Part 1. Abbe Roca’s ecclesiastical views upon the Esotericism of Christian Dogma. Part 2. Madame Blavatsky refutes the “Word made flesh” of the Catholic Church. Christian texts are allegories to the archaic mysteries of the Cycle of Initiation, and keys to the once universal mystery-language. When esoterically interpreted, they reveal their fundamental identify with the same Universal Truths. By imposing the dogma of the “Word made flesh,” the Latin Church is diametrically opposed to the tenets of Eastern Occultism, thus maintaining an abyss between East and West as long as neither yields an inch. Today’s Christians are the usurpers of a name they no longer understand. By denying the Divine Logos to any other man, except Jesus of Nazareth, the Churches carnalised the Christos of the Gnostics, and that alone prevents them having any point in common with the disciples of the Archaic Wisdom. The Church of Rome was Gnostic, just as much as the Marcionites were, until the middle of the second century. Further evidence that Rome has wandered farthest from the real religion of the mystical Christ is that it adopted the solar tonsure proper to the Egyptian priests of the public temples, and to the lamas and bonzes of the popular Buddhist cult. No “sacrificial victim” can be united with Christ triumphant before passing through the stage of the suffering Chrēst, who was put to death on the cross of his passions. It is the light of the glorious Christ-Spirit that directs the modern Theosophical movement. The Astronomical Christ can have only one anniversary of birth and resurrection in years because his parents are the Sun and the Moon, the heavenly bodies that accompany “the Man crucified in Space.” Paul had been converted not to the Jesus of Nazareth but to the Christos of the Gnostics. In his Epistles he has been made to fulminate against the heretics — Peter, James, and the other Apostles! The sacred fire which Prometheus “stole” from the gods is the flame of self-consciousness, the spark that quickened the human mind. The supposed “theft” of the sexual flame is the outcome of evolution, of which the Darwinian theory is but the rough exterior husk on the material plane. Since men had discovered the secret of physical creation, and were procreating in their turn, what was the use of god-creators? The true Christ is the glorious Ego, triumphant over the flesh. We solemnly reject the dogma of Ascension, which degrades the great mystery of Universal Unity. Mysteries were invented by those who are bend on exercising power in order to manipulate the ignorant by arrogating the prerogative of gods. Did you know that the “mysteries” of the Catholic Church are those of the Brahmanas, though under other names? Part 3. Abbe Roca counter-responds to Madame Blavatsky’s observations. Part 4. Madame Blavatsky debunks Abbe Roca’s mistaken notions concerning her observations. The Abbé has consigned the theological Christ to the background, and has not breathed a word about the esoteric Christos. Moreover, he bears me a grudge for having displayed what he pleases to call “such erudition.” He deceives himself in fancying he understands Buddhism but he does not know it even exoterically, any more than Hinduism, even in its popular form. Theosophy is neither Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Mohammedanism, Hinduism, nor any other –ism: it is the esoteric synthesis of the world’s religions, philosophies, and sciences. Abbé Roca has fabricated for himself a Christianity of his own. Our Masters are far too great to bedizen themselves with the peacock’s feathers of infallibility. The puff of wind which knocks down a house of cards may easily pass for a heavy squall in the eyes of the architect who built it; but if the Abbé lays the blame on the puff, rather than on the weakness of his edifice, this is certainly not my fault. The homage he renders to the wisdom of our Masters, instead of intoxicating me by its heady fumes as he alleges, it made me feel an even deeper mistrust of his motives. A divine Christ has never existed under a human form outside the imagination of blasphemers, who have carnalised a universal and wholly impersonal principle. The Man-God of the Christians was never historical person. He is a deified personification of the glorified type of the great Hierophants of the Temples, and his story as told in the New Testament is a mere allegory, assuredly containing profound esoteric truths, but still an allegory. Matthew’s “strait is the gate and narrow is the way” applies neither to the Abbé nor to his faith. In his Church, the way and the gate to heaven become wider in proportion to the sums paid by the faithful. The Churches, which style themselves “Christian,” are nothing but whited sepulchres filled with the dead bones of esoteric paganism and moral putrefaction. It is infinetly more difficult, more meritorious, and more godlike, to live for the love of, whether man or an ideal, than to die for it. We have thus shown to the Abbé what we, Occultists, know as opposed to what some Fathers of the Church believed they knew. Not only he deceives himself, he is hopelessly optimistic. Though I amply elaborated upon the real Christ, i.e., the impersonal pre-Christian Logos, Abbé Roca keeps reverting back to the ecclesiastical and dogmatic Christ of his Church. Part 5. Abbe Roca’s final response, annotated by Madame Blavatsky. Part 6. Fearless Roca was finally defrocked for coquetting too openly with Theosophy. Alas! His glorious dream of a reconciliation between Pantheistic Theosophy and a Socialistic Latin Church, under a Caesaro-Papal head, came to an abrupt end.

