The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett from the Mahatmas M. & K. H.

«Received Simla about October 15th, 1880. Esteemed Brother and Friend,» — la nota de recepción de puño de Sinnett que encabeza la Carta I, firmada por K. H., y su fórmula de tratamiento.

«Precisely because the test of the London newspaper would close the mouths of the skeptics—it is unthinkable.» — Carta I, de K. H.: rechaza de plano la prueba en un periódico londinense que Sinnett le había propuesto.

«See it in what light you will—the world is yet in its first stage of disenthralment if not development, hence—unprepared.» — y la razón que da: el mundo está en la primera fase de su liberación y no está preparado. Carta I, K. H.

«Very true, we work by natural not supernatural means and laws.» — la fórmula con que K. H. sitúa su propia práctica en la Carta I: medios y leyes naturales, no sobrenaturales.

«But, as on the one hand Science would find itself unable (in its present state) to account for the wonders given in its name, and on the other the ignorant masses would still be left to view the phenomenon in the light of a miracle; everyone who would thus be made a witness to the occurrence would be thrown off his balance and the results would be deplorable.» — y el doble efecto que teme: la ciencia no podría dar cuenta del prodigio y la masa lo vería como milagro. Carta I, K. H.

«Believe me, it would be so—especially for yourself who originated the idea, and the devoted woman who so foolishly rushes into the wide open door leading to notoriety.» — K. H. señala en la Carta I a quién dañaría la prueba pública: al propio Sinnett y a la mujer —Blavatsky— que se lanza a la notoriedad.

«This door, though opened by so friendly a hand as yours, would prove very soon a trap—and a fatal one indeed for her.» — la imagen con que lo cierra: esa puerta sería una trampa. Carta I, K. H.

«Madmen are they, who, speculating but upon the present, wilfully shut their eyes to the past when made already to remain naturally blind to the future!» — Carta I, K. H.: llama locos a quienes especulan solo sobre el presente y cierran los ojos al pasado.

«Far be it from me, to number you with the latter—therefore will I endeavour to explain.» — y exceptúa expresamente a su corresponsal antes de argumentar. Carta I, K. H.

«Were we to accede to your desires know you really what consequences would follow in the trail of success?» — la pregunta con que K. H. abre su argumento en la Carta I.

«The inexorable shadow which follows all human innovations moves on, yet few are they, who are ever conscious of its approach and dangers.» — la sombra inexorable que, según la Carta I de K. H., sigue a toda innovación humana.

«What are then to expect they, who would offer the world an innovation which, owing to human ignorance, if believed in, will surely be attributed to» — y a qué se expondría, según K. H., quien ofreciera esa innovación al mundo: la frase sigue en la plana siguiente. Carta I.

«those dark agencies the two-thirds of humanity believe in and dread as yet?» — el remate de esa frase de la Carta I de K. H.: a las agencias oscuras en que cree y que teme la mayoría de la humanidad.

«It says that in their turn ignorant prejudice and religious bigotry, bottled up like the wicked Jin of old, and sealed up by the Solomons of science» — la imagen con que la Carta I describe el prejuicio y la beatería religiosa: embotellados como el genio del cuento y sellados por los Salomones de la ciencia. K. H.

«Experimental knowledge does not quite date from 1662, when Bacon, Robert Boyle and the Bishop of Chester transformed under the royal charter their “ Invisible College ” into a Society for the promotion of experimental science.» — K. H. fecha en 1662 la carta real que convirtió el *Invisible College* en sociedad para la promoción de la ciencia experimental, y sostiene que el conocimiento experimental no empieza ahí. Carta I.

«The vril of the “ Coming Race ” was the common property of races now extinct.» — K. H. adjudica el *vril* de la novela de Bulwer-Lytton a razas ya extinguidas. Carta I.

«Your race boasts of having liberated in their century, the genius so long imprisoned in the narrow vase of dogmatism and intolerance—the genius of knowledge, wisdom and freethought.» — y lo que K. H. concede a su corresponsal sobre el siglo de este: haber liberado el genio del conocimiento del dogmatismo. Carta I.

«It depends entirely upon the social and moral conditions of the people in their bearing on these deepest and most mysterious questions which can stir the human mind— the deific powers in man and the possibilities contained in nature.» — la condición de que, según la Carta I de K. H., depende todo: el estado social y moral de un pueblo ante los poderes deíficos en el hombre.

