Alan Bain: The C. W. Leadbeater Affair, 1906-1908

Letter from the Boy’s Mother

May – 1906.


Dear ………..

Your request was duly received asking for a statement from our son as to whether he had approached Mr L. … for aid, or whether Mr L. … had approached him, but owing to my feeling that there was no necessary haste, and to some pressing home conditions, it has been delayed until now and I trust the delay has caused no complications.

At the present moment I believe it right to place in the hands of the Investigating Committee such evidence as we have pertaining to a sad difficulty. Our only desire is that a full, fair setting forth of all points in the matter be made.

We have the deepest appreciation of Mr L’s kindness to the boy and ourselves in many ways, and whatever may come from us, we wish to avoid any semblance of pre-judging. What conclusions I have arrived at are based on the facts at hand.

My husband will send some statements later, setting forth his view of the situation as now presented to him.

Our son’s statement clearly shows that Mr L. … opened the subject. After having fully discussed the matter with both his father and me, he has given the key to the cipher in which certain information was given to him by Mr L. … in “private” notes placed in letters. Our son was so disinclined to relate what Mr L. … had taught him, that for a time we felt we were asking him to disregard his honor. However, we arrived at the firm conviction that Mr L. … had no moral right to give him instruction and then bind him by word or attitude to secresy.

No minor can join the T. S. without the consent of parent or guardian. How much less then has any one, teacher though he be, the right to give a teaching that he knows is not generally accepted, and then cause the boy to keep it away from his parents and further promote the secresy by private notes and the use of a cipher. Mr L. … gave to this boy a teaching admittedly dangerous, and, at the same time, prevented the counsel and the guidance of his parents in so critical a matter by impressing the boy strongly with secresy.

Mr L. … either considered the parents unfit counsellors or else he feared their disapproval. In either case it was an assumption of privilege. For no matter which view he held, the parents are Karmically responsible for the child, and such teaching so contrary to their sense of right would have been possibly permissible only after having consulted them and received their consent.

Neither the boy’s father nor I would have permitted Mr L. … to so instruct him. We have average intelligence; we have been devoted T. S. members since 1892 and surely would have been glad to co-operate with Mr L. … in any measure we believed to be a useful factor in the boy’s evolution.

Therefore, no matter what may be established as Mr L’s motive, the fact that he ignored the rights and responsibilities of the parents deserves condemnation.

Our son left the slip of paper on the floor, from which the enclosed cipher note is copied. I also found another on the floor some time after finding the above mentioned cipher. That note was written in Mr L’s hand and asked our son to keep a record of days when “experiments” were made, but this is now mislaid. It was not of so dangerous a nature as the enclosed; for in this, you will observe, Mr L. … expresses himself as “glad the sensation is pleasant” showing that he approves of the sensuous part of the practice.

This surely was teaching the boy to throw pleasurable consciousness into the practice. Would not that make reactionary thought forms?

Mr L. … knew from my letters to him, that I was earnestly striving to aid the boy in his moral and mental growth, and he directly, or indirectly taught the boy to keep this important phase of growth away from his parents. This was not fostering frankness, to say the least!

Mr L. … says in his letter to Mr F., “The business of discovering and training especially hopeful younger members, and preparing them for Theosophical work has been put in my charge.”

A man may have credentials which bespeak his ability to teach mathematics or to teach occultism but it is unfair to the intelligence and duty of the parents to be denied knowledge of the method.

Again and again we have been told to accept only what mind and conscience approve. Our duty is to give the child the best we know. Where can Mr L. … find justification in carefully teaching this practice which he knew was so generally condemned, and which he took no pains to put before parents for their acquiescence?

A. B. said to me in ’97, “Never make the mistake of doing evil that good may come.”

Now it appears to me that this act is far more evil in its effects than what we call lust, for it warps the nature and annuls any possible good that might result. No matter how great a person has given Mr L. … this work to do, our duty and right is to pass judgment on the methods, and since, as parents and guardians of youth in the T. S. we disapprove of them, our way is clear, and that is, to denounce such teachings.

These statements are not made in the spirit of one who is unwilling to hear all sides, but are the results of pondering on evidence at hand which comes from Mr L. … and as facts, are irrefutable.

