Theosophical Society
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
General Report OF THE FORTY-SIXTH Anniversary and Convention OF THE Theosophical Society Held at Benares December 25th to 30th, 1921 THEOSOPHICAL PUBLISHING HOUSE Adyar, Madras, India TP.H., London, Benares, Krotona, U.S.A. Indian Book Depot, Bombay 1922 CONTENTS PAGE I. Presidential Address . 1 II. The Headquarters 21 Treasurer’s Report . 23 The Adyar Library 34 III. , Sectional Report 37 T.S. in America 39 „ England and Wales 41 „ India . 46 „ Australia 48 „ Sweden 51 „ New Zealand 53 „ The Netherlands . 56 ,. France 59 Italy . 63 Germany 66 Cuba . , 71 Hungary 73 Finland 78 Russia. 81 Czechoslovakia . 85 South Africa 89 Scotland 90 Switzerland 92 Belgium (not sent) 95 N etherlands-Indies 97 Burma 1Q0 Austria 105 Norway 109 Egypt (not sent) . 111 Denmark 113 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS THE FORTY-SIXTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY THE PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS B r e t h r e n : I welcome you to our Forty-sixth Anniversary of the Theosophical Society, gathered this year in Kashi, the sacred City of the Hindus, in whose sacred literature is enshrined the Ancient Wisdom given to the Mother of the Aryan Race, often veiled in allegory and in symbol, but unveiled to those who scan it with the opened Eye of Knowledge. Much of this has been carried westwards in the emigrations we call the sub-races, sent forth from the White Island and the City of the Bridge, so that in their Scriptures we may find many of the priceless pearls of the Brahmavidya. But we must never forget that one of the Greai^ lisln>, the Masters, who stand behind the Theosophical Society, spoke of it as intended “ to extirpate current superstitions and scepticism, and from long-sealed ancient fountains to draw the proof that man can shape his own future destiny and know for a certainty that he can live hereafter if he only wills ” (The Occult World, p. 117, Ed. 1921). Again we repeat our yearly invocation to Those who are our Guides* leading us from the unreal to the Re.%1, from darkness to Light, from death to Immortality: “ May Those who are the Embodiment of Love Immortal bless with Their protection the Society established to do Their will on earth; may They ever guard it by Their Power, inspire it by Their Wisdom, and energise it by Their Activity.” 2 THE GENERAL REPORT OF THE T.S. T h e G e n e r a l W o r k o f t h e S o c i e t y The work o£ restoration has gone on, as those of our Brothers who were living in “ the enemy countries ” were permitted by the National authorities to re-knit in the outer world the riven bonds of Brotherhood. W e have given their old places in our list to these countries, so that f they are again inserted in the order of the dates of their foundation. Last year we had thirty-one National Societies, This year we number thirty-five. Ninety-six new Lodges have been chartered during the year. R e v i s e d L i s t o f C h a r t e r s i s s u e d t o t h e c l o s e o f 1921 1878 1 1893 344 1908 1 ,0 3 2 1879 2 1 8 9 4 3 82 1909 1,125 1 8 8 0 11 1895 401 1910 1 ,2 2 3 1 8 8 1 19 1896 425 1911 1 ,3 2 9 1882 4 2 1897 487 1912 1 ,4 0 5 1 8 8 3 8 8 1 8 9 8 526 1913 1 ,483 1 8 8 4 9 9 1899 558 1914 1 ,5 4 7 1 8 8 6 1 17 1 9 0 0 595 1915 1 ,5 7 8 1886 128 1901 647 1916 1 ,6 2 2 1887 1 56 1902 7 04 1917 1 ,6 7 7 1 8 8 8 169 1903 7 5 0 1918 1 ,714 1 8 8 9 199 1904 8 0 0 1919 1 ,7 8 4 1S-.J0 2 3 4 1906 S60 | 1920 1 ,862 1891 2 71 1906 9 00 i 1921 1 ,958 1892 2 9 8 1907 { 95 8 1 The countries vary in the date of closing their year, so the figures are never quite up to date, but the matter is not important, as each states its own year’s progress. The three countries that usually head the number of new members are the United States, India and England ; the U. S. keeps its place at the head, with 1,459 ; England this year passes India with 716; India comes third with 615. Political unrest and excitement, with the revolutionary movement of Mr, Gandhi, have for the moment almost stifled the spiritual life of India. Prance has again made a consider able advance, and has admitted no less than 607 new members, almost excelling India, THE PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS s B r a n c h e s a n d M e m b e r s New Active Members No. National Societies No. of added Remarks Lodges Members during the year • 1 T.S. in America 205 7,196 1,459 2 „ England and Wales 135 5,105 716 3 „ India 4 3 6 6,594 615 4 „ Australia 25 2,168 336 5 „ Sweden 33 969 229 6 „ Now Zealand 24 1,380 88 7 „ The Netherlands 33 2,231 289 8 „ France 59 2,559 607 9 „ Italy 23 439 86 10 „ Germany 20 2(58 11 „ Cuba 29 734 131 12 » Hungary 8 334 ... 