THE TEACHINGS THAT HPB IMPARTED IN THE BLAVATSKY LODGE

Madame Blavatsky is well advanced in years, and physically very infirm, so that she seldom goes beyond her own rooms, but every Saturday afternoon and evening her house is open to all who may be desirous of learning something of those mysteries to which she has devoted her whole life.

A Russian by birth, and of good family, Madame Blavatsky was as a child endowed with extraordinary powers of clairvoyance, and, following the guidance of her intuition, she gave her whole energy to the study and development of her higher faculties, and to the source of those mysteries and occult powers which underlie the secret wisdom religion of the ancients.

. . .

Madame Blavatsky now resides in London, and is engaged in the publication qf another stupendous work, entitled The Secret Doctrine, a synthesis of science, religion, and philosophy. 

I found her chez ellle at Notting Hill, seated at a table covered with green baize, which she presently makes use of as a blackboard for illustrating her discourse. She is smoking a cigarette ; so too are many of those (of both sexes) who are listening to her exposition of the knotty questions which have been propounded.

The subject under discussion as we enter is the definition of "spirit," and presently growing more eloquent and warm as the questions are pressed further and further back into the regions of the unmanifested, she propounds to us the vast evolution of the soul, the descent of the spirit into matter, and its journey through the manifested universe back to the eternal first cause.

Beginning with this first cause — the causeless cause — which is everywhere, yet nowhere; having neither length, breadth, nor height, and represented by a mathematical point, she expounds in Eastern science phraseology the "Days and Nights of Brahma," the out- breathing and inbreathing of the spirit by means of which the manifested universe comes into existence.

Starting with the mathematical point as the apex of an equilateral triangle, she shows us diagrammatically how the evolution proceeds by the two sides of the triangle (representing wisdom and knowledge) ; the base line completing the triangle, or Trinity, represents the Logos or Brahma or Osiris or Ormazd, according to which system of philosophy we favour, but which mean the same thing.

From this emanate the seven principles called variously the seven Rishis, or the seven Logoi, or the seven Archangels, and from each of these other seven. By this outbreathing of Brahma the manifested worlds came gradually into existence. Everything contains within it a portion or spark of the Divine or Ultimate Consciousness, and it is this spark or ray seeking to return to its source, and to obtain absolute self-consciousness, that evolves through the mineral, vegetable and animal kingdoms.

Self-consciousness begins when it reaches the human form, but to obtain absolute consciousness, which is consciousness of everything, it must pass through every form and state of existence, from the highest to the lowest ; in other words, it must become the absolute consciousness by experience of everything, which is the absolute consciousness.

Seven planes or globes belong to the chain of worlds through which the monad has to evolve, our earth being the fourth in the system to which it belongs, the other planets of this system not being visible to us by reason of their being on another plane of matter.

Seven times does the monad journey round this system, tarrying millions of years on each globe, and being incarnated in the human form over and over again, brought back to earth by reason of the desires which were unfulfilled in its past lives and in search of fresh experience, as it ever seeks its way back to its source.

How many millions of years all this takes?

The duration of each Manvantara, Kalpa, or Yuga, is accurately recorded by those who are the custodians of the knowledge of the Secret Doctrine, which is set forth in mystic form and allegory in many an ancient legend, and in many a sacred book inaccessible to any but those who through many incarnations have resolutely pursued the path that leads to mastership in the occult science.

_  _  _

Such is but a brief and imperfect sketch of the eloquent words that fall from the lips of this gifted woman. All listen with eager attention, albeit the strain on the imagination is a severe one. 

To her it is the A B C of the matter, but when she has somewhat relaxed, we forgive the man who exclaimed, "Ah! our Board Schools have not educated us up to that !" 

The conversation now becomes more general, and Madame Blavatsky is asked some question concerning mediumship and spirit manifestations.

