Page 4

 

Letter №20 p. 4

friend Mr. C. C. Massey to study with that London Jewel who so despises Indian occult knowledge "The Lotus of the Good Law," and "Atma Boddha" — in the light of Jewish Kabalism.

I, "annoyed at newspaper ribald notices?" Certainly not. But I do feel a little wrathful at the sacrilegious utterances of J.K.; that I confess. I felt like answering the conceited fool — but "so far shalt thou go and no further" — again. The Hobilghan to whom I showed the passage laughed till the tears streamed down his old cheeks. I wish I could. When the "Old Lady" reads it, there will be a cedar or two damaged at Simla. Thanks indeed for your kind offer to let me have possession of the Review scraps; but I rather you should preserve them yourself, as these notices may prove unexpectedly valuable to you in a few years hence.

To your offer to give a solemn pledge never to divulge anything without permission, I can give no answer, at present. Neither its acceptance nor rejection depend of me, to tell you the truth, since it would be quite an unprecedented event to pledge an outsider to our own particular form of oath or promise, and that no other would hold good in my Superior's opinion. Unfortunately for both of us, once — or rather twice — upon a time you made use of an expression which was recorded, and but three days ago, when pleading for some privileges for you, it was brought out before me very unexpectedly, I must say. Upon hearing it repeated and seeing it recorded, I had but to turn, as gently as I could, the other cheek to still more unexpected


Notes: 

"The Lotus of the Good Law" or "Lotus Sutra" (Saddharmapuṇḍarīka sūtra) is one of the earlier Mahāyāna Buddhist texts venerated as the quintessence of truth by the Japanese Tendai and Nichiren sects.

"Atma Boddha" is probably referring to the work written by Śankarāchārya.