Editing Helena Blavatsky (section)

=== India: 1879–1885 ===

The Theosophical Society established links with an Indian [[Hindu reform movement]], the [[Arya Samaj]], which had been founded by the Swami [[Dayananda Saraswati]]; Blavatsky and Olcott believed that the two organizations shared a common spiritual world-view.{{sfnm|1a1=Campbell|1y=1980|1p=77|2a1=Washington|2y=1993|2p=57|3a1=Goodrick-Clarke|3y=2004|3p=11|4a1=Lachman|4y=2012|4p=173}} Unhappy with life in the U.S., Blavatsky decided to move to India, with Olcott agreeing to join her, securing work as a U.S. trade representative to the country.{{sfnm|1a1=Washington|1y=1993|1p=58|2a1=Lachman|2y=2012|2pp=176–179}} In December, the duo auctioned off many of their possessions, although Edison gifted them a [[phonograph]] to take with them to India.{{sfn|Lachman|2012|p=180}} They left New York City aboard the ''Canada'', which took them to London. After meeting with well-wishers in the capital, they traveled to [[Liverpool]], there setting sail aboard the ''Speke Hall'', arriving in Bombay in February 1879.{{sfnm|1a1=Washington|1y=1993|1p=59|2a1=Goodrick-Clarke|2y=2004|2p=11|3a1=Lachman|3y=2012|3pp=181–182}} In the city, they were greeted with celebrations organized by Arya Samaj member [[Hurrychund Chintamon]] before obtaining a house in Girgaum Road, part of Bombay's native area.{{sfnm|1a1=Campbell|1y=1980|1p=79|2a1=Washington|2y=1993|2pp=59–60|3a1=Lachman|3y=2012|3pp=182–184}}

Associating largely with Indians rather than the governing British elite, Blavatsky took a fifteen-year-old [[Gujarati people|Gujarati]] boy, Vallah "Babula" Bulla, as her personal servant.{{sfnm|1a1=Meade|1y=1980|1p=197|2a1=Lachman|2y=2012|2p=184}} Many educated Indians were impressed with the Theosophists championing of Indian religions, coming about during a period "of [India's] growing self-assertion against the values and beliefs" of the [[British Empire]].{{sfnm|1a1=Meade|1y=1980|1p=206|2a1=Goodrick-Clarke|2y=2004|2pp=11–12}} Her activity in the city was monitored by British intelligence services, who suspected that she was working for Russia.{{sfnm|1a1=Meade|1y=1980|1p=198|2a1=Washington|2y=1993|2p=60}}
In April, Blavatsky took Olcott, Babula, and their friend Moolji Thackersey to the [[Karla Caves]], announcing that they contained secret passages that led to an underground place where the Masters assembled.{{sfn|Lachman|2012|pp=186–187}} Then claiming that the Masters were telepathically commanding her to head to [[Rajputana]] in the [[Punjab]], she and Olcott headed north.{{sfn|Lachman|2012|p=187}} At the [[Yamuna]] river, they met the [[sannyasin]] Babu Surdass, who had sat in the [[lotus position]] for 52 years, and in [[Agra]] saw the [[Taj Mahal]].{{sfnm|1a1=Meade|1y=1980|1pp=202–203|2a1=Lachman|2y=2012|2p=188}} In [[Saharanpur]] they met with Dayananda and his Arya Samajists, before returning to Bombay.{{sfnm|1a1=Meade|1y=1980|1pp=203–204|2a1=Lachman|2y=2012|2pp=188–189}}
[[File:Helena Blavatsky in India.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Blavatsky and Hindu Theosophists in India, {{Circa|1884}}]]

