[The passages in bold type are comments in the handwriting of Mahatma M.; those in bold type italics have been underlined by M. — Ed.]
Triplicane, Madras,
3rd February, 1882.
To Madame H. P. Blavatsky.
Respected Madame,
I thank you for your letter of the 28th ultimo. I think it is highly desirable that you should come here, if circumstances permit, by the time Colonel Olcott comes here from Calcutta. No doubt, I individually am very anxious to see you; but that is not the important reason for asking you to come here. Though no Branch Theosophical Association has yet been established here, there are a good many gentlemen here who sincerely sympathise with your aims and objects and who would be very glad to see you. They know very little of Colonel Olcott except what they have gleaned from his public speeches. But your "Isis Unveiled" has made a very strong impression on their minds. I have already informed some of these gentlemen that Col. Olcott would be coming here before the end of this month and they have earnestly asked me to write to you requesting you to come here also. I am very glad to hear that you have almost succeeded in converting Mr. R. Raghunatha Row to theosophy. He is a man of very strong convictions and an earnest seeker of truth and he is likely to prove very useful in course of time, in promoting the cause of theosophy. There are, I believe, some Europeans also, here, who are very anxious to see you. Please see therefore, if you cannot spare a few days to gratify the expectations of these gentlemen.
To tell you the truth, it is my "sincere belief" that India has not yet lost its adepts and its "Ineffable Name" — the lost Word! India is — not yet spiritually dead though it is fast dying. We still have even men amongst us — secure from the molestation of haughty British officials and impertinent missionaries, in dark mountain caves and trackless impenetrable forests — those who have almost reached the shores of the ocean of Nirvana. We still have the clue in our hands to understand the teaching of our old Rishis and the doctrines of every other system of Philosophy which has sprung up from the Ancient Wisdom Religion. And I venture to affirm (though you may doubt it) we still have the clue to find out the "Lost Formula," — if it is indeed already lost. This is not a vain boast, I assure you. The real truth will come to light when the proper time arrives for it. It should be strongly impressed on the minds of the English theosophists that these men are not very anxious to get their existence recognised by them. It is of very little importance to them whether India is governed well or ill by English officials, whether natives are treated with haughty contempt by Europeans or not, and whether the truth of Yoga Vidya is admitted by modern sceptics or not. They have, I believe, adopted every conceivable precaution to conceal their existence. It is only to sincere believers in Yoga Vidya and the existence of Adepts that these stern mystics are accessible. Even if an English theosophist like Mr. Hume were to catch hold of one of these men by accident, he will soon put his philosophy to the proof. His external appearance will be revolting to the refined taste of an English gentleman. Apparently — his behaviour will be that of a madman or an idiot, and he will talk unintelligible nonsense purposely to drive away the visitor.
If, however, the visitor still believes that the madman before him is an adept, the mystic will certainly ask him to give up his family, wealth and position, clothe himself in rags and follow him into the midst of the forest before he consents to have him as his chela. Is there a single English Theosophist who is prepared to do so?
But, it is almost impossible, Madame, to induce any of these mystics to come before the public and clear the doubts which the sceptics entertain as regards the reality of Yoga Vidya and the existence of Adepts. I am afraid they cannot be persuaded to do as much, at least even as Koot Hoomi and M. have done already for the English theosophists: and the reason for it is not far to seek. The Himalayan Adepts are not afraid that they would be in any way molested by Englishmen if their existence is known to them. But the Adepts in India are I suspect, really afraid that if their existence is known to the public there would be an end to their peaceful Samadhi and seclusion.
Not physically "afraid" but justly fearing to see their secure retreats desecrated and themselves surrounded by an antipathetic crowd.
It will take some time before these mystics can be asked to do anything for the theosophists.
I do not know to which you are referring in your letter when you say that one of the two adepts in India whom you know is not far from me now.
The little of occultism that still remains in India is centred in this Madras Presidency; and this fact you will be able to find out for yourself in course of time. The great revival of Yoga Vidya in the time of our great Sankarachariar had its origin in this part of India; and from that time up to the present day, Southern India never had the misfortune of being deserted by all its initiates. As the few initiates that still remain here cannot live in small communities as your Himalyan Adepts do, they are, therefore, living as solitary hermits in a few sacred places in this Presidency.
We can in course of time, adopt some ritualistic system of Initiation for the IInd Section; and I do not see any reason why we should not be able in future to have a certain amount of systematic occult training for those who are admitted into the said Section. I shall lay before you hereafter my scheme for doing so. I shall be very glad to see this section in future as a section composed of real initiates acting under the instructions given by the Adepts of the 1st Section. [This letter is unsigned, but it is in the writing of T. Subba Row. — Ed.]
One might do worse than consult the young man about the proposed manual also.
M.
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