Translated from German by Robert Hutwohl[1] [2]
The generally prevailing movement, which can be called “theosophical” to distinguish it from purely speculative philosophical research, as well as the continuous formation of new associations that pursue similar goals to the “Theosophical Society,” show that a union of all those who strive for the knowledge of truth is timely. Self-knowledge of the eternal truth is the ultimate goal of all human existence and the ultimate aim of all evolution, and there is no doubt that through a union of harmoniously attuned souls, the mutual exchange of ideas and external action can be promoted and the path to higher knowledge can be opened; but everyone should come to the conclusion that all external search for truth is only a means to an end, and is often even a hindrance, and that self-knowledge of the truth can only be found within one’s own inner being.
God is Truth, and can only be known by the love of the Divine, which is contained in ourselves and in all things. But this love of the Divine, and the search after Eternal Truth, does not consist in seeking to discover and expose the faults of another man, but in each man’s endeavour to cleanse the Augean stables of prejudices and sensual appetites within himself, that the light of self-knowledge may dispel the darkness of ignorance, and illumine the depths of the soul. Nor does the search after Truth of a theosophist consist in investigating the credibility of any authority, in order to have a nail upon which to hang his faith. Such searches may be of importance to those whom St. Paul called “the great men of this world, who are passing away,” and whose knowledge consists in nothing better than received opinions; but a theosophist is one whose knowledge is not limited to belief in authority, but who has come to the awareness of his inherent higher nature and his immortal existence. This inner spiritual awareness has nothing to do with being right, knowing better, believing theories to be true, enthusiasm, authority mania and scholarly conceit; it is the kingdom of God within us, the kingdom of true self-knowledge, which the religious systems teach that we should seek above all else and that then everything else will flow to us. In order to reach this kingdom, we ourselves must be spiritualized and purified so that the powers belonging to the higher region of the soul can develop within us. If these higher soul powers are developed, love of the divine and all other virtues arise of their own accord; But without this knowledge of God, all external morality is meaningless and all human brotherhood is like a house of cards that collapses at the first push. In this realm of wisdom there is no conceit, no jealousy, no greed, no envy, etc. All personal phenomena with their virtues and vices dissolve into mist in the light of the knowledge of the law that governs all of nature.
The knowledge of this law of the spirit, which everyone can find within himself, is the basis of all true knowledge and all true religion; it is “theosophy” in the true sense of the word, which in itself has nothing to do with external things, but from which all wise actions arise; for only that thought and action which springs from true knowledge can be wise. In an association of people who have no other purpose than to strive for self-knowledge of the truth, all reform efforts have a place. A theosophical society in which the members are really primarily and seriously concerned with recognizing the basis of all existence and acting in accordance with this law can, according to its nature, accept as members all possible associations that are concerned with the well-being of humanity as a whole and with enlightenment and progress in every respect. Disturbing elements, on the other hand, are those which are concerned only with personal or class interests to the detriment of others. In the “International Theosophical Brotherhood” which embraces all mankind, all possible side movements can be represented, as long as the main condition, the upholding of unselfish love and general justice, is fulfilled. Short-sighted people who are unable to grasp the spirit which should animate a true “Theosophical Society” have often reproached this association for not including this or that reform movement in its program. One person wanted to make it an animal protection organization, another an anti-vivisection organization, a third a vegetarian or anti-alcohol organization, a religious sect, a society of socialists, Buddhists, naturopaths and who knows what else; But a “Theosophical Society” differs from all other associations precisely in that it allows every individual, as well as all the groups and associations affiliated to it, complete freedom to work in any direction they choose, as long as they do not neglect the main purpose, the striving for the highest. If the “Theosophical Society” as such were to write any special reform effort on its banner, it would soon lose its liberal character, open the door to tyranny, and join the ranks of mutually warring sects in which the highest ideal of each is the hobbyhorse it worships.
In the “Theosophical Society” everyone has the right to “become blessed in his own way” and its constitution must therefore be completely free. No other authority is prescribed in it than “the truth that is felt within one’s own inner being” and it has no other prescribed leader than the faith that everyone carries in their “heart.” Of course, this does not prevent individuals or groups of members or associations from joining this or that leader, making their own statutes, pursuing this or that secondary purpose or participating in any reform efforts or restricting themselves in any way; but the basic condition of the “Theosophical Society” is complete freedom, insofar as it does not violate the law of justice, and thus no one has the right to impose rules on another or to impose unnatural constraints on him; but one can recommend to everyone the practice of tolerance, the study of philosophy and the pursuit of refinement, as well as the cultivation of the higher spiritual powers and virtues.
The “Theosophical Society” is not yet a society of real theosophists or enlightened people and should not be confused with such a society; for there will not be many people in it who have already found themselves in truth and have come to a true inner knowledge of God. One may therefore perhaps find in some such societies some much-vaunted “leader” who, upon closer examination, turns out to be something quite different from what one thought he was. But it is precisely such disappointments that serve to thoroughly convince those who strive for truth that the eternal truth needs no support for its recognition and that its knowledge can be found nowhere else than in its “revelation within one’s own inner being.”
This is the great secret which not everyone can understand, because not everyone has yet developed this power of inner knowledge, and because the ordinary person seeks the truth in all kinds of external things, in theories and authorities; but the task of every person who has recognized this secret is to work to the best of his ability to show other people striving for truth, who are still groping about in the darkness of dogmatism and superstition, the right path to the light which everyone carries within themselves. This kind of “Theosophy” does not depend on the belief in assumed opinions or misunderstood facts, nor on the belief in “Mahātmās” or “occult phenomena” (whether they are “real” or “false”); but the observance of the purposes stated in the constitution of the “Theosophical Society” is the means to attain possession of this secret and to set out on the path to perfection.
Notes:
[1] The Purpose of the Theosophical Society. By Dr. Franz Hartmann [Der Zweck der Theosophischen Gesellschaft. Von Dr. Franz Hartmann. Theosophischer Wegweiser 8, no. 9 (June 1907), 261-266] {This article was reformatted from the original, but with the content unchanged other than minor typos, translated from German by Robert Hutwohl, ©2025}
[2] Letter of welcome to the Representatives of the “Theosophical Society in Germany” (Leipzig 1906).