Home >> Society >> Religion and Spirituality >> Esoteric and Occult >> Personalities >> Besant, Annie


  Texts and Books
       


Annie Wood Besant (Clapham, London October 1, 1847 - India September 20, 1933) was a large Theosophist, women's rights activist, writer and orator.

Besant was divorced from either her reverend married man Frank Besant, immature brother of Walter Besant, and she experienced to leave two her youngsters behind. She fought for the induces she thought were perfect, starting by using freedom of thought, women's rights, secularism (she was a leading member of the National Secular Society alongside Charles Bradlaugh), birth control, Fabian socialism and workers' rights. She was the prolific writer & the right rhetorician. Her conversion to Theosophy come fallowing reading The Secret Doctrine by H.P. Blavatsky in 1889 and writing a review on this book.

Shortly fallowing becoming the member of the Theosophical Society she went to India for the first period (inside 1893). Thenceforth she devoted good deal of her energy non simply to the Theosophical Society, however as well to India's freedom & progress.

Together sustaining Charles Webster Leadbeater she investigated a universe, matter & the history of world across clairvoyance. Them became entangled above Leadbeater's advice to immature boys to masturbate. At a instance such advice was extremely controversial. He experienced to leave a Theosophical Society on top this inside 1906. Inside 1908 he was taken back into the stack through the professional of Besant, world health organization got been elected president of the Theosophical Society around 1907 upon the demise of the last president Henry Steel Olcott.

Higher until Besant's presidency, a society experienced, when one of its foci Theravada Buddhism and the island of Ceylon where Henry Olcott did the majority of his utile act. Under Besant's leadership there was the decisive turn out of this & the refocusing of their activities on "The Aryavarta", when she known as central India. Besant actively courted Hindu opinion to a higher degree previous Theosophical leaders. This was the clear reversal of policy from either Blavatsky & Olcott's super public conversion to Buddhism inside Ceylon, & their promotion of Buddhist revival activities on the subcontinent (understand likewise: Maha Bodhi Society).

Shortly fallowing Besant's inheritance of the presidency, around 1909, Leadbeater discovered Jiddu Krishnamurti on the private beach that was connected to the societies headquarters at Adyar. Krishna got been dwelling there by owning his father & brother for two or three months before this. This discovery began years of upheaval in the Theosophical Society in Adyar, when a son was proposed as a incarnate vessel for the Christ. Jiddu Krishnamurti & his brother Nitythe were brought higher by Theosophists from either that moment in, sustaining a subsequent cause filed by his father.

Finally, inside 1929, Krishnamurti ended up disbanding a Choose of a Star of the East, which got been founded to trend lines him & of which he experienced been processed the leader. [http://www.katinkahesselink.net/kr/star.htm] This destroyed Besant's spirit, when it went against her ideals. She tried to accommodate Krishnamurti's views into her life, however never really succeeded. Them remained friends, though, until a prevent of her life.

Annie Besant died around 1933 and was survived by her daughter, Mabel.

Works

A Political Status of Women (1874) Marriage, When It WWhen, When These are, & As It Should Become: The Plea For Reform (1878) A Law Of People (1877) Autobiographical Sketches (1885) "Why I became a Theosophist" (1889) An Autobiography (1893) A Ancient Wisdom (1898) Bhagavad Gita (Translation) (1905) Introduction to Yoga (1908) Occult Chemistry A Doctrine of the Heart (1920) Esoteric Christianity

Annie Besant - Heretic
From minister's wife to atheist freethinker to theosophist, by Jone Johnson Lewis.

Annie Besant's Quest for Truth (Alpheus)
An article by Mark Bevir.

Annie Besant
Description of her life.

Annie Besant
Article on The Bryant and May Match Factory-strike.

Annie Besant
A description of her life and influence.

History of Vegetarianism - Annie Besant (1847-1933)
An online speech and description of her life.

The Peaceful Activist
Article on the life of Annie Besant.

Dr. Annie Besant
Profiles of India Freedom Fighters. By Swami Rajesh Chopra.

Dr. Besant's First Use of Clairvoyance
A letter by C.W. Leadbeater to Francisca Arundale.

Annie Wood Besant
Short description of her life.


Society: Religion and Spirituality: Esoteric and Occult: Theosophy






© 2005 GeneralAnswers.org