About
forty-five years ago an announcement of the Coming of the World Teacher
was made by Mrs Annie Besant and Bishop C.W. Leadbeater. Most of the Sections
and Lodges of The Theosophical Society accepted this proclamation with
confidence and diverted much of their energy to the Star Campaign — in
preparation for his Coming.
Obviously
there has been no Coming. Bishop Pigott, writing some years ago, expressed
the truth of the matter in the words ‘Leadbeater was wrong’. Naturally
that had been the suspicion of many in the 1930's, but there was little evidence
and no proof of the actual cause of that catastrophic error. It has, however,
now become known that the source of the proclamation was Bishop Leadbeater
himself. In letters he wrote to Mrs Besant during the years 1916-20 that have
recently been examined he tells repeatedly of the intention of the ‘Lord
Maitreya’
to come again — as he did ‘twenty centuries ago’.
As Truth is a priority among Theosophists, it is my hope that the following explanatory analysis of
important events in the history of the Society will be helpful.
A
witty satirist declared: ‘He who never makes a mistakes makes nothing else.’ But
there are mistakes and mistakes. The most misleading, far-reaching and disturbing are those who are
honestly believed to be truth. It is with these that we are concerned here.
C.W.
Leadbeater's Writings
Charles
Webster Leadbeater became a welcome exponent of Theosophy soon after joining
the Society in the 1880's. Many of his early contributions in articles, special
manuals, treatises and books are still widely held as good, useful and instructive;
and I would add my own warm indebtedness to him during several years of my early
membership. Later, in studying Man, Whence, How and Whither, I questioned
some of the statements; and with The Masters and the Path I had serious
doubts, apart from the wisdom of publishing such a book. Then, however, came
Mrs Besant’s wholehearted endorsement of his views—and I put all
suspicions on the shelf until further evidence or proof appeared. The evidence
and proof, though long delayed, have now emerged.
A
number of letters sent by C.W. Leadbeater, then living in Sydney, to Annie
Besant, President of The Theosophical Society, at Adyar, between 1916 and
1920 are concerned with the ‘Lord
Maitreya’ and the Liberal Catholic Church, which was then being founded.
These have but recently come to my knowledge.
The
claim of the Liberal Catholic Church for support from Fellows of The Theosophical
Society was based on the belief, expressed in this correspondence, that
the World Teacher, the Lord Maitreya, had ‘brought it into being’ and ‘approved’ its
liturgy. Mrs Besant accepted the information in good faith and announced
the founding. A letter dated April 7, 1920 contains the following:
He
(the Lord Maitreya) told us to ask questions from the Master K.H. upon
points as to which we were uncertain — and the information which we
gained in this way was of the very greatest value to us.
The
questions put by Bishop Leadbeater to the Master K.H., and said to have
been answered by him, run to several thousand words. They relate to the
celebration of Mass, the effect of consecration and of priesthood, and
to numerous details of ecclesiastical procedure. The answers to these many
questions all support and endorse the clerical views of Bishop Leadbeater
himself. Evidently the ‘Lord Maitreya’ knew nothing of the Master K.H.’s
strong views on religions and sacerdotalism. The Mâhatmâ Letters to A.P. Sinnett had not at that time been published. Letter
No.10, signed by the Master K.H., states:
The
chief cause of nearly two-thirds of the evils that pursue humanity ... is religion
under whatever form and in whatsoever nation. It is the sacerdotal caste, the
priesthood and the churches; it is in those illusions that man looks upon as
sacred that he has to search out the source of that multitude of evils which
is the great curse of humanity .... The sum of human misery will never be diminished
unto that day when the better portion of humanity destroys in the name of Truth,
morality and universal charity the altars of their false gods.
And in Letter No.134 the Master M. speaks of:
invisible
results proceeding from erroneous and sincere beliefs. Faith in the Gods and
God and other superstitions attract millions of foreign influences, living entities
and powerful agents ..... who delight in personifying gods... These are the
gods that Hindus and Christians and all others of bigoted religions and sects
worship.