It is an inexplicable feature in this case, that the boy was taught this method while away from his home. There was ample opportunity for Mr L. … to have consulted the boy’s father about this when in our city, but, he did not. I have only touched upon the parents’ view, which is the fringe of a matter pregnant with other phases. Trusting that the utmost frankness and courage may prevail at all points in this investigation, I am,

Sincerely Yours,

[Blank – ed.]


[{Part 4}] – reproduced from two printed sheets.]

 

 

PART 5



This short document is a transcript of a letter from another source, details of which are given in the copy held here in England, though other copies may exist elsewhere.

————————

Letter from Judge Khandalavaka to Annie Besant, stated to be from Brooke’s ‘Neo-Theosophy Exposed,’ page 442.


“Mr Khandalavaka was late Special Judge, Poona, and E.S. member, and member of Mrs Besant’s Theosophical Educational Trust.”

“Copy of Exhibit in C.C. No. 1778 of 1913, Poona, 23rd Aug. 1906.

“Dear Sister Annie,

“After reading your E.S.T. letter regarding Mr. Leadbeater I have thought fit to write to you, as it appears to me that the well-being of the T. S. must seriously be taken to now.

“The whole of L.’s attitude seems to indicate that he believed the foul practice was permissible in Occultism and that his Master would not object to it. (You say that ‘in fact excitement and misuse of the sexual organs is one way of stimulating astral powers and is largely used in schools of pseudo-occultism.’) Is this statement correct?

Who is there who can say he has personal knowledge that a particular person took to exciting and misusing the sexual organs and thereby acquired astral powers? We are too apt to make these statements too lightly. It is hardly correct again to speak of pseudo-occult schools and that they largely take to sexual practices for gaining occult powers.

“(You have put it before the E.S.T. members that excitement and misuse of the sexual organs leads to acquirement of astral powers.)

“There are good, bad and indifferent members, and the sexual instinct once getting the upper hand in some members, your statement may be taken hold of and the practice resorted to, to have some inkling at least of astral powers.

“(In trying to answer an awkward question you have made the statement that Leadbeater may have acquired astral powers only.)

“He, however, cannot be said to possess merely astral powers. He has written a regular manual on the Devachanic Plane, and in other books of his, and speeches and pamphlets, he has spoken and written about the higher planes in great detail.”

[End of Document]

[Uploaded (from a photocopy) by Alan Bain, June 1996.]



PART 6


This is the first of a number of letters writen by Helen I. Dennis. This transcript is taken from a carbon copy in the recently discovered archive in England.

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Chicago, March 8th, 1906.

Dear Mrs. Besant: –

The enclosed speaks for itself and gives proof, if any further proof were needed, of what Mr. Leadbeater is teaching the youths entrusted to his care.

Yours truly,

(Signed) Helen I. Dennis.

 

The following is an exact copy of a note sent to the third boy by Mr. Leadbeater. He is one of the boys who travelled with Mr. Leadbeater for months. It was accidentally discovered by the housekeeper of the house in which the family lived while in ————–, among some rubbish which they had left behind them.

The housekeeper is an F.T.S., and a practical Scotch woman who never throws anything into the fire without first looking at it and thus she found it. ————- has been the home of the family for sometime and it is the home to which the third boy went when his travels with Mr. Leadbeater were ended. They now live in ————–.

The mother had told this housekeeper that Mr. L. had given the third boy some exercise for the private, that would kill out all desire for women and marriage. The mother did not know just what it was, only that he did it in the morning while at his bath. It seems that the third boy told the family doctor what he was doing, and he must have written to Mr. L. about it and received the following reply.


PRIVATE.

“You made a mistake in mentioning that matter to the doctor; these things should be kept entirely to ourselves, and it may lead to much undesirable talk. I told you long ago that there were different opinions as to the best way to manage these things, and your doctor evidently holds a strongly opposite view. Still, there may be this much reason in what he says, that while you are not quite well we should spend no force that can be avoided. You will remember that when we met in ————- I suggested longer intervals until you were completely recovered.

Suppose you leave him entirely alone until the end of the year, and then report to me whether be has been troublesome in any way. Let us see how long he can conveniently go, for we certainly do not want any drain on the system, as you say. But keep your thoughts entirely away from all subjects that might excite him, and if he is persistent, put him into cold water.”

