Theos-Talk Archives (July 1997 Message tl00060)

According to compass@theosophycompany.org:
> 
> Regarding HPB as messenger, the following is an interesting quotation,
> from the article "HPB -- The Direct Agent" (Theos. Mag.25,289):
> 
> "One need not blindly believe in the credentials of HPB, nor in those
> she gave us with respect to the position of her colleague and co-worker,
> Whilliam Q. Judge.  The great error lies in the assumption that HPB
> could have been *both* right and wrong, that the Masters could have
> permitted mis-statements of hers to pass uncorrected - allowed their
> teachings to be misrepresented to humanity. 

This in itself is a great error.  HPB herself made it quite
clear that she *was* both right and wrong, that there were
probably things in her teachings that were incorrect due to her own lack
of understanding.  I could dig up quotes, but haven't time at
the moment.  Suffice it to say that HPB ABSOLUTELY NEVER
claimed the kind of infallibility that the above passage claims
for her teachings.  Moreover, she EXPLICITLY REJECTED such an
idea not once but many times.

 Were this possible they
> could not be Masters.  If her Masters are *not* Perfected Men, Theosophy
> is a hoax, the study of which is a waste of time. 

Oh, how much misunderstanding is contained in these lines!  The
Masters could not be Masters if they allowed HPB to make
mistakes?  Lordy, read what HPB herself says about all the
mistakes in Isis Unveiled!  The Masters were never claimed by
HPB (or by themselves in their letters) to be omniscient or
omnipresent or omnipotent.  And she makes it clear that she and
Olcott *were* allowed to make mistakes.

 And, we may add, if
> it is a waste of time to study the philosophy which formed the basis of
> the teachings of such men as Buddha, Plato and Christ, life is not worth
> living."

One need not regard Buddha, Plato or Christ as omniscient and
omnipotent in order to find the study of their teachings
worthwhile.  And life is indeed worth living without believing
anyone to be Masters in the way depicted in this article.