Theosophical Society,
H P Blavatsky
Koot Hoomi
By
William Q. Judge
To
the Editor of the Religio-Philosophical Journal:
A
late issue of your valuable paper contains a letter alleged to be from
It
seems to me you devote much space to that endeavor, but it is given up to
efforts to demolish a very common sentence, while no space is devoted to the
other ideas put forth by Koot Hoomi. Perhaps your Trebizond gentleman can show that
some other Spiritualist has enunciated all those views of moral rewards and
punishments, reincarnation, a future state, cycles, etc., which have been the
property of the Buddhist from time immemorial, and which are
handed
out again by Koot Hoomi and other Theosophists.
But,
of course, neither he nor you can do this, unless you first sweep away the
testimony
of centuries and the declarations of such men as Rhys-Davids and Max Muller.
Now as to the plagiarism:
1.
It is not proven that Mr. Kiddle was the first to use the form of words
adverted
to.
2.
It is an idea which has been common property for a long time, and has been
used,
in nearly identical words by others before Kiddle. Can you or Mr. Kiddle
claim
that, "Ideas rule the world," is an expression original with the
gentleman?
Is the clause: "It is just as impossible to resist their influx when
the
time comes as to stay the progress of the tide," also new with Kiddle? I
think
not. These very ideas and sentences I have used myself often before 1880
and
have heard others use them.
In
the inaugural address before the Theosophical Society,
print)
the same ideas, inspired by Koot Hoomi may be found. In July 1880, a
circular
was written and printed in
and
contains among other things, this: "Individuals count as nothing; the idea
we
represent is everything. Though an entire Branch of the Society should be
obliterated
. . . . this idea which has been set before the century would run
through
its entire career and work out its legitimate results."
Here
is the same proposition in slightly different language but neither author
can
be accused of plagiarism.Again, Mr. Editor, let me make the declaration that I
knew of, and heard from, Koot Hoomi in New York in the beginning of 1875 to
date, and have often heard the declaration contained in the Kiddle lecture
repeated by Koot Hoomi orally and in writing, just five years before Mr.
Kiddle's lecture. I have seen also in
WILLIAM
Q. JUDGE
First
Published 1884
Theosophical Society,