The Esoteric School Lobby

[Anand Gholap]

(Annie Besant was the head of the Esoteric School and Colonel Olcott was the President of TS.)
Mrs. Annie Besant wrote:
“In the T.S. we have a curious mixture. The Exoteric Society is purely democratic - it is only fair to admit this fully. On the other side we have an Esoteric body which is practically autocratic in its constitution ... The existence of a secret body to rule the outer Society made the constitution of the T.S. a mere farce, for it was at the mercy of the inner … All the differences that arose between the Colonel and myself were on this point; he could not believe that I was serious in saying that I would not use the E.S. against him, but slowly he came to understand it ... The greatest power will always be in the hands of the E.S., and not in the head of the Society ... I know that I exercise a quite unwarrantable power. This is what makes some people say there should not be an E.S.T. … We must recognize the danger and try to neutralize it. At any time during the last fifteen years I could have checkmated the Colonel on any point if I had chosen ...”

I could see frustration of some officers in TS regarding the results in Presidential elections. They were wondering how one person can get elected unopposed for around 30 years. It happened again and again in TS history. Different theories were offered to explain this phenomenon. I think all that mystery is solved by above passages of Annie Besant.
Best
Anand Gholap

[Anand Gholap]

Dear Anton,
It is quite possible that people will take my statements as Jerry's and Jerry's as mine. If you copy a message from theosophy_ please give my statements in blue color and Jerry's in black with note that my statements are in blue. These topics are sensitive and of very great importance. Misunderstanding can cause much harm. That is why we need to be cautious. It is quite possible that inputs and ideas we are generating will influence policies and organization structure in near future. Discussions in online forums has greatly helped me in making policies.

Anand Gholap

[Anton Rozman]

Sorry Anand, I thought that your explanation already clarified the situation.

Dan, can you possibly format the text in a way Anand wishes. I was looking to use colors but didn't find the option.

Thanks in advance,
Anton

[Anton Rozman]

Thanks Dan,

Please delete my first post and I will make new version in a way Anand would like to see it.

Anton

[Anand Gholap]

Dear Anton,
There is perhaps not an option here to change the color of the text. But you can make my statements in italics. There is a button near every text box. Also you can write my name before my statements and Jerry's name before Jerry's statements. Here is an example.

------------------------
Here is the message
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theosophy_/message/4927
(Statements in italics text are by Anand Gholap. Statements in regular text are by Jerry)

Dear Anand,

Anand Gholap: “What did Annie Besant and Leadbeater tell to the members of Esoteric School, regarding the success or failure of the World Teacher project and J. Krishnamurti? Obviously members of ES must have asked many times to Besant and Leadbeater whether World Teacher project failed or succeeded. Was there any definite answer from Besant and Leadbeater or did they avoid saying anything definite in this regard?”

Jerry: Besant maintained her belief that Krishnamurti was the Word Teacher. As far as I know, she maintained that belief onto her death. Leadbeater explained that K. was the World Teacher but did not become so in the way he had expected. I might add that George Arundale felt that K. betrayed the TS and the little inner group that was running things. After Besant and Leadbeater were gone, and he had control of the Theosophist, you will find little or no mention of Krishnamurti during his Presidency. Also, sometime after Besant and Leadbeater passed from the scene, many of the classical Theosophical texts began to go through an editing process. One of the first things that began to disappear from the texts, were references to the “World Teacher.” For instance, you might compare a current edition of /Talks on the Path/ with the original, and you will see what I mean. /Masters and the Path/ is also heavily edited, but I think that is pretty well known by now.

Anand Gholap: “So help me, my Higher Self.” Here me means Lower Self. In other words, “So help me (Lower Self), my Higher Self.” That means Lower Self is making a pledge to follow the Head of ES and in that decision, Lower Self is asking the Higher Self to confirm the decision of Lower Self.”

