Geoffrey Farthing – A Tribute
We remember Geoffrey Farthing (1909 – 2004)
Jan Nicolaas Kind – Brazil
In previous issues of Theosophy Forward we’ve honored Theosophists such as Dr. Richard Brooks, Ianthe Hoskins, Einar Adalsteinsson, Shirley Nicholson, Paul Zwollo, Dora van Gelder-Kunz, John H. Drais and Dara Eklund. In this issue we will remember Geoffrey Farthing.
Geoffrey Farthing
In February 2000, in a widely-distributed letter, among other things, Geoffrey Farthing wrote to his many friends all over the world:
“After fifty years of fairly intense study I have come to the conclusion that the original outpouring of occult knowledge from the Masters, to the extent that they then gave it out, was a unique world event. It has not been properly appreciated as such.”
In the statement above the reader gets a pretty good insight on where Geoffrey stood when it came to the core-teachings as he understood them, and it is no secret that over the years he had developed a strong opinion regarding what he would describe as Theosophy’s “second version” as presented by Annie Besant, C.W. Leadbeater and others. His stance was clear: there was, according to him no doubt, and more than once he pointed out that under no circumstance was he able to merge the teachings as they were passed on to us by H. P. Blavatsky, and those which came in later years through the publications of Besant and Leadbeater. We now know that Geoffrey didn’t come to this conclusion easily, it took him time and deep study, but eventually it all came together for him.
Because of this, for some in the Adyar environment he therefore had become somewhat controversial in particular because he would not make a secret of his convictions. He openly conveyed his ideas and interpretations though many articles and outstanding books. He also wrote letters to his contacts around the globe and undertook lengthy and sometimes intense email correspondence with the leadership of the TS-Adyar in India.