To Light a Thousand Lamps - The Theosophical Society

H. P. Blavatsky and The Theosophical Society / 151
rect influence on individuals or groups, and on humanity as
a whole, is again to the fore. Many theosophists prefer to
say as little as possible about Masters and about Śambhala,
in order not to desecrate further what is inexpressibly sacred,
although they clearly acknowledge HPB and her
teachers as the source of theosophy and its ideals.
Assuredly the Masters are behind every truly unselfish
e¤ort to lift the burden of sorrow and ignorance from mankind,
and the theosophical movement is not the Brotherhood’s
only source of ‘‘building stones.’’ ‘‘The sun of
Theosophy must shine for all, not for a part,’’ wrote M to
A. P. Sinnett early in 1882. ‘‘There is more of this movement
than you have yet had an inkling of, and the work of
the T.S. is linked in with similar work that is secretly going
on in all parts of the world. ... You know K.H. and
me — buss! know you anything of the whole Brotherhood
and its ramifications?’’ And M reminds Sinnett that he
‘‘ought to have learned by this time our ways. We advise —
and never order. But we do influence individuals.’’* It is
not for us to put enclosures around the Masters even in
thought and, whether consciously or unconsciously, try to
decree what their work is and what it is not, and how or
whom they will inspire or influence. Equally must we be
careful not to prejudge anyone and automatically dub him
a pretender because he professes to be the ‘‘mouthpiece of
Mahatmas,’’ or to receive ‘‘messages’’ from Morya, Koothoomi,
or Djual Khool.
We should not be astonished at the proliferation of al-
*The Mahatma Letters, Letter XLVII, pp. 271‒2.