MAX MULLER AND THE THEOSOPHISTS.

Evening Star, Issue 9534, 3 November 1894, Page 2 (Supplement)

MAX MULLER AND THE THEOSOPHISTS.

On the publication of Professor Max Muller's article in the ' Nineteenth Century' on 'Esoteric Buddhism,' Mrs Besant was interviewed by a representative of the 'Pall Mall Budget,' to whom she thus unburdened herself concerning the attack on the founder of Theosophy :

" By the way, the Professor denies that there is such a thing as Esoteric Buddhism at all ?"—" Well, it is quite certain that in his main contention he contradicts himself; that is to say, on the point that there is no esoterism in Buddhism. On the first page of his article he writes: 'The very idea that there are secret and sacred MSS. is by this time thoroughly exploded,' and then twenty pages further on he writes : ' There are still several of the recognised canonical books of the Northern Buddhists, of which the manuscripts are beyond our reach, or which frighten even the most patient A students by their enormous bulk.' Now, our standpoint is that all these esoteric religions—Buddhism, Brahminism, Christianity—are veils hiding a hidden esoteric truth ; and that every one of them has this hidden truth as its basis." "Professor Max Muller states that Buddha denied that there was anything esoteric in religion?"—" As a mattered fact it is at the bottom of all religions. You have Christian mystics, for example." "Then you think, Mrs Besant," I asked, "that Madame Blavatsky knew something of this Northern Buddhist lore, of which Professor Max Muller acknowledged his ignorance ?"—" Yes," said Mrs Besant. Madame Blavatsky said that she reached those secret books; that, under the adepts in whose care they are, she had studied them. Now, Max Muller puts himself in the curious position of saying that anything hidden is not Buddha's and then of admitting there is something hidden. He has a perfect right to say to us ' You have not proved your case'; but not to deny the existence of that of which he acknowledges that he knows nothing." '' Then you are not impressed by the authoritative tone he assumed ?"—" Certainly not. Of course he is a great Sanscrit scholar, but he does not know much about Buddhism. I don't think "Rhys Davies, for example, who does know a great deal about Buddhism, would commit himself to such statements as Max Muller makes." " Then you think our professor is insufficiently informed on this special topic ?" "Exactly so. You see, the greater part of Buddhist literature that is known is in Pali, and there has been no translation from the Sanscrit of any philosophical Buddhist book. Ethical books have been translated." " With reference to Mahatmas, I see that Professor Max Muller says he has been addressed as Mahatma ?"—" Quite so, the word is quite a common title of courtesy in India. A village policeman is now sometimes addressed as Mahatma. Now, the melancholy thing about Max Muller is that he seems so much outside the general stream of human thought at this moment, and apparently is quite ignorant of the lines of investigation being pursued by eminently scientific men. On the whole, I don't care for the name of Esoteric Buddhism. Esoteric religion would be better. The ancient Eastern name for it would be ' the hidden science.' "

"And what, Mrs Besant, is the end and good of it all? What is the object?"— " The great object is to check the materialism of the day and to assert the reality of the spiritual nature of man.''