Funeral Rites among Savage Races
Editor’s Note by H.P.B. on a letter responding to previous remarks. In your note to the letter on “The Efficacy of Funeral Ceremonies” (see The Theosophist,… Read More »Funeral Rites among Savage Races
Editor’s Notes, Replies to Correspondence, Footnotes, etc.
Editor’s Note by H.P.B. on a letter responding to previous remarks. In your note to the letter on “The Efficacy of Funeral Ceremonies” (see The Theosophist,… Read More »Funeral Rites among Savage Races
Editor’s Note by H.P.B. on an letter by W. D. Tilden sharing an article from the Scientific American C. H. Hughes, M.D., Editor of the Alienist… Read More »A Human Storage Battery
Article selections from “Hierosophy and Theosophy”, by William Oxley | Notes by H.P.B. In dealing with what appears to be the difference between Hierosophic and Theosophic teachings, as… Read More »Hierosophy and Theosophy
[Note: see “Fragments of Occult Truth,” No’s 1-3 and 4-8 by A.O. Hume and A.P. Sinnet respectively.] With reference to a tenet in one of… Read More »Karma: An Appendix to “Fragments of Occult Truth”
Note by H.P.B. on an article titled “A Description of the Tantrik Mystic Rites and Ceremonies known as ‘Savasadhana’” So little is known outside Bengal… Read More »[On “White” and “Black” Tantras]
Reply by H.P.B. to a letter from Gustav Eisen Office of the Republican. Fresno, California, April 12, 1883. Allow me to call your attention to the… Read More »The Prince Convert
Selections from a letter by a correspondent named Vera | Notes by H.P.B. Under the teachings of the beneficent and sublime Wisdom-Religion now being given… Read More »On the Status of Jesus
Notes by H.P.B. on a letter from Mr. Henry G. Atkinson We have received a very interesting letter from Mr. Henry C. Atkinson, now in… Read More »From Theosophy to Shakespeare
Editorial Comments and Notes by H.P.B. on a letter from the Swami of Almora. In our February number (see page 118) prefacing the valuable though… Read More »The Almora Swami
Letter by N. D. K. addressed to A. P. Sinnett | Reply by H.P.B. To the Writer of the “Occult Fragments.” Dear Sir And Brother, In your article… Read More »The Efficacy of Funeral Ceremonies
Article selection by Alexander Wilder | Note by H.P.B. Whether the hair should be cut I could never quite satisfy myself. As a physiological practice… Read More »Should Men Cut Their Hair?
Article Selections by L. A. Sanders | Note by H.P.B. It is with the greatest interest that I read the profound article by T. Subba Row,… Read More »Will
Question by Poorna Chundra Mookherji | Note by H.P.B. . . . Now the great problem [facing the author as an archæological researcher] is to… Read More »Psychometry and Archæology
Questions by H. N. Vakil | Reply by H.P.B. Will you or any of your readers enlighten me on the following points: 1. What is… Read More »Pertinent Questions
Question by “A Junior Student” | Reply by H.P.B. I shall feel highly obliged if you will kindly insert in the columns of The Theosophist the meanings… Read More »Explanation Wanted
Article selections from “Cosmical Rings and Rounds,” by A Student of Occultism | Notes & Editor’s Note by H.P.B. No. VII of the Fragments [of… Read More »[On Some Confusions about Rings and Rounds]
Article selections from “Viśishtadvaita Philosophy,” by Govinda Charlu | Notes by H.P.B. Parabrahma being an All-pervading principle, itself being the All, is still considered as a… Read More »Visishthadwaita Philosophy [2]
Note by H.P.B. on an article by T. S. For reasons of their own, the Aryas or the “reformers,” as they and the Brahmos call… Read More »[On the Tantras]
Selections from “Esoteric Spiritualism the Law of ‘Influx’ and ‘eflux’” by William Yeats | Introductory Note & Footnotes by H.P.B. In giving room to the… Read More »[Genuine, Orthodox and Heteredox Brahmanism]
Article by A. Govinda Charlu | Notes by H.P.B. [Only the notes by H.P.B. are included here. Notes by A.G.C. are not included.] For the… Read More »Visishthadwaita Philosophy
Notice from the Indian Mirror | Note by H.P.B. Rai Bishen Lall, M.A., Pundit Gaindan Lall, B.A., and party deputed by the N.W.P. Patriotic Association,… Read More »[Re-Union of the Arya Samaj and the Theosophical Society?]