These
extracts from letters written by the Masters K.H. and M. furnish convincing
evidence of
‘unconscious kriyâšhakti’ projections by Bishop Leadbeater.
The extracts would also seem to imply that the liturgies of churches devoted
to the adoration and worship of personal gods — the
projected mental images of the worshippers — induce a kind of refined idolatry.
Moreover,
the imminent Coming of the World Teacher is the theme of Leadbeater’s
letters:
Close
and perfect is the communication I have opened .... I have chosen you to hold
it .... occupy till I come.
He
quotes these words as from the Lord Maitreya. Yet Krishnamurti — the
Chosen Vehicle — was
beginning to rebel, and a few years later utterly repudiated all connection.
Later, Bishop Pigott, Presiding Bishop of the Liberal Catholic Church,
wrote:
The
Lord did not come in the way foretold ... The Lord has not come, so far as we
know .... Leadbeater ... was wrong about the Coming ..... Theosophists are in
no sense bound to accept Leadbeater as an infallible teacher. (August, 1952).
An
Occult Phenomenon
With
the advantage of forty years perspective, plus the letters to Annie Besant
and the events of 1920-30, it is now clear (as some have long known or
suspected) that the Lord Maitreya and the Masters with whom Leadbeater
was on such familiar terms were his own thought-creations. Yet I feel certain
that there was no intention to deceive. Bishop Leadbeater’s honesty and sincerity
were undoubted. His clairvoyance was unquestioned. It was by that faculty that he discovered the
boy Krishnamurti, who has at any rate turned out to be a great leader of thought, widely
acknowledged all over the world. This discovery in itself was no small feat, and it was not an
isolated case. And Leadbeater’s frequent references to the Masters were, from his own point of
view, utterly sincere and true. Nor was it a case of a split mind. The projection was a vivid example
of the phenomenon of ‘unconscious kriyâšhakti’. The
explanation of this phenomenon given below, which I wrote for The Theosophist, is reprinted from the issue of July, 1963.
Kriyâśhakti
Conscious and Unconscious
The
Sanskrit word Kriyâšhakti is defined as the Power of Creative
Thought. It is a well-known term in Occultism, and its meaning has been
abundantly demonstrated during the past few decades in research work on
the mysteries of the human mind. The description of the mind by Patanjali,
given long ago, is still much to the point:
The
mind may be compared to a lens in the form of a sphere, so constructed
as to be capable of giving a three-dimensional image inside itself of every
external object. (Book 1, 41—Stephen’s
translation.)
Personal
memories consist of such images imprinted on the mind, in size minute but
readily expanded when the higher mental ray of light is focussed on them.
Such a momentary focus is all that one needs to recognize a familiar face
and figure. Some of the imprints in the sphere of the lower mind are very
clear images because of frequent repetition — for example, those of
parents, children and other relatives, friends and acquaintances—but
others need some scrutiny by the focussed ray in order to be remembered. Pictured
forms can also be built in the mind by the ray itself.
Unconscious
Thought Power
Any
memory record can be strengthened by repeated recollection and, occasionally,
the picture will become most pronounced: for instance, the mental imprint
of the betrothed, a cherished friend, a revered teacher, an historical
figure who has fired the imagination. Indeed, in cases of extreme contemplation,
the mind, or part of it, may be filled by the hero — hence the Napoleons,
Henry VIIIs, Jesus Christs, etc., in mental asylums. They have mentally conceived
and created a form — and
stepped into it. Unconscious creative thought may also follow long-continued
contemplation of a religious symbol, such as a crucifix. Deep and sincere yearning
to share the agony of the Adored can cause stigmata to appear on hands
and feet. Mento-etheric repercussion is the simple reason. The same kind of
effect — a bruise on the body—may follow from a very vivid dream
in which one shrinks from, but receives, a severe dream blow. Psychotherapy
is becoming familiar with all of these.
