By H.P. Blavatsky
TheosophyAn Introductionby H.P. BlavatskyCompiled & edited byDaniel H. CaldwellBlavatsky Study Centerhttp://hpb.cc2012
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Table of ContentsH.P. Blavatsky and Theosophy: An Introduction. .Who Is Helena Petrovna Blavatsky?: A Sketch ofHer Life and Work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .H.P.B. Speaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Theosophy Defined by W.Q. Judge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .An Epitome of Theosophy by W.Q. Judge. . . . . . . . . .From Long-Sealed Ancient Fountains: The Originof Modern Theosophy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Great Adepts and Trained Seers: Knowledge ofSpiritual Facts by Personal Experience and fromActual Observation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .“Isis Unveiled:” Adepts and The Secret Doctrine. .“Isis Unveiled:” Spiritual Identity. . . . . . . . . . . . . .“Isis Unveiled:” Evolution of the Soul. . . . . . . . . .“Isis Unveiled:” Pre-Existence, Metempsychosis,Reincarnation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .“Isis Unveiled:” Magic and Magical Powers. . . . .“Isis Unveiled:” Adeptship & Mediumship. . . . . .“Isis Unveiled:” Spiritualism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .“Isis Unveiled:” Spirits of Various Kinds. . . . . . .“Isis Unveiled:” Magical Phenomena – Modern &Ancient. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .“The Secret Doctrine:” Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .“The Secret Doctrine:” Three FundamentalPropositions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .“The Secret Doctrine:” The Stanzas of Dzyan. . . .Cosmic Evolution in Seven Stanzas. . . . . . . . . . . . .“The Secret Doctrine:” Summing Up. . . . . . . . . . 83195
“The Secret Doctrine:” The Evolution of Mankindand the Four Pre-Historic Continents . . . . . . . . . . .Anthropogenesis in the Secret Volume: Stanzasfrom the Book of Dzyan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Plutarch on the Fate of the Three-fold HumanBeing after Physical Death. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Sevenfold Constitution of a Human Being. . . .Dreams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Psychic versus Initiate Visions & Knowledge. . . . .At the Solemn Moment of Death: Dying & SoonAfter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Reincarnation and Karma. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .On the Kama-Loka and Devachan. . . . . . . . . . . . . .On the Mysteries of Reincarnation. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Spiritual Progress. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Occultism versus the Occult Arts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The Voice of the Silence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Master K.H. on Concentration and Union with theHigher Self. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .On Pseudo-Theosophy & Pseudo-Adepts . . . . . . . .H.P. Blavatsky's Occult Status & the Claims ofLatter-Day Messengers of the Masters . . . . . . . . . .Theosophy 95399407437
H.P. Blavatskyand TheosophyAn IntroductionThe most basic fact of our existence is our awareness ofself. We know we are alive but we see that people aroundus shift and change. Some are born; others die. But doesdeath annihilate our consciousness, as well as destroy thebody? Is there some kind of life after death? Why were weborn in the first place? And having been born, why do welive? Many are asking, "What's it all about?"Yet in our modern world, reliable answers to suchimportant questions are hard to discover. Many of uscannot find really satisfying answers from materialisticscience, academic philosophy, or orthodox religion(Christian or otherwise). There is also a great proliferationof occult, metaphysical, Eastern and New Age groupsoffering their own "answers" to these perplexing questions.For the seeker with a genuine hunger for truth, the task ofchoosing among these conflicting authorities andcontradictory answers can be difficult and confusing."But surely somewhere," our minds cry out, "there must beavailable satisfying answers to these questions. Surelysomewhere there must be preserved a true universalknowledge concerning humanity and the world in which welive. Surely somewhere there is such a source of wisdom."
