Practical Occultism — William Q. Judge

Letters from October 1890 - November 1890

October 2, 1890
Mr. J. J. Fernand,
Los Angeles, Calif.

Dear Brother Fernand:

I have your letter of the 28th of September, detailing some of your work in Los Angeles, and after reading your entire letter, it seems to me that the question at the end, "Was this against union on my part then?" is answered by your letter; and in any case, my dear friend, why is it necessary to ask the question? A true, wise, Theosophist never looks back, but always directly in front. Now, the question is a retrospective one, and according to the rules of Occultism, it is a waste of time, a waste of energy, to either ask the question or answer it. I think you will understand me. There is no past, nor any future; everything is today, in the present, and that which we call the future is really contained in today, and in fact has no real existence; similarly, the past has no existence and is contained, if it be at all, in today. This is no jugglery with words whatever, but is a statement of the absolute and not the apparent fact. So we find in ancient Scripture the caution never to look back, never to be sorry. If we stop to look back, we may find that mistakes of the past assume undue prominence; all we have to be careful about is that every step taken is taken to the best of our ability, with sincerity and purity of motive. The results have nothing to do with us. By pursuing this course we gradually acquire, unconsciously often, the ability to do every thing right, so that the outcome is always greater and greater. This is my answer to your question. If you have had misunderstandings and suffering, I am sorry for it, and I hope you will have no more. All such things as misunderstandings and sufferings are delusions, arising from our own ignorance, and they must occur in one way or another until we leave this world.

It is pleasant news to hear of the possibility of another Branch, but I hope that the new Branch will be a necessity and not a forced growth, because forced growths are always dangerous. Wishing you all success, I remain,

Fraternally yours,

WILLIAM Q JUDGE


Oct 4, 1890
Mrs Helen Winsor

Dear Madam —

I have yours acknowledging receipt of E. S. papers and note what you say. There is no doubt but that by an earnest aspiration one arouses all the hidden inner foes, but then determined effort will destroy them. It is wise to always remember that "Ishwara" the Spirit that is common to all dwells inside of us and if that be so, our sincere belief in and reliance upon It will gradually awaken us to the consciousness that we are that spirit itself and not the miserable creatures which walk on this earth bearing our names. Hence I would ever reflect on the spiritual unity of all beings, continually saying to myself that I am actually that spirit. Our difficulties are always due to the personality which is unwilling to give itself up to the great idea that it has no real existence except in the one Spirit.

Sincerely

WILLIAM Q JUDGE


October 7, 1890
Mr. William R. Savage,
Baltimore, Md.

My dear Savage:

Your fast must now be at an end. I think you have fasted long enough, don't you?

A fast is a good thing sometimes, but there are times when it is injurious and may then lay us open to bad results. I think now that you ought to stop fasting as far as your body is concerned and go to work with a mental fast, meanwhile taking all proper nourishing food which I am sure your mother will procure for you. Now this is my advice to you and I strongly insist that you take it, as I would not like you to get so sick as it seems you will if you continue any longer without good food.

It is one of the great laws of nature that we cannot, while in a mortal body, make any progress if we overtax it. You must remember the old story about the great Buddha who was fasting once very much, when a great Adept came and told him that he was mistaken and must take proper food, because when he was overstraining himself that way the power of his mind and inner self was weakened.

Sincerely yours,

WILLIAM Q JUDGE


October 9, 1890.
Mr. J. J. Fernand,
Los Angeles, Calif.

Dear Sir and Brother:

I have yours in which you ask me about the matter of a butcher shop next door the Headquarters, and answer it separately as it concerns yourself alone. The other letter will be official in regard to the proposed Branch. I cannot give you any prescription for counteracting the effects to which you refer. If it is a fact that those effects are purely physical, then, no prescription would alter it; but, if, on the other hand, it is purely a mental matter, which I think it is, then a mental prescription will have due effect. One of the main ends in view in Theosophical higher life is that a man should be so strong inwardly that no outward circumstances can have any effect upon his mind or his body. Hence, one ought to take the plain advice given in the "Bhagavad Gita" where Krishna says to Arjuna that he should with equal mind look upon a Brahmin, a cow, an elephant, a piece of wood, a piece of gold, and that he should not be disturbed by any condition whatever which concerns his mortal frame. The reason for this is that our mortal body is simply an illusion, and there is a good deal of fancy by beginners thinking that there are evil effects from the neighborhood of a slaughterhouse. Such evil effects from such a neighborhood are only felt by those who have got, after many years of occult practice, into a certain bodily condition, and then even it is only temporarily. Hence, I should further advise that you should learn inwardly to look at a wholesale butcher shop as one of the ways in which the Supreme Being chooses to manifest himself, and think no more about it. It seems to me that if you do so the blood and flesh will not bother you at all, for you will have arisen above them and they will appear to you as nothing.

