An Overview of
The Mahatma Letters Mahatma Letters Mahatma The Mahatma Letters Letters
Reference Books Books on Mahatma Letters Mahatma Letters The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett - A.T. Barker The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett in chronological sequence arranged and edited by Vicente Hao Chin, Jr. Readers’ Guide to The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett - George E. Linton & Virginia Hanson The Mahatmas And Their Letters - Geoffrey Barborka An Introduction to The Mahatma Letters - V. Hanson Masters and Men - Virginia Hanson The Occult World - A. P. Sinnett The Story of The Mahatma Letters – C. Jinarajadasa More Books on Mahatma Letters Mahatma The Early Teachings of the Masters - C. Jinarajadasa Letters Letters From The Masters Of The Wisdom, First & Second Series - C. Jinarajadasa The “K. H.” Letters to C. W. Leadbeater – C. Jinarajadasa Esoteric Buddhism - A. P. Sinnett Letters of H. P. Blavatsky to A. P. Sinnett - A. T. Barker A Short History of the Theosophical Society - Josephine Ransom The Golden Book of the Theosophical Society - C. Jinarajadasa Damodar and the Pioneers of the Theosophical Movement - Sven Eek Autobiography of Alfred Percy Sinnett - A. P. Sinnett Reflections on an Ageless Wisdom – Joy Mills Mrs. Holloway and the Mahatmas – Daniel Caldwell Mahatma Letters
The Mahatmas The Mahatmas Mahatma Letters High Initiates and Members of the Occult Hierarchy Directed the founding of the Theosophical Society in 1875 Two of Them are especially concerned with The Theosophical Society A number of Adepts communicated with and guided the founders and members in the early days Much of the esoteric writings of H. P. Blavatsky including Isis Unveiled and The Secret Doctrine are attributed to the inspiration of the Mahatmas The Master M . Mahatma Letters In the present incarnation, a Rajput by birth Not proficient in English, spoke of himself as using words and phrases “lying idle in my friend’s brain” Proficiency in different languages, including Chinese Wrote letter to a chela in Telugu script and spoke to one in person in Tamil Known to be the Master of H. P. Blavatsky, H. S. Olcott, Annie Besant and T. Subba Row The Master K. H. Mahatma Letters In the present incarnation, a Kashmiri Brahmin by birth Spoke of himself in the letters as a “Cis- and Trans-Himalayan cave-dweller” Fluent in both English and French Consented to correspondence with A. P. Sinnett Known to be the Master of Damodar, C. W. Leadbeater, Geoffrey Hodson and Dora Kunz The Master D. K. Mahatma Letters In the present incarnation, a Tibetan by birth Fluent in English A pupil of Master K. H. and served as His amanuensis for some of the letters Much involved in the early days of the TS Nicknamed the Disinherited and Benjamin (Gao Ben-jamin) in some of the letters Taught C. W. Leadbeater amongst others Precipitated a picture on silk for H. P. B. showing the abodes of the Masters M. and K. H. A Ravine in Tibet Mahatma Letters Mysteries Of The Occult Mail Physical Fulcrum Mahatma Letters
The Adepts and Their pupils were in their physical bodies in Tibet Phenomena had to be performed in India or Europe Needed a centre on the physical plane through which Their forces could be discharged Needed pupils attuned in vibration to the nature of the Masters serving as the physical fulcrums Lack of Physical Fulcrum Mahatma Letters
ML-52 Sending Letter to Mahatma Letters The Mahatma Giving the letter to Madame Blavatsky Leaving the letter at a designated location Never ‘sent’; letter was read as it was being written Receiving Of Letter Mahatma Letters
Phenomenal appearance Instantaneous formation Through the postal services Through others’ mail Mahatma Letters Characteristics Of The Mahatma Letters Mahatma Stationery Used Letters
