Blavatsky and Donald S. Lopez Jr. Buddhism

Here's a draft review of an academic paper that I'm working on. I'm pointing out 32 problems, misconceptions, and mistakes, 20 commented on so far. (Very sketchy, will try to complete soon). The reason I'm doing this is to try to clarify some fairly widespread problems in academia with regards to Blavatsky's relation to Buddhism. My main takeaway is that I'd like to argue that although I don't have a problem with an academic developing an eclectic approach to develop studies in a field outside of his diploma area of study, I think that it should be done in an organized, methodical way, as with, for example, the work of Christopher Lasch. In the case of Mr. Lopez Jr., his works on alternative spirituality seem to me to be informal sociological essays with very little consultation of works of sociology, anthropology, history of religion and thus have significant flaws that are ultimately misleading in various ways, although I'm not questioning his credibility as a conventional Buddhism scholar and translator in the field of Buddhist studies per se. 

 

Orientalist vs. Theosophist by Donald S. Lopez Jr. Chapter 2 from  Imagining the East: The Early Theosophical Society Tim Rudbog (ed.), Erik Sand (ed.) (Oxford, 2020) Pages 37–58 February 2020

 1-                  Blavatsky never claimed to be medium in spiritualistic terms and denounced such practices.

There he met the Russian émigré and medium, Helena Petrovna Blavatsky. 38

2- Spierenberg’s Blavatksy and Buddhism details how knowledgeable Blavatsky was about Buddhist texts and scholarship. Olcott lists a full bibiliography of respectable Buddhist texts in Buddhist Catechism.

among other things, would bring the teachings of the Buddha, at least as interpreted by the Society, to a large audience in Europe and America over the subsequent decades. 38

3- Olcott and Blavatsky were earlier promoters of the Kalama Sutta as a document explaining non-dogmatic perspectives.

He enthusiastically embraced his new faith, which he felt contained no dogma that he was compelled to accept. 38

4- Buddhist Catechism Memorized by children with the full cooperation of the local Buddhist clergy and local governments and his since had a widespread impact over an extended period. 

Buddhist Catechism. The work was translated into Sinhalese and memorized by Sri Lankan children. 39

5- Who remembers him as such?  40

he is remembered today as the founder of a Victorian “spiritual science.” 40

6- What Müller considered as Irrational fantasies esoteric

Müller sought to dispel Olcott’s irrational fantasies. 40

7- Confidence British Empire Müller

Such was the confidence of the British Empire that Müller was not reluctant to tacitly acknowledge that the statues had been stolen from a Buddhist temple. 41

8- The Theosophical Society made a ground-breaking participation at this event Chicago World’s Religions

politely declined an invitation to preside at the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago. 42

9- Presenting the Müller-Blavatsky debate, only Müller is quoted.

No Blavatsky quotes quotes Müller disingenuous 43

10- 1880-85 correct? The correspondence ended in 1884.

The first Mahatma she approached initially refused, but the second agreed, and between 1880 and 1885 Sinnett carried on a prodigious correspondence with the two most famous Mahatmas, 44

11-Sinnett problems – The Sinnett-Blavatsky relationship is complex and significant, no explinations given, Blavatsky’s perspective not represented.

Sinnett goes on to explain that Madame Blavatsky’s aim, especially in Isis Unveiled, was not “to teach anything in particular, but to stir up interest in an unfamiliar body of occult mysteries.”45

12-Esoteric Buddhism The term Esoteric Buddhism has been accepted in academia and Tantric studies are thriving. Why not acknowledge this?

Müller is further mistaken in claiming that nothing of the secret teachings is present in the sacred books of the Buddhists.45

13- Buddha’s last meal – This hermeutic concept of that text was also taking up by Blavatsky with a similar interpretation.