During the late 19th century, Helena Petrovna Blavatsky(1831-1891) pointed to that Source of Wisdom. She calledit the Ancient Wisdom and gave to it the Greek name ofTheosophia or Theosophy ("Divine Wisdom" or "thewisdom of the gods"). H.P. Blavatsky stated that there is anancient school of Adepts or Masters who know directly,inwardly and truly this Divine Wisdom. Madame Blavatskysaid that she was taught Theosophy by some of theseAdepts.Madame Blavatsky was the chief founder of the modernTheosophical Movement which was established to form thenucleus of a worldwide association of humanity, withoutdistinction of race, creed, sex, caste or color. She is also theauthor of The Secret Doctrine, the great sourcebook onTheosophy. This work in two large volumes shows theuniversality and the great age of the Theosophical systemof thought. H.P.B. promoted a greater Westernacquaintance with Eastern religions and philosophies andbrought the teachings of reincarnation and karma intocommon knowledge in the Western world.A forceful and gifted individual, H.P. Blavatsky wrote in aforthright and powerful style challenging the confusion andabsurdities of religious orthodoxy, exposing some of thefallacies of materialistic science, and assailing some of theclaims of 19th century Spiritualism. She presented ideasand teachings which seemed like pretentious nonsense toher orthodox contemporaries. Furthermore, H.P.B.demonstrated psychic powers of a startling character, andsaid she was in contact with certain highly evolvedMasters.It was inevitable that H.P.B. should make enemies on everyhand who published slanderous untruths as to herdishonesty, the fraudulence of her psychic phenomena, the2
non-existence of her Masters, and the worthlessness ofTheosophy. But how much of truth is there in theseaccusations? Careful, detailed research into the primarysource documents clearly shows that the attacks on H.P.B.lack a solid basis.And though it is still fashionable in some circles to writedisparagingly about Madame Blavatsky, the fact is thatmany of the things she said, that were incomprehensible to19th century scholarship and science, have been confirmedby scholars and scientists in the last 100 years. Recentdevelopments and advances in parapsychology andtranspersonal psychology make it clear that the psychic andspiritual faculties H.P. Blavatsky wrote about and that sheherself manifested are actual powers and abilities of thehuman psyche and spirit.In order to present the Theosophical or Occult Philosophyto the world, Madame Blavatsky wrote Isis Unveiled(1877), The Secret Doctrine (1888), The Key to Theosophy(1889), The Voice of the Silence (1889) and other works.What did H.P. Blavatsky teach? She outlined thefundamental principles of Theosophy which deal with (1)the unity of LIFE, (2) the law of cycles, and (3) theprogressive unfoldment of consciousness in all kingdomsof nature (both visible and invisible). H.P.B. taught theorigin and development of the universe and the origin andevolution of humanity. She described the birth, growth anddeath of planets and solar systems, and set forth humanity'sevolution and history on this planet. H.P.B. outlined thetree and its branches: the original Esoteric Teaching orPrimordial Tradition and some of its branches extant in thevarious world religions, ancient mythologies, andmetaphysical philosophies.3
She gave out the truth in detail about the complexsevenfold nature (spiritual and psychological) of a humanbeing and about life after death. She taught the twindoctrine of karma and reincarnation. Madame Blavatskyalso set forth a clear and comprehensive rationale forpsychic and spiritualistic, mystical and spiritual phenomenaand experiences. Madame Blavatsky taught that selfresponsibility, ethics and altruism (service to others) areessential to true spiritual unfoldment. She pointed towardshumanity's future destiny and evolution and showed thePath which each of us must travel in order to awaken ourlatent spiritual powers and abilities and to realize ouressential identity with the UNIVERSAL SELF.What of the influence of Madame Blavatsky and herteachings? During her lifetime, H.P.B.'s brilliantconversations, profound knowledge of occult subjects, andreputation for psychic powers drew worldwide attention toher work. Since her death in 1891, her teachings haveinfluenced the thinking of inquiring minds throughout theworld. The writings of H.P. Blavatsky and her Mastersfurnish suggestions, clues and guidance for the study ofNature and Humanity, such as few other existing sourcescan supply.[The above introduction was compiled from various sources.]4
