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Mr. Judge the Second and Col. Olcott the Third. The Russian noblewoman was
regarded as the only bona fide or authoritative link of communication with the
First Section (though the Masters might at any time grant the favor of their
special interest to others, as they did to Mr. Sinnett); Judge was held to be an
accepted chela, in the high confidence of Madame Blavatsky and her mentors,
their reliable agent to head the order of lay chelaship; Col. Olcott was the
active and visible head of the Theosophical Society, the accepted instrument of
the Masters in the work of building up that organization which was to present
the ancient doctrine of their existence to the world and mark out anew the path
of approach to them. H.P.B. and Judge worked behind the scenes, while Olcott
stood in the gaze of the world. To them belonged the task of bringing out the
teaching and keeping it properly related to its sources; to him fell the
executive labor of providing ways and means to serve it to a sceptical public.
The functions of the former two were esoteric; those of Olcott exoteric. It was
understood that the Colonel was not advanced beyond the position of a lay or
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probationary chela. He himself seems to have accepted this ranking as deserved,
and generously admitted that
"to transform a worldly man such as I was in 1874--a man of clubs, drinking
parties, mistresses, a man absorbed in all sorts of worldly, public, and private
undertakings and speculations-into that purest, wisest, noblest, and most
spiritual of human beings-a 'Brother,' was a wonder demanding next to miraculous
efficacy. . . . No one knows until he really tries it, how awful a task it is to
subdue all his evil passions and animal instincts and develop his higher
nature."7
The Theosophical Movement ascribes most of the trials and tribulations of
Theosophy to the Colonel's indifferent success, at times, in the "awful task."
Years later, Olcott says:
"She was the teacher, I the pupil; she the misunderstood and insulted messenger
of the Great Ones, I the practical brain to plan, the right hand to work out the
practical details."8
Out of this situation eventuated the formation of the Esoteric Section of the
Theosophical Society. So many members were reaching out after the chelaship that
Judge wrote to H.P.B. in 1887 for advice as to what to offer them. She replied,
telling him to go ahead in America and she would soon do something herself. She
then began the publication of Lucifer, in which the qualifications, dangers,
obstacles, and status of chelaship were set forth in article after article.
Judge went to London; and there, at the request of Madame Blavatsky drew the
plans and wrote the rules for the guidance of the new body. Col. Olcott looked
on with some perturbation while his spiritual superiors stepped lightly over his
authority to inaugurate the higher enterprise. In October, 1888, the first
public statement relative to the Esoteric Section appeared. It announced the
purpose of the formation of the Esoteric Section to be:
"To promote the esoteric interests of the Theosophical Society by the deeper
study of esoteric philosophy."
All authority was vested in Madame Blavatsky and official connection with the
Theosophical Society itself was disclaimed.
A further hint as to the impelling motive back of the new branch of activity was
given by H.P.B. in the letter she addressed to the Convention of the American
Section meeting in April, 1889. She says:
"Therefore it is that the ethics of Theosophy are even more necessary to mankind
than the specific aspects of the psychic facts of nature and man . . ."
She made a plea for solidarity in the fellowship of the Theosophical Society, to
form a nucleus of true Brotherhood.
Unity had to be achieved to withstand exterior onslaught, as well as interior
discord. An attack upon one must be equally met by all. The first object of the
Society is Universal Brotherhood. She asked in the finale:
"How many of you have helped humanity to carry its smallest burden, that you
should all regard yourselves as Theosophists? Oh, men of the West, who would
play at being the Saviors of mankind before they can spare the life of a
mosquito whose sting threatens them! Would ye be partakers of Divine Wisdom or
true Theosophists? Then do as the gods when incarnated do. Feel yourselves the
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vehicles of the whole humanity, mankind as part of yourselves, and act
accordingly . . ."
She then sent out a formal letter, marked strictly private and confidential, to
all applicants for entry into the new school. It contained an introductory
statement, the "Rules of the Esoteric Section (Probationary) of the Theosophical
Society" and the "Pledge of Probationers in the Esoteric Section." The latter
was as follows:
"I pledge myself to support, before the world, the Theosophical Movement, its [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]