In respect to the Path I should be glad to have you take the agency for Southern California, and if you do I will give you the Path for $1.60 per year, that is to say, for subscriptions which you procure and send to me you shall charge $2 per year and send me $1.60. You can begin on this arrangement, and if the results are at all satisfactory, it may be continued. It is understood that this arrangement refers only to such new subscriptions as you send to us.

Fraternally yours,

WILLIAM Q JUDGE


October 14, 1890
Mr. W. D. Hastings,
Kearney, Neb.

Dear Brother Hastings:

I should be glad to answer your question "What is the cause of asthma" if I really knew. But this is a physical disorder and I am only a lawyer by profession, consequently know nothing about such things. Answering, however, as a Theosophist, I would draw your attention to the fact that the Society is not for the purpose of curing diseases, unless it should happen that people in the course of time, by following its teachings, should become healthy. There is no doubt that all physical derangements arise from inner causes, and I think it is equally true that a sound mind will frequently produce a sound body, though, at the same time, we find unsound bodies holding sound minds. If your asthma is the result of old karmic causes, it is bound to come out; it often comes to men in their later years of life without being constitutional. However, I would follow, if I were you, the prescription you give, which is to allow your spiritual nature to act; still, if I were you, I should not make that the object of my spiritual expansion, because it is in a sense degrading the latter.

Sincerely yours,

WILLIAM Q JUDGE


October 23, 1890
Mr. G. R. S. Mead,
19 Avenue Road, Regent's Park,
London, N.W., England

Dear Mead:

I have received yours of the 5th which encloses a copy of the Harte interview. Such madness and spite I never saw, and such absurd weakness on the part of Olcott I never expected. One would have supposed that this interview of Harte's would have been replied to by Olcott in such a way as to put him in his right light. I am sorry to say I cannot send a delegate to India nor go there myself, which is what I would like to do.

Sincerely yours,

WILLIAM Q JUDGE


October 23, 1890
Mr. Richard Harte,
Adyar, Madras, India

Dear Harte:

I have your note enclosed in Col. Olcott's, and by the same mail I have copies of your interviews about Bert in India, and also of your telegrams to him. Inasmuch as these documents are precisely in line with the stuff you have uniformly been sending me for the last year or two, I believe they are authentic. At any rate, if they are not authentic, it remains for you to publicly deny them. You refer to Mme. Blavatsky's occult nose being wrong. I should consider it right, especially in your case, as years ago she told me what harm you would do us and how you would create trouble. Inasmuch as many people think your intentions are good, I am forced to the conclusion that your definition of kindness is spitefulness, and that your power to distinguish right from wrong is absolutely atrophied. In these interviews you have gone to the trouble not only to misrepresent facts but also to make new obstructions and to set in motion false ideas which will have a tendency to involve the Society with the government in India. Col. Olcott's reply to your insane drivel is altogether too mild. He ought to let everybody know that your attack is unworthy of notice, as is that of a man who persistently twists the right into wrong and makes black white. I sincerely trust that you will be deprived of all official position, so that in the future whatever you may choose to say will be devoid of the slightest official sanction. Very truly you are secretary in partibus infidelium. You have hitherto sent me very plain language about myself, and I now give you some about yourself. The best plan for you to pursue is to leave India; leave the Theosophical Society alone. Become a Tipperary Nationalist, anything but to interfere with concerns which you cannot understand. You are a worse enemy to us than Coues is: Coues is no enemy, he is only an outside lunatic who has no power except what we give him, and we give him none; whereas, you have a semblance of authority, remain in the Society, and persist in these outrageous attacks and insinuations, which spring either from lunacy or deliberate malice — you can take your choice. I am writing this way because I know the harm you are doing in India. You can do no harm here, hence, I have no personal concern as to this country in respect to yourself, although you have caused me much annoyance and increased my correspondence by the manner in which you have done some official business with this country. I am,

Sincerely yours,

WILLAM Q JUDGE


Nov 1, 1890

Dear Mrs Wyman

As to colors produced in the way Keightley said and in relation to the Auric Egg, the notice from H P B was distinct that they should be stopped, as the practice at this stage will do harm. You can gain protection by high motive, reliance on the Higher Self and unselfishness in inner attitude. The vision is to be distrusted for those are often produced by the plastic body and also again by black magicians living in the astral light. The safe side is best until you know.

