Theos-Talk Archives (May 1994 Message tl00037)

The April issue of Protogonos, Mark Jaqua's twelve-page
self-published quarterly, has a pretty impressive piece of
work.  Here are the highlights:

   Paul Johnson's Book on the Masters

   In Search of the Masters Behind the Occult Myth (sic) has
been out for about 3 1/2 years and is a copiously researched
attempt to prove that the various Masters behind the founding
of the Theosophical Society were well-known historical
personages.  The book is just plain crazy to put it in simple
language.  It is like the author gets what seems to be a good
idea-- that the Masters were secular persons one could discover
the identity of (sic) in historical records-- and then "every
trick in the book" is used to try to MAKE this assumption be
true or to overpower, confuse, doubletalk and buffoon [?] the
readership into agreeing...a lot of research work that has been
done here, but in a vain and obstinate cause.  There simply is
not enough secular information on the adepts in Theosophical
literature to prove a secular identity one way or the other.
   Johnson apparrently [sic] approves of his picture of
Blavatsky's goals...while claiming her means were all fraud and
deceit...such fraud was directly contrary to the whole
philosophy promoted by Blavatsky and the adepts...Statements by
Blavatsky or others are seen as " falsehoods" or "blinds" when
they contradict his omnipresent [?] view of things...this
reviewer says that Mr. Johnson is the crackpot and deceiver and
if he had his unconscious wish would destroy the whole
substance of Theosophical teachings for the sake of his ego and
to "make a name for himself" through theories insufficient by
any standard of adequate reason and evidence.  Becoming a
scholarly hero really is the reason for this book, as there is
not enough here by any stretch of the imagination to make it a
purposeful and honest historical work.  If there is far short
of enough evidence here to support the thesis-- what can be the
purpose of the book other than ego (underlined).  Mr. Johnson
would say that he is "only presenting a theory" as a way out of
his piccadillo [sic-??] of aberrant and inconsistent reasoning
and method in his presentation...The only consistency in Mr.
Johnson's book is his method of using whatever cleverness
necessary to momentarily support his errant ego and
theories...Unless one can get a glimpse once in awhile of the
world beyon the bare-bones scholarly world of lower manas, he
doesn't have a chance of perceiving the genuine altruistic and
spiritual purpose behind the Theosophical effort.  In Search of
the Masters Behind the Occult Myth is a totally lower-manas
book and a big maya...

Comments are invited-- PJ

My own comment is brief-- if this is what higher manas is like
in its response to someone else's lower manas, then what is it
higher in?  Meanness?  Spelling errors?  Evasion of any
discussion of the thesis or evidence?  The good thing about
this awful review is that it frees me from worrying about my
worst ever review as a future occurrence!  Come what may,
nothing can top this.