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Reminiscences of Colonel H. S. Olcott

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Reminiscences of Colonel H. S. Olcott $/->(, 7. tk /y t REMINISCENCES OF COLONEL H. S. OLCOTT BY VARIOUS WRITERS * COMPILED BY HRIDAYA NARAIN AGARWAL, M.A., LL.B. r~ THEOSOPHICAL PUBLISHING HOUSE Adyar, Madras, India 1932 L.3t. THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY 591100 A ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS If 1932 L ACKN O WLEDGME N T MOST of these Reminiscences have been reprinted from various journals with the kind permission of the Editors. References are indicated in the table of Contents. H. S. OLCOTT an. officer in the Federal Army, in the early part of the Civil War in U.S.A. 1861—1865. -J f J i I A* I Jj PREFACE TO many the name of Colonel H. S. Olcott merely recalls the fact that he was President of the Theosophical Society, but the intrinsic value of his work is not adequately recognised. Truly, Madame H. P. Blavatsky was the teacher and the originator of Theosophy, but the credit for the propagation of the Theo- sqphical truths goes largely to Colonel Olcott. Undoubtedly, without him the mere existence of those truths was certain, but the splendid Organisation—The Theosophical Society-—is chiefly due to his great zeal and earnest endeavours. ^ To remind us, therefore, of the great part tD " played by him in the organisation of the Theosophical Society, I have ventured to w , . 1 1 compile this little book as a loving tribute to his q q , memory, on the occasion of the Founders’ Convention of the Society held at Adyar in December, 1931. Madame H. P. Blavatsky was born on August 11, 1831, and Colonel Olcott on August 2, 1832. There is already a compilation giving the tributes of those who knew Madame Blavatsky well. This work, which records the tributes of those who knew Colonel Olcott, is published to give an insight into his manifold activities for human welfare. The first two letters record the judgment passed on Colonel Olcott by his Master, the Master M., and by the Master K. H. who along with the Master M. inspired Madame Blavatsky to found the Society to check the overwhelming tide of materialism. H. N. AGARWAL Adyar, December, 1931. CONTENTS PAGE Preface . ................................. V I. (From The Letters from the Masters of the Wisdom, Second Series, Letter 26) . 1 II. (From The Mahatma Letters) 5 III. By H. P. Blavatsky (From The Theo- sophist, August, 1931) . 6 IV. Colonel Henry Steel Olcott, by Annie Besant (From The Theosophist, March, 1907) ..... 12 V.Henry Steel Olcott, by C» W. Lead- beater (From The Theosophist, May, 1909) ..... 23 VI.Lest We Forget, by M. R. H. (From The Theosophist, February, 1930) . 34 VII. The President-Founder, by A. P. Sinnett (From Vahan, March, 1907) 40 VIIL In Memoriam, by Upendra Nath Basu (From Theosophy in India, March, 1907) ..... 42 V lll PAGE TX Personal Reminiscences of Colonel H. S. Olcott, by A. P. Warrington (From The Theosophist, March, s 1929) . 46 4 X. Henry Steel Olcott, by A. Schwarz (From The Theosophist, December, x 1931) . 51 XI. Colonel Olcott as a Great Mesmerist, by B. Ranga Reddy . 59 XII. Some Reminiscences of Colonel Olcott, by Sarah E. Palmer (From Theosophy in India, December, 1913) . • 62 XIII. More Reminiscences of Colonel Olcott, by J. Harry Carnes (From The Adyar Notes and News, * February 14, 1929) . 67 XIV. By A. K. Sitarama Shastri, (From The Adyar Notes and News, May 24, ‘ 1928) . .... 7 0 | XV. Faithful unto Death, by C. W. Lead- beater (From The Theosophic Messenger, November, 1908) . 71 ■ ■■. t m Last Message of the President- f >' T j| i Founder. c . 81 REMINISCENCES OP COLONEL H. S. OLCOTT I AT Upasika’s prayer, I hereby state the follow­ ing facts: No letter blaming Henry Olcott, accusing him of incompetency, or entrusting the management of the T. S.’s affairs to Mr. S. G. L. Fox, has ever been sent by me, or received by him, whether in London or elsewhere. The last page of a long business letter written in October 1884 and addressed by me to Upasika—a woman who served me faithfully —contained a para (2-3rd of a page) concern­ ing Mr. L. Fox ; and agreeably with her instruc­ tions, she sent it to the latter asking for it back and burning it. The rest of my letter was not 2 shown nor has he been allowed to either see or touch it. Therefore he knows nothing of it. In the aforesaid para he was told of the advisability to return forthwith to India for purposes of influencing in the right direction the disturbed minds of the Anglo-Indian * bara-sahabs1 and thereby helping his own (L. Fox’s) karma. It is for this purpose—no other—that he was asked to go. Any other construction made upon what was written (by Mr. L. Fox or anyone else) is false. It is my