March 2007

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Message for March

A LIFE-TIME OF SERVICE

Recently Chennai observed the Centenary of the passing (on 17^th February 2007) of the Founder-President of the Theosophical Society, Col. Henry Steele Olcott (1832 – 1907). Some months earlier, anticipating this event, I was asked by a contemporary fellow student of the Besant Theosophical School, Adyar, to help in the compilation of contributions by other Alumni on their school days at this institution, since published under the title “South of the Adyar River”.

Although I had obviously heard about Col. Olcott earlier, this assignment led me to read his Diaries in eight volumes (called Old Diary Leaves) written up between 1878 and 1898 chronicling his work and travels through India, Burma, Ceylon, Indo-China, Australia and Japan, besides the West. In these travels, this American who had accepted Buddhism as his creed, established more than 200 schools in South Asia and adjacent countries, reconciled various conflicts between different Buddhist Congregations and worked steadfastly for the uplift of the depressed classes.

However, that is as they say, another story, for what I have to convey in this message are the impressions gathered about Olcott’s dedication, and what appears to be Masonic springs from which the stream of Theosophy took its source. Olcott was obviously a Free Mason and the tenets of the Theosophical Society, of Brotherhood and the search for Truth, leads me to believe that Freemasonry was the source. In fact, all members of the Theosophical Society refer to themselves, as Brothers, there is a temple in the Society’s premises, albeit for Co-Masonry, and even Dr. Annie Besant was a 33° Freemason (of Co-Masonry) and its motto is “There is no religion higher than Truth”.

Olcott’s dedication to his chosen cause was such that in the 29 years between 1878 and his death in 1907 he had founded the Theosophical Society with its World Headquarters in Adyar, Madras, in partnership with Madame Blavatsky, traveled to every Continent by those ancient, slow, and relatively uncomfortable modes of travel, established more than 200 schools, moved the Colonial administration of Ceylon to recognize Buddhism as the State Religion of that Island, and in every way assisted the indigenous cultures and religions of Asia to assert themselves and protect their respective heritage. It may be said that he practised Masonic principles to the very end and set an example of service to his fellow-men, far from his native land – an example worthy of emulation – living respected and dying regretted.