The History of the Esoteric School 1904–1914, Volume One

GA 264 — Munich

Circular Letter to All Esoteric Students

Regarding the election of Annie Besant, head of the Esoteric School, as president of the Theosophical Society, which led to the separation of the Esoteric School.

Probably May 4, 1907 from Munich

The upcoming election of the President of the Theosophical Society.

To all those members of the German Section who seek esoteric schooling from me.

In these days, when the German Section is to vote on the future President of the Theosophical Society, it is my duty to say a few words to those who belong to the esoteric current.

The esotericist has a different relationship to spiritual life than that which is required for membership of the exoteric society. The members of the exoteric Theosophical Society have nothing to do with but the statutes. And according to the statutes, Colonel Olcott has nominated Mrs. Besant as the future president. The member will have only to consider whether he regards Mrs. Besant as a suitable President or not and cast his vote accordingly. Exoterically, that is all there is to it.

The matter looks different when viewed from the esoteric standpoint. There is the fact that it was announced from Adyar that the nomination of Col. Olcott had been made by the Masters at the bidding of his Masters, who appeared at his sickbed shortly before his departure from the physical plane. And Mrs. Besant has emphasized with all possible clarity that she accepted the election because her Master told her to do so.

I now speak in this letter only to those who have confidence in me. For only such have turned to me for esoteric counsel. Had they not this confidence, they would not have turned to me. And I again expressly request here that only those who have this confidence may hear these my words. The others may simply leave them unconsidered.

Occult connections are complicated. Therefore, no one should think that it is easy to talk about them. The time will come when I will be allowed to speak more clearly than I can today about the phenomena in Adyar.

It has been my principle so far not to advance anything within the Theosophical movement that I cannot vouch for with my own knowledge. This must continue to be my principle. This is not to say that others should not teach what they accept on trust. I emphasize that they are right to do so. Only my principle must be the above. It is only on this principle that I feel justified in esoterically relating to Theosophists and to people in general as I do.

With these qualifications, I now say what I have to say about Mrs. Besant's nomination.

From all the discussions that have taken place about the Master's appearances in Adyar, one thing is clear: either they are true, in which case it would be a rebellion against the Masters not to follow them; or they are false, in which case there can be no question of taking them into account, and then everything connected with Mrs. Besant's leadership is called into question. But there is no such contradiction. Within real occultism, there should be no talk of the possible inauthenticity of the phenomena in Adyar. It would never occur to a true occultist to question their authenticity.

I myself must now have a different view of these phenomena than Mrs. Besant. But that does not change the following facts.

Mrs. Besant is part of the spiritual life. She is inhabited by that spiritual life that emanates from the spiritual powers. And anyone within the Theosophical Society who wants this spiritual life will see Mrs. Besant as the appropriate person to hold the presidency at the present time.

I have different experiences in relation to many things that are difficult for Mrs. Besant to consider. I have to assume that many difficulties in the conduct of Central European esoteric matters may arise through her. And I will never relate to those who have faith in me other than in a way that I can justify to my own knowledge, to myself, and to the individuals we call the Masters. Once more I emphasize it: Whoever does not have the trust in me in this direction, let him not listen to me. I want to give everyone the message that I am able to give; but I want no one to receive it other than from the completely free decision of his heart.

Precisely because I feel so completely independent from any belief in authority Mrs. Besant, precisely because I must find other ways prescribed by the exalted individualities whom we call the masters: precisely for that reason I may also say that I am in complete agreement with Mrs. Besant that the Theosophical Society draws its strength, its power, indeed its content from the masters, and that it must die if it were to deny the masters and thus spiritual life.

Even if I had to go in a different direction from Mrs. Besant during her presidency, I would still have to say that she seems to me to be the right president. And even if I have said that I have different experiences of the Adyar apparitions than Mrs. Besant, I must still say that esoterically Mrs. Besant is right in her appeal to the Masters.

All this is decisive for me alone, when I express just as clearly as openly to those striving esoterically that Mrs. Besant is the suitable personality for the presidency for me, as on the other hand, that for all those who have confidence in me, no “psychic tyranny” will ever be exercised by any personality.

The occultist, however, can only regard the discussion as to whether the Adyar phenomena are genuine or not as unesoteric, and must refrain from entering into it.

In view of the responsibility I am assuming in this letter towards the wise men of humanity,

I greet you

Rudolf Steiner