Mental
Automatism
Mind and emotions are of the second and third elemental kingdoms, and the essence of which
these are composed is itself very much alive. A memory training course will speedily prove this,
and is well worth the experiment. Although well-planned exercises enable one to memorize verse
and prose easily, retain figures and dates by association devices and so forth, one soon realizes
that the mind is a separate entity from oneself. When well drilled it can take things over on its own.
Long passages can be recited and simple calculations made without higher mental attention.
Indeed, much routine work can be handed over. A common experience will illustrate this
automatism. A pleasing melody or a catchy tune is heard and hummed repeatedly; then one tires
of it, yet it continues and may become an obtrusive nuisance. The will must be invoked to curb or
dismiss the tune. Obviously the mind, though mine, is not I.
Visualization
We
all have the ability to visualize mentally. Some find it easy, many do
it only with difficulty. A good example of an expert’s skill in this
art is given by a chess master playing a number of games blindfold. On
the chessboard two armies of 16 pieces face each other, and the board is
of 64 squares, black and white. Countless combinations are possible, and
all the games differ. Yet a blindfold master, playing against 20 opponents
simultaneously, recently won 16 of the 20. Such an amazing feat of clear
and detailed visualization is convincing evidence of the power of creative
thought. The thought-form of the chessboard and the pieces in each game
is brilliantly real.
Master
and Chela
The
automatism of the elemental essence of thought-forms is used, it is said,
in the occult relationship of Master and chela. A mental image of the chela
is made by the Master, with a ‘radio’
link between image and chela. This image is isolated in the Master’s ‘cave’ and records the chela’s
progress. The reverse process, though less efficient, is also possible. By intense contemplation
a devotee can imprint the picture of a Master in his mental aura. Any link that a Master might make
with the Chela’s pictured thought-form depends, however, on the clarity and purity of the created
form. Conscious Kriyâšhakti builds the form, but unconscious Kriyâšhakti
may endow it with the emotional vibrations of the chela. Therein lies the extreme
hazard of the venture.
Skandas
The
pure elemental essence of the mental plane, untouched by human emotion
or thought, is of the clarity of ‘rock crystal’ (Patanjali).
But the slightest Skandas of its creator — i.e., personal desire
vibrations—will be awakened into a desire to live. And, should
its creator weaken, it may become his Frankenstein. Such is the vivid description
given by H.P.Blavatsky of the possible result of unconscious Kriyâšhakti.
(The Secret Doctrine, Adyar edition, v, 560.)
Subjective
to Objective
Built by thought
within the mind, the created form is subjective. When endowed with
the skandhas
of its creator and thus aroused, in a measure, into a life of its own, it may
be reflected in the Astral Light (Pure Elemental Essence, the universal matrix)
and become objective. This
property of the Astral Light as a medium of impressions — a matrix — that
may actually crystallize thoughts is referred to in The Key to Theosophy. After
the death of the physical body, the content of the mind being mirrored in the
golden glow of the Astral Light, one is surrounded by one’s own creations
and hence very much at home.
The
Methodist will be a Methodist, the Mussulman, a Musselman, at least for
some time, in a fool’s
paradise of each man’s own creation.
This
is the early devachan of Loka II, and probably pleasant enough while it
lasts. Many dream experiences illustrate this mirrored objectivity of one’s thinking. The Astral Light is, however, but
‘the shadow of Divine Light’. (The Secret Doctrine, v,566.)
The
Hazard
A
clear and finely built thought-form of a Master may, occasionally, be the
skilled product of conscious Kriyâšhakti by a devotee. If its
rock crystal purity be undisturbed, the form may presumably provide a medium
for communication. But if its elemental life is affected by the skandas of
its creator — though quite unconsciously conveyed — then absorption
and enhancement by the elemental will merely mean the birth of an attractive
royal edition by its creator. Thus one’s
own thought-creation of a Master may provoke the dangerous illusion of being
the Master himself. And mental clairvoyance assists its realistic objectivity.
