THE MAHATMAS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9711, 5 January 1895, Page 3

THE MAHATMAS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—l must trespass again on your valuable space, if only to prove the point you seem to regard as "so amusingly illogical." You say " Christianity is not founded on the forged testimonials of the clergyman referred to." Certainly not; you are quite right on that point; bub you go on to say, "but Theosophy is founded on messages from the Mahatmas, and greatly on those messages." Now, Mr. Editor, I deny this, and I think you will grant that I am in a better position to speak on that point than you are, for I am not onlv a member of the Theosophical Society, but I am a student of Theosophy, which is an entirely different thing. Theosophy is no more founded on messages to Madame Blavatsky, W. Q. Judge, or Annie Besant, than Christianity is founded upon the utterances of any of its present-day exponents. If the above three were all proved to be frauds, Theosophy would remain untouched, for it existed long before the Theosophical Society was thought of. Theosophy rests on its own philosophy, and does not depend on letters, forged or otherwise, and I do not think you will find the loyalty of any Theosophist is likely to bo shaken by Mr. Old's articles in the Westminster Gazette. It is true Mrs. Besant said, " If there are no Masters, then the Theosophical Society is an absurdity," but permit me to draw your attention to one little point you hare overlooked. She said Theosophical Society, and not Theosophy, and I thought it was a well-known fact by this time, that Theosophy is no more the Theosophical Society than Christianity is Romanism or Congregationalism. With regard to the existence of Masters, I would like to say a word, since the whole of your argument is based upon the assumption of their non existence,. Can you prove they are non-existent ? I think if you will go fairly into the question, you ; will find that the nmss of evidence is in favour of their existence, for unless you confine human progress solely to the knowledge of the physical and material side of life, you must grant that there shall be evolution also of the inner and more secret side of . human life and character. The existence of metaphysics and especially of pure - mathematics opens vista upon. vista of knowledge, which is very , far removed from physical and tangible evidence. Therefore when Theosophists assert the existence of a spiritual side of . nature, having a perfect system, set of laws and investigators (i.e., masters) who devote themselves entirely to this - spiritual science, it is only fair that their assertions, if couched in reasonable analogy of. nature, should be examined carefully, and not denied without careful examination. Evolution has shown that the foundation of nature and her laws lie beyond the domain of tho purely

physical, and evolution demands as a, - logical sequence that there should be;' some human beings who have become adepts or masters in knowledge. Hence the term masters. To deny this would be unreasonable and unscientific. "In "Essays' on Controverted Questions," Huxley says iWithout stepping beyond the analogy of: what is known, it is easy to people the Cosmos with entities in ascending scale, until we reach something practically indistinguishable from omnipotence, omnipresence, and: omniscience. The assumption that amongst) l the myriads of worlds_ scattered through space, there can be no intelligence as much greater than man's as his is greater than a black beetles, no beings as much more endowed with the powers of influencing the course of nature, as his are greater than a snail's, seems to me not merely baseless but impertinent." I may be only an illogical woman, but to my mind the existence of masters does not rest upon letters either genuine or forged, _ but rather upon (1) the necessity for their existence to complete the chain of evolution and continuity; (2) that as the spirit seeks to rise to the source whence it came, there must be present all the grades of consciousness from man as we know him up to that source ; (3) their existence is consistent with scientific reasoning, as shown by Professor Huxlev; and (4) that there will always be men far in advance of their fellows and the ace in which we live. On this reasoning and the philosophy we rest, and not on phenomena, Again, you state that Mrs. Besanfc was greatly to blame because she endeavoured to "hush up the matter." Can you prove she so acted ? I say she did not, and I have the minutes of the inquiry referred to before me as I write. I will, if you wish it, send you these minutes for your own perusal, so that you may have more reliable data to work upon than that published in the Westminster Gazette. With regard to the statements made in that paper re Mr. Judge, you cannot estimate tnem at their true worth since you have only the one side. I, again have the advantage of you in that respect; for I have Mr. Judge's reply to the! same, and even with that I consider myself 1 unable to give an unbiassed judgment, for! both Mrs. Besaut'a and Colonel Olcott's replies are still wanting to complete the evidence. Although, Mr.. Editor, lam a woman, I wish to be fair and to decide only on the whole evidence, and not partial, anenfc the alleged forgeries. Apologising for my lengthy letter, am, etc., Sara Draffin, F.T.S, 115, Ponsonby Road, January 4th, 1895.