«We doubt not but the men of your science are open to conviction; yet facts must be first demonstrated to them, they must first have become their own property, have proved amenable to their own modes of investigation, before you find them ready to admit them as facts.» — Carta I, de K. H.: concede que los hombres de ciencia son convencibles, pero pone la condición de que los hechos se les expongan por sus propios métodos.

«Your daily remark is, that one cannot be expected to believe unless he becomes an eye-witness.» — K. H. recoge en la Carta I la objeción constante de su corresponsal: sin ser testigo ocular no se cree.

«It may be an easy matter to increase the original number of believers at Simla to hundreds and thousands.» — y concede que multiplicar creyentes en Simla sería fácil. Carta I, K. H.

«so that the most essential quality of an hypothesis is not that it should be true but only plausible—in their opinion.» — el juicio que K. H. hace en la Carta I del criterio científico de su tiempo: a una hipótesis se le pide plausibilidad, no verdad.

«And, without a thorough knowledge of Akas, its combinations and properties, how can Science hope to account for such phenomena?» — K. H. introduce Akasa en la Carta I como lo que la ciencia tendría que conocer para dar cuenta de los fenómenos.

«However successful, danger would be growing proportionately with success.» — y el precio del éxito, según la Carta I de K. H.: el peligro crecería en la misma proporción.

«No choice would soon remain but to go on, ever crescendo, or to fall in this endless struggle with prejudice and ignorance killed by your own weapons.» — con su desenlace: no quedaría más opción que seguir en aumento o caer, muerto por las propias armas. Carta I, K. H.

«The enormous learning of the Paracelsi, of the Agrippas and the Deys was ever doubted.» — Carta I, K. H.: pone a Paracelso, Agrippa y Dee entre los sabios de quienes siempre se dudó. La grafía *the Deys* es la del volumen, y la fe de erratas de la plana 581 la enmienda a *De[e]s*.

«And it was the illustrious “ Chancellor of England and of Nature” —Lord Verulam-Bacon—who having won the name of the Father of Inductive Philosophy, permitted himself to speak of such men as the above-named as the “ Alchemicians of the Fantastic» — y opone a ellos a Bacon, padre de la filosofía inductiva, que los llamó alquimistas de la filosofía fantástica. Carta I, K. H.

«but the chronicles of our modern days do not differ very essentially from their predecessors.» — el juicio de K. H. sobre su propia época: las crónicas modernas no difieren en lo esencial de aquellas. Carta I.

«The public safety is only ensured by our keeping secret the terrible weapons which might otherwise be used against it, and which, as you have been told became deadly in the hands of the wicked and selfish.» — la razón que K. H. da en la Carta I para el secreto: las armas terribles se vuelven mortales en manos egoístas.

«I conclude by reminding you that such phenomena as you crave, have ever been reserved as a reward for those who have devoted their lives to serve, the goddess Saraswati—our Aryan Isis.» — y la condición bajo la cual, según la Carta I, se conceden los fenómenos: como recompensa a quienes sirven a Sarasvatī, a la que llama la Isis aria.

«but are as unable to control their consequences which thus become our masters— then only will, both you and he understand why to the uninitiated our acts must seem often unwise, if not actually foolish.» — K. H. explica en la Carta I por qué sus actos parecen insensatos al no iniciado: las causas se crean a voluntad, pero sus consecuencias no se gobiernan.

«One witness of well known character outweighs the evidence of ten strangers; and if, there is anyone in India who is respected for his trustworthiness it is—the Editor of the Pioneer.» — y el peso que atribuye al testimonio de Sinnett como director del *Pioneer*. Carta I, K. H.

«Remember that there was but one hysterical woman alleged to have been present at the pretended ascension, and that the phenomenon has never been corroborated» — K. H. objeta el testimonio de la Ascensión en la Carta I: una sola mujer histérica, y sin corroboración.

«In regard to the production of newly devised and still more startling phenomena demanded of her with our help, as a man well acquainted with the strategy, you must remain satisfied with the reflection that there is little use in acquiring new positions until those that you have already reached are secured, and your Enemies full aware of your right to their possession.» — y la metáfora militar con que aconseja a Sinnett no pedir fenómenos nuevos. Carta I.

«Yet for nearly 2, 000 years countless milliards have pinned their faith upon the testimony of that one woman—and she not over trustworthy.» — K. H. cierra su argumento sobre la Ascensión en la Carta I: dos mil años de fe apoyados en el testimonio de una sola mujer poco fiable.

