(1854-1938, English)
Alice Leighton Cleather was one of the closest pupils of
Blavatsky and after the death of her teacher, she was one of the few disciples
who defended the theosophical movement and the original teaching provided by
the Masters, from the corruption that subsequently did Leadbeater, Annie Besant and Alice Bailey.
This article is divided in two parts: the first part is a
biography that I made of her, and the second part is a biography that I find in
the internet, which complements very well the biography that I made.
1. ALICE CLEATHER’S BIOGRAPHY
(This is a short biography that I made in homage to her.)
1881
She is introduced to Theosophy
In 1881 she read first Alfred Sinnett's book “The Hidden World”,
and in 1885 she read his second book “Esoteric Buddhism”. And she became
so interested by Theosophy, that same year she requested her admission to the
Lodge of London, which at that time was presided over by Mr. Sinnett, and there,
she was initiated by Sinnett himself and Mohini Chatterji.
1887
Alice Cleather meet Blavatsky
In 1887, through Bertram Keightley, she met Madame Blavatsky whom comes
to live in London, and that same year, she leaves the Lodge from London to join
the new Lodge that Blavatsky creates (the Blavatsky’s Lodge).
Alfred Sinnett mesmerizes Alice
Cleather
The Lodge of London presided by Mr. Sinnett was deviating from the correct initiatory path by accomplishing inappropriate activities such as hypnotism or mediumship, and about what happened in the Lodge of London during the year of 1887, we have the invaluable testimony of Alice Cleather who says:
« If it had not been for Blavatsky, it is just possible that I
myself might have figured as one of Mr. Sinnett's mediums. I was seeing a good
deal of both him and his wife, before Blavatsky moved into London from Maycot;
and one day Mr. Sinnett suggested that I should allow him to make the
experiment of trying to “release” my soul from the body, as I might then have
some interesting experiences.
I thought so, too, although I then knew nothing of the dangers of such
irresponsible practices.
As a young girl I had been able to “turn tables” and to mesmerize
people; but I never took any real interest in this sort of thing, because the
natural bent of my mind was towards philosophy. However, on receiving from Mr.
Sinnett the assurance that he would be able to bring my soul safely back again,
I consented to submit to the experiment.
His method proved to be the usual one. He asked me to lie down and close
my eyes, and then proceeded to make mesmeric passes. He told me that I should
soon “go off” and would then become conscious on “a higher plane”.
After what seemed to be about ten minutes, and I was beginning to wonder
when “I should be released”, Mr. Sinnett said in a low voice:
- "Now
you can’t move your right arm."
Naturally I did so at once, and lifted my forearm, opening my eyes at
the same time to look at him. I have rarely seen anyone so taken aback; he had
evidently thought I was “off”.
He seemed also quite annoyed by the failure of the experiment, but said
we would try again another day. We never did, however, for soon afterwards
Blavatsky moved into London, and I happened to mention the incident to her.
She was really angry with Mr. Sinnett, and she absolutely forbade me to
permit Mr. Sinnett, or anyone else, to try such experiments again. Later on, of
course, I came to learn the extreme danger of such practices, and that in the
wrong hands they are forms of Black Magic.
I relate these few incidents, out of many that could be cited, in order
to show the very questionable basis on which Mr. Sinnett's claim to “independent
communication” rested.
Although he had the inestimable privilege of association with Blavatsky
in India, and she had put him in direct communication with the Master Kuthumi,
yet when this ceased, rather than admit it and be content to play a subordinate
part, he declined to cooperate with Blavatsky in England, and resorted to these
methods in a pitiful endeavor to maintain the high prestige he had acquired,
through her. »
(Alice Cleather, HP Blavatsky as I Knew Her, p.31-33)
1888
Member of the Esoteric Section and
Internal Group
Alice was the fifth person to submit her application to the “Oriental
School Esoteric of Theosophy” of Blavatsky (also knows like “The Esoteric
Section”), and she was the third to which Blavatsky gave him the opportunity to
join the “Internal Group” of that School in 1890; taking her oath on September
17 of that year.
(Note: The picture above was taken in London in July 10, 1891 (one month
after Blavatsky’s death) in the Blavatsky’s lodge in London, and show the
majority of Internal Group´s members. In this picture don’t appear Alice
Cleather,and you can see Coronel Olcott in the background.)
