Does the ‘Gita’ Say
All that Mankind Needs?
Helena P. Blavatsky
A.P. Sinnett and the
opening page of his book, which is published in the associated websites
foundation of the theosophical movement in
1875, William Judge still could not see the unique
significance of modern theosophy. Judge naively
believed, as shown in the following article,
that the Bhagavad-Gita has all we need to learn.
Judge felt the book “Esoteric Buddhism” was
not quite necessary, although it consisted of direct
Letters from the Mahatmas. Helena Blavatsky
in a Note appended to his article. Read below.
1. Judge: The Bhagavad-Gita
and ‘Esoteric Buddhism’
The only fault I have to find with Mr. Sinnett’s book
is that he too often says that: “this knowledge is now being given out for the
first time.” He does not do this because he wants glory for himself, but
because he makes a mistake.
Nearly all the leading portions of the doctrine are to
be found broadly stated in the Bhagavad-Gita.
The obscuration periods are most clearly spoken of
(chap. VIII, p. 42): “Those men who know the day of Brahma, which ends after a
thousand ages, and the night which comes on at the end of those thousand ages,
know day and night indeed. - … . This collective mass itself of existing
things, thus existing again and again, is dissolved at the approach of that
night. At the approach of that day it emanates spontaneously.”
And in (chap. IX, p. 44): “At the conclusion of a
Kalpa all existing things re-enter nature which is cognate with me. But I cause
them to come forth again at the beginning of a Kalpa.”
Dhyan-Chohan state is given in the same chapter. “This
they call the highest walk. Those who obtain this never return. This is my
supreme abode.”
Re-incarnation is stated at (chap. IV, p. 24): “I and
thou have passed through many transmigrations.” And the return of Buddha in the
same. “For whenever there is a relaxation of duty, I then reproduce myself for
the protection of the good, and the destruction of evil doers.”
Devachan is to be found in (chap. IX, p. 45): “These,
obtaining their reward. … Having enjoyed this great world of heaven, they
re-enter the world of mortals, when the reward is exhausted … they indulge in
their desires, and obtain a happiness which comes and goes.”
That knowledge is more important than mere religious
devotion, see chap. IV, p. 26, “If thou wert even the most sinful of all sinners,
thou wouldst cross over all sin in the bark of spiritual knowledge.”
For those who will see, it is all in this wonderful
book.
William Q. Judge.
2. Note by H.P. Blavatsky
We do not believe our American brother is justified in
his remarks. The knowledge given out in Esoteric Buddhism is, most
decidedly, “given out for the first time”, inasmuch as the allegories that lie
scattered in the Hindu sacred literature are now for the first time clearly
explained to the world of the profane.
Since the birth of the Theosophical Society and the
publication of Isis, it is being repeated daily that all the Esoteric
Wisdom of the ages lies concealed in the Vedas, the Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita.
Yet, unto the day of the first appearance of Esoteric Buddhism, and for
long centuries back, these doctrines remained a sealed letter to all but a few
initiated Brahmans who had always kept the spirit of it to themselves.
The allegorical text was taken literally by the
educated and the uneducated, the first laughing secretly at the fables
and the latter falling into superstitious worship, and owing to the variety of
the interpretations - splitting into numerous sects. Nor would W. Q. Judge have
ever had the opportunity of comparing notes so easily and, perhaps, even understanding
many a mystery, as he now evidently shows he does by citing relevant passages
from the Bhagavad-Gita, had it not been for Mr. Sinnett’s work and plain
explanations. Most undeniably, not “nearly all” - but positively all the
doctrines given in Esoteric Buddhism and far more yet untouched, are to
be found in the Gita, and not only there but in a thousand more known or
unknown MSS. of Hindu sacred writings. But what of that? Of what good to W. Q.
Judge or any other is the diamond that lies concealed deep underground?
Of course everyone knows that there is not a gem, now
sparkling in a jeweller’s shop but pre-existed and lay concealed since its
formation for ages within the bowels of the earth. Yet, surely, he who got it
first from its finder and cut and polished it, may be permitted to say that
this particular diamond is “given out for the first time” to the world, since
its rays and lustre are now shining for the first in broad day-light.
(Helena P. Blavatsky)
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Both
Judge’s commentary and Helena Blavatsky’s note are reproduced from “The Theosophist”, Madras, India,
February 1884, p. 122, which can be seen in volume V of the magazine: CLICK HERE. The two texts are also reproduced
at the volume VI, pp. 146-148, of the Collected
Writings of Helena Blavatsky (TPH-USA).
The above article
was published in the associated websites as an independent item on 30 January
2022. It is also part of the July 2021 edition of “The Aquarian Theosophist”,
pages 1-3, under the title “Blavatsky
Corrects Judge”.
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Read
more:
* William Q. Judge confesses he was but a pawn on the chessboard
of Helena Blavatsky’s Mission. His words:
“The
plain unvarnished truth, which hurts no one save the man who denies it, is that
H. P. Blavatsky was the head, front, bottom, top, outskirts, past and future of
the Theosophical Society. We were all but pawns on the chessboard. What is the use of
permitting vanity to influence us toward denying the facts?”
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Helena Blavatsky
(photo) wrote these revealing words: “Deserve,
then desire”.
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