I certainly expected a cable from her after the receipt of this letter, announcing the reversal of her decision, such as came later in June, but instead I received following, merely repeating her decision of Feb. 26th.

Helen I. Dennis

————————

April 18, 1906.

“I have your other note, and as I understand very well the object and nature of what was said to the boys, I can only repeat that I dissent from the method, but believe, am sure, the object was to save from profligacy or excess of any kind.”

(Signed) Annie Besant.



PART 7


This is from a carbon copy of a transcript of an original letter from Helen I. Dennis. Punctuation and variations between British and American English usage are as in the copy before me.

– A. B.
————————

New York, N.Y., April 9th. 1906.

My Dear Mrs. Besant: –

Your letter of Feby. 26th. 1906 in reply to my letter of Jan. 25th., preferring charges against Mr. Leadbeater, of teaching secret practices to boys, has been received. I at once came to New York to consult with Mr. Fullerton and other E. S. and T. S. Officials, before framing my inevitable reply.

It is with deepest regret that I must write to you that your answer is most unsatisfactory to me and to the other signatories of the letter of Jany. 25th.

Perhaps you can imagine the inner conflict I have endured before writing the following letter, which stands for my conscience of right.

Your belief that Mr. L. teaches these theories only “in rare cases” to boys in trouble, is proved incorrect by the letter to Mr. Fullerton, in which Mr. L. himself explains making “One experiment” on a thirteen year old child, at that time immature even for his years and who did not reach puberty until three years later.

Up to the present time, it is known that four boys under the age of fourteen have been taught and one has been committed to a sanitarium for treatment of epilepsy which his physician claims to have been the result of self abuse.

Your claim that Mr. L. had agreed to discontinue these practices is tacitly refuted by his complete silence on this point in his letter to Mr. Fullerton, and by his own attitude of defence of the merits of his theory.

My argument and protest to you is therefore based on the ground of Mr. L’s defence of the theory. I must protest that Theosophy is diametrically opposed to such a theory and that its ethics cannot tolerate the deception, hypocrisy and treachery practiced on the parents of these boys.

In common honesty, he should have made known his theory to the parents, instead of inculcating ideas of concealment from them. A fourth boy when questioned, replied that he must get permission from Mr. L. before he could answer. He stated that he had been told by Mr. L. that he must not attempt to explain it to his parents as he would not be able to make them understand the theory. At present writing his mother can learn nothing further.

 

Equally in common honesty, those who follow Mr. L. as an occult leader, should know what he advocates, that all may decide for themselves, whether or not they will elect to follow and lend him their moral support.

That the crime of which Mr. L. stands self confessed can sanely be argued upon from the basis of “good motive” seems incredible. Such sex practices proposed as a substitute for and an improvement upon the marriage relation, strike at the very root of the physical welfare of the humans race and inevitably result in mental and moral degradation.

We who appeal to you as the head of the E. S. T. can but stand appalled at what seems to be your attitude of condoning this offence, by your public support, even though you disclaim approval of it.

It is an offence which would be recognized as a moral cancer in any worldly organization, and which would render one guilty of it, an outcast and an exile even in the secular professions or in any educational institution in America, and we hope and believe, anywhere in the civilized world.

When we learn that he has been licensed to stand before the world for twelve or fifteen years, with these persistent rumors stalking at his side, in Ceylon, in India, and in Europe, what can we understand?

When for all these years, he has allowed you to believe these rumors false and permitted you to hold him up before the world as a worthy exponent of Theosophical teachings of purity; when in the face of the facts that within the past few months, in answer to a petition, from India, that you depose him his place at your side, he even allowed your name to be used as a shield in an article in the February 1906 Theosophist, signed by Colonel Olcott, to the effect that these rumors were slanders and the vile imaginings of “Hysteriacs;” when this deliberate deception has been carried on for years; when finally actual proof reaches you from America, that these slanders are living, breathing, corrupting facts, and you reply to me that you “know that his motives are good and pure,” what can we think? What are good motives?

In the words of our beloved and honoured General Secretary, Mr. Fullerton, “we could weep tears of blood.”

