B. P. Wadia - A Life of Service to Mankind

Dallas Tenbroeck (*)

1881 - 1903

October 8th 1881

Bahman Pestonji Wadia was born on October 8th 1881, the eldest son of Pestonji Cursetji Wadia and his wife Mithabai. The Wadia family were originally from Siganpore, near Surat, some 230 miles north of Bombay. They were famed as shipbuilders, the frigate Trincommalee, renamed "Foudryant" which they built, is still preserved in Portsmouth harbor. The British government, in part payment and recognition of their services, deeded large tracts of coastal lands north of Juhu on Salsette Island immediately north of Bombay, to the Wadia family.

It was not a large family by the standards of those years and consisted, in addition to a younger brother named Jehanghir, of two sisters: Manijeh (married Sir Rustum Masani) and Jerbai who remained a spinster. Bahman went to the "New High School" conducted by J. D. Bharda and K. B. Marzban in Bombay and took the matriculation examination, but never entered College. Instead, his father arranged for him to learn and have experience in the textile business in a large British textile firm. This relation begun in the year 1900 was short lived as the young Bahman refused, in the course of business to tell any untruth, and this had been demanded of him. He resigned, and joined his father's firm, only four weeks before the latter's sudden death. 

BPW's father, Pestonji, engaged in the sale of textiles and was highly regarded in Bombay markets. His premature death when Bahman was only 19 years old placed this young, seemingly inexperienced man, in charge of his father's business. He was now responsible for the maintenance of his widowed mother and his brother and sisters. With the help of a close family friend experienced in textiles he soon learned to manage it, and prospered at it.

He had earlier made the acquaintance of Mme. Blavatsky through her writings to which an old family friend, J. D. Mahaluxmiwala, a member of the Bombay Theosophical Society had introduced him. Every day he would travel from the family home in Parel (North Bombay) by tram, to work in the "Fort" district, in South Bombay. Finding Bahman (hereafter BPW) sincerely interested in philosophy and other serious subjects, Mahaluxmiwala "gave" him a 2 volume set of Mme. H.P. Blavatsky's The Secret Doctrine (and a bill for forty rupees.) BPW was then 18. Reading The Secret Doctrine, he said, was like "coming home."

H.P.B. opened the doors in this life for him to the innate knowledge from what must have been already acquired in past lives. Like the opening of the flood gates of memory, that past wisdom was awakened by her book. He secured confirmation of the moral sense that was his intrinsically. He resolved that as soon as he could, he would devote his life to sharing Theosophy with all whom he met. 

1903

He had joined the Bombay Lodge of the Theosophical Society in 1903, and Mr. Mahaluxmiwala initiated him into the secrets of editing, as he was made sub-editor for the periodicals: The Theosophic Gleaner and Theosophy and New Thought, edited by him from the Bombay Lodge of the T S.

1904 - 1908

By 1904 BPW had made a great success of the textile firm, and, then sold it to free himself from further business engagements, so that he could devote himself fully to Theosophy thereafter. The capital so acquired was carefully invested so as to take care of his mother, sisters and brother.

April 15th 1904

On April 15th 1904 he offered his services to Col. Olcott, the President-Founder of the T.S., and they were accepted.

February 17th 1907

After the death of Col. Olcott, on February 17th 1907, he made the same offer to Mrs. Annie Besant, who succeeded Olcott in the responsibilities of the Presidency of the T S, and she accepted him. Wadia offered to come to work at Adyar. This was also agreed on.

In 1907 BPW mentioned sailing out 7 miles into the harbor of Bombay to see Elephanta, the famed ancient temple, said to be over 350,000 years old constructed from the living rock of the island when Rama was then the King of India. Ages ago, a gigantic stone statue of the Trimurthi: Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva, had been carved out of the rock of the island and around it a cavern had been chiseled so that a space of about an acre under stone formed the monument. It was for that reason the Portuguese named it Elephanta, because of the huge stone elephants that decorated the approaches to the cave. At his death-bed he spoke of this cave to several friends, saying that it was there that he had a "vision," and held a dialog with the "Master" at the "Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva Cave."