Who IsHelena PetrovnaBlavatsky?A Sketch of Her Life and WorkH. P. Blavatsky (1831-1891) was one of the mostextraordinary and controversial figures of the 19th century.The influence of her life, writings and teachings on worldthought has been significant. The following threequotations may help to indicate the extent of MadameBlavatsky’s influence:". Madame Blavatsky . stands out as the fountainhead of modernoccult thought, and was either the originator and/or popularizer ofmany of the ideas and terms which have a century later been assembledwithin the New Age Movement. The Theosophical Society, which shecofounded, has been the major advocate of occult philosophy in theWest and the single most important avenue of Eastern teaching to theWest."J. Gordon Melton, Jerome Clark and Aidan A. Kelly, editors, New AgeAlmanac, Detroit, Michigan, Gale Research Inc., 1991, p. 16."Theosophy occupies a central place in the history of new spiritualmovements, for the writings of Blavatsky and some of her followershave had a great influence outside of her organization. . Theimportance of Theosophy in modern history should not beunderestimated. Not only have the writings of Blavatsky and others5
inspired several generations of occultists, but the movement had aremarkable role in the restoration to the colonial peoples of nineteenthcentury Asia their own spiritual heritage."Robert S. Ellwood and Harry B. Partin, Religious and Spiritual Groupsin Modern America, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Prentice Hall,1988, pp. 63, 79-80.".Helena Petrovna Blavatsky. is surely among the most original andperceptive minds of her time . Buried in the sprawling bulk of her twomajor books . there lies, in rudimentary form, the first philosophy ofpsychic and spiritual evolution to appear in the modern West . Withall criticisms weighed up against her, HPB stands forth as a seminaltalent of our time . Above all, she is among the modern world’strailblazing psychologists of the visionary mind. At the same historicalmoment that Freud, Pavlov, and James had begun to formulate thesecularized and materialist theory of mind that has so far dominatedmodern Western thought, HPB and her fellow Theosophists wererescuing from occult tradition and exotic religion a forgottenpsychology of the superconscious and the extrasensory. MadameBlavatsky may be credited with having set the style for modern occultliterature."Theodore Roszak, The Unfinished Animal: The Aquarian Frontier andthe Evolution of Consciousness, New York, Harper and Row, 1975, pp.118, 124-125.Helena Petrovna von Hahn was born at Ekaterinoslav, atown on the river Dnieper, in Southern Russia, on the 12thof August, 1831. She was the daughter of Colonel Petervon Hahn, and Helena de Fadeyev, a renowned novelist.On her mother’s side, she was the granddaughter of thegifted Princess Helena Dolgorukov, a noted botanist andwriter. After the early death of her mother in 1842, Helenawas brought up in her maternal grandparents’ house atSaratov, where her grandfather was Civil Governor.6
Helena was an exceptional child, and at an early age wasaware of being different from those around her. Herpossession of certain psychic powers puzzled her familyand friends. At once impatient of all authority, yet deeplysensitive, she was gifted in many ways. A clever linguist, atalented pianist and a fine artist, she was yet a fearless riderof half-broken horses, and always in close touch withnature. At a very early age she sensed that she was in someway dedicated to a life of service, and was aware of aspecial guidance and protection.When almost eighteen, she married the middle-agedNikifor V. Blavatsky, Vice-Governor of the Province ofYerivan, in a mood of rebellious independence andpossibly with a plan to become free of her surroundings.The marriage, as such, meant nothing to her and was neverconsummated. In a few months she escaped and travelledwidely in Turkey, Egypt, and Greece, on money suppliedby her father.On her twentieth birthday, in 1851, being then in London,she met the individual whom she had known in her psychospiritual visions from childhood --- an Eastern Initiate ofRajput birth, the Mahatma Morya or M. as he becameknown in later years among Theosophists. He told hersomething of the work that was in store for her, and fromthat moment she accepted fully his guidance.Later the same year, Helena embarked for Canada, andafter adventurous travels in various parts of the U.S.A.,Mexico, South America and the West Indies, went via theCape and Ceylon to India in 1852. Her first attempt to enterTibet failed. She returned to England via Java in 1853. Inthe Summer of 1854, she went to America again, crossingthe Rockies with a caravan of emigrants, probably in acovered wagon.7