Thin, almost transparent-looking rice paper Replied on the same paper sent Written on to the blank parts of someone else’s letter Made use of whatever stationery available, sometimes different types of paper were used in one letter Writing Instruments? Mahatma Letters Some letters appear as though written in ink Some as though written by a heavy pencil Majority of Master K. H.’s letters appearing in blue ink or heavy pencilling; in varying shades of blue Majority of Master M.’s in red ink or red pencil; also in varying shades of red There were exceptions to the above The Script Mahatma Letters
The person issuing the letter has a characteristic calligraphy The letters were not hand-written The letters were impressed or precipitated After the process of precipitation is completed “all mistakes are removed” Use Of Amanuenses Mahatma Letters
The Mahatmas do not write the letters personally but make use of amanuenses to physically produce the letters However, each amanuensis will adopt the same calligraphy with distinctive characteristics In some of the letters it is evident that more than one amanuenses were involved in producing a particular letter Impressed Letters Mahatma Letters
Appearance of being imbedded into the paper, unlike ordinary handwritten letters which, of course, are placed on the surface of the paper by means of pen and ink (or pencil) The great majority of the letters may be classed as being imbedded, especially in the blue and red scripts Mahatma Precipitated Letters Letters
Unique characteristic Impossible to duplicate a whole letter by the pen and ink process of handwriting Each letter is composed of small diagonal strokes Sample of Precipitation Mahatma Letters Correction of Letters Mahatma Letters
The unwanted word is simply lifted out of the paper, leaving a faint smudge in the paper The desired correction is then placed upon the smudged place All the same, the new word still gives the appearance of being imbedded in the paper Sample of Correction Mahatma Letters More Conventional Corrections Mahatma Letters Madmen are they, who, speculating but upon the present, wilfully shut their eyes to the past where when made already to remain naturally blind to the future!
It depends entirely upon the social and moral conditions of the people in their bearing on these deepest and most mysterious questions which can stir the human mind — the deific possibilities powers in man and the possibilities contained in nature.
First, notify the public of the production of the note, the cup and the sundry product.. experiments with the cigarette papers, and let them digest these. Conventional Correction Mahatma Letters Conventional Corrections Mahatma Letters Conventional Corrections Mahatma Letters Sample of Master M.’s Mahatma Calligraphy Letters Mahatma Letters
Another Sample of Master M.’s Calligraphy Mahatma Letters
Another Sample of Master M.’s Calligraphy Sample of Master K.H.’s Mahatma Calligraphy Letters Another Sample of Master Mahatma K.H.’s Calligraphy Letters Mahatma Letters
Another Sample of Master K.H.’s Calligraphy Mahatma Letters
A Full Page of Master K.H.’s Calligraphy Mahatma Letters
A Full Page of Master M.’s Calligraphy Both Mahatmas’ Calligraphy Mahatma in One Letter Letters Occult Censorship Mahatma Letters
Sentences written by an Adept removed by Higher Power Postscript added by another Adept to an Adept’s letter Occult Censorship Mahatma Letters In the meantime I do not forget my promises to you. As soon as installed in your sleeping chamber I will try and . . . . (Here four lines in the original letter have been completely erased) I hope to be permitted to do so much for you. If, for generations we have “shut out the world from the Knowledge of our Knowledge,” it is on account of its absolute unfitness; and if, notwithstanding proofs given it still refuses yielding to evidence then will we at the End of this cycle retire into solitude and our kingdom of silence once more.... Sample Occult Censorship Mahatma Letters Occult Censorship Mahatma Letters I’ll close. Remember then on the 17th of July and ...... (Here again six or seven lines in the original have been deleted.), to you will become the sublimest of realities. Farewell.
