text:
Madame Blavatsky: Mother of Modern Spirituality
By Joy Kam | Apr 11, 2018 | Views: 1,341
(By Tsem Rinpoche and Joy Kam)
Born on 12th August 1831 in Yekaterinoslav (now Dnipropetrovsk), a town near the Dnieper river in Ukraine, Helena Petrovna Blavatsky is considered one of the world's most extraordinary female spiritualists. Apart from being a controversial figure of the 19th century, she was a renowned occultist, spirit medium, and author of the most influential occult book to date — The Secret Doctrine.
"… Madame Blavatsky … stands out as the fountainhead of modern occult thought, and was either the originator and/or populariser of many of the ideas and terms which have a century later been assembled within the New Age Movement. The Theosophical Society, which she co-founded, has been the major advocate of occult philosophy in the West and the single most important avenue of Eastern teaching to the West."
J. Gordon Melton, Jerome Clark and Aidan A. Kelly, editors, New Age Almanac, Detroit, Michigan, Gale Research Inc., 1991, p. 16.
Self-educated, Helena Blavatsky's deep interest in esotericism began in her teenage years, and from there, it grew until she became one of the most influential thinkers of modern spirituality. She opened the doors to a new age of spiritual movements by introducing Eastern esoteric concepts to the Western world.
Blavatsky also led a very controversial life. She claimed to have embarked on a series of travels all around Europe, the Americas, and India in 1849. During these travels, she came across a group of adepts, the "Masters of the Ancient Wisdom." They apparently sent her exploring the roof of the world, Shigatse in Tibet, where she was trained to develop psychic powers of her own. Biographers and critics have debated whether these travels were fabricated by Blavatsky or if she spent most of her time in Europe during the period she claimed this all took place. Regardless, whether it was true or false, one thing is for sure — she started a movement that dared to challenge the norms and belief systems of having only one almighty God. Through these endeavours, she gained many like-minded followers and students who contributed greatly towards the shape of spirituality today.
In the early 1870s, Helena Blavatsky became involved in the Spiritualist movement. She defended the authenticity of the existence of Spiritualist phenomena and debated with mainstream Spiritualists that the entities she contacted were spirits of the dead. Later, in 1873, she moved to America and became friends with renowned journalist and lawyer Henry Steel Olcott, who was also interested in spirituality. It was Olcott who made her well-known as a spirit medium, and her friendship with Henry Olcott not only gave her publicity but also invited accusations that she was a fraud due to his overt promotion of her.
Together with Henry Olcott and William Quan