The key to theosophy

The Key to Theosophy (original title: The Key to Theosophy ) is a book by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky . It was first published in London and New York in 1889 , was the penultimate of her works and the last she edited herself (her last work, Theosophical Glossary , appeared posthumously in 1892). The book aims to introduce the "ethical, scientific and philosophical teachings of theosophy ". It is written in the form of question and answer based on the model of Christian catechisms . The book explains the tasks of the Theosophical Society and also contains a longer glossary that describes important theosophical terms in more detail.

The Russian pianist and composer Alexander Scriabin was impressed by Helena Blavatsky's works and wrote in Paris in 1905 that the key to theosophy was a remarkable book and that it was astonishing how much this book would resemble his own world of thought.

Mahatma Gandhi wrote: “I also remember reading Madame Blavatsky's Key to Theosophy at the urging of my friends. This book made me want to read books about Hinduism and taught me better about the claim made by missionaries that Hindu teaching is full of superstition. "

Book editions

• Key to theosophy. Declaration of ethics, science and philosophy . Translated by Eduard Herrmann. Friedrich, Leipzig undated
• The key to theosophy. A discussion of questions and answers about ethics, science and philosophy, for the study of which the Theosophical Society was founded. New, only authorized edition. Max Altmann, Leipzig 1907.
• The Key to Theosophy, a textbook with questions and answers about ethics, science, philosophy, for the study of which the Theosophical Society was founded . Theosophical publishing house, Leipzig undated (2. A. 1922).
  • 3rd ext. and revised A .: Theosophical Publishing Society, Satteldorf 1995, ISBN 3-927837-51-2 or Aquamarin, Grafing 1995, ISBN 3-89427-199-X .
• The key to theosophy. Slightly shortened version . Translated by Norbert Lauppert. Adyar, Graz 1969; Satteldorf 1995, ISBN 3-927837-14-8 .

Web links

• Short excerpt from the book - Redemption / Karma ( Memento from February 20, 2005 in the Internet Archive )
• Short excerpt from the book - about politics ( Memento of March 10, 2005 in the Internet Archive )
• Short excerpt from the book - about prayer ( Memento of March 10, 2005 in the Internet Archive )
• Short excerpt from the book - Was Blavatsky a racist?
• The book online (English)

Individual evidence

1. ^ Faubion Bowers: Scriabin, A Biography of the Russian Composer 1871-1915 . Kodansha International, Tokyo and Palo Alto 1969.
2. ↑ According to Katinka Hesselink [1] , these friends are said to have been Bertram and Archibald Keightley.
3. ↑ Mahatma Gandhi: My Life , ed. v. Charles Freer Andrews. Suhrkamp, ​​Frankfurt am Main 1983, ISBN 3-518-37453-2 , p. 49.