The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-05-17
TnEOSOpHr ONCE MORE
wa. MARQUIS rtlts At orutn
orINfuNa.


EDITOR STAR wish You would
allow me 10 thank most cordially your
correspondent, who 30 mod. silly hides
himself under the initials of 4. j. A..
for the information he kindly furnishes
your readers Wednesday on Theosophy.
Elucidation on the subject Is always
welcome. At the same time. and
though it is matter of really very
little consequence, would like to ask
of your impartiality the favor or the
floor on personal grounds.
a. }. a. says that my statement in
the STAR that, Philosophy is not a
religion, will be "new to well informed
Theosophists." Now. evidently ALA.
did not at all size the gist of my re.
marks. The former editor of the STAR
had accused Theosophists of being
modern esoteric Buddhists," what
ever that tumble of words may
mean, that is TO say, some kind
of sect whose "hgh priest" was II. =.
b., etc. 1t was to this that answered
that Theosophy was not Buddhism more
than Christianity or Mohamedanism.
and that not being a religion or sect it
did not need any high-priestess. etc. |
purposely italicized the for the very
reason that "well informed" theosophists
have always claimed that Theosophv is
not new religion or sect but that it is
religion itself, the very essence of all
religions, creeds or sects, the basis of all
truths contained in every religious
teaching, ancient or modern, and that
as such it always existed, although
certainly never as merely a religion, in
the limited sense of narrow church.
creed or sect, whose tenets require a
hierarchy to celebrate idolatrous rites.
The authorities quoted by A. J. A.
himself fully corroborate my assertions,
and if he would kindly walk up to the
Theosophical Library, on Nuuanu street,
on any Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday,
| would gladly help him to select hun
dreds more of similar quotations. In
fact, A. j. A. could have very peril
nently used one from my own inaugural
lecture, published by the New York
Theosophical Headquarters, in which
said: ''Theosophy is neither "a new
religion, nor a special creed, nor a sect,
nor science, but it is all in all, being at
once religious science, a novelty in this
century, and a scientific religion-also a
novelty. As religious philosophy
Theosophy is positively the basis OF all
the beliefs and creeds that have ever
existed, at all times, in all parts of the
world. To it belong all the substrata of
truths and tenets found alike in Chris
tianity, Judaism, Mahomedanism, Con-
fucianism, Buddhism or Hinduism, as
well as in the old lost religions.
As science, Theosophy developes the
most coherent foundation for all our
scientific theories, while opening new
and infinite avenues and realms to
scientific studies and disco veries, and
scientific assertions made by Theo-
sophical writers ten or fifteen years ago
and then ridiculed by classical scien-
fists, are daily being verified and in
dorsed. 1t is also one of the claims
of well informed Theosophists, that
any man may study Theosophy or join
the society without renouncing the
peculiar religion or creed he may be
professing-a thing that would be i'm
possible if Theosophy was hampered by
the sectarian limitations of all circum-
scribed religions.
A. j. A. then jumps to the conclusion
that he "must say that the STAR was
right in terming Theosophy religion.
Here l am most sorry to contradict
your correspondent; but to my knowl
edge, and outside of termiug Theoso
phists "modern esoteric Buddhists" the
STAR never said that Theosophy was &
religion or not, so that he benevolently
finds fright" thing that was never
said. He evidently has got muddleC
on The subject, although certainly {
very clever and intellectual man, sine,
he allows his readers to infer that tn,
fact of attending few lectures in SaI
works at the Market street head
quarters, was quite sufficient for him t.
learn all about Theosophy, while il
takes an adept many decades in various
lives to master some of its secrets.
would indeed be happy to share hi
perspicacity and facility and glad to offe
myself as his chela, except on one poin
on which most decidedly refuse t.
agree with him, viz: that "Theosoph
has priests and priestesses, Nine. Blav
atsky being one OF the latter and Col. II
S. Olcott one OF the former" Poe
genial Colonel Olcott! That his settles
devotion to Theosophy and the Thee
sophical Society, and his untiring bu
unpaid efforts on behalf OF both Shout
have led him to be qualified with
name generally reserved for those VIII
make living out of a religion. That
hard indeed. And pray, Mr.. A. j. A
who are the other priests and priestesst
of Theosophy, and how and where d
they ofliciatep / am burning to know
so as to go and pay them my obeisanc,
and learn their rites and ceremonial,
view of celebrating them on the brink (
Kilauea, the only adequate neighbo
hood for such a cult.
A. MARQUES, F. T. S.
Glass in Painting.