But should we as officials deal with the motives or the facts? Is the point at issue one of personal friendship or one of official honor and support? Should not the E. S. and the T. S. be, like Caesar’s wife, above reproach and especially on the sex question?

By the code of even common worldly ethics, we had the right to confidently expect, that without an instant’s delay, you would retire him into complete obscurity, thus taking the first step towards purging the Theosophical Society from within.

If such action would result from a purely worldly standpoint of ethics how much more should we rightly expect this evidence of purity in the Head of an Occult School?

 

A body which does not purge itself from within cannot live. It must ultimately decay or be shattered by attacks from without.

I can only repeat that I protest and protest again that on this matter of honor and purity, I can accept no compromise, nor can I lend myself to the deception of E.S. and T.S. members that my standing silent would imply.

I have therefore laid the matter before Mr. Fullerton, the General Secretary, and the Executive Committee of the American Section, so that, that phase of the case has passed out of my hands.

The chaotic condition of mind, of an ever increasing number of members and officers of the E.S., as this knowledge is rapidly spreading, makes an organised unity of the School ever more and more remote, and in order to avoid the sham and pretense on my part it is necessary to do otherwise, I am therefore temporarily suspending certain activities of the School, such as admission of members, the issuance of documents, etc.

It is also my intention to suspend certain group activities wherever in my judgment it becomes necessary because of the development of circumstances and pending receipt of further instructions from you.

Deeply as I regret having to write such a letter as this, far more deeply do I deplore the circumstances that have made its writing necessary in the name of common honesty and purity.

(Signed) Helen I. Dennis.



PART 8


This text is from a carbon copy of a transcript written initially to Helen I. Dennis in America from Annie Besant. Details follow:

————————

 

Shanti Kunja

Benares City

May 10th, 1906.

 

My Dear Mrs. Dennis: —

I am very grieved to read your letter.

You ask me what you are to think as to my position. This: I know Mr. Leadbeater to be a disciple of Master K; I have constantly met him out of the body, and seen him with the Masters, and trusted with their work. I know that if he were evil minded this could not be. I cannot therefore join in hounding him out of the T.S. in which he has been one of our best workers.

Further, I know how much terrible evil exists among young men, and the desperate straits in which they find themselves. To deal with these evils falls to the lot of many a clergyman, parent, and teacher, and I cannot pour unlimited condemnation on an attempt to deal with them.

My own publication of the Knowlton pamphlet was a mistake; but it was made with good intent. The Masters saw the motive, and cared not for the blunder, and what I did carried me to discipleship.

You speak of a petition made to me in India, to remove him from my side. It is the first I have heard of it; there has been no such petition. I looked up the Feb. Theosophist, which I had not read; I do not think the Colonel used my name to shield Mr. Leadbeater, and he speaks of attacks on himself.

The T. S. and E. S. cannot be “above reproach” in your sense. The Coulomb attack of H.P.B. was made in the name of high morality and discredited the T.S. But it had to bear it. The forgery of Judge discredited the T.S. but we had to bear it, till Judge himself broke away; he was not expelled. These trials come from time to time.

Doubtless from the worldly point of view I should save trouble by deserting Mr. Leadbeater, but I do not see that to be my duty.

As he is now publicly attacked, I have advised him to resign, and to appeal to Colonel Olcott to investigate the charges, and to decide the matter, and he to suspend his work meanwhile, The decision rightly lies with the President.

As to the American E.S., all its activities must be suspended.

It is sad that you have so been so hasty, instead of keeping silence till the T. S. President and Executive Council had had the charges laid before them. Nothing would have been lost by taking the more dignified and constitutional line, and much public trouble would have been avoided. I am surprised that Mr. Fullerton, who owes Mr. Leadbeater so much, has not acted with less precipitancy.

Sincerely yours,

(Signed) Annie Besant.



PART 9


Transcript of a letter from Helen Dennis, Corresponding Secretary of the Esoteric School of Theosophy in America, to a Miss Gosse in England.
————————

Mrs. Helen I. Dennis

218 E. 60th St.

Chicago.


June 4th 1906.

Dear Miss Gosse, You can imagine my joy in receiving your letter. – This is the reason I have been unable to write decent letters this winter. Since last November when I learned the first “incredible” facts I have tried to do what was right without undue publicity and with some blunders of course as the result.

