other
ways." "In their astral bodies?" "Yes," she answered,
"and in other ways still higher.
They
have a common life and power. As they rise in spirituality, they rise above
difference
of race, to our common humanity. The series is unbroken. Adepts are a necessity
in nature and in super-nature. They are the links between men and the
gods;
these 'gods' being the souls of great adepts and Masters of bygone races
and
ages, and so on, up to the threshold of Nirvana. The continuity is
unbroken."
"What do they do?" "You would hardly understand, unless you were
an adept. But they keep alive the spiritual life of mankind."
"How
do the adepts guide the souls of men?"
"In
many ways, but chiefly by teaching their souls direct, in the spiritual
world.
That is difficult for you to understand. But this is quite intelligible:
At
certain regular periods, they try to give the world at large a right
understanding
of spiritual things. One of their number comes forth to teach the
masses,
and is handed down to tradition as the founder of a religion.
was
such a Master; so was Zoroaster; so were Buddha and Sankaracharya, the great sage
of
"Have
the adepts any secret records of his life?"
"They
must have," she answered, "for they have records of the lives of all
Initiates.
Once I was in a great cave-temple in the Himalayan mountains, with my
Master.
There were many statues of adepts there; pointing to one of them, he
said:
'This is he whom you call Jesus. We count him to be one of the greatest
among
us.'"
"But
that is not the only work of the adepts. At much shorter periods, they send
forth
a messenger to try to teach the world. Such a period comes in the last
quarter
of each century, and the Theosophical Society represents their work for
this
epoch."
“How
does it benefit mankind?"
“How
does it benefit you to know the laws of life?”
“Does
it not help you to escape sickness and death?”
Well,
there is a soul-sickness, and a soul-death.
Only
the true teaching of Life can cure them. The dogmatic churches, with their
hell
and damnation, their metal heaven and their fire and brimstone, have made
it
almost impossible for thinking people to believe in the immortality of the
soul.
And if they do not believe in a life after death, then they have no life
after
death. That is the law."
"How
can what people believe possibly affect them? Either it is or it isn't,
whatever
they may believe."
"Their
belief affects them in this way. Their life after death is made by their
aspirations
and spiritual development unfolding in the spiritual world.
According
to the growth of each [in our world] so is his life after death. It is
the
complement of his life here. All unsatisfied spiritual longings, all desires
for
higher life, all aspirations and dreams of noble things, come to flower in
the
spiritual life, and the soul has its day, for life on earth is its night.
But
if you have no aspirations, no higher longings, no beliefs in any life after
death,
then there is nothing for your spiritual life to be made up of; your soul
is
a blank."
"What
becomes of you then?"
"You
reincarnate immediately, almost without an interval, and without regaining
consciousness
in the other world."
"What
else do you teach, as theosophists?"
"Well,
Sir! I am being cross-examined this evening, it would seem," she answered with
a smile. "We teach something very old, and yet which needs to be taught.
We teach universal brotherhood."
"Don't
let us get vague and general. Tell me exactly what you mean by that."
"Let
me take a concrete case," she said. "Take the English. How cruel they
are!
How
badly they treat my poor Hindus!"
"I
have always understood that they had done a good deal for
way,"
I objected.
"But
what is the use of material benefits, if you are despised and trampled down
morally
all the time? If your ideals of national honor and glory are crushed in
the
mud, and you are made to feel all the time that you are an inferior race --
a
lower order of mortals -- pigs, the English call them, and sincerely believe
it.
Well, just the reverse of that would be universal brotherhood. No amount of
material
benefit can compensate for hurting their souls and crushing out their
ideals.
Besides there is another side of all that, which we as theosophists
always
point out. There are really no 'inferior races,' for all are one in our
common
humanity; and as we have all had incarnations in each of these races, we ought
to be more brotherly to them. They are our wards, entrusted to us; and
what
do we do? We invade their lands, and shoot them down in sight of their own homes;
we outrage their women, and rob their goods, and then with smooth-faced hypocrisy
we turn round and say we are doing it for their good. But there is a just law,
'the false tongue dooms its lie; the spoiler robs to render. Ye shall not come
forth, until ye have paid the uttermost farthing."'
"So
that is what the adepts sent you forth to teach?"
"Yes,
that and other things -- things which are very important, and will soon be
far
more important. There is the danger of black magic, into which all the
world,
and especially
knowledge
of the real psychic and spiritual nature of man can save humanity from grave
dangers."
"Witch-stories
in this so-called nineteenth century, in this enlightened age?"
"Yes,
Sir! Witch-tales in this enlightened age! And mark my words! You will have such
witch-tales as the Middle Ages never dreamt of. Whole nations will drift insensibly
into black magic, with good intentions, no doubt, but paving the road to hell
none the less for that! Do you not see the tremendous evils that lie
concealed
in hypnotism? Hypnotism and suggestion are great and dangerous powers, for the
very reason that the victim never knows when he is being subjected to them; his
will is stolen from him. These things may be begun with good motives, and for
right purposes. But I am an old woman, and have seen much of human life in many
countries and I wish with all my heart I could believe that these powers would
be used only for good! If you could foresee what I foresee, you would begin
heart and soul to spread the teaching of universal brotherhood. It is the only
safeguard!"
"How
is it going to guard people against hypnotism?"
"By
purifying the hearts of people who would misuse it. And universal
brotherhood
rests upon the common soul. It is because there is one soul common to all men,
that brotherhood, or even common understanding, is possible.
Bring
men to rest on that, and they will be safe. There is a divine power in every
man which is to rule his life, and which no one can influence for evil, not
even the greatest magician. Let men bring their lives under its guidance, and
they have
nothing
to fear from man or devil.
"And
now, my dear, it is getting late, and I am getting sleepy. So I must bid
you
goodnight!"
And
the Old Lady dismissed me with that grand air of hers which never left her,
because
it was a part of herself. She was the most perfect aristocrat I have
ever
known.
Theosophical Society,