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vol. title: Vol Four of The Theosophical Society of The Arya Samaj of Arya-wart vol. period: Sept 1878 – Sept 1879 pages in vol.: 350 |
<Untitled> (So they have come after...)
Editorial.
So they have come after all—the Theosophic Mission. The advent of the great Ulysses last week threw the mission in the shade. But the lover of silence has left, and the lovers of speech have now the field open for their operation. Countess Blavatsky is a learned lady, learned in arts, explicit and occult. The author of ‘Iris Unveiled’ is, of course, welcome to India—the field is wide. Colonel Olcott has already introduced himself to the public as what he was and what he is; so has Miss Rosa Bates “of the most respectable connection and who is not a Christian.” The public might have been spared the sight of the italicised personal explanation. In the young lady’s own interest it ought not to have been flung into the teeth of the Christian public. India owes too much to Christianity to accept unresented such wanton aggressiveness. Some good may arise from the visit of the Theosophists to India, and hence our advice, which we trust may not be taken amiss.???
Correspondence
Sir,—
When I read in Monday’s papers of the arrival in India of Major H. S. Olcott and a deputation of the Theosophical Society of New York, I remembered how I had read before of these enemies of Christianity and their intention of coming to India to watch over the interests of Hinduism. And while I mused on these things, I fell asleep, and dreamed that I was visiting a celebrated Hindu temple, which is not only a holy shrine, but also a place for the training of young devotees, of whom there were generally twenty or thirty to be seen there, lads from twelve to twenty, most of them going perfectly naked within the precincts of the temple. And as my eyes fell on a group of these young saints sitting together, I saw to my great surprise, two white skins; and as I passed nearer to them I saw that among them, and perfectly naked like them were two white boys of about seventeen and fourteen respectively, their faces and the upper part of their bodies, like the others, painted with sectarian and other marks, and their long hair coiled on their heads. In a word, besides their colour there was no difference between them and the others. I asked the Mahaut what these things might mean, and he told me that these were two sons of a certain Major O—who, in his hatred of Christianity, had converted himself to Hinduism, and settling in India had taught his family the same faith, with such effect, that these two boys had insisted on devoting themselves to a “religious” life, and were now being trained there. “But we shall soon have done with them” he said “when they will set out with their gurus to visit all the places of pilgrimage.”
And then my dream changed, and I was riding on a great high road, well known to me, which runs in the track of a celebrated shrine, and is therefore much frequented by devotees. And sure enough among a band of them I recognised the younger of the lads I had seen before, with a langoti on now, and a bundle at his back, trudging along sturdily just like his companions, among whom were a khaki bawa and his disciple, both white from head to foot with ashes. My camp was at a place where there was a sadawartha or daily distribution to mendicants; and in the evening I bethought me to go and see if this band was putting up there. And, sure enough, there was my young friend jostling for the food with a crowd of his kind, thoroughly one of them, thoroughly at home in the life of a nearly naked jogi. He did not refuse to speak to me, and I asked him where his brother was. “Oh! don’t you know him?” he said, and pointed me to the younger of the two khaki bawas I had seen in the morning. An English or American boy turned khaki bawa and daubed with cowdung and ashes was too much for me, and I awoke.
But I think my dream was a logical inference from what I had read, and so I have sent it to you.
Feb. 18th.
Native Opinion
A Lecture by Colonel Olcott.—We understand that Colonel Henry S. Olcott, President of the Theosophic Society of America, intends shortly to deliver a Public Lecture on the Phonograph for the benefit of Hindu children and the native community in general. For this purpose a committee consisting of the members of the Arya Samaj is formed and they are trying to find out a suitable place that is a large spacious hall. We further learn that Professor T. A. Edison, inventor of the phonograph, the telephone, the microphone, the quadruplex system of telegraphing (by which different messages may be sent over the same wires in different directions at the same moment), the type-writer, the electric light and many other wonderful things—is a Fellow of the Theosophic Society, and he contributed Rs. 80 in New York towards the purchase of a phonograph which the Theosophical Committee now in Bombay have brought with them as a present to the Arya Samaj, and which Colonel Olcott means to exhibit and explain to the Native Public on the day soon to be fixed. Professor Edison with other influential Fellows of the Society has sent his voice or rather its registered vibrations which will be faithfully reproduced by the phonograph. Strange are the days we live in! For what more can Magic perform? A great inventive genius of America is to speak to us at Bombay in person at the very moment that he is perhaps engaged in doing something else in his own country. Professor Edison is said to be a young man and a wonder of the nineteenth century. There really is no knowing what human ingenuity will achieve!
The Theosophists
The Theosophists have arrived and established themselves among us. According to their own statements they intend to take up their residence permanently in India. The papers have had a good deal to say about them, although there does not seem to be a very general or very correct knowledge of who they are or what they want. The study of the Vedas is understood to be their principal object in coming to India—in fact this has been publicly announced by one of their own number. But we do not know that they have thus far made any public statement of their religious position; the thing which is most widely known concerning them seems to be that they are opposed to Christianity. And this fact of itself is sufficient to ensure them a welcome from many persons in the community, who might agree with them in their dislike of the religion of Jesus, even though they could not unite with them in any positive religious belief.
From a statement concerning the Theosophical Society which was published some time ago, we think in an American paper, we learn that the members of this Society not only seek entire enfranchisement from all religious prejudice, but even strive to abandon all preference for one religion over another; they must be free from all “exacting obligations to society, politics and family;” they must practice strict temperance and chastity, and be ready to sacrifice life for the good of Humanity “and of a brother fellow, of whatever race, color or ostensible creed.” Christianity is regarded by the chiefs of the Society as “particularly pernicious”—a thing which seems hard to reconcile with their profession to look upon all religions with impartiality. Missionaries, of course, are especially obnoxious to the Theosophists. We understand that they cherish a belief in an impersonal God—very much the same, we should imagine, as the Bramh of Hinduism; and we are also told that they believe in a possible immortality for those who live virtuously here; while those who do not—such we understand to be their position—will be put out of existence. We have also been told that they are here rather as learners than as teachers, and that their object is to make a thorough study of the Vedas—we presume with the purpose of enlightening the people of Western countries respecting Vaidic teaching.
We of course sympathize with and respect the desire and intention of the members of this Society to “exemplify the highest morality and religious aspiration,” though we do not exactly understand how a lofty religious aspiration is possible without a personal God. So far as we can make out, however, Theosophy would seem to be but another name for the “Religion of Humanity,” and the real God of the Theosophists appears to be Humanity. But we wait for further light before speaking more definitely.
The Subodh Patrika puts the case rather mildly when it says that the Theosophists “repudiate Christianity rather warmly.” We should think they did—and yet we have a feeling within us that Christianity will be able to survive their repudiation of it. It seems to us as if the real moving spirit of the whole thing were less an ardent desire to get at the truth, than an ardent hatred of the name and the faith of Jesus of Nazareth.
Mr. Mahadev Moreshwar Kunte B.A., will deliver a lecture in connection with the Thiestic Association on Wednesday the 5th of March 1879 at the Prarthana Samaj Mandir at 8 p. m.
Editor's notes