Theos-Talk Archives (August 1995 Message tl00221)

I have studied Leadbetter's stuff with tremendous interest -- after all, one
who single-handedly located the World Christ must have a great deal of vision
and insight!

After some grueling and even tiresome study, one thing about Leadbetter,
beyond all the accusations of immorality and all, is extremely clear -- he
was a PSYCHIC.

Leadbetter was not an Initiate in any real sense. He was not an Arhat as he
styled himself -- as a student of Buddhism I can assure you of that. He was
not an Apostle of any Christ figure we could identify. And he was not even a
student of H.P. Blavatsky, judging by his writings which contradict her at
every turn.

There is a very interesting article by HPB which I'm sure everyone on the
board is familiar with -- PSYCHIC AND NOETIC ACTION. There HPB makes crystal
clear the tremendous need to distinguish psychic abilities from noetic or
truly spiritual development. It is simply the different between white and
black magic, the steep uphill path of lifetimes of self-sacrifice and work in
obscurity, versus the quick path of self-development along the lower astral
planes, where psychic powers are gained at the expense of the Buddhic and
higher Manasic.

Leadbetter was a psychic and no more, and his "visions" are matched by any
channeler or medium worth their salt today. Very little that is enlightening
and soul-elevating comes from Mr. Leadbetter's "embroidering" as Alan puts
it, and there the proof is in the pudding. Psychics merely entertain,
themselves most of all. Spiritual teachers present a path that one may
follow, which lifts the inner nature to self-study, generosity, and all the
other virtues of the bodhisattva. Leadbetter added nothing to the path HPB
and the Mahatmas showed, and in fact he ignored or obscured much with his
tireless claims to "new" teachings, "new" revelations.

THE VOICE OF THE SILENCE is very eloquent on the path of the disciple, as
well as the dangers of the astral plane, the "hall of learning," where one
may find "the blossoms of life, but under every flower a serpent coiled."
(page 7)

My grandmother would always say "choose your battles wisely," and this case,
mutatis mutandis, "choose your teachers wisely."

Richard P. Taylor
Richtay@aol.com