«If the latter has its dicta so also has the former; and he who would cross the boundary of the unseen world can no more prescribe how he will proceed than the traveller who tries to penetrate to the inner subterranean recesses of L ’Hassa—the blessed, could show the way to his guide.» — Carta II, de K. H.: quien cruza al mundo invisible no puede prescribir su camino, como el viajero no puede indicárselo a su guía camino de Lhasa.

«The mysteries never were, never can be, put within the reach of the general public, not, at least, until that longed for day when our religious philosophy becomes universal.» — y la condición que pone al secreto: los misterios no estarán al alcance del público hasta que su filosofía religiosa sea universal. Carta II, K. H.

«At no time have more than a scarcely appreciable minority of men possessed nature’s secret, though multitudes have witnessed the practical evidences of the possibility of their possession.» — K. H. distingue en la Carta II entre poseer el secreto de la naturaleza —minoría inapreciable— y haber presenciado sus efectos.

«The adept is the rare efflorescence of a generation of enquirers; and to become one, he must obey the inward impulse of his soul irrespective of the prudential considerations of worldly science or sagacity.» — la definición de adepto que da la Carta II de K. H.: la rara floración de una generación de indagadores, que obedece al impulso interior sin atender a la prudencia mundana.

«Your idea would be, as I understand it, to obtain such communications either by letters —as the present one—or by audible words so as to be guided by one of us in the management and principally in the instruction of the society.» — K. H. reformula en la Carta II la propuesta que Sinnett le hizo: cartas o palabras audibles, y guía en la instrucción de la Sociedad.

«No other book is quite like this private collection of letters. Preserved in the British Library, they were written between 1880 and 1884 to Alfred Percy Sinnett, editor of a leading Anglo-Indian newspaper, The Pioneer.» — solapa editorial de la edición de 1992, no voz de la obra: presenta la colección, dice que se conserva en la British Library y llama a Sinnett director del diario anglo-indio *The Pioneer*.

«His correspondents were two Mahatmas whom H. P. Blavatsky acknowledged as her teachers and the inspirers of her Isis Unveiled and The Secret Doctrine.» — la solapa nombra a los dos corresponsales como Mahatmas y les adjudica, por reconocimiento de Blavatsky, el papel de maestros e inspiradores de sus dos obras mayores.

«First published in 1923, this primary source book is filled with philosophical and ethical instruction, revealing not only far-reaching concepts of religious and scientific thought (since proven in large degree prophetic), but also practicality, warmth of heart, patience, and ripeness of humor.» — la solapa fecha la primera publicación en 1923 y adelanta el juicio del editor sobre el contenido, incluido el paréntesis que llama a esos conceptos probados proféticos en buena medida.

«Many popular but fictitious ideas of would-be esotericists are exploded by a sound and human approach to natural law» — la solapa opone las ideas de los que llama aspirantes a esoteristas a un tratamiento de la ley natural.

«The light these letters throw on the early history of the modern theosophical movement enables the reader to gain a clearer understanding of H. P. Blavatsky and The Theosophical Society.» — y el uso que la solapa propone: leer las cartas como fuente para la historia temprana del movimiento teosófico.

«The Mahatmas' aim was not to found "a college for the special study of occultism" but to foster a real universal fraternity:» — la solapa resume así el propósito que atribuye a los Mahatmas, con la fórmula entrecomillada del colegio de ocultismo que niega.

«is no idle phrase. Humanity in the mass has a paramount claim upon us,.. It is the only secure foundation for universal morality. If it be a dream, it is at least a noble one for mankind: and it is the aspiration of the true adept.» — la solapa cita ese pasaje remitiéndolo a *— p 17*, es decir al folio impreso 17 (plana 58): su versión SUPRIME la cláusula sobre la carta a Mr. Hume y la sustituye por dos puntos suspensivos. Las dos formas quedan consignadas; la del cuerpo, más abajo.

«Photographic facsimile of the Second Edition» — el pie de la solapa declara la naturaleza del volumen: facsímil fotográfico de la segunda edición.

«To A. P. S I N N E T T f r o m T H E M A H A T M A S M. & K. H. Transcribed, Compiled, and with an Introduction by A. T. B A R K E R Facsimile Edition THEOSOPHICAL UNIVERSITY PRESS PASADENA, CALIFORNIA» — la portada, con el espaciado de letras que el OCR conserva: declara destinatario, remitentes, la triple función de Barker —transcribir, compilar e introducir— y el sello editorial.