The Alice Cleather’s notes of the
Internal Group
She was assigned the task of taking notes of the meetings of the
Internal Group, and sending them to William Judge in the United States. These notes
have survived to this day, and compared to the notes that taken by other
members, the Alice Cleather’s are the most complete from all those that were
taken at those meetings. Her careful notes
were used in 1940 for a report on the Theosophical Forum (Point Loma).
(These notes were published in “The Esoteric Papers of Madame
Blavatsky”, p.477-552)
During this period Cleather wrote
a number of articles, the most important were those published in “The
Theosophist” from March
1890 to August 1895 under the title “Theosophy in Western Lands”. These
articles are a valuable data source regarding theosophical activities at the
London headquarters.
1892
Alice Cleather starts collaborating
with Basil Crump
In 1892 she met Mr. Basil Woodward Crump (1866-1945) who was a member
of The Theosophical Society and The Esoteric Section. She developed a close friendship with him. Mr. Crump graduated from
Jesus College, Cambridge. He worked like barrister of the Middle Temple, and by
1900 had become the editor of the Law Times. Crump
was living for a time in the Cleather family home, and co-authored a number of
books with Alice Cleather.
1894-1895
Alice Cleather supports William
Judge
When in 1894-1895 The Theosophical Society was divided by the attacks of
Mrs. Besant and Colonel Olcott against William Judge, Alice Cleather followed
William Judge along with other English Theosophists, adhering to the
"Theosophical Society in America” who was chaired by William Judge, and is
separated of the "Theosophical Society in Adyar” who was chaired by Olcott
and Besant.
April 1896
Alice Cleather attends the
Second Annual Convention of the
Theosophical Society in America
When Mr. Judge died in March 1896, she attended in Convention of New
York on April 1896, in which it was presented Mrs. Katherine Tingley as
successor to William Judge, in the Oriental School Esoteric of Theosophy
(Esoteric Section).
June 1896-February 1897
Crusade of the American Theosophists
Shortly after this Convention, Mrs. Katherine Tingley, along with Mr. Claude
Falls Wright and Mr. Ernest Hargrove (who at that time was President of The Theosophical Society in America);
they started a trip around the world to promote Theosophy.
In England, they were joined by Alice Cleather, passing through India in
the winter of that year, arriving in San Francisco in April 1897.
February 1897
First Stone of Point Loma
On February 23, 1897, the groundbreaking ceremony of the “School for the
Rebirth of the Lost Mysteries of Antiquity” was held at Point Loma, San Diego. They
were present: Katherine Tingley, Ernest Hargrove, Claude Falls Wright, F.M.
Pierce and others.
January 13, 1898
Creation of the Universal Brotherhood
Ten prominent and influential members who had shown no signs of wavering
gathered at the home of Katherine Tingley. A constitution for a new
theosophical organization was presented. The new organization was called “The
Universal Theosophical Brotherhood”, which a month later was changed to “The
Universal
Brotherhood”.
Among the signatories were Basil Crump, E. August Neresheimer, Robert
Crosbie, Joseph H. Fussell, and Arthur L. Conger Jr.
(Pelletier, The Judge Case I,
Chronology, p.223)
February 18, 1898
Dismemberment of the Theosophical
Society In America
for fault of Katherine Tingley
During the Fourth Convention, held in Chicago on February 18, 1898, the Theosophical
Society in America was absorbed by the "Universal Brotherhood", being
Catherine Tingley at the head of this organization, and the Theosophical Society
in America became a simple Department within the new organization chaired by
Mrs. Tingley.
Catherine Tingley stayed with the majority of the
members, and only a minority that did not agree with this reorganization, left.
And among them were: Dr. Buck, Dr. Archibald Keightley, Jasper Niemand, A.H. Spencer,
Ernest Hargrove and another 200 members of a total of 6’000 who stayed with
Mrs. Tingley.
Alice Cleather stayed with Mrs. Tingley.
February 1898
Alice Cleather in charge of the Esoteric
School in England
Katherine Tingley sends this message:
« Esoteric School of Theosophy. Strictly Private And Confidential.
To the Members E.S.T. Signed “Katherine A Tingley, Outer Head; issued
from New York.
