Jan Nicolaas Kind – Brazil
INTRODUCTION
In the beautiful summer of 2015, International Theosophy Conferences held its annual meeting in The Hague, the Netherlands. The theme was:” Helena Petrovna Blavatsky through different eyes with ONE Heart”.
Representatives of a number of theosophical organizations were invited to shed light on a part of their respective organization’s history and activities, in such a way that those who were not affiliated with the speakers’ own groups, would get to know more about the “others”, thus attempting to eliminate possible prejudices and misconceptions. Next to this objective the gathering was set up to bring the theosophical vehicles closer together. I was asked to cover the TS-Adyar. Although it had to be a concise and a kind of general overview, it was quite revealing and rewarding to share this with all participants.
In 2015 the Theosophical Movement celebrated its 140th anniversary. Now, in 2025, while I pen this, the Movement is 150 years in motion, which is commemorated worldwide. I actually rediscovered the text of my 2015 presentation and after going over it, in order to join the celebrations, I decided to “update” the piece and republish it.
I need to point out that the article below, first of all is brief, entirely based on my own observations, and that it ought to be read as a personal account. Therefore, the various statements made in it do not necessarily convey the official stance of the TS-Adyar. I invite all of you, for a momen, to look backwards, to examine the current situation, thus preparing future generations, and ploughing the grounds for many cycles to come!
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Portraits of the founders as they are exhibited at Olcott, headquarters of the Theosophical Society in America,Wheaton
KNOW WHERE YOU ARE FROM
Let’s see where we are from, and when we know where we are from, we know where we are at present, and when we have that figured out, we should know where we’ll be heading.
No matter what happened over the past 150 years, it is a plain fact that we started our amazing journey together with the founding of the Theosophical Society in New York City at a series of six meetings that took place from September to November 1875.
The first meeting, on September 7, was a successful lecture, after which the idea of forming a Society was proposed. The organization of the Society began at the next meeting, held on September 8. On October 30, officers were elected, with Henry Steel Olcott as its first president, H.P. Blavatsky as its first corresponding secretary, George Henry Felt and Seth Pancoast as vice presidents, and William Q. Judge as counsel for the Society. The Theosophical Society was inaugurated on Wednesday, November 17, by Olcott’s official presidential address.
Henry Olcott himself regarded the people at the early meetings of the Theosophical Society more as “formers” than founders. He wrote: “The Society, then, had sixteen formers – to use the most apposite term – not founders; for the stable founding was a result of hard work and self-sacrifice over years, and during a part of that time H. P. B. and I worked quite alone in the trenches, laying the strong foundation.”
For a detailed account of the Founding of the Theosophical Society, go to Theosophy Wiki and click HERE
Members of the TS-Adyar recognize the three main founders as H.P. Blavatsky, Henry Steel Olcott, and William Q. Judge. After his two major co-founders departed for India ultimately to establish the international headquarters of the Society in Adyar-India, Judge, a young attorney, he was 26 when the Society was founded1875, carried on the work of advancing interest in Theosophy within the United States. By 1886, he had established an American Section of the international Society with branches in fourteen cities. Rapid growth occurred under his guidance, so that by 1895 there were 102 American branches with nearly six thousand members.
Madame Blavatsky died in May 1891, leaving Colonel Olcott and the English social activist Annie Besant as the principal leaders of the international movement based in Adyar, with Judge heading the important and vibrant American Section.
During the ninth Annual Convention of the American Section in 1895, eighty-three lodges voted for autonomy from the international Theosophical Society in Adyar. Colonel Olcott interpreted this action as secession, and revoked the charters of those lodges, whose members reorganized under the leadership of William Q. Judge. The five American lodges that had opposed the 1895 secession, retained their affiliation with the international Society headquartered at Adyar.
