Parabrahman (Absoluteness) is the One and Only Reality, an unthinkable and unspeakable state of Ultimate Subjectivity. Ishvara is Conscious Universal Mind (Second Logos), not the personal God and Master. Vishishtadvaita Philosophy in a nutshell. 1 The Vishishtadvaitis are a sect of Vedantins; refusing to accept dualism, they place willy-nilly the origin of evil and good in Parabrahman. 2 They believe that the sun-souls attract lost earth-souls, and direct them to the path that leads to Nirvana. 3 They refer to Advaitis as Buddhists in disguise. 4 Refined Vishishtadvaitism is Ancient Magianism. Madame Blavatsky comments on the non-dualistic philosophy of Vishishtadvaita, and distinction between Impersonal and Personal God. With key metaphysical concepts by the Series Editor.

The Bible is a tale sublime in its morality and didactics, truly — still, a tale and an allegory. Its fables are ingeniously concealed verities that are revealed only to those who, like the Initiates, have a key to their inner, esoteric meaning. It is a mere repertory of invented personages in its older Jewish portions, and of dark sayings and parables in its later additions, and thus quite misleading to anyone ignorant of its Esotericism. The Christian Holy Book is Astrolatry and Sabæan worship, pure and simple, that is to be found in the Pentateuch — when read exoterically — and Archaic Science and Astronomy to a most wonderful degree — when interpreted in the light of Eastern Occultism.

There are Spirits and Spirits; High Planetary Spirits who have been human beings millions of ages since, and upon other besides our own planet; there are the illusionary appearances of these, projected upon the intra-psychic screen of our mediumistic, hence confused, perceptions; and there are seers and mediums, as there are great men of science, willing and sincere, but ignorant tyros. Spiritualism has spawned almost as many books as a herring does eggs. There can be no spiritual intercourse, either with the souls of the living or the dead, unless it is preceded by self-spiritualization, the conquest of selfishness, and the unfoldment of the nobler powers within us. Spiritualism and Theosophy are mere opinions and beliefs, and nothing more. They can no more claim to be regarded as “facts” than any other emotional belief, for the facts of one will be delusion in the eyes of the other. Spiritualists and Theosophists fully agree that there are higher and pure spirits outside the realm of our physical senses. But they entirely disagree as to the nature and causal agency of “communicating intelligences.” The “disembodied spirits,” instead of having become the wiser for being rid of the physiological impediments and the restraints of their gross material senses, would seem to have become far more stupid, far less perspicacious and, in every respect, worse than they were during their earthly life. As nations became restricted by their own tongue, the once-universal Mystery Language is being gradually denied to subsequent generations. While the disciples of Eastern Occultism are trying to purify matter, Western Spiritualists are striving to degrade spirit. Spiritualists and Theosophists travel along a parallel, if not quite identical, path. Yet, to those bereft of a metaphysico-spiritual vocabulary, Eastern Occultism will remain impassable to the babel tower of modern thought, caused by ignorance of the true meaning of words and their synonyms, a skin deep learning leading to mistaken notions, and the tendency of elevating misconceptions to the dignity of dogmas. If people would stop speculating, and would simply stick to substantiated fact, truth would be more readily attained in each and every case. Truth stands higher than any earthly consideration ever will. Let each of us show our facts and give our explanations; and let those who are neither Occultists, Spiritualists, nor sceptics, adjudicate between the contestant parties. The world must learn at last, under the penalty of falling back to superstitious beliefs in the biblical devil, why such phenomena do so happen, and to what cause or causes they are to be attributed. New Dispensation is the latest folly of dogmatic Christianity. We are not acquainted with a god who thinks, plots, rewards, punishes, and repents. The only god whom we serve is humanity, and our only cult is love of our fellow man. This our religion and dogma. Men have done their best to replace the solar rays with the false glare of error and fiction; none more so than the bigoted, narrow-minded theologians and priests of every faith, the sophists and perverters of the Spirit of Truth. Parsifal is the theatrical representation of good and evil in a supreme struggle. It is our universe, saved through atonement; it is sin redeemed through grace, and the triumph of faith and charity. Thus far, Pilate’s “What is truth?” has never been sufficiently answered to the satisfaction of narrow-minded sectarians. The Theosophical Society upholds and advocates only corroborated facts and Truth, and nothing but the Truth, whencesoever and from whomsoever it may come. Our views have to stand or fall upon their own merit, since we claim neither divine revelation nor infallibility. We will not serve Truth and Falsehood at the same time. Our policy is war to death to every unproved dogma, superstition, bigotry, and intolerance.

In view of the sustained attack by Anglo-Indian and English journals, we are obliged to enter the arena of controversy, under the penalty of having our silence construed into tacit consent. The torrent of letters from our opponents, pouring upon us from all sides, compelled us to lower the flag of truce which we have hitherto presented to spiritualists. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. The peacock’s feathers of the Indian Dailies and Weeklies, which are made to clumsily cover the ugly bird beneath, now painfully ruffled stand on end, can no longer hide the ravenous crow. Christian charity and malicious slandering of innocent people are mutually exclusive with the true religion of Christ (who has nothing to do with modern christrinity), however much they have become synonymic in the mind of some Bishops and their clergy. Those Anglo-Indian editors who done their best to injure the Theosophists, not only they patently failed in their unholy attempt, they did help our Branches to skyrocket worldwide. The sanctioning and spreading of flagrant untruths and malicious innuendoes, constitutes a dishonourable and venomous act — all the more reprehensible as it comes from the missionary press of Bombay. The clerical and Jesuitical policy is to disseminate false rumours, malicious backbiting, wicked and stupid cock-and-bull stories, by salaried catechists, zenana-missionaries, and padris under the sanction and with the blessings of their respective Bishops. We are charged with anti-Christism, while we are guilty but of anti-clericalism; and with a “fierce hatred of the Church,” when we confess but to a ferocious contempt for the ecclesiastical system — the system that crucifies its Christ daily, tramples His commands in the dust under his feet, and disfigures His noblest and most divine teachings! Other persons, nobler and far higher in social position than we, humble Theosophists, are no better protected against scurrilous abuse in the Indian Empire; and thus we find ourselves standing on parallel lines with His Excellency, the Viceroy of India.

An offering to those who, though may be enlightened on some special point of science, take upon themselves the right of pronouncing arbitrarily their judgment on all things; and are ready to reject everything new which shocks their ideas, often for the sole reason that if it were true they could not remain ignorant of it!