You will soon hear of a new step taken at Chicago which is the outward
aspect of a higher esoteric body of enormous importance, which all may aspire
to through loyalty and devotion. . . . Members will please note that I should
disapprove of any documents or letters sent out to this School, unless indorsed
by myself. Mr. Crump and Mrs Cleather still act as my agents in England. Miss Churchill,
Sec’y. Acting Council of the E.S.T.: E.A. Neresheimer; H.T. Patterson; J.H.
Fussell; Iverson L. Harris; F.M. Pearce; D.N. Dunlop; Wm. Lindsay; Clark
Thurston. All the above are perfectly reliable. »
(Pelletier, The Judge Case I,
Chronology, p.227)
Ernest Hargrove’s opinion about Mrs.
Tingley
In a letter of Hargrove to Mrs. Tingley, he writes to her:
« Now, my dear friend, you have made an awful mess of it that is the
simple truth. You were run in as Outer Head as the only person in sight who was
ready to hand at the time.
We were all of us heartily glad to welcome you, for you solved the
problem which confronted us who was to be Outer Head, and you were a sort of
neutral centre around which we could congregate.
And most of us fairly yelled with delight, for you solved our difficulty
and we had ample proofs that some members of the Lodge were working through you
and that you had high and rare mediumistic and psychic gifts and that you were
a disciple of the Lodge. So things went swimmingly for a time.
Our enthusiasm and anxiety to see all go well carried some of us too far
carried me too far to the extent of leading me to use my personal influence
with people to get them to accept you as Outer Head. I thought it was for the
good of the work, but since then I have learned better. »
(Pelletier, The Judge Case I,
Chronology, p.224)
1899
Alice Cleather separates from the
"Universal Brotherhood"
Alice Cleather participated in the Conventions of The Theosophical
Society in America from 1895 to 1898. However, disillusioned by how Katherine Tingley had transformed this organization, in 1899 she separated from the
"Universal Brotherhood”.
On this subject
she wrote:
« In 1899, I and many others left Mrs. Tingley's Society
on discovering that she was departing as far from Blavatsky's original
teachings as, on her side, Mrs. Besant was. To neither of these organizations
was I, therefore, able to belong. Neither of their leaders inspired me with any
confidence, as both were introducing ideas completely foreign to those
promulgated by Blavatsky while professing to carrying on her work. »
(www.blavatskyarchives.com/stokescleather.htm)
Alice Cleather leaves England
Alice Cleather had musical talent, and during this period of her life
she made musical tours with musical accompaniment, in various parts of the
world. On several of those tours she was accompanied by Basil Crump. In 1911
she was present in Egypt, and later she resided in Italy from 1911 to 1918,
making occasional trips to England, and to other parts of the continent,
especially to Florence in 1911 and to Paris in 1912.
1917
Foundation
of the HPB Library
In 1917 Alice Cleather founded the “HPB Library”, as an independent and distinct center of the
other Theosophical organizations established at the time.
(Joan Sutcliffe, HPB Library, Toronto, 2001)
Alice Cleather together with William Kingsland founded the HPB Lending
Library with around 600 volumes. At the beginning of 1923 he transferred the library
from London to Victoria in British Columbia, Canada by Mrs. H. Henderson.
(Boris de Zircoff, Collected Writings XIV, p.521)
Mrs. Henderson was succeeded by Mrs. I. Davey as caretaker, and then the
library was moved in 1923 to Vernon, British Columbia (Michael Freeman as
caretaker) and since 1992 has been relocated to Toronto, Ontario (Joan
Sutcliffe as caretaker).
1918
Alice Cleather goes to India
In 1918 Alice Cleather accompanied by her son Graham Gordon Cleather
(her other son had already died and her husband died in 1919) and Mr. Basil Crump,
they undertook a trip to India. The trip was fraught with danger, since her
ship was torpedoed by a German submarine, and she and her companions managed to
survive in a boat, from which they were rescued, finally reaching India at the
end of 1918.
1920
Alice Cleather become Buddhist
In 1920 the three took Pânsil (vows) in Buddha Gaya, on the
presence of Tibetan lamas of “Yellow Hat” (Gelugpa), the lama in chief
Geshe Rinpoche, of the monastery of Donkar in the Chumbi Valley, carrying out
the rite, being they the first Europeans who took the precepts in this sacred
place.