Anonymous Notice | Note by H.P.B. Mrs. Anandabai Joshi, F.T.S., the well-known Mahratta Brahmin lady, sailed yesterday by S.S. City of Calcutta for New York.… Read More »[Mrs. Anandabai Joshi, F.T.S.]
Letter by Purna Chundra Sen, with note by the Editor of The East | Reply by H.P.B. To the Editor of the “East.” Sir, With… Read More »Col. Olcott’s Wonderful Success
Article selections by Pestonji Dorabji Khandalavala | Notes by H.P.B. All authors of antiquity agree in giving a place to this high personage [Zoroaster] in… Read More »Zoroaster and His Religion
Letter by Ramji Mall Pandit | Reply by H.P.B. I beg to call the attention of those who are interested in the question of “Personal,… Read More »Parabrahm, Defined by Vedantins
Quotation from Prof. Maudsley | Note by H.P.B. “Disclosing to man the stern and uniform reign of law in nature, even in the evolution and… Read More »Materialism and its Lessons
Letter by E.W.W | Reply by H.P.B. I feel that Mr. Terry has been doing great service in procuring for us the few crumbs from… Read More »Another “Spiritual” Puzzle
Article selections by Seeta Nath Ghose | Notes by H.P.B. There are some substances which are naturally highly magnetic, such as cobalt, nickel, oxygen gas… Read More »Medical Magnetism and the Healer Magnetic
Question by F. Hartmann | Reply by H.P.B. Will you kindly permit me a question? In Vol. IV, No. 2, on page 29 [see “Death… Read More »Devachan
Not with the object of vindicating the Asiatic people from any charge of superstition that may lie against them, but only to show that in… Read More »By “Bell, Book, And Candle”
Article selection by Gilbert Elliot, Esq. | Note by H.P.B. . . . The main difficulty in the way of ascertaining the truth about so-called miracles is… Read More »Theosophy and Miracles
Article selection by N. Chidambarum Iyer | Note by H.P.B. Very few of the modern Hindus—and fewer still of the so-called educated Hindus—are aware of… Read More »[Nadi Granthams]
Letter to the Editor, by H. | Note by H.P.B. In his able review of Mr. Oxley’s “Philosophy of Spirit,” concluded in the current number… Read More »Retrogression in Rebirth
Letter to the editor by A Hindu Theosophist | Note by H.P.B. Following the example of the Parsi Gentleman whose letter you published in the… Read More »Do the Rishis Exist?
The following letters appeared recently in the Poona Observer. Were it not for a few flagrant misconceptions in letter the first and which it seems… Read More »A Word with the Theosophists
Letter Selections by Lakshman Singh | Introductory Note and Notes by H.P.B. [Note: for background, see The “Contradictions of the Bible” and The Rawal Pindi Mission… Read More »“Self-Contradictions of the Bible”
Selection from letter to the editor “Paracelsus” by E.N.T. | Note by H.P.B. In regard to “Theophrastus Paracelsus,” whose name appears from time to time… Read More »[Did Paracelsus “give way to intemperance”?]
