The Portland daily press., 1896-04-02
INTERESTING TO THEosoPHIsTs.
Alleged Semi Confession of Col. Olcott.-
Says the Magic Working Mahatma of
Thibet is an Invention of BIavatsky.

(James Creelman in New York Journal.)
The Woodworking Mahatma of Thibet
is an invention of the fat and astute
Blayatsky. / knew her and she was the
Mother of Humbugs. When talked to
Nine. Diss Debar as she lay half-naked
on straw mattress in Roman prison,
she reminded me strangely of Blavatsky.
Miss Depar's source of argument was
Harris book on "blaok ,art' Blayatsky
was cleverer woman and created the
miraculous Mahatma, the Mrs. Arris Of
Asia
take the occasion of Mr.. Judges
death to announce that the supreme. head
of theosophy, the arch-priest, hierophant
and mysteriarch, Colonel Olcott, not long
ago practically confessed that the occult
branch of his society was sw1ndle
And make this statement upon the au-
thority of the greatest living Oriental
scholar OF the world, Professor Max Null
Ter of Oxford University. 1t is long
step to India. 1t is longer step to Thi-
bet. The mountains are high, the passes
are difficult and the people are shy and
ayerse to strangers. Thibet is conven-
lent place for miracle mongers. Inyesti-
cation is difficult But there is not an
Oriental scholar liying-and / take the
word of Professor Max Muller for it
who ever encountered In Thibtan litera-
ture a word about the esoteric nonsense
propagated by Olcott, Blayatsky, Judge
and their associates and victims.
In the early mart of the oept;JIrV a lqYaIl-
der Csoma, young Hungarian scholar,
was seized with desire to know whetb-
er the Magyar language originated in
Thibet or Mongolia. He made his way
on foot into Thibet and spent nearly
four years i'll the monasteries, studying
the sacred books with the assistance of
learned Iamas. In 1928 he lived in the
monastery OF Yangla, in Zanskar, and
read 800 large volumes, the basis of all
Thibetan learning and religion. For
more than four months in the winter he
was confined with lama and an at
tendant IN an apartment nine feet square
g Here he read from morning till night
sitting enveloped in sheepskin cloak,
with his arms TO lded and without fire.
After dark he was without light the
ground forming his bed and the walls of
the building his protection against the
rigors of the climate" DR.. Gerard of
the Bengal medical service, who visited
herosm at this period. "The cold was
SO intense as to make it a task of severity
to extricate the hands from their feecy
resort to turn over the pages"
Yet Csoma did not find a hint Of the
things claimed by tn, Theosophists. He
summed up the Thibetan philosophy and
theology in this quotation:
No vice is to be committed;
Virtue must he perfectly practised;
Snbdue entirely your desires,
This is the doctrine of Buddha.
There are no Mahatmas in Thibet. nor
anywhere else. The monks claim no
mysterious powers. Asceticism is prac-
tised in those mountains as it is pracised
in some of the Christian monastio orders,
and for the same reasons. The lamas and
their associates live low and think high.
Now for Colonel Olcott's confession
The colonel is the yelled prophet of Theo-
sophy. He used to be a subordinate edi-
tor of the NEW York Tribune" His
spotless black broadeloth, long, snowy
beard and gold-rimmed spectacles add to
the impressiVeness of his bearing. But
there is not more delightful old hum
bug on earth. In India he has succeeded
in fooling several hundred thousand per-
sons who swarm under the banner of
hankypankydom.
Colonel Oloott had the audacity to visit
Professor Max Muller at Oxford, and to
ask the great scholar to give qualified
Endorsement tn Theosophy Oh the ground
that cheap publications Of good Sanscrit
literature were useful to the people of
India. The professor acknowledged that
it was useful thing to make the masses
acquainted with the best writings OF
their race.
n "But," said the professor, "you say
you want to found new religion because
the old religions are founded on lies; and
yet you know all this talk about occult
power and Mahatmas is common swim
die. .
Gan can say is that they are facts,
replied Qloott.
"You know they are not facts insist
ed the professor. 81 give you credit for
good intentions, but you know that this
part of your work is an absolute fraud'
WELL" said the colonel slowly, sit is
this way: When you want to plant
new religion you must manure the soil.
We are simply manuring the suil.'
"That's all I want to know about it,"
answered the disgusted professor.
Capt. Porter of Chicago, of the secret
service, has secured two more of the
raised $40 silver certificates, making 20
of the same kind which he now has in
hic DnccaSaioD Each new i'll that turnc