«T heosophical U niversity P ress Post O ffice Bin C Pasadena, C alifornia 91109 1992 First Edition December 1923 Second Impression May 1924 Third Impression June 1924 Fourth Impression November 1924 Second Edition 1926 Second Impression 1930 Third Impression 1933 Fourth Impression 1948 Fifth Impression 1975 Sixth Impression 1992» — la página de derechos, con el espaciado del OCR en el nombre de la imprenta: la serie entera de ediciones e impresiones, de diciembre de 1923 a 1992.

«Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data The Mahatma letters to A. P. Sinnett from the Mahatmas M. & K. H. / transcribed, compiled, and with an introd by A, T Barker — Facsim. ed., 2d ed. — Pasadena, Calif.: Theosophical University Press, 1926, 1975 printing. xlvii. 493, 44 p.; 23 cm. Includes index, ISBN 0-911500-20-0 ISBN 0-911500-21-9 pbk» — la ficha de la Library of Congress que el volumen transcribe: describe el libro como edición facsimilar de la segunda edición, Pasadena 1926 con impresión de 1975, con la colación xlvii, 493, 44 páginas y los dos ISBN. La grafía *introd by A, T Barker* va tal cual.

«The paper in this book meets the standards for permanence and durability of the Council on Library Resources. °° Printed by Theosophical University Press Pasadena, California USA» — el pie de imprenta y la declaración de permanencia del papel ante el Council on Library Resources.

«The seven Sections suggest themselves as more or less natural divisions, but it should be remembered that as letters in one section often contain matter which also relates to the other Sections, considerable overlapping is unavoidable.» — prefacio del compilador (firmado A. T. B.): las siete secciones son divisiones naturales, pero una carta de una sección toca asuntos de las otras y el solapamiento no se evita.

«However, an attempt has been made and that is the best that can be said.» — y la reserva con que el compilador acota su propio ordenamiento.

«The contents of each Section are arranged where possible chronologically, in the order of their receipt.» — el criterio de ordenación dentro de cada sección: cronológico por orden de recepción, cuando se puede.

«The reader must bear in mind that with only one or two exceptions none of the letters were dated by the writers thereof.» — el compilador advierte que las cartas no vienen fechadas por quienes las escribieron, salvo una o dos.

«On many of them, however, the dates and places of receipt have been noted in Mr. Sinnett’s handwriting, and these appear in small type immediately under the Letter Numbers.» — las fechas que sí aparecen son notas de recepción de puño de Sinnett, impresas en cuerpo menor bajo el número de carta: el compilador las distingue del texto de la carta.

«All footnotes are copies of notes which appear in and belong to the letters themselves, unless signed (Ed. ) in which case they have been added by the compiler.» — regla de lectura del aparato: las notas al pie pertenecen a las cartas salvo las firmadas (Ed.), que son del compilador.

«Throughout this volume there are a great many words used which belong to Buddhist, Hindu, and Theosophical terminology.» — el compilador señala la densidad de vocabulario budista, hindú y teosófico del volumen.

«Those who are unfamiliar with such terms are referred to the excellent glossary in H. P. Blavatsky’s " Key to Theosophy” and also to " The Theosophical G lo s s a r y ," a separate publication by the same author.» — y remite al glosario de la *Key to Theosophy* de Blavatsky y a su *Theosophical Glossary*; el espaciado *G lo s s a r y* es del OCR.

«The reader is asked to believe that the greatest care has been taken in the work of transcription; the whole MS. has been checked word for word with the originals,» — la garantía de transcripción que el compilador ofrece: el manuscrito entero cotejado palabra por palabra con los originales.

«It is however probably too much to expect that the printed book will contain no mistakes, they are almost inevitable.» — y su límite, en la plana siguiente: no espera que el libro impreso salga sin errores.

«In case any doubt should arise in the reader’s mind as to whether any particular passage has been correctly copied from the original, the compiler wishes to intimate, that he will be happy to deal with any correspondence on the subject addressed to him care of the Publishers.» — el compilador se ofrece a responder por correspondencia cualquier duda sobre un pasaje concreto, a través de los editores.

«S ome explanation is clue to the reader as to why a revised edition of this book has been considered necessary, and also as to the nature and extent of the corrections made in the text of the original edition.» — arranque del prefacio a la segunda edición, firmado A. T. B. en enero de 1926. La grafía *is clue* por *is due* es del OCR y se conserva (regla 10).