This unfortunate development caused much upheaval in theosophical circles and was later labelled by many as the so called “Judge Case”. This case was a conflict within the Theosophical Society caused by accusations that Judge had forged messages from spiritual masters, a charge he always strongly denied. It kept members puzzled; lengthy articles and even voluminous books were written about it. In this essay however, I will not go into it, and only refer to what both Olcott and Besant, many years after the events, said and wrote about Judge. Therefore, go to “H.P. Blavatsky and William Q. Judge, Two Souls, One Heart - One Vision” , click HERE
Nicholas and Helena Roerich
The Society was influential in the founding of many later esoteric movements, a number of which were started by former TS members. Some notable examples are William W. Westcott, co-founder of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn; Max Heindel, founder of the Rosicrucian Fellowship; Alice Bailey, who founded her own School; Rudolf Steiner, founder of the Anthroposophical Society; the Russian painter Nicholas Roerich and his wife Helena, founders of the Agni Yoga Society; and Guy and Edna Ballard, founders of the “I AM Movement” among others. Such movements that sprouted from the TS are not properly theosophical organizations. Constitutionally or otherwise, they have no connection with the TS Adyar.
For Adyar Theosophists, two resolutions passed by their General Council are crucial.
First
In order to preserve the integrity and independence of the organization, a Freedom of the Society resolution was passed and implemented in 1949. This resolution states that the Society remains “free of affiliation or identification with any other organization.”
The relevant paragraph in that resolution reads as follows
“Since Universal Brotherhood and the Wisdom are undefined and unlimited, and since there is complete freedom for each and every member of the Society in thought and action, the Society seeks ever to maintain its own distinctive and unique character by remaining free of affiliation or identification with any other organization.”
When well implemented, that resolution prohibits any ties between the theosophical society and other organizations such as other esoteric or spiritual movements, political parties, and commercial institutions.
Second
The Freedom of Thought resolution was implemented in 1924. Members consider this resolution important because it emphasizes a way of thinking inside the TS-Adyar.
The relevant paragraph in this resolution is as follows
“Approval of its Three Objects is the sole condition of membership. No teacher, or writer, from H.P. Blavatsky onwards, has any authority to impose his or her teachings or opinions on members. Every member has an equal right to follow any school of thought but has no right to force that member’s choice on any other member.”
In 2018 the Adyar’s General Council adopted another important resolution which was named Mission Statement.
The text is as follows
“To serve humanity by cultivating an ever-deepening understanding and realization of the Ageless Wisdom, spiritual self-transformation, and the unity of all life.”
H.P. Blavatsky
For Adyar Theosophists, H. P. B. does or should provide expert guidance in theosophical matters, but not as an official decision-maker, domineering and commanding all thought, opinion, or behavior. She is someone to highly respect and to consider very seriously, but not to follow blindly. She was the one who opened up windows, reintroducing what had long been forgotten at the peak of nineteenth-century materialism, when it was thought that all mysteries had been discovered and unveiled. She brought light into the darkness of that era.
TOS
An active segment of the TS-Adyar is the Theosophical Order of Service (TOS), which was founded in February 1908 by Annie Besant. Its formation was in response to the wish of a number of members of the Theosophical Society to organize themselves for various lines of service and 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 TOS has branches in over twenty-five countries. In some of them it is a separately constituted, legally registered body, and in others it operates as an autonomous department of the Theosophical Society.
THE TS-ADYAR NOW
Where does the TS-Adyar stand now? In 2024, it was represented in 58 countries, through Sections, Regional Associations, Presidential agencies or Lodges, directly connected to Adyar, with a total membership of 28,588 and 952 lodges, 287 study centers, 11 retreat centres and 4 federations, altogether publishing 42 magazines, in addition to 7 publishing houses and 6 science groups.