desire that anyone, who heard Mr. L. Fox blame the “ Founder ” Olcott, those who have listened to the cruel words of censure directed again at Henry Olcott by Mr. L. Fox, should now hear too what I have to say of him. If Henry has erred, it is because he is human, and being human, often believed in false and foolish advisers more “ incompetent ” than he whom they so blamed. If he is “ ignorant ” of many things, so are his accusers, and because he remains still uninitiated the reason for which is very plain: to this day he has preferred the good of the many to his own personal benefit. Having 1 Hindustani for ** big folk **. given up the advantages derived from steady, serious chelaship by those who devote themselves to it, for his work for other people— these are those who now turn against him. Let Mr. S. G. L. Fox know what I now say: whatever Henry Olcott’s shortcomings we are well pleased with, and thank him. Let it be known to all what I think, and now state (under) my own signature. Henry Olcott has served and followed his Master “ to the last gasp with truth and loyalty As another great but as erratic English genius truly puts it, “ Fools are they who believe in every lying report and have not the energy to admit it; fools they who disbelieve in such and have not the courage to proclaim it. Shy and cowardly, vicious and hypocritical those whom calumny can alarm or who will lend a willing ear to it. * Looks like truth ’—they say; does it ? Do they forget that ‘ a lie is never more successful than when she baits her hook with truth * ? ” Fools, fools! who do not see that all Asura- dugpas are at work for the destruction of the Society,1 their only, their last enemy of 1 The attack of the Christian Missionaries using the Coulombs, with the subsequent denunciation of H. P. B. as a fraud by the Society for Psychical Research. 4 Salvation on the present troubled waters of Kali-yug 1 Blind are they who see and perceive not. Their karma is spun ; but what Masters can or shall help those who refuse to help themselves. M.\ V. II Him we can trust under all circumstances, and his faithful service is pledged to us come well—come ill . Where can we find an equal devotion ? He is one who never questions, but obeys ; who may make innumer­ able mistakes out of excessive zeal, but never is unwilling to repair his fault even at the cost of the greatest self-humiliation ; who esteems the sacrifice of comfort and even life something to be cheerfully risked whenever necessary; who will eat any food, or even go without; sleep on any bed, work in any place, fraternise with any outcast, endure any privation for the cause. K. H. I l l By H. P. Bl a v a t s k y “ TRUTH does not .depend on show of hands ” ; but in the case of the much abused President-Founder, Colonel H. S. Olcott, it must depend on the show of fa c ts. Thorny and full of pitfalls was the steep path he had to climb up, alone and unaided, for the first years. Terrible was the opposition outside the Society he had to build ; sickening and dis­ heartening the treachery he often encountered within the Headquarters; enemies gnashing their teeth in his face around ; those whom he regarded as his staunchest friends and co- workers betraying him and the Cause on the slightest provocation. Still, where hundreds in his place would have collapsed and given up the whole undertaking in despair, he, unmoved and unmovable, went on climbing up and toiling as before, unrelenting and 7 undismayed, supported by that one thought and conviction that he was doing his duty. What other inducement has the Founder ever had but his Theosophical pledge and the sense of his duty towards THOSE he had promised to serve to the end of his life ? There was but one beacon for him—the hand that had first pointed to him his way up: the hand of the Ma ster he loves and reveres so well, and serves so devotedly, though occasionally, per- haps, unwisely. President, elected for life, he has neverthe­ less offered more than once to resign in favour of anyone found worthier than him. but was never permitted to do so by the majority—not of “ show of hands ” but show of hearts, literally—as few are more beloved than he is, even by most of those who may criticise occasionally his actions. And this is only natural: for cleverer in administrative capa­ cities, more learned in philosophy, subtler in casuistry, in metaphysics or daily life policy, there may be many around him ; but the whole globe may be searched through and through and no one found stauncher to his friends, truer to his word, or more devoted 8 to real, practical Theosophy—than the Presi­ dent-Founder ; and these are the chief re­ quisites in a leader of such a movement—one that aims to become a Brotherhood of men.
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