In late 1855, she left for India via Japan and the Straits. Onthis trip she succeeded in entering Tibet through Kashmirand Ladakh, undergoing part of her occult training with herMaster. In 1858 she was in France and Germany, andreturned to Russia in the late Fall of the same year, stayinga short time with her sister Vera at Pskov. From 1860 to1865, she lived and travelled through the Caucasus,experiencing a severe physical and psychic crisis whichplaced her in complete control over her occult powers. Sheleft Russia again in the Fall of 1865, and travelledextensively through the Balkans, Greece, Egypt, Syria andItaly and various other places.In 1868 she went via India to Tibet. On this trip H.P.B. metthe Master Koot Hoomi (K.H.) for the first time and stayedin his house in Little Tibet. In late 1870 she was back inCyprus and Greece. Embarking for Egypt, she wasshipwrecked near the island of Spetsai on July 4, 1871;saved from drowning, she went to Cairo where she tried toform a Societe Spirite which soon failed. After furthertravels through the Middle East, she returned for a shorttime to her relatives at Odessa, Russia in July, 1872. In theSpring of 1873, Helena was instructed by her Teacher to goto Paris, and on further direct orders from him, left for NewYork City where she landed July 7, 1873.H.P. Blavatsky was then forty-two years old and incontrolled possession of her many and most unusualspiritual and occult powers. In the opinion of theMahatmas, she was the best available instrument for thework they had in mind, namely to offer to the world a newpresentation, though only in brief outline of the age-oldTheosophia, "The accumulated Wisdom of the ages, testedand verified by generations of Seers.," that body of Truthof which religions, great and small, are but as branches ofthe parent tree. Her task was to challenge on the one hand8
the entrenched beliefs and dogmas of Christian Theologyand on the other the equally dogmatic materialistic view ofthe science of her day. A crack, however, had recentlyappeared in the twofold set of mental fortifications. It wascaused by Spiritualism, then sweeping America. To quoteHelena’s own words: "I was sent to prove the phenomenaand their reality, and to show the fallacy of the spiritualistictheory of spirits."In October, 1874, H.P.B. was put in touch by her Teacherswith Colonel Henry Steel Olcott, a man of sterling worthwho had acquired considerable renown during the CivilWar, had served the U.S. Government with distinction, andwas at the time practicing law in New York. She also metWilliam Quan Judge, a young Irish Lawyer, who was toplay a unique role in the future Theosophical work.On September 7, 1875, these three leading figures, togetherwith several others, founded a society which they chose tocall The Theosophical Society, as promulgating the ancientteachings of Theosophy, or the Wisdom concerning theDivine which had been the spiritual basis of other greatmovements of the past, such as Neo-Platonism, Gnosticism,and the Mystery-Schools of the Classical world. TheInaugural Address by the President-Founder, ColonelOlcott, was delivered November 17, 1875, a date which isconsidered to be the official date of the founding of theSociety. Starting from a generalized statement ofobjectives, namely, "to collect and diffuse a knowledge ofthe laws which govern the Universe," the Founders soonexpressed them more specifically. After several minorchanges in wording, the Objects stand today as follows:1. to form a nucleus of the Universal Brotherhood of Humanity,without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste or color.9