The results of such a mistaken identity could well be disastrous.
On
the large scale of religious movements and nations, the power of creative
thought — conscious
and unconscious — is abundantly evident. The mentally projected figure
of an ‘Almighty God’, or
the ‘God of our Fathers’, is still a popular idol, though being
widely challenged today. As the Master K.H. wrote:
The
word ‘God’ was invented to designate the unknown cause of those
effects which man has either admired or dreaded without understanding them.
And H. P.B. said:
It
is not the Ever-Present God — the Divine Plenum — that is rejected,
but the humanized God of religious dogma which man has shaped from his
own brain-fabric. (The Secret Doctrine, I, 75.)
Mistaking
the False for the True
The President, Mr Sri Ram, commenting on this article in The Theosophist,
under the title
‘Mistaking the False for the True’, says that it
‘throws a clear light on a phenomenon which occurs among people of all religions, namely, that
of an image formed subjectively, partly out of material from the creator’s thought-environment, and
partly out of ideas generated by his own personal emotions and desires, assuming an objectivity,
a full-scale reality, that is completely convincing to him. Many a vision takes place in this manner
and is afterwards proclaimed to others and becomes the basis of a legend. The image is really a
projection from the person’s own mental make-up, to use a modern psychological term, but it gains
a strength and a vitality from his sub-conscious reactions, which give it the character of an
independent entity. The process involved in this phenomenon is well illustrated by what is said
about ‘elementals’ in early Theosophical literature, artificial
entities which are either created for a specific purpose and maintained by
deliberate design and volition, or, coming into existence more naturally through
repetitive or collective thought, get strengthened through interchange with
the psychic condition of their unconscious progenitors and thus prolong their
life for as long a period as the impulse might last.
Mr
Gardner points out that while an image of some loved and reverenced person,
or Teacher, if it be of rock-crystal purity, as he calls it, can be a medium
for communication with him, any unconscious desire vibrations — also
any established tendencies of thought — will affect the
image — and it may then become a ‘talking image’ reflecting
the subconscious mind of its creator. H.P.B refers in her writings to the ‘enormous
mysteries’ of the
human mind and of the deceptive nature of the psychic realms to which it is
related.
The
Only Safety
There
are many people today in different parts of the world who give out messages
which by their content may well be judged to come from their own subconscious
minds, but are invested by them with the authority of some well-known historical
figure or of one of the Teachers associated with the Theosophical movement.
It is a very great pity that the names of these Teachers, who are objects
of the deepest reverence to those who know anything of Them, should be
bandied about and turned into trademarks for the most commonplace outpourings,
usually containing, besides some ethical injunctions, a reference to current
events, thus giving the message a certain contemporary colour, and also
embellished quite often with picturesque phrases which are particularly
fascinating to the minds of their promulgators. The only safety for anyone
who does not wish to be misled with regard to such messages or by any other
kind of psychic revelation lies in weighing for oneself impersonally every
statement, from whatever source it might purport to come, strictly on its
intrinsic nature and merits.’
Annie
Besant's Part
The
overriding factor in the acceptance by T.S. members of Leadbeater’s views was Annie
Besant’s whole-hearted endorsement and approval. Her authority and prestige
were enough to satisfy most members. In 1912 she shut herself off from investigation
of the inner planes. This she did because she could not both continue that
and also do the political work for India that she felt so imperative. The strain
would have been too great. Thenceforward, without any longer checking occult
matters, the President loyally accepted the statements of Leadbeater and others.
