94. The Congress of the Federation of European Sections of the Theosophical Society in Paris

In the first days of June 1906 (on the 3rd, 4th and 5th), the third congress of the federated European sections of the Theosophical Society took place in Paris. There were about 450 members from various European countries present. The welcoming speeches that the representatives of the various nations gave in their own languages at the first official meeting therefore expressed a common human interest in the most diverse forms. One could hear this interest expressed in English, French, Swedish, Italian, Dutch, German, Russian, Spanish, Czech; one could hear it from a Hindu and a Parsee. More than twenty German members were present.

The President-Founder of the Theosophical Society, H.S. Olcott, presided over the meeting. The preparatory work had been carried out by the members of the French section in a dedicated and sacrificial manner. It is, of course, impossible to list all the esteemed members of the Society who have earned recognition on this occasion. Anyone who has any idea of the magnitude of the work involved in such an undertaking can also appreciate what those members who are at the place of assembly at such a time have to accomplish. In particular, however, we would like to mention Mrs. Aimé Blech and Mrs. Zelma Blech, Commandant Courmes, Mr. Charles Blech, P.E. Bernard, Mr. M. Bailly, Jules Siegfried Jr., A. Ostermann and, above all, the Secretary General of the French Section, Dr. Th. Pascal.

Thanks to the efforts and sacrifices of our French friends, the Society has a beautifully furnished French headquarters at 59 Avenue de la Bourdonnais in Paris, which is ideal for lectures and visits. It not only has a spacious and friendly lecture hall, but also good rooms for work, a library and a book depository for Theosophical works in French. There is a lot of work going on at this headquarters. The Secretary General receives visitors there on the first and third Sunday of the month from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. On the first Sunday of the month (4 p.m.) and every Thursday at 8:30 p.m., public lectures are held. A meeting for members takes place every third Sunday of the month at 4 p.m. In addition, a course is held on Tuesday at 4 p.m. in French and one on Monday at 4 p.m. in English.

During the congress, these rooms also housed the “Exhibition of Arts and Crafts”, which was opened by President H.S. Olcott on Saturday, June 4 (4 p.m.). Our French friends have put a lot of effort into tastefully assembling works of art and art objects that bear witness to the endeavor to also depict the theosophical interest in pictures.

The actual meetings of the congress took place in the magnificent hall of the Washington Palace (14 Rue Magellan). The first official session opened at 10 a.m. on Sunday, June 3, 1906. M. Ed. Bailly had written and composed an opening chorus for the occasion: “Ode to the Sun.” It was a beautiful, atmospheric introduction. This was followed by a warm welcome from the Secretary-General of the French Section, Dr. Th. Pascal. The next item was a longer address by the founding president, H. S. Olcott. It was clear from this address how the Society is growing all the time (it has now spread its branches to forty-four different countries around the world). In particular, the gratifying growth of the movement in France was emphasized, when one compares its current state with the small beginnings that could be seen in 1884, when he, the President, and H.P. Blavatsky first endeavored to stimulate interest in Theosophy from Paris. Olcott presented the nature of the Theosophical work in its most important aspects to the souls of those gathered. He characterized the importance of the headquarters in Adyar, the library there with its ancient manuscript treasures and a rich collection of books, in which one can find invaluable material for the study of occultism, the various religions, etc. — In his speech, Olcott was particularly concerned with emphasizing the general human character of the society. It wanted to keep away from everything that could somehow cause disharmony between people. Nothing should be included in its endeavors that had anything to do with the one-sided, special interests of gender, race, class, creed, etc. The society as a whole should stand above the achievements, reputation, etc. of individual leaders and teachers of the same. One should not put individuals on a pedestal and expect absolute perfection from them, and one should not be immediately disappointed when one finds faults in those from whom one would not have expected them. One should behave in such a way towards particular questions, directions and views that one never loses sight of the broad basis of society. Esoteric, Masonic, etc. currents are none of society's business. It can only concern itself with the comprehensive goal that leads to human brotherhood and must not identify itself with any of the aforementioned directions. (It is expressly noted here that an objective report is to be given in the above, that the President's remarks are to be reproduced factually, and that the reporter is not to mix his own views into the report.) — The President read his address in English. It was repeated in French by Mr. Jules Siegfried, Jr.

