Theos-Talk Archives (March 1995 Message tl00411)

Amrita Saras Oct. 29

"My Dear Brother,

"I could assuredly make no objection to that style which you have
kindly adopted, in addressing me by name, since it is, as you
say, the outcome of a personal regard even greater than I have as
yet deserved at your hands; The conventionalities of the weary
world, outside our secluded 'Ashrums', trouble us but little at
any time; least of all now, when it is men not ceremony-maste`rs,
we seek, devotion, not mere observances.  More and more a dead
formalism is gaining ground, and I am truly happy to find so
unexpected an ally in a quarter where, hitherto there have not
been too many - among the highly educated classes of English
Society.  A crisis, in a certain sense, is upon us now, and must
be met.  I might say 2 crises - one, the Society's, the other for
Tibet.  For, I may tell you in confidence, that Russia is
gradually massing her forces for a future invasion of that
country under the pretext of a Chinese War.  If she does not
succeed it will be due to us; and herein, at least we will
deserve your gratitude.  You see then, that we have weightier
matters than small societies to think about; yet the TS must not
be neglected.  The affair has taken an impulse, which, if not
well guided, might beget very evil isues.  Recall to mind the
avalanches of your admired Alps, that you have often thought
about, and remember that at first their mass is small and their
momentum little.; A trite comparison you may say, but I cannot
think of a better illustration, when viewing the gradual
aggregation of trifling events, growing into a menacing destiny
for the TS.  It came quite forcibly upon me the other day, as I
was coming down the defiles of Kouenlun - Karakorum you call them
- and saw an avalanche tumble.  I had gone personally to our
chief to submit Mr.  Hume's important offer, and wasa crossing
over to Lhadak on my way home.  What other speculation might have
followed I cannot say.  But just as I was taking advantage of the
awful stillness which usually follows such cataclysm, to get a
clearer view of the present situation and the disposition of the
'mystics' of Simla, I was rudely recalled to my senses.  A
familiar voice, as shrill as the one attributed to Saraswati's
peacock - which, if we may credit tradition, frightened off the
King of the Nagas - shouted along the currents 'Oloctt has raised
the very devil again! ...  The Englishment are going crazy ...
Koot Hoomi, come quicker & help me!' and in her excitement forgot
she was speaking English.  I must say that the 'Old Lady's'
telegrams do strike one like stones from a caltapult.!

"What could I do but come? Argument through space with one who
was in cold despair, and in a state of moral chaos was useless.
So I determined to emerge from the seclusion of many years and
spend some time with her to comfort her as well as I could.  But
our friend is not one to cause her mind to reflect the
philosophical resignation of Marcus Aurelius.  The fates never
wrote that she could say: ' It is a royal thing, when one is
doing good to hear evil spoken of himself.' ...  I had come for a
few days, but now find that I myself cannot endure for any length
of time the stifling magnetism even of my own countrymen.  I have
seen some of our proud ol Sikhs drunk and staggering over the
marble pavement of their sacred Temple.  I have heard an
English-speaking Vakil declaim against Yog Vidya and Theosophy ,
as a delusion and a lie, declaring that English Science had
emancipated them from such 'degrading superstitions,' and saying
that any living man can or ever could perform any phenomena! I
turn my face homeward tomorrow.

"The delivery of this letter may very possibly be delayed for a
few days, owing to causes which it will not interest you for me
to specify.  Meanwhile, however, I have telegraphed you my thanks
for your obliging compliance with my wishes in the matters you
allude to in your letter of the 24th inst.  I see with pleasure ,
that you have not failed to usher me before the world as a
possible 'confederate'/ That makes our number 10, I believe? But
I must say, that your promise was well and loyally fulfilled.
Received at Unristur on the 27th inst., at 2pm, I got your letter
about 390 miles beyond Rawul Pindee, five minutes later, and had
an acknowledgement wired to you from Jhelum at 4pm on the same
afternoon.  Our modes of accelerated delivery and quick
communication are not then as you will see, to be despised by the
Western world, or even the Aryan, English speaking and skeptical
Vakils.

"I could not ask a more judicial frame of mind in an ally than
that in which you are beginning to find yourself.  My Brother,
you have already changed your attitude toward us in a distinct
degree: what is to prevent a perfect mutual understanding one
day!

Mr.  Hume's proposition has been duly and carefullly considered.
He will, no doubt, advise you of the results as expressed in my
letter to him.  Whether he will give our 'modes of action' as
fair a trial as yourself - is another question.  Our Maha (The
'Chief') has allowed me to correspond with both of you.  , and
even - in case an Anglo-Indian Branch is formed - to come some
day in personal contact with it.  It now depends entirely on you.
I cannot tell you more.  You are quite right as the standing of
our friends in the Anglo-Indian world having been materiailly
iimproved by the Simla visit; and, it is also true, though you
modestly refrain from saying so, that we are mainly indebted to
you for this.But quite apart from the unlucky incidents of the
Bombay publications, it is not possible that there should be much
more at best than a benevolent neutrality shown by your people
toward ours.  There is so very minute a point of contact between
the 2 civilisations they respectively represent, that one might
almost say they could not touch at all,.  Nor would they but for
the few - shall I say eccentrics? - who, like you, dream better
and bolder dreams than the rest; and provoking thought, bring the
two together by their own admirable audacity.  Has it occurred to
you that the 2 Bombay publications, if not influenced, may at
least have not been prevented, by those who might have done so,
because they saw the necessity for that much agitation to effect
the double results of making a needed diversion after the Brooch
Grenade, and, perhaps, of trying the strength of your personal
interest in occultism & theosophy? I do not say it was so; I but
enquire whether the contingency ever presented itself to your
mind.  I have already caused it to be intimated to you that if
the details given in the stolen letter had been anticipated in
the "Pioneer' - a much more appropriate place, and where they
would have been handled to better advantage - that document would
not have been worth anyone's while to purloin for the 'Times of
India', and therefore no names would have appeared.

End of part 1.  Part 2 of letter # 5 will follow tomorrow.  For
today, I'm completely ausgecopied.  Liesel