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The Mahatma Letters to A.P. Sinnett - 1923

By A. T. Barker

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Letter No CXXXI

Coconada. 
26th June, 1882. 

To A. P. Sinnett, Esq., etc. etc. etc. 
Dear Sir,

Please kindly excuse me for not having sent you a reply toyour letter to this time. The qualified assent which you werepleased to give to the conditions laid down by me necessitated areference to the Brothers for their opinion and orders. And nowI am sorry to inform you that anything like practical instructionin the ritual of Occult Science is impossible under the conditionsyou propose. So far as my knowledge goes, no student of OccultPhilosophy has ever succeeded in developing his psychic powerswithout leading the life prescribed for such students; and it isnot within the power of the teacher to make an exception in thecase of any student. The rules laid down by the ancient teachersof Occult Science are inflexible ; and it is not left to the discretionof any teacher either to enforce them or not to enforce themaccording to the nature of the existing circumstances. If youfind it impracticable to change the present mode of your life, youcannot but wait for practical instruction until you are in a position to make such sacrifices as Occult Science demands ; and forthe present you must be satisfied with such theoretical instructionas it may be possible to give you.

It is hardly necessary now to inform you whether the instruction promised you in my first letter under the conditions thereinlaid down would develop in you such f>owers as would enable youeither to see the Brothers or converse with them clairvoyantly.Occult training, however commenced will in course of time, necessarily develop such powers. You will be taking a very low viewof Occult Science if you were to suppK>se that the mere acquirement of psychic powers is the highest and the only desirable resultof Occult training. The mere acquisition of wonder-workingpowers can never secure immortality for the student of Occult Science unless he has learnt the means of shifting- gradually his sense of individuality from his corruptible material body to the incorruptible and eternal Non-Being represented by his seventh principle. Please consider this as the real aim of Occult Science and see whether the rules you are called upon to obey are neces- sary or not to bring about this mighty change.

Under the present circumstances, the Brothers have asked me to assure you and Mr. Hume that I would be fully prepared to give you both such theoretical instruction as I may be able to give in the Philosophy of the Ancient Brahminical Religion and Esoteric Buddhism.

I am going to leave this place for Madras on the 30th of this month. 

I beg to remain your 
sincerely,
T. SuBBA Row.