1922
Annie Besant tries to deceive the Theosophists
In response to the Theosophists
who did not agree on what the Theosophical Society from Adyar had become; Annie
Besant published an article in Theosophist magazine titled "Who Will You Serve?", where she
claimed that Leadbeater had been "one of the closest and most trusted
students of Blavatsky and that Blavatsky woke up Leadbeater’s powers."
This outraged Alice Cleather who
challenged Mrs. Besant to present some document confirming what she had
affirmed, and Annie Besant never presented any proof because the reality is
that Leadbeater was never a disciple of Blavatsky.
Annie Besant lied (as she did so
many times).
(Gregory Tillett,The Elder Brother, p.202-203)
1923
Blavatsky Association of London
In 1923 she collaborated (by letter) with William Kingsland in the
formation of the “Blavatsky Association of London”, which was active until
1947. During the years 1922 and 1923, she published in Calcutta, India, three
small works of great historical importance. (See Bibliography downside)
1925
Interview with the Panchen Lama
At the end of 1925 she went to Beijing with her son and Mr. Crump, and
met the Panchen Lama, who gave her a Buddhist “Testimonial” which read:
« Special Gelukpa Buddhist of the English race, faithful and
devoted, to be treated as a Buddhist, to be afforded every assistance and help,
and not to be injured or wrongfully opposed. »
This document was very useful to travel through Central Asia during these
turbulent times.
She also received a special
passport for Tibet.
Meeting
with the Lamas of the Temples Fa Yuan and Kwan Yi, in May 15, 1926.
1927
The Beijing edition of
The Voice of Silence
In 1927 she published in Beijing, a true version to the original “The
voice of Silence”, currently known as “the Beijing edition”. This
edition was extremely necessary, since the original edition of Blavatsky in the
hands of the Adyar Society, it was no longer published, and in its place there
was a version altered by Annie Besant, in which she deleted the fourth
paragraph on page 43, eliminating the note 38 of Glossary II.
These texts refer to the Pratyeka Buddhas that Blavatsky and the
Buddhist tradition consider to be egoist Buddhas, but that Annie Besant (lacking
sufficient knowledge in this matter) eliminated.
The Panchen Lama also endorsed this edition with a special sutra written in Tibetan calligraphy
by himself.
Translation:
“All beings desire
liberation from misery.
Seek, therefore, for the causes of misery and expunge them.
Seek, therefore, for the causes of misery and expunge them.
By entering on the
path, liberation from misery is attained.
Exhort then, all
beings to enter the path.”
1928
Crossing the Gobi Desert
After the publication of The Voice of Silence in Beijing,
Alice Cleather and her group, traveled through the Tibetan plateau, to several
unspecified places having agreed to meet with the Panchen Lama in Kokonoor (Lake Koko).
After an extremely arduous journey on camel and foot, through the
Mongolian desert, they discovered that the Panchen Lama had been arrested and
would not arrive with them, so they returned sailing on the Yellow River in a
small barge, where they were assaulted by bandits and stripped of their
belongings, arriving in the city of Xining in north China six months later.
After Mrs. Cleather recovered, they went by plane to Beijing. During her
stay in Beijing, she published two pamphlets in Chinese. In October of 1936 she
fractured her left arm in a fall, and when she recovered, she made plans to
attend the Parliament of Religions in Calcutta in March 1937, and taking advantage of the trip to visit Ceylon.
Then she went back to Darjiling and later she returned to Calcutta,
where she and her group were informed of the death of the Panchen Lama in
Jyekundo on November 1937. In April 1938 she returned to Darjiling, dying on
May 4, 1938, at 84 years of age.
(Boris de Zircoff, Collected Writings XIV, p.520)
Alice Cleather defended Blavatsky
Alice Cleather was the only student
of Blavatsky (of the Internal Group of London) who fought with all the means at
her disposal against the alterations to the teaching of her master, made by her
former classmate Annie Besant.
Literary Works
·
The Ring of the Nibelung;
An Interpretation Embodying Wagner’s Own Explanations (1903) in
collaboration with Basil Crump, G. Schirmer, NY.
·
Parsifal, Lohengrin, and
the Legend of the Holy Grail (1904) in collaboration with Basil Crump, G. Schirmer, NY.