Sincerely your’s K. H. Sample Occult Censorship Mahatma Letters Occult Censorship Mahatma Letters Thanks. The little things prove very useful, and I gratefully acknowledge them. You ought to go to Simla. TRY. I confess to a weakness on my part to see you do so. We must patiently await, the results, as I told you of the Book. The blanks 1 are provoking and “tantalizing” but we cannot go against the inevitable. And as it is always good to mend an error I already did so by presenting the Occult World to the C—s 2 notice. Patience, patience. Yours, ever K. H. Change of Colour in Letter Mahatma Letters Are the Mahatma Mahatma Letters Perfect? Letters “that even an “adept” when acting in his body is not beyond mistakes due to human carelessness” ML-130
“Unless in writing to you one of us takes his pen as an adept and uses it from the first word to the last, in this capacity he is quite as liable to “slips” as any other man.” ML-66 Letters From The Adepts Mahatma Letters From Letters The Master K. H. 208 The Master M. 76 The Master Serapis 22 The Master Hilarion 3 The Master Tuitit Bey 2 The Master Narayan 2 The Master D. K. 2 Total Published 315* * that we know of Languages Used Mahatma Letters Mostly English Some letters in French Ramaswamier received a letter with three words in Telugu G. Muttuswamy Chetty, father of G. Soobiah Chetty received a letter from the Master K. H. in Tamil Latin, Greek, Italian, German, Chinese, Tibetan and Sanskrit phrases are found in some of the letters Mahatma Letters Recipients of Letters From The Mahatmas Some Recipients Of Letters Mahatma Letters Letters Received A. P. Sinnett 148 H. S. Olcott 54 H. P. Blavatsky 14 Mohini M. Chatterjee 14 A. O. Hume 13 Laura C. Holloway 12 S. Ramaswamier 9 R Keshava Pillai 4 Hubbe Schleiden 4 C. W. Leadbeater 3 Mary Gebhard 3 Mahatma Letters Recipients Mahatma Francesca Arundale C. W. Leadbeater Letters Annie Besant Damodar K. Mavalankar H. P. Blavatsky Navatamram Ootamram Trivedi W. T. Brown Norendro Nath Sen Mohini M. Chatterjee H. S. Olcott Nadejda A. Fadeef Pandit Pran Nath E. W. Fern S. Ramaswamier Frau Mary Gebhard P. Sreenevas Row Alkondavilli Govindacharya A.P. Sinnett Prince Harisinghji Rupsinghji John Smith Franz Hartmann G. Soobiah Chetty Laura C. Holloway Sorabji J. Padshah William Hubbe-Schleiden T. Subba Row A. O. Hume W. H. Terry R. Keshava Pillai Constance Wachtmeister Historical Notes On Mahatma The Mahatma Letters Letters First known letter received by H.P.B.’s aunt in Odessa in 1870, five years before the founding of the Theosophical Society Last known letter received by Annie Besant in 1900, nine years after the death of H.P.B. Between 1875 to 1888 over three hundred letters were known to be received, most of which by A. P. Sinnett A. P. Sinnett received Mahatma Letters from 1880 to 1885 First Mahatma Letter Mahatma Letters
Received on November 7, 1870 (5 years before the founding of the TS) Addressed to H. P. Blavatsky’s aunt in Odessa, southwestern Ukraine Written by Master K. H. Delivered by Master M. in His mayavi-rupa Assuring H. P. B.’s aunt that she was well Envelope to Mahatma Madame Fadeew Letters Letter to Mahatma Madame Fadeew Letters Mahatma Letters The Story Of The Mahatma Letters To A. P. Sinnett Alfred Percy Sinnett Mahatma Letters Appointed editor of The Pioneer in 1872 Heard about HPB and Isis Unveiled Met HPB and HSO and joined TS in 1879 Corresponded with the Mahatmas 1880-1885 Wrote The Occult World in 1881 and Esoteric Buddhism in 1883 1840 - 1921 Mahatma Mrs. Patience Sinnett Letters Married A. P. Sinnett in 1870 Gave birth to a son, Denny in May 1877 Much involved in the activities of the TS Recipient of the first Mahatma Letter in India Witness to many phenomena A loyal supporter of the TS and its founders WhenThe Sinnetts Joined Mahatma The Theosophical Society Letters A. P. Sinnett and Patience Sinnett joined the Theosophical Society on December 26, 1879 Col. Olcott wrote that during the ceremony of the acceptance into membership, when it came to the