After this “presidential address”, the representatives of the individual regions gave their greetings in their respective languages, as already described above.

The business of the congress was again handled this year by the permanent secretary of the federation, Johan van Manen. It must be said that J. van Manen deserves the special thanks of the Society for his dedicated work. He has to conduct extensive correspondence with all the section leaders and many individual members many months before the meeting every year. He has to take care of the difficult arrangements. And J. van Manen has now undertaken this task for the third time in his pleasant and personable way.

On the afternoon of June 3, from 2:15 to 5 p.m., the first of the general debates took place. Two questions were debated:

1. “To what extent is the Theosophical Society only a group of people seeking the truth, and to what extent does it unite learners or those who propagate or adhere to a particular direction of spiritual science?”

2. “If the Theosophical Society has no dogmas, then it does, quite rightly, recognize authorities. Is the relative value of these authorities merely a matter of individual acceptance? What qualities or abilities should such authorities possess?”

In the debate, a wide range of views were expressed, from the strict rejection of all authority to the emphasis on the necessity of such. At the moment, it seems that there is a strong current of opinion that it is dangerous to rely too much on authority. However, those who recognize that the necessary authority should not be disregarded also spoke up, which arises wherever those who have already advanced in some knowledge are to have an effect on those who still have to learn in one way or another. There was a very active participation in the debate; the third question envisaged could no longer be addressed. According to the program, it should read: “Should a person's moral character be a factor in their admission to the Theosophical Society? Can persons whose morality does not conform to prevailing social views be within the Theosophical Society? Can there be any general rules in this direction?”

Bertram Keightley chaired the debate sympathetically and judiciously.

That same evening, two lectures took place. The first was given by Mr. G. R. S. Mead, the learned expert on Gnosticism. He spoke about “the religion of the spirit”. He started from his studies of the theosophical-gnostic views of life at the time of the origin of Christianity, which covered many years of his busy life. He explained the essence of the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus and his followers. Through these teachings, a wisdom was to be found that, in perfect harmony of head and heart, would lead the soul of man to its union with the “higher divine self”. A religion based on science, leading to the highest levels of experience, was outlined as that of certain ancestors and contemporaries of the emerging Christianity. A French translation of this speech, delivered in English, was distributed among the audience. The second lecture was given in French by M. Bernard on “Problems of the Present Moment”. He spoke about the current tasks at hand in society, the attitudes required of its members, and the best way to achieve the goals of the Theosophical Society.

On Monday, June 4, lectures were given by members in two sections in the morning hours. One of the sections, which had to deal with religion, mysticism, mythology, folklore, was chaired by Dr. Koopmans, a member of the Dutch Section. The second section dealt with philosophy, chaired by Dr. Steiner, and later, when he himself had to speak in the first section, by Miss M. von Sivers. Mr. Becker from London served as secretary for the first section, and Mr. Max Gysi from London for the second. In the first section, Mrs. Sharpe first read an essay by Edward E. Long on “An Insight into Islam.” The aim was to present the moral foundations and beauties and the sublime teachings of this religion, which are so often misunderstood. The particular way in which the followers of this religion strive for “union with God” in order to achieve inner harmony and peace of mind was shown. The original nobility of this religion and its later decline into idolatry and superstition were presented, but also the more recent efforts to preserve this faith, and the theosophical aspects that can be found in it. — Georg Doe then spoke about “some research results in folklore, especially with regard to Devonshire”. — This lecture was followed by one by a member of the Italian section, Mrs. von Ulrich, on “the old Slavonic religions”. The lecturer spoke about the simple lines of the Lithuanian and Latvian forms of religion, within which a kind of worship of the forces of nature prevails. There are no priests or temples; every head of the household is a priest. She went on to explain that the Russians started out with similar religions, but later adopted Germanic gods and gave them Slavic names. Then she showed how this form of religion transitioned into Christianity. There was also talk of the part of the Russians who occupied the north of the Germanic territories and changed their beliefs in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, from their richly endowed temples and idols.