1908 - 1919

He left on February 3rd 1908 from Bombay for Adyar. There Mrs. Besant appointed him after some time the manager of the Theosophical Publishing House; and later, assistant editor under her, of the daily New India. At the headquarters of the Theosophical Society in Adyar he was soon recognized as a powerful and constructive worker. His responsibilities were widened to include being the assistant editor of The Theosophist under Mrs. Besant.

Under her direction he began to work in the Home Rule Movement, and soon was renowned in the political circles of the day, and among the members and leaders of the Indian National Congress (this had been earlier started by Mr. A.O.Hume, a retired Secretary to the Government of India, an early Theosophist of 1880, and a pupil of H.P.B. Later, under Gandhiji, Nehru, and many others, it eventually served to win political independence for India in 1947).

May 5th 1909

BPW spoke of being asked, soon after his arrival at Adyar, to speak on May 8th 1909 at the "White Lotus Day" Meeting, commemorating the death anniversary of Mme. Blavatsky. He said that he had written and memorized his talk, but, on the platform he forgot it completely. He spoke, but did not recall what he said afterwards, yet, the audience was most enthusiastic. He said he had been wearing a new silk kurta (long formal shirt) for the occasion. When he took it off he noticed that it smelt strongly of sandalwood, and retained that odor for many weeks thereafter. He concluded he had been "used" by the Master on that occasion and had spoken "under his influence," so to say.

BPW knew personally all the great figures of India, of his time, both literary and political, and was often visited by them when they came to Bombay. Among these were Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan the first President of Free India, Mrs. Sarojini Naidu, Dr. Bhagwan Das, Pundit Bhawani Shankar, and a host of others. When visiting Bombay, they would often stay with him as guests and friends. Valuing his enormous integrity and the instinctive love of the masses for him, which they knew he commanded, they would, from time to time urge him to return to politics, saying that a person of his worth was much needed, especially after Gandhi's murder (1948). He gently but firmly refused, saying that aspect of his life was over, and that he was working on something far wider and deeper reaching: Theosophy, which he urged them to investigate and learn about. (1936 - 1957) Sadly, few took this advice.

June 16th 1917

His early activities of a political nature in Madras, in the Indian Home Rule Movement, promoted by Mrs. Besant and George Arundale, earned for all three of them an "internment order" from the British Government of Madras State, and accordingly they were deported from Madras city to Ootacamund (a "Hill Station," some 300 miles West of Madras city) and interned (a form of house arrest) together from June 16th 1917. [ Gulmarg (Rose-avenue) was the name of a cottage that Col. Olcott had built on land he had bought in 1888, in the Nilgiri (Blue Mountains) Hills -- he intended it as a place where HPB and he could retire to in their "old age".] This cottage is located near Snowdon peak reservoir, about 4 miles from Ootacamund, at an altitude of nearly 7,000 feet. The internment lasted till September 7th 1917

[Dallas Tenbroeck here adds a long description of the inhabitants of the Blue Mountains and H.P. Blavatsky's and Wadia's opinions about these strange people]

The Theosophical Society changing the representation of Theosophy

BPW, after some time spent working in Adyar had realized from his study of HPB's writings in The Secret Doctrine, Isis Unveiled, and the many articles found in early issues of The Theosophist, and Lucifer that the Theosophical Society-Adyar was no longer promulgating pure H.P. Blavatsky Theosophy. He discussed this with Mrs. Besant, Mr. Leadbeater, and with other friends and co-workers at Adyar, who appreciated his fundamental devotion to H.P.B. and the Masters' teachings.

Many a discussion was held on what could be done to bring the Society out of the then dominance of the psychic proclivities (the 3rd Object) that held the attention of so many members, with a view to encourage the kind of study and work which the Original Impulse of the Movement, (the 1st and 2nd Objects) as defined by the doctrines promulgated by HPB and the MASTERS since 1875 implied.

1918

November 21st 1918

Later, in conversing with some friends, B. P. Wadia mentioned that he had a vision in Adyar on November 21st 1918 of H.P. Blavatsky. He said that vision, and the earlier one in 1907 of the Master ( at Elephanta ) had inspired and energized his whole life with the certainty of Their reality and continued existence, and the power and worth of Theosophy as a living and practical philosophy of daily life.

