Theosophical ideas have also exerted an influence on a wide range of other esoteric movements and philosophies, among them Anthroposophy, the Church Universal and Triumphant, and the New Age. [61] The Atlanteans were decadent and abused their power and knowledge, so Atlantis sunk into the sea, although various Atlanteans escaped, and created new societies in Egypt and the Americas. Wadia. He subsequently took control of the boy's instruction for two years. It promotes an emanationist cosmology in which the universe is perceived as outward reflections from this Absolute. [16] Along with other groups like the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the Theosophical Society has been seen as part of an "occult revival" that took place in Western countries during the late 19th century. It also encompasses wider religious philosophies like Vedānta, Mahāyāna Buddhism, Qabbalah, and Sufism. [65] Besant and Leadbeater claimed that Maitreya would again come to Earth by manifesting through an Indian boy named Jiddu Krishnamurti, whom Leadbeater had encountered playing on a beach at Adyar in 1909. [8] Olav Hammer and Mikael Rothstein termed it "one of the modern world's most important religious traditions". [53], According to Blavatsky's teaching, every solar system in the universe is the expression of what is termed a "Logos" or "Solar Deity". [129] In 1897, Tingley had established a Theosophical community, Lomaland, at Point Loma in San Diego, California. [88] [40] Blavatsky encouraged the production of images of the Masters. I've also started my own site darkbooks.org which I decided to share with other people my most favorite books on magic and occultism. [82] [159] This page was last edited on 14 May 2021, at 21:39. [83], By 1911, the Theosophical Society was involved in projects connected to a range of progressive political causes. "[143] The Theosophical Society had significant effects on religion, politics, culture, and society. [74] According to this belief, the human then moves into its mental body in a realm called devachan, which she compared to Heaven or paradise. [177] Hammer and Rothstein suggested that the "dearth of scholarly literature" on Theosophy was because "powerful individuals and institutions" in Europe and North America regarded the religion as "ludicrous", thus discouraging scholars from devoting their time to researching it. Theosophy tended to emphasize the importance of ancient texts over the popular ritual and custom found within various religious traditions. Photo Gallery - Charles Webster Leadbeater. Theosophy played a significant role in bringing knowledge of South Asian religions to Western countries, as well as in encouraging cultural pride in various South Asian nations. [125] Besant died in 1933, when the Society was taken over by George Arundale, who led it until 1945; the group's activities were greatly curtailed by World War II. [65] They claimed that Maitreya had previously incarnated onto the Earth as Krishna, a figure from Hindu mythology. Measure it by comparison with what the Theosophical Society actually has achieved in the last fourteen years, without any of these advantages and surrounded by hosts of hindrances which would not hamper the new leader. [124] [36] For most Theosophists, these Masters are deemed to be the real founders of the modern Theosophical movement. [39] According to Theosophical belief, the Masters approach those deemed worthy to embark on an apprenticeship or chelaship. [23] He eventually left the Theosophical Society altogether, yet remained on friendly terms with individual members of the Society. Established Christianity in the United States was experiencing challenges in the second half of the nineteenth century, a result of rapid urbanization and industrialization, high rates of immigration, and the growing understanding of evolutionary theory which challenged traditional Christian accounts of history. [54] Ranked below this Solar Deity are seven ministers or planetary spirits, with each of these celestial beings being in control of evolution on a particular planet. For the esoteric Christian movement established by Böhme, see. [48] Blavatsky also taught that a secret brotherhood has conserved this ancient wisdom religion throughout the centuries, and that members of this fraternity hold the key to understanding miracles, the afterlife, and psychic phenomena, and that moreover, these adepts themselves have paranormal powers. [60] Blavatsky alleged that during the fourth Round of the Earth, higher beings descended to the planet, with the beginnings of human physical bodies developing, and the sexes separating. 