The conclusion in this section was a lecture by Dr. Rudolf Steiner on “Theosophy in Germany a Hundred Years ago”. The lecturer explained that in the spiritual movement in Germany at the end of the eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth century, which is associated with the names Schiller, Goethe, Fichte, Schelling, Novalis, Hegel and so on, there is a significant undercurrent whose origins are to be found in esoteric, occult brotherhoods. Such occult fraternizations have existed in German-speaking areas since the fourteenth century. Personalities such as Paracelsus and Jacob Böhme are not part of such societies; however, what they taught emanated from them in a certain way. In particular, the speaker showed how Schiller can only be fully understood if the mysterious foundations of his thinking and writing are revealed. Knowledge of German occultism contains the key not only to his youthful essay 'Theosophy of Julius', but also to his later work. Then

the occult basis was uncovered in the philosophy of J.G. Fichte. Finally, the speaker pointed to the intimate esotericism of Novalis, to the actual psychological studies of Ennemoser, Eckardthausen, Justinus Kerner, but especially to a no longer known 'theosophist who only called his 'theosophy' 'biosophy', namely ZroxVer, who, for example, gave the most beautiful discussions about the 'astral body'. The speaker concluded with an examination of why the idea of reincarnation must be absent from this “German ‘theosophy’” and what relationship this idea has to that world view. Miss Kamensky from St. Petersburg then gave a summary of this lecture in French.

In the second section, which was devoted to philosophy, Herbert Whyte spoke first about “Açvaghosha's Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana”. He explained that the essential in Mahayana is the same as in the Upanishads and in the Bhagavad Gita, and he showed the similarities between Acvaghosha's teachings and the explanations of the expansion of self-awareness given by Annie Besant in her book “Studies in Consciousness”. True enlightenment cannot be attained through anything external, but only through the inner life of the spirit. The spirit is a source from which the higher life must flow. And it must be supported by the following forces: compassion, patience, concentration, energy, inner harmony and calm. After that, M. Xifré read an excerpt from a longer work by Rafael Ürbano, which was about Spanish mysticism and explained it using examples such as St. Teresa of Jesus and St. John of the Cross, etc. — Then an essay was read in excerpt form that the “Yoga” study group in Algiers had worked on, entitled “Devotion and Wisdom”. It is shown how, for much of what the still ignorant man undertakes, the “masters” on the higher planes are the guides. Then, as man develops, he enters into relationship with these masters. This union with them leads to wisdom and to “yoga”. — Mr. Wallace then spoke about “diagrams and symbols”. He distinguishes between static symbols, which contain nothing essential of what they represent, and dynamic symbols, which in their whole structure reflect the essence of the laws of nature. He stated the requirement that true symbolism must be taken from the essence of things. After this lecture, Loues Desaint spoke about “Bergson's Philosophy in Relation to the Ancient Philosophy of the Indians”. According to this philosophy, the spirit is conceived as an entity independent of matter. Maurice Largeris gave an excerpt from his work “The Alleged Pessimism of the Indians and the Moral Theory of Happiness”. He showed how erroneous are the widespread views regarding this pessimism. They find their correction in the idea of that “liberty” which is attained through union with the “divine self.” Finally, in a lecture entitled “An Attempt at a Way of Life,” Eugène Lévy presented a series of rules that can be applied in the daily life of those who aspire to higher spiritual development.

On the afternoon of June 4, 1906, the second general debate took place under the chairmanship of Commandant D. A. Courmes, who led it in a tasteful and judicious manner. The following questions were discussed:

ı. Is propaganda an essential goal of the Theosophical Society? 2. How is it that despite the long existence of the Theosophical Society and despite the propaganda it has done, the number of members today is still relatively small (13,000 in 1905)? Can it be said that the Theosophical Society lacks a method or a system? If it does, should we regret it? If it does, how can it be remedied?

Many members also took part in this debate, which again lasted from 2:00 to 5:00, and again the most diverse views came to light. The usefulness of propaganda was discussed, as well as the best way of conducting it. There were those who warned that some awkward situations arise when individual overzealous members engage in propaganda. It was said that it is above all a certain way of thinking and feeling that makes one a Theosophist, but less so the acceptance of certain dogmas and teachings.