It must be remembered that the T.S. had been inaugurated to help mankind at the juncture of this cycle of its existence, to bring the materialism of the age to an end, and to give as much knowledge as might help bring mankind to a knowledge of and practice of ideals. For this reason The Universal Unity of all Beings, and the brotherhood of Man, Karma and Reincarnation were shown to be provable doctrines and to have an extreme antiquity in the literature of the Ancients. The "Eternal Philosophy," Sanatana Dharma, was to be restored. Universality, Immortality, Law and Brotherhood were to become the standards for the general membership of the T S to know, understand, and aspire to practically. But the modern membership of those days had quite forgotten those objectives.

The value of the Theosophical Movement as refigured, had been found to be almost totally lost for men of those years. These friends of H.P. Blavatsky questioned deeply the methods that could be used to institute an internal reform -- back to the Original Lines. Then, if this could not be done internally, could it, or would it have to be done from outside?

Many plans were formulated, reviewed and revised. These included:

  1. the founding of an international magazine where writers would have entire freedom of expression and where Theosophical principles could be expounded.
  2. Since HPB had stated in her article (WHY THE VAHAN) that it was the duty of the T.S. to keep in touch with its members, and through this journal of a few pages it was originally done on a free basis; a magazine devoted to pure Theosophy would have to be started, where the older article writings of HPB could be reprinted for modern readers.
  3. An Institute of an international cultural type could be started so that the traditions, philosophies, arts and sciences of various parts of the world, and India, could be compared and made available to the general public.
  4. For youths who were away from home and studying at local colleges, an inexpensive residential hostel could be established, with strict discipline along the lines of practical Theosophy.
  5. Every effort to be made to present to the membership of existing Theosophical Societies what pure Theosophy was, in the words of HPB. Study classes were to begin.
  6. HPB's original writings were to be reprinted for use by students and all new-comers.
"To have a permanent home for this six pronged plan in India, he began to negotiate for the purchase near Ootacamund, in the Nilgiri mountains of an old estate of 100 acres of eucalyptus, fruit orchards and potato fields, some distance away on the "Old Mysore Road." It was then named "Brookhampton" -- and it was renowned for its library, which he also bought. The property was renamed by him later: "Gurumandir," (Temple of the Guru). This is situated 4 miles out of Ooty, municipal electricity was finally brought out to it in 1956." (1)

Mr. Wadia stated that as time passed and he and his friends tried to bring about some reforms in the TS in Adyar, but the minds and actions of the chief officers and members seemed to become directed more towards psychism and sensationalism. They tried to direct the mind of the leaders of the Society "back to Blavatsky, and her Theosophy, and that of the Masters." It was a continuous gentle pressure, firmly unrelaxed, that was used. In the meantime other events had matured and an alternative opened.

1918 - India's First Labor Union

In the course of his political work under Mrs. Besant, Wadia became acquainted in 1917 with the plight of the textile workers in the local Madras mills, some of those who labored there came to him at the offices of the Daily newspaper: New India .

April 27th 1918

He investigated their working conditions and found them to be oppressive and inhumane: extremely long hours with no reasonable rest periods, low pay, and other conditions of duress. Preliminary meetings were held in the fall of 1917, and in the spring of 1918. The first Labor Union to be started in India: the Madras Textile Workers' Union was then organized on April 27th 1918 and Mr. Wadia was asked to be President and represent the laborers.

The building in which the Madras Labor Union is housed is known as "Wadia House;" it faces "Wadia Park." On the parapet at the top of the two storied building, over the front door, a bust of B.P. Wadia has been installed. On entering the front door one is greeted by a large photograph of B.P. Wadia as a young man -- as he was when he was President of the Union in 1918. His desk and the stationery he used at work are still carefully preserved there, and shown to visitors with great affection and reverence.

1919

The British Parliament had been aware of labor unrest in India, but unable to understand the conditions that had brought this about. In 1919 it summoned Mr. Wadia, as President of the Madras Textile Workers Union, and others, to London, to give testimony and answer the questions before a Parliamentary Commission. This Commission was to consider not only the Labor situation, but also various other matters which were to be addressed a year later and embodied in the "Montford Reform Act of 1919."

