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The Mahatma Letters to A.P. Sinnett - 1923

By A. T. Barker

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Letter No CV

My dear friend— 

Before I give you any definite answer to your business letter I desire to consult our venerable Chohan. We have, as you say 12 months time before us. For the present I have a little busi-ness on hand, that is very important, as it hinges on to a seriesof other deliberate untruths, whose real character it is nigh timeto prove. We are called in so many words, or rather in fiveletters "liars" (sic) and accused of "base ingratitude." Thelanguage is strong, and willing as we should feel to borrow manya good thing from the English, it is not politeness, I am afraid,that we would feel inclined to learn from the class of gentlemenrepresented by Mr. Hume. Left standing by itself, the businessI am now concerned with, you may truly regard, as of very littleim|x>rtance collated with other facts unless shewn on good andunimpeachable testimony as, to say the least, a perversion of facts—it tends to become a cause which will yield unpleasant effectsand ruin the whole fabric. Do not, therefore, I pray you, stopto argue the utter unworthiness of the small remembrance, butrelying upon our seeing something of the future which remainshidden to you, pray answer my question, as a friend and brother.When you have done that you will learn why this letter is written.

H.P.B. has just quarrelled with Djual Khool, who maintainedthat the unpleasant proceeding was not entered in the minutes byDavison, which she affirmed that it was. Of course he wasright and she wrong. Yet if her memory failed her in thisparticular, it served her well as to the fact itself. You remember,of course the event. Meeting of the Eclectics in the Billiardroom. Witnesses—yourself, the Hume pair, the Gordon couple,Davison and H.P.B. Subject : S. K. Chatterji his letter to Humeexpressing contempt for theosophy and suspicious about the goodfaith of H.P.B. Handing over the letter I had returned her toMr. Hume she said that I had given orders through her to theGeneral Council to invite the Babu to resign. Thereupon Mr.Hume proclaimed most emphatically : "In such case your KootHoomi is no gentleman. The letter is a private letter and underthese circumstances no gentleman could ever think of acting asdesired by him." Now the letter was not a private one, sinceit was circulated by Mr. Hume among the members. At the timeI paid no attention whatever to the fling. Nor had I cometoknow of it through H.P.B., but through G. Khool who had heardit himself and has an excellent memory.

Now, will you oblige me by writing for me two' lines telling meas you remember the event. Were the words " no gentleman"applied to your humble servant or in general. I ask you asagentleman, not as a friend. This has a very important bearingon the future. When done, I will let you see the latest development of the infinite fertility of resource at the command of ourmutual friend. It may be, that under any other circumstancesMr. H. 's braggadocios about Lord Ripon's high opinion of Hume's theosophy and his " big- talk " about his literary, monetary, and other services rendered to us might pass unnoticed, for we all know his weaknesses; but in the present case they must be dealt with so as not to leave him a single straw to catch at, because his last letter to me (which you will see)—is not only entirely at variance with all the acknowledged rules of good breeding, but also because unless his own mis-statements are actually proved, he will boast hereafter of having given the direct lie to our Brotherhood, and that no member of the latter could ever permit it. You cannot fail to remark the absurd contrast between his apparent confidence in his wonderful powers and superiority and the soreness he exhibits at the slightest remark cast upon him by myself. He must be made to realize that were he really as great as he asserts, or even if he were himself quite satisfied of his greatness and the infallability of his power of memory, whatever even the adepts might think, he would remain indifferent to, at any rate, would not be as vulgarly abusive as he is now. His sensitiveness is in itself evidence of the doubts lurking in his mind as to the validity of the claims he so boastfully puts forth ; hence his irritability, excited by anything and everything that is likely to disturb his self-delusions.

I hope you will not refuse a direct and clear answer to my direct and clear question. 

Yours ever affectionately, 
K. H.