The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett

"You must have understood by this time my friend, that the continual attempt made by us to open the eyes of the blind world — has nearly failed: in India — partially, in Europe — with a few exceptions—absolutely."

"Let the eyes of the most intellectual among the public be opened to the foul conspiracy against theosophy that is going on in the missionary circles and in one year's time you will have gained your footing. In India it is: "either Christ or the Founders (! !) Let us stone them to death!" They have nearly finished killing one—they are now attacking the other victim—Olcott. The padris are as busy as bees."

"My dear friend :—do not accuse me—after having started it myself—of indiiference to, or oblivion of, our little speculation. The Chohan is not to be consulted every day on such worldly matters, and that is my excuse for the unavoidable delay. And now, I am permitted by my venerated Chief to convey to you a memorandum of His views and ideas upon the fortune and destinies of a certain paper upon which his foresight was asked by your humble friend and his servant. Putting them into business shape I have noted his views as follows. I. The establishment of a new journal of the kind described is desirable, and very feasible—with proper effort. II. That effort must be made by your friends in the world, and every Hindu theosophist who has the good of his country at heart, and not very afraid to spend energy and his time. It has to be made by outsiders—i.e. those who do not belong to our Order irretrievably ; as for ourselves. III. We can direct and guide their efforts and the movement, in general. Tho' separated from your world of action we are not yet entirely severed from it so long as the Theosophical Society exists. Hence, while we cannot inaugurate it publicly and to the knowledge of all theosophists and those concerned, we may, and will so far as practicable, aid the enterprise. In fact, we have begun already to do so."

"It is premature as yet to tell you more of the secret influence that has brought it on, but you may hear of it later. Nor may I forecast the future, except so far as to draw more than ever your attention to the black clouds that are gathering over the political sky. You know I told you long ago to expect many and great disturbances of all kinds as one cycle was closing and the other beginning its fateful activities. You already see in the seismological phenomena of late occurrence some of the proof; you will see a great many more and shortly. And if we have to regret the blasting of a humanitarian project, it should at least mitigate the severity of your disappointment to feel that in a bad time like this one has to contend against seen and unseen influences of the most hostile nature. p. 394"

"The recent occurrences in which you have borne a part not altogether pleasant, may be distressing to some and tiresome to others, yet it is better so than that the old paralytic calm should have continued. An outbreak of fever in the human body is nature's evidence that she is trying to expel the seeds of disease and perhaps death anteriorily absorbed. As things were, the London Branch was but vegetating and the vast possibilities of psychic evolution in Britain were completely untried. Karma evidently required that the repose should be broken by the agency of the one most responsible for it"

"My desire is that you should be gathering together all the reserve forces of your being so that you may rise to the dignity and importance of the crisis. However little you may seem to achieve—psychically—in this birth, remember that your interior growth proceeds every instant, and that toward the end of your life as in your next birth your accumulated merit shall bring you all you aspire to."

"It is not politic that H. S. Olcott should be exclusively your guest during his whole stay in Britain; his time should be divided between yourself and others of various opinions—should they wish to invite him for a short time."

"Every Western Theosophist should learn and remember, especially those of them who would be our followers—that in our Brotherhood, all personalities sink into one idea—abstract right and absolute practical justice for all. And that, though we may not say with the Christians, return good for evil—we repeat with Confucius— return good for good, for evil—justice."

"My good friend—it is very easy for us to give phenomental proofs when we have necessary conditions. For instance— Olcott's magnetism after six years of purification is intensely sympathetic with ours—physically and morally is constantly becoming more and more so. Damodar and Bhavani Rao being congenitally sympathetic their auras help —instead of repelling and impeding phenomenal experiments. After a time you may become so—it depends on yourself. To force phenomena in the presence of difficulties magnetic and other is forbidden. As strictly as for a bank cashier to disburse money which is only entrusted to him. Mr. Hume cannot comprehend this. And therefore is "indignant" that the various tests he has secretly prepared for us have all failed. They demanded a tenfold expenditure of power since he surrounded them with an aura not of the purest—that of mistrust, anger, and anticipated mockery. Even to do this much for you so far from the Headquarters would be impossible but for the magnetisms O. and B. R. have brought with them—and I could do no more."

"Good friend, I will not, in sending forth the letter, reiterate again the many remarks that might be made respecting the various objections which we have the right to raise against Spiritual phenomena and its mediums. We have done our duty; and, because the voice of truth came through a channel which few liked, it was pronounced as false, and along with it—Occultism. The time has gone by to argue, and the hour when it will be proved to the world that Occult Science instead of being... a superstition itself, as they may be disposed to think it, will be found the explanation and the extinguisher of all superstitions—is nearby."