Theosophy is a system of divine philosophy offering to eclectic thinkers rational explanations of occult phenomena, without bamboozling them with hollow tenets, sophistry, and dogmas. It is the Beacon-light of Hope guiding Humanity on her true path. Its noble aim is to unite men of all nations in brotherly love and acts of charity beyond kith and kin, to all that lives and feels, and needs help and kindness. Theosophy seeks to refine human nature at the voluntary sacrifice of the superfluous animality and private wealth, fostered by modern life and materialistic education, which is abnormal for the human race at this evolutionary stage. Theosophists are friends of all World Movements, whether intellectual or practical, striving for the amelioration of Humanity. Their mission is to open man’s heart and mind to charity, justice, and generosity — attributes which belong specifically to the human kingdom and are natural to man, once he has developed the qualities of a human being worthy of the name. Theosophy teaches and prompts the animal-man to be human, by living for others; and when men have learnt to think and feel, as all truly human beings should feel and think, they will act humanely; and works of charity to visible and invisible beings will be done spontaneously by all to All — by virtue of the immaculate nature inherent in All. On the day, when Theosophy will have accomplished its most holy pledge — namely, to unite firmly men of all nations in brotherly love bent on pure altruistic work, not on labour spurred by selfish motives — on that day only, will Theosophy become an ever-Living Power on earth, far higher than any nominal “brotherhood of man.” Great results can be achieved by those who, forgoing their own comfort, work unselfishly for the ideal of Universal Brotherhood by helping their fellow pilgrims to carry the burden of life. Such a joyful and soul-ennobling responsibility will be fruitful of good to the Society, to yourselves, and to Humanity at large. While preparations for the new cycle continue, and the forerunners of the new subrace appear on the American Continent, the latent occult powers in man have already begun germinating and growing. The Ethics of Theosophy are far higher and more precious than any divulgement of psychic laws; the latter relate wholly to the material and evanescent part of the septenary man. Only self-abnegation and the goodness of earthly love can purify and prepare for the realisation of the Divine Love. Teach, practice, and proclaim the twin doctrines of Karma and Reincarnation, for it is that system of life and principles, which alone can save the coming races. Do not work merely for The Theosophical Society, but through it for the benefit of the Great Orphan, the only disinherited one upon this earth crying aloud in the darkness for guidance and light. Had it not been for W.Q. Judge, Theosophy would not be where it is today in the United States. It is he who has built up the Movement among you, and he who has proved in a thousand ways his loyalty and steadfast devotion to the Cause of the Masters — which is Compassion, i.e., the Causeless Cause of the Spirit of Truth.

An open letter to the Fellows of the American Section of the Theosophical Society by H.P. Blavatsky. Refuting the false and malicious reports and insinuations by M.A. Lane, a thoroughly dishonest man and a wicked slanderer. I felt every time Mr. Lane’s name was mentioned a cold disagreeable sensation in me, which I could not conquer. I have proofs that Mr. Lane is only one of a regular band of conspirators bent upon destroying our Society. As to his natural deception, it is absolutely sickening. He had come to find out fraud, evil, interested motives, humbug or charlatanry, and he found instead half-a-dozen of the most earnest men and women, working with an unselfishness and singleness of purpose he is unable to understand, let alone to emulate. The purpose of this letter to the American Section is to forewarn our Fellows about Mr. Lane, and to tell him to his face that he lies.

Madame Blavatsky defends Buddhism in Ceylon, and points out that the root cause of the Kotahena riot in was the ungenerous and unlawful attitude of the Christian padris and bigots of Ceylon toward the Buddhist religion. The spirit of the law is easily avoided, while its dead letter is as often made the weapon and pretext for the perpetration of the most iniquitous deeds. Honour your own faith, and do not slander that of others. Buddhism is the least aggressive of all religions, as Christianity the most aggressive of all and more so than Mohammedanism. The devil who, to defeat God and thwart the ends of Justice and of Right, sows on earth the seeds of thousand and one conflicting religious sects; the seeds sprouting and growing into the strong weeds that will stifle mankind, unless destroyed and annihilated.

Madame Blavatsky on the Venerable Swami of Almora, on the Advaita philosophy in general, and our failings in particular. No “merging” or absorption can take place without dissolution, and an absolute annihilation of the previous form. The venerable Paramahansa claims that he had “composed” himself into the state of Nirvikalpa, which Monier Williams defines as a state “destitute of all reflection.” A mortal wound can be inflicted by the inner man upon another, neither by a real dagger nor by a hand of flesh — but simply by Will. Spirit and Matter are illusionary aspects of the One Reality that veil Its ineffable splendour. These two ever-opposing forces are inseparable, interdependent, and interchangeable permutations of the One Life and Consciousness. In a piece of wood or a stone there is as much latent spirit or life, as there is in a week-old human foetus. Truth (central point) is everywhere: its outer boundary is nowhere. Eastern occult philosophy is the only one which can lead to true knowledge, for its starts from and proceeds only on principles clearly defined and accurately known.

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.

The Fourth Gospel is the production of an unknown author, probably a Greek Platonist. For well over a century and a half after the death of Jesus there is not one shred of evidence to connect its learned author with the “disciple whom Jesus loved,” i.e., the author of Revelation. In fact, the Fourth Gospel is revelation in reverse, upside-down. The contrast of thought between the two evangels, as well as the harsh Hebraistic Greek of the Revelation, when confronted with the polished elegance of the Fourth Gospel are too glaring to be denied. The style of Alexandrian Philosophy and the mysticism of Christian Platonists, evident throughout the last gospel, are skilfully interwoven with Pauline Christianity and put into the mouth of Jesus. The beauty of the Fourth Gospel glows bright in the light of Alexandrian Philosophy. Moreover, the Fourth Gospel can neither establish the veracity of miracles, nor the insanity of Divine Revelation.