May 8th 1919

Wadia left India May 8th 1919, sailing in the company of Mrs. Besant, Mr. P. K. Telang and Mr. Jamnadas Dwarkadas, who were to tour the T.S. Lodges in Europe. This project was to be partly political and partly Theosophical.

B.P. Wadia's visit to England, and the testimony he gave to the Parliamentary Commission was well received and listened to with attention. A pamphlet embodying his statements was printed and circulated. A White Paper issued officially by Parliament at that time, includes a transcript of his cross-examination and answers.

B.P. Wadia 's visit to England and his well known capacities as a writer and speaker resulted in his being invited to visit and speak at a number of the TS-branches in England and on the European Continent. The Indian Government then appointed him a delegate to attend the First International Labor Conference under the League of Nations to be held at Washington D.C., November - December 1919. After finishing his tour of the European Lodges he sailed for autumnal New York. His position was a technical advisor to the India delegation.

Having discharged his responsibilities in Washington, he was asked to tour American and Canadian Branches of the T S, lecturing on The Secret Doctrine, on H.P.Blavatsky and her message, and on the need for every FTS, as an individual, to acquire for himself knowledge, and then study and apply Theosophy individually.

When in Washington D.C. he paid a visit with Eugene Debbs to the tomb of Abraham Lincoln, one of his heroes, and laid a formal wreath upon it. He then found that his itinerary involved a trip to California where he stayed at Krotona in Hollywood.

The T S in America was then undergoing some difficulties in connection with the establishing of Krotona as a headquarters for the T.S. and there was a change of Presidents. Mr. Wadia recommended a "Back to Blavatsky" effort stressing that in his opinion the T.S. was no longer following the lines laid down by H.P.B. and was in danger of failing in its mission. He interested himself in the outlook of the "Towards Democracy League." Mr. Rogers, the new president of the TS Section in America was disturbed and sent a cable of protest to Mrs. Besant on May 21st 1920. At that time Mr. & Mrs. Bailey, who occupied positions of trust ( as respectively, National Secretary, and Editor for the American Section ) were removed from office by Mr. Rogers, on the grounds that they were out of harmony with his administration. On July 12th at the National Convention changes in the administration took place, Mr. Wadia was thanked for his work on the platform, but the protest sent to Mrs. Besant was also endorsed.

While in Los Angeles he came upon a Times news paper advertisement of lectures on Theosophical subjects conducted by The United Lodge of Theosophists (ULT).

1919 - Meets Members of the United Lodge of Theosophists (ULT)

He was then visiting the Krotona Lodge of the T S in Hollywood, a suburb of Los Angeles. He paid a visit to the ULT and listened with attention to the talk given. Earlier, his fame had attracted members of the ULT to visit and attend his talks under the T S auspices.

They appreciated his point of view in regard to HPB and as a result he held a number of talks with these persons and learned at first hand of the aims and objectives of the ULT -- that they had been reprinting in Theosophy magazine Mme. Blavatsky's articles, and, those of Mr. W.Q.Judge--with whom he was unfamiliar. He accepted an assignment to speak from the platform of the ULT on the subject of Mme. Blavatsky and The Secret Doctrine.

He obtained Judge's books: The Ocean of Theosophy, The Epitome of Theosophy, Echoes from the Orient, and read them. He then realized what a gap had been created in the minds and knowledge of those in the T S by not having access to Mr. Judge's writings for nearly 25 years, and in being given a false picture of Mr. Judge as a renegade.

He attended more meetings of the ULT, then held at the Metropolitan Building, in downtown Los Angeles. There he met with, and held long talks with Mr. John Garrigues, Mr. Westcott and Mrs. Grace Clough, and a number of active ULT associates who had known and worked with Mr. Robert Crosbie, founder and energizer of the "pure Theosophy" program of the impersonal U.L.T.