point where he himself asked the question as to whether the Masters heard the pledge of the candidates and approved of their admission into the Society, a voice was definitely heard responding: “Yes, we do” Allan Octavian Hume Mahatma Letters Famed as an administrator and ornithologist Served as Commissioner of Customs 1867-1870 Secretary to the Government of India, 1870-1879 Received first letter from Master K.H. Nov 1, 1880 ‘Father’ of the Indian National Congress, elected General Secretary 1884-91 1829 - 1912 Chronology Mahatma 1875 Letters Nov 17 - Founding of the TS 1877 Sept 29 - Isis Unveiled published 1879 Feb 16 - Founders arrive in Bombay Feb 25 - A. P. Sinnett writes to founders Dec - Mr. & Mrs. Sinnett meet founders, join the TS 1880 (13 Letters) Sept 29 - Pink Note phenomenon Oct 3 - Teacup, Diploma & Brooch No. 1 phenomena Oct 13 - Sinnett writes 1st letter to “Unknown Brother” Oct 15 - Sinnett writes 2nd letter to “Unknown Brother” Oct 17 - Sinnett receives 1st letter from Master K. H. Oct 17 - A. O. Hume writes 1st letter to Master K. H. Oct 19 - Sinnett receives 2nd letter from Master K. H. Oct 20 - Brooch No. 2 phenomenon Chronology Mahatma 1881 (23 Letters) Letters June - The Occult World by A. P. Sinnett was published Sept - Master M’s first letter to A. P. Sinnett Oct - Master K. H. begins His retreat; Master M takes over the correspondence 1882 (65 Letters, including Letter from the Maha-Chohan) Nov - Sinnett terminated from The Pioneer Dec - TS Headquarters move to Adyar, Madras 1883 (17 Letters - 10 up to March and 7 thereafter) Mar 30 - The Sinnetts departs India from Madras June 11 - Esoteric Buddhism was published Nov 21 - C. W. Leadbeater and William Crookes join the TS 1884 (14 Letters) June/July – Masters’ portraits painted by Herr Schmeichen Oct 31 – C. W. Leadbeater received the 1st Letter from K.H. 1885 (3 Letters) Sept/Oct - Sinnett receives last letter from the Mahatmas Mahatma Letters
JAMMU
Map Of India Showing Points Of Interest In Connection With The Mahatma Letters How It All Started Mahatma Letters The founders visited the Sinnetts in Dec 1879 at Allahabad and stayed with them for 6 weeks They visited the Sinnetts again in Sept 1880 in Simla where numerous phenomena were performed starting with duplication of HPB’s handkerchief with name embroidered Sept 29 Mrs. Sinnett received the Pink Note Oct 3: Teacup, Diploma and Water phenomena in the day and Brooch No. 1 phenomenon in the evening Oct 13: A. P. Sinnett wrote first letter Oct 15: A. P. Sinnett wrote second letter The Teacup & Saucer Mahatma Letters Mahatma A. P. Sinnett Wrote To Letters ‘The Unknown Brother’ Inspired by all the phenomena he had experienced, he decided to write a letter to an ‘Unknown’ Brother and asked if H.P.B. could deliver it for him Without waiting for a reply, he wrote a second letter a couple of days later Master K.H. Responded Mahatma Letters “It was Mr. Sinnett who of his own motion addressed to a “Brother” two long letters, even before Mad. B. had obtained either permission or promise from any of us to answer him, or knew to whom of us to deliver his letter. Her own chief having refused point blank to correspond, it was to me that she applied. Moved by regard for her, I consented, even telling her she might give you all my Thibetan mystic name, and — I answered our friend’s letter.” ML-11 Summary of The Mahatma Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett Letters Master K.H. Master M. Total 1880 13 13 1881 11 12 23 1882 50 12 62 1883 17 17 1884 12 2 14 1885 2 1 3 Misc. 4 4 Total 109 27 136
The Mahatma Letters to Mahatma A. P. Sinnett Letters Master Master Total K.H. M. Total ML 109 27 136 Appendix 18 11 29 & LBS Total 127 38 165 For APS 114 34 148 For Hume 10 3 13 For Others 4 1 5
Letters Written By Others Mahatma Included In The Book Letters
Letters from the Master Djual Khool 2 Letters from H. P. Blavatsky 9 Letters from Damodar 1 Letters from T. Subba Row 2 Letters from A. O. Hume 2 Letters from A. P. Sinnett 2 Letters from H. S. Olcott 1 Total 19 Letters From The Masters Mahatma of The Wisdom Letters