"Do you know one medium," she asks, "who has made a profession of it and who has not had some serious physical disease, or has not become a drunkard, or a lunatic, or something horrible?

What the medium accomplishes is at his or her own expense, it is an expenditure of their vital energy, it is demoralizing both to themselves and to the entities — call them spirits or shells or spooks, or what you will — who seek such persons in order to obtain a temporary vitality.

In other cases the phenomena are produced solely by means of what I call a psychological trick, which, however, is not jugglery as commonly understood, but which likewise implies a large expenditure of energy on the part of the medium and can only be done by reserving and storing up the energy ; and therefore when you expect a medium to give many seances a day, for which he is paid his guinea, or whatever it may be, you simply expect him to do that which he could not perform with his vital powers — in fact you simply pay to be cheated.

Hundreds of persons have heard the astral bell and raps which I used to perform at will, but which if I were to attempt now would probably be fatal by reason of the weakness of my heart.

I have made one gentleman (a leading scientific man) produce the 'astral bells' himself, while I simply touched him with my fingers, he, meanwhile, concentrating his mind on the phenomenon to be produced. He did not always succeed, because it requires long practice to do it at will, but I proved to him that it was nothing more than a manifestation of will power through psychological faculties which are not known to men of science, or are but partially acknowledged in the form of mesmerism or thought transference.

For instance, many people have this power in the form of a magnetic or healincp touch ; this I never had, but I could produce various phenomena with inanimate matter.

In New York I was given a test which created a great sensation at the time. A sheet of clean note paper was brought to me from a certain club-room, having the heading of the club stamped on it. I laid my hand on the paper, and concentrating my mind on the features of an Eastern Yogi, with whose physiognomy I was intimately acquainted, I presently removed my hand, and there was seen the portrait of the man on whom I had concentrated my thoughts and then projected on the paper by means of my will power.

This portrait was examined by some of the leading artists in New York, and in sworn evidence they said that it was impossible for them to tell by what means the portrait was impressed on the paper ; it was not done by any of the processes with which they, as experts, were familiar, and, moreover, with regard to the artistic qualities of the representation, it was such as could only have been produced by the greatest master in the art of portraiture who had ever lived.

Science, so-called, does not know anything about these powers of the will, but they have been known to occultists for ages, and many more things which have been set down as magic or miracle. 

The portrait is still in the possession of Col. Olcott, and you will find a full account of the circumstances, and the names of the artists and other gentlemen who witnessed it, in the book which has recently been published under the title of Incidents in the Life of Madame Blavatsky."

"Will not these powers and faculties," I ask, "presently become the common property of the race?"

"Most certainly," replies Madame Bllivatsky. "The race as a whole progresses, but many, individuals outstrip their fellows ; clairvoyance, mesmerism, psychometry, and many other little understood matters, dive the beginning of faculties which are now exercised by many individuals in a partial degree, and more or less unconsciously. The aim of the occultist is to develope those powers to the full, and to exercise them consciously for the good of humanity.

The Mahatmas, or Adepts, who are the custodians of the knowledge of the occult powers of nature, are men who have acquired these faculties by long and arduous edorts in past incarnations. By reason of these powers they are able to study nature on a higher plane than that of our physical senses, and, therefore, what, to the ordinary individual, must be a matter of faith, is to them a matter of experience and knowledge. It is some portion of their knowledge which I have gained from them, and which I am now permitted to give to the world."

~ * ~

I could have stayed much longer listening to the discourse of this remarkable woman, but it was drawing towards midnight, and, mindful of the infirmities of our hostess, I rose to go.

She bade me adieu with a warm invitation to come again, and, as I stepped into the outer world, I felt that there were indeed more things in heaven and earth than either our science or our philosophy conceives of, and that if we are unable to penetrate those mysteries for ourselves, we might, at least, look to those who had done so for higher and broader ideas with respect to the destiny of the race and of the individual.