My last interview
with Mrs Besant was in 1930, on her return from a short continental tour
with Bishops Leadbeater and J.I. Wedgwood. Certain incidents on that tour
had opened her eyes, and she saw clearly much that had been obscure. It was
plain that she knew the truth, and it was devastating. The dreadful burden
was that she herself might have prevented the illusion and its results if
she had retained her occult faculties and had checked statements instead
of blindly accepting them. Indeed, Mrs Besant had earlier been well aware
of the possibility of the disastrous error that had now disrupted the activities
of The Theosophical Society for many years. She had written that there are
Subtle
temptations that do not touch the lower nature but dare to raise their heads
against the higher ... subtle temptations than ensnare the inner man. He
must have gained utter control of the mental images he has himself created
ere he will be able to hold his own unshaken. (In the Outer Court, fifth
editions (1955) pp. 46-7; see also p.41 — older editions, p.70 and
pp.63-4.)
On her return to India Mrs Besant became mentally and physically ill, and died in 1933 at Adyar.
Twenty-one
Fateful Years
It may be useful to tabulate some of the outstanding facts already mentioned and others that are
personally known to me.
In
1909 onwards: Krishnamurti was found by Leadbeater clairvoyantly, as he similarly
discovered a number of other outstanding young people both before that time
and after. Then Krishnamurti was adopted by Annie Besant. This was followed
some years later by the announcement of the Coming of the World Teacher. The
Star campaign was opened, and a monthly magazine, Herald of the Star,
was launched. There was general acceptance among members of The Theosophical
Society of the Coming and Krishnamurti was named as the Chosen Vehicle, privately
at first and publicly later. Great activity ensued in many Sections: a stadium
was built near Sydney; in Holland a castle with 5,000 acres was given, a camp
was formed and much money spent on improvements; in California the Happy Valley
estate was purchased for the future.
1912: Annie Besant entered Indian politics to assist the aim of Dominion Status. She shut off her
clairvoyant faculties and inner contacts.
1916-20:
Letters from Leadbeater to Mrs Besant announcing founding of Liberal Catholic
Church with approval of ‘the World Teacher’, who had also approved
the liturgy. This was accepted and endorsed by her.
1925:
At the Holland Camp Mrs Besant announced the initiation of several Arhats—all
to assist the Coming of the World Teacher.
1928-29: Krishnamurti withdrew from The Theosophical Society and from all connection with the
Star activities, renouncing everything.
1930: I had my last interview with Annie Besant. Everything connected with the Coming closed
down. The castle and land in Holland were returned to the donor; the Sydney stadium was sold;
Star shops were closed, etc.
Krishnamurti
on ‘The Beloved’
It is appropriate to give here an extract from Who Brings the Truth? by J. Krishnamurti, published
in 1927.
When
I was a small boy I used to see Sri Krishna, with the flute, as he is pictured
by the Hindus, because my mother was a devotee of Sri Krishna. She used
to talk to me about Sir Krishna, and hence I created an image in my mind
of Sri Krishna, with the flute, with all the devotion, all the love, all
the songs, all the delight — you have no idea what a tremendous thing
that is for the boys and girls of India. When I grew older and met with Bishop
Leadbeater and The Theosophical Society, I began to see the Master K.H. — again
in the form which was put before me, the reality from their point of view — and
hence the Master K.H. was to me the end. Later on, as I grew, I began to see
the Lord Maitreya. That was two years ago, and I saw him then constantly in
the form put before me ... It has been a struggle all the time to find the
Truth, because I was not satisfied by the authority of another, or the imposition
of another, or the enticement of another; I wanted to discover for myself and
naturally I had to go through sufferings to find out. Now lately, it has been
the Buddha whom I have been seeing, and it has been my delight and my glory
to be with him.
I
have been asked what I mean by ‘the Beloved’ — I will give
a meaning, an explanation, which you will interpret as you please. To me
it is all: it is Sri Krishna, it is the Master K.H., it is the Lord Maitreya,
it is the Buddha, and yet it is beyond all these forms. What does it matter
what name you give?