Another question that was discussed was: “Should the Theosophical Society or its parts (sections, branches, etc.) officially bring everything related to the course of the movement to the attention of the members?” Regarding this question, it was agreed that the president would send a detailed report on the events of the year to the sections, which would then be passed on to the members. There was little time left for the fourth question: “Is there a need for material assistance among members?”

In the evening of the same day, an interesting concert took place, in which the French members participated in an appreciable way: Mme Revel. M. Gaston Revel and M.Louis Revel, Mme Pauline Smith, Mme André-Gedalge, Mme Lasneret, Mlle Roberty, Mme Strohl and Mme Alis-Heüres, Mlle Jeanne Bussiere, Mons. Rene Billa and M. Henry Farrü.

On Tuesday morning at 10 o'clock, the lectures by the individual members began again. The following sections were in session: 1. Proposals, discussions, criticisms, motions, resolutions, etc.; 2. Art; 3. History of the Theosophical Society and the Theosophical Movement; 4. Science and borderlands in the various directions; 5. Brotherhood; 6. Administration, propaganda, working methods, etc.

In the first section, the possibility and usefulness of a unified world language, “Esperanto”, was discussed. In the second section, Ed. Bailly gave a lecture on ancient Egyptian music, accompanied by singing samples. It was an “invocation of the planetary spirits”; the relationship of the seven vowels to the planetary spirits was discussed. Madame André-Gedalge further developed a mystical interpretation of Mozart's “Magic Flute”. She explained how Mozart, Beethoven and Haydn, through their initiation into the “Scottish Rite” Freemasonry, were able to give their musical works an occult foundation. — In the third section, P.C. Taraporwalla spoke about the Theosophical movement in India and its significance for religious life in that country. In the fourth section, there was a lecture by Dr. Th. Pascals on: “Le mécanisme du rêve cérébral”. It is hardly possible to reproduce the subtle arguments of the French theosophical researcher, who is trying to gain a truly scientific basis for certain theosophical views. — After that, F. Bligh Bond gave a discussion of “Rhythmic Energies and Form Design with Illustrations”. By combining pendulums that swing in different directions and at different speeds and that fix the movement on a sheet of paper with an attached pen, very complicated oscillation patterns are created. This can give an idea of the forces at work in matter. Miss Ward then spoke of how it would be desirable to find suitable people in a wide variety of places to collect everything that recent scientific and other research could produce as evidence for the theories contained in H.P. Blavatsky's “Secret Doctrine”. Science has found many new things since the book was published. If one were to collect it and compare it with the “Secret Doctrine” in an appropriate way, one would first see what a treasure of wisdom humanity has received in the said work. Monsieur le Commandant D. A. Courmes spoke in the fifth section about “Material Assistance within the Theosophical Movement”. In the sixth section, Ré Levie gave a discussion of the systematic study of Kabbalah using the Theosophical key.

In the afternoon the closing session of the congress took place. Unfortunately, the president, O%or7, was unable to attend this session; indisposition prevented him from doing so. First of all, it was announced that a telegram of welcome should be sent to Mrs. Besant and that next year's congress should take place in Germany.

Then the General Secretaries of the various countries spoke on behalf of their sections: Dr. Th. Pascal for the French, Arvid Knös for the Scandinavian, Miss Kate Spink for the British, W.B. Fricke for the Dutch, Professor Dr. O. Penzig for the Italian and Dr. Rudolf Steiner for the German section. The Secretary of the Federation, Johan van Manen, gave administrative information. The Congress was brought to a moving close by the “Final Chorus”, composed by Rita Strohl.

In particular, it should also be emphasized that during the debates, Mr. P.E.Bernhard, Mr. Johan van Manen and Mr. Xifré took the trouble to translate the statements made in different languages into French.

On Wednesday, there was an excursion to Meudon, on the Seine by boat. The gracious way in which our French friends looked after the foreign visitors that afternoon was a fitting end to the whole congress.