Theos-Talk Archives (April 1995 Message tl00016)

"Colonel Olcott is doubtless 'out of time with the feelings of
English people' of both classes; but nevertheless more in time
with us than either.  Him we can trust under all circumstances,
and his faithful service is pledged to us come well, come ill.
My dear Brother, my voice is the echo of impartial justice.
Where can we find an equal devotion? He is one who never
questions, but obeys; who may make innumberable mistakes out of
excessive zeal but never is unwilling to repair his fault even at
the cost of the greatest self-humillation; who esteems the
sacrifice of comfort and even life something to be cheerfullly
risked whenever necessary; who will eat any food, or even go
without; sleep on any bed, work in any place, fraternise with any
outcast, endure any privation for the cause ....  I admit that
his connection with an A.I.  Branch would be 'an evil'- hence he
will have no more to do with it than he has with the British
(London Branch).  His connection will be purely nominal, and may
be made more so, by framing your Rules more carefully than
theirs; and giving your organization such a self-acting system of
Goverment as would seldom if ever require any outside
interference.  But to make an independent A.I.B.  with the
self-same objects, either in whole or apart, as the Parent Societ
and with the same directors behind the scenes woud be not only to
deal a mortal blow at the Theos.  Soc.  but also put upon us a
double labour and anxiety without the slightest compensating
advantage that any of us can perceive.  The Parent S.  has never
interfered in the slightest degree with the British TS , not
indeed with any other Branch, whether religious or philosophical.
having formed.  or caused to be formed a new branch, the Parent
S.  charters it (which it cannot now do without our Sanction and
signatures), and then usually retires behind the scenes, as you
would say.  Its further connection with the subject branches is
limited to receiving quarterly accounts of their doings` and
lists of the new Fellows, ratifying expulsions - only when
specially called up as an arbitrator to interefere on account of
the Founders' direct connection with us - etc.etc.; it never
meddles otherwise in their affairs except when appealed to as a
sort of appelate court.  And the latter depending on you, what is
there to prevent your Society from remaining virtually
independent? We are, even more generous than you British are to
us.  We will not force upon, not even ask you to sanction a Hindu
'Resident' in your Society, to watch the interests of the Parent
Paramount Power when we have once declared you independent; but
will implicitly trust to your loyalty and word of honor.  but if
you now so dislike the idead of a purely nominal executive
supervision by Col.Olcott- an American of your own race- you
would surely rebel against dictation from a Hindu, whose habits
and methods are those of his own people, and whose race, despite
your natural benevolence, you have not yet learnt even to
tolerate, let alone to love & respect.  Think well before you ask
for our guidance.  Our best, most learned, and holiest adepts are
of the races of the 'greasy Tibetans'; and the Penjabi Singhs-
you know the lion is proverbiallly a dirty and offensive beast,
despite his strength and courage.  It is certain that your good
compatriots would more easilty forgive our Hindu solecisms in
manners than those of their own kinsmen of America? If my
observations have not misled I should say this was doubtful.
National prejudices are apt to leave one's spectacles undimmed.
You say 'how glad we should be, if that one (to guide you) were
yourself,,' meaning your unworthy correspondent.  My good
Brother, are you certain, that the pleasant impression you now
have from our correspoondence, would not instantly be destroyed
upon seeing me? And which of our holy Shaberons has had the
benefit of even the little university educat ion and inkling of
European manners that has fallen to my share? An instance: I
desired Mad.  B.  to select among the two or three Aryan
Punjabees who study Yog Vidya, and our natural mystics, one, whom
- without disclosing myself to him too much I coul d designate as
an agent between yourself and us, and whom i was anxious to
despatch to you, with a letter of introduction, and have him
speak to you of Yoga and its practical effects.  This young
gentelmean who is as pure as purity itself, whose aspirations and
thoughts are of the most spiritually ennobling kind, and who
merely through self exertion is able to penetrate into the
regions of the formless worlds - this young man is not fit for -
a drawing rom.  Having explained to him that the greatest good
might result for his country if he helped you to organize a
Branch of English mystics by proving to them pratically to what
wonderful results led the study of Yog, Md.  B.  asked him in
guarded and very delicate terms to change his dress and turban
before starting for Allahabad- for, though she did not give him
this reason, they were very dirty and slovenly.  You are to tell
Mr.  Sinnett- she said- that you bring him a letter from our
Brother K., with whom he corresponds.  But, if he asks you
anything either of him or the other Brothers answer him simply
and truthfully that you are not allowed to expatiate upon the
subject.  Speak of Yog and prove to him what powers you have
attained.  This young man who had consented wrote later on the
following curious letter: 'Madam,'' he said, 'you who preach the
highest standards of morality, of truthfulness, etc., you would
have me play the part of an impostor.  You aks me to change my
clothes at the risk of giving a false idea of my personaltiy and
mystifying the gentleman you sent me to.  And what if he asks me
if I personnally know Koot'hoomi, am I to keep silent and allow
him to think I do? This would be a tacit falsehood, and guilty of
that, I would be thrown back into the awful whirl of
transmigration!' Here is an illustration of the difficulties
under which we have to labor.  Powerless to send you a neophyte
before you have pledged yourself to us-- we have to either keep
back or despatch to you one who at best would shock if not
inspire you at once with disgust! The letter would have been
given him by my own hand; he had but to promise to hold his
tongue upon matters he knows nothing about and could give but a
false idea of, and `to make himself look cleaner.  Prejudice and
dead letter again.  For over a thousand years - says Michelet-
the Christian Saints never washed themselves! For how long will
our Saints dread to change their clothes for fear of being taken
for Marmaliks and the neophytes of rival and cleaner sects!.