·
Richard Wagner's Music Dramas (1904) in collaboration with Basil
Crump, Methuen & Co., London 1904, 4 Vols.
·
Tristan and Isolde: An
Interpretation, Embodying Wagner’s Own Explanations (1905) in collaboration with Basil Crump, Methuen and Co., London.
·
Lohengrin and Parsifal:
Described and Interpreted in Accordance with Wagner’s Own Writings (1913) in collaboration with Basil Crump, Methuen and Co., London.
·
HP Blavatsky: Her Life and Work for Humanity (1922) Thacker, Spink & Co.,
Calcutta.
·
HP Blavatsky: A Great Betrayal (1922) Thacker, Spink & Co. Calcutta.
Reprinted by The HPB Lending Library, Vernon, BC. (link)
·
HP Blavatsky as I knew Her (1923) with an Addendum by Basil
Crump, Thackeer, Spink & Co., Calcutta and Simla. (link)
·
The Voice of Silence (1927) Beijing edition, true to the
original, with notes and photo of the Panchen Lama. Beijing.
·
Buddhism, the Science of Life (1928) in collaboration with Basil
Crump, China Booksellers.
·
The Pseudo-Occultism of Alice Bailey (1929) with Basil Crump, Thaker Spink and Co., Calcutta. (link)
·
Why I Believe in Buddhism (in Chinese).
·
Some Thought on Buddhism (in Chinese).
(Several of them you can download here.)
Crump was also the author of:
·
The Secret Doctrine on the Problem and Evolution of Sex Victoria, HPB Library, B.C., Canada.
·
Did Jesus visit India
and Tibet? Buddha and Christ: Confusion between person and principle (1926) The Far Eastern Times, Peking.
·
Evolution as Outlined in the Archaic Eastern
Records (1930)
2. ALICE CLEATHER.
DEFENDER OF HELENA BLAVATSKY
(This is an article that appeared in the “The O.E. Library
Critic” journal in Abril-May 1938, and that serves as a complement for those who want to know more about this
incredible woman.)
« Mrs. Alice Leighton Cleather, one of the most valiant defenders of H.P.
Blavatsky, died suddenly at Darjiling, India, on May 4th, aged about 84 years. But even at this advanced age she was still actively
engaged in the defense of Blavatsky and in opposing the corruptions introduced
by Mrs. Besant.
Annie Besant
Mrs. Cleather was born in April
24, 1854, in England. She was the daughter of a Church of
England clergyman and the wife of Colonel William Barclay Gordon Cleather, a
British army officer who had seen active service in India.
The Colonel Cleather (1837-1919) belonged to the 79th Foot Regiment, within the ranks of which he had risen since his
enlistment in 1855. He retired in 1918. They had two children: Graham Gordon
Cleather and Thorsten Gabriel Gordon Cleather (1885-1906).
She contacted Theosophy through reading Sinnett’s Occult World in 1881,
and joined the Theosophical Society in 1885, but did not meet Blavatsky until
1887, under circumstances which she has interestingly narrated in her book “H.P. Blavatsky As I Knew
Her”.
She became deeply attached to Blavatsky, a feeling which was
reciprocated, and was one of the famous “Inner Group” members who
received special instructions not given even to general members of the Esoteric Section.
Of this group she and Edward Toronto Sturdy were the last survivors, and her
intimate relations with Blavatsky placed her in a position to speak
authoritatively regarding her teachings and the corruptions introduced by Mrs.
Besant.
Unfortunately, Mr Sturdy lacked discernment since he collaborated with Annie Besant to attack William Judge.
At the time of the trouble in the Theosophical Society, Mrs. Cleather
took the side of William Judge and joined Mrs. Tingley’s faction, accompanying
her on the famous “crusade” around the world.
Later she became dissatisfied with the leadership of Mrs. Tingley and
resigned from her society (Point Loma) in 1809, thereafter remaining aloof from
the several theosophical societies.
Mrs. Cleather’s closest associate was Mr. Basil Crump, a London
barrister who for eleven years was editor of the London Law
Times and who survives her. Mr. Crump was a close friend of the Cleather
family, being draw n to them not only by a common interest in Theosophy, but
also by common musical tastes, and as regards Colonel Cleather, by their being
Masons.
