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H. P. Blavatsky and the
MastersA FEW WORDS OF APPRECIATION AND EXPLANATIONBy The Imperator [H. Spencer Lewis] [From The Mystic Triangle May 1929] WHILE on my trip to Egypt and through Europe, during the past few months, I had an opportunity to contact many persons still living who were intimately associated with Mme. Blavatsky during the years of her great work, to visit many of the places that should become shrines to her followers, and to see many rare documents and papers pertaining to the intimate details of her life. It is only natural that every student of higher mysticism should become an admirer of the great work accomplished by Mme. Blavatsky; but for some reason that may be understandable to every student, I have the most profound sense of appreciation of the sorrows and sufferings through which this dearly beloved woman had to pass in order to carry out her Cosmically decreed mission. I have often wondered in the years gone by, as I meditated upon her life efforts and accomplishments, whether those who were at all familiar with her work realized what a sacrifice she made and under what difficulty she labored in attempting to fulfill the mission that had been allotted to her. It seems that few do realize that no great leader of any forward movement, and certainly no avatar, or torchbearer of a great light, wilfully and personally selects such a career arbitrarily, and as a matter of personal volition. Such persons are born to fill the position they eventually hold, and their life work is cut out for them when they take the first breath at birth; and from the time that they are conscious of their own existence as a child until the last breath animates their beings, they struggle between the temptations of the world and the urge from the Cosmic. I have never known one of them who would not have preferred, in the midst of his or her career, to have abandoned the mission and slipped away into the privacy, contentment, and rest of a hidden life, away from all the world's problems and the efforts to lead others onward. Certainly, Mme. Blavatsky had a wonderful soul and her heart was as big, as kind, and lovable as any woman known in history. That there was a part of her higher* self that at times seemed crude or coarse, even, or uncultured to the degree of refinement that was found in her inner nature, was undoubtedly due to the mortal inheritance resulting from the humanity of the two lines of Russian and German forebears, which contributed to her complex nature. Certainly while we have the privilege of analyzing her outer and inner character, and may be permitted the privilege to comment on them and their differences, we have no right to judge of the reason for the existence of such a complex nature in one being, nor have any of us the right to ask why such an instrument was selected by the great masters to carry out the wonderful mission that she performed. My heart bleeds for her when I think of the injustice, the cruel, heartless, cold injustice, which she had to face at the hands of those who were unworthy to share any of her knowledge, and unprepared, and unqualified to understand the least of her teachings. But I can rejoice, also, in the fact that as long as man lives and continues to evolve and occupy a mortal place on this earth or a spiritual plane in the kingdom beyond, there will be those who will pay homage to the great work and the contribution toward human evolution accomplished by this remarkable woman. The indelible record will remain as a monument to her memory, and at the same time a living testimonial to the good discernment, good judgment, and profound understanding of the masters who selected her and stood by her in all she did. When we, who were touring Europe a few weeks ago, spent several days in the little, old town of Basle in Switzerland, we were brought close indeed to the intimate details of one period of Mme. Blavatsky's life. It was here that the Rosicrucians at one time had the earliest form of metaphysical university known to the world, and it was to this university that Paracelsus went to live and study. It was from this institution that he was graduated, and then later established some of the Rosicrucian principles and ideas, and began his great career and mission in life, under much criticism and personal suffering. It was here that he wrote many of his famous manuscripts, which were preserved for hundreds of years or more in the library of the Rosicrucian university he attended. It was in Basle that Franz Hartman joined the Order that he might study the writings of Paracelsus and the other Rosicrucians, and become familiar with the secret documents; and it was while he was a student in this town that Mme. Blavatsky came for the purpose of writing a part of her great books, while hidden away from the profane world, and when she was believed to be in India or other parts of Europe. She, too, had access to the wonderful manuscripts of Paracelsus and some other Rosicrucian masters, and Franz Hartman became her personal companion and personal physician, establishing a friendship and association in the work that lasted throughout their lives. In this little, old town we of the party had an opportunity to see not only the old Rosicrucian university and the old building occupied by the secretary of the group in that part of the world, but many of the Rosicrucian symbols painted in colors on the walls of certain buildings, which symbols are still beautifully brilliant and intensely interesting. Many of these symbols and designs appeared later in that great book compiled by Franz Hartman, entitled, "The Rosicrucian Symbols," and these were instantly recognized by those of our members who had seen his great book. We especially