Theos-Talk Archives (January 2008 Message tt00163)

Dear Cass

Thank you for your response, it's good to be talking with you again.

Yes, this subject does arise from time to time, hopefully for the 
benefit of newcomers who may be unfamiliar with the issues and/or for 
those who may wish to reassess their currently held views.

You write, "My simple thinking is that after HPB, Besant and 
Leadbeater wanted to
create a new world religion, and thought that by slanting Theosophy 
towards
christian thinking they would convert millions to theosophy."

In noting your use of capital "T" and lower case "t" this seems to 
have been at least part of their intention. 


Unfortunately time constraints preclude a lengthier reply, however as 
you know, my concern for many years has been that to the uninformed 
Dr Besant and Bishop Leadbeater's writings have been associated with, 
and assumed the credibility of Madame Blavatsky and her teachers' 
version of Theosophy. This due in part to Dr Besant and Bishop 
Leadbeater's claims of being in contact with Madame Blavatsky's 
teachers and putatively representing their teachings. The countless 
contradictions between the teachings and writings largely makes lie 
to these claims. 

>From my perspective, this makes them an unreliable source for the 
Theosophy of Madame Blavatsky and her teachers, whilst Bishop 
Leadbeater's compulsive purveyance of  untruths makes him unreliable 
in most matters.

Kind regards
Nigel 




--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, Cass Silva <silva_cass@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Nigel,
>   We have discussed this issue in the past but it seems to always 
raise its head again.  My simple thinking is that after HPB, Besant 
and Leadbeater wanted to create a new world religion, and thought 
that by slanting Theosophy towards christian thinking they would 
convert millions to theosophy.
>    
>   Cheers 
>   Cass
> 
> nhcareyta <nhcareyta@...> wrote:
>           'In regards to C.W. Leadbeater's and Annie Besant's 
Theosophical 
> teachings, Dr. Alvin Boyd Kuhn in his book Theosophy: A Modern 
> Revival of Ancient Wisdom (published 1930) wrote the following 
> relevant statement: 
> 
> "Certain schools of his critics assert flatly that he [C. W. 
> Leadbeater] has only succeeded in vitiating her [H.P. Blavatsky's] 
> original presentation [of Theosophy]. Two years ago [starting in 
the 
> March 15, 1928 issue] The Canadian Theosophist, a magazine 
published 
> under the editorship of Mr. Albert Smythe at Toronto, published a 
> series of articles [excerpted from Margaret Thomas' Theosophy 
Versus 
> Neo-Theosophy] in which parallel passages from the writings of 
Madame 
> Blavatsky and the Mahatma Letters on one side, and from the books 
of 
> Mrs. Besant, Mr. Leadbeater, Mr. C. Jinarajadasa, on the other, 
give 
> specific evidence bearing on the claims of perversion of the 
original 
> theories by those whom they call Neo-Theosophists. The articles 
> indicate wide deviations, in some cases complete reversal, made by 
> the later interpreters [Besant, Leadbeater, Jinarajadasa] from the 
> fundamental statements of the Russian Messenger [Blavatsky] and her 
> Overlords [the Mahatmas]." 
> 
> "The differences concern such matters as the personality of God, 
the 
> historicity of Jesus, his identity as an individual or a principle, 
> the desirability of churches, priestcraft and religious ceremonial, 
> the genuineness of an apostolic succession, and a vicarious 
> atonement, the authority of Sacraments, the nature and nomenclature 
> of the seven planes of man's constitution, the planetary chains, 
the 
> monad, the course of evolution, and many other important phases of 
> Theosophic doctrine. This exhaustive research has made it apparent 
> that the later exponents have allowed themselves to depart in many 
> important points from the teachings of H.P.B." (pp. 330-331)
> 
> Dr. James A. Santucci, professor of religious studies at California 
> State University, Fullerton and editor of Theosophical History 
> <http://www.theohistory.org/>, confirms Kuhn's statements:
> 
> "The two [Besant and Leadbeater] were largely responsible for the 
> introduction of new teachings that were often in total opposition 
to 
> the Theosophy of Blavatsky and her Masters. These teachings were 
> designated by their opponents as Neo-Theosophy . . . or less often 
> Pseudo-Theosophy. The differences between Theosophy and Neo-
Theosophy 
> are too numerous to mention in the context of this paper. . . . An 
> extensive overview [of the differences] is given in the unpublished 
> booklet, Theosophy or Neo-Theosophy by Margaret Thomas. . . . The 
> booklet was written around 1925." Quoted from: 
> http://www.theohistory.org/aquarian_foundation.pdf
> 
> Jerry Hejka-Ekins, a long-time student of Madame Blavatsky's 
> teachings, has also commented:
> 
> "The earliest use of the term 'neo-theosophy' was used by F.T. 
Brooks 
> around 1912 in a book called Neo Theosophy Exposed. . . . Around 
> 1924, Margaret Thomas published a book called Theosophy Versus Neo-
> Theosophy: Part one compares Blavatsky's teachings to those of 
Besant 
> and Leadbeater's by juxtaposing quotes from each party on various 
> subjects, so that the thoughtful reader could easily discern the 
> differences and contradictions. Part two published documents 
> concerning the Leadbeater scandal, and part three publishes 
documents 
> concerning the Judge case. . . . " Italics added. Quoted 
> from "Discussions on the Theosophical Philosophy" 
> 
> See also the following sources:
> 
> ? Theosophy Versus Neo-Theosophy (abridged ed., reprint of Part I 
> only) compiled by Margaret Thomas 
> 
> ? Theosophy Or NeoTheosophy? (reprint of complete, unabridged 
> original edition) compiled by Margaret Thomas 
> 
> ? "Mistakes have now to be checked by the original teachings and 
> corrected."
> 
> ? Life After Death in Kamaloka (the Astral World): H.P. Blavatsky 
> versus C.W. Leadbeater compiled by Ray Morgan 
> 
> ? C.W. Leadbeater & H.P. Blavatsky about Life on Mars and Other 
> Planets
> 
> ? Misleading Mayavic Ideations: The Neo-Theosophy of C.W. 
Leadbeater 
> and Annie Besant by Ray Morgan.
> 
> ? The Theosophical Society and Its Future (A Commentary on Annie 
> Besant's and C.W. Leadbeater's Theosophical Contributions) by 
> Geoffrey A. Farthing
> 
> ? The Etheric Double: The Far-Reaching Effects of a False 
Assumption 
> (as found in the writings of Annie Besant & C.W. Leadbeater by 
> Geoffrey A. Farthing
> 
> ? There Is No Religion Higher Than Truth: Developments in The 
> Theosophical Society by E.L. Gardner
> 
> ? C.W. Leadbeater: A Great Occultist compiled by Sandra Hodson and 
> Mathias J. van Thiel. A reply to the Gardner pamphlet.
> 
> See also especially:
> 
> ? Charles Webster Leadbeater: His Life, Writings and Teachings'
> 
> http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/latermessengers.htm#3 
> 
> 
> 
>                          
> 
>        
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