Memories of Madras - Where the mind was without fear

My father came to Madras at the request of Annie Besant to work in the Theosophical Publishing House, and the rest of us followed when the Besant Theosophical School opened in 1934. I joined the school in Class I, and studied there till I completed my SSLC.

One of my earliest memories is of seeing Rabindranath Tagore during his visit to Madras in 1934. He was very impressive, with his ochre robes and his long beard. He had come with his students as part of his South India tour to raise funds for Shantiniketan. The president of the Society, George Arundale told him, ‘Gurudev, we don't want you to have to go around collecting funds at your age,' and assured him that they'd collect the money for him. So Tagore stayed on at the Society for about 10 days, and was well taken care of at the Blavatsky Bungalow near the big banyan tree.

All of us children would run in and out of the bungalow — there were no restrictions on our movements. Tagore would be reclining in an easy chair in the hall and when a child went up to him, his arm would go gently around him or her. But what fascinated us most was the sight of his students combing out his long beard! The Theosophical Society was in general a very child-friendly place. Dr. Arundale wouldn't pass by a child without a smile and a wave.

At the school, the emphasis was on instilling simplicity. Papanasam Sivan was our music teacher, and we learnt lots of nationalist songs from him. I remember, he composed a song for Annie Besant, and called it ‘Devi Vasanthe' (the pandits of Benaras had given her the Indian name ‘Vasantha' during the years she lived there. A lot of people born in the 1920s and 1930s were named ‘Vasantha' after her). When he first taught us the song, he gave us its meaning and said, ‘The director didn't ask me to compose this song. I have written it out of admiration for Dr. Besant. You might think I don't know much English, but when she spoke, I understood every word.'

Dr. Arundale believed that a teacher's job wasn't just to impart knowledge to children, but to bring out the best in them. That's why he brought Maria Montessori here in 1939. I remember her well although I was never in her class. I was taught by her nephew Mario Montessori — he taught all the subjects in middle school, and we looked forward to his classes. During World War II, Maria was allowed to live in the Society grounds, because of Arundale's influence. But, Mario was interned as prisoner of war at Pallavaram. In 1975, I went along with ‘Periya' Sarada to visit Mario in The Netherlands. Mario hadn't forgotten all those he'd met during his years in Madras, and enquired about them. He was so happy to see us!

Portland's Theosophical Society Big on Stories, Short on Listeners ...

Theosophy is a very old word meaning, from the Latin, "wise concerning God" (or, if one prefers, the more concise "god-wise"). But in New York City, in 1875, the old word was given a more specific meaning by a trio of individuals who founded the Theosophical Society in order to celebrate and comparatively study the faiths, philosophies, sciences and ideas of peoples of all colors, creeds and cultures—to aggregate scientific and spiritual concepts. Of course, Theosophy, like any religion, study or discipline, has a story to tell. And for well over 100 years, it's had plenty of storytellers. But to tell a story, one needs listeners. And for some time, Theosophy has been running low on listeners. Without listeners, you risk running out of storytellers and, one day, your stories may cease to be told. And so the Theosophical Society, present in 70 countries and in more than 100 U.S. cities, with an abundance of elders who know its story well, finds itself competing with the sway of the digital world, and with the simple routine of daily life, for the attention of younger generations interested in exploring civic and social organizations at local levels.

There are a few possible explanations, Rainey says, including location. Since the 1950s, the lodge has met in the drawing room of an old blue, historically protected Victorian home on NW Kearney, between 23rd and 24th avenues. But practical features—in particular the three sets of stairs leading from the street to the drawing room, and from the drawing room to restrooms in the basement on the second floor—can prove challenging for an aging membership. "My opinion is, when you're ready, you'll find us," says Rainey. That's what he did 20 years ago. Scientifically and philosophically curious, Rainey roamed for years as a "spiritual tourist," and became a "sponge" of what he calls the "isms." Having rejected the absolute certainty found in many of the world's major religions, Rainey was at an intellectual impasse until he stumbled upon the TSA.

The Theosophical Society has at times been maligned as a cult. The TSA has been out in front regarding this misconception, saying that the society is not a cult but is made up of searchers and seekers, fueled by curiosity, who explore through discussion, study and meditation the occult, or the hidden nature of the universe, which they believe unites the possibilities of the human experience. The story of Theosophy, at a compact 135 years, is, in fact—at first—marked by controversies, betrayals, scandals and schisms too complicated to enumerate. Born in the midst of the Industrial Revolution at a time when spiritualism was ripe, Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, the most charismatic of the the society's three founders, who claimed to glean secrets of the universe while traveling in Tibet, was condemned by some as fraud but was exonerated by scientific scholars. There were power struggles, and the society splintered into different fragments, including, later, a fundamentalist branch.

The way the word 'secular' is commonly used in India is in the sense of a 'mulit-religious and theosophical society'.

Relevant here is the theosophical society and the works of Blavatsky

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The Theosophical Society, information for enquirers

The Theosophical Society, the first fifty years

The Theosophical Society

The Theosophical Society, historical review

The Theosophical Society, Its objects and creed; its attitude towards Christianity and its work in India