Selections from Brief Memorials of the Rev. Alphonese Francois Lacroix | Notes by H.P.B. He hailed every possible evidence of the soul’s life after the body’s… Read More »[A Reverend on After-Death States]
Introductory Note by H.P.B. to a Letter by “Paramahamsa Swami” on Advaita Philosophy As the subjoined letter, comes from such a learned source, we do… Read More »[On T. Subba Row]
Selection from letter to the editor “Is Brahmoism True Hinduism” by “A Member of the Adi B. Samaj” | Note by H.P.B. In your issue… Read More »[On the Parabrahm of the Upanishads]
Letter by Kinoo Roy | Reply by H.P.B. A custom is prevalent among the high classes of well to do Hindus, from time immemorial to… Read More »Horoscopes and Astrology
Selection from the Article “Indian Agricultural Reform” by J. J. Meyrick | Note by H.P.B. . . . A great loss of valuable food would be avoided if… Read More »[On Vegetarianism and the Murder of Innocent Animals]
Letter to the Editor, from “A” F.T.S. | Reply by H.P.B. In your instructive and interesting note to the article headed, “Tharana or Mesmerism,” published… Read More »Occult Accoustics
Selections from the Article “Karma” by A. Govinda Charlu | Reply by H.P.B. 1. We start with the supposition that the Karma (or merit) theory… Read More »[On Spirit and Matter]
Letter from H. Hardy | Reply by H.P.B. Knowing the interest you take in Oriental philosophy, will you kindly allow me to ask you or… Read More »The Rationale of Fasts
Selection from a Letter to the Editor (in response to a review of The Perfect Way) by it’s authors: Dr. Anna Kingsford and Edward Maitland… Read More »[Common Esotericism of East and West]
Selections from J. D. Buck’s Letter to the Editor, titled: “Curious Mediumistic Phenomena” | Note and Reply by H.P.B. . . . Fortified by the outlines of… Read More »[On “Curious Mediumistic Phenomena”]
Article selection by John Tyndall | Note by H.P.B. . . . The union of bodies in fixed and multiple proportions constitutes the basis of… Read More »[Numbers, Harmony, and Correspondences or Affinities]
Selections from HPB’s translation of Éliphas Lévi’s “Rituel de la Haute Magie” | Notes by H.P.B. . . . This stone is one and multiple; it… Read More »[Notes on the “Philosopher’s Stone”]
Introductory Notes by H.P.B. to a Review by M. A. (Oxon) We find a review in the Notes by the Way by “M. A. (Oxon)”… Read More »[“Time, Space, and Eternity”]
Article selection from “The Three Grades of Ancient Theosophists,” by A. Sankariah, F.T.S. | Note by H.P.B. . . . They are but nominal Theosophists who are… Read More »[Adepts and Marriage]
Letter by “Inquirer” | Reply by H.P.B. The writer in the London Spiritualist for November, who calls the “Fragments of Occult Truth” speculation-spinning, can hardly,… Read More »Is Suicide a Crime?
Selections from Eliphas Levi’s “Dogme de la Haute Magie” | Notes by H.P.B. Gleanings from Eliphas Levi1 Extracts from the Introduction to Dogme de la Haute… Read More »[Notes on Symbolism in Selections by Eliphas Levi]
Letter by N.D.K. | Reply by H.P.B. [Note: it is quite possible that this reply to N.D.K. was authored by an adept, given the three… Read More »Death and Immortality
Article Selection by “A Parsi F.T.S.” | Note by H.P.B. Here [in the Avesta] the whole man is spoken of as composed of five parts, as… Read More »[The Chinese Septenary Division]
Article Selection by Krishnasarma Mookerjee | Note by H.P.B. . . . the question arises, whether it is possible that a man could live without… Read More »[Note on “Can Man Live Without Food?”]
[H.P.B.’s response to “A Perplexed Theosophist”] The strict adherence to our duty as an Occultist, while it satisfies a few of our fellow students, materially… Read More »Was it “Spirits” or What?
