The Question of the Reliability of the Clairvoyant Observations of CW Leadbeater

The reader will find assembled below texts which have been used to deal with the question of the reliability of the clairvoyant observations of CW Leadbeater. The first two contain the severest criticism I was able to locate. The third contains Leadbeater's reply to one of these.

First Set -- from U.G. Krishnamurti:  A Life by Mahesh

3. Life amongst Theosophists

28th of August, 1991, 5:50 a.m. I am in London. ... The place where U.G. and I lived in London is situated opposite 33 Ovington Square. This is the place from where Mr. C. Jinarajadasa, the Head of the Esoteric Section of the Theosophical Society, who later became its President, wrote to U.G. who was then in India:

12th July, 1940

Dear Brother,
I can only reply briefly to your letter of appreciation and enquiries.

It is excellent that you should have the ideals which you have of being of service, but you can work out a great part of the problem before you in the light of the many teachings which you find in Theosophy. Regarding the matter of your desiring to find a Teacher, I might here quote the answer which the Master K.H. gave to the late Bro.C.W.L., who asked that question of the Master in 1883:

'To accept any man as a chela does not depend on my personal will. It can only be the result of one's personal merit and exertions in that direction. Force any one of the 'Masters' you may happen to choose; do good works in his name and for the love of mankind; be pure and resolute in the path of righteousness (as laid out in our rules); be honest and unselfish; forget yourself but do remember the good of other people--and you will have forced that 'Master' to accept you.'

The hymn of Frances Havergel is often used by me to explain to my hearers certain aspects of the great ideal.

When I return to India and I can meet you, I can give you further advice. In the meantime, look within yourself for the guidance which you think you need. You will find that if you are in a quiet state of meditation, with a feeling of aspiration, some suggestion will come in the matter of helping others. Put it into operation even if the result seems not noticeable. But remember the teaching of the Gita that you must have no thought of fruit or reward, but act righteously because that is a law of your being, or because it is an offering from your heart to God.

Yours sincerely,

C. Jinarajadasa

Jinarajadasa returned to India toward the end of 1940. He opened the facility built by U.G.'s grandfather for the use of the Andhra Theosophical Federation as its Headquarters. He stayed with U.G.'s family in their home for two days. This was in January 1941.

That Summer, U.G.  worked in C.W.Leadbeater's personal library, rearranging his books for almost three months. He had always wondered how Leadbeater wrote about the past lives of Krishnamurti published under the title, Lives of Alcyone. When U.G. looked at the collection of books Leadbeater had in his personal library, he said to himself, 'He has read all the ancient histories of practically every civilization in the world. No wonder he could fit Krishnamurti's past lives into these histories.' That confirmed his scepticism about Leadbeater's powers of clairvoyance which he was credited with by the members of the Theosophical Movement.  As a child U.G. sat in front of Leadbeater every day expecting that he would clairvoyantly see some spiritual potential in him.  To his disappointment, Leadbeater never showed any such recognition.

Be that as it may, the opportunity of working in this library brought U.G. and Jinarajadasa close to each other. Every now and then Jinarajadasa used to walk into the library, talk to U.G. about the contents of the rare books and recommend them to him.

U.G.'s early life, according to him, in no way resembled the life story of a saint.   U.G. himself says he was never a good student either in high school or in college. He never passed any examination on the first attempt. Throughout his college years, however, he received letters of support from Dr. Arundale, the President of the Theosophical Society.  These letters offered encouragement and sympathy.

10th of July, 1939

Thank you for your letter dated July 8th. I quite realize that examinations are a very great nuisance, and are indeed of extremely little worth. But one has to go through them for the sake of equipment from the standpoint of the outer world.

We were very glad to have you here in the Office and hope to see you again when  you are next in Madras.
 

 

10th February, 1940

I myself certainly have high hopes for you, and I am always glad to see you at Adyar. I do hope you will pass your examinations successfully.
 

 

20th May, 1940

I am so sorry you have failed in your examination again. Some of us are not really fit for examinations. We can do other and better things, and if you have an income which will suffice, then why should you not follow your own inclinations and study along your own lines. For my own part, I should not think it is necessary for you to have a university career.

23rd October, 1940

I am very delighted to hear that you have passed the examination. This is very good news. I offer you my very affectionate congratulations.

U.G. offers the following remarks on his college education:

Although I was a student with the lowest grades, barely passing grades, I was admitted into the Philosophy Honors class at Madras University. These courses were primarily for brilliant students. Though I wasn't brilliant, the professor of Philosophy needed students. There were only four students in the class. So, he admitted me. Because of my lack of interest in the studies, he always joked that he had four-and-a-half students in his class. I never attended any mid-term examinations, let alone the final ones. My report card revealed nothing but absenteeism.

