Theosophical Society was founded on principles that were formed from a very clear understanding. Madame Blavatsky in the very early days of the society expounded that Theosophy is the ‘accumulated wisdom the ages’ and is ‘anciently universal wisdom religion’. The direction of that wisdom, she said, was to make man come to unfold his mind ‘to embrace the entire universe’. It is no mean task to achieve this, however students of Theosophy over the years have struggled to keep the links with these original impulses unbroken.
The greatest votaries and propagators of The Theosophical Society did not envision the duties of the society merely in the abstract. In fact, it was deeply rooted in the society. One of its tallest figures, Annie Besant was to begin with, a labour leader. This Fabian, in the later half of the 19th century, was horrified when she heard about the pay and conditions of the women working at the Bryant & May match factory. Annie Besant took up the case of these women and published an article ‘White Slavery in London’ in The Link . The article drew attention to the dangers of phosphorus fumes and severely condemned the low wages paid to the women who worked at Bryant and May. She was an elected member of the London School Board and did tremendous work for poor children, including free meals for them. Annie Besant was much sought after as a champion of women’s rights, and she continued to work for legalisation of labour and even educated them on birth control. Her work in The Theosophical Society was only an extension of her commitment to society.
The Theosophical Order of Service, or TOS, was a wing of the Society founded in February 1908 by Annie Besant. She personally believed that it was important to serve the downtrodden and poor. Its formation was a response to the wish of a number of members of The Theosophical Society ‘to organise themselves for various lines of service’, to actively promote the first object of the Society – “To form a nucleus of the Universal Brotherhood of Humanity, without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste or colour.” The motto chosen for this body was ‘A union of those who love in the service of all that suffers.’ The TOS is found in many countries in the world and is engaged in various service works which pledges to alleviate suffering – they are committed to medical missions, assistance during disasters, orphanages, scholarships, establishment of schools, rehabilitation of malnourished children, caring for the disabled, preventing cruelty to animals, promoting vegetarianism, character building for young people, etc. TOS members need not be members of the Theosophical Society.
The Karnataka chapter of TOS is very active both in health and social spheres. In fact, it has earned a name as among the best in the entire country. Under committed leaders like retired surgeon Dr. Venkatarama Shetty, Rajalakshmiah Shetty, Krishanaiah Shetty and several others, TOS distributes walking sticks to the blind, books to poor students, quilts to destitutes, apart from health camps, yoga classes and several others.
The Karnataka Theosophical Federation brings out a monthly newsletter, Theosophy Vani , which has articles related to Theosophy by its members, and also documents the various activities of other chapters. The Society has a good library and a bookshop which stocks books published by them.
The workers of this Society, all of them doing honorary service, are committed to work for the betterment of humanity. With the winds of spirituality blowing in directions more cosmetic, there are few takers for the quiet, but determined work taken up by the society. Those who wish to join the society, contact 080-26500382 or 94491-63235.
****
The road not taken
The Star Room on the premises of The Theosophical Society is a site of revolution of sorts. It is built in honour of one of the tallest members of the Society, who however chose a route that was entirely different.
Those who knew Annie Besant intimately were aware of her spiritual powers. She used her yogic powers to investigate the nature of the super-physical realms, and wrote several books on the subject in collaboration with her colleague, C. W. Leadbeater. It was one such clairvoyant findings that found and traced Jiddu Krishnamurti. Born in Madanapalle, the 14-year-old Krishnamurthi and his brother were adopted by Annie Besant who was then the president of the Theosophical Society. The theosophists had predicted that Krishnamurti was going to be a world teacher, and they established the Order of the Star, making the young Krishnamurti its head.
Things however took a different course. In 1929, Krishnamurti renounced his role and dissolved the Order with its huge following. He returned all the money and property that had been donated for this work. It is said that what came as a surprise announcement he revolted against the Theosophists rejecting the role they had laid out for him. “Organizations and societies,” Krishnamurthy declared, “were a hindrance and a distraction from the Truth”. He dissolved The Order of the Star freeing himself by all claims that The Theosophical Society made for him. “I maintain that Truth is a pathless land and you cannot approach it by any path whatsoever,” he is supposed to have emphatically said.
The Theosophists were disappointed, many even believed that Annie Besant was. However, Krishnamurti, paying a finest tribute to Annie Besant with whom he shared a very strong bond, said: “Our mother took great care of us. But she left us alone…” P. Krishna, in an article on the relationship between Krishamurti and Annie Besant, writes: “An enlightened mother wants her child to be true to his or her own innermost perceptions and pursue what he/she considers to be true. This is what Dr. Besant did in her own life and to think that she would have expected anything less than that from her son would be ignorance on our part. It was a relationship based on true love and respect for each other.” Their philosophical paths separated, but with utmost respect. To this day, in the Star Room, on the premises of Theosophical Society, J. Krishnamurthy studies takes place.
A rare distinction
In the early years of the second decade of the 20 Century, the Shankaraih Hall was built on the premises of The Theosophical Society. It was constructed by the side of the Lodge Hall in memory of Shankaraih, father of Justice Chandrashekar Aiyyar. This hall earned the reputation of being the best acoustically designed auditoriums, well-suited for music performance. It is said that M.S. Subbulakshmi longed to sing in the hall without any loudspeakers – the natural resonance of this hall gave a unique concert experience. In those days when the Townhall was not in existence, and this hall used to be the venue of all important functions in the city. Till as recently as four-five decades ago, all the music performances of the Gayana Samaja used to be held here. For more than half a century, this hall has been the centre place for music and spiritual lectures. However, to a large cross-section of the society, the Shankaraih Hall is synonymous with Annaiah’s free lecture classes.
The Shankaraiah Hall is currently under renovation.
(This is the last in our three-part series.)
