HPB-SB-14-84

H. P. Blavatsky Scrapbooks

from Adyar archives of the International Theosophical Society

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vol. 14, p. 84	volume 14, page 84 vol. title: vol. period: 1882 pages in vol.: 174
Legend HPB note HPB highlighted HPB underlined HPB crossed out <Editors note> <Archivist note> Lost or unclear SBT, DT Restored

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eng • рус

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The Indian Mirror.

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CALCUTTA, WEDNESDAY, DEC. 20, 1882.

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<Untitled> (In noticing the proceedings of the last Anniversary Meeting…)

In noticing the proceedings of the last Anniversary Meeting of the Theosophical Society at Bombay, the Hindu Patriot observes:—“The Theosophists are rendering an important service to this country, for which we cannot feel too grateful to them. They are awakening in the minds of the educated Natives of India reverence for their ancient literature, which cannot be too highly prized.”

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The Indian Mirror.

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CALCUTTA, TUESDAY, DEC. 19, 1882.

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<Untitled> (Branches of the Theosophical Society have been established…)

Branches of the Theosophical Society have been established at Bankipore in Bengal, and Sholapore in Bombay.

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The Bombay Gazette.

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1882.

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<Untitled> (The head-quarters of the Theosophical Society and the office of the Theosophist…)

The head-quarters of the Theosophical Society and the office of the Theosophist have been removed to Madras, the latter place, we presume, being judged more in want of enlightenment, and therefore affording a better field for the Society’s labours than Bombay.

MADRAS NATIVE OPINION. [20th December, 1882.

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THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

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The annual meeting of the Theosophical Society was held on Thursday evening December 7th Mr. Sinnett, editor of the Pioneer, presiding. About twenty delegates from Calcutta, Lahore, Allahabad, Ceylon and other places were seated on the platform. and from the diversity of their costume presented a very picturesque appearance. From the railings of the gallery were suspended thirty-nine shields bearing the names of each of the society’s branches and the date of its establishment. A banner of red silk, bearing the motto. “There is no religion higher than truth.” Was planted at the rear of the platform. The hall was filled in every part, the audience consisting mainly of natives.

The Chairman, who was received with loud cheers, said:—The business is to celebrate the seventh anniversary since the foundation in New York, and the fourth that has been held since the head-quarters were transferred to Bombay. We have the pleasure of welcoming a large number of delegates from various branches of the society scattered all over India, and from each of them we hope to hear some account of the progress that has been made with the work of the society in the places they represent. We have also to hear from the President-founder, Colonel Olcott, a general report on the progress of the whole society. That this report will be satisfactory in its nature the aspect of this meeting affords us at starting good ground for hope. The society has now been established in Bombay for nearly four years, and has effectually lived down the misapprehension by which its earliest efforts were attended. Many friends of the society were indignant to find that any misapprehensions were possible, but although I certainly count myself among its warmest friends, I do not see reason to be surprised at the development of mistrust and vague suspicion at first. The public could hardly fail to see the aspect of this movement in the beginning. Two foreigners coming to set up a large organisation in India could hardly expect to escape suspicion at the outset of their operations, nor to avoid engendering among ordinary worldly-minded people an impression that they must have some private ends to gain or some unexplained objects to serve. In a measure the natural uncertainty concerning their designs to which I refer was shared at first by the constituted authorities, but to a much more limited extent, I think, than some exaggerated reports may have led some of you to imagine. It is the clear duty of constituted authorities in every country to watch the proceedings of foreign visitors who call public meetings and address the people. And the only way by which such watchfulness can be carried out is by means of the regular agents which constituted authorities employ. In the present case, however, I am confident in saying that the attention which the founders of the Theosophical Society excited led in an exceedingly short time to the conclusion that their attitude and objects were altogether blameless, even if the philanthropic dreams by which they were animated might be vain and chimerical. Gentlemen, it is from a mistrustful generation and not from a liberal-minded Government the founders of the Theosophical Society have had to encounter opposition amongst the representatives of authority. (Applause.) The founders of this society have come to number many of their best friends, but among the people to whose welfare they have devoted their lives, they have encountered much cheering support it is true, but some hostility and opposition. This opposition seems to have sprung partly from the inability under which some persons find themselves, to believe in a philanthropy that is perfectly pure-hearted, and in connexion with which there are no personal objects to gain, and partly from the sensitive dislike which so many of us entertain for any philosophical views, which can in any way be construed as hostile to our own particular religious faith. Now the Theosophical Society, as a society, though in no sense of the word an irreligious society, is a society of no specific religion. One of the ends it has in view is to promote a searching investigation into the original basis and foundations of all religions, with the idea rather of justifying all than of overthrowing any. But in the Magazine which is the organ of the society, and in speeches which have been made from time to time by its representatives, criticisms have often been put forward which have found fault with the external modern developments—now of one religion and now of another. In this way it has come to pass that the devotees of more than one religion have resented the utterances of various members of the society as indicating a special hostility on the part of the society to their own particular faith. But no impression can be more erroneous than one which would picture the society as either the champion or the foe of any particular faith. That of which it is the champion is Truth, some portion of which underlies every religion which has ever won its way in the world: that of which it is the Foe, is error, with which every religion after long use in the world becomes more or less encrusted. But even this philosophical search for truth is hardly the primary object of the society. That object is promoted by the philosophical search for truth as I hope directly to show that object itself is that pressed in the foremost watch-word of the society, Universal Brotherhood. (Cheers.) Now universal brotherhood is not a new idea, the society is sometimes unfavourably criticised for taking it as a watchword, on the ground that it is too vague an idea to be realised and too vast to be otherwise than Utopian. But first of all it should be remembered in our favour that there never was a time or a country in which an effort in the direction of establishing a feeling of Universal Brotherhood was more urgently needed than it is needed in this country now (loud cheers); and secondly, we maintain that the Theosophical Society comes before the world with a modification of the old and hitherto unrealised idea, which renders it less vague than it has been hitherto, if not less vast, and certainly more practical. For hitherto Universal Brotherhood has been preached as the brotherhood of this or that religious denomination. Now we Theosophists preach the idea as divorced from all denominational exclusiveness, and as embracing all seekers for truth, whatever their creed may be, and, of necessity, whatever their race. In this way the watchword of the society in its application to India may be translated into an <... continues on page 14-85 >

Editor's notes