Jerry: Actually “me” can mean the higher or lower self (or a mixture of the two) depending upon the spiritual development and motivations of the applicant. While HPB accepted anyone who applied, the new members quickly sorted themselves out. Those who weren’t ready resigned, or were expelled.

Anand Gholap: “Did she expect that other ES members will always refer what she talked with W.B. Yeats?”

Jerry: No. Yeats’ recorded his conversation with HPB in his private “Occult Notes and Diary”, so other ES members did not have access to it. However, other ES members asked HPB the same question, and HPB answered them also. Also, and more importantly, HPB later made clarifications in writing. I mentioned Yeats’ account because it was at the top of my head
at the time, and because I thought it was very clear. For your interest, I’m transcribing the relevant section in his diary below. But remember, this is a diary entry - not polished writing:

“About Xmas 1888 I joined the Esoteric Section of TS. The pledges gave me no trouble except two - promise to work for theosophy and promise of obedience to HPB in all theosophical matters. Explained my difficulties to HPB. Said that I could only sign on the condition that I myself was to be judge as to what Theosophy is (the term is wide enough) and I consider my work at Blake a wholly adequate keeping of this clause. On the other matter HPB explained that this obedience only referred to things concerning occult practice if such should be called for. Since then a clause has been inserted making each member promise obedience subject to the decision of his own conscience.”

Anand Gholap “Do these new ES members make their pledge to follow Radha Burnier or do they make pledge to follow the Outer Head of ES? There is a difference between following Mrs. Radha as an individual and following the Head of ES. It is because Head of ES may change and members will have to follow the new Head, whereas if they make a pledge to follow Radha, it would mean following her soul always, even when she is no more an Outer Head of ES.”

Jerry: They make a pledge to obey Radha who is at present, the Outer Head. My guess is that the ES members will have to sign a revised pledge when Radha appoints her successor.

Best Wishes,
Jerry

[Anton Rozman]

Dear friends,

Here is an additional republication of relevant exchange of views on the ES between Anand Gholap and Jerry Hejka Ekins on theosophy_ yahoo group:

……………

Dear Anand,

Anand Gholap: “As ES knowledge could be released for ordinary members after passage of some time, and as lot of time has passed after that last E.S. revelations from G.S. Arundale, perhaps it is safe to make ES documents available to outside members.”

Safe? What makes publishing ES documents safe, and what makes publishing them unsafe? From the time of Blavatsky on, the publication or non publication of ES documents has been the sole prerogative of the Head. Besant made Blavatsky’s ES material was made available in a very edited form. They were finally made available in their correct form in Volume 12 of the Blavatsky Collected Writings. Besant and Leadbeater made much of their ES material available, in an edited form, in the years after it was published, as I had explained in an earlier post. As for Radha, rather than making later ES documents available, I understand that she has been actively collecting them and taking them back to Adyar - presumably to make them as unavailable as possible. Her actions might be an answer to your question.

Anand Gholap: “Thanks for your opinion. For long time I felt that after G.S. Arundale died, contact of TS Presidents with Masters was little if at all any contact was there.”

I would rather not indulge in opinions about who was in touch with Masters and who wasn’t. Anyway, it all seems to come down to a matter of individual belief, doesn’t it? However, here is something to think about: An ES member is obliged to believe that the Other Head is in touch with the Masters. Otherwise, the title (Outer Head) has no meaning. Consequently, one would have to assume that Radha is also in touch with the Masters, or else the ES no longer has any meaning. Do you agree?

Anand Gholap: “Do you think there was any significant addition to ES documents after GSA passed away?”

It depends upon what you consider significant. ES documents were published after Arundale and are still being published today.

Anand Gholap: “After J. Krishnamurti rejected Theosophy publicly, did Annie Besant or Leadbeater remove the condition that candidate should accept Krishnamurti as World Teacher?”

