In 1912 several important figures of the
Theosophical Society Adyar founded the Temple of the Rosy Cross (see link). And below I transcribe what Max Heindel commented on
that matter.
Note:
Max Heindel responded to the third person and I added my comments in purple.
Question:
It is claimed by some Theosophists
that their Temple of the Rosy Cross is the only genuine order and that the
Rosicrucian Fellowship is a branch there of. Please tell us what is the true
status of that order, and what connection has it with the Rosicrucian
Fellowship.
Answer:
It is an unfortunate fact lamented
by all leaders of societies that misinformed members make extravagant
statements which have no foundation whatever in facts. It has always been the
policy of the Rosicrucian Fellowship to live in peace with all other religious
societies, to speak well of them and their leaders on all occasions, and we
would never think of violating our ideal FELLOWSHIP by an attack on anyone.
The leaders of the Theosophical
Society follow similar principles; we have never seen them as aggressors
against any other organization and we know positively that they are friendly to
the Rosicrucian Fellowship, and would not for a moment countenance such an
arrogant assertion as that their Temple of the Rosy Cross is the only genuine
order. They know better. As to the statement that the Rosicrucian Fellowship is
only a branch of their order, it is sufficient to say that the Rosicrucian
Fellowship was started years in advance of the Theosophical Society Order of
the Rosy Cross. Such misstatements as mentioned come from narrow, irresponsible
people and they are not believed by the great body of Theosophists who are
broad-minded and well informed on this very subject by the study of our own
text book, the Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception,
for we have sold many thousands of copies of this work to members of the Theosophical
Society.
Large lodges like London and Chicago
lodges have bought five hundred copies at a time; others like Boston and
Washington bought several hundred copies at a time and repeated their order
several times. At one time the Theosophical Book Concern negotiated for the
whole edition then on the press, but as we needed most of it right away to fill
large orders from jobbers in New York and London the deal fell through.
Thousands have been sold direct from our headquarters to individual
Theosophists and letters redolent with praise have been sent in by many
hundreds of Theosophical Society members. Lodge leaders have written
enthusiastically to Mr. Heindel of the great value of the book as a text book
in their classes, and reviewers in many of their organs have praised it in the
highest terms.
The last review we have seen is by
Mr. Wedgewood in the official organ of the Theosophical Society The Theosophist, February, 1915. Mr.
Wedgewood there reviews another book, and for the sake of comparison mentions a
number of writers, among others, “Max Heindel, author of a fascinating and
really able book, The Rosicrucian Cosmo
Conception”.
He comes to the conclusion that:
« Heindel is probably the most
able of these books. It sets forth a fairly rational and coherent scheme, and
while certain of his points seems to invite doubt, others call forth a flash of
ready recognition from the intuition which is unmistakable. Clearly the book
represents a definite Occult tradition; it touches upon many interesting points
which so far have not been considered by Mrs. Bessant, Mr. Leadbeater, or Mr.
Sinnett. »
The Theosophist is, as said, the official organ of the Theosophical
Society edited by Mrs. Besant. Thus two of the highest officials of the
Theosophical Society and founders of the Theosophical Temple of the Rosy Cross
have officially endorsed the Rosicrucian
Cosmo-Conception as a book which “clearly represents a definite occult
tradition.”
They are great souls who do not feel
the need to bolster up a foolish pride and vanity by a supercilious sneer at
another organization, as some who are not worthy to be called their followers,
do. They have, moreover, a mind which can discover merit in others and
generosity to acknowledge the fact. This is also the case with the great body
of the membership of the Theosophical Society or they would neither have bought
the Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception nor
acknowledged its merits, and the small minority who make the claim that the
Theosophical Temple of the Rosy Cross is the only genuine and that the
Rosicrucian Fellowship is a branch: Well! They will learn.
(This confirms to me how ignorant
Wedgwood and Besant were, and how low the teaching had fallen in the
Theosophical Society Adyar, because Max Heindel's book the Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception is full of errors and lies, and anyone
who studies the true Theosophy immediately realizes that.)
Regarding of the origin of the
Theosophical Temple of the Rosy Cross, we are informed by the Secretary of the
American Section of the Theosophical Society, Mr. A.P. Warrington, in the May
issue, 1913, of The American Theosophist:
« The founders and supreme heads
are Heracles, Helios and Lomia, [names probably taken for mystic purposes by
Mrs. Bessant, Mrs. Bussak and Mr. Wedgewood. – Editor.] The following has been
issued by the heads.
“In the Theosophical Society there
are many who find the fittest expression for their highest emotions in stately
and rhythmical ceremonials....very many such Egos are groping about unsatisfied
in numerous fields of research....for these Egos the line of ceremonial is the
way of least resistance.... Up to the present time, however, there has been
little opportunity in the Theosophical Society for the study of ceremonials and
the mysteries. It is therefore the desire of the founders of the new order to
synthesize the scattered teachings in the Theosophical Society literature as
well as in other available literature….To nourish into new life the smoldering
fire on the altar of spiritual aspiration…”
While recognizing that there is but
one true Occultism, they will seek to find it in its Western Manifestation in order to
enrich, not to supplant, its Eastern aspects.