One day the Principal sent for me and confronted me with my last report card. I had struck off the 'Parent or Guardian' entry and signed it myself. The Principal said that I should get the signature of my grandfather. If I failed to do so, he would fine me twenty-five rupees. I said that wouldn't hurt anybody and that I could write a check immediately for that amount drawn on the Imperial Bank of India (the bank for Government agencies and rich people). The Principal asked me, 'Why are you attending this college, then?' I said, 'For want of a better occupation.' He was not impressed. He insisted that I should still produce the report card duly signed by my grandfather. Luckily for me and unfortunately for him, the principal died of a heart attack the next day.
 

U.G. comments on the value of political sages and experts:

During those years I lived in Adyar most of the time, the headquarters of the Theosophical Society, and worked for Dr. Arundale as one of his personal assistants. My job was to read newspapers and periodicals from all over the world and choose articles of permanent interest for him to read at a later date.

It was during that time I discovered the Time Magazine. (I continued to read it from cover to cover for 50 years and enjoyed its style and coverage of world events.) That was when I discovered that there is no such thing as objectivity and an unprejudiced view of human affairs. Those were the War years. The Magazine used to arrive six months behind schedule. But we followed the course of events of the war from day to day through the B.B.C. and the daily newspapers.

I can say without hesitation that I have learned precious little from either spiritual or secular teachers.

In 1946 Jinarajadasa was elected President of the Theosophical Society, and U.G. the Joint General Secretary of the Indian section. U.G. occupied that position for three years and when that office was eventually abolished, he became a national lecturer for seven years. In this capacity, he spoke at almost every college in India.  He then went to England, Ireland, Europe and North America on an extensive lecture tour. He spoke at the annual convention of the Theosophical Society in England, presided over by Mr. Jinarajadasa.

It was when he was in England, in May 1953, that he met Jinarajadasa for the last time. It is ironical that the beginning and the end of U.G.'s association with the Theosophical Society took place in 33 Ovington Square, Knightsbridge, London. This is what Jinarajadasa said to U.G.:

I have heard about your reactions with reference to the Theosophical Society and Krishnaji--how critical you have become of everything and everybody! I should like to know your exact viewpoint and would certainly like to discuss it with you. I suggest that you contribute a series of articles in the Theosophist. You can very freely criticize anybody--the President, the General Secretaries, and anybody else, in support of your position. Such articles would be welcome in order to maintain absolute freedom on the platform of the Theosophical Society. It is only by such frank and free expression of opinions that organizations can retain their vigor and vitality. If you feel that the Theosophical Society should be closed down, say so in the articles. Let the members know it and let them begin to think. I feel that I at any rate will be greatly benefited.

Yet, in response to this, U.G. told him of his intention to resign his membership from both the Theosophical Society and its Esoteric Section. Jinarajadasa was disappointed.  He said that he was leaving soon for the United States and that he would be back in India before the end of the year. He wanted to discuss the matter further with U.G. then. But he died in America in July, the same year.

U.G.  continued his lecture tour for the Theosophical Society in Europe. At Oslo, he addressed the One World Movement. At a German Summer School at Rendsberg, he was the guest of honor and gave a course of lectures on "Man, Nature and Reality". At the invitation of the General Secretary of the Council of the Theosophical Society in Europe, which was celebrating its Golden Jubilee, he attended the Council meetings and addressed them on Indian ideals of life and thought.

In case you missed it, here is the "severely critical passage":

When U.G. looked at the collection of books Leadbeater had in his personal library, he said to himself, 'He has read all the ancient histories of practically every civilization in the world. No wonder he could fit Krishnamurti's past lives into these histories.' That confirmed his scepticism about Leadbeater's powers of clairvoyance

Second Set -- from The Occult Review for 1923

In the London journal `The Occult Review` for the year 1923, there can be found a series of articles and letters to the editor, running to perhaps 24 items, appearing from January to October, which dealt more or less forcefully with the question of the accuracy of the clairvoyant faculty of CW Leadbeater.

Although these items are to be found in a context of other articles and letters to the editor (Ltte) examining the accuracy of the clairvoyant reports (or "claims") of Rudolf Steiner, HP Blavatsky, & Annie Besant, I have left such aside for the purposes of this article.