Much is achieved on the educational level. In India there are Theosophical Schools for poor and deprived children, there is an Adyar Theosophical Academy and there are schools in the Philippines. An overview below:
INDIA: Olcott Memorial Secondary High School, Adyar, Chennai, - Besant Educational Fellowship (5) - TOS Schools: Orissa (1), Kolkata (2)
The Philippines: Golden Link College Foundation, Caloocan City, (Preschool, Elementary, High School, College) - Philippine Lumen School, Bago City, (Preschool, Elementary, High School - Golden Link College, Bohol Campus, Cortes, Bohol, (Preschool, Elementary - Sunshine Learning Center, Quezon City, (Preschool)-TOS Learning Center, Caloocan City (Preschool) In total 5 institutions.
St. Michael's House at the International Theosophical Centre in Naarden, the Netherlands
Official international theosophical centers: Krotona-Ojai, USA, the International Theosophical Centre in Naarden the Netherlands, the Manor, Sydney, Australia and Adyar’s Headquarters in Adyar, Chennai – India.
There is an Esoteric School of Theosophy, with a restrict but not a secret membership, administered separately from the Theosophical Society but open to TS members after two years active membership, who are willing to abide by some basic conditions directed towards a life of sincere altruism and harmless living.
The largest TS section is the Indian one, followed by the USA, Asia, East and Southeast, Italy, Australia, Brazil, Cuba, England and Wales, New Zealand and others. The TS-Adyar is democratically structured, with Officers, Board members, General Secretaries, Organizing Secretaries, Presidential Representatives and an International President, elected by the membership. Some officers at the headquarters in Adyar are appointed by the International President.
The Theosophical Society is international, but it is not strongly centralized in organization. The national societies (or “Sections”) are typically incorporated, each in its own country, so legally each Section is independent of the others, although united in purpose and spirit.
As the Freedom of Thought resolution is respected and followed, members of the TS-Adyar study various authors, representing different currents inside the TS. No particular author is recommended above another one, although the works of H. P. B. for many are the starting point. Many courses are available in various languages to help students to find their way in H. P. B.’s writings, and in lodges many regularly come together to study Isis Unveiled or The Secret Doctrine. Next to other authors, two distinguished English Theosophists contributed significantly to the study of H. P. B.’s works: Ianthe Hoskins and Geoffrey Farthing. The Voice of the Silence for many members of the Adyar TS is H. P. B.’s most significant publication.
Boris de Zirkoff and Kenneth Small, a Point Loma Theosophist of the Eclectic Tradition; photo taken in the mid-seventies
Many Adyar theosophists have found that the writings of Gottfried de Purucker, Boris de Zirkoff, and Geoffrey Barborka, but also Robert Crosbie have helped in understanding the core teachings. Other members are attracted to the oeuvre of clairvoyant authors like C.W. Leadbeater and Geoffrey Hodson.
The literary output, volume-wise of Annie Besant was phenomenal, she wrote much and her work is still in demand. Publications like Thought Power and her early work The Ancient Wisdom are still widely read, and many consider In the Outer Court to be one of her finest works.
The Mahatma Letters to A.P. Sinnett are also studied intensively in Adyar circles. Jn particular Joy Mills, who for many years resided in Krotona, California, contributed greatly to the study of those letters and gave many courses on them.
Theosophy Forward published a booklet entitled Pearls of Joy dedicated to Joy Mills. It is still available in PDF format click HERE*
*With thanks to ANTON ROZMAN in Slovenia.
Jiddu Krishnamurti
Other Adyar Theosophists find inspiration in, and are attracted to the writings and teachings of, Jiddu Krishnamurti, who was a speaker and writer on philosophical and spiritual subjects. In his early life he was prepared by Besant and Leadbeater to become a new World Teacher, but later he rejected that idea and withdrew from the TS. A small book that is still in print and read by many is At the feet of the Master, which Krishnamurti wrote when still very young, published under the name of Alcyone.
The works of William Q. Judge are widely available in many Adyar theosophical libraries or bookstores. Perhaps due to the fact that translations didn’t materialize in regions such as Africa, the middle- and far-East, or eastern Europe, he is less well-known than others. Another reason why Judge is not well-known everywhere is also due to the fact that he died relatively young.