Mr. Wadia said he was thrilled to read the Declaration of The United Lodge of Theosophists, and to realize that a group of students already existed, who had banded together without any political or official structure on the basis of the practical application of HPB's Theosophy. He found that the principles of practical brotherly work and unity survived, and those were being applied impersonally. All ideas of "successorship," of "leadership," of "politics" and "personal" authority had been excluded from this energetic association.

Here, he found established in practice the operations of a group of impersonal students - a basis which he and his friends had so deeply and long discussed in Adyar--a reform of the T S. It now remained to see whether he could bring about an agreement with the present T.S. "leaders," Mrs. Besant in particular, to such a program of internal readjustment, back to the Original Objects and the Original Program of the Masters.

November 1919

It was November 1919 in Los Angeles. Mr. Crosbie had died only five months earlier: June 25th 1919. His loss, BPW observed, seemed to have left some despondency among the workers at the ULT. They felt they were too few, and some had been thinking of perhaps rejoining an existing T S reorganized by Mr. Hargrove out of fragments of the "Point Loma T.S." in New York. Mr. Wadia dissuaded them from this, in view of his intimate knowledge of what the problems of the T.S. were.

He affirmed his belief in the need for the ULT, and the practical application of those principles its Declaration stood for. It was known that Mr. Crosbie had told some of his closest associates just before his death when they spoke of their discouragement, that "they would not have too long to wait" for some help to arrive. From all that was said and understood between them, it seemed clear that this "help" was at hand. Certainly there was a great meeting of the minds.

They began to plan what ought to be done, in all fairness to Mrs. Besant, to the T S in Adyar and elsewhere, and to the defining of Mr. Wadia's future position and the discharge of his continued responsibilities to all of those before he would be free to join the ULT. He promised those at ULT that if he was not successful in instituting a change and a reform in Adyar, he would return in a short while. His duty required that he continue his tour, complete his work in the T S, then return to India and Adyar.

He would in addition work on what he had found and learned; study Judge and Crosbie; and, when in Adyar, he would fight for true Theosophy. He would try to secure from Annie Besant a public reversal of the false attitude maintained against Mr. Judge for so many years. He did try this, as will be seen from Professor A. H. Nethercot's biography of Annie Besant, [Vol. II, p. 328, The Eight Lives of Annie Besant, Publisher: University of Chicago Press]; but was unsuccessful in securing a public reversal from her. To him, privately she admitted that Judge had been wronged.

In going through some of the older magazines published in Bombay and Adyar, during the period when he was with Col. Olcott and Mrs. Besant (1906-1921) one will come across a number of statements of support made by BPW for the policies of those in charge of the T.S.: Mrs. Besant, Mr. Leadbeater, Mr. Krishnamurti, etc... These appear to be at variance with his later words and actions after his resignation from the T.S. As he explained this, they were sincere statements made by him at the time and within the framework of his knowledge at that time.

B.P. Wadia now knew that Mr. Judge, one of the original founders, was no longer well known to the general membership of the T.S. and in Adyar between 1897 and 1919. He along with HPB and Col. Olcott had remained faithful to their pledge and to the Masters' Cause. B.P. Wadia felt compelled to inquire into the reason why such an important and valuable asset to the T.S. had been lost and its memory virtually buried and obliterated so far as the membership at large was then concerned.

B.P. Wadia saw in the nature of the work that Mr. Judge did for Theosophy in America, a fiery devotion which brought an enormous increase of public interest in, and respect for, Theosophical principles and doctrines for the ten year period between 1886 and 1896, when Judge died. The membership grew from about 350 to over 4,000, and the number of Branches from about 20 to over 400. [For completeness sake, it must be added that under Besant a similar growth of TS-membership was visible - Katinka Hesselink] It was similar to the devotion and energy of Col. Olcott, when he and HPB had first came to India; and Theosophy from 1879 had burgeoned and spread over the land, and then to Ceylon, Burma, Japan and other Eastern countries. But there was a difference between Judge and Olcott. Col. Olcott was healthy and became famous in India as a magnetic healer, until warned by the Master to stop. Judge, on the other hand had contracted Chagres fever (back-water fever which attacks the liver) in Columbia or Mexico where he went between 1876 and 1883, as a young man, for some of his New York clients who had mining interests there, and he was frail physically ever afterwards. The lingering disease was known to carry off the person in the course of some 14 years. The last three years of his life were noticeably those of a very sick man.

