Oh that the question of Brotherhood were more generally understood! It is better for a human being to defile his body by eating flesh and drinking wine and liquor, than once wilfully to hurt his fellow creature. On the other hand you may destroy the world and be as innocent as a child. Absolute perfect Brotherhood is not to be found among creatures because of the "three qualities" of nature. The Bhagavad Gita says: "There is no creature on earth nor among the hosts in heaven who is free from the three qualities which arise from nature." Thus the ideal of perfect Brotherhood is as far and as near as the Absolute; we may feel it to be, but cannot reach it while we are not it.
Thus while we live in the consciousness of creatures we can strive after it, feel its beauty, love it for its own sake, transform our earth into a paradise and clean its sin-laden atmosphere; but there will always rest something still better, still more perfect beyond, and states of existence of which we have not the least idea now, will unfold and show an ever increasing higher life.
From the beginning of her teaching H. P. Blavatsky put Brotherhood first, all the rest after. But knowing well that the race is egotistical she had to give the teaching at the same time and unfold vistas even for those who might later only come back to the starting point. Most of her followers were attracted by a mystical tendency, by thirst for knowledge and some by lower motives. Was there one among her followers who said: "Teacher I will practice Brotherhood, and when I shall have learnt what it is, I will come back and sit at your feet and listen to your teaching"?
Yes there was one, but I think that one only, and if it had not been for him, what would have become of the Movement? Some of H. P. Blavatsky's followers began to understand later, they turned back to the starting point and acted wisely; others went on in their self-made knowledge and the more they gathered of it the further they got from the real starting point.
There is system in the whole Kosmos; worlds evolve in their order, and nothing that wants to be can oppose this law. Thus it is with us, if we want to become real Theosophists; we may waste our time if it pleases us to study and try to understand while remaining selfish, but there is no power in the whole universe which will enable us to skip the first object, viz., Brotherhood. Lucky for the world that at least one of Mme. Blavatsky's pupils knew this, acted accordingly and brought the Movement to the point of sure foundation, and did not leave this earth before having turned over the reins into the strong hands of our present Leader.
Unreasoning churchmen of whatever creed, dry philosophers, dissatisfied theorists, — where are your systems? Is your starting-point Brotherhood? There were and are now good men among them all, but they could not find a system which lasted, but system after system continually changed. And yet the true path has always been in the world. Is not the seven-fold path for liberation given in the oldest book, and does it not begin with Brotherhood? The Book of the Golden Precepts gives the key to open the first portal as Dana, the key of Charity and Love Immortal. Surely unless the first portal is passed none beyond can be reached.
Thus we know that if we really put Brotherhood first, we are on the true way, and whatever help we give, and be it ever so little, will be of real help for all men and for all that is.