theosophy. (ritual, Buddhism, hell, America, doctrine)

[aspergers_anomalous]

is there an official baha'i perspective on the teachings of helena blavatsky?

[Popeyesays]

Madame Blavatsky was fascinated by Abdu;l Baha, there was a fair amount of contact between the theosophists and Abdu'l Baha between 1900 and 1912. Madame Blavatsky became increasingly frustrated because Abdu'l Baha would not follow her guidance and when she presented a Hindu youth as the next Manifestation of God, Abdu'l Baha pointed out that there would be no Manifestation o0f God for a thousand years as Baha`u'llah clearly states in the Aqdas.

Abdu'l Baha maintained cordial communications with the theosophists, just like he did with Edward Granville Browne, but he made it clear that theosophy had taken a seriously wrong turn.

Regards,
Scott

[arthra]

Well some important Baha'i teachers like Martha Root addressed Theosophical meetings and there were some theosophists who became Baha'is but generally there is no official perspective on Helena Blavatsky... Abdul-Baha also addressed some theosophists. I think at the time..the early twentieth century some of the same people who were interested in theosophy later became interested in the Baha'i Faith. A Baha'i cannot belong to a theosophical lodge formally however and must decide for themselves what to do this was made clear by the Guardian of the Faith Shoghi Effendi in a letter to the Baha'is of India dated on June 28, 1950.

- Art

[Booko]

This quote may help:

Theosophy

When 'Abdu'l-Bahá was asked if he recognized the good which the Theosophical Society has done. He replied:

I know it; I think a great deal of it. I know that their desire is to serve mankind. I thank this noble Society in the name of all Bahá'ís and for myself. I hope that by God's help these friends will succeed in bringing about love and unity. It is a great work and needs the effort of all the servants of God!

(Abdu'l-Baha, Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 61)

[JMoum04]

Uuuh, what's Theosophy?

[doppelgänger]

Originally Posted by Popeyesays

Madame Blavatsky became increasingly frustrated because Abdu'l Baha would not follow her guidance and when she presented a Hindu youth as the next Manifestation of God

That "Hindu youth" was none other than J. Krishnamurti.

[arthra]

Originally Posted by JMoum04

Uuuh, what's Theosophy?

Hello JMoum!

Welcome! Hope you will be posting more here...Here is my summary in response to your question:

Historically theosophy was a movement that was started by Madam Blavatsky, Q. Judge and Olcott around the late nineteenth century. It became pretty widespread in the US, Britain, Germany... It began at a time when Western people were just discovering texts from Buddhism, Hinduism... Blavatsky more or less had the concept that there was a secret doctrine which was theosophy which had been around for centuries in many countries..

Blavatsky combined her views with spiritualism also a widespread movement among Americans and Europeans at the time and was a medium herself..

She also believed there were certain Masters who were behind the scenes and influencing events and were supernatural entities... Anyway... Theosophy found a home in India and began to be influenmtial there as the movemnet passed on to Annie Besant an early proponent of the independence of India from British rule...

Soon after Blavatsky passed on the movemnet splinterred off and is still somewhat divided..

Anyway a lot of the early Baha'is spoke at Theosophy gatherings and explained the teachings to them.

Krishnamurti was actually put forward as a kind of Avatar or Christ returned in the twenties after being carefully groomed for this by Annie Besant and others but he refused to accept this role and went off in his own direction and became more independent...

So anyway that is my summary of it... Baha'is appreciated some of the more accepting aspects of theosophy but parted company when the spiritualism and Masters began to be more prominent.. also Baha'is cannot be theosophists.

- Art

[JMoum04]

Huh, that's kind of interesting. I'll have to check it out a bit more later this weekend when I get the chance. But thanks for the summary. =)