Basil Crump
Mrs. Cleather and Mr. Crump traveled extensively, lecturing on the
music of Richard Wagner and the symbolism of the Wagnerian dramas. Jointly they
published four books on Wagner, which have gone through several editions, are
still in print and regarded as authoritative.
Colonel and Mrs. Cleather, their son Gordon Cleather and Mr. Crump
traveled extensively together, an association which was continued after the
Colonel’s death in the winter of 1918-19, which prevented he joining them in
India, as intended. Young Cleather became proficient in Tibetan and Chinese, a
qualification which rendered great service to his elders.
Disillusioned and disheartened by the continual discords in the
Theosophical Movement, Mrs. Cleather and Mr. Crump withdrew from all public
theosophical activities for a time, going in 1918 to reside in India,
accompanied by Gordon Cleather, where they became deeply interested in Buddhism
of the Mahayana type and took pansil, as had Blavatsky and Colonel Olcott
before them.
It was during this residence in India that Mrs. Cleather had her
interest in theosophical activities revived through reports of the antics of
Mrs. Besant and Mr. Leadbeater and their coming World Teacher Krishnamurti, and
decided on a vigorous campaign in defense of Blavatsky, and in opposition to
the doctrines of Neo-theosophy, to say nothing of the doings of the sex-pervert
Leadbeater.
Charles Leadbeater
I was informed by Mrs. Cleather in one of her earlier letters that it
was the reading of the [O.E. Library] Critic which in some way came
into her hands, which caused her resolution to come out of her long retirement
and to work openly in defense of her old teacher Blavatsky and her teachings.
In pursuit of this aim Mrs. Cleather first published in India, in 1922,
a book “H.P. Blavatsky, A Great Betrayal”, which is one of the most
scathing exposures of Besant-Leadbeaterism, the World Teacher delusion and the
inroads of sex-perversion doctrines into the Theosophical Society that has
appeared.
This was followed in the same year by her book “H.P.
Blavatsky: Her Life and Work for Humanity”, originally published in
the Maha Bodi Journal, and written at the request
of the Venerable Anagarika Dharmapala.
Dharmapala was also a disciple of Blavatsky
and he was the Sri Lankan Buddhist revivalist.
In 1923 Mrs. Cleather published her book “H.P. Blavatsly As I Knew
Her” originally written as part
of a proposed volume by Mrs. Laura Langford (the Laura Holloway of The
Mahatma Letters), but as the Langford book was delayed, and in
fact never actually compiled by Mrs. Langford, this was published separately by
Mrs. Cleather for reasons stated therein.
About one half of this book consists of a criticism by Mr. Crump of Sinnett’s
sour posthumous book “The Early Days of Theosophy in Europe”, in which Blavatsky was
maligned.
These three books, published in Calcutta, are still available and
constitute a highly important contribution to “Back to Blavatsky” literature.
During her stay in India Mrs. Cleather undertook a trip to Australia,
where she lectured much to the annoyance of Mrs. Besant, Mr. Leadbeater and the
Liberal Catholic faction which has taken deep root in Australia.
Australian Worker (Sydney), 10 August 1927
Having become deeply interested in Buddhism and the Panchen Lama, then all
exile from Tibet, the Cleather group: Mrs. Cleather, son Gordon Cleather, Mr.
Crump and Miss Cristobel Davey, left India in 1925, going to Peking, where they
resided for several years and frequently contacted the Panchen Lama.
It was during this time (1928) that Mrs. Cleather and Mr. Crump
published their reprint of the original edition of Blavatsky’s “Voice of the Silence” at the direct request of
the Panchen Lama, who endorsed it as a correct exposition of the Mahayana
Buddhist ethics.
Panchen Lama in 1934
At that time and until very recently this was the only edition of “The Voice of the Silence” exactly as Blavatsky
approved and published it. A later version, edited by William Judge and still
popular, while not altered in any really essential particulars, contains as
many as 665 emendations and cannot be designated as the book as Blavatsky wrote
it…
During their Peking sojourn Mrs. Cleather and Mr. Crump published “Buddhism the Science of
Life” (1928), and Mr. Crump
alone published in 1930 “Evolution as Outlined in
the Archaic Eastern Records”, which has been designated
as “The Secret Doctrine in 200 pages”.
