The Key to Theosophy: Being a Clear Exposition, in the Form of Question and Answer, of the Ethics, Science and Philosophy for the Study of Which the Theosophical Society Has Been FoundedBlavatsky, H. P. (Helena Petrovna)
Religion
The Key to Theosophy: Being a Clear Exposition, in the Form of Question and Answer, of the Ethics, Science and Philosophy for the Study of Which the Theosophical Society Has Been Founded
Blavatsky, H. P. (Helena Petrovna)
Theosophy
THEO. This is a fib, like many others. In the published accounts of
January, 1889, you will find an exact statement of _all_ the money
ever received from any source since 1879. The total received from
all sources (entrance fees, donations, etc., etc.) during these
ten years is under six thousand pounds, and of this a large part
was contributed by the Founders themselves from the proceeds of
their private resources and their literary work. All this has been
openly and officially admitted, even by our enemies, the Psychic
Research Society. And now both the Founders are penniless; one,
too old and ill to work as she did before, unable to spare time
for outside literary work to help the Society in money, can only
write for the Theosophical cause; the other keeps labouring for it
as before, and receives as little thanks for it.
ENQ. But surely they need money to live?
THEO. Not at all. So long as they have food and lodging, even though
they owe it to the devotion of a few friends, they need little
more.
ENQ. But could not Madame Blavatsky, especially, make more than enough
to live upon by her writings?
THEO. When in India she received on the average some thousand rupees a
year for articles contributed to Russian and other papers, but
gave it all away to the Society.
ENQ. Political articles?
THEO. Never. Everything she has written throughout the seven years of
her stay in India is all there in print. It deals only with
the religions, ethnology, and customs of India, and with
Theosophy—never with politics, of which she knows nothing and
cares less. Again, two years ago she refused several contracts
amounting together to about 1,200 roubles in gold per month; for
she could not accept them without abandoning her work for the
Society, which needed all her time and strength. She has documents
to prove it.
ENQ. But why could not both she and Colonel Olcott do as others—notably
many Theosophists—do; follow out their respective professions and
devote the surplus of their time to the work of the Society?
THEO. Because by serving two masters, either the professional or the
philanthropic work would have had to suffer. Every true
Theosophist is morally bound to sacrifice the personal to the
impersonal, his own _present_ good to the _future_ benefit of
other people. If the Founders do not set the example, who will?
ENQ. And are there many who follow it?
THEO. I am bound to answer you the truth. In Europe about half-a-dozen
in all, out of more than that number of Branches.
ENQ. Then it is not true that the Theosophical Society has a large
capital or endowment of its own?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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