At a time when the world was engrossed in anything and everything except its own welfare, there came a Great Soul to this earth, who — single handed — started a movement to stem the tide of growing negation.
The flower of thinking men had run off the track of balance, but making great noise became leaders of the thought of the day. This was called the science of materialism. During its sway, it was in bad taste to believe in man's divinity or even to imagine that there was anything in the universe except what could be seen with the eyes and weighed with the scales.
The religious spirit was also on the decline, owing to the lack of knowledge of interpreters of scriptures who barely worshiped even their idol, the dead letter.
Meantime, the people, individuals and organizations, became intensely selfish, and if it had not been that this Heroic Soul had shot like a disturbing comet into the midst of the then predominating influence, it is difficult to say what disastrous consequences might not have overtaken the multitude of followers of this course.
H. P. Blavatsky was one of the great Helpers of Humanity. Her work was so far-reaching that it could not be appreciated by the generation in which she lived, nor can the first and second generations following do full justice to the measure of her reforms. She could command forces of nature which were as a closed book to others. She was not dependent on the outward appearance of things nor on the laws governing the physical alone; her powers and insight far transcended the powers and knowledge of even the most accomplished scientists of her day. Likewise she could think, work, write, and construct in the very intellectual field of the time with a synthetic power that distanced the highest developed intellect.
In the early part of her public career she devoted much time to demonstrating the possibility of exercising unknown powers over the forces of nature. The processes which she employed were perfectly natural; indeed, she insisted that there was nothing supernatural and the word had no place in her vocabulary. She was in communication with and was aided by the great Helpers of the Race concerning the methods of conduct of the great Movement which was destined to regenerate the world and awaken humanity to its real being in the near future. She had the power of discerning the real value and merit of an individual behind the appearance of his personality; she enlisted some into the service of the Movement who had, apparently, nothing to recommend them, but who, in many ways, rendered valuable aid to the work. She could disintegrate physical objects at one place and reintegrate them at another. Her methods of obtaining results were entirely different from established precedents. This was too much for some of the commercial scientists of the time and religious contemporaries. A storm of opposition arose from all quarters with cries of "fraud, deception, trickery." Here and there, however, a true disciple of science fought vigorously for the truth, and soon there was gathered a large contingent of supporters among prominent investigators.
Among the cries of pro and con the fight waxed hot, but the subject encircled one continent after another, and slowly but surely the attention of all civilized nations was riveted on the central figure who dared to upset cherished and accepted notions.
Unceasing and strenuous work and the use of her faculties over diverse superphysical forces and her endeavor to demonstrate and teach the facts to the world may be said to constitute the first part of the plan which H. P. Blavatsky unfolded in her last successful mission.
While thus engaged in pushing these unpopular theories before the world, she undoubtedly had a well-defined limit of time as to the execution of her plans, which she presently unfolded in a new direction.
The next move was the commencement of a merciless warfare against the grooves and ruts of existing systems, religions and fads. She fearlessly attacked with word and pen the so-called philosophical deductions and conclusions which the professors and expounders had arrived at in their especial systems, exposing the imperfect premises from which most of these proceeded. Accepted theories which were fallacious were treated and laid bare with such inflexible logic and destructive arguments on their own ground that one wonders to-day how so many laboriously constructed but false theories and systems could have issued from our modern men of science and doctors of religion and be so wide of the mark. It was shown that the theories and conclusions of chemists on Ultimates contradicted the theories deduced by physicists, and the further each endeavored to penetrate by his own special method into the mysteries of life the more hopeless and more wide apart would each find his conclusion from the system of the other.
Likewise destructively did she deal with the crumbling faiths and denominations of the time. She pointed out clearly the underlying truths of all religions, but she emphasized the fact that there was in the present systems an entire absence of a basis of ethics which should teach the people first of all a sufficient reason why they should practice the virtues and abstain from selfishness. This basis of ethics she has fully and convincingly explained in her philosophy. She fought vigorously against the danger menacing humanity in the subterfuge systems of spiritualism and faith healings, hypnotism, etc.
She was most emphatic in the denunciation of the practice of taking possession of the mind of another, as is done in hypnotism, pointing out the dreadful consequences that accrue to the operator on account of the subtle connection which is thereby established between operator and subject; the hypnotizer becoming responsible for the acts of the subject which are done as the result of the influence of hypnotic suggestion. As to healing physical ailments by denying their existence and through mere assertion of the power of the mind — in this she was unyielding in her denunciation. She explained that this delusion is nothing short of dragging the evil back to the mental plane whence it came; whereas, if physical pain existed, it was the effect of a previous cause, and that when it had reached the physical plane, it was on its way down and out forever as the effect of a due cause. However, if arrested and drawn back to the plane whence it came, it was removed only to appear again at some future time.