selected for our hotel the oldest hotel in the world. It was built in the thirteenth century and has been only slightly remodeled once or twice since that time; and it was here that Mme. Blavatsky, in its attractive parlors of hand-carved wood of ancient design, received visits from the three or four workers in her organization in Europe and America, who were permitted to know of her actual location during these important years. What a city it is for rest, peace, and inspiration! How easily we could visualize the dear, old soul, secluded in an upper story of one of the old buildings, which still remains intact, with two large windows facing the north, giving her constant light for her many hours of writing and study, where she had all the protection and isolation that she required. We could realize how sweet and beautiful was that separation from the world, and yet we doubt if any one of her critics would have made the sacrifice that she made in separating herself from all the worldly pleasures, which could have been hers, and which she might have enjoyed if she accepted just a few of the thousands of benefits that were offered to her. It was in old Basle that Mme. Blavatsky had so many intimate contacts with the masters K. H. and M. I have had the pleasure of reading something of the most personal and most intimate of the letters and communications written to her by these two masters, when they found it more convenient to put their thoughts in writing than appear before her and speak their words. What wonderful guidance and instruction she received from them, and at the same time what discouraging corrections and admonitions! Out of the goodness of her heart she evidently constantly sought to do too much and give too much. It is evident, from many of the letters, that if she had been permitted to have her own way, she would have scattered the great knowledge wildly and freely to all who thought they wanted it; but she was restricted and forced to abide by the higher laws and to obey the words of the two great masters. Had she yielded to her own impulses, she would have avoided much of the sorrow and sufferings in her life, but she would have failed to some degree in her great mission. I have seen letters from the masters to her, which clearly prove that most of the great condemnation of her work came about through her yielding to the desires and wishes of her principal followers. In this I see an analogy and a likeness to the case of that other famous leader and worker for the masters--Cagliostro. All through his life, as revealed in the papers, documents, and records recently found, and which refute the false stories taught in the average encyclopedia about him, he battled between obedience to the masters, who were instructing him, and a human, big-hearted desire to please and make happy those who were his principal associates. In the case of Mme. Blavatsky and Cagliostro there were those, like many of today, who insisted that the truth of the great teachings of the Cosmic mind be instantly and continuously reduced to material manifestation. Cagliostro's great work in behalf of the Rosicrucian Order, and under the direction of the masters, was conducted at a period in the history of the world when a belief in the possibility of spirit return was just beginning to ensnare the thinking and spiritualistic comprehension of a few progressive minds. They demanded that he produce phenomena and show them a living spirit in a darkened room in preference to listening to the golden words of knowledge, which constituted the message he had for them from the masters. And every time that he yielded for a few moments to give a demonstration of the powers that were his, and which should be used only in private or in unseen ways for the good of all, he brought upon his head criticism, scoffing, doubt, and painful conditions, which made his life and his work more difficult. In the case of Mme. Blavatsky, her mission began just after the great revival of spiritualistic demonstrations in America; and she was called upon to duplicate some of the phenomena, or lose the following which she had to hold in order to have an instrument to carry out her work in distant places. Perhaps the most difficult of all the problems she had to face was the constant demand on the part of her followers that she make manifest to their material, doubting, unworthy senses the existence of the two great masters K. H. and M. A few of her intimate associates became so insistent that these masters must communicate with them as well as with her, and become visible and tangent to their unrefined senses as well as to her spiritual, highly developed faculties, that when she yielded or attempted to transfer the contact from herself to these doubting ones, the demonstration was not perfect, the contact was not sublime, the results were not satisfactory, and the critics found cause to further annoy and deter her in her work. Today we find those who would not accept the words of Jesus, nor the sublime, inspiring words of God, unless they were accompanied by gross, material demonstrations of the most useless nature. Man seems to be reluctant to accept God, unless God first reveals himself to him as a man. Man seems to hesitate to believe that truth is right, until truth reduces itself to a tangible foot rule by which man can measure his steps in the material world, and see material profits therefrom. Soul wisdom seems of no value to those who cannot plant it into terms which apply to the physical body first. Such persons do not realize, of course, that the very doubt in their mind and the very skepticism, which prompts them to demand such demonstrations and manifestations, closes the doorway to any real perception of the principles involved. Truly, until we become