"But these, our difficulties, ought not to prevent you from
beginning your work.  Colonel O.  and Mad.  B.  seeming willing
to become personally responsible for both yourself and Mr.  Hume,
if you yourself are ready to answer for the fidelity of any man
your party may choose as the leader of the A.I.T.S., we are
content that the trial shall be made.  The field is yours and no
one will be allowed to interfere with you except myself on behalf
of our Chiefs when you once do me the honour to prefer me to the
others.  But before one builds the house he makes the plan.
Suppose you draft a memorandum as to the constitution and policy
of managements of the A.I.  Society you have in mind and submit
it for consideration? If our Chiefs agree to it,- and it is not
surely they who would show themselves obstructive in the
universal onward march, or retard this movement to a higher
rgoal- then you will at once be chartered.  But they must first
see the plan; and I must ask you to remember that the new Society
shall not be allowed to disconnect itself with the parent Body,
though you are at liberty to manage your affairs in your own way
without fearing the slightest interference from its President so
long as you do not violate the general Rules.  And upon this
point I refer you to Rule 9.  This is the first practical
suggestion coming from a Cis and Trans-Himalayan 'cave dweller'
whom you have honoured with your confidence.

"And now about yourself personally.  Far be it from me to
discourage one so wil ling as yourself by setting up impossible
barriers to your progress.  We never whine over the inevitable
but try to make the best of the worst.  And though we neither
push nor draw into the mysterious domain of occult nature those
who are unwilling; never shrink from expressing our opinions
freely and fearlessly, yet we are ever as ready to assist those
who come to us; even to- agnostics who assume the negative
postion of 'knowing nothing but phenomena and refuse to believe
in anything else.' It is true that the married man cannot be an
adept, yet without striving to become 'a Raja Yogi' ,he can
acquire certain powers and do as much good to mankind and often
more, by remaining within the precincts of this world of his.
Therefore, shall we not ask you to precipitately change fixed
habits of life, before the full l convinction of its necessity
and advantage has possessed you.  You are a man to be left to
lead himself, and may be so left with safety.  Your resolution is
taken to deserve much: time will effect the rest.  There are more
ways than one for acquiring occult knowledge.  'Many are the
grains of incense destined for one and the same altar: one falls
sooner into the fire, the other later - the difference of time is
nothing.' remarked a great man when he was refused admission and
supreme initiation into the mysteries.  There is a tone of
complaint in your question whether there ever will be a renewal
of the vision you had, the night before the picnic day..
Methinks, were you to have a vision nightly, you would soon cease
to treasure them at all.  But there is a far weightier reason why
you should not have a surfeit - it would be a waste of our
strength.  As often as I, or any of us can communicate with you,
whether by dreams, waking impressions, letters (in or out of
pillows) or personal visits in astral form - it will be done.
But remember that Simla is 7,000 feeet higher than Allahabad, and
the difficulties to be surmounted at the latter are tremendous.
I abstain from encouraging you to expect too much.  for, like
yourself, I am loathe to promise what, for various reasons, I may
not be able to perform.

"The term 'Universal Brotherhood' is no idle phrase.  Humanity in
the mass has a paramount claim upon us, as I try to explain in my
letter to Mr.  Hume, which you had better ask the loan of.  It is
the only secure foundation for universal morality.  If it be a
dream, it is at least a noble one for mankind: and it is the
aspiration of the true adept.

Yours faithfully

Koot' Hoomi Lal Singh