Wednesday 9 May 2012

White Lotus Day – Remembering H. P. Blavatsky

HPB in 1879. Courtesy: Pedro Oliveira
The 8th of May is one of the four important days in the Theosophical Society. It is the day we remember one of our principal founders, H. P. Blavatsky (HPB) who passed away on 8 May 1891. It is known as White Lotus Day because on that day, white lotuses were in bloom at Adyar, the International Headquarters of the Theosophical Society.

On this day members come together, and as requested by HPB in her will, verses are read from the Light of Asia by Sir Edwin Arnold and from the Bhagavad-gita – The Lord's Song. Col. Olcott thought it would be a fitting tribute to HPB if a few verses are read from one of her books called the Voice of the Silence.

We at the Wellington Branch too observed this day on 8 May 2012. After the verses from the three books were recited we learned a little about HPB's contribution to Theosophical literature through her books:
  • Isis Unveiled – Vol. I & Vol. II
  • The Secret Doctrine: The Synthesis of Science, Religion, and Philosophy
  • The Key to Theosophy an excellent introduction to the inquirer.
  • The Voice of the Silence – being chosen fragments from the 'Book of the Golden Precepts'.
All these books were published during her lifetime and have been in print since then.

HPB has been reported as saying that the study of the great universal principles of Theosophy requires a special kind of mental effort that involves “the carving out of new brain paths”. The study of these books would certainly help in carving the new brain paths.

There were interesting comments made during the discussion and we closed with some inspiring words:
Every wish and thought I can utter are summed up in this one sentence, the never-dormant wish of my heart, 'Be Theosophists, work for Theosophy!' – HPB (15 April 1891)

“Self-watchfulness is never more necessary than when a personal wish to lead, and wounded vanity, dress themselves in the peacock's feathers of devotion and altruistic work. . . . If every Fellow in the Society were content to be an impersonal force for good, careless of praise or blame so long as he subserved the purposes of Brotherhood, the progress made would astonish the World and place the Ark of the T.S. out of danger.” – HPB

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