The rules are changed whenever they become inconvenient, irrelevant, or perhaps, just at the whim of the O.H. I would have to check my papers to be sure, but my memory was that that rule was changed even before Krishnamurti went off on his own. By the Way, I submit that it is inaccurate to say that K. “rejected Theosophy.” Actually, he continued to speak at Theosophical gatherings and even to ES gatherings for many years after he became independent.

Anand Gholap: “After JK started teaching independently and before the death of Besant and Leadbeater, there was a period of around 6 years. Did JK’s teaching and rejection of Theosophy make any difference in ES teaching and conditions during this period?”

The ES bulletins stopped and Besant ordered the ES closed in about 1928, about a year before Krishnamurti became independent. After Krishnamurti left, the ES was restarted, but the Bulletins were pretty preoccupied with the confusion Krishnamurti created by closing the Order of the Star. The ES “revelations” did decline in the re-opened ES, but I would credit that decline to Besant’s death in 1933 and C.W.L.’s failing health and death in 1934. After that, there was a lot of attention given to the events leading up to the War in Europe (i.e. World War II).

Anand Gholap: “The pledge, as it was taken during the time of Blavatsky, by the candidates while joining the Esoteric Section of the TS, is already uploaded by Daniel and perhaps more people on the web sites. As it is no more secrete, I am copying it here. Source: http://www.blavatskyarchives.com/espage1.htm

That pledge never was a secret. It was published in Lucifer for all to see in 1888 or 1889.

Anand Gholap: “The main contradiction, which I see in this pledge, is although pledge is made to the Higher Self, the other rule demands “Obedience to the Head of the Esoteric Section in all Theosophical matters.””

Not a contradiction at all. Blavatsky had explained that our first obligation is to our Higher Self. If Blavatsky gave an order concerning “Theosophical matters,” one was only obliged to follow it if it did not conflict with the member’s better judgment. Interestingly, the poet W.B. Yeats was a member of that early ES, and asked Blavatsky that very question. He recorded her answer in his Memoirs. Yeats was satisfied with her answer.

Anand Gholap: “Question can be asked whether a person should listen to the voice of his own Higher Self, or whether he should listen to the commands of the Head of the Esoteric Section.”

Blavatsky told her students that their obligation is first to their Higher Self. In the last Pledge sheet I saw, I noticed that new ES members now make their pledge directly to Radha - not to their Higher Self.

Best
Jerry

[Anand Gholap]

Thanks, Anton. Now it is much more clear. Also it will be better to add a link of the original page, so that readers will be able to verify the source from which the message is copied.
Another thing is this conversation is one continuous discussion. It can be understood fully only if a reader here reads all the messages on this current topic posted on theosophy_. There are many points in few messages. So it won't be difficult to copy full conversation in continuous manner. Normally we don't copy long conversations from other groups here, but as current discussion is on very important topic, I think it may be copied here for many here who are not members of that group.
Best
Anand Gholap

[Anand Gholap]

Also these messages are relevant in this topic.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theos-talk/message/51957
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theos-talk/message/51958
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theos-talk/message/51965

[Konstantin Zaitzev]

I would also add that the current international president who is inthe same time the outer head of ES seems to promote teachings of Krishnamurti. How is it so, if Krishnamurti was against all esotericism?

"Krishnamurti told Radha Burnier to run for president of the Theosophical Society (she had been high up in the Krishnamurti Foundation before that)."
http://www.katinkahesselink.net/faq/faq_jk.htm
Is that true? How the person with such a background coud become a head of ES? (While there can be no objections against her presidency in the T.S.)