In choosing the name Temple of the
Rosy Cross, the founders had in mind various ancient organizations; one was the
famous Order of the Knights Templars, which was formed to protect pilgrims
traveling in the Holy Land.... In like manner the present Templars of the Rosy
Cross desire that they may prove worthy to gather around the Bodhisattva when
he comes again, and defend the mysteries with a sword of the spirit. »
This is a straight-forward and
obviously honest statement, that feeling need of ceremonial as an incentive to
spiritual aspiration, they organized the Theosophical Society Order of the Rosy
Cross in the hope that it may make them more fit servants in their Master’s
vineyard, and who would not bid them God speed?
They do not claim to have received
occult instructions to start such a temple from the Brothers of the Rosy Cross;
in fact, they confess they do not know if there is such a temple, at least Mr.
Wedgewood does, and Mrs. Besant prints it in the same review where he speaks of
the Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception. He
wonders what is the source of such books and asks the question:
« Are there schools of Western
Occultism still existing on the physical plane? The repository, perhaps, of the
Alchemy of the Rosy Cross, and wherein the lesser mysteries still are
celebrated? Or do these teachings emanate from super-physical lodges of
teachers out of incarnation who still cherish the doctrine of mediaeval
Monastic Occultism, blended, as it often was, with a strong tincture of
orthodox Christianity? It would be interesting and well to know. »
Max Heindel states there is such a
temple and his contention is supported by the fact that he has written the Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception, which has
found ready endorsement from many thousands of thinkers in the Theosophical
Society and out. Most of them gifted with intuition, like Mr. Wedgewood, and
some with spiritual vision. To doubt his modest claim to be the messenger of
the Rosicrucian Order in the face of the fact that he has this book, involves
the greater difficulty of believing him its originator, for a monumental scheme
of unfoldment of the world and man, such as this book reveals, was never
hatched in a human brain; hence there is but one tenable conclusion: that Max
Heindel tells the truth when he says he visited the Temple of the Rosy Cross,
that he was there initiated into the mysteries and given the teachings
contained in the Rosicrucian
Cosmo-Conception, which he was enjoined to publish and promulgate.
(This is another example of Max Heindel
cynicism, because his book is not Rosicrucian, in reality it is all a blatant
plagiarism of the falsehoods invented by Charles Leadbeater and Rudolf
Steiner.)
It may also be said in support of this
claim, and as evidence of his sincerity and unselfishness, that he did not use
this great knowledge for personal gain by putting as high a price on this book
as possible. He had been cautioned by the Brothers of the Rosy Cross not to
sell the “Pearl of Knowledge” entrusted to him, and he went to the other
extreme and made the price of the book so low ($1.00), that he lost money on
the first two editions.
A valuable seventy-two page index
was added in the third edition, also much new matter and the price of this
handsome six-hundred page book was raised to one-dollar fifty cents, netting a
small surplus, which is all turned into the work. Mr. Heindel does not get a
penny from any of his books.
(What Heindel does not say is that
instead he accepted the many donations that were made to him.)
Surely he must be sincere in his
assertion that he is the messenger of the Order of Rosicrucians, and that the
Rosicrucian Fellowship was founded to be The Herald of the Aquarian Age, now
drawing near.
Thus, to sum up: The Theosophical
Temple of the Rosy Cross is an order founded by Mrs. Besant and her coworkers
to aid aspirants to the higher life by ceremonial, invented by themselves. The
Rosicrucian Fellowship is the Herald of the Aquarian Age, promulgating the
Western Wisdom Religion formulated by the Brothers of the Rose Cross, and
published by their messenger, Max Heindel, in the Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception.
We are sorry to say there can be no
connection between the Rosicrucian Fellowship and the Theosophical Temple of
the Rosy Cross, or any other Theosophical Society Order. We have a high opinion
of their membership, and a sincere regard for many with whom we are personally
acquainted, but we have espoused the Western Wisdom Religion, we thoroughly
believe in Western Methods for Western People, and are therefore forced by the
laws of logic to take the position that our theosophical friends, however
sincere, are mistaken in their efforts to promulgate a religion divinely given
to the people of the East among the people of the West.
We did indeed rejoice when we first
heard a Temple of the Rosy Cross had been founded by the leaders of the
Theosophical Society, for we took this to be an indication that they had seen
the true Christ Light, in the West, and were preparing to emulate the “Wise Men
of the East” who traveled westward, following the Christ Star to Bethlehem, but
we were sadly disappointed to note their statement of motive in studying the
Western Occultism, Rosicrucianism, etc., as contemplated, in this new temple,
“in order to enrich, not to supplant its eastern aspects.”
Thus the aim of the Theosophical
Society and their subsidiary Orders are diametrically opposed as East and West,
to the Rosicrucian Fellowship, and however sincere our personal regard for
individual members, we cannot work with them as a society.
It does not follow that we are
obligated to attack them, however, or that we should retaliate when a misguided
member of the Theosophical Society makes statements which we consider
derogatory to the dignity of our Association. Let us be careful, rather, not to
bring up subjects which may provoke such remarks. Let us quietly but
persistently continue to promulgate the Western Wisdom Religion and emphasize
the fact that it is the Western Method for the Western People, so shall we
further the work of the Elder Brothers better than by idle arguments which
waste our time and convince no one, for conviction comes from within.
(Rays from the Rose
Cross, December 1915, p.15-18)
OBSERVATION
What I see here, is that a charlatan who founded a false Rosicrucian
organization tries to be diplomatic with other charlatans who also founded
another false Rosicrucian organization; and that is the sad reality of
Rosicrucianism: it is full of false Rosicrucian organizations and charlatans.