(This article was published in Piccadilly newspaper on November 2nd, 1888. And later was reprinted in “Reminiscences of H.P. Blavatsky and The Secret Doctrine” by Countess Wachtmeister and others, appendix II-10, p.140-145,)

STAR NEWSPAPER REPORTER VISITS BLAVATSKY IN LONDON IN LATE 1888

An enigmatic woman

There are nearly as many Madame Blavatskys as you please.

There is, for example, the Madame Blavatsky of the Psychical Research Society, which, if I remember rightly, has in one . of its oracular reports assigned her a distinguished place on the roll of the world's impostors.

There is the Madame Blavatsky of popular repute and report, who looks large and uncertain. Monstrum informe ingens horrendum in the imagination of Europe — a sort of female Cagliostro, or wonder worker, who is wafted through stone walls like Mrs. Guppy, and bodily up into the heavens like the just Enoch.

There is then the Madame Blavatsky (known to the Brotherhood as H. P. B.) of her own Theosophical Society, the members of which look upon her as a searcher after and teacher of truths not known to, or not understood of the many, as the foremost exponent (in Europe at any rate) of the socalled occult science, and as a depository in some measure of that so-called Secret Doctrine which is supposed to contain the essential veracities of all the religions and philosophies that are or ever were. 

Once more there is the Madame Blavatsky whom strangers from the outer darkness are permitted to see at her house in Holland Park, and to whom she reveals herself as a lady of exceptional charm of manner, wonderful variety of information, and powers of conversation which recall the giant talkers of a bygone literary age. 

My visit

It was as one from the outer darkness that I visited her a day or so ago. I had a delight-fully humorous little note in my pocket, inviting me to tea, and warning me that I should find the writer "as easy to interview as a sacred crocodile of old Nile."

The envelope of this note bore a mystic symbol, and the unimpeachable motto that there is no religion higher than truth.

I was led into a little snug room on the ground floor of a substantial house, where two lamps and a gas stove glowed like a triple star. I smelt Turkish tobacco strongly, and behind the red disk of a cigarette I saw the broad and impressive countenance of Madame Blavatsky. Short and redundant, and swathed rather than fitted in black silk, she is a very remarkable figure. The dark almost swarthy face looks a little heavy at first (my immediate impression was of a feminine reincarnation of Cagliostro), with its wide nostrils, large soft eyes, and full and weighty lips.

But by and by it shows itself a mobile and expressive face, very sympathetic and very intellectual. And whilst on this gross subject of personal description (a liberty for which the interviewer should always apologise sincerely to the interviewed) let me note the delicate plumpness of the hands. 

A circular box of carved wood at her elbow furnishes Madame Blavatsky with the tobacco for the cigarettes which she smokes incessantly, from six in the morning, when she commences work, until she puts out her lamp for the night.

Her master

Besides the tobacco box, there is only one other notable object in her sanctum, the portrait of the Mahatmi Morya (a descendant, she says, of the old dynasty of the Moryas), whom she calls her Master, a dark and beautiful Indian face, full of sweetness and wisdom.

This seer Madame Blavatsky has seen, she says, at various times in the flesh: in England once, in India on many occasions, and some years ago she went to seek him in the fastnesses of Tibet, a romantic pilgrimage by no means free from peril, during which she penetrated some of the Buddhist monasteries or Lamaseries, and had converse with the recluses there.

But Madame Blavatsky*s disciples have many stories to tell of the extraordinary way in which her Mah^tm^ communicates with her. Letters that never paid postage, nor passed through St. Martin's-le- Grand, are seen to flutter down into her lap. Literary quotations that she is sometimes bothered to find are put into her hand written out upon strips of paper. The manuscript that she leaves on her desk over night is often found by her in the morning with passages corrected, expunged, or re-written, marginal notes inserted, and so on, in the handwriting of the Mahatma Morya.

Her powers

Sufficiently surprising too, are the powers with which her Theosophical associates credit Madame herself. Those who live with her in Lansdowne Road see wonders daily, and have left off being surprised.