Part 1: A list of the 24 items:

• 1 Jan p7 The Akashic Records - introductory note to next article the editor
• 2 Jan p30 A Cameo from Clairvoyant History William Loftus Hare
  
  
• 3 Feb p117 Ltte - Those Akashic Records Arthur M Turner
• 4 Feb p117 Ltte - (untitled) A.
• 5 Feb p118 Ltte - The Akashic Records Delta
  
  
• 6 March p180 Ltte - "Authority" & the "Akashic Records" W Wilson Leisenring
• 7 March p181 Ltte - Mr Leadbeater & the "Akashic Records" HF Mauran
• 8 March p182 Ltte - The Illusion of Time WRC Coode Adams
  
  
• 9 April p241 Ltte - "A Cameo from Clairvoyant History" "Orient"
• 10 April p241 Ltte - The Akashic Records M Schultze
• 11 April p243 Ltte - A Rejoinder to Critics William Loftus Hare
• 12 April p244 Ltte - "A Cameo from Clairvoyant History" Kaikhosru Sorabji
• 13 April p246 Ltte - Mr Leadbeater's Akashic Records BP Wadia
• 14 April p247 Ltte - The Akashic Records Again Delta
  
  
• 15 June p344 Psychism & Occultism - an introductory note to next item the editor
• 16 June p355 Psychism & Occultism William Loftus Hare
  
  
• 17 July p47 Ltte - Psychism & Occultism CR Stewart
• 18 July p53 Ltte - The Akashic Records Once More C Jinarajadasa
  
  
• 19 August p108 Ltte - Mr Leadbeater Replies to Mr Loftus Hare CW Leadbeater
• 20 August p109 Ltte - The Akashic Records Again Arthur Johnson
• 21 August p109 Ltte - (untitled) William Loftus Hare
  
  
• 22 Sept p178 Ltte - The Gentle Art of Exposing Charlatans Ernest V Hayes
• 23 Sept p179 The Akashic Records PHF
  
  
• 24 October p243 (untitled) William Loftus Hare

Part 2: Verbatim Extracts, wherein it should become plain to the contemporary reader what worried whom in 1923: {remarks in curly braces are mine} -

Extracts from items 1, 2, and 19:

• 1 the problem of the 'akashic records" ... Mr Leadbeater's {report} appears under the heading of "The Lives of Ulysses" in `The Theosophist` of October 1917. The point of the argument of the writer of this {next} article, Mr WL Hare, is that the whole of the record given, with the exception of the reference to "Alcyone", the identification of "Ulysses" {with the Odysseus of Homer's Odyssey} and the date given {1528 BC}, is to be found in the `Shahnameh` of Firdausi, the Persian poet, who was born in Khorrasan about AD 950. {But Firdausi's date, 6th C BC, doesn't match Leadbeater's date, 16th C BC} The question therefore arises: why did Mr Leadbeater alter the date, and how did he arrive at the date he adopted? ... Mr Hare's conclusion is that the date assumed by Firdausi was not more than a century in error. {On this reasoning, the date recorded in the akashic records appears to be 9 centuries in error.} It is surely impossible to take such communications {from CWL} seriously, whatever methods may be supposed to have been taken to arrive at them. ... we are in a position to form a sober & unbiased judgement as to whether or not in either case the records in question were derived from the alleged source ... there is the suggestion or suspicion of tinkering with earlier historical records & putting them in a new setting with a view to establishing or defending certain reincarnationist theories with which history, by a violent abuse of chronological facts, is made to square. If the supposed reincarnations of "Ulysses" or "Alcyone" rest upon evidence such as this, we can surely afford to treat them with a smile. {the editor of The Occult Review}
  Jan p7 The Akashic Records - introductory note to next article the editor
• 2 ... when secular history has already dealt with the subject it becomes incumbent upon us to compare its results with those obtained by clairvoyant history ... when the "reading of the akashic records" affords to the readers thereof a false & exaggerated prestige, when, by the mere accumulation of uncontradicted & untested marvels, certain persons gain the reputation of being on the threshold of divinity, the secondary consequences of this general credulity are terribly serious. It is a positive mischief when a few persons, mortals like the rest of us, relying on our `politesse`, silently gather the reputation of being infallible and uncontradictable in matters of history. Such a reputation easily extends itself into the domain of the future & exercises an unwarrantable control over our morals. ... If history has been thoroughly dislocated in advance by pseudo-clairvoyant readings so that its `mappa mundi` is hardly recognizable by students of time & space, ... study of comparative religion becomes impossible. ... I was decorated with the title of Director of Studies in Comparative Religion & Philosophy for the Theosophical Society in England & Wales!
  
  {CW Leadbeater writes} "In 1528 BC Alcyone was born in ancient Persia as a cousin of the last Zarathustra, & Ulysses appeared at this time as the king." {Vishtaspa}.
  
  The impressions left on the readers of these insipid "lives" ... does not matter in the least. The salient fact is that every element in this cameo - except the reference to Alcyone, Ulysses & the date at the head - is to be found in the `Shahnameh` of Fifdausi, the Persian poet. An English translation has existed since 1832 and was reprinted in Sir John Lubbocks's "Hundred Books" by Routledge a generation ago. Mr Leadbeater has not added a single idea to the epic story which can be found on pp. 246-320 of the book to which I refer the reader.
  
