You are on page 1of 74
 
THEOSOPHY versus NEO-THEOSOPHY
 A comparison between the Theosophy of H. P. Blavatsky with the "Neo-Theosophy" of Besant, Leadbeater and followers.
Based on the book "Theosophy or Neo-Theosophy?" by Margaret ThomasIsis BooksOhio1995----------------
CONTENTS:
- Forward .........- Teaching on Logos, or Deity or God . . . . - On Religion . . . . . - On "Founders" of Religions . . . . . . . . - On Jesus and the Christ Principle . . . . . . - Churches and Priests . . . . . . . . . - "Absolution" and "Confession" Through "Apostolic Succession" . . . . . . - Vicarious Atonement . . . . . . . . - "The Sacraments" . . . . . . . . . - On Ceremonial . . . . . . . . - The "Coming" Messiah or Lord Maitreya or World Teacher . . . . . - Cosmogony . . . . . . . . . - Atman or Atma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . - Nebular Theory . . . . . . . . . . . - Formation of Earth Chain . . . . . . . . - Mars - Mercury Teachings . . . . . . . . - Principles of Man . . . . . . . . - Atma - As Seventh Principle of Man . . . . . . . - Causal Body . . . . . . . . - Astral Body . . . . . . . . . . . - Monad . . . . . . . - The Goal of Evolution - Man . . . . . . - Teachings on Lower Kingdoms Vs. "Group Souls" ... . . . - Conditions During Sleep ("Invisible Helpers") . . . . . - After Death Conditions - Kama . . . . . . . - Devachan . . . . . . . . - Skandhas or "Permanent Atoms"? . . . . . . - Skandhas . . . . . . - Sleeping Atoms . . . . . . . - Occultists and Facts . . . . . . . .
 
- Memory . . . . . . . . . . . - The Secret Doctrine . . . . . . . - "Great Beings" .. . . . . . . . . - The How and Why of True Occult Study . . . . . - On H.P.B. . . . . . . - Notes . . . . . . .- APPENDIX- "A Comparison of C.W. Leadbeater's
 The Chakras
 With the Writings of H.P.Blavatsky, William Q. Judge, and G. de Purucker" - M. Jaqua . . . . . . . .- "Rev. Leadbeater Off the Trail" - R.S. Gherwal . . . . . .- "Two Schools of Thought" - Boris de Zirkoff . . . . - Flowers From a Neo-Theosophical Garden" - H.N. Stokes . . . .- "The Hidden Voice" - W.E. Small . . . . . . . . - "The Psychic World - Beware!" - G. de Purucker . . . . . - "Smogged With 'Astral Intoxication"' - Vonda Urban . . . . ==============
FORWARD
Theosophy Versus Neo-Theosophy 
, compiled by Margaret Thomas, (member of theTheosophical Society, Scotland, Wales and England, 1912-1924) was originally publishedin mimeograph form as
Theosophy or Neo-Theosophy? 
 and was reprinted in Victor Endersby's
Theosophical Notes
 serially from December, 1952 through October, 1953. Thisreprint is taken from Endersby's publication. Some additional comparison quotations havebeen added by this editor, and numerous notes by Victor Endersby and this editor havealso been included. It is felt that the value of this compilation is as a comparison of philosophies and not as a historical reprint or source of original thought or teachings, andthus the additions to the original.Blavatsky magazine articles have been referenced to
Blavatsky Collected Writings
(Theosophical Publishing House).
The Secret Doctrine
used was that identical with theoriginal published by The Theosophy Company (Los Angeles).
The Mahatma Letters
is thatpublished by Theosophical University Press (Pasadena).
Five Years of Theosophy
is thatpublished by The Theosophy Company. All "Neo-Theosophy" quotes have not been able to be checked. Quotes from thefollowing books were able to be checked:
 A Study in Consciousness
(TPH, 1918);
Man:Whence, How and Whither 
 (TPH, 1971);
First Principles of Theosophy
(TPH, 1923);
TheMasters
 ("The Theosophical Press , Wheaton, IL., no date);
The Inner Life I
(Rajput Press,1911);
The Inner Life II 
 ("The Theosophical Publishing Society", London, 1911);
 A Textbook of Theosophy
(TPH, 1971);
The Hidden Side of Things I & II 
 (TPH, 1913);
Death - And  After?
('The Theosophical Publishing Society", London, 1914);
Esoteric Christianity 
(TPH/Quest Abridged Edition, 1987);
 Ancient Wisdom
 (TPH, 1939); and
 At the Feet of theMaster 
 (TPH, 1974, pamphlet). The quotes from
The Theosophist,
 Adyar Bulletins, the
Theosophical Review 
, an interview with the Associated Press from Besant, and
Scienceof the Sacraments
 were unable to be checked with originals. Additionally,
The Key to Theosophy 
 used is Theosophical University Press, 1987,
 
Isis Unveiled
is TPH, 1972.
Transactions of the Blavatsky Lodge
 and
The Voice of theSilence
are those published by The Theosophy Company.
The Chakras
is TPH, 1987.Thanks to Edmonton Theosophical Society for reprinting Endersby's
Theosophical Notes
from which Thomas's compilation is taken. Thomas's compilation was also serializedin H. N. Stoke's
The 0. E. Library Critic 
 from Sept., 1928 through Oct., 1932. This versiondiffers in content and order from the Endersby reprint. Thanks to Akron, Ohio,Theosophical Lodge for a few reference materials to check quotations. Thanks also to R.Robb of Wizards Bookshelf for a copy of the Gherwal article appearing in the appendix.This is the second edition of T
heosophy Versus Neo-Theosophy 
 from Isis Books. The firstappearing in 1990. - M. R. Jaqua, 1995---------------------
[Quotes from Blavatsky are given in normal type, those of Neo-Theosophists inItalics. Bracketed numbers refer to notes at the end of the dialogue.] 
Comparison of Teachings
"How... can the system be judged by the standard of those who would assume thename without any right to it? Is poetry or its muse to be measured only by those would-bepoets who afflict our ears?" - H. P. Blavatsky (
Key to Theosophy,
p. 56)
THE TEACHING ON LOGOS, OR DEITY OR GOD
"We say and affirm that that motion - the universal perpetual motion which never ceases never slackens nor increases its speed not even during the interludes between thepralayas, or 'nights of Brahma' but goes on like a mill set in motion, whether it has anythingto grind or not... we say this perpetual motion is the only eternal and uncreated Deity weare able to recognize. To regard God as an intelligent spirit, and accept at the same timehis absolute immateriality is to conceive of a nonentity, a blank void; to regard God as aBeing, an Ego and to place his intelligence under a bushel for some mysterious reasons -is a most consummate nonsense; to endow him with intelligence in the face of blind brutalEvil is to make of him a fiend - a most rascally God. A Being however gigantic, occupyingspace and having length breadth and thickness is certainly the Mosaic Deity..." (
MahatmaLetters,
 pp. 138-9, #22)"(1) The Secret Doctrine teaches no
 Atheism,
except in the Hindu sense of the word
nastika
, or the rejection of idols, including every anthromorphic god..."(2) It admits a Logos or a collective 'Creator' of the Universe; a
Demiurgos
 - in thesense implied when one speaks of 'Architect' as the 'Creator' of an edifice, whereas that Architect has never touched one stone of it, but, while furnishing the plan, left all themanual labor to the masons; in our case the plan was finished by the Ideation of the

Reward Your Curiosity

Everything you want to read.
Anytime. Anywhere. Any device.
No Commitment. Cancel anytime.
576648e32a3d8b82ca71961b7a986505