"All things being are in mystery; we expound mysteries by mysteries"—you may perhaps say. Well, well; to you as to one forewarned it will not be one; since, for several reasons—one more plausible than the other—I take you into my confidence. One of them is,—to save you a feeling of involuntary envy (the word is queer isn't it?) when you hear of it. As he will see somebody quite different from the real K.H., though it will still be K.H.— you need not feel like one wronged by your trans-himalayan friend. Another reason is, to save the poor fellow from the suspicion of boasting; the third and chiefest, though neither least nor last, is, that theosophy and its adherents have to be vindicated at last."

"Common people, are the masses as different from those who are distinguished. Your methods were not abandoned, it was only sought to show the drift of cyclic change no doubt that is helped by you too. Are you not man of the world enough to bear the small defects of young disciples. In their way they also help—and do greatly. In you is also concealed a power to help from your side for the poor Society will even yet need all the care it can get. It is good that you have seen the work of a noble woman, who has left all for the cause. Other ways and times will appear for your help. For you are a single witness and well knowing the facts that will be challenged by traitors."

"We cannot alter Karma my "good friend" or we might lift the present cloud from your path. But we do all that is possible in such material matters. No darkness can stay for ever. Have hope and faith and we may disperse it. There are not many left true to the original programme! And you have been taught much and have much that is and will be useful."

"I realized it perfectly. But however sincere, these feelings are too deeply covered by a thick crust of self sufficiency and egoistical stubbornness to awaken in me anything like sympathy."

"For centuries we have had in Tibet a moral, pure hearted, simple people, unblest with civilization, hence—untainted by its vices. For ages has been Tiibet the last corner of the globe not so entirely corrupted as to preclude the mingling together of the two atmospheres—the physical and the spiritual. And he would have us exchange this for his ideal of civilization and Govt.! This is pure self peroration, an intense passion for hearing himself discuss, and for imposing his ideas upon every one."

"Now really, Mr. H. ought to be sent by an international Committee of Philanthropists, as a Friend of Perishing Humanity to teach our Dalai Lamas—wisdom. Why he does not straightway sit down and frame a plan for something like Plato's Ideal Republic with a new scheme for everything under the Sun and moon—passes my poor comprehension!"

"This is indeed benevolent in him to go so far out of his way to teach us. Of course, this is pure kindness and not a desire to over-top the rest of humanity. It is his latest acquisition of mental evolution, which, let us hope, will not turn in—dissolution....Now just listen to the man jabbering about what he knows nothing. No men living are freer than we when we have once passed outside of the stage of pupilage. Docile and obedient but never slaves during that time we must be; otherwise, and if we pass our time in arguing we never would learn anything at all."

"If you care anything about our future relations, then, you better try to make your friend and colleague Mr. Hume give up his insane idea of going to Tibet. Does he really think that unless we allow it, he, or an army of Pelings will be enabled to hunt us out, or bring back news, that we are, after all, but a "moonshine" as she calls it. Madman is that man who imagines that even the British Govt: is strong and rich enough and powerful enough to help him in carrying out his insane plan ! Those whom we desire to know us will find us at the very frontiers. Those who have set against themselves the Chohans as he has—would not find us were they to go L'hassa with an army. His carrying out the plan will be the signal for an absolute separation between your world and ours. His idea of applying to the Govt : for permission to go to Tibet is ridiculous. He will encounter dangers at every step and will not even hear the remotest tidings about ourselves or our whereabouts."

"The man sent by me last night was a Ladaku chela and had nothing to do with you. What you just said about initiation is true. Any Fellow who truly and sincerely repents ought to be taken back. As you see I am with you constantly."

"Do not be impatient—good friend, I will answer to-morrow. When you learn one day the difficulties that are in my way you will see how mistaken you are at times in your notions about my movements. K. H."

"One of your letters begins with a quotation from one of my own . . . Says Buddha " you have to get rid entirely of the subjects of impermanence composing the body that your body should become permanent. The permanent never merges with the impermanent although the two are one. But it is only when all outward appearances are gone that there is left that one principle of life which exists independently of all external phenomena. It is the fire that burns in the eternal light, when the fuel is expended and the flame is extinguished; for that fire is neither in the flame nor in the fuel, nor yet inside either of the two but above beneath and everywhere—(Darinirvana Sutra kwnen XXXIX)."

"You want to acquire gifts. Set to work and try to develop lucidity. The latter is no gift but a universal possibility common to all. As Luke Burke puts it "idiots and dogs have it, and to a more remarkable degree often than the most intellectual man. It is because neither idiots nor dogs use their reasoning faculties but allow their natural instinctive perceptions to have full play."