To corroborate her statements and teachings, she unearthed a great wealth of information from a host of long forgotten publications of authors whose works are very rare and distributed over all parts of the world.
The marvelous work, "Isis Unveiled — A Master Key of the Mysteries of Ancient and Modern Science and Theology," bears witness to this. These two large volumes were written under the most peculiar circumstances. From 1875 to 1878 Mme. Blavatsky lived in New York, where she founded the Theosophical Society. Here she devoted much time to the tuition of pupils while also attending to the constant stream of visitors. She expounded her philosophy at all hours of the day and night to scientists, doctors, clergymen, professors, and men and women of all shades of belief and grades of education. Little time remained, so it appears, for writing such learned books; notwithstanding this, these volumes came forward complete in the year 1878. They are replete with the most remarkable quotations from obscure and rare books bearing on the subject in hand from different points of view. Some of the books quoted from are in foreign langauges and procurable only in Spain, France, South America or India; others are to be seen and inspected only at the British Museum or at the Vatican. Her own library consisted of about 20 books of promiscuous import, and strange to say, she never consulted a library. The work discloses expert knowledge of life-long research and presumes a master of erudition, neither of which H. P. Blavatsky claimed to be.
The principal tendency of "Isis Unveiled" is iconoclastic. It is apparently intended to tear down existing prejudices, rusty systems, and false premises — it is destructive of these — rather than to build up or expound a coherent system of philosophy. But, incidentally, as though it were casually, its pages contain (rather conceal) a most remarkable coherent and eminently logical system of the genesis, evolution and destiny of cosmos and man.
Interspersed through the text in "Isis Unveiled" are to be found portions of the ancient esoteric doctrine given out to the world by the great Lodge of the Helpers of Humanity whose messenger Mme. Blavatsky was; and subsequently, owing to the sincerity with which this work was received by a large body of students, she was permitted to publish the "Secret Doctrine," which is the monumental work of her life, and which will be the textbook for all nations and peoples for centuries to come.
"Isis Unveiled" was barely finished and placed before the Western World when Mme. Blavatsky left America for India. Thus closed the second chapter or epoch in her life-work.
In India she adopted new plans of work which were entirely constructive. Though it was not until long-afterward that the "Secret Doctrine" was written, it was at this time that the sublime philosophy of Theosophy first came in more or less concise form before the world through the pen of H. P. Blavatsky, and through others who were taught by her.
Once more, strange as it may seem, the doctrine of "Eternal Justice" was vindicated, in which every individual intuitively believes, but is so strenuously denied by the doctors of official science and religion.
Man and Nations are the creators of their own destinies. All conditions of life are under the operation of Universal Law. No accidents. No atonement. Progressive evolution. Essential divinity of Man. Perfectibility of Man. The Unity of all Things: "God," man, and everything part of it; Brotherhood in fact.
These are the pith of the message which H. P. Blavatsky brought, and that made her the greatest benefactor to mankind since the time of Buddha and Jesus.
We had heard these things before, but not in this wise. Mme. Blavatsky proved at every step and gave to the world an explanation of the mysteries of life and death, the knowledge of which infused new joy into the life of millions of people, and will be the source of hope to the present and future generations.
Reincarnation and Karma are the cardinal doctrines of her philosophy; these are known in nearly all of the religions of the East, and believed in by two-thirds of the population of our earth. But to the Western World they were new. They are so self-evident that it is astonishing that our civilization has so long been without them.
Slowly, but surely, Mme. Blavatsky's teachings are finding their way into the minds of the masses. Modern Western literature now extensively borrows from this eternal fount of truth. The pulpit tentatively appropriates the ideas. Journalism in daily leading articles popularizes them. The whole Western Hemisphere is permeated with these truths in a more or less marked degree in all phases of regenerative endeavor.
Humanity has become heir to a great message from Heaven, and yet the bearer of the message is concealed from public acknowledgment. The masses do not know it, and those whose personal problems have perhaps been most enlightened, often do not mention her name. But a teacher is a teacher, even when the world does not recognize him. He is the intermediary between the one who profits by the teachings and — God! Some day the Teacher will be known. Through gratitude and love we proclaim the name of H. P. Blavatsky as Teacher and the bearer of the message of Truth to the xixth Century.
"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill, cannot be hid."