LMW Series One 61 LMW Series Two 84 Total 145 Duplicates -6 Total 139 Letters Written By Mahatma The Masters Letters
Letters from the Master K.H. 208 Letters from the Master M. 76 Letters from the Master Serapis 22 Letters from the Master Hilarion 3 Letters from the Master Tuitit Bey 2 Letters from the Master Narayan 2 Letters from the Master D.K. 2 Total 315 Recipients Mahatma Recipient Letters Letters A. P. Sinnett 148 A. O. Hume 13 H. S. Olcott 54 HPB 14 Mohini Mohan Chatterjee 14 Laura C. Holloway 12 S. Ramaswamier 9 Hubbe Schleiden 4 R. Keshava Pillai 4 CWL 3 Mary Gebhard 3 Francesca Arundale 2 Others 35 Total 315 Why Was A.P. Sinnett Chosen? Mahatma Letters Earnestly interested in esoteric philosophy Sympathetic to the cause of the T.S. Initiated the correspondence with true sincerity and enthusiasm In an influential position to spread the knowledge to the West and Western- oriented Indians Past karmic links with the Masters Why Did It All Happen? Mahatma Letters The founding of the Theosophical Society, the Masters’ direct communications with the early members, the letters, the distinguished leaders, etc. Part of the Centennial Effort by the Occult Hierarchy to help mankind Publication of the Mahatma Mahatma Letters was forbidden Letters “My letters must not be published, in the manner you suggest, but on the contrary, if you [would] save Djual K. trouble, copies of some should be sent to the Literary Committee at Adyar — about which Damodar has written to you — so that with the assistance of S.T.K. Charya, Djual K., Subba Row & the Secret Committee [from which H.P.B. was purposely excluded by us to avoid new suspicions & calumnies] they might be able to utilize the information for the realization of the object with which the Committee was started, as explained by Damodar in the letter written by him under orders. Mahatma Letter 128 Publication of the Mahatma Mahatma Letters was forbidden Letters “The letters, in short, were not written for publication or public comment upon them, but for private use, & neither M. nor I will ever give our consent to see them thus handled..” Mahatma Letter 128 “That was one of the reasons why I had hesitated to give my consent to print my private letters and specifically excluded a few of the series from the prohibition. Mahatma Letter 130 Publication of the Mahatma Mahatma Letters was forbidden Letters “When our first correspondence began, there was no idea then of any publications being issued on the basis of the replies you might receive. You went on putting questions at random, & the answers being given at different times to disjointed queries, & so to say, under a semi-protest were necessarily imperfect, often from different standpoints. When the publication of some of these were permitted for the Occult World, it was hoped that among your readers some may be able, like yourself, to put all the different pieces together & evolve out of them the skeleton, or a shadow of our system—which, tho’ not exactly the original — this would be an impossibility — would be as near an approach to it as could be made by a non-initiate. But the results have proved quasi- disastrous! We had tried an experiment and sadly failed! ” Mahatma Letter 128 Publication of the Mahatma Mahatma Letters was forbidden Letters “You may, if you choose so, or find necessity for it, use in ‘Man’* or in any other book you may chance to be collaborating for, anything I may have said in relation to our secret doctrines in any of my letters to Messrs. Hume or Sinnett. Those portions that were private have never been allowed by them to be copied by anyone; and those which are so copied have by the very fact become theosophical property. Besides, copies of my letters—at any rate those that contained my teachings—have always been sent by my order to Damodar and Upasika, and some of the portions even used in the Theosophist. You are at liberty to even copy them verbatim and without