As to group. It will be necessary to assign people to the group until it is too large and then another may be made. It is pleasant to have a harmonious body but it is our duty to help newcomers to rise to our stage and thus help the whole Section.

Sincerely

WILLIAM Q JUDGE


Nov 3, 1890

Dear Mrs Hughes:

I have yours enclosing $1 for the E S. I return the letter from Miss Off to you.

All the matters spoken of in yours seem to be old now and perhaps it will be better not to go over them. All I would wish to refer to is the incident given by you of the whole group getting into a very bad state of feeling one to the other and then right in the face of the caution in the Instructions proceeding to pronounce the word. This is just what ought not to have been done then, because then all were out of harmony and the word inevitably laid them open to bad effects. You will remember that H P B has said not to use the word if angry or otherwise with bad feelings.

I sincerely hope that all personal differences have been laid aside and that the group to which you belong is working in harmony. Any group in any place that is out of harmony does some hurt to the whole section. This of course I do not mean in personal sense but only as a reflection upon what is going on from time to time in the whole section.

Sincerely yours,

WILLIAM Q JUDGE


Nov. 5, 1890.

Dear Bro. Watson:

I have yours and am glad to read it. From the very first time I saw your handwriting I knew you were being drawn to Theosophy strongly and expected you would have more trouble than you have had, for the reason that at one time — perhaps not long before you joined the T. S. — you were very much influenced by a stronger mind than yours which caused in you inevitably at a later date, some weakness. It is now your great opportunity to wholly escape from that by taking a firm stand mentally and endeavoring to see the inner meaning of theosophy which is in fact human life.

I congratulate you because introspective experience is the best and strongest.

Sincerely

WILLIAM Q JUDGE


Nov 5, 1890

My dear Dr Hubbe-Schleiden:

I have yours of 24th Oct. You are at liberty always to translate and reprint anything you wish out of the Path.

The Diary of Chela you speak of is not fiction. I have it. The only thing is that while I called it a diary it was not in that form but more of an autobiographical sketch given me by him with a promise not to show the writing. What is stated, did occur and it is no fiction; and I left out a great [deal] more than I put in. Besides, my dear sir, the term "subjective experience" is misleading. The hearing by the ear of a sound is subjective in essence, as also is the seeing of color. The only objective part of either is the vibration in one case of the auric instrument, and the molecular change in the other of the retina. Do you confuse [one line indecipherable] or do you allow the word objective to include all of the single phenomena of hearing for instance? Some of the experiences in that diary were of course what is usually called "subjective" in part, but even each one of them had the objective element also for they were translated to the outer consciousness of the person. None of these phenomena could have been seen or reported by the chela unless his objective apparatus had something to do with them.

As to the other part of yours in which you in effect ask me if I can put you in communication with some adept who will and who can help you in the T S movement in Germany, or if I will give you advice what to do in the matter. You do me too much honor in asking me these two things. I am not fit to give advice to you who are more learned and older than I am, for I am now but 39 years old. And hence all I can say will be in the nature of my suggestions made to you solely because you have asked me for them.

The matter has two aspects. One, Are the adepts whom I know of interested in Germany? The other, Has the T S movement yet penetrated to that land? I answer in the affirmative, and yet at the same time I may be in error. But if the philosophy of the occult hierarchies is correct then They must all be interested in each part of the whole family of people on the earth. I have always believed, and on the dictum of H P B, that St Germain was so interested and she intimated to me that he is not dead at all. But on that point I have not much actual knowledge.

The next point is as to the T S. That is a special movement and not the only one with its object for truth is one.