like little children and have the faith of a child spiritual comprehension is impossible, and even human apprehension of the great knowledge offered by the masters is impossible. But there are those who seem to realize that after the soul has comprehended and the mortal mind apprehended that which it cannot comprehend, and the whole being of man is infused with faith and confidence in the integrity of spiritual law then the persons will bring their own manifestations from within with more conviction of their actuality, and more perfect demonstrations of their integrity than through any material manifestations of a physical nature. Such persons, undoubtedly, carry over from the past incarnations a stage or degree of development, which was a result of having passed through the days of doubt and skepticism without having lost faith in the ultimate revelation; and so we must consider that those who demand a trick at the hands of a teacher, as they would demand a trick of a magician, before they will believe or even consider the truth of the law, must be looked upon as those who are not yet ready and not yet prepared for the incoming of the greater light. As with Mme. Blavatsky and Cagliostro, we must not lose patience with them and condemn them to eternal darkness. We must be tolerant and kind, and try to lead them by the hand to that point of evolution where instead of looking for demonstrations performed by others they will witness in the silence of meditation a manifestation of their own making; but we must not yield, either, to their desires and be tempted to produce such phenomena as is convincing to the outer mind and considered profane by the inner mind. We know that Mme. Blavatsky is preparing to come again, and we know that there are those now young upon the path, and young in years, who will live to meet and know that great soul, and perhaps come under her guidance and instruction before their present incarnation is ended. But we do hope that when Mme. Blavatsky is with us again, the world will be more prepared and more ready for the higher teachings she will give under the new regime and in the new cycle. In one of the famous letters from the great masters addressed to one of Mme. Blavatsky's associates, who constantly demanded demonstrations and manifestations, we find the Great Master M rebuked this doubter and skeptic in the following words: "Yes, and now we are in the midst of a conflicting people, of an obstinate, ignorant people, we can dun the truth yet not be able to find it, for each seeks it only for his own private benefit and gratification without giving one thought to others." In another letter the Master M rebuked this same man, because of his desires for demonstration, in the following words: "Also try to break through that great maya against which occult students, the world over, have always been warned by their teachers--the hankering after phenomena. Like the thirst for drink and opium, it grows with gratification. If you cannot be happy without phenomena, you will never learn our philosophy. If you want healthy philosophical thought, and can be satisfied with such, let us correspond. I tell you a profound truth in saying that if you but choose wisdom, all other things will be added unto it--in time. It adds no force to our metaphysical truths that our letters are dropped from space on to your lap or come unto your pillow. If our philosophy is wrong, a wonder will not set it right. Put that conviction into your consciousness and let us talk like sensible men. Why should we play with jack-in-the-box?" And did not the multitude demand a sign from Jesus? And has not every great teacher, who has attempted to help man develop his own faculties been required to perform miracles, so that man in his laziness and in his doubt might rest and sleep, and have others do for him what he should do for himself? The Rosicrucians have always maintained that the fact that a great master could perform a seeming miracle would be no proof that his students, or his followers, or his believers could ever perform the same feat. And the Rosicrucians have maintained that man's greatest good for himself cannot come about through his dependence on miracles performed by others, but through the miracles he performs for himself in his own life. Therefore, the Rosicrucians have held that instruction to others is far greater and more contributing to man's benefit than manifestations to his senses. Learn to accomplish for yourself what you desire, and you will become unto yourself the greatest master. Depend upon, or place your faith blindly in the powers of another, and you become a slave instead of a master. Thousands are associated, today, with movements which gratify their desires for phenomena, and leave them uninstructed, unguided, and unprepared to meet the emergencies of life or overcome the common obstacles. Mme. Blavatsky's life was a life sacrifice that she might teach others and inspire them to awaken the master within, and thereby become miracle workers in their own lives. She was but one of the great avatars in peace, and perhaps the greatest of all the women who have been used by the Cosmic and the masters as a channel or instrument. But it is not because she was a woman, or to her sex that we pay homage, but to the great soul within her body that has reached even greater heights since her transition, and is even now in close contact with those who are still carrying on the great work of the masters in the Rosicrucian work; for souls are sexless, and spirit is not of the limitations of the flesh. Mme. Blavatsky is one of us, and with us, beloved and revered, and awaited by those who always knew her and love her still. ---------------------------- | ||
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