[Anand Gholap]

Pablo, when Annie Besant wrote above passages regarding control of TS by the ES, she knew that there was no rule in ES that asked members of ES to control TS. She was talking about the result of the organizational structures of TS and ES and their relationship. It was unintended consequence of that structure that ES became a secrete body controlling TS. This is how it works.
As I understand, members of ES take guidance from the Outer Head of ES in spiritual matters. So ES head enjoys respect and to some extent obedience from ES members, which gurus in India receive. ES is a hierarchy. At lower levels in ES hierarchy there are officers which enjoy similar advantage because they are guiding ES members in spiritual matters. In other words, all ES officers from lodge level to highest level receive that special status. Now, which ES member will vote against the Outer Head or an ES officer, in elections, when he is taking spiritual instructions from him? Not just voting but in many other ways these ES officers, being spiritual guides of ES members, receive obedience to some extent from ES members. For example generally ES member will be reluctant to questions actions of an "ES guru". In addition to it, a member of ES can be thrown out of ES anytime, if his immediate "ES guru" wants to or any of the higher officers in ES. So, who will challenge these "ES gurus", if they want to remain in ES?
This is the effect Annie Besant was talking about in passages I gave above from her writing.
Best
Anand Gholap

[Anand Gholap]

One member Manohar had given us details of employment pattern at Adyar. I asked a person, Preethi, who worked at Adyar for many years, whether the details given by Manohar are correct.
Below is her reply.
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Well, yes it is correct, that is why i am impressed with the detailed info.
Preethi
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theos-talk/message/51968

[Pablo Sender]

Krishnaji was against the pitfalls that come out of an intellectual approach to spirituality and blind beliefs. He didn’t mean all intellectual knowledge or beliefs are useless, though. It all depends on the maturity of the person. That is why in the biographies written by people close to him you can find Krishnamurti encouraging some of them to study, to take the Masters and Maitreya seriously, etc.
For example Prof. P. Krishna (who is a life-member of the Theosophical Society and a Trustee of the Krishnamurti Foundation, India) wrote in the article: "ANNIE BESANT AND KRISHNAMURTI: TWO GREAT SOULS IN QUEST OF TRUTH" the following:

“That same year in Varanasi, when Krishnaji was asking me to take charge of his institutions at Rajghat, he asked me, 'Sir, have you read about Dr. Besant?' I said, 'A little Sir. I have read her autobiography but not much else since I was most of the time busy studying science.' 'You must read, Sir. She was an extra-ordinary woman!'. To my knowledge Krishnaji never praised anyone or advocated any reading, but on this occasion he made an exception!
(. . .)
Most people think that Krishnamurti denied the existence of the Masters and this created a big rift between him and Dr. Besant which led her to feel disappointed in him. This is a mis-understanding. What Krishnaji really objected to was a belief of convenience and the dependence on any outside agency for help.
(. . .)
Another time when Krishnaji was with Dr. Radha Burnier, he asked her, ‘Radhaji, do you believe in the Masters?’ and she said, ‘yes, Sir’. He retorted, ‘No, not like that. You know what it meant to Amma [Besant]? She would give her life for it! Knowing that, now tell me, do you believe in the Masters?’ Radhaji reiterated ‘Yes Sir’, to which Krishnaji responded, ‘Good!’”

There are no fundamental contradictions between the teachings of J. Krishnamurti and the ES, or the teachings found in books like The Voice of the Silence and Light on the Path. In fact, I wrote several articles showing how Blavatsky’s and Krishnamurti’s teachings are in tune. You can find links to these articles in my Ning page.

[Anand Gholap]

The presidential elections in Theosophical Society are conducted through secrete ballot. So others may not know for which presidential candidate a person votes. But in many Theosophical lodges elections don't happen through secrete ballot. So everyone knows for whom a member votes.
If an ES warden is running for the office, which they generally do, then how can an ES member under him vote against the ES warden, when he knows that this warden can expel that member from ES?
Not only that, how can a member of the lodge or a managing committee of the lodge challenge any proposal supported by an ES warden, when he knows that this warden can expel him from the ES?
Similarly, how can anybody in the General Council challenge any proposal supported by the Outer Head of ES, when he knows he can be expelled by this Outer Head?
So, ES officer not only finds it easy to get elected, but he does not get challenged in passing proposals, selecting people and in almost every area of TS related matters.
Anand Gholap