The very adepts who are in it must at the same time have an interest in Germany, but how that is being or is to be exhibited I do not know at all, and it would be presumption in me to surmise. But I do know this, that They always help when any work is being done for the T S in a loyal spirit, and it is here perhaps that one difficulty may be. For if one cannot abide the personality of the woman whom I believe They have chosen for the particular work of the T S, then of course one cannot expect help from Them in Their special attitude of aiders of the T S, however much They may be willing to help a man in other directions. The personality of H P B is and always will be a stumbling block for many persons and if it were not so, and so deliberately, then we would not have a true or even an approach to a true T S, for had she been all that one could wish in the way of loveliness of character then the members would not think for themselves but would bow down and offer to her the worship which it is the object of the T S to root out of the mind of the age. And I have never known the Adepts or Their real agents to make any mistake in the carrying out of their great objects. But They do not refuse to aid a man because be does not agree with Olcott or H P B in method.

Now I believe that any one can come into relations with the occult fraternity but he has to work very hard to do so and must accomplish it by rising to the plane on which they are and not by bringing Them down to his. You know the old proverb or verse that the kingdom of heaven is taken by violence. That I believe to be true and the violence has to be of such a nature that it takes the place by storm. There is another word also and that is "try." It also is of great import and has to be pondered on.

All of the foregoing is in the nature of that advice you ask for, and all I can say in conclusion is, that I have sent your request to the only person I can send it to as I have no right and no means of sending messages to the Adepts. If indeed I were given now the boon of asking of Them some thing or other I confess I would not know what to do as I feel that I have not yet used all that has been accorded to me by karma and the lodge.

Hoping that this may be of some service to you, and being willing to do all I can and anything else you may ask which is in my power, I beg to remain

Fraternally yours,

WILLIAM Q JUDGE


Nov 11, 1890
Mrs A K Botsford

Dear Madame

No 3 Aids and Sugs which you lost is out of print and I can only send you the plate.

So many instances have occurred in the E S. of loss of papers by members that I think H. P. B. will be very unlikely to give out any very secret occult matter. In this way the E S. does itself an injury.

Sincerely

WILLIAM Q JUDGE


November 14, 1890
Mrs. Anna L. Doolittle,
San Diego, Calif.

Dear Madame:

I have read over carefully the article which you sent me by Mr. Merrill and am obliged to return it for the reasons here given, but in the hope that he may later on write something else. There are some fundamental philosophical errors in it to which I beg you will draw his attention.

In the first place it does not seem to me that "Man is the link between spirit and matter." The teachings of all the highest schools of spiritual philosophy are, that man is spirit and not a link between that and something else. Further, it is very plainly held in the "Bhagavad-Gita" and other high authorities that spirit and matter are coexistent, and that the Absolute is neither matter nor spirit, but both together. Now the words for spirit and matter in Sanscrit are Purusha and Prakriti, and it is a noteworthy fact that the name for man in Sanscrit books is also Purusha. Hence, we see that the philosophy classes man by the same name as it does spirit. If we place him and matter together in one class, we then have to say man and matter, thus making a clear distinction between them. It follows then that Man cannot be the link between himself and matter. The link between Man (or spirit) and matter is, if such a thing be possible, the qualities, as they are called in the Hindu books and the Skandas. But there can be no such link in fact, because spirit in its highest acceptance includes all.

The next point is that the paper speaks throughout of the "Perfection and cultivation of the spirit." This is directly contrary to the philosophy, which distinctly holds that spirit cannot be perfected or cultivated, as it is always pure, free, and unconditioned. That which is to be perfected and cultivated is the soul; in other and Theosophical terms, there must be brought about a union between Manas, Buddhi and Atma. It is for these reasons that I do not like to use the paper. It is true that many papers have been used which have not been correct in all respects, but they have always treated upon subjects which were not so fundamental as that of the present paper, which deals with the highest and most vital of Theosophical propositions, from which all the rest flow, and if a wrong basis be laid down, then all that follows will be irretrievably wrong.

Sincerely your friend,

WILLIAM Q JUDGE


Nov 17, 1890
Mrs. Zaidee Heath
Los Angeles.

Dear Madame:

I have yours of Nov. 8 in which you refer to this Section, to Mr. Griffiths, to Mr. Keightley and to others in the T. S. in very strong language, without seeming to make the slightest allowance for the failings of human nature common to us all. Upon this however I can pass no criticism but must surely agree with that sentence in your letter which reads: "I was an Occult Student, therefore my Being an E. S. will not affect me much." I have copied it verbatim et literatim. From this of course it must follow that the E. S. is not a body in which you could do good since it is so different from yourself, and especially as those persons against whom you have cause for complaint are members of it. It is desired that it should be as harmonious as possible and that could hardly be when a member is admitted who uses epithets such as 'liar and coward" about other members. This certainly is not Theosophy.