1919 - 1922

[Here Dallas Tenbroeck adds On the Work of W.Q. Judge, a Founder of the T.S. I give it as a separate document. ]

B.P. Wadia attempted during over two years (1920-21) to bring about, a change in the "leaders" of the T S at Adyar and elsewhere, pointing to the true Theosophy of H.P. Blavatsky, and the Secret Doctrine; working with Annie Besant, and other leaders of the Theosophical Society in Adyar, trying to secure their understanding of the wrong that had been done to Mr. Judge and to the whole of the Theosophical Society in America, as well as to members everywhere within the TS, between 1894 and 1896.

B.P. Wadia 's innate sense of duty, his honesty and courage compelled in taking this up directly with Mrs. Besant. He asked her about the splitting up of the T.S. in that period, 25 years ago.

Col. Olcott had on Sept. 7th 1894 excommunicated, in effect, the whole American Section of the T.S., which had, under his, Col. Olcott's earlier suggestion, [see his letter written in 1893 addressed to W. Q. Judge--quoted in Canadian Theosophist, 1923, Vol. 4, p. 1, and March 15th p. 11.] reconstituted itself at its Annual Convention held in April 1894, "The Theosophical Society in America," in full fraternal association with all Theosophical Societies anywhere.

This excommunication goes against the first object of the Society: BROTHERHOOD. Documents supporting these facts were provided to B.P. Wadia, and these same documents are available for independent verification today. B.P. Wadia determined to find out if the breach could be repaired, and if the unity of the public Theosophical Movement could be restored by Mrs. Besant, joining with him, and others, to mend the misunderstandings that had caused the unbrotherly break of 1894.

After several heart to heart conversations in 1920-21 with Mrs. Annie Besant on his return to India and Adyar, B.P. Wadia found that while she admitted to him in private that what had then been done against Mr. Judge and the "Theosophical Society in America," 25 years back, was wrong, she refused to make a public retraction and restore Judge's fair name in Theosophical publications and elsewhere.

Wadia determined that the only path that remained to him, personally, was to resign from the T.S.

1920

In July 1920 BPW attended the Convention of the American Section T.S. in Chicago. By this time he had also become a member of the American Section of the T.S.

A question arose and resolutions were framed to permit the Administration of the Section to expel members who criticized its officers for "autocratic and underhand methods of administration." Mr. Wadia opposed such a measure which would have muzzled freedom of speech.

The President of the American Section T S, at that time desired to apply this to suppress and quell criticism of certain actions he had earlier taken without the prior approval of the American Council. (2)Mr. Wadia's opposition to the apparent high-handed methods of the President of the American Section TS-Adyar, galvanized a great measure of opposition to this objective, and the thwarted President then wrote to Mrs. Besant (as the International President T.S., at Adyar) complaining of Mr. Wadia's "interference" in local affairs. Mrs. Besant replied, upholding Mr. Wadia's stand on principles, while deploring his possible "interference" in local affairs. She said that her acquaintance with Mr. Wadia for many years had confirmed her entire trust and respect for him. But, she added, they did not always agree.

September 20th 1920

From Adyar on Sept. 20th 1920, Mr. Wadia wrote a letter and published copies of it to the membership of the T S in America, clearly setting out his views on this matter. He wrote, in summary :

"Criticism should never be grounds for expulsion of any member. Majority vote should rule all matters of administration. While in America and staying at Krotona, Hollywood (now moved to Ojai), he encountered evidence of wrong principles and wrong methods apparently used by certain administrators in the American Section. He was then slandered by those officials, and a complaint had been lodged in Adyar with Mrs. Besant, International President T S. Mr. Wadia proceeded to expose publicly what was going on. He stood for the principles of clear speech and an exposure of such matters, as it concerned all members who were free to vote."

He returned in 1920 to Europe, and traveled to Paris to attend the World Congress of the Theosophical Society - Adyar there. Thereafter he was asked to visit a number of countries where T S Branches were active; he visited Belgium, lecturing in Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent, Ostend, Liege, Charleroi, Marianwelz. 19 lectures delivered, two at the Universite Internationale. He was enthusiastically received and listened to by those engaged in labour reform and by their members, the workers themselves.