Once accept the theory that the psychic faculties latent within us are capable, under certain conditions, of being developed to any extent, and magical doings of all sorts become easy of credence, and belief in what is called the astral is, I believe, a cardinal article of belief with the Theosophists.

Here is a funny little circumstance that one of the Blavatsky household — an intelligent American gentleman — related gravely and in evident good faith.

Madame Blavatsky rolled a cigarette and was going to light it, but found that her matchbox was empty. Over her head was a swinging lamp, so high that she could not have reached it had she mounted on her chair to do so.

The American gentleman, who was sitting with her at the time, declares that he saw her gradually elongate herself — so it appeared to him — until she could lean over the lamp, when she lighted her cigarette, then sank back in her chair and resumed her writing.

(Cid's observation: I suspect that what this witness saw lengthen was Blavatsky's astral body and not her physical body.)

But these phenomena are not witnessed by everybody, and perhaps I need scarcely add that Madame Blavatsky (though freely offering me the contents of her tobacco box) declined to work a miracle for me. Doubtless her refusal was wise, for if I had seen one of these uncanny sights With my own eyes, which of you would have believed my report of it?

The religions

We talked of many things. 

"What is Theosophy, Madame?" I asked. "Do you call it a religion?"

"Most distinctly not," she replied, "there are too many religions in the world already. I don't propose to add to the number."

"What, may I ask, is the Theosophical attitude towards these too numerous religions?"

Madame Blavatsky thereupon entered upon a long and interesting explanation on this subject, from which I gathered that Theosophy looks upon all religions as good in one sense, and all religions as bad in another sense.

She commented:

"There are truths underlying all, and there are falsities overlying all. Most faiths are good at the core, all are more or less wrong in their external manifestations ; and all the trappings of religions, all their shows and ceremonies, are entirely repudiated by the Theosophists.

The conditions under which aspirants become members of the Theosophical Society are few and simple. Merely to join the Society it is sufficient to profess oneself in sympathy with its objects, of which there are three in chief — the promotion of a universal brotherhood amongst men, the study of religions, and the development of the psychic faculties latent in man.

 

The last-named object is for the attainment of advanced members, who have gained admittance to the esoteric section of the society. It is only in the esoteric section for example that you can expect to learn how to elongate yourself. "

Madame herself, in her vigorous intellectual way, is quite as dogmatic as the most dogmatic professor of what (under Theosophical favour) are called the exact sciences; and, indeed, dogmatism, both in affirmation and denial, seems the badge of all the Theosophical tribe.

Her assistants and students

It was seven o'clock before Madame Blavatsky had exhausted my interest, or I, as I hoped, her patience; and at seven the members of the household assembled for dinner.

The household consists of six or seven persons, including a young doctor of medicine, a student of law and a Frenchman, an American (the friend of Edison who was mentioned in the Star the other day), and a Swedish Countess.

These are all particular disciples, who receive constant instructions from the lips of the priestess, and who may be regarded as well on the way towards the attainment of the elongating principle. The flourishing prospects of Madame's new work, The Secret Doctrine, the first edition of which is already disposed of, though the volumes are scarcely out of the printer's hands, were discussed during the meal.

Madame's years — she is bordering on the sixties — and her occasional difficulties with the language — she is a Russian by birth — do not prevent her from being the most energetic and entertaining talker at her table.

It was the evening on which the Blavatsky Lodge holds its weekly meeting, and by half-past eight the sanctum, whither we adjourned after dinner, was filled with a little gathering of would-be elongators of both sexes.

The subject for discussion was dreams. The circular tobacco box having been replenished by Madame's little maid, and the president in evening dress having taken his place by Madame's side, the secretary of the lodge began to ask questions from a paper.

