|
Correspondence from Aleister Crowley to William Loftus Hare
Seniat el Kiton, rue Massicault, La Marsa, Tunisa.
March 1, 1926.
Dear Sir and Brother:
Our correspondent in North Britain has forwarded to me your manifolded circular from the International Psychic Gazette. I hope to see your manifesto, "Can the Theosophical Society be saved?" In the meantime, may we state the conditions which I believe essential to an affirmative answer?
The first condition is, of course, that the Theosophical Society should adhere to the principles of its foundation. This is, in fact, a truism. for if these principles be changed, the Society is no longer itself but some other society.
We have never applied for membership, for at the time when we began to take an interest in the subject, the Society was, in our opinion, already on the path of error. We regard it as a confirmation of this opinion that in the fifty years of its existence, the organization has failed to produce a single person of any real spiritual capacity.
The second condition is that the Society should find a positive formula which, while including all its stated objects, should go beyond them.
Closely connected with this requirement, but not important enough to be classed as a third separate condition, is the appearance of a leader to apply the formula when found.
A.B. [Annie Besant] has recognized this psychological necessity throughout. Totally devoid of all spiritual greatness, as of moral decency, she is one of the finest politicians that ever lived. For the last twenty years or more, she has realized that the Theosophical Society was going to seed for lack of an intelligible goal. She has, accordingly, kept it amused by attempting to steal existing organizations, from Free Masonry to Rome. But she was clever enough to have understood that the human soul is, after all, not to be completely satisfied with ribbons, embroideries, and fancy titles, and she therefore plotted this ridiculous business of the Messiah.
In doing this, she took advantage of certain genuine occult facts. The doctrine of the existence of the Masters is bound up with Blavatsky's [Helena Petrovna Blavatsky] work, and, furthermore, there has been a general tradition which has expected for the last fifty years the critical events of a new Aeon, a new Law, and a new Master.
It may well be doubted whether you can do any good by opposing a merely negative attitude to her positive assertions. History shows us that it does not matter how inherently absurd such assertions may be, the herd will always believe what the "loud-speaker" roars. The exposures of Spiritualism, Christian Science, Mormonism, and Christianity itself, have not produced any effect in destroying the falsehood on which they were founded. When a religion or a cult has disappeared, it has always been when it was replaced by something better on the same lines, including, satisfying, and transcending its formula.
Our correspondent writes: "The devotees accept it. H.B.'s instruction and the 'nons' mostly aren't keen enough to think a campaign worth the energy, but are more in favour of clearing out and letting them run to a finish on their own impetus." You yourself say that you do not intend to take upon yourself the responsibility of leading the movement of reform in the present crisis. It is necessary to find enthusiasm to supplement indignation.
The question then arises, are there any practical possibilities in sight?
We personally are entirely convinced of the existence of initiated Masters; of the truth, generally speaking, of the claims advanced on their behalf, and this from personal experience. We think that you will recognize in the "Biographical Note" accompanying this letter that They have throughout had in mind the state of Theosophical Society, and allowed it to go to ruin, on the one hand, and the Master whom They were preparing, to be overwhelmed with calumny, on the other, with the perfectly definite intention of bringing the work of the Society to full fruition precisely at this crisis.
From other documents which we also have the honour to forward for your consideration, you will, we trust, find a more complete statement of the nature of Mastery than has yet been published anywhere; adequate proof of the qualifications of the Master Therion, a fairly complete outline of the occult formalities necessary to the preparation of such a World-Teacher, and the existence and justification of his Word, which will leave no doubt in your mind that it is indeed the Formula of the Aeon.
It is important for you to note particularly that the Master Therion is in no way ambitious to become a leader. It is hardly conceivable that any circumstances could induce him to leave his retirement for more than a few days or weeks at the outside in every year. His work is creative work, and confined to Atziluthic or, at lowest, Briatic conditions. He is temperamentally unsuited in every way to take a prominent personal part.
At the same time, he is unquestionable a Master, and unlike K. H. and M., his existence cannot be doubted.
Please also particularly note, that His Law in no way overrides or even supersedes, the original principles of the Theosophical Society. On the contrary, His Law is really a simplification of just those very principles of the Society, with regard to the equivalent of all beings to their own virtue: the independence and equal value of all points of view which form the backbone of the original statutes.
You have, then, in Him a man who has been tested in every possible way, and absolutely careless of personal advantage as of public opinion; a man of unquestioned integrity and attainment; at the same time one who has never compromised himself by public action. It is doubtful whether he would consent to join the Theosophical Society at all, and he would certainly not accept the presidency were it offered to him; but, on the other hand, he will fight with a matchless ability to uphold the rights of the Society, especially against the Jesuitical attempt to destroy it by treachery of A.B. and the sinister influences which control her hysteria.
Our own position is as follows: we have rallied to the Master Therion on the publication of His Manifesto. We have taken steps to fulfill the formalities of His proclamation as to the expected World-Teacher. We are now taking steps to put forward His claims openly as against the false claim of Krishnamurti. This will involve a very extensive publicity. Arrangements are being made in America for a campaign of first class importance. We foresee a certain difficulty in extending this to England, because in that country the absurd calumnies which assailed the Master were taken quite seriously by people who ought to have known better, chiefly owing to the ingrained moral cowardice and hypocrisy of the bulk of the people. You will remember that it was in England that H.P.B. met with the most infamous bad faith, and was attacked with the most shameless lack of decency and honesty.
We may therefore expect that our campaign will meet in England with opposition of the foulest and most ignoble kind. The prospect does not deter us, and England has as much right to be brought into enlightenment as any other country.
The question is, will you and those who think with you, see the force of the arguments brought forward in this letter? Will you cooperate with us? We need hardly say that it is quite contrary to our purpose to demand a "following" in any sense of the word. The whole principle of the Law of Thelema is to insist that each individual should find his own way to the supreme goal; that he should be independent of all influence; that he should consider himself as the centre of his universe; that he should regard it, in fact, as an interference with his own True Will if he should seek to impose his ideas on others, no less than that they should impose theirs on him.
So strongly do we feel about this matter indeed that we should not address this letter to you at all but for the fact that—as we sought to demonstrate above—your attempt to conserve the Society is doomed to failure, in face of the unscrupulous attacks upon its principles, unless you can see your way to adopt a positive formula which will enable you to initiate a forward movement. The Law of Thelema is the only one which fulfills these conditions; and adhesion to it, each for himself, by the members of your Society, will introduce an element of vitality and growth, which it has hitherto lacked.
Fraternally,
P.S. We should be much obliged if you would send us any data you may have in reference to Krishnamurti and the past intrigues of Mrs. Besant. Occupied in serious work, we have avoided paying attention to these ignoble frauds until the present time, when circumstances compel us to investigate.
|