Welcome to the May Supplement in which you will find all the letters written to the President of the TS Adyar in support of the campaign for Justice to be done in the “Judge Case” – this comes together with an article describing practices in “Buddhist Meditation”, published in two parts starting this month.

Happy reading – here’s the index, and just click on the link below to download the PDF.

And do have a look at Radha Burnier’s reply to these letters . . . . . . . . .  on p 4

Justice to Judge Letters 2011 …………………… p 1

ON BUDDHIST MEDITATION ……………….. p 2

The 2011 Letters on Justice and Ethics……….. p 5

Resources at on-line groups ……………………… p 19

Commentary on the 2011 Letters to India …… p 20

For those who can’t wait till the next instalment, the complete article on Buddhist Meditation is available at http://www.ultindia.org/tm_magazine/TMJune2011.pdf

The conference season is once again upon us, and if you attend these things and are going to the ITC (http://www.theosconf.org/) in California (from 11th to 14th August) here’s a greeting and best wishes for an enjoyable event – it’s not so often one has the opportunity to meet with so many like minded fellows!

Yours always,

The AQ Editors

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Extract from   The Past and the Future

                           by Radha Burnier

Recently several letters have been addressed to the President asking that justice be done to Mr Judge.  About one and a quarter centuries have passed since he was prominent among members.  There are some who favour the actions that he took, and others who do not; are we going to make a judgement on behalf of all the members at this point?  Is this really feasible?  The decision in favour or not, will be only on paper, and people will continue to think of what is possible as they wish and see.  The Society cannot regulate this, and is not called upon to do so.

So, the best thing is to discriminate to the extent that our own intelligence lets us, which may be right or wrong.  What does it matter to others?  Since one cannot shape, or want to shape, what other people think, the Theosophical Society cannot, after one hundred and thirty years, decide what its members should see or think about past happenings.  There is the case of C. W. Leadbeater, who I think was much misunderstood and maligned.  Others may think he was a bad character.  Will our thinking change what he was?  There are many people who, being human, had faults and weaknesses.  By finding out what exactly was the matter, it helps neither them nor us.  Our present attitude towards things is what matters, not the conclusions we may make about what people in the past did.

[ There is a comment in response to this reply on page 1. ]

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As we come to the season of Easter – named after Ostara, the Scandinavian goddess of spring or rebirth of the Solar forces in us and Nature – we follow up last month’s theme on the vitality of the theosophical movement, why it’s waning and what may have caused this.

It is said that unless the study of both HPB and WQJ are restored the movement will remain divided and weak.  They are analogous to Buddhi, the “potentiality of intelligence”, and Manas, the active power of the mind: to effect a change both must be brought together into close union.

The lead article is in support of the annual call for “Justice to Judge” – see also “Documents that would clear WQJ’s name” on p 3, which investigates the evidence that would put an end to this long running injustice.

You can also read about the marvellous work of the associates at the Jacmel Lodge in Haiti.  They lost their building in the earthquake on January 12th but managed to open a new one in time for W.Q.Judge Day on 21st March.  They were thankful for assistance from fellow theosophists locally and from Paris, Philadelphia, New York, London and elsewhere.   These few extracts from their emails gives a brief, moving insight to conditions there. 

- “News from Haiti” on p.7 and “Jacmel: a Preliminary Report” on p.8.

It’s said if we believe in something, do it wholeheartedly, if not stay well away from it.   We commend this issue to you and leave the rest to the good Law!

The Editors

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Justice to Judge 

Letters to Adyar – the Fifth Year

For the fifth time since April 2006,  independent students from various countries will be sending on 13 April 2010 a number of open letters to Ms. Radha Burnier, President  of the Adyar Theosophical Society.

They will be asking Ms. Burnier to think of stopping a century old, on-going  injustice by  re-examining  the Adyar “Case” against Mr. William Q. Judge.

Such a decision would be a demonstration that the Adyar Society actually cares about Ethics and Truth. It would give a large portion of the theosophical movement a better chance to benefit from the practical example of Judge’s altruistic life, and from the theosophical wisdom present in his books. 

The open letters campaign has no expectations of great short term results. Karma  may take time, although it always produces results – often by invisible ways. As any social institution, the Adyar T.S. is accountable for what it does or doesn’t do.  Just  like the executive officers of any private corporation or government officers around the world,  Adyar leaders must be willing to accept the truth and to admit the mistakes of  their organization in a public way, especially if  such mistakes create a public, long term illusion.

The 19^th century process of persecution against Judge within the Adyar Theosophical Society is extensively documented in the book The Judge Case, by Ernest Pelletier (published by the Edmonton Theosophical Society, Canada, in June 2004) and in other books.

click to download PDF of magazine

The accusations were based on a campaign of rumours. They seem to have been used as a tool by those who aimed at attaining political power within the organization. No actual, valid proofs were ever presented against Judge. The Judicial Committee appointed to examine the matter declared it could not decide on the issue (on the basis that there was little evidence against WQJ, AQ Eds). Yet  Judge was never declared innocent by Annie Besant’s Society.  It is felt by some that the 21^st century may be a nice occasion for truth to be restored. 

Although 2010 is only the fifth year since the yearly letters began, organizers say that there has been growing sympathy for the cause among members of the Adyar Theosophical Society, in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. According to the organizers, it is easy to see that the Adyar Society has only to gain from accepting the truth, in this and in other matters as well.

