The Theosophical Society was a power in the world, and its influence was nowhere so great as in India where it seemed for a time to hold the nation’s destiny in its hands. Its contribution to the Indian renaissance has been very valuable. It had the great advantage that Indians could welcome it as a friend and well-wisher above all sectarian differences, and not committed to any definite creed. Its broad human outlook, its international character, its scientific attitude towards religion, its admiration for the ancient Hindu religion, its bold leadership in all the spheres of nation-building activity, gave the society a place in the hearts of the best men of all India within a few years of its establishment. The revival of Hindu self-consciousness that followed in its wake wherever Colonel Olcott or Mrs. Besant carried its message, penetrated into all departments, social, educational, religious and political, and produced deep impressions on the policies, not only of popular movements but also of the government. For the first time in the history of India a religious leadership with all the prestige of scientific knowledge seemed to have come from t& West to revive the ancient teachings, to rouse the dormant pride of the Hindus and call them to assert their inalienable right to an honorable place among the civilizations and religions of the world. Even those who did not approve of all the things that Mrs. Besant did, saw in the Theosophical Society an organisation of great value for the modernization of Hindu life. The immemorial past, clouded in mystery and ignorance, seemed to live again as if electrified by contact with the spirit of the best in modern civilisation. The missing links of Hindu cultural evolution were supplied, and the educated Hindus realized that they had a continuous national existence of many millennia and were not mere scattered remnants of a dead past. Theosophy discovered for them a treasure of wisdom and strength which lay buried under the debris of neglect and dilapidation unknown to the rightful owners of that inheritance. But those days are gone.
The society has receded into a quiet corner of the nation’s life, where a few votaries do it formal homage 5s in a Hindu temple. The lodge buildings in the important towns of India which used to hum with life and love present a deserted appearance, and their libraries seem to have attained Nirvana with their life work completed in this world. This phenomenon with a meteor-like rising into prominence and an abrupt sinking back into unimportance before it has achieved anything substantial in pursuance of its avowed objects, has its significant lessons to the world, and more especially to India and the Hindus who can see in the fate of the society one more proof of the deadly effect of Brahmanism on all liberal and democratic movements. The history of the Theosophical Society in India, if it ever comes to be written in its undiluted truth, will be an enlightening study in the subtle workings of Brahmanism, its capacity to capture the imagination of the curious, to give a show of success and immediate power to any movement, and lead it on a position of temporary triumph, but, equally quickly reduced it to lifeless forms and mystic formulas more useful as a means of exploiting the credulous than of exploring the Truth or realizing a greater life in this world.
The society found its early Indian leaders among the followers of Branmanism who succeeded in capturing it as effectively as they did the Buddhist organisations twenty centuries ago. Colonel Olcott with his Buddhistic leaning and practical American democracy was able fo prevent the society from abdicating its independence into the hands of Hindu metaphysicians. But Mrs. Besant was early initiated by Indian experts into the mysteries of Yoga and priestcraft which inevitably dragged her to the blind alleys and dangerous pitfalls of Brahmanism—caste, priestcraft and false philosophy, until in her theosophy came to be closely associated, if not identified, with the fantastic claims and theories of Puranic Hinduism. We are not concerned with the personal attachments of Mrs. Besant or others to secret cults. Our remarks will be confined to their influence on the work of the society.
The Theosophical Society was founded with the. three well-known objects:
(I) To form a nucleus of Universal Brother-hood of humanity without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste or colour;
(2) To encourage the study of comparative religion, philosophy and science; and
(3) To investigate unexplained laws of nature and powers latent in man.
These objects have a great meaning to thoughtful Hindus; they touch a vital chord in their national life. The intuitive appreciation of the society by great Indians was due in a great measure to the fact that it promised to tackle exactly those big problems, on the solution of which depended the future of the country and to open up an avenue of closer association between the East and the West, between religion and science, for the common good of humanity. If the society had earnestly pursued its first object of creating a nucleus of brotherhood, it could have brought under its banner all the enlightened and liberal minds of the Hindus and started a programme of enduring work with positive value to India. Caste is a form of slavery. Every small success achieved towards its ultimate abolition will rank with the noble efforts and sacrifices which led to the freeing of mankind from slavery. But the society, instead of making an honest attempt to face the problem boldly, preferred to canvass the ‘support of the orthodox Hindus as that yielded immediate prestige and power. In fact, it appeared to have so far compromised its original ideal as to accept the caste system as a natural and beneficial institution. Mrs. Besant by her comparison of Eastern castes with Western classes, her explanations of untouchability, prohibition of intermarriage and inter-dining., and her toleration of these differences in Theosophical activity, has done more to strengthen the hands of Brahmanism than to serve the cause of brotherhood.
