Theos-Talk Archives (September 1994 Message tl00107)

It has recently struck me that in my work in progress I need to
include, and comment on, the letter from K.H.  received by Annie
Besant in 1900.  (Allegedly from K.H., one might add, as many
Theosophists reject its authenticity and many non-Theosophists
reject ALL alleged K.H.  letters).  I will post it here, and ask
for any comments about what you all make of it.  Later will
provide my own thoughts.  But at the moment they are pretty
undeveloped.  Here it is:

A psychic and pranayamist who has got confused by the vagaries of
the members.  The T.S.  and its members are slowly manufacturing
a creed.  Says a Thibetan proverb "credulity breeds credulty and
ends in hypocrisy." How few are they who can know anything about
us.  Are we to be propitiated and made idols of.  Is the worship
of a new Trinity made up of the Blessed M.  Upasika and yourself
to take the place of exploded creeds.  We ask not for the worship
of ourselves.  The disciple should in no way be fettered.  Beware
of an Esoteric Popery.  The intense desire to see Upasika
reincarnate at once has raised a misleading Mayavic ideation.
Upasika has useful work to do on higher planes and cannot come
again so soon.  The T.S.  must safely be ushered into the new
century.  You have for some time been under deluding influences.
Shun pride, vanity and love of power.  Be not guided by emotion
but learn to stand alone.  Be accurate and critical rather than
credulous.  The mistakes of the past in the old religions must
not be glossed over with imaginary explanations.  The E.S.T.
must be reformed so as to be unsectarian and creedless as the
T.S.  The rules must be few and simple and acceptable to all.  No
one has a right to claim authority over a pupil or his
conscience.  Ask him not what he believes.  All who are sincere
and pure minded must have admittance.  The crest wave of
intellectual advancement must be taken hold of and guided into
spirituality.  It cannot be forced into beliefs and emotional
worship.  The essence of the higher thoughts of the members in
their collectivity must guide all action in the T.S.  and E.S.
We never try to subject to ourselves the will of another.  At
favourable times we let loose elevating influences which strike
various persons in various ways.  It is the collective aspect of
many such thoughts that can give the correct note of action.  We
show no favours.  The best corrective of error is an honest and
open-minded examination of all facts subjective and objective.
Misleading secrecy has given the death blow to numerous
organizations.  The cant about "Masters" must be silently but
firmly put down.  Let the devotion and service be to that Supreme
Spirit alone of which one is a part.  Namelessly and silently we
work and the continual references to ourselves and the repetition
of our names raises up a confused aura that hinders our work.
You will have to leave a good deal of your emotions and credulity
before you become a safe guide among the influences that will
commence to work in the new cycle.  The T.S.  was meant to be the
cornerstone of the future religions of humanity.  To accomplish
this object those who lead must leave aside their weak
predilections for the forms and ceremonies of any particular
creed and show themselves to be true Theosophists both in inner
thoughts and outward observance.  The greatest of your trials is
yet to come.  We watch over you but you must put forth all your
strength.

                                           K.H.

About a quarter of this was suppressed when the letter was
published in the 1930s.  The entire letter was published only in
1987, first by the Eclectic Theosophist and then by Theosophical
History.

In about 3 days I will come back with some thoughts on this and
hopefully others will by then have already done so.

One comment, though-- IMHO whether or not it is "legitimate" in
terms of being precipitated by the real K.H., this letter is
absolutely authentic good advice.