Magick Without Tears

xvi PREFACE Besant, was responsible for the thoroughgoing betrayal of the Theosophical movement and for the perversion of Mme. Blavatsky's original teachings. Crowley has slung the not very salubrious term "nigger" around with far too much carelessness. In one place he has used this word where Krishnamurti is concerned-which is a nasty piece of Anglo-Saxon assumption of superiority-and for the black people in this country. His racist prejudices are far too evident to leave one comfortable. Following the speech quoted from The Equinox, Vol. I, No. 10, there is an account of the legal proceedings in Chingleput, India, where J. Narayaniah was suing Annie Besant to regain custody of his two sons-one of whom was Krishnamurti. Of the latter, the father said: "the boy was not able to write a decent English letter" and so, of course, was incapable of writing the book At the Feet of the Master which was said to have been his creation . The father believed, as so many people have since, that it was authored by Leadbeater. The fact remains that when Krishnamurti came to maturity, he repudiated both Besant and Leadbeater, as well as the various organizations that had been formed to worship him as well as to further his cause as World Teacher. For this alone he commands vast respect, if nothing more. It required great courage to step down voluntarily from a role originally foisted upon him and which he came to realize he was unfit to fulfill. Since that day he has evidenced a loathing for organizations, for societies of the kind of the Theosophical Society, and has espoused a free philosophic attitude that is reminiscent of Zen Buddhism at its best. He has lectured on many occasions throughout the world, and has several books to his credit that have been thought to be both profound and wise. Crowley's condemnation is cruel and harsh, perhaps because of his own ambition to be Logos Aionos, the Word of the Aeon, the World Teacher, and so he was a ruthless competitor who damned all other competition, real or otherwise.