Every letter in defence of William Q. Judge has been and should be open. It should also be as widely circulated as possible among one’s friends and co-students, or in publications in one’s local language, so that the vindication of Judge takes place at the grass-roots level, as long as the international leaders of the Adyar Society are unable or unwilling to act.  These letters are also a way of celebrating Mr. Judge’s life and work for the cause of humanity.  They stimulate the movement’s ability to learn from its own mistakes.  They  help people realize not only  that the Founders deserve Respect, but also that it is a duty and a privilege for anyone to actively defend them every time they are unjustly attacked, whether from within or from without the theosophical movement. 

Each in his or her own way, style and words, students will suggest for the fifth time next April 13^th that Adyar should publicly admit that Judge was innocent of any wrongdoing – or else open the Adyar Archives and show any existing proofs of his mistakes. 

The letter-effort is also a celebration: April 13^th has been chosen for it is Judge’s birthday.

E-mail messages and phone calls to Adyar are good ideas as additional means of expression; but  it is felt that the efficiency of an air mail letter is greater.

Envelopes must be addressed to

Mrs. Radha Burnier, President, The Theosophical Society, Adyar, Chennai 600 020, India.

Whenever possible, signed copies of the letters to Adyar should be sent to the air mail address indicated below. Mrs. Radha Burnier – the president of the Adyar Society since 1980 – has sent  kind answers to some of the letters, and the correspondence to Adyar has been discussed in previous editions of “The Aquarian Theosophist” and other theosophical magazines.

More information on the subject – including the first reactions from Mrs. Burnier to the Letters – will be found at

www.esoteric-philosophy.com

Those interested in taking part of the chain of letters may also write to  lutbr@terra.com.br

… or by air mail to:  C.C.Aveline, Caixa Postal 5111, Ag. Brazlândia,

CEP 72.701-970, Brasília, DF, Brazil

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Venus - the morning and evening star

The Supplement contains the full text of the new play about the  three Theosophical Founders in 1875 – in it William Q Judge is given a leading role with a monologue at the end that finishes:

“Brothers and Sisters… this Society must not fail.  It will not fail. 

As you’ve just heard, we are entering a New Cycle with all the opportunities that it offers! Humanity has a choice; it can either move further down that road to where its goals are wealth, possessions and selfish gratification, or up towards a Golden Age of compassionate love and the true joy that comes from an awareness that none of us are separate but integral parts of the whole of Nature…

So, though many attempts will be made to break our resolve through slander, malice and deliberate distortions of what we are attempting to teach – and, more importantly, to show by the way we live – it is only indifference that can seriously weaken our cause.  

To study what The Masters have given us is a privilege.  What individually you do with that privilege is up to you.

Remember, when we have gone on, you will be the Society’s advocates; you will be its emissaries.  And remember too that wonderful phrase – our “Inner Abiding Presence”. Draw comfort from the thought of its existence, or – dare I say – from its realisation.”

The play is written by Alan Hughes from the London Adyar TS and its even-handed view of the founders is most warmly welcomed to the AQ. 

Justice for Judge:

The Supplement also contains a so far unreported letter from Canada to the Adyar TS’s International President  from Bruce Mac Donald, that unpicks some of the obstacles at Adyar in restoring Judge’s good name. 

Further it points out the responsibilities of the TS to ‘live the life’ - through impersonal and enlightened leadership which is so clearly needed as an example in these days of drab materialism: in it is asked:

“What is Adyar doing in order to point people in the right direction [not more material progress but a spiritual message]?   William Q. Judge could very well hold the key of a Theosophical Renaissance.”

With best wishes,

The Editors

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Dear Readers and Correspondents

Some of the items in this month’s edition are a letter calling for your support for the Justice for Judge campaign for 13th April, his birthday. The letter is on p 4 – just send an email to lutbr@terra.com.br to ask about supporting this important action (or use the clickable links which now work in the PDF).

- a frank and honest letter from a serving police officer on the lack of incentive to cure of many of society’s ills. This is the first of a series on root causes which you are invited to contribute suggestions to – just reply to Jerome or me.

- an account by the late Dallas TenBroeck of how B.P.Wadia and others formed the early ULT Lodges in the US, India and Europe

- the lead article on the great feelings of unity and brotherhood that were brought about by the first 10 years of theosophical work of India, such as breaking down caste and race barriers and the formation of the Indian National Congress. Perhaps we can reflect on this to provide context for what are today’s challenges.

The Editors and Contributors

“If your brain wavers, then give it a long rest and do simple constant acts of kindness for others” - W. Q. Judge, Letters 1:179

The First 10 Years in India & Now?

As a student of theosophy one should know what has been achieved through it’s influence. 
Looking at the years 1879 to 1889 we see the Theosophical Society made a significant impression on the lives of many, not only in America and Europe, but perhaps nowhere more so than in India, Ceylon and the Far East.
In late 1878 Mme H.P.Blavatsky and Col Olcott left the 27 year old William Judge  alone in the USA but for General Doubleday and some other figures, all of whom later dropped out of active work.  

“Our Three Objects” No.1 on Brotherhood
“When we arrived in India, in February, 1879, there was no unity between the races and sects of the Peninsula, no sense of a common public interest, no disposition to find the mutual relation between the several sects of ancient Hinduism, or that between them and the creeds of Islam, Jainism, Buddhism and Zoroastrianism. [... continued in PDF]

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