Dear Sir-It is clear to me that your eruditneness regarding the lineage of
these things is profound, and far beyond me as a student. But, I have
something to say because I believe there are other perspectives (at least
0ne) to take regrading the Mahatmas that are as self-validateing to this
student as your learned perspective is to you. I was a member of the T.S 30
years ago and after a short stay of a couple of years, I joined the United
Lodge of Theosophists. As a student of ancient wisdom in general I developed
a focus upon the concept of Mahatmas, primarily because the concept of
Masters of Wisdom as brothers and sincere spiritual human beings who became
what they are through their own self-devised effort, is very motivating. And
that is how they are characterized in true Theosophical writings. Now, you
may feel, that becoming "what they are" is erroneous and therefore should
certainly not be emulated. And, it seems, your decision would be made based
upon what you have perused of the "Mahatma Letters". Frankly I would and
actually felt similarly, if they were all I was steering my studies by. My
study and the closest students within my circle of study feel as if they
(The Mahatma Letters)are nearly impossible to use since their context or
focus seemed to be to individual students. They are valid as productions of
the beings attributed to, but their subject matter seemed to be limited to
the student on the original receiving end. Therefore, and as such, they
should never have been published to a general audience. I read them when
they came my way as a member of the T.S. At that time, as I do when I read
something difficult to characterize or to practically use, I put them on a
"back burner", so to speak. Upon spending many years studying HPB's The
Secret Doctrine along with her collective writtings as well as Willam Quan
Judge's, Robert Crosbie, and others, it became clear to me that students who
flaunt knowledge of the Mahatma Letters are doing so for some egocentric
purpose. Why? Because when you place what the Mahatmas have said in the
context in which they are placed in thoughtful writtings aimed at giving the
student as much context as possible in which to understand their wisdom, one
might learn something useful. Otherwise, the Mahatma Letters stand only as
an inigma. Real, but rather practically useless. Those in HPB's direct
lineage, which leaves out many, if not most writers in the Thesophical
Society, who have recieved further instruction from the Lodge of Mahatmas,
have never given a collection of the Mahatma letters to be printed. They
have ALWAYS been exerpted and put in the context of principled ideation
regarding a subject matter in discussion. Why exerpted? Because it is clear
to students of the Wisdom religion, that the Chelas of Mahatmas are given
instructions as to how the wisdom of the Teacher will be used. This trust is
beyond question amongst those so chosen. In fact that is part and parcel of
the Teacher-Desciplic realtionship. None the less, each student is implored
to study on their own and to draw their own conclusions.
Perhaps, more importantly, is the ideal of putting to work the best
ethical thought, word and deed that one can. The great Paramitas are most
always overlooked by the phenomena addicted student. This great ethical
teaching is pronounced by HPB and Her Teachers as the paramount motive
behind the Theosophical Movement. This is true now and I know it was true in
HPB's day. And disscusion of high beings and their powers are a terrible
trap. AS can be the trap of high erudition becaue it can become an end in
itself. The path which it uncovers may seem not as "tasty" to the mind, as
the nearly tactle feeling of accruing knowledge, which leaves the mystically
inclined, ethical student within, simply ignored. The becoming of the
Pratyeka Buddha is at the crown of this while the Nirmanakaya is the product
of the practice of the Heart Doctrine. These choices need to be made and one
is making them by our inclinations whether we know it or not. A good thing I
say. Sincerely-Steven Levey





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