The question of age is of no moment to me and I do not care to know how old any one is.

And as to money or prominence, they ought not to have anything to do with admission or rejection of candidates for the E. S.

The whole matter has now grown so old and so surrounded with disputes that I have decided to rule it off the record and anything further that is done will have to be de novo.

I have always thought that T. S. members were in too much of a hurry to enter the E. S. which is a much more serious and far reaching step than the most of them believe or know. And if my advice were asked I should say better wait a matter of years than hurry into it.

Fraternally

WILLIAM Q JUDGE


Nov 17, 1890

Dear Bro Bowman

I read yours with pleasure and opened the envelope enclosed with interest and then laughed immoderately. If to forgive is divine then I forgive you as I hold we are all divine; for the letter sent in the envelope that you return was not strictly E. S. business and need not have on it "private." All of my letters are not private, and I do not think that that letter was on E. S. business. Hence your joke is very good — on you. For I deliberately left off the private.

The letter grew out of E S. correspondence but was devoted I think to personal exchanges of personal matters. Am I right or wrong.

I think we thoroughly understand now. I would like to go to Calif and have long been trying to. A pipe in the mouth of Buddha or Jesus would be queer. However neither Fullerton nor I smoke a pipe down here.

Sincerely

WILLIAM Q JUDGE


New York, Nov 17 1890

Dear Griffiths

Glad to hear from you and that you take the right view. H P B wrote me one sentence in 1890 and no more private letters "Be more charitable for others than for yourself and more severe on yourself than on others." It is good advice. A strain always weakens the fibres and produces friction.

I hope all misunderstandings will fly away.

As Ever

WILLIAM Q JUDGE


New York, Nov 17 1890

Dear Dr Griffiths

I have heard that some Calif members have an idea that the "Word" may be used for material benefit or to bring about material or temporal ends.

Please state to as many as you find this idea in that it is wrong and that such a use of it is Black magic pure and simple and will do them harm. It goes into next Aids E S.

Yours

WILLIAM Q JUDGE


November 18, 1890
Colonel H. S. Olcott,
Adyar, Madras, India

Dear Olcott:

I have been thinking very much over what I have heard from you and others about your proposal regarding a resignation. This rumor as it has reached me is not definite and I do not know that you intend to resign. I want to ask you to throw away my last letter on this subject and substitute this in its place. As I have said previously, there is a strong feeling throughout the U. S. of gratitude to yourself for all your past work, and no one wishes you to resign, but on the contrary, they would all be very much exercised if they had any idea that you intended to do so.

Now, the way I look at it is this, you have been working in India for a good many years very hard in a very bad climate, and this has told upon your nervous system, causing you to show evidences of the wear and tear. The strongest evidence is that you are easily irritated now about matters which in the past never would have irritated you, and in consequence of this you are feeling the effects of various small matters, which make you feel now and then that you had better resign. There is really no cause for a resignation to be found in the general state of affairs, much less so now than there ever was, for things are very much improved and are bound to steadily improve in the future. More especially is this so in the U. S. where I am satisfied there is a great field and which will be bound more and more every year to look at Adyar as its Headquarters, provided of course that centre is conducted so as to arouse their enthusiasm. Now I am satisfied that you are in need of a rest, and furthermore, that it is imperatively necessary that you should take a rest, for a short or a long time — whatever length of time is necessary for recuperation. As it seems to me that some such place as Simla would be a good situation, as I think going to Europe or any other Western centre of activity would increase instead of diminish your present disturbance. You could remain in Simla and now and then if a question arose needing your advice you could give it, meanwhile leaving some other person in charge at the Headquarters, say with the help of an advisory committee and not with the "Board of Control," because the word "control" is very dangerous. This you can state to the Convention, and they will agree with you, and you need not mention the idea of a resignation, but simply say that you are taking a vacation.

