SEVEN STEPS FORWARD

With this issue PATH starts on the seventh year of life, and the seven past years have been full of action, of work, and of results. We began without an office or capital: it might be said that the business was carried on in a hat at first. Then it moved into a cell or den on Park Row, where no man could enter by the door if the occupant within did not rise to make room for the portal to swing. Subsequently a larger room―cramped in fact―was hired and exultingly then called "commodious" by the factotum. Later back again to Park Row and even more commodious, as the quarters of a bee might seem so, by comparison, to an ant. Then again to larger quarters on Nassau street, until now it expects to move into the Society's permanent house.

So to signalize the event it puts on a new cover, and were subscribers more numerous it might enlarge the number of its pages. But the penalty of independence in business conduct is frequently lack of support from a world that acts on convention and delights in pandering and being pandered to. But it may as well be known that the PATH will pander to nothing.

Once more, too, the editor declares he sees no excuse for the existence of this or any other magazine. He wearies of the eternal printing that goes on, for there is nothing new under the sun and we are like squirrels repeating the words spoken by bodies long since dead which were inhabited by ourselves whom now we fail to recognize. But since this is the age of black on white impressed by machinery, we are compelled to publish so that the opportunity of saying the same thing once more to a rebellious and stiff-necked generation shall not be neglected.

Path, April, 1892 The editorial in April PATH has been thought by some to mean that it is the Editor's intention to cease publication, and one newspaper wanted to know what we meant by repeating words we spoke long ago. There is no intention of stopping this Magazine; indeed, if Theosophists patronized the PATH more, it would be enlarged to twice its present size. What was stated was, that the Editor thinks it to be impossible to say anything new, and all that can be said was published centuries ago by the ancients. He also holds that nowadays there is a thirst for more, more, more articles and books, all repeating the old ideas while they pretend to be giving out original thoughts. Why not read and re-read the thoughts as given? And the reply is that it is not pleasant to take so much trouble; besides, the modern method is not the same; and, above all, we are lazy of mind as well as superficial, therefore there must be constant re-statement. Give out the doctrines found in the Upanishads in the old form and they are scouted, but rewrite them with a modern title and it will be considered. Hence while seeing no excuse for the existence of any magazine, the Editor is forced by circumstances to continue the publication of his own, however faulty it may be.

Path, June, 1892

SEVEN YEARS GONE

The PATH was started in April, 1886, and with this month completes the first seven years of its life. Many things have happened here in these years.

In April, 1886, we had no sectional organization here: by the next year our organization was completed and became the model for Europe and India. No Headquarters existed then; today we have the large General Headquarters in New York, with smaller local ones in San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Washington, and elsewhere. Our literature included few books; now enquirers are assisted by many works from the pens of many Theosophists. For some time after 1886 ridicule was our portion day by day; but now Theosophy is a familiar word, our books are constantly sought, our ideas have affected general literature. Even the worthless novels which stream weekly from the press try to catch readers by introducing quasi-occult ideas and superphysical phenomena. The newspapers which are written to sell and which used, at the most, to fill a corner with a jeer at the Theosophical cranks, now send their brightest reporters to interview any Theosophical speaker visiting their town, because their public wants to know what the Theosophist has to say. Considering the opposition, much has been effected toward the end in view, that is, to break down materialism, revive spirituality, and create a nucleus for a Universal Brotherhood.

The era of apostolic work has come in since we first opened the PATH. Then no one was speaking for Theosophy in America. Today there is the lecturer on the Pacific Coast going up and down the land; Bro. Claude F. Wright making extended tours as far West from the Atlantic as Kansas City; several members of the New York and Brooklyn Branches lecturing in cities of adjacent States; and last, but not least, we have secured since 1886 the interest, efforts, abilities, voice and pen of Annie Besant. Seven years have seen many things with us. We salute the Brethren!

Path, March, 1893