William Judge Apologizes to Helena
Blavatsky
William Q. Judge
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
In the following letter, dated May 16, 1885, William
Judge answers to the May 1 letter from H. P. Blavatsky
to him. (See “Letters
Between Blavatsky and Judge - 1”)
We reproduce the text from “Theosophical History”,
volume VI, number 5, January 1997, pp. 164-166.
The editor of the magazine, James Santucci, writes in
his “Editor’s Comments” that the present text “survived
thanks to the archives of the Theosophical Society at
Adyar and to the detective work of Michael Gomes.” We
thank “Theosophical History” for publishing this
document.
Underlined words are thus in the original. The
transcriber,
Mr. Gomes, writes he believes the underlining was done
by
Henry S. Olcott. Words in brackets, followed by
question
marks, are attempts by the transcriber to understand
the
original. A question mark in square brackets - [?] -
means
that there is doubt as to the word
in the originals.
While writing the present letter, W. Q. Judge was
still struggling to
understand the 1884-1885 events. He soon would learn
the lesson of
confidence in H.P.B.’s honesty, to which this letter
refers, and play a key
role in the theosophical movement. In 1893, in his
text “A Reminiscence”,
he wrote: “It remains a fact that the T.S. [the theosophical movement]
stands or falls by H.P. Blavatsky. Give her up as an
idea, withdraw from
the path traced by her under orders, belittle her, and
the organization
will rot; but remember her and what she represented,
and we triumph.”
(“Theosophical Articles”, W. Q. Judge, Theosophy Co.,
vol. I,
p. 162.)
(Carlos
Cardoso Aveline)
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Dear H.P.B.
May 16, 1885
A
pall of horrible misunderstanding seems to be about us. When I left India I left
letters for you & Olcott fully explaining & also assuring you of my continued
affection & friendship, but Olcott only writes to abuse me and you to
grieve over my backsliding. Then from London
I wrote you again assuring you that I was all right. Now I get yours from
Greco. I am sorry indeed. Humanity seems to never get any better but steadily
worse.
Ah!
that pig of a Doctor.[1] My first
surmise was correct. He seemed bad and dangerous, but I was lulled by letters
from the Masters he had received in which he was commended and I was foolish
enough to give him confidentially, some analyses of your character which I had better
have kept to myself but I was no
worse than Olcott. All of it was
impersonal for I did not suppose we were trying to injure you. I was certainly
not.
I
do not care what you did or what you are I am still the same friend as ever and
shall so remain.
All
I ever said was that it seemed as if you had lied and played tricks now and
then but I
always
said that still I believed in you. And I do. Let us not beat around the bush.
You have lied now & then & perhaps played some tricks but I tell you I
do not care a tinker’s damn. [2] You
are to me as you were ever and what silly steps I have taken were due to bad
policy of Olcott’s in a way that it is useless to go into.
I
did not leave India
because I got a message from a Mahatma. I never got any message from any
Mahatma either pretended or real while I was in India . That disposes of
Hartmann. He couldn’t fool me with anything. When I announced my intended
return he was pleased as a hen with an egg and almost cackled, but pretended to
be sorry and tried to dissuade me. I merely told him so that if Damodar refused
me the money he would lend it and he did promise it in case Damodar failed me;
that was all. If H.S.O. had not been so nearly [?] there I would not have left.
But I had decided long before and only waited this long so that Hartmann should
have no time to do any damage. I was therefore right. And I tell I did no harm
by leaving. O. writes I “threw away the crown” &c. To the [devil?] with
such folly. If I thought I wanted a crown I would at once renounce the chance
leading to it. My dear HPB if Master will not enlighten you about me then I must
say nothing and remain to work out my own salvation as I can.
If
Olcott hadn’t been such a fearful phenomena monger we should never have had so
much trouble. But he must always retail everything he ever saw or heard of.
I
tell you neither you, nor Olcott, nor Holloway , nor deceit, nor trick, nor
message, nor devil, nor Hartmann, had anything to do with my departure from India , and
perhaps someday that departure will be of benefit to the Society and the Cause.
What
I wrote about to Hartmann is a ridiculous message about Holloway which if it
emanated from a Mahatma showed lack of knowledge to say the least. But let us
drop that.
I
am as staunch a friend as ever. I thank you for your belief in me. As to the
Billing drama [3] it is folly and fraud. I am sorry you ever
placed yourself in her favor or that I ever saw her.
The
last are these:
1.
H.S.O. writes “you (I) left India
because you have 2 children.” 2. H.S.O.
writes two
weeks
after “Ah! you left because Hartmann palmed off on you a pretended [directive?]
so to do.”
H.S.O.
had better think first and then speak. As for L.C. Holloway enough said. I have
not seen her since I came back except to deliver a pair of [drawers?] Miss
Arundale bought her in London .
She does not like me.
I
would like to see you again. I have made a contract for six months expiring
Oct. next or before, to work here in a law office. After that I know not what;
and I care not. I will not explain again in writing. I enclose you the case of
a friend who asks advice. You may be able to make some suggestions.
As
ever then, I remain faithful to you as well as to the cause and begging your pardon
for needless criticisms.
William
Q Judge
NOTES:
[1] This is a reference to
Dr. Franz Hartmann. (C. C. A.)
[2] At this point Judge is
still profoundly misled. He had been the victim of intrigue and misinformation
while he was India .
H. P. Blavatsky did not lie, and did not play tricks. This fact, by the way, is of the greatest and most
decisive importance, for no liar or trickster can ever be a true theosophist, or
deserve anyone’s confidence. Having been born under the Zodiacal sign of Leo, with
Moon in Libra, Ascendant in Cancer, and Saturn and Mercury in Virgo, H.P.
Blavatsky had self-confidence and self-respect enough to be utterly sincere;
and her mistake, if there was one, was perhaps to be at times too aggressive
towards false people and liars. This personal feeling she evidently tried to
control, with partial success. (C. C. A.)
[3] As to Mrs. Billing, see
“Letters Between Blavatsky and Judge - 1”. (C. C. A.)
0000000000000000000000000
Always visit www.Esoteric-Philosophy.com , www.TheosophyOnline.com and www.FilosofiaEsoterica.com .
If you want to
have access to a daily study of the original teachings of Theosophy, write to lutbr@terra.com.br and ask for information on the e-group E-THEOSOPHY.
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000