He received, then, an invitation to attend the First World Congress of Psychical Research, to meet in Copenhagen; and another from the third World Brotherhood Congress, to meet in Prague. As he was not able to go to either of them he sent papers, which were received with satisfaction.

Following Belgium, he visited Holland, where he worked for 2 weeks, 56 meetings were held. Copenhagen was next visited where 4 talks were given to various groups. Then, on to Sweden, Malmo, Goteborg, Gefle, Stockholm; then to Oslo, Norway, where the Annual Convention of the Norwegian T S was held. Next to Helsinki, Finland. A tour which began in Marseilles in the South of France on February 20th ended October 20th 1920 in Finland. He then sailed back to India.

October 25th 1921

Meanwhile, the Government of India in 1921 appointed Mr. Wadia a member of the Indian Delegation to the second International Labour Conference under the League of Nations, which was to meet in Geneva, Switzerland, October 25th, 1921 and this was to be continued for a month. This necessitated a second trip to Europe, and In November 1921, after the conference, Mr. Wadia again sailed for America and thereafter he returned to make his final efforts in Adyar--and these being unsuccessful he resigned in mid-1922.

1922

July 1922

B.P.Wadia resigned from the Theosophical Society on the 18th of July 1922. He broadcast the nature and reasons for his resignation widely to members of the TS. He issued an 18 page pamphlet entitled:-- To All my Fellow Theosophists and Members of the Theosophical Society, A statement by B. P. WADIA. This included 

  1. his letter of July 18th 1922 to Mrs. Annie Besant as President of the TS, and the General Council. 
  2. A letter of explanation about the divergence from HPB's Theosophy and the Original Programme by the TS; how he had found the ULT which was dedicated to that. 
  3. His letter of resignation dated 18th July 1922 addressed to the General Secretary of the Indian Section TS resigning from the Indian Council and the T.S.

He spoke of his finding that W.Q.Judge had been wronged in the period of 1894-96 by those in the T.S. who had attacked him on flimsy and insufficient evidence. He stated there that he would be working thenceforth for Theosophy through the United Lodge of Theosophists, which of all existing Theosophical bodies in the world, was the one that he had found to be closest in ideal and practice to the original programme of the Theosophical Society as started by the Masters, with, Mme. Blavatsky as Their Agent, Col. H.S.Olcott as President for Life, and with Mr. W.Q.Judge as Counsel to the Society, and later as General Secretary of the American Section T.S. 

B.P. Wadia, stated that he did not "look back," nor did he mention ,or apologize for, what he had written earlier in support of the policies of Mrs. Besant, and others of the leaders of the Theosophical Society in the period when he was a member between 1903 and 1922. That door was closed.

After his resignation he returned to Los Angeles. He directed the whole thrust of his energy and work into the United Lodge of Theosophists. The principles of the ULT can be found in the Declaration of the United Lodge of Theosophists (if this link does not work, the same declaration can be found at: http://www.theosophycompany.org/declar.html).

October 1st 1922

In response, the T S, Adyar, issued : "An Open Letter to Mr. Wadia" by J. Nityananda and J. Krishnamurti. This was reprinted by Krotona, Hollywood in America, Oct. 1st 1922 and circulated to the American T S membership.


Continued


Footnotes

(*)The original document written by Dallas Tenbroeck is far longer. For this online edition it was cut it into distinct pieces, linked by hyperlinks. Also paragraphs have been deleted here and there. These deletions and the links are given in italics.

Mr. Tenbroeck wants to make explicit that he is not a spokesman for the ULT. The articles on this website are strictly his personal opinion and knowledge.

(1)T. L. Crombie, Friend of India, by E. Beswick, pp 2 - 4; International Book House PVT. LTD, Bombay, November, 1958

(2)see O.E.LIBRARY CRITIC issues 1919-23 for more details about the thrusting on the T S membership of the LIBERAL [OLD] CATHOLIC CHURCH, STAR OF THE EAST, CO-MASONRY, etc.