The Rudolf Steiner Archive

32. Obituary: Henry Steel Olcott, who died on February 17, 1907

[ 1 ] My intention in what I am about to say today is not to pay tribute to Olcott’s inestimable contributions. After all, he was not only the long-time president of the Theosophical Society, but also a co-founder of the Theosophical Movement. Through his great organizational talent and his extraordinary administrative skills, he made the Society what it is today. The spiritual current, however, can be traced back to H. P. Blavatsky, whose unique spiritual constitution made it possible for the great Masters of Wisdom and Harmony of Feelings to infuse the movement with their wisdom. Olcott was her faithful companion, and that was the real half of the work in this case.

[ 2 ] You must understand clearly how the work of the entire movement we call theosophy is actually to be understood. It became necessary at a certain point in the nineteenth century. It became necessary for a portion of that spiritual wisdom—which had previously been confined to only the innermost circles, within tightly closed occult brotherhoods—to be introduced into general human culture.

[ 3 ] The Masters cannot appear directly before humanity; for reasons that cannot be discussed here. They need instruments. And H. P. Blavatsky was such a useful instrument.

[ 4 ] Gratitude is the feeling that members of the Colonel Olcott Society must cultivate. Selfless love, which endures beyond death, gives one wings and makes the ascent easier.

[ 5 ] The founding president, as such, has been granted the right to make a proposal regarding his successor based on his personal judgment. In the meantime, the vice president takes over the duties of the office and initiates the election process. Anyone may vote for whomever they wish. The President’s proposal is not binding. The election will not begin before May 1. Therefore, no ballot submitted before May 1 is valid. During the month of May, all members must elect the new President of the Theosophical Society. Sinnett is the acting Vice President until the new election.

[ 6 ] I will not make use of what I am about to say, so I will not say anything about it, even though it has been discussed in other sections.

[ 7 ] If Olcott had informed us that he was proposing Annie Besant, we would all have voted for Annie Besant. However, Colonel Olcott’s proposal arises in connection with psychic phenomena. It was reported in a communiqué sent to all general secretaries that on the last day of Olcott’s life, the two Masters appeared at his deathbed and expressed their wish that Miss Besant should become Colonel Olcott’s successor.

[ 8 ] You are probably leaving it up to me to discuss this matter precisely because I believe I know something specific about these things. Nevertheless, I am in the peculiar position of being unable to say anything more about them. We would find ourselves in a difficult situation if we were to refer to this communiqué. We must therefore treat it as if it did not exist. We must regard it as if it were merely Colonel Olcott’s personal wish. Let us set aside the substance of the matter and discuss only the formal aspects. It must be of no concern to us whether Olcott was advised by a Schulze, a Müller, or a Mahatma. He may well have received advice from a Mahatma. This is, after all, an administrative matter, and it is true that the Masters do not concern themselves with administrative affairs on the physical plane. On the other hand, we would find ourselves in a peculiar situation if we were to oppose the Masters’ pronouncement. We must therefore simply write the name of our choice on the ballot. For those engaged in the occult life, the Master’s statement would be absolutely binding. Olcott may have sought advice. That is his concern as an esotericist, but not that of the Society. For us, therefore, there is only a request from the Society’s deserving president. If we were to interpret it as the Master’s wish, we would find ourselves in the most difficult position as Theosophists.

[ 9 ] If the communiqué from Adyar were correct, then the president would already be determined; and then we would not need to elect him. I would urge you to do whatever you can to ensure that this matter is discussed as little as possible, if at all. However, it should be recognized that the German Section at least understands that these matters do not belong in the public eye, and that, if they must be addressed, they should be treated as a private family matter within the community. We can serve the true, great cause only if we not only try to remain silent about this matter but also strive to maintain that silence in such a way that the matter does not become public, so that it can never appear in our newspapers. Just think what a shock it would be to our Society if it became known to the world that the Theosophical Society allows its president to be chosen through supernatural means. This appointment is to be regarded as non-existent. This is difficult, of course, because it can be read everywhere and because there is debate over whether it should be considered valuable or not. The only thing one can do is not to concern oneself with it. After all, the high [teachers of wisdom] have nothing to do with the administrative affairs of the Society. Wisdom provides the content; it is up to people to provide and shape the framework for it.

[ 10 ] It was not only my conscience but also my knowledge that compelled me to give you this advice: to ignore the communiqué.