9
TO THEOSOPHISTS AND READERS OF LUCIFER
Thus ends the plaint of the Birmingham Jeremiah. It speaks for itself, and we thank the writer for letting, so naïvely, the cat out of the bag. The real “cat,” however, the one on which the “monkey” of the “Victoria Institute” and other scientific establishments had placed such optimistic hopes, has played its colleagues false. It has turned tail at the last moment, and has evidently declined the loan of its paw to draw from the fire the too hot chestnuts for the benefit of the scientific “researchers” of the day. Like Balaam, whom the King of Midian would willingly have bribed to curse the Israelites, Sir Monier Monier-Williams, K.C.I.E., D.C.L., LL.D., Boden Professor of Sanskrit at the University of Oxford (where, “for reasons of ill-health,” he can no longer lecture, but lectures for our benefit elsewhere)—has not cursed the Theosophists and their teachings—but has blessed them. Alas! Alas!
“Compelled to praise!” It cannot be |
[The “Theosophical Fable” mentioned above by H.P.B. was written by Dr. Franz Hartmann, as appears from The Letters of H. P. Blavatsky to A. P. Sinnett, p. 158, wherein H.P.B. tells Sinnett: “You will read Hartmann’s ‘Theosophical Fable’ and our answer to it sent to you with a few more explanations.” The MS. of H.P.B.’s “our answer” published below has been recently discovered in the Adyar Archives, and is a fragment in her own handwriting. It is both a comment on Hartmann’s allegorical description of the situation in the T.S. in 1885-86, and a continuation and conclusion of the Fable, embodying some important statements about the T.S. On page 2 of the MS. H.P.B. appended this note: “ Had no time to copy. Send this answer but better to H. His dear sister writes such a loving good letter swearing she ‘will attune her soul to the music of the Spheres.’ If I were you: I would publish his fable in the Theosophist.” The approximate date of this MS. is January, 1886.]
. . . . . “the keeper of the instrument sat down and wept bitterly . . .” So would the “Instrument” were it not so broken as to be unfit to emit even a sound . . . . .
The fable is deeply significant and very profound. It is to the very point and the author of it was inspired—the mangled remains of the “Instrument” answer for it, 10though its endorsements are now of little, if any use. The “Theosophical Fable” ought to be published in the Theosophist; and if it is not it will only speak the more against the obduracy of the ex-”keeper” of the “instrument,” and his unwillingness to confess publicly his great sin—for believing in human justice, in human benevolence, fairness and the gentlemanly feelings of “a Society of non-musical but learned men.” And the “fable” ought to be read by every Theosophist, every member of the never “Harmonical Society” and meditated upon. For, besides the individual Karma of every member and the collective Karma of the “Harmonical Society” whose practice differed so widely from its rules and purposes—there is the great sin of its leading members and chiefs. They have desecrated the name (and names) of the “Genius of the Spheres,” and the Genii descend no more. The present trouble has arisen in consequence of such desecration. The Maha-Chohan of the Genii has foretold it four years ago. The chief President was warned repeatedly in the beginning by the voice of his “instrument”; it protested in vain, and finally it was swept along itself with the current of enthusiasm, and added its own voice to proclaiming things holy in public, and throwing pearls before swine, and casting that which was sacred to the dogs: the swine are now treading upon the pearls and the dogs rending the givers. The light that shone in the Darkness which comprehended it not—is now out: Darkness has put its heavy extinguisher upon it.
This would have never happened had the light been sacredly preserved in its own birth-place and sphere—India. But the veneration of her sons for that light was laughed down to scorn; it was called “hero-worship,” mocked and finally represented as a screen to hide unholy practices. The names of the Genii are now dragged into publicity and figure in full in the Report. None of the Presidents would listen to the sage advice to keep their knowledge of the Genii secret; and the holy names were prostituted publicly by every scoffer. KARMA.
There now remains but one thing to be done, if the “Harmonical” Society would be kept alive.
11 Let its President do as the ex-Corresponding Secretary has done: depose himself before he is deposed by others,—and the Society will die a week later. But let the Society—now dishonoured because there never was real harmony in it but rather personal and individual selfishness—unite together at last and wait patiently and prepare thro’ active work for the advent of a Paraclete who may yet be drawn to, and sent to them before the end of the cycle in (1897).
The present “instrument” could never have been destroyed by any “learned” Society. It is the unlearned in things occult and spiritual, among the members of the Harmonical Society, who are now breaking it to atoms themselves; those for whom the old instrument has played itself to death, and that was the first to draw their attention and open their ears to the “music of the spheres” however poorly it may have rendered the heavenly melody itself. And now it lies broken into fragments shattered more every day by the kicks of those for whom it sang and laboured. . . .
But the “Genius of the Spheres” means to pick up the mangled pieces of the instrument once more and glue them together as He alone can. No violin is played better upon, none emits more musical sounds than that one which was broken and mended. The Paganini of the broken Stradivarius is still alive and He will play upon it again but only for those few who will “attune their souls indeed to the music of the Spheres.” The instrument will belong to these and have no “Keeper.” How many such few will remain? Time will soon tell.
The Editors of Lucifer feel it right that this number, the first published at the new offices and by the actual owners of the magazine, should contain some statement as to the reasons which have led to this change being made.
12 The first reason was the desire to form a fresh centre of Theosophical work, a meeting place for students, and a mechanism for the publication and distribution of the literature of mysticism, which should be entirely free from all considerations of personal gain or profit.
That this has been the spirit animating the founders and proprietors of Lucifer throughout, is proved by the fact that, although nearly all the copies of the magazine printed have been sold, yet the first year’s experience has shown that it is impossible to carry on the magazine at its present price without incurring considerable loss.
Therefore, in establishing these new offices, the editors and proprietors have been also influenced by the hope of effecting some reduction in the expense by taking the publication into their own hands, and they hope that their readers and subscribers will continue to give them their hearty support, in spite of the necessity which has arisen of raising the price of single numbers of the magazine to eighteen-pence and the annual subscription to fifteen shillings, commencing with the September number.
Our supporters may feel sure that their help will be used to further the cause of Theosophy, and will subserve no personal ends; for the proprietors have bound themselves to devote any eventual profits which may accrue to the furtherance of the cause in the interests of which Lucifer was founded.
The new offices, at No. 7, DUKE STREET, ADELPHI, will be open to members of the T.S. and the T.P.S. and their friends, as well as to all enquirers and persons desiring information about the Society or the subjects which it was founded to study, on TUESDAY and SUNDAY evenings from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. and on FRIDAY afternoons from 3:30 till 6. These days have been chosen purposely, so as not to conflict with the Wednesday evenings—the meeting-days of the London Lodge of the Theosophical Society, at 15, York Street, Covent Garden.
It is hoped that many will avail themselves of these opportunities for meeting other students and for mutual instruction and discussion.