In July 1879, Blavatsky and Olcott began work on a monthly magazine, ''[[The Theosophist]]'', with the first issue coming out in October.{{sfnm|1a1=Campbell|1y=1980|1p=79|2a1=Meade|2y=1980|2pp=207–209|3a1=Washington|3y=1993|3p=60|4a1=Goodrick-Clarke|4y=2004|4p=11|5a1=Lachman|5y=2012|5p=189}} The magazine soon obtained a large readership, with the management being taken over by [[Damodar K. Mavalankar]], a Theosophist who introduced the idea of referring to the Masters as ''[[mahatmas]]''.{{sfn|Lachman|2012|p=189}} In December, Blavatsky and Olcott traveled to [[Allahabad]], there visiting [[Alfred Percy Sinnett]], the editor of ''[[The Pioneer (newspaper)|The Pioneer]]'' and keen Spiritualist. [[A.O. Hume]] was also a guest at the Sinnett's home, and Blavatsky was encouraged to manifest paranormal phenomena in their presence.{{sfnm|1a1=Meade|1y=1980|1pp=209–211|2a1=Washington|2y=1993|2p=61|3a1=Goodrick-Clarke|3y=2004|3p=12|4a1=Lachman|4y=2012|4pp=190–191}} From there, they traveled to [[Benares]], where they stayed at the palace of the [[Maharaja of Vizianagram]].{{sfnm|1a1=Meade|1y=1980|1pp=211–212|2a1=Lachman|2y=2012|2p=191}} Blavatsky and Olcott were then invited to Ceylon by Buddhist monks. There they officially converted to Buddhism – apparently the first from the United States to do so.<ref name="Pierce">Lori Pierce, "Origins of Buddhism in North America", in ''Encyclopedia of Women and Religion in North America'', Rosemary Skinner Keller, Rosemary Radford Ruether, Marie Cantlon (eds.) Indiana University Press, 2006. p. 637</ref> – taking the [[Five Precepts]] in a ceremony at [[Ramayana Nikayana]] in May 1880.{{sfnm|1a1=Meade|1y=1980|1pp=214–215|2a1=Godwin|2y=1994|2pp=321–322|3a1=Goodrick-Clarke|3y=2004|3p=12|4a1=Lachman|4y=2012|4pp=193–194}} Touring the island, they were met by crowds intrigued by these unusual Westerners who embraced Buddhism rather than proselytizing Christianity. Their message proved a boost to Sinhalese nationalist self-esteem, and they were invited to see the [[Relic of the tooth of the Buddha|Buddha's Tooth]] in [[Kandy]].{{sfn|Lachman|2012|p=194}}

Upon learning that old comrade Emma Coulomb (née Cutting) and her husband had fallen into poverty in Ceylon, Blavatsky invited them to move into her home in Bombay.{{sfnm|1a1=Meade|1y=1980|1pp=205–206, 213–214|2a1=Lachman|2y=2012|2pp=189–190, 192–193}} However, the Coulombs annoyed Rosa Bates and Edward Winbridge, two American Theosophists who were also living with Blavatsky; when Blavatsky took the side of the Coulombs, Bates and Winbridge returned to the U.S.{{sfnm|1a1=Meade|1y=1980|1p=215|2a1=Washington|2y=1993|2p=79|3a1=Lachman|3y=2012|3pp=194–195}} Blavatsky was then invited to [[Simla]] to spend more time with Sinnett, and there performed a range of materializations that astounded the other guests; in one instance, she allegedly made a cup-and-saucer materialize under the soil during a picnic.{{sfnm|1a1=Campbell|1y=1980|1p=80|2a1=Meade|2y=1980|2pp=216, 219–224|3a1=Goodrick-Clarke|3y=2004|3p=12|4a1=Lachman|4y=2012|4pp=197–200}} Sinnett was eager to contact the Masters himself, convincing Blavatsky to facilitate this communication, resulting in the production of over 1400 pages allegedly authored by Koot Hoomi and Morya, which came to be known as the [[Mahatma Letters]].{{sfnm|1a1=Meade|1y=1980|1pp=227–228, 234|2a1=Lachman|2y=2012|2p=201}} Sinnett summarised the teachings contained in these letters in his book ''[[Esoteric Buddhism (book)|Esoteric Buddhism]]'' (1883), although scholars of Buddhism like [[Max Müller]] publicly highlighted that the contents were not Buddhist, and Blavatsky herself disliked the misleading title.{{sfn|Lachman|2012|p=202}} Since the book's publication, there has been much debate as to the authenticity of the letters, with some arguing that they were written by Blavatsky herself, and others believing that they were written by separate individuals.{{sfn|Lachman|2012|pp=203–204}}{{sfn|Harrison|1997}} According to Meade, "there can be no reasonable doubt that Helena was their author".{{sfn|Meade|1980|p=234}}

Theosophy was unpopular with both Christian missionaries and the British colonial administration,{{sfn|Lachman|2012|p=219}} with India's English-language press being almost uniformly negative toward the Society.{{sfn|Сенкевич|2010|p=347}} The group nevertheless proved popular, and branches were established across the country.{{sfn|Lachman|2012|p=214}} While Blavatsky had emphasized its growth among the native Indian population rather than among the British elite, she moved into a comfortable bungalow in the elite Bombay suburb of [[Breach Candy]], which she said was more accessible to Western visitors.{{sfnm|1a1=Meade|1y=1980|1pp=230–231|2a1=Lachman|2y=2012|2p=214}} Olcott had decided to establish the [[Buddhist Education Fund]] to combat the spread of the Christian faith in Ceylon and encourage pride and interest in Buddhism among the island's Sinhalese population. Although Blavatsky initially opposed the idea, stating that the Masters would not approve, Olcott's project proved a success, and she changed her opinion about it.{{sfnm|1a1=Campbell|1y=1980|1p=84|2a1=Washington|2y=1993|2pp=66–67|3a1=Lachman|3y=2012|3pp=215–216}}