‘The Beloved’ of
Krishnamurti appears to be identical with H.P.B’s ‘Ever-Present
God — the Divine
Plenum’, referred to on page 14.
The
Ancient Wisdom Stands
That
The Theosophical Society’s work and reputation suffered seriously
is unquestionable. These mistakes wrought great havoc, the end of which
is not yet. But what has the founding of a church or the supposed Coming
of a World Teacher to do with Theosophy? The basic principles are unaffected
by such events. The three Fundamental Propositions of the Proem is the
first volume of The Secret Doctrine
and the ideals expressed in The Mâhatmâ Letters remain untouched.
Theosophists are said to have as bond of union a common search and aspiration
for Truth. We must, then, like the research scientist, be prepared to go wherever
Truth shall lead, even to the most unexpected and surprising conclusions. An
open mind is essential. We do not believe statements because some exalted person
made them — nor because they are written in some scripture. Everything
has to be brought to the bar of reason, common-sense and experience. Yet an
open mind should not be an empty or vacant mind . It is perfectly consonant
with firm convictions, provided we are ready to modify them in the light of
any future knowledge that may come to us. Truth can be neither confirmed nor
falsified by what we happen to think. If an idea is true, disbelief will not
make it untrue; if it is not true, the sincere belief of millions cannot turn
fancy into fact.
Principles,
Not Personalities
We have seen how, in all honesty, extraneous ideas can be thrown across the Theosophical trail,
and how a great many may be diverted from their search. But none who keeps to basic principles
can be put off the scent or go astray. We must now be realistic, or we do the cause great harm.
False images of leaders must be got rid of. While absorbing their wisdom, let us be careful not to
put any of them, past of present, on imaginary pedestals. We can best show gratitude for devoted
lives and benefits conferred by appreciating also imperfections and mistakes, and by amending
and correcting so far as lies in our power. We owe it to them to do that; it surely is our duty. But
in doing this let us not be merely destructive, but critically constructive. No mistake can affect
Theosophy itself. The Ancient Wisdom is greater than all its exponents. It is principles that matter,
not personalities.
Let
us then try to get back to ‘those fundamental principles that are in every human being’,
as Mr Sri Ram puts it. With utter honesty and freedom of outlook let us
see how far the teachings of the Ancient Wisdom will stand up to critical
scrutiny in this latter part of the twentieth century. We shall find that
many of the ideas propounded in The Secret Doctrine, which challenged orthodox religion
and science eighty-five years ago, and were then bitterly attacked and laughed to scorn, are
generally accepted today. For example, the probable age of the earth and of man upon it, the fact
that matter is nothing but energy, and that there is a subtle homogeneous base from which all
forms derive. Other Theosophical concepts are likewise taken as probable or possible and are
current in the thought of the world.
Questing
and Questioning
There is a body of Theosophical teaching, available to all but obligatory on none, which does
make life intelligible and also death negligible. Study of it gives an increasing realization of what
Man is, and his all-important place, part and purpose in the universe. Theosophy is not a faith
once for all delivered to us. It is a limitless fount of Wisdom from which our intuition may draw as
it is able. It is ever flowing, never stagnant. Not only then must we be ever questing, but also
questioning. For there must necessarily remain an element of doubt until we can really know in
our own experience.
The
Guiding Inspiration
The
founders of our Society have often been accused of fraud and charlatanry.
But charlatans and swindlers seek riches or power or fame; they do not
court abuse, hardship and all manner of misunderstanding, which our founders
got and yet continued on their chosen way. Why did they do it? What inspired
these totally dedicated people with burning enthusiasm to establish The
Theosophical Society? They themselves declared that they were instructed
and guided to do so by certain personages — Elder Brethren, Masters of
the Wisdom — who existed but
to forward Man’s spiritual evolution. From Them, they said, came the
teachings, and They were the real Founders. That was the inspiration that upheld
and guided them to the end of their lives.