THE FRAUD OF THEOSOPHY EXPOSED.

Otago Witness, Issue 3426, 11 November 1919, Page 66

THE FRAUD OF THEOSOPHY EXPOSED.

TO TUX MDITOB. Sie, —As your talented cootributor, Jcssio Mackay, appears to Jiavo fatten under the spell of Mrs Besant, the disciple and successor of Madtine Blavateky, and as, perhaps, many _of those who read Miss Mackay's contrfib'Jiiona may know very little of either of those "eminent personages," I ask leave to quote from a pamphlet, "The Fraud of Thecsophy Exposed," by John Maskelyne, a short sketch of a portion of Mrs Besant's career, written in 1912: "Now that tha mantle of Madame Blavateky has fallen upon Mrs Besant, we are justified in inquiring into her history to ascertain whether her preaching should be accepted, cr rejected. But I should mention that Mrs Besant's mantle does not resemble Madame jßlavatsky's in the least. Instead of a greasy old blouse covered with cigarette ash, Mrs Besant wears when upon the platform, an elegant costume. It consists of a robe of soft white silk richly draped with a very heavy gold frfnge. The front is embroidered with theosophio designs in gold. With a pair of property wings added!, it would make an ideal dress for a stage archangel. . ... . The life of Mrs Besant lias been ah interesting study to me from the time she resided in my native town, Cheltenham. Before the birth of her child she was apparently a most devout Christian. Her husband was a clergy, man, a brothers of Sir Walter JBesant. . . . The first surprise Mrs Besant gave us was ihe sudden abandonment of motherhood. ■ She left her home, husbandi, and infant, and joined the Freethought Society in London. She then became a rabid atheist, and poured scorn and ridicule upon Christ and Christianity with all the vehemence and eloquence at her command. Sho also joined the Socialist movement, and became a perfect firebrand in that direction. . . . Before she joined Madame Blavatsky it became evident that Mrs Besant . was becoming dissatisfied with the life into which she had drifted. Her lectures upon Atheism and Socialism became fewer and less vehement. I saw a change coming over her, but I was not prepared for an extraordinary gymnastic display. She suddenly turned a complete somersault, and with one bound -jumped from Atheism to the balderdash, clap-trap, and hanky-panky of, -Blavatskyism. ... It is almost impossible to account for Mrs Besant's _ sudden infatuation. Her friends were up in arms about it; she was a great loss to the Freethought Society. The seriousness of allying herself with a woman whohad been proved a gross impostor, by evidence absolutely irrefutable, was pointed out, but Mrs Besant turned a deaf ear to all evidence and advice. The fact was she wanted a change, and here was the very thing to suit her- Mrs Besant had the reputation of being-an honest, misguided woman, always striving to benefit her fellow-creatures; but, unfortunately, she did them great harm. I shared that opinion of her at the time, but her actions since then have revealed the fact that what has led" her into these strange paths can be summed up in one word —vanity. She has an irresistible desire to be in the "limelight," to be in a position to display her marvellous gift of speech. . ... Mrs Besant's chief scheme is to reconcile Christianity with her theosophy. She asserts that Christ was ( a Mahatma, and, like Satan, she quotes Scripture in support of her argument. . . . She has also told us that Jesus is now reincarnated, and lives in the mountains of Lebanon." By an Anglo-Indian correspondent Mr Maskelyne was informed that "for a long time suspicions had existed among British residents that sedHion lurks behind the society, and that accounts for the unreasonably fulsome display upon Mrs Besant's first - visit to India. She passed under triumphal arches; her paths were strewn with flowers, and she was looked upon by the natives as a Joan of Arc come to free them from British rule. Persons present at the meetings marvelled that the_ authorities should have allowed such sedition to be preached openly to impressionable natives. - Mr M. thus describes one of Mrs Besant s meetings in London: "One Sundae morning recently I attended one of Mrs Besant. s lectures at the large- Queen's Hall. There was not a vacant seat, although hundreds of them were at 5s each. The audience was composed chiefly of ladies, and the faces of some of them were a psychological study. When Mrs Besant made her appearance they looked upon her with an expression of awe- and admiration, as they would have looked at a spook at a spiritual seance, and when the torrents and cataracts of fine words flowed from her lips, those ladies became spellbound. I verily believe that they half expected the Mahatmas would cause her to float round the hall, or perform, some other miracle to prove their own existence. . . . Mv copybooks taught me that 'the pen is mightier than the sword,' but to this truism should be added, 'but the tongue is mightier than the pen.' Another word as to Mahatmas: "Mrs Besant describes them as 'perfect men,' who have been reincarnated about £OO times, occupyin<r in the process about 1,250.000 years. Wo are told* they act as guardian angels to the society." And this is the woman that your contributor quotes as an authority on India. I am looking forward to reading the conclusion (and hope it comes soon) of° " Wanted—Daylight." After doing which, unless thero is Mras improvement I may, permission being given, comment shortly on just a few of the rays, not cf light, but of darkness, that it sheds abroad. —I am, etc., H. M. Wyndham, November 4, 1919.

[Letters intended for the following issue should reach us try Thursday evening s mail to ensure publication.—Ed. O.W.]