[[File:Blavatsky Olcott Mavalankar.jpg|thumb|Blavatsky standing behind Olcott (middle seated) and [[Damodar Mavalankar]] (seated to his left), Bombay, 1881]]
Blavatsky had been diagnosed with [[Bright's disease]] and hoping the weather to be more conducive to her condition she took up the offer of the Society's [[Madras]] Branch to move to their city.{{sfn|Lachman|2012|p=217}} However, in November 1882 the Society purchased an estate in [[Adyar, Chennai|Adyar]], which became their permanent headquarters; a few rooms were set aside for Blavatsky, who moved into them in December.{{sfnm|1a1=Campbell|1y=1980|1pp=84–85|2a1=Washington|2y=1993|2p=66|3a1=Goodrick-Clarke|3y=2004|3p=13|4a1=Lachman|4y=2012|4pp=217–218}} She continued to tour the subcontinent, claiming that she then spent time in [[Sikkim]] and Tibet, where she visited her teacher's ashram for several days.{{sfn|Lachman|2012|p=218}} With her health deteriorating, she agreed to accompany Olcott on his trip to Britain, where he was planning to argue the case for Ceylonese Buddhism and sort out problems with the Society's London Lodge.{{sfn|Lachman|2012|pp=220–221}}{{sfn|Сенкевич|2010|p=404}}

Sailing to [[Marseille]], France, in March 1883, she spent time in [[Nice]] with the founder of the Theosophical Society's French branch, [[Marie Sinclair, Countess of Caithness]] (widow of [[James Sinclair, 14th Earl of Caithness]]), with whom she continued to Paris.{{sfn|Lachman|2012|pp=221–222}}{{sfn|Сенкевич|2010|p=397}} In London, she appeared at the lodge's meeting, where she sought to quell arguments between Sinnett on the one hand and [[Anna Kingsford]] and [[Edward Maitland (writer)|Edward Maitland]] on the other.{{sfn|Tillett|1986|p=131}} Unsatisfied, Kingsford{{spnd}}whom Blavatsky thought "an unbearable snobbish woman"{{spnd}}split from the Theosophical Society to form the [[Hermetic Society]].{{sfnm|1a1=Washington|1y=1993|1pp=76–77|2a1=Lachman|2y=2012|2pp=222–223}} In London, Blavatsky made contact with the [[Society for Psychical Research]] (SPR) through [[Frederic W. H. Myers]]. She complied with their request to undertake a study of her and the paranormal abilities that she claimed to possess, although wasn't impressed by the organization and mockingly referred to it as the "Spookical Research Society".{{sfn|Lachman|2012|pp=224, 226–227}}

With Blavatsky in Europe, trouble broke out at the society's Adyar headquarters in what became known as the [[Coulomb Affair]]. The society's Board of Control had accused Emma Coulomb of misappropriating their funds for her own purposes, and asked her to leave their center. She and her husband refused, [[blackmail]]ing the society with letters that they claimed were written by Blavatsky and which proved that her paranormal abilities were fraudulent. The society refused to pay them and expelled them from their premises, at which the couple turned to the Madras-based ''[[Christian College Magazine]]'', who published an exposé of Blavatsky's alleged fraudulence using the Coulombs' claims as a basis. The story attracted international attention and was picked up by London-based newspaper, ''[[The Times]]''.{{sfnm|1a1=Campbell|1y=1980|1pp=88–90|2a1=Washington|2y=1993|2pp=79–82|3a1=Goodrick-Clarke|3y=2004|3p=13|4a1=Lachman|4y=2012|4pp=224–226|5a1=Сенкевич|5y=2010|5pp=411–412}} In response, in November 1884 Blavatsky headed to Cairo, where she and Theosophist [[Charles Webster Leadbeater]] searched for negative information on Emma Coulomb, discovering stories of her alleged former history of extortion and criminality.{{sfn|Lachman|2012|p=228}}{{sfn|Tillett|1986|p=142}} Internally, the Society was greatly damaged by the Coulomb Affair,{{sfn|Campbell|1980|p=95}} although it remained popular in India, as did Blavatsky herself.{{sfn|Campbell|1980|pp=94–95}}