Conclusion
The TS Adyar from 1875 onwards had the following international Presidents Henry Steel Olcott, President-Founder, 1875-1907 Annie Besant, 1907-1933 George S. Arundale, 1934-1945 C. Jinarajadasa, 1946-1953 N. Sri Ram, 1953-1973 John Coats, 1973-1979 Radha Burnier, 1980-2013, Tim Boyd, 2014 -
Tim Boyd and his wife Lily on the balcony of Leadbeater Chambers in Adyar
Tim Boyd is International President since 2014. He extensively travelled the world over, lecturing and presiding over General Council meetings both In the Netherlands and Adyar. This Council, the international governing body of the Theosophical Society, is responsible for setting the society's policies and resolutions. Tim initiated a thorough and essential renovation of the Adyar estate. He is also Chief Editor of The Theosophist, the official organ of the International President, founded by H. P. Blavatsky on 1 Oct. 1879. Recently he authored a book entitled On the Verge of Wisdom. For a review of the book click HERE
The TS-Adyar can be compared to a large house with many rooms. Some students follow exclusively the teachings that came through H. P. B., others supplement those with the writings of later authors such as Annie Besant, C.W. Leadbeater, C. Jinarajadasa, N. Sri Ram, and I.K. Taimni — to name just a few. For others the works of Krishnamurti are essential in their journey towards truth, but the overall principle remains the Freedom of Thought Resolution.
In the beginning of this overview, it was mentioned that Olcott preferred not to be called a “founder” but a “former.” All theosophists, their affiliation is irrelevant here, could look at themselves as formers of the Theosophical Movement, next to being connected with a particular theosophical vehicle.
N. Sri Ram
N. Sri Ram, at one time the international President of the TS-Adyar, in a talk delivered to the Australian Section in March 1970 defined the Adyar stance in a crystal clear manner, he said:
“The TS was not founded as a movement to teach people to be good in the conventional sense — that is, not rob, murder, or deceive. The TS was founded with the exalted purpose of promoting the spiritual regeneration of humanity. We have to understand what such regeneration means and how we can help it to become a reality.”
Robert Crosbie
Robert Crosbie, founder of the United Lodge of Theosophists, when referring to how to approach the various branches. sprouting from our theosophical tree wrote:
“The Theosophical Movement is greater than any society or organization. . . . The Theosophical Society was founded by Masters as an organization for the promulgation of the Wisdom Religion. That organization has split into fragments. . . . Into each fragment of the original T. S., there have entered many attracted by the philosophy. The right or wrong of the splits does not affect them. In each fragment there must be those who are good and true disciples of Masters. As far as my knowledge goes, I would say that Masters are working in many ways, and through many organizations as well as with individuals. There are no barriers to Their assistance, except such as personalities impose upon themselves. Their work is universal; let our view be as much in that direction as possible. So shall we best serve and know.”
From The Friendly Philosopher (p 4-5)
Whatever their organizational membership, theosophists from the various vehicles should reach out and come together, realizing that wisdom cannot flourish when no action is taken.
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Addendum
Know where you are from!
On Theosophy Forward the e-Magazine, in collaboration with Dr. James Santucci, the most recent (2020) version of THEOSOPHY AND THE THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETIES. The series comes in five chapters and offers the reader a unique, detailed and comprehensive overview of the history of the Theosophical Movement and its various Societies/Groups.
Please note that this is the 2020 version, some of the material might not be fully updated!
LAST BUT NOT LEAST: MEET THE VANCOUVER FIVE
On the photo: Tim Boyd, International President of the TS, Adyar, April Hejka-Ekins, Professor Emerita of Public Administration, Co-founder of Alexandria West, USA, Jonathan Colbert, Associate of the ULT, Member of TSA (Wheaton), Kenneth Small, Point Loma Theosophist of the Eclectic Tradition, USA Eugene Jennings, ULT, New York, USA. Discussion recorded during the World Congress in Vancouver, earlier this year.
For this extraordinary discussion click HERE