TO THE MANAGER, THEOSOPHIST OFFICE. Sir.—the copy of Self-contradictions of the Bible arrived at my school on August 3. By chance the post peon gave… Read More »The “Contradictions of the Bible” and The Rawal Pindi Mission School
Article Selection from “Letters on Esoteric Theosophy” | Note by H.P.B. . . . When les espirits souffrants I am describing—to borrow a phrase from the French… Read More »[On the Variety of After-Death States]
Article Selections by Bitra Ramaswamy Naidu | Notes by H.P.B. I ask permission to offer a few questions in view of getting light for myself… Read More »[Notes on “Puzzling Queries”]
Article Selections by William Oxley | Introduction and Notes by H.P.B. We give room in this number to an interminably long paper—entitled “The Philosophy of… Read More »[Notes on “The Philosophy of Spirit”]
Article Selections from the Authors of “The Perfect Way” | Note by H.P.B. “The Perfect Way” To the Editor of The Theosophist. For the frank recognition… Read More »[Note on the Sufficiency of the Arhat Doctrine]
Review by H.P.B. | Reply by William Tebb | Note by H.P.B. THE VACCINATION INQUIRER and Health Review, the Organ of the London Society for… Read More »[On Vaccination]
Letter by W.H.C.D. | Reply by H.P.B. TO THE EDITOR OF THE THEOSOPHIST I have been studying the pamphlet on Esoteric Theosophhy, and find the… Read More »Questions About Esoteric Theosophy Answered
Article Selections by W. R. Frink | Editor’s Note by H.P.B. . . . I have . . . followed your writings and teachings in The… Read More »[On Levitation and Flight]
A Calcutta correspondent asks: (a) Is Occultism a science akin to Spiritualism? (b) What are the principal points in which the Theosophists and the Spiritualists… Read More »Theosophy and Spiritualism
Article Selection from a paper by Lionel Beale | Note by H.P.B. . . . I believe all materialistic doctrines, vary as they may in… Read More »[Note on the Assumptions of Materialism and Dogmatic Religion]
Letter by N. Chidambaram Iyer | Reply by H.P.B. In the June number of The Theosophist, Babu Purno Chandra Mukerjee enumerates certain processes resorted to… Read More »“Tharana,” or Mesmerism
Article Selection from “A Treatise on Sufism” | Notes by H.P.B. When man arrives to a knowledge of his own nature, of the affinity he… Read More »[On Sufis and Mahatmas as Non-Religious]
Article Selections by Captain A Banon | Notes by H.P.B. During the month of May, I was in the Gungotri Valley, and wish to relate… Read More »[Notes on Tibet and its Lamas]
Article selections from questions posed to a supposed medium. | Introductory Note, Notes, and closing Editor’s Note by H.P.B. [Note: In the following selections, exclamation… Read More »A Learned Bramhan Spirit!
Review Selections by Marcel Rouher (translated by H.P.B.) | Notes by H.P.B. Reviews Experimental Studies on Certain Nervous Phenomena, and a Rational Solution of the… Read More »[Notes on a Review of Mr. Chevillard’s Researches into Spiritism]
Letter from “British Theosophist” | Reply by H.P.B. TO THE EDITOR OF THE “THEOSOPHIST” As a Theosophist and lover of truth, I cannot allow a… Read More »Spiritualistic Morals in London
Letter Selections by Dhame Dinanath Pandurang | Editor’s Note by H.P.B. To the Editor of The Theosophist: Madame,—Having had with a friend . . . a… Read More »Is Belief in Omens a Superstition?
Letter by “Caledonian Theosophist” | Editor’s Note by H.P.B. TO THE EDITOR OF THE “THEOSOPHIST.” I have lately been engaged in devoting a few evenings’… Read More »Seeming “Discrepancies”
Article Selections by N. Chidambaram Iyer | Notes by H.P.B. . . . You are surprised to find that your friend and ally, Swami Dayanand… Read More »[On the T.S. Policy of Eclectic Tolerance of All Creeds]
Article Selections by T. Vijiaraghava Charlu | Notes by H.P.B. [Note: for some background, see “[Note on “Stone-Throwing by ‘Spirits’”],” “[On “Stone-Showers”],” and “More Anecdotes… Read More »[More on “Stone-Showers”]
Article Selection from “Bhagavad-Gita,” by Babu Nobin K. Bannerji | Note by H.P.B. . . . many a sound scholar considers the Gita as quite a… Read More »[The Bhagavad Gita a Book of Initiation]