2. to encourage the study of Comparative Religion, Philosophy andScience.3. to investigate unexplained laws of Nature, and the powers latent inman.In September 1877, a powerful impact was made upon thereading and thinking public by the publication of H.P.Blavatsky’s first monumental work, Isis Unveiled, whichwas issued by J.W. Bouton in New York City, the onethousand copies of the first printing being sold within tendays. The New York Herald-Tribune considered the workas one of the "remarkable productions of the century,"many other papers and journals speaking in similar terms.Isis Unveiled outlines the history, scope and developmentof the Occult Sciences, the nature and origin of Magic, theroots of Christianity, the errors of Christian Theology andthe fallacies of established orthodox Science, against thebackdrop of the secret teachings which run as a goldenthread through bygone centuries, coming up to the surfaceevery now and then in the various mystical movements ofthe last two thousand years or so.On July 8, 1878, H.P. Blavatsky was naturalized as a U.S.citizen, an event which received publicity in variousnewspapers. In December of the same year, H.P. Blavatskyand Colonel Olcott left for India via England.Arriving in Bombay in February, 1879, they establishedtheir Theosophical Headquarters in that city. Soon afterlanding, they were contacted by Alfred Percy Sinnett, thenEditor of the Government Paper, The Pioneer of Allahabad.This contact soon proved of the utmost importance.After a tour of northwestern India, the Founders returned toBombay and started, in October, 1879, their firstTheosophical Journal, The Theosophist (still published10
today), with H.P. Blavatsky as Editor. The societyexperienced then a rapid growth, and some very remarkablepeople were attracted to it both in India and elsewhere.During May-July, 1880 the Founders spent some time inCeylon (Sri Lanka), where Colonel Olcott laid thefoundations for his later work to stimulate the revival ofBuddhism. They both took "Pancha Sila" or becameofficially Buddhists.In September and October, 1880, H.P.B. and ColonelOlcott visited A.P. Sinnett and his wife Patience at Simla innorthern India. The serious interest of Sinnett in theteachings and the work of the Theosophical Societyprompted H.P. Blavatsky to establish a contact bycorrespondence between Sinnett and the two Adepts whowere sponsoring the Society, Mahatmas K.H. and M. Fromthis correspondence Sinnett wrote The Occult World (1881)and Esoteric Buddhism (1883), both of which had anenormous influence i
During the late 19th century, Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831-1891) pointed to that Source of Wisdom. She called it the Ancient Wisdom and gave to it the Greek name of Theosophia or Theosophy ("Divine Wisdom" or "the wisdom of the gods"). H.P. Blavatsky stated that there is
THE VOICE OF THE SILENCE The Voice of the Silence - tr. Blavatsky v. 8.15, uploaded to www.philaletheians.co.uk, 14 April 2010 Page 2 of 55 About this edition Until 1889, when HP Blavatsky first translated three treatises from the “Book of the Golden Precepts” and dedicated them to “The Few,” Higher Ethics were available only
Blavatsky on the Count de Saint-Germain v. 15.11, www.philaletheians.co.uk, 17 March 2018 Page 2 of 16 Abstract and train of thoughts Helena Blavatsky on Saint-Germain Count de Saint-Germain was certainly the greatest Oriental Adept Eu
Helena Blavatsky Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (Russian: Еле́н а Пет ро́ вна Блава́ т ская, Yelena Petrovna Blavatskaya; 12 August [O.S. 31 July] 1831 – 8 May 1891) was a Russian occultist, philosopher, an
Helena Petrovna Blavatsky was born in Russia in 1831. As a young woman she was involved in Spiritualism. She moved to New York in 1873. In 1875 she founded the Theosophy Society. When first organized the Society’s basic text was Isis Unveiled, written by Blavatsky. In 1879 Blavatsky and Olcott visi
H.P. Blavatsky Through Different Eyes With ONE Heart. International Theosopy Conferences, Inc. Helena Petrovna . Blavatsky. hrough Different EyesT ith ONE HeartW. Our world is in great need of Theosophy. Theosophists from all four corners of the globe realize more and more that a vibrant a
Gurdjieff and Blavatsky: Western Esoteric Teachers in Parallel Johanna Petsche Introduction This article is concerned with the largely unexamined interrelations between the biographies (both factual and mythological), public personas, and teachings of Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (
Once again Blavatsky’s health was a major concern. Following are several reasons why a third Will is a possibility: 1) On July 27th, 1886, Blavatsky had offered Judge her royalties from “The Secret Doctrine” and “Isis Unveil
(ii) is an aboveground storage tank with a capacity of more than 2200 litres, installed at or in use at a bulk petroleum sales outlet or a retail outlet, or (iii) is part of a field-erected aboveground storage tank system that falls within the requirements of API standard API 650, Welded Steel Tanks for Oil Storage, Twelfth Edition, Includes