(This article was published in the London newspaper "Star" on December 18, 1888. And later was reprinted in “Reminiscences of H.P. Blavatsky and The Secret Doctrine” by Countess Wachtmeister and others, appendix II-12, p.151-155,)

BLAVATSKY DESCRIBED BY BERTRAM KEIGHTLEY

MADAME BLAVATSKY

A talk with her familiar friend and private secretary, Mr. Bertram Keightley, did not disappoint the expectant interviewer who sought him out during his recent visit to this city. Of himself he said:

"I have been interested in Theosophy since 1884, when I first met Madame Blavatsky and Colonel Olcott. At that time I became quite well acquainted with them, for I spent some time with Madame in Germany, and afterwards with Col. Olcott in England.

That visit in Germany with a party of friends was afterwards written up in story form by Mr. A. P. Sinnett, under the name of Karma, Mr. Sinnett was one of the guests. In the Baron, of course, you will recognise Madame Blavatsky. . .

I had been prepared to accept Theosophy by a previous study of mysticism, to which I was led by an experimental study of mesmerism. I was working with disconnected clues until I got hold of Theosophy, and then i realised at once that I had found the whole of which I had before received only parts. My nephew, Archibald Keightley, who is nearly my own age, and who has like me devoted himself to the cause of Theosophy, became interested shortly afterwards. 

lt was in 1887 that, at my request, Madame Blavatsky went to England to live, accompanied by the Countess Wachtmeister, the widow of a former ambassador to the English Court.

Since that time we have been members of one household, and the Countess has taken charge of the house. Our family is a somewhat numerous one, including, besides those already mentioned and Archibald Keightley, several other active workers in the cause. 

Madame Blavatsky occupies rooms on the ground floor, the large drawing-room serving for her working-room, out of which her sleeping apartment opens. Folding doors connect the drawing-room with our dining-room, where we all dine together, and where she generally joins us. During the day she sits at a desk in the bay window, working generally from 7.30 in the morning to 7 in the evening, 

She works constantly, not once in three months going out of those three rooms. She sits in a large armchair with a long desk on one side and a table on the other, making a kind of box around her. 

Thursday evening when the lodge meets she turns her chair about and sits facing the company. Everybody asks questions, which she answers with great patience whenever she sees an earnest desire to learn.

Often persons who are not Theosophists go to her for information, and they are always received with extreme kindness, when they show the same earnestness. She will then never say a word that will wound their feelings or their belief, whatever it may be, but one of her marked traits is a positive detestation of shams. She simply won't stand that sort of thing, and if people go to her flippantly or with cant she is pretty sure to cut them all to pieces, and, metaphorically speaking, scatter them over the room. 

In personal appearance Madame Blavatskyis of medium height, but so stout that she appears shorter than she really is. She has rich dark-brown hair that lies in waves all over her head. Her eyes are bright gray and most peculiar, seeming to look right through a person, and they do too (added Mr. Keightley with a smile).

Her complexion is a clear olive. She has beautiful hands, delicate and so flexible that they bend backwards with ease, her finger tips all curl backwards in the prettiest way imaginable. The main characteristic of her face I would say, is its immense force, its intellectuality. She is truly magnificent in this, and her energy is wholly phenomenal.

I have seen her after a day's work so tired that she looked positively ill and quite unfit for any further exertion, but if need arose, if fresh work was to be done, or some heosophical question came up for discussion, she seemed to renew her strength with the desire, and would plunge into whatever offered with a resistless energy as if she had never known weariness.

Usually in the evening she sits at a small centre table playing 'patience' or some other game of cards, while talking all the time about Theosophy, symbolisms, religions, and other metaphysical questions. 

The solitary game she plays serves simply as a slight diversion for a mind continually occupied with profound thoughts."

(This article was published in the Irish newspaper "Sunday Tribune" on May 18, 1890. And later was reprinted in “Reminiscences of H.P. Blavatsky and The Secret Doctrine” by Countess Wachtmeister and others, appendix II-13, p.156-158)