The question of money has something to do with this matter, and I am authorized to state as follows, referring you to my previous letter in which I enclosed a draft to cover the expenses of a Hindu who was to come here, and which money I asked you to keep for that purpose even if it took a year to find the man. That sum of money was given to me for the purpose by a friend, and after consulting with him I am authorized to revoke the assignment of the money and to donate it to you personally for the purpose of paying the expense of a vacation, and am authorized also to say that if later on the man about whom I wrote shall turn up we will furnish the money again for that purpose. It is to be understood that the money is given to you for this particular purpose of a vacation, as we think that you need one and that it is quite likely the question of funds has much to do with the matter. The letter in which I remitted you the money was dated September 26th, and I enclosed therein a draft on London for $400. As I sent that to you personally there can be no trouble about your getting it out, since the following are my words on that subject, "I am requested to ask you to place this money on deposit where you can draw it for that purpose when you shall have found a suitable person."

The draft was issued by the Belmonts for 82 pounds, No. 3152, Sept. 26th to your order.

I sincerely hope that you will act on this suggestion, as it will be beneficial to yourself and to all of us, and I shall hope to hear from you very soon about this matter, and also that you shall receive this previous to the meeting of the Convention.

Sincerely yours,

WILLIAM Q JUDGE


Nov 26, 1890.
Dr F B Smith

Dear Sir:

You have not carefully read my first reply for if you had followed my advice you would have seen how impossible it is to comply with your request to be initiated as an adept. That is a thing that no man can do for another. And besides you would not have offered me money for it even if it could be done. I must ask you to read the references given in my first letter before we go any further. You cannot get where you may see into the astral light in the way you are seeking for you are seeking on the material plane and this is a matter of the spiritual life. The esoteric section of the T S is not for these things and that you will clearly see when you read what I have indicated to you. Persons who tell you so glibly of initiation do not know what they are talking of or else they are on the "make."

Madam Blavatsky will have nothing to do with any one who wishes to enter the section for the sake of getting powers of the magical kind and there is no way to get these except by living a pure and restrained and an ideal life.

People may tell you of other ways but I will not do you so much wrong as to give you false advice.

Yours truly,

WILLIAM Q JUDGE


November 28, 1890
Rev. W. H. Hoisington,
Rochelle, 111.

My dear Brother Hoisington:

I have yours asking about the book "Oahspe." This book was written by a gentleman named Broughton, in this city, who was somewhat of a medium. He was a good man but not learned in these matters, and "Oahspe" is a mass of stuff and nonsense. It is simply the result of his untrained and confused visions in the astral light, from which he has produced a medley — a sort of hash as it were — compounded of all he ever learned from the Christian Bible and what he had from other sources, as well as the wild and weird notions one can find in "The Astral Light" when he is sufficiently abnormal to see into it when he is under the influence of the effects which proceed from poor living and poor digestion. If your friend is disposed to accept this book as authority, I cannot see how I am able to counteract his belief, for the reason that a man who would accept such a jumble as this book would be likely to accept almost anything. Of course you will not tell him that. Mr. Broughton was no doubt sincere in his attempt, just as we often find many of these half-sick visionaries giving forth extraordinary ideas with sincerity.

Sincerely yours,

WILLIAM Q JUDGE


Nov 29, 1890.

My dear H. P. B.:

I have your long letter and have also read the Theosophist. Yours shows me that you feel this thing and indeed there is cause for feeling in the Theosophist than which I have never seen a more dastardly thing on the part of H. S. O. He seems to be off and is eaten up by conceit. But that is nothing new as he was always in that state and long ago I got disgusted with him and decided to let him run his affairs just as he pleased. But at the same time he has done good work for the T. S. and we must not forget this. I hope you will not let any of the fanatics in London run him down improperly. The whole situation does not depend on him altogether, and we must be generous and give him his due for the past and for the work that now does us some good. If he had not done it who would, and would those who are now made strong by the reputation of the T. S. by your work and his, have done the work themselves? Is it not a fact that they would not, but were content to wait until the matter had got into the eye of the world and been just the thing for them to take up?

He has shamefully abused you in this article and is trying to make things good for himself at your expense. All this I see and much more and while I am sorry for him, at the same time I feel as — Maharajah — feels inside that he is not the point and he is not the true difficulty. There is more and it calls for more than merely patching up a difficulty with him. If he should not resign what then? Would not the Indian work still be in the same state as before and would it not be still a grave question calling for attention? I think so. And I think that you agree with me.

I have done all I can, for I have written him not to resign but to take a rest and have further sent him the money for it. Perhaps this will make a difference when he gets it. I hope so.