13 „ Finland 36 464 71 14 „ Russia 27 392 • • 15 „ Czeoho-Slovakia 7 1,129 971 16 „ South Africa ... 14 418 67 17 „ Scotland 22 772 81 18 „ Switzerland ... 11 237 37 19 „ Belgium 10 228 38 No report, last year’s figures 20 „ The Netherlands-Indies 23 1,510 144 21 „ Burma 10 206 16 22 „ Austria 14 611 118 23 „ Norway 14 384 52 2 4 >t Egypt" 8 98 22 25 „ Denmark 6 360 45 26 „ Ireland 7 140 34 27 „ Mexico 18 380 128 28 „ Canada 22 863 m 29 f, Argentine Republic ... 16 342 105 30 „ Chile 11 224 82 31 „ Brazil 16 436 80 32 ,» Bulgaria 8 209 75 33 „ Iceland 8 224 73 34 „ Spain 10 362 36 35 „ Portugal 8 ... No report Non-Sectionalisecl Countries ... 13 533 177 Grand Total 1,349 40,475 7,154 ' An outstanding event, of world-wide importance, marked the present year. The World-Congress—decided on before the War, the place chosen being Paris—was held in that city on July 23—26 and closed on that date by a lecture to a crowded and distinguished audience in the great Hall of the Sorbonne, the subject being THE GENERAL REPORT OF THE T.S. “ Theosophy,” and the speaker myself. The Congress will remain a shining date in our annals, as Mr. J. Krishnamurti there entered on his public life of service to the great ideals of Theosophy, and, as Head of the Order of the Star in the East, presided over its Conference, and delivered a striking and inspiring lecture to a large audience on the 27th July. The Congress was attended by delegates from 89 countries, 19 of which were represented by their General Secretaries—the largest- meeting of the General Council that we have ever had. A most delightful four days were spent in renewing old acquaintanceships and making new ones. A spirit of perfect cordiality reigned throughout, and the differ ences of Nationalities were not felt as hindrances to fellowship, but as giving a richer and fuller body corporate, whose citizenship was in the spiritual realm, whose common physical country was our whole world, to whom nothing that was human was foreign, a Brotherhood deep and real, a faint reflection in this mortal world of the mighty Brotherhood of Immortals. A word of admiration and of gratitude is due to our brethren of France, whose fine and practical devotion arranged every detail, and made the running of our first World-Congress as smooth and easy as though it had been an ordinary Annual Convention. After tho Congress, a Star Conference was held, and a few days were spent in other work. Then I started for a visit to Amsterdam aud Brussels, returning to England for a week, and then leaving for India, while Mr. B. P. Wadia left for a longer European tour, visiting Belgium, Holland, Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland, lecturing in the principal cities, and arousing much interest by his valuable an<| impressive lectures. * The Theosophical Society, during the year, sustained a great loss in the passing away of the T.S. Vice-President, Mr. A. P. Sinnett, at a ripe old age. His name will long live by his contributions to our literature; and his steadfast loyalty to the Society, from the time he entered it until his death, is a shining example to every member. He lived through the stormy times of the Coulomb attack aud the Judge secession, but he was never heard to say that he must leave ’the Society because others were foolish or weak. As an admirable portrait of him had been painted in oils by Mr. Hitchens, a well-known artist, I took the opportunity of securing it for the Society, and it is now at Adyar. In the place of Mr. Sinnett I nominated as Vice-President Mir. C. Jimarajadasa, not only for his great personal and* individual THK PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS 5 qualifications, but also beeanse lie is the figure known by bis visits to more of our National Societies tlian is any other of our leaders.