1 (English) (as Author) The Country-Life Movement in the United States (English) (as Author) The Holy Earth (English) (as Author) Manual of Gardening (Second Edition) A Practical Guide to the Making of Home Grounds and the Growing of Flowers, Fruits, and Vegetables for Home Use (English) (as Author) While Hargrove's faction no longer survives, the faction led by Tingley is today known as the Theosophical Society with the clarifying statement, "International Headquarters, Pasadena, California". [62] She claimed that some Atlanteans were giants, and built such ancient monuments as Stonehenge in southern England, and that they also mated with "she-animals", resulting in the creation of gorillas and chimpanzees. The following was stated in the Constitution and Rules of the Theosophical Society, 4. [26] Alternately, the scholar of esotericism Wouter J. Hanegraaff distinguished the Blavatskian movement from its older namesake by terming it "modern Theosophy". [7] In his history of the Theosophical movement, Bruce F. Campbell noted that Theosophy promoted "a religious world-view" using "explicitly religious terms" and that its central tenets are not unequivocal fact, but rather rely on belief. [89] Various new religious communities were established in different parts of the country, among them the Free Religious Association, New Thought, Christian Science, and Spiritualism. [61] At this point, the fourth Root Race appeared, living on the continent of Atlantis; they had physical bodies but also psychic powers and advanced technology. [53], Throughout her writings, Blavatsky made a variety of statements about rebirth and the afterlife, and there is a discrepancy between her earlier and later teachings on the subject. [6] [93] In The Secret Doctrine, Blavatsky advocated the idea of seven "Root Races", each of which was divided into seven Sub-Races. In 1902, Rudolf Steiner became General Secretary of the German-Austrian division of the Theosophical Society. [37], The Masters are believed to preserve the world's ancient spiritual knowledge,[38] and to represent a Great White Brotherhood or White Lodge which watches over humanity and guides its evolution. The American adventure fiction writer Talbot Mundy included Theosophical themes in many of his works. Lollard Society Bibliographies (200+ Lollard-related online books, plus many more citations) Menasseh Ben Israel collection (17th century printings of Jewish texts; in the Netherlands) Muggletonian.org.uk (source materials and commentary on … In addition to the stated objectives, as early as 1889 Blavatsky publicly declared that the purpose of establishing the Society was to prepare humanity for the reception of a World Teacher: according to the Theosophical doctrine described above, a manifested aspect of an advanced spiritual entity (the Maitreya) that periodically appears on Earth in order to direct the evolution of humankind. [108], On Olcott's death in 1907, he had nominated Besant to be his successor, and she was then elected to the position with a large majority in June. [61], Blavatsky taught that Lord Maitreya—a figure she borrowed from Buddhist mythology—would come to Earth as a messianic figure. They were also interested in studying Eastern religions, and these were included in the Society's agenda. [12], Scholars have also classified Theosophy as a form of Western esotericism. A third organization, the United Lodge of Theosophists or ULT, in 1909 split off from the latter organization. [144] [130] Various Theosophical writers and artists congregated there,[131] while horticultural development was also emphasized. Well-known intellectuals associated with the Theosophical Society include Thomas Edison[25] and William Butler Yeats. These attempts require an earthly infrastructure (such as the Theosophical Society) which she held was ultimately under the inspiration of a number of Mahatmas, members of the Hierarchy.[13]. [132] [2] Following the death of Helena Blavatsky, competition emerged between factions within the Society, particularly among founding members. [147] Alongside her support for Indian home rule, Besant had also supported home rule for Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. [18] [note 3] The Theosophical Society has been highly influential in promoting interest, both in west and east, in a great variety of religious teachings: When they were attacked by "savages" and animals "resembling furry lizards and crocodiles", Besant sacrificed herself to save Morya, and for that act made the karmic evolutionary leap to becoming a human in her next incarnation. [26] Causing some confusion, a few Theosophists — such as C. C. Massey — were also theosophers. [70] Two years later, she introduced the idea of reincarnation into Theosophical doctrine,[71] using it to replace her metempsychosis doctrine. [122] It focused on publishing new editions of Blavatsky and Judge's writings, as well as other books, which were usually released anonymously so as to prevent any personality cults developing within the Theosophical movement. [64] "[19], At a meeting of the Miracle Club in New York City on 7 September 1875, Blavatsky, Olcott, and Judge agreed to establish an organisation, with Charles Sotheran suggesting that they call it the Theosophical Society. [47] [102] Judge then announced that the Masters had informed him that he should take sole control of the Esoteric Section, deposing Besant; she rejected his claims. [72] In The Secret Doctrine, she stated that the spirit was immortal and would repeatedly incarnate into a new, mortal soul and body on Earth. [173], Many early scholars of religion dismissed Theosophy as being not worthy of study; Mircea Eliade for instance described Theosophy as a "detestable 'spiritual' hybridism". [67] Theosophy teaches that the Spiritual Soul and the Spirit do not reside within the human body alongside the other components, but that they are connected to it through the Human Soul. [61] She believed that the fifth Race would come to be replaced by the sixth, which would be heralded by the arrival of Maitreya, a figure from Mahayana Buddhist mythology. Select the correct statement/statements using the codes given below. [11] More specifically, Theosophy has been categorized as a new religious movement. There was present also a hope that Asian religious ideas could be integrated into a grand religious synthesis. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. [116] They then split from that to form their own Liberal Catholic Church, which was independent from the Theosophical Society (Adyar) while retaining an affiliation with it. [65] The introduction of the Krishmanurti belief into Theosophy has been identified as a millenarian element. It was founded primarily by the Russian immigrant Helena Blavatsky and draws its teachings predominantly from Blavatsky's writings. Theosophy was established in New York City in 1875 with the founding of the Theosophical Society by Blavatsky and two Americans, Henry Olcott and William Quan Judge. She promoted the idea that ancient societies exhibited a unity of science and religion that humanity has since lost, with their achievements and knowledge being far in excess of what modern scholars believe about them. It promotes values of universal brotherhood and social improvement, although it does not stipulate particular ethical codes. [52] Accordingly, Blavatsky taught that a life limited by the perception of this illusory world was ignorant and deluded. [17], This was repeated by then prominent Theosophist Annie Besant in 1896, five years after Blavatsky's death. Theosophical Society-Adyar is located at Adyar situated in the Indian city of Chennai. [90] Theosophy would inherit the idea — then popular in the United States — that emphasized the idea of free will and the inevitability of progress, including on a spiritual level. In Isis Unveiled, Blavatsky stated that on bodily death, the human soul progresses through more spiritual planes. 6. Bestsellers and television shows are devoted to Theosophical concepts such as reincarnation and spiritual evolution; the Internet overflows with references to Theosophical concepts such as the human aura (a Google search in May 2012 retrieved 47 million hits) and the, Influence on other religious and esoteric groups, Christianity and Theosophy § Theosophical Christianity, The Library of Rudolf Steiner: The Books in English, "Theosophy and the Origins of the Indian National Congress", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Theosophy&oldid=1022102863, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 8 May 2021, at 13:40. The Theosophical Society, founded in 1875, is a worldwide body with the aim to advance the ideas of Theosophy in continuation of previous Theosophists, especially the Greek and Alexandrian Neo-Platonic philosophers dating back to 3rd century AD. [97] Olcott, however, suspected that the notes from the Masters which Judge was producing were forged, exacerbating tensions between them. [45] It therefore has doctrine but does not present this as dogma. Download the Indian Freedom Struggle Timeline – GK Notes in PDF for revision later. [29] As used by Olcott, the term "Theosophy" appeared to be applied to an approach that emphasized experimentation as a means of learning about the "Unseen Universe"; conversely, Blavatsky used the term in reference to gnosis regarding said information. [7], After several iterations the Society's objectives were incorporated at Chennai (Madras) on 3 April 1905. [123], The Adyar Society membership later peaked at 40,000 in the late 1920s. Theosophy has an international following, and during the 20th century had tens of thousands of adherents. [174] The academic study of the Theosophical current developed at the intersection of two scholarly sub-fields: the study of new religious movements, which emerged in the 1970s, and the study of Western esotericism. [63] She further believed that humanity would eventually develop into the final, seventh Root Race. [84] In England, there were strong links between Theosophy and first-wave feminism. Theosophia, therefore, may be translated as "wisdom of the gods", "wisdom in things divine", or "divine wisdom". [56] [2] That Theosophy should not be labeled a religion is a claim that has been maintained by Theosophical organizations,[3] who instead regard it as a system that embraces what they see as the "essential truth" underlying religion, philosophy, and science. Judge was accused by Olcott and then prominent Theosophist Annie Besant of forging letters from the Mahatmas; he ended his association with Olcott and Besant in 1895 and took most of the Society's American Section with him. [164] The most prominent Ariosophist, the Austrian Guido von List, was influenced by Theosophical ideas in creating his own occult system. It is overseen by a hidden spiritual hierarchy, the so-called Masters of the Ancient Wisdom, whose upper echelons consist of advanced spiritual beings. [91] It was also influenced by a growing knowledge about Asian religions in the United States. The forces that had surfaced in spiritualism included anticlericalism, anti-institutionalism, eclecticism, social liberalism, and belief in progress and individual effort. The general condition of men's minds and hearts will have been improved and purified by the spread of its teachings, and, as I have said, their prejudices and