I telegraphed you to wait and keep silent for the reason that the convention is so near if you take any active steps it may precipitate something bad. And I asked you also not to say anything in Lucifer for the same reason. There is no use giving that devil Harte any handle when it is not necessary. My object was for you to wait for this letter and then see what you will do.

Olcott has no power with the people who are the most important, I mean those of Europe and America. Your name is the one that is known here and in Europe and he is not known hardly. All that we have, it is recognized has come from you, our literature and all the rest. And nearly all know that Olcott never knew of the Masters and never heard from them except through you or when you were in the vicinity or through your chela Damodar. Do not therefore give him so much importance. I think you will agree that this is the best advice. After the convention has met then you will see more clearly what to do for then there will be something to go on. Just now we are in the dark unless you have some inside information.

And do not let the people in London go wild for they will sure go off the handle if they hear from you something mysterious about the future and in their mad eagerness to do what they suppose you wish they will do just what they ought not to do. I say this with all due respect for their zeal and earnestness, but at the same time I know their lack of wisdom and that they do not know yet how to wait for events.

Now to come to the point. I said that there is something more important than the question of Olcott's resignation. It is in this that India has done absolutely naught for the two great and active sections Europe and America. They must now come in irrespective of Olcott and do their part toward the second object of the T S which has been neglected by them. I propose to send out to them a circular urging that they take up this work, that a special department be made at Adyar for the benefit of the U. S. and Europe, and that the Indian members send all sorts of their stuff out of their books to us either directly or from Adyar so that we may distribute it to our members, I here and you and yours in Europe. This will tend to make India of some use, will make a strong feeling of solidarity, and after it will have the effect of getting more and more money out of America for the work and for the purpose of keeping up Adyar in good style. In short it is my idea to make India do something itself for the world and no longer lie supinely in idleness while foreigners do what the Hindus should do. Is not this a good scheme? My proposition is that the Forum be made larger so as to provide for all this matter, and that we at the different centres have the right to fix up the english and so on of all the matter and have discretion as to its publication for I know that the hindus sometimes write awful english.

Now as to carrying this out. I am, as said, disgusted with Olcott and think he is enamoured of his lectures and all that and can hardly hope to get him to do that for I have before now asked him to do it. But if he goes on a vacation it may be started. And I propose to get up a circular to the Hindus on the subject and send to them independently and ask them to meet it in their branches and have it forced on Adyar, and will offer in it to pay the cost for here, and will also send copies to India of the Forum.

This would be offering to our members a good thing and would be a practical carrying out of our second object.

Now in order to give this force I ask you to sign the enclosed so that I may print it in the circular and thus give it the weight of your name. Will you do it? Do you think it well?

I have already mentioned this plan to Bert and hope he will have force to get it going, but I fear for him as he is not what is known as a bold operator. He has not enough audacity.

You can at the same time start the same thing from London and if you do you should not fail to say in it that it is done in cooperation with me so as to give it on your part what force there is from association with the American section. They may all say or think what they like but it is true that after London the next centre of activity is in this country.

I know and have for years known what is the matter with Olcott. It is this, he has never been loyal to you who gave him all he ever knew of the Masters and their wisdom. He used to say and to write the most awful mean things to me about you, and that is why I have always been disgusted with him. But I regarded him as a man whom THEY had taken to use for THEIR purposes as long as he would carry them out. I am not surprised at his attitude now for it is perfectly in line with the past and now when he has been put in the fire he shows the weakness of his disloyalty. Whatever you are and whatever faults you have in the eyes of the world I have never found you to fail about the Masters and Their wishes, and more I know that I and all the rest of the Society owe all that we prize in that line to you.

To sum up I say be quiet for a while. Wait for something to drop. Act always for the T S and if some or any of the lights of the T S go out why let them go, there is not time to stop and examine their dead bodies, we must always be up and doing something else. Please make your chelas in London have some little of this spirit and let them get out of the old habit of their predecessors of going off on some personal quarrel. They always misunderstand you, right or wrong, and they have not yet learned how to find out their own strict line of duty. Do not tell them I said so as I have no wish to chide them for the reason that I am bad enough myself but to you I suppose I can sometimes talk freely.

This is all I can think of. I feel that all will be right. I have seen a vision of Adyar and I KNOW that it is a great thing — I mean Indian Headquarters no matter where it be — and no one can wipe that sight out of my memory. It may not be just now but it is potential and some day it will be evident and active.

Sincerely as ever,

WILLIAM Q JUDGE



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