Theos-Talk Archives (July 1997 Message tl00123)

Kym wrote:

>Algeo wrote "they did not tell people
>what to do or how to do it."  Eh?  In the "Mahatma Letters to J. P.
>Sinnett," the "Masters" make it clear that if you don't believe and heed
>them, you just may be, well, rather primitive.  There are many examples of
>the "Masters" being just plain bossy and insulting.  And one "Master" wrote
>(in letter 41) that he would "force her to stop" - this is not, to me,
>necessarily honoring the "right of free action."

John probably meant this as a general rule, since, elsewhere in "The
Mahatma Letters" is at least the implication that they would _kill_
anyone who was about to reveal a sufficiently sacred secret.  If I
recall correctly, the reference to forcing her to stop was to forcing
HPB, who had voluntarily completely devoted her life to their service,
and who often strictly obeyed their definite commands.  John's
reference to the Masters' telling people neither what to do nor how to
do it probably referred to less devoted recipients of their words.

In studying "The Mahatma Letters," it should be understood that their
use of English was, by their own admission, loose at best, and sloppy
at worst.  They would consider holding them to the strict meanings of
their words as a violation of the spirit which they taught.