Sinnett takes it to mean that, “no one of lesser authority than himself must take the responsibility of giving out occult secrets.”46

14-Sinnett maintained a respected position as International Vice-President of the Theosophical Society and , maintained relations with public  British figures and influenced later Theosophical developments, his subsequent reputation requires more study of ‘Embitttered quack’ may not be an accurate

One might justifiably ask at this point why this obscure exchange between two late Victorians, one an aged Oxford Sanskritist and the other, at least in view of some, an embittered spiritualist quack, should warrant our attention.47

15- Mahtama Letters vague, inaccurate summary  with no citations or references

16- Mahatma letters telepathically – The question of the mode of production of the Mahatma letters is a complex one, see Barborka’s Blavatsky, Tibet and Tulku

For Sinnett’s Orientalism is heightened by the conceit that his knowledge derives from Aryan masters, communicating telepathically from deepest Tibet. But were they? 48

17 Supports Theosophist K. Paul Johnson entirely Johnson’s groundbreaking work thirty ago, have been criticized and considered untenable and outdated. See Johnson Caldwell debate

Adopting a different approach, the Theosophist K. Paul Johnson has sought to identify the numerous figures— Hindu, Buddhist, Masonic, Muslim, Parsi, Sikh, Indian, Egyptian, Persian, Sri Lankan, and at least one Tibetan— with whom Blavatsky and Olcott were associated during their travels. 48

18-ventriloquism – The notion of ancient sages living in hiding and transmitting esoteric wisdom is not really an outlandish notion in Eastern countries, as Tibetan terma texts, and Tantric text in general, for example, widely attest.

The Mahatma Letters (as well as Esoteric Buddhism and The Secret Doctrine) raises a host of questions about Orientalism and authority, perhaps the most outlandish of which is whether Madame Blavatsky’s ventriloquism somehow allowed the subaltern to speak. 48

19- Relation to Saraswati – It’s a complex social question that requires more research, oversimplifies the question. see Strube. And they have been criticized for doing so.

Others, including such legendary fig­ures as Vivekananda and Dharmapala, after initially cordial relations with the Theosophists, would take exception to their claim that they could help Hindus and Buddhists “to know their religions better than heretofore” and would dis­avow any connection of their Hinduism and their Buddhism to Theosophy. 49

20- Esoteric symbolism – Tantric studies have opened up the field of esoteric symbolism since at least Tucci.

Blavatsky Boar 50-52 large topic, one example also used by Blavatsky, Esoteric Buddhism

21- Pope Pius X comparing to Sinnett – anti-modern – Considering Blavatsky’s considerable writings critizing the Catholic Church including Pope Pius X, it seems strange that he would use such a quote to represent Theosophical views. Why not quote Blavatsky’s many critiques of modernism?

“Finally, I declare that I am completely opposed to the error of the modernists who hold that there is nothing divine in sacred tradition; or what is far worse, say that there is, but in a pantheistic sense, with the result that there would remain nothing but this plain simple fact— one to be put on a par with the ordinary facts of history—

22- Hereditary reasons

“Finally, I declare that I am completely opposed to the error of the modernists who hold that there is nothing divine in sacred tradition; or what is far worse, say that there is, but in a pantheistic sense, with the result that there would remain nothing but this plain simple fact— one to be put on a par with the ordinary facts of history—51

23- Elitist esotericism is elitist

his commitment to teaching the dharma to members of all castes— and identifies it as an error. At the same time, in an act of cosmic colonialism, he extracts the Buddha from the conven­tional chronology of history and places him in a different chronology unknown but to the initiates 51

24- Saraswati  vague Sarswati attests to esoteric tradtions

this act of interpretation was met by Asian teachers with bafflement or dismay (as in the case of Dayananda Saraswati). 52

25- vague

As European interest in Theosophy waxed, South Asian interest in Theosophy waned.52

26- Sankara great persecutor of Buddhism 52

27- Vague

The Theosophical Society continued to appropriate Buddhist doctrines. 52

in 1909 as the future Buddha, Maitreya, the World Teacher of the Aquarian Age. (The boy, Jiddu Krishnamurti, renounced this status in 1929.) The American Theosophist, Walter Y. Evans- Wentz, discovered what he considered Theosophical doctrine in a Tibetan text that he would dub The Tibetan Book of the Dead. 52

28- as the future Buddha, Maitreya, the World Teacher of the Aquarian Age.

More used by Benjamin Creme

29- Few exceptions

Buddhist figures did not reciprocate the interest of the Theosophists. 52

30- Dharmapala rejected by the Buddhists 52

was now rejected by the Buddhists as a modern creation.

31-Tutelage 53

that the most ancient is in fact the most modern,

32- generic Buddha 53

has given way to a Buddha who is less individual and more generic.

33- conflate 53

If we were to strip this traditional list of its myth­ological elements, as both Müller and the Theosophists, each in their own way, sought to do, the Buddha would be little more than a statue in Müller’s hearth.