«The book was offered to the public in good faith as an accurate transcription of the original documents, verbatim and without omission.» — lo que el compilador dice haber ofrecido en la primera edición: transcripción exacta, literal y sin omisiones.

«Having had occasion recently to check certain letters with the originals, the Compiler made the discovery that an unduly large number of errors had somehow crept in, so many in fact as to necessitate a complete and thorough revision of the whole work from beginning to end.» — y el hallazgo que obliga a la revisión: un número indebidamente grande de errores.

«The majority of the differences are petty and trifling, affecting in no way the sense of the passages concerned—i. e., a question of capitals, punctuation, etc.» — primera clase de discrepancias que censa: menudas, sin efecto sobre el sentido.

«On the other hand there is a long list of corrections which unfortunately do affect the meaning: —(a) words wrongly italicised; (b) words omitted or wrongly transcribed, and (c) most serious of all, Letter No. XIII, in which one page of the original was transcribed out of its proper position, necessitating the rearrangement of Answers 4 and 6.» — segunda clase, la que sí afecta al sentido: cursivas mal puestas, palabras omitidas o mal transcritas y, sobre todo, una página de la Carta XIII transcrita fuera de sitio.

«The original intention was to present the letters in print exactly as in the originals, and the present Edition is an attempt to realize the original intention as far as it is practically possible.» — el propósito declarado de la segunda edición: acercarse a la intención original de imprimir las cartas tal como están en los originales.

«But it must be borne in mind that the material has to be arranged for the Press, for which the originals were not written—and a minimum amount of editing is essential to make the volume readable.» — con su acotación en la misma plana: los originales no se escribieron para la imprenta y un mínimo de edición es inevitable.

«In a few sentences, otherwise devoid of it, punctuation has been added to make the passage more easily comprehensible.» — segunda: se añade puntuación donde faltaba por completo.

«Capitals have been altered in accordance with originals as far as possible, but it is frequently difficult to determine whether a capital was intended or not, and the Compiler has. used his discretion in this particular.» — tercera, con la reserva de que en las mayúsculas el compilador reconoce haber usado su criterio.

«All word's previously omitted have been inserted and all mistakes in italics and words wrongly transcribed have been corrected.» — cuarta: palabras omitidas repuestas y palabras mal transcritas corregidas. La grafía *word's* es del OCR.

«Occasionally a word will be found in small square brackets; this always indicates that the word is not in the original but is necessary to the comprehension of the passage.» — y la convención tipográfica que el lector debe reconocer: lo que va entre corchetes pequeños no está en el original.

«He alone is to blame for the mistakes made, and considers that his action in revising- the whole work is the only one consistent with his duty and responsibility.» — y asume en solitario la culpa de los errores.

«It is well known, among- students of Theosophy and Occultism, that the philosophical doctrines and ethics which were given to the world through the Theosophical Society during the 16 years immediately following its foundation in 1875, emanated from certain Eastern Teachers said to belong to an Occult Brotherhood living in the trans-Himalayan fastnesses of Tibet.» — arranque de la introducción de Barker: sitúa el origen declarado de la doctrina teosófica de los primeros dieciséis años en maestros orientales de una hermandad oculta transhimaláyica.

«Blavatsky who, together with Colonel Olcott founded the Theosophical Society, acknowledged these Eastern Brothers as her Teachers, stating not only that They existed, but that she herself had received training and instruction at their hands during her sojourn in Tibet, and was therefore able to speak from her own knowledge and personal experience.» — Barker expone lo que Blavatsky declaraba: no solo que esos Hermanos existían, sino que ella misma se formó con ellos en el Tíbet.

«It was not until 1880 that further testimony became available.» — y la fecha en que, según Barker, aparece testimonio adicional.

«In that year the late A. P. Sinnett, then living in India, was enabled through the agency of Madame Blavatsky, to enter into correspondence with her own Teachers, whom she referred to variously under the terms, “ The Brothers, ” “ The Mahatmas, ” and later “ The Masters of Wisdom. ”» — Barker describe la mediación de Blavatsky y recoge los tres nombres con que ella designaba a sus maestros.

«They are now published with the permission of the Executrix of the late A. P. Sinnett, to whom they were bequeathed solely and unconditionally; she, in her turn at the suggestion of the writer of this Introduction, allowed him the great privilege of undertaking the whole responsibility for the transcription, arrangement and publication of the Letters in book form.» — la cadena de custodia que Barker declara: las cartas quedaron a la ejecutora testamentaria de Sinnett y ella autorizó la publicación a sugerencia del propio Barker.