Letter from Aletheia | Note and Reply by H.P.B. To the Editor of The Theosophist. Madame,—From time to time I have been grieved to notice,… Read More »Friendly Chastisement
Letter from “* * *” | Introductory Note and Footnotes by H.P.B. | “Answer to Misconceptions” by Damodar How little the “beliefs and creeds” of the Theosophical… Read More »Pert Questions and Plain Answers
Article Selections by Pestanji Dorabji Khandalawala | Notes by H.P.B. . . . Man is a miniature universe, a child of its great namesake. He… Read More »[Notes on God, Spirit and Matter]
Statement by Dr. Abdul Rahman Khan | Note by H.P.B. While Col. Olcott was at Lucknow, he was enabled to collect some more items of… Read More »More Anecdotes of Hassan Khan Djinni
Article Selections by * * * | Notes by H.P.B. Mediums and Yogis What is the Difference Between the Two? A Yogi is a man… Read More »[Notes on “Mediums and Yogis”]
Article Selections by G… P… C… | Introductory Note & Notes by H.P.B. The following interesting communication was received by an influential Officer of the… Read More »[Notes on “The Recluses of the Himalayas”]
Letter Selections from “The ‘Rast Goftar’ in Hot Water” | Editor’s Note by H.P.B. To the Editor of The Theosophist: Madame—I never read a more ungenerous… Read More »[On the Command to Love All]
Article Selections from “The Samajees that India Needs”| Notes by H.P.B. A correspondent, writing from Lahore, under date, February 17, informs us that our esteemed… Read More »[Note on the Policy of Mutual Toleration]
Article Selections from “The Amazons of the Lord” | Note and Closing Paragraphs by H.P.B.* [* This article is unsigned in The Theosophist. In The Collected… Read More »[On Christian Bigots and the Salvation Army]
Letter from H. | Editor’s Note by H.P.B. To the Editor of The Theosophist: Madame, On the last page of No. 4 of Psychic Notes [The… Read More »Strange Manifestations
Article Selections by Dorasamy Iyer | Introductory Note and Notes by H.P.B. To the Editor of The Theosophist: Madame,—As a member of a Reading-Room of Salem,… Read More »[Notes on “A Criticism Upon the ‘Mighty Problems of Brahma, Iswara and Maya’”]
Article Selections detailing comments from Mr. Cook’s Lecture | Notes and Reply by H.P.B. [Note: the following was preceded by letters to Mr. Joseph Cook… Read More »From Madame Blavatsky to Mr. Joseph Cook
Article Selections from “A Flash of Light upon Occult Freemasonry” | Notes by H.P.B. We are in receipt of an intensely interesting document. It is… Read More »[Notes on the Origin of Freemasonry and the Presence of Adepts in India]
Article Selections by S. Ramaswamier | Notes by H.P.B. Some questions have arisen in The Theosophist as to the views of the Hindus in general upon… Read More »[On Bhuts or Pisachas in India]
Article Selections | Notes and Editor’s Note by H.P.B. From the July number of the Church Missionary Intelligeneer and Record, a London monthly magazine and the… Read More »On “Theosophism” in India
Letter by K. Sarman Banerjee | Editor’s Note by H.P.B. To the Editor of The Theosophist. A few months ago, one Babu Jugut Chunder Chatterjee,… Read More »Are Dreams but Idle Visions?
Article Selections by Piarai Lall Chachondia | Notes by H.P.B. Lakshmibai (The Authentic Story of a Bhut)1 1. A ghost, an earth-bound soul. We give room to… Read More »[Notes on Bhutas or Ghosts]
The article on dreams alluded to in the following letter is reprinted with the desired explanatory notes for the information of our readers:— TO THE… Read More »The Universe in a Nut-Shell
Article by Dr. Ram Das Sen| Editor’s Note by H.P.B. I. The following narrative was related in the presence of a large assemblage of friends… Read More »[Notes on “Weird Phenomena”]
Article by Gerald Massey | Editor’s Note by H.P. Blavatsky I see from quotations made my “M. A. (Oxon)” in Light for September 17 that… Read More »[Note on “The Theosophists”]
The Editor of the Theosophist. MADAME, Talking the other day to a friend, who, like me, without being a Theosophist, takes a very great interest… Read More »Is Creation Possible for Man?
The reliability of the identification of returning spirits, may be inferred from this bit of fresh intelligence recently received through the Religio-Philosophical Journal, of July… Read More »Trance Mediums and “Historical” Visions