quotation marks.” Letter from the Masters of the Wisdom, First Series, Letter 52 *Man, Fragments of Forgotten History Preservation Of The Mahatma Mahatma Letters To A.P. Sinnett Letters The letters filled the wooden box A. P. Sinnett made for the letters in 1890 and much of a tin trunk A. P. Sinnett passed away on June 27, 1921 The Mahatma Letters To A. P. Sinnett was first published in December 1923 In 1939 the original letters were given irrevocably to the British Museum In 1952 the whole of the ML given to the British Museum was microfilmed into four reels The originals were expertly bound in six large hard- bound volumes Also made into 35mm colour slides by the museum Mahatma Letters Teachings Given In The Mahatma Letters To A. P. Sinnett Teachings Given In The Mahatma Mahatma Letters To A.P. Sinnett Letters
Teachings commence from Letter No. 18 which was received July 5, 1881 Chelaship Cosmology Doctrine of Cycles The One Element Devachan The Question of God Of Fakirs, Sannyasis, Sadhus and Gurus General knowledge Mahatma Chelaship Letters
Teachings found throughout the Letters Qualifications for the study of Occultism Terms and Conditions of chelaship The Path of Occultism The speeding up of Karma Development of good as well as bad germs Personal counsel Cosmology Mahatma Letters LBS-Appendix II; Letters No. 18, 44, 46, 90 Real and Unreal Knowledge Primal Causes and Ultimate Effects The One Eternal Thing The Seven Kosmic Principles Cosmic or Unorganized Matter Spontaneous Generation Reality/Non-Being and Maya/Being The Universal Mind Beyond the Solar System Doctrine of Cycles Mahatma Letters Letters No. 18, 44, 61, 62, 63, 66, 67, 93A, 93B Rounds Manvantara and Pralaya The Seven Principles of Man The Individuality of Man Evolution of Life Rise and fall of continents Evolution of Chains The One Element Mahatma Letter No. 65, 67, 88, 90, 111 Letters There is but one element in Nature (whether spiritual or physical) outside which there can be no Nature since it is Nature Consequently, spirit and matter are one, being but a differentiation of states not essences The notions of “cosmic matter” are diametrically opposed to those of western science To view the eternal Essence, the Swabhāvat not as a compound element, spirit-matter, but as the one element for which the English has no name It is both passive and active Pure Spirit Essence in its absoluteness and repose Pure matter in its finite and conditioned state — even as an imponderable gas or that great unknown which science has pleased to call Force Devachan Mahatma Letters Letter 68, 69, 70A, 70B, 70C, 71, 76, 85A, 85B, 93A, 93B, 104 Bardo – the period between death and rebirth What happens when a man dies The cases of suicide and accidents The ‘death’ struggle The Eighth Sphere Skandhas Cause and Effect The Reality of Devachan Life in Devachan Remembrance Mahatma The Question of God Letters
Letter No. 88, 30, 31 The Occult Philosophy The One Element Good and Evil Evil and Disease The Cause of Evil Of Fakirs, Sannyasis, Mahatma Sadhus and Gurus Letters Letters No. 30 & 31 “There are 100 of thousands of Fakirs, Sannyasis and Sadhus leading the most pure lives, and yet being as they are, on the path of error, never having had an opportunity to meet, see or even hear of us.” “Faith in the Gods and God, and other superstitions attracts millions of foreign influences, living entities and powerful agents around them, with which we would have to use more than ordinary exercise of power to drive them away. We do not choose to do so.” “You are right: they say and affirm that the one and only God of the Universe was incarnated in their guru, and were such an individual to exist he would certainly be higher than any “planetary.” But they are idolators, my friend. Their guru was no initiate, only a man of extraordinary purity of life and powers of endurance. He had never consented to give up his notions of a personal god and even gods though offered more than once.” Mahatma The Mahatma Letters Letters
Thank You!