Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-02-20

ID. c.. SAT
THE SECRETS OF THE0SOPHY.
The Great knowledge and Miraculous
Powers Claimed by the Adep&s.
THE STORY OF MADAME BIAyArsKY AND THE
soPHICAL SOCIETY WAS FoxMKD-wHAT THE
DoUBTERs SAT-.
That this is amiracle-craving world is attested
by the interest manifested in the reports Of the
| doings Of the Russian woman Madame Blavat.
sky and the Theosophical society, and the doc
trines taught by that society. Readers of THE
STAR have made some acquaintance with the
doctrines Of this society through interviews
published with DR.. Elliott Coues. The Ethical
society Of this city has discussed theosophy,
and members Of that body propose to invite DR..
Coues, the great apostle OF theosophy in this
| city, to address the society. In New York
where Madame Blavatsky created sensation
eleven years ago, and where the pres
| sent society. whose headquarters have
been removed to India was founded, interest
has lately been revived. and q branch society
has been organized. When Blayatsky was in
New York many were attracted to her who
cared primarily for the phenomena or wonders
accredited to theosophy. Now it is stated that
secret doctrine itself or philosophical part of
| theosophy. Within the last two years what is
claimed to be an exposure of the pretensions of
Madame Bavatsky TO abnormal powers has
been made by Nine. Coulomb woman who
lived with Madame Blavatsky in India. Nine.
were produced by trickery; that the
house contained movable panels and
other frandulent contrivances; that the
| SO called Thibetan brothers, who appeared.
were stuffed efiigies that the letters claimed to
have been received from them were written be-
| forehand and produced in O mysterious man
other wonders 70 ere nv
| similar articles. Theosophists, however, have
expressed their faith in Madame Blavatsky,
q malicious sanderer. Whether a humbug or
not, Madame Blavatsky il a most interesting
person; "A f. few months ago she returned to
many, preparing q book which, 1t is said, will
contain full exposition OF the secret doctrine.
THE STORY OF MADAME BLAvATSKY.
The story of Madame Blavatsky. as learned
by a STAR reporter from theosophist, is as
| follows:
For forty years Madame Blavatsky had de-
voted herself to occult studies, and she at last
became aware Of the existence in q remote
part OF Thibet of secret association, or
knowledge, and possessing what appeared to be
miraculous powers over the forces of nature.
To Thibet Madame Blavatsky journeyed
Seven long years she remained with the Broth
ers, undergoing training Of extraordinary
severity, and at the end Of that time she re-
turned to the world not indeed fully trained
altogether abnormal kind. Acting under the
guidance of the Brothers in the Himalayas,
Qn conjunction with COL Olcott, whose spirit
ual apprenticeship was then set on foot)
founded the Theosophsal society," whose
brotherhood of mankind, to foster the
study of Aryan literature, and to explore the
Blavatsky and Col. Olcott subsequently re-
turned to India to establish the society among
the native races there. the house Of Mr. A.
?. Sinnett, editor OF journal at Allahabad,
Madame Bavatsky produced remarkable
series Of phenomena, which set all India talk
instantaneously dispatched through the air
from Madame Blavatsky at Simla to the
brothers in Thibet, and answers were at once
| were at once created by Madame Blavatsky; a
piece was invisibly broken off from a plaster
cast in Madame Blavatskys house at Bombay
and conveyed to Mr.. Sinnet at Allahabad land
other equally wonderful things are reported to
have occurred.
THE POWERS OF THE MAHATMAs.
Abnormal powers over nature are possessed,
| the thesophists say, by no one save the Mahat-
mas, or the Holy Brothers, and their initiates
These have been merely occasionally displayed
as evidences of the truth OF the vast body Of
knowledge concerning nature, man and the
universe which the Brothers have acquired
during centuries of seclusiOn and contemp a-
ton; knowledge which has hitherto been kept
a profound secret, but glimpses of which the
Brothers have now granted to Mr.. Sinnett for
transmission to the world, and which have
been published by Mr.. sinnett in his book
"Esoterc Buddhism
the ability of corresponding with one another at
great distance without having recourse to
writing or other material means by the use of
their will power and by establishing mag
netic and spiritual current between them. The
adopts. 1t is claimed. even If separated
1 sb another 1y Of miles
apparently physical form. The adopts say that
ignoble desires, they cannot give to humanity
the immense and superhuman powers which
they possess because ifan average man were
armed with tie powers of an adept he might in
nit of passion produce the greatest disasters
without employing any of the forces of nature,
such are known at present. An aspirant for
occult learning is obiiyei to pass for at least
seven years through the most severe ordeals,
both of a physical and of a moral character,and
upon him, he must give proof by his manner of
living, that no personal motive Is underlying
his actions, and that his "wn moral develop
ment and the spiritual interests OF humanity
are the only object Of his aspirations.
HOW THE Adopts LIVE.
The adopts are strict vegetarians, and asceti.
cism is one of the rules of their order They do
not assert that love on the physical plane is
evil, but they renounce it because it leads to a
loss OF precious psychical forces. A state OF as.
ceticism is not sud denly entered but arrived at
by progressive development. The will-power
of the individual is gradually developed by in
ce>sant culture, and is the stepping-stone to all
powers. He concentrates his efforts day by
day.
THEoSoPHY AND BUDDHISM.
Theosophy or the secret doctrine is, it is
claimed, essentially Buddhism. Two great
schools exist In Buddhism In India, that Of the
north, whose center is Thibet, and that Of the
south, whose focus is Ceylon. The difference
between these two schools consists in their
different solutions of the question Of what
remains of man after the last particle of the
physical body has been dissolved. The north
ern church admits that individuality still con-
tiuueS to exist in Nirpuad. Both systems agree:
!, that we all are the artisans OF our own mis-
cry, or happiness, according to our bad or good
actions, (karmu is the term which designates
the general result OF these actions); 2, that we
are subject to successive reincarnat iOns TO q
certain Kind Of evolution OF the soul, regulated
by orr merits or dement's, and 3, that there is
no extra-cosmic Diety to govern men and
things. and that therefore the most efficacious
prayer Is good action.
THE SECRET DOCTRINE
The human constitution, according to the
theosophist, is divided into seven principles:
1, the physical body; 2, vitality; 8, the astral
body; A, animal soul; s, human soul; 6, spiritual
sOu Z, spirit. Death affects only the first three
principles, which are equally possessed by men
und by animals. The fiith or the human soul
is yet very little developed in our present race:
the sixth, the spiritual soul, exists only in germ