Blavatsky H.P. - The St. James Gazette and Esoteric Buddhism: Difference between revisions

“Learning is light, ignorance is darkness,” says a proverb. It is good to be learned, when one’s knowledge rests on facts; it is wise to remain modest when our speculations go no farther than hazy hypotheses. It is pretty well known, with regard to Buddhism, that it is the latter kind of superficial knowledge that the most learned of our Orientalists can claim—and no more. From Bishop Bigandet down to Childers, and from Weber to Rhys-Davids, in summing up the results of their knowledge, they have all confessed at one time or another that “despite all that has been written about it, Buddhism still contains many mysteries relating to its history and doctrines that require clearing up; and others of which we [Orientalists] know so far nothing.” Nevertheless, each of them is ready to claim papal authority: he is the infallible interpreter of Buddhist dogmas—chiefly evoluted through himself. This conceit has been amply shown now in the ''Replies'' to “An English F.T.S.” in our columns. The recipe for making a great “authority” on Oriental religions, especially on Buddhism—the one least understood—is easy enough. Take a tolerably good writer. [He may be as ignorant as a carp as to the ''true'' facts, but must have a retentive memory and be acquainted with all the speculations that preceded his own upon the subject.] Let him spin out an extra hypothesis or two—of a nature giving precedence to, and interfering in no way with, other divinely revealed hypotheses and crazes in favour with public prejudice; make other Orientalists of less imaginative temperament taste and approve of it; shake well the mixture, bottle and label it: {{Style S-Small capitals|The Last Word of Science Upon The Sacred Religions of The East}}. The authority is ready, and ignorant Mrs. Grundy

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