That I have walked the floor literally by the hour with a veritable bleeding heart goes without saying. I of course laid the whole matter first before Mrs. Besant and the bitterest drop in my cup was, after weeks of waiting, to receive on Mch 26th or 27th I forget which – a letter from my beloved and revered teacher – actually asking me to cover up this crime and go on as though nothing had happened.

And now I am accused of hasty action! Well nothing matters now that the T.S. officials have vindicated the cause of truth and purity – I am resigning my office as Corr Secy and the letter of announcement is in the hands of the printer – to be sent to the members. I shall send you a copy when out.

You must not think I have done this thing alone – No, I have a husband first – who has stood nobly by me and advised every step. Mr. Fullerton, Mr. Knothe – Mrs & Mrs Chidester, all the Sec’y of Discipline – Editor of Messenger – every official whom I have had to inform stands as one and are ready to stand the disgrace of the thing for the sake of the Society.

I am so glad you are with me. I felt sure you would be altho’ I felt that it would be an official discourtesy to your E.S. superiors if I wrote of it to you – before they were ready to tell you officially. I have tried to tell only those where it was absolutely necessary in the cause of official honor & the welfare of the Society. I grasp your hand across the Sea and through eternity in the name of truthful friendship.

I cannot get over Mrs. Besant‘s attitude – It has shaken my faith in her wisdom – though I will not let it be shaken as to her sincerity – Blinded by what delusion, do you suppose, she is doing this awful thing? Well I must close – things are in a bad way here. Mr. C. Jinarajadasa has made a bad matter much worse than it need have been by so called defence of Mr L and Mrs B which is taking a most jesuitical turn.

Yours Lovingly,

Helen I. Dennis.



PART 10


A letter to Miss Joan Amice Bottrell-Gosse in England.

This significant letter, transcribed from the original, shows the great sadness and despair that the CWL Affair in 1906 had upon not just the members of the T. S. in America, but also in the E. S. of the day. In copying it to this medium, I have been overwhelmed by the misery which rises from the pages of 90 years ago. I was asked recently if posting this material makes me happy. The answer is that it makes me very sad. Very sad indeed. Read on… A. B.

————————

Esoteric School of Theosophy

American Division.

 

Corresponding Secretary

Mrs. Helen I. Dennis

218 East 60th St. Chicago


Assistant Secretary

Mrs. Elizabeth M. Chidester, M.D.

2321 Madison Square

Philadelphia

 

November 25th ’06

Dear Friend,

I have been half ill and postponed writing from many causes. As to the E.S. – only sadness is there to write about. The seven highest officials – Dr. C, the five Secy of D and I have resigned our offices because of Mrs. Besant’s attitude and record. How can the School be truly occult?

As a means of mutual study and mutual improvement of great use to all – but as an Esoteric or Occult body – truly where are we? I cannot go into details – it is all to dreadful to us all. The School in America is suspended awaiting her appointment of my successor and our members are nonplussed by the uncovering of the crimes of X – supported as an Initiate and direct Messenger of the White Lodge for years.

One does not need to pry into a man’s past history to see that he has a dirty face – as it would seem that those claiming occult leadership should have seen such an aura without clairvoyantly prying into a man’s life. Our members are natural wondering, confused and losing confidence. The Inner Circle in the opinion of all who have resigned has no excuse for being – we regard it just as you do & cannot give our moral support to such building up of a purely personal following in an Occult body supposed to have a true basis of spiritual realities.

Altogether it is impossible! Never was I so sure of the truths of theosophy & I have learned much in the past year’s suffering. I do not believe that Masters work with certain methods & I do believe they are & always will use certain other methods. The latter I shall try to follow by aid of my own conscience & intuition. The T. S. can use all the time and energy I can give and I shall do what I can in that.

And dark days are ahead of us in that with Mr. L. claiming that he is an instrument of the Masters – and not a few in this country believe it and are defending him and his theories by claiming that we have grossly misrepresented his teachings. Well we are fast becoming a house divided against itself. Have you a similar party in the T.S. in England?

Do you see “Jack London’s” serial story – “Before Adam”? I am sending the first installment and will send the others if you care to see them. Perhaps it is also coming out in England also [sic]. It is widely read here.