dogmatic illusions will have been, to some extent at least, removed. [95], During her lifetime, Blavatsky had suggested to many different persons that they would be her successor. American Society of Papyrologists, Bulletin of the American Society of Papyrologists, Volume 1 (1963/4) - Volume 47 (2010). [152] Hilma af Klint's development of abstraction was directly tied to her work with the Theosophical Society, with the aim of presenting and preserving spiritual concepts visually. Contact [92], Prior to her arrival in the United States, Blavatsky had experience with esoteric currents like Spiritualism. [65] Her ideas on this were expanded upon by Besant and Leadbeater. In the Western world, it was a major force for the introduction of Asian religious ideas. Theosophical Society in America (Hargrove), Theosophical Society Point Loma - Blavatskyhouse, "Theosophical Society International Headquarters, Adyar Chennai Visit, Travel Guide", The Secret Doctrine: The Synthesis of Science, Religion, and Philosophy, The Library of Rudolf Steiner: The Books in English, "Esoteric Instructions (EI): The Esoteric Section: Introduction by the Compiler", "Theosophical Society Members 1875-1942 – Historical membership list of the Theosophical Society (Adyar) 1875-1942", The Theosophical Society in America: An Illustrated History, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Theosophical_Society&oldid=1023183271, Articles to be expanded from November 2017, Articles needing translation from German Wikipedia, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2011, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. "Boys and Gods". Theosophy teaches that the purpose of human life is spiritual emancipation and claims that the human soul undergoes reincarnation upon bodily death according to a process of karma. [37] They are perceived to be a fraternity of human men who are highly evolved, both in terms of having an advanced moral development and intellectual attainment. Followers of Blavatsky's movement are known as Theosophists, while adherents of the older tradition are termed theosophers. [110] Besant also began a campaign for Indian Home Rule, founding a group called the Home Rule League. Blavatsky described her ideas in two books, Isis Unveiled and The Secret Doctrine. Many esoteric groups — such as Alice Bailey's Arcane School and Rudolf Steiner's Anthroposophy — are "directly dependent" on Theosophy. In the early months of 1875, Olcott and Judge had come to realize that, if Blavatsky was a spiritualist, she was no ordinary one. [109] In her first years as the head of the Society, Besant oversaw a dramatic growth in its membership, raising it by 50%, to 23,000. [88], In the United States, Judge had been devoting himself to the promotion of Theosophy with little success. (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3. It also encompasses wider religious philosophies like Vedānta, Mahāyāna Buddhism, Qabbalah, and Sufism. [136] [84] Based on a statistical analysis, Dixon noted that prominent English feminists of the period were several hundred times more likely to join the Theosophical Society than was the average member of the country's population. [17] The historian of religion Wouter Hanegraaff noted that Theosophy helped to establish the "essential foundations for much of twentieth-century esotericism". [53] At this point the human soul can merge into the One. [165], In the United States during the 1930s, the I AM group was established by Guy Ballard and Edna Ballard; the group adopted the idea of the Ascended Masters from Theosophy. This did not last long. 1 (2013): 29-37. [137] He noted that in that latter year, there were circa 35,000 members of the Adyar-based Theosophical Society (9000 of whom were in India), c.5,500 members of the Theosophical Society in America, c.1500 members of the Theosophical Society International (Pasadena), and about 1200 members of the United Lodge of Theosophy. [144] [174] Hammer also lamented that while scholarship on Theosophy was developing, it had not focused on the reformulation of Theosophy by Leadbeater and Besant or with the developing ideas of post-Theosophical writers such as Steiner or Bailey. [23] The term theosophia appeared (in both Greek and Latin) in the works of early church fathers, as a synonym for theology. The Theosophical Society, founded in 1875, is a worldwide body with the aim to advance the ideas of Theosophy in continuation of previous Theosophists, especially the Greek and Alexandrian Neo-Platonic philosophers dating back to 3rd century AD. [126], Judge left no clear successor as leader of the Theosophical Society in America, but the position was taken by Katherine Tingley, who claimed that she remained in mediumistic contact with Judge's spirit. [25], Blavatsky's Theosophy is not the only movement to use the term "theosophy" and this has resulted in scholarly attempts to differentiate the different currents. [85] Theosophical contingents took part in feminist marches of the period; for instance, a Theosophical group operating under the banner of Universal Co-Freemasonry marched as part of the Women's Coronation Procession in 1911. The former group, headquartered in India, is the most widespread international group holding the name "Theosophical Society" today.
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