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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 |
The Theosophical Society.
The deputation of the Theosophical Society from America have now been in Bombay for nearly six months. The curiosity which their arrival in India excited among the people is not as yet completely satisfied; and the aims and objects of the Society are not so generally known as they should be. Beyond a small number of scholars in India and Ceylon, few people seem to thoroughly understand why a party of Americans and Englishmen should visit a land, which the Europeans have been vieing with one another to abuse, and resolve to settle among the dusky natives of the East. The curiosity and the ignorance are the natural sequence of a series of circumstances which the deputation could never have forseen. They believed that their mission was understood and expected in India, that the Hindoo scholar—with borrowed plumes, ofcourse—in whom they had confided all their hopes and wishes had proved an intelligent and sympathising friend, and had proclaimed the importance and greatness of the Theosophical Society before the Arya Samajes and the other literary, scientific and religious societies of India. To their surprise and sorrow, a few days’ residence in Bombay dispelled this belief, and revealed to their great sorrow a swindler in a friend. Nor was this all. A section of the Anglo-Indian press raised a hue and cry against them—not against the Theosophical Society—but against the deputation, denounced them as Russian spies, adventurers and what not? The Government of India was silly enough to heed this cry, and did its best to poison the minds of the Indian people against a party, who have come to this country only to befriend them and to share with them the light which they had secured from the East. Then, there was another circumstance which aroused the suspicions of the Indian people. One member, at least, of the deputation was supposed to be a professor of the black art; and the Indians out of the depth of their consciousness could not make up their minds to think favourably of those who were said to be magicians. This was but natural. Centuries of misrule and false superstition were followed by something like an orderly government; but the tendency of British rule in India has been to blot out the memory of a time-honoured civilization from the minds of the Hindoos. Modern European and American literature and sciences know nothing of the occult mysteries of nature; in fact, for them the occult side of nature does not exist. The reflection of this opinion may be perceived in every Hindoo, who calls himself educated. Hence, it happened that while the uneducated did not concern themselves about the Theosophical Society, the educated looked upon it as a society for the spread of humbug and revival of a forgotten superstition.
Yet, in spite of all these causes, the Theosophical Society is making silent progress. Its work has been modest and quiet, but substantial also. A voluminous correspondence on interesting Indian questions has been opened and maintained between European, American and Asiatic scholars; and it may fairly be expected that much necessary light will be thus thrown on the ancient religion and scien-<... continues on page 8-268 >
Editor's notes