Just now a play a comedy is on the stage called “The Road to Yesterday” dealing with “Reincarnation” – the first scene is 1903 in London – the second and third back to 1603 & the fourth and last return to 1903 again. The characters of 1603 in old England are the same as those in 1903 – reborn in 1903 & the karma between them is quite skillfully worked out. – Has it appeared in London? We are having Walls of Jericho Leah Heschua [?] & that one with the twins in too – in America. Well this world is full of interest and there is so much to do. I will write more at length later. There are many social and family duties just now that seem to have been suddenly let loose upon me. I am always so glad to hear from you and the necklace I wear often.

My love to Mrs. Betts – Ever your friend

Helen I. Dennis.

————————

[There follows a further sheet with a postscript. This in on another sheet of headed notepaper which gives, on the top right, the following information: “Secretaries of Discipline “Christian Gnostic, John H. Knapp, Room 1031 State Mutual Bldg. Boston, Mass. “Philosophic, Walter G. Greenleaf, 49 East Kinzie Street, Chicago. “Pythagorean, William K. James, 805 Faraon Street, St. Joseph, Mo. “Raja Yoga, Mrs. Grace Shaw Duff, 87 Riverside Drive, New York City. “General, Mrs. Mary Shibley Cole, M.D. Richmond, Ill.”]

————————

[The postscript follows]:

P.S. I forgot to reply to you about the Inner School in connection with CWL. – There is no connection whatever. – The printed letter reached England before Mrs. Besant had the slightest inkling of the facts about Mr. L – in fact the summer I was in England I knew that the new Inner School was to be formed but I knew nothing of the nature of it.

She was considering the matter then spoke of it to a few – as to what would be the conditions of it etc. These facts I know and there was not the least possible connection between the formation of it & CWL’s acts. Needless to say none of us Americans ever heard or thought of a remote hint of X’s doings when I was in London that summer.

Never had I heard the faintest rumor until after my return – when I learned that they had been rife here under the surface for several years, having come from Ceylon. No I have not read Hitchen’s new book – will try to later when I am rested enough to read and all E.S. official duties are ended – I know of Stanley Hall’s ideas – have heard him here of course.

I am glad you enjoy the book for notes – I found these invaluable for E.S. records too. My love to Mrs. Betts – and may the coming year be a happier one theosophically than the last one has been. Yes I should of course be interested in your study scheme – I gave your letter to F.T.S. here.

As ever

H. D.
————————

[A note on the reverse of the letter, written after it had been folded]:

“Yes I have been told that English people & Americans addressed their letters differently – but I did not realize about it – glad you called my attention to it. – Would Miss Ward for instance object to being written as Miss Edith Ward?”

[Editorial note. In places it is difficult to tell from Mrs. Dennis’ handwriting whether a full stop/period is intended or a dash. I have tried to render these according to the sense of the letter. – A. B.]

 

 



EDITORIAL REMARKS

Source: Postings of Alan Bain from June, 9th to June, 30th 1996 in the former internet group „theos-L Email List“.

The present pdf version of 2022 is verbatim with changes in the layout (paragraphs and restoration of highlights and tables that were omitted in the ASCII version for technical reasons), as well as some obvious transcription errors such as “ha1f” instead of “half” or “hut” instead of “but”.


Additional information

Besant-Leadbeater – Other Letters
The 29 letters below are excerpted from pp. 109-197 of the following book:

Evolution of Mrs. Besant. Being the life and public activities of Mrs. Annie Besant, secularist, socialist, theosophist and politician. With sidelights on the inner workings of the Theosophical Society and the methods by which Mr. Leadbeater arrived at the threshold of divinity by The Editor of Justice, Madras, 1918.

The Case against C. W. Leadbeater
https://blavatskytheosophy.com/the-case-against-c-w-leadbeater/

DAWN Magazine
http://theosophy.katinkahesselink.net/dawn/index.html

“Corrupted Theosophy”
https://cwleadbeater.wordpress.com/2016/12/22/corrupted-theosophy/

Joseph Ross: Krotona Series, Charles Webster Leadbeater – Rustling Shadows
https://www.krotonaarchive.com/krotona-series/krotona-series


This article in pdf format: Bain, Alan – The Leadbeater Affair (1996)

Frank Reitemeyer

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