There were distinguished Brahman leaders who had joined the society in their devotion to the cause of human brotherhood which they felt was the greatest and most urgent need of Hindu society. Even they, under the compromising influence of the society lost their enthusiasm for reform of the caste system and began to give back to Brahmanism that allegiance which they had given up in their original yearning for a united Hindu community.- Before long the society was thrown open to people who did not sincerely believe in the possibility of – human brotherhood, who observed all the inequalities and untruths of caste and yet preached fraternity from Theosophical platforms. Even untouchability came to be explained as a justifiable device of the highly evolved Hindus to save themselves from the unholy magnetic pollution caused by the defiled bodies of the low castes. The scheme of subtle bodies, etheric haloes, personal magnetism, mental transmutations, reincarnations and other psychic theories were utilis¬ed as arguments to justify the exclusion of the Hindu untouchables from society and civilization. Instead Of fighting caste and promoting human brotherhood, the society by its toleration of the Hindu castes and their concomitants has unwittingly given a new lease of life to the forces which deny brotherhood. This was its initial colossal blunder in regard to its attitude to Indian problems.
We have noted that priestcraft is the second important plank of Brahmanism. Already in the time of Madame Blavatsky, the society had a pre-disposition to priestcraft in the form of psychic phenomena, occult powers, physical intercourse with invisible masters and so forth. During the time of Mrs. Besant all the branches of Hindu priestcraft got their share of Theosophical recognition. Idolatry was justified and adopted; the power of Mantras or mystic verses was admitted and their use popularised; the rituals and ceremonies observed by the Hindus were interpreted as genuine methods of communicating with Degas or departed souls ; the efficacy of flower, water, light, incense and other ingredients and formulas of Hindu worship to produce occult effects in unseen worlds was proclaimed. The society’s lecturers gave a new scientific status to the practices of priests. We are not here concerned with the theoretical validity or tiuthfulness of the principles inculcated by the society on these matters. The practical result of the society’s activities among the Hindus has been a re-vival of idolatry, ritualism and belief in secret methods, all of which as parts of popular religion are bound to prove debasing, lead to superstition and be misused for exploitation. These things are as old as Rama and Krishna and the Hindus needed no encouragement to pursue their hereditary jokes and self-deceptions, Every great teacher has attempted to wean them from these pitfalls and called upon them to trust in the more honest method of self-culture and service. The society, without intending it, has given an appearance of respectability and scientific validity to numerous items in the armoury of priestly exploitation: Unproven claims of psychic efficacy have been made on behalf of many a practice which could have been better allowed to die a natural death in the interests of true religion.
There are even now in India, many Sadhus who are wasting their lives in the endeavour to con-vert base metal into gold, to attain divine powers or Siddhi, and discover hidden treasure. Hindu books can give formulas and methods and courses of training for all these, and thousands of credulous people have ruined their own and other peoples’ lives in the mad pursuit of psychic power and wealth. The society has fared no better than some of these Sadhus who make big claims and die a poor death. Priest-craft has attractions even to the scientifically minded, but when one once succumbs to its temptations there is no limit to the degradation it will bring upon its votary. It had already acquired a vicious hold on the Hindu mind and the society has only strengthened its strangulating grip.
The development of a system of metaphysics on all fours with the Brahmanical schools and the Puranas completed the process of subjection to the orthodox forces of Hinduism. We do not presume to say whether these so-called investigations and speculations have served or have not served any useful purpose to the expert seeker of truth or to the antiquarian. In India these are primitive entertainments and the society has not succeeded in making-them any more useful to the world at large.
If the society had pursued a more practical programme based on its three objects, it could have Tendered immense service to India and humanity at large, The first object should have justified an honest stand against caste until the Hindus had at least as much freedom and equality among them as the Christians and the Muhammadans enjoy in their respective communities. American democracy and European science should have been put to better use than propping up an undemocratic and unscientific social order.
A comparative study of religions and philosophies as contemplated in the second object, would have helped the Hindus to establish more intimate contact with the Muhammadans and the Christians and solve the most difficult problem India has to face in her progress to national unity. But so far the society has failed to make any substantial contribution to this most vital of subjects, with which is -bound up India’s future and the reconciliation of the East and the West.
scientific investigation into the practical value or ascertainable results, motives, and character of the huge system of ceremonies, rites, mystic formulas, secret processes, and cults practised openly or in secret in temples or by individuals, throughout the length and breadth of India, would have enabled the society to lead the Hindus out of the veritable maze of superstitions, deceptions and exploitations into which generations of unscrupulous priests have led them. India wanted brotherhood instead of caste and untouchability; Hindu-Muslim and Hindu-Christian unity instead of a revival of Puranic cosmogony; and a more rational system of worship of the One God instead of the thousands of idols of gods, goddesses and demons and their wives and children with their favourite dishes and pastimes.
The Theosophical Society, if it had cared to work for its declared objects in the spirit of democracy and science, could have continued to play a prominent part in the re-making of India. But it has thrown in its lot with Brahmanism or been victimized by it and lost, for the time being, the chance of serving India. It can yet make a determined stand for its own ideals, give up all dilly-dallying with caste and priestcraft, and take its rightful place as an agency for the reconstruction of human society on the principle of brotherhood applied to all the facts and functions of collective life, state, religion, science and philosophy. It can give up its fascination with psychic revelations and take to scientific investigations and practical work, but not until it has abandoned its partnership with Hindu orthodoxy.
