Theos-Talk Archives (June 1996 Message tl00645)

I would like to comment on Christopher Allen's remark below.
a.d.

At 03:41 PM 6/19/96 -0400, you wrote:
>>> From ">"Dr. A.M.Bain" <guru@nellie2.demon.co.uk>:
>>> Newsgroups: alt.theosophy,
>>>
>>> Subject: Re: H P Blavatsky in Tibet
>>>
>>> All Follow-Up: Re: H P Blavatsky in Tibet
>>> Date: Wed, 19 Jun 1996 01:06:31 +0100
>>> References: ">1, ">2,
>>>
>>>     ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>> In article <31C6942E.73AC@concentric.net>, Christopher Allen
>>> <coallen@concentric.net> writes
>>> >M K Ramadoss wrote:
>>> >>
>>> >>  Here is some very interesting news relating to HPB's visit to
>>> >>  Tibet. It is excerpted from Ergates, June 1996 issue.
>>> >>  ----------------------------------------------
>>> >
>>> >>  Currently, most scholars belive that H.P.B. invented the
>>> >>  *Stanzas of Dzyan* which form the basis of her *Secret
>>> >>  Doctrine*. Most biographers of H.P.B. doubt that she ever went
>>> >>  to Tibet, and claim that either she made up her Masters, or that
>>> >>  H.P.B. was a trance medium who conjured Them spiritualistically.
>>> >
>>> >Interesting.  I wasn't aware that her visit to Tibet was in question.

One of the most important things for ALL theosophists, of whatever opinion,
to comprehend, is that ALL aspects of HPB's life, no matter how well
documented, are "up for grabs" in public opinion media. No matter what we
pitifully few theosophist may think of her. The public questions her every
motive, every action, every word. She has been tried, and convicted, in the
largest percentile of public opinion as a fraud, a fake, and a Russian Spy.
An even more important thing to remember is that the really greatest
percentile of the public has never heard of HPB or theosophy at all. If we
forget this, even for a moment, we are setting ourselves up for immense
disappointment.

>>> A colleague of mine in England has gone into this question *very*
>>> thoroughly.  At the time of HPB's visits to Tibet as published in
>>> theosophical literature, the routes into that country were via India,
>>> which was then firmly in the grip of the British Raj.  All border
>>> crossings were manned by Brit officials who recorded the comings and
>>> goings of everyone in a meticulous fashion.  Her name does, if I recall
>>> correctly, appear in records relating to Nepal, but not to Tibet.

India, where the "Raj" ruled,is South of Tibet. There are other borders.
according to HPB, the first time she went to Tibet, she left Erivan (Russian
Armenia) and with Chirghiz escorts proceeded to Tibet from there, she would
have encountered no British Border Patrols from the Northwestern access
routes. There were alternative routes into Tibet from China, and there were
certainly routes into Tibet from Nepal that were, and had been, used by
smugglers for ages untold. She could have, if she wanted, and was permitted
(by the Panchen Lama) have entered Tibet from Nepal at any time.She also
claimed that she met her "Master" in Darjeeling and was "taken" by him into
Tibet. That, of course, is open to interpretation. does that mean taken
PHYSICALLY into Tibet? Or taken to Tibet in her Astral/aetheric form? It is
very difficult indeed, to know exactly where truth lies in all these
matters. There has been so much revisionism since 1891 that perhaps we will
never know.

>>>
>>> I am also informed (my friend is also a student of Tibetan history and
>>> culture) that the description of a lamasery by HPB exactly matches an
>>> illustration in a published book of the period, but does *not* match the
>>> view of the place as actually *seen* on the ground. (Victorian English
>>> illustrators were often romantic in their portrayal of the places they
>>> wrote about).  I cannot right now offer more details (someone is bound
>>> to ask) as my colleague is away on business for a time.

Here we have it again. What is "truth"? Well the motto of theosophy is
"There is no religion higher than truth" so perhaps it's our mission to try
to find out what it really is. I think that a goodly proportion of HPB's
words and actions were intended to motivate us into doing so.
Finding out what "truth" really is, is theosophy as a process.
>>>
>>> Alan Bain
>>> ---------
>>> THEOSOPHY INTERNATIONAL:
>>> Ancient Wisdom for a New Age
>>> TI@nellie2.demon.co.uk
>>> http://www,garlic.com/~rdon/TI.html
>>>
alexis dolgorukii>
>
>