[Über die “Geheimlehre” von H. P. Blavatsky und ihre Quelle]
Translation from the German by Robert Hutwohl[1]
H. P. Blavatsky’s The Secret Doctrine, in two volumes of over 700 and 800 pages respectively, may rightly be called the greatest work that has appeared since the beginning of the Christian era, and it is to be hoped that this work, of which translations have already appeared in various European languages, will soon be published in German. No further comment is needed for those who know this book and the circumstances under which it was written; to those who do not know it or its sources, let me tell you that it seems like a revelation to the discerning reader, and that in it the most important problems of science, philosophy and religion find a reasonable and self-evident solution.
The teachings contained in this work are neither the result of scientific speculation nor “spiritual” communications; rather they consist in a collection and discussion of doctrines about all that goes on in the universe, which, hidden in fragments and hidden behind allegories, are contained in the sacred writings of the most diverse peoples. Although written by H. P. Blavatsky, this book is actually the work of adepts, and the book written by A. P. Sinnet, erroneously called “Secret Buddhism,” [Esoteric Buddhism] is but an elaboration of a number of letters on the secret doctrine written by the same adepts to H. P. Blavatsky, whose originals were known to the author of this article twelve years ago. Nevertheless, in spite of the errors it contains, Sinnet’s book serves to acquaint the reader who is not yet familiar with the field of occult science with the basic principles of the same. It goes without saying that H. P. Blavatsky’s Secret Doctrine does not yet contain the whole and complete secret doctrine and everything that man could possibly know; for in order to penetrate into the deepest mysteries of Deity, mankind is far from mature at its present point of evolution; but the work contains as much of the “Secret Doctrine” as is appropriate and comprehensible to the more advanced portion of mankind, it deals the deathblow to both “scientific” and “religious” superstitions, by revealing the place where the true Science and true religion come together, and it opens up a new world before us, elevating us to a higher level of worldview on which the spiritual horizon expands to infinity.
We have already given an outline of the teachings contained in this Secret Doctrine in the first and second volumes of the “Lotusblüthen” under the title “Excerpts from the Secret Doctrine of the East and the Book of Dzyan,” and we advise the reader to study this outline before daring to approach the great work of H. P. Blavatsky, in which it further explains and discusses any questions that may arise; for the author has tried not only to communicate and explain the teachings of occult science, but also to refute all possible objections of the modern scholarly world in advance on scientific ground, and to reduce the arguments of the skeptics to absurdity through her own writings.
As far as the sources of the “Secret Doctrine” are concerned, they can of course only be understood by those who believe in the existence of higher spiritual intelligences, who formerly walked the earth as human beings, but then attained a state of spiritual development in which they could not be compared to any earthly mortal bodies needing to function further on the intellectual level. This point, too, becomes clear to us through the arguments given in The Secret Doctrine. Whoever knows nothing about man but his mortal shell, and knows nothing about soul and spirit, all this will seem incomprehensible to him.
The “Secret Doctrine” or “Wisdom Doctrine” is not a human invention; it is, as H. P. Blavatsky says, the inheritance of all nations throughout the world, and was taught at the cradle of mankind by those beings who, if they appeared on earth today, would be called “gods.” We find it on the island whose capital was “the city of the golden gates” before that great cataclysm which swept away most of the continent of Atlantis more than 800,000 years ago, and it spread from the American continent to India and Egypt, but the more it spread, the more distorted it was, even though various redeemers sent by God endeavored to restore it to its purity.[2] Parts of this teaching gave rise to the Vedas of the Indians, the Hermetic writings of the Egyptians, the systems taught by Confucius and Zoroaster, the Bible and many other books of wisdom, and it is still communicated to all enlightened ones according to their degree of receptivity; not by hissing it in their ears, or by copying it from one another, but by way of intuition, or inward instruction, through the influence of thoughts emanating from those who have come to the source of self-knowledge. The soul illuminated by the light of Divine Wisdom is the Book of Wisdom, the Book of Knowledge, the “Book of Dzyan” (from Janna [Jñāna] — spiritual experience), in which the wise read. This is the only reliable “narration” for those who are pure in heart to see God[3] and His mysteries. That is why the greatest of all teachers, Gautama Buddha, after he had attained enlightenment, said to his disciples: “This teaching, O Bikkschus! is not among the (external) traditions, but by myself the knowledge was clarified, in myself the (inner) eye was opened; within myself the light appeared.” But in order to attain this inner enlightenment one must have become a Buddha oneself, which is hardly a prospect for anyone in the present age of Kali Yuga, which is why we introduce the Adept and his tool, H. P. Blavatsky, for which we owe a great debt of gratitude for the information given in the “Secret Doctrine.”
Also, H. P. Blavatsky tells us that a single copy of a book of “Dzyan” exists, and it is so old “that scholars could not agree as to what constituted the material on which it is written”; but in spite of my long association with H. P. Blavatsky I have never bothered to ask whether this utterance is allegorical or literal, for the reason that I am quite indifferent by what authority a doctrine comes, provided it is that I can reconcile them with my own reason. But that is all the author asks of us. It does not ask of us credulity or blind faith in authority, but only that we should not close our hearts and minds to the light of truth which aspires to revelation in the soul of every one; and the “Secret Doctrine” serves to remove the errors and obstacles which stand in the way of this revelation.
However, it is also undoubtedly certain that hidden documents exist in Tibetan lamaseries, in old Chinese pagodas, in the subterranean vaults of Indian and Egyptian temples and probably also in the secret archives of the Vatican, which are either unknown or their value was not recognized by the owners; but in which the views expressed in the “Secret Doctrine” find their confirmation. Since the appearance of the Secret Doctrine, as prophesied by the author, various such treasures of great literary value have already come to light.
In the “Secret Doctrine” the world thus possesses a treasure of incalculable value, which, however, will probably only be generally recognized when it has freed itself from the spiritual lethargy in which it found itself during the last centuries and which almost suffocated the spiritual consciousness in the hearts of the people. The key to understanding the Secret Doctrine, however, lies not in believing in the infallibility of H. P. Blavatsky, but in possessing common sense.
Notes
[1] On the “Secret Doctrine” of H. P. Blavatsky and Its Source. [Über die “Geheimlehre” von H. P. Blavatsky und ihre Quelle. Franz Hartmann, M.D. Lotusblüten 9, no. 56 (May 1897), 309-17] {Translation from the German by Robert Hutwohl, ©2025}
[2] See Bhagavad Gita, chap. IV, verse 1. — Bible, I. Corinthians II, 7. — John VII, 16 etc.
[3] Matthew verse 8.