rstood my object immediately, and then, having given me some
private advice as to my spiritual progress, bade me farewell. Before
this he had come to know that I was hungry, and so wished me to take
some food. He ordered one of his Chelas to supply me with food, which
he did immediately. In order to get hot water ready for my ablutions, he
prepared fire by blowing into a cow-dung cake, which burst into flames
at once. This is a common practice among the Himalayan Lamas. It is
also fully explained by M.M. Chatterji, and so need not be repeated.

As long as I was there with the said Lama, he never persuaded me to
accept Buddhism or any other religion, but only said, "Hinduism is the
best religion; you should believe in the Lord Mahadeva--he will do good
to you. You are still quite a young man--do not be enticed away by the
necromancy of anybody." Having had a conversation with the Mahatma as
described above for about three hours, I at last took leave and resumed
my journey.

I am neither a Theosophist nor a sectarian, but am the worshipper of the
only Om. As regards the Mahatma I personally saw, I dare say that he is
a great Mahatma. By the fulfilment of certain of his prophecies, I am
quite convinced of his excellence. Of all the Himalayan Mahatmas with
whom I had an interview, I never met a better Hindi speaker than he. As
to his birth-place and the place of his residence, I did not ask him any
question. Neither can I say if he is the Mahatma of the Theosophists.
As to the age of the Mahatma Koothum-pa, as I told Babu M. M. Chatterji
and others, he was an elderly looking man.

--Rajani Kant Brahmachari

The Secret Doctrine

Few experiences lying about the threshhold of occult studies are more
perplexing and tormenting than those which have to do with the policy of
the Brothers as to what shall, and what shall not, be revealed to the
outer world. In fact, it is only by students at the same time tenacious
and patient--continuously anxious to get at the truths of occult
philosophy, but cool enough to bide their time when obstacles come in
the way--that what looks, at first sight, like a grudging and miserly
policy in this matter on the part of our illustrious teachers can be
endured. Most men persist in judging all situations by the light of
their own knowledge and conceptions, and certainly by reference to
standards of right and wrong with which modern civilization is familiar
a pungent indictment