All of these books are still available. There were also some minor
publications, including “The Pseudo-Occultism of
Mrs. A. Bailey”.
In 1923 there was founded in London “The Blavatsky Association”, the
object of which was the defense of Blavatsky and the propagation of her teachings.
While Mrs. Cleather was actively associated in organizing this, her
name does not appear in the records of the Association as “Founder”. It was the
work of a number of students, especially William Kingsland, long its president
and Mrs. Cleather.
William Kingsland
In 1933 the Panchen Lama having decided to return to Tibet, the Cleather
party undertook a perilous journey to Kum Rum with the aim of meeting him as he
had directed.
At this time Mrs. Cleather was about 79 years old and endured the
hardships of the journey like a far younger person. Unfortunately, the Dalai Lama's arrest caused complications which frustrated the meeting and the party
had to return to Peking disappointed.
A most interesting account of this pilgrimage, with many photographs by
Mr. Crump, was published in Chinese periodical Caravan (in English), February to
May.
In 1937, there being finally a prospect of the Panchen Lama returning to
Tibet, the Cleather party left Peking and returned to Darjiling in northern
India, whence they expected to cross the border and contact him, a plan which
was frustrated by his untimely death.
Shortly before leaving Peking Mrs. Cleather met with a serious
accident, including a broken arm, recovery from which was hampered by her
advanced age. She was, however, able to make the journey, but never fully
recovered. It is possible that the bitter disappointment caused by the
unexpected demise of the Panchen Lama contributed indirectly to her death.
_ _ _
The determined defense by Mrs, Cleather of Madame Blavatsky and her
unsparing attack on the Besant and Leadbeater corruptions of her teachings and
on the Leadbeater “morality” inculcated openly in the Adyar Society naturally
aroused resentment in that quarter.
More bitter, however, and the more unexpected as coming from a source
which should be friendly, were two anonymous articles in the U.L.T. magazine Theosophy (October, 1923, p.536, and
January, 1929, p.101), purportedly the exponent of Blavatsky Theosophy.
Nothing I have ever read surpassed these attacks, especially the
second, in the way of virulent denunciation, libelous accusations and flagrant
falsification.
Mrs. Cleather very rightly did not reply, but the first article was
dealt with in a pamphlet, “Un published
Letters in Reply to a Theosophical Attack on Mrs. Cleather’s Books”, written by Mr.
Kingsland, Mr. Crump and the Victoria Lodge, Independent, and published by the HPB
Library, while the second was dealt with in the Critic of March and April. 1929
(reprinted as a pamphlet still obtainable).
Alice Cleather
These attacks, apparently instigated because Mrs. Cleather did not see
eye to eye with the anonymous writer in Theosophy on the sacrosanctness of
William Judge, aroused great indignation among the friends of Mrs. Cleather who
knew the facts and the falseness, yes, even indecency of some of the charges,
and afforded a striking illustration of how personality worship may eclipse the
better theosophical instincts. But enough of that. Those who knew Mrs. Cleather
and her work know that no more loyal, devoted, sincere, honest and unselfish
pupil of H. P. B. could be found anywhere.
Despite her illness Mrs. Cleather was able to contribute recently to The
Canadian Theosophist two extremely valuable articles, the one (March,
1938, pp. 6-20) being a complete, unabridged copy of Blavatsky’s wonderful
Preliminary Memorandum prefacing her “E.S.T. Instructions No. III”.Which contains the gist of the theosophical ethics, including the
so-called “Golden Stairs”.
And the other (December, 1937), being an exposure,
substantiated by photographic proof, of Mrs. Besant’s unscrupulous tampering
with and alteration of the Blavatsky’s teachings as presented in the so-called
Volume III of The Secret Doctrine, which Mrs. Ransom would
have us believe to be an authentic portion of the work (Theosophist, May, p.153).
Mrs. Cleather was as closely associated with Blavatsky as was Mrs.
Besant; Mrs. Cleather knew what Blavatsky taught and stuck to it; Mrs. Besant
also knew what she taught, and altered it to suit her own caprices.
The forthcoming Adyar edition of The
Secret Doctrine will doubtless bear witness to this, if we can
judge by the prospectuses. Had Mrs. Cleather lived she would unquestionably
have been able to present further evidences of this. »
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