  Mr Leadbeater's potted clairvoyance is written with less imagination & originality than any schoolboy's essay ... Yet I am wrong! Why did Mr Leadbeater hit upon the year 1528 BC for {the birth-date of Alcyone}? .. I think I know that Mr Leadbeater did not extract his Zarathustra date from the akashic records, but from a more cheap and handy volume. ... It looks as though the facts of the one {book} and the date of the other {book} have been synthetically and marvelously confirmed by clairvoyant investigation in 1917. An yet, is this after all so wonderful? For the older book has been in existence a thousand years and the smaller one had been on the market for twelve years.
  
  ... it is not a matter of great difficulty ... to settle the historical problem of the date of Zoroaster. {Zoroaster was a contemporary of Vishtaspa, one merely needs to date the latter to date the former.}
  
  I know how useless it is to pit "authorities" against clairvoyance. ... As to the date ... the "last" Zarathustra's date was 660-583 BC, such is the firm conclusion.
  
  {turning to `The Theosophist` for 1917, p199} I believe the aim of these lives is to flatter & intrigue the leaders and leaderettes of the Theosophical movement. ... {turn} to the "Twenty-eighth Life of Alcyone" in `The Theosophist` for January, 1911. {one} will find in the fourteen pages, I affirm `nothing but what is already known` plus a string of pretty love affairs & psychic adventures too trivial to find their way into secular or religious history. {One will find in that issue of `The Theosophist` a note by BP Wadia} He tells us there that Mr Leadbeater ... "knows next to nothing about Zoroastrianism, has not studied ancient Persian history nor even perused the `Shahnameh`" on which I have two remarks to make. First, that he `ought` to know something about these subjects; he has become a "leader" of a Society one of whose objects is to study these things. It is nothing short of a scandal that a professed ignoramus should be blandly putting to rights those who have given years of patient study to these historical problems. But secondly, what guarantees have we but Mr Wadia's kindly credulity that Mr Leadbeater's mind `was` a blank on Zoroastrianism & Persian History? None whatever!
  
  I may say that within an hour of reading the "Twenty-eighth Life of Alcyone" I had found six of {CWL's reported} names in the `Shahnameh` (1832), six others in Dr Moulton's `Early Religious Poetry of Persia` (1911) and a few more in the `Encyclopaedia Biblica` (1903). In another hour I could find them all in the `Sacred Books of the East`. Mr Wadia's testimony to the seership of Mr Leadbeater is no more than a proof of his own innocent belief of Mr Leadbeater's word. {William Loftus Hare}
  Jan p30 A Cameo from Clairvoyant History William Loftus Hare
• CORRESPONDENCE
  
  [The name and address of the writer, not necessarily for publication, is required as evidence of bona fides, and must in every case accompany correspondence sent for insertion in the pages of the OCCULT REVIEW. -- ED.]
  
  MR. LEADBEATER REPLIES TO MR. LOFTUS HARE.
  To the Editor of the OCCULT REVIEW.
  
  Dear Sir, -My attention has been drawn to an amazing attack upon me, made in the January number of your magazine by a certain Mr. Hare. He disinters from an old number of The Theosophist an account of the life of a contemporary of Zoroaster, and finds fault with the date assigned to him, the spelling of the names incidentally mentioned, etc.
  
  On these matters he has, of course, a right to his own opinion; but when he proceeds to insinuate that I copied the story from some Persian book he commits a gratuitous impertinence.
  
  I have never asked Mr. Hare or anyone else to believe in that story or in anything else that I have written. That which I see I put on record when it seems to me of interest; whether people accept it is exclusively their affair, not mine. It is open to any man to doubt whether I have observed correctly, or to suppose me to have been in error in my deductions; but he has no possible right to accuse me of bad faith because he does not agree with what I have seen.
  
  To fix dates in ancient history is no easy matter; I do my best, and I have often taken an amount of trouble of which my carping critic can have no idea to establish the accuracy of even an unimportant point; but I make no claim to infallibility.
  
  For the spelling of the Persian names I can take no responsibility. What I heard I tried to reproduce phonetically; but the result was so weird and uncouth that I appealed to my Parsee friends, and either accepted such spelling as they suggested, or endeavoured to indicate their pronunciation as closely as I could.
  
  I have never pretended to be a leader in the Theosophical Society, and I hold no office therein, though I have been a member for forty years.
  
  We are but at the beginning of the study of the science of clairvoyant investigation; surely better work can be done by quiet and temperate comparison of results than by gross rudeness of unwarranted accusations of deceit. Can we not at least begin by the ordinary courtesy of crediting one another with common honesty and good intention?
  CW Leadbeater SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
  
  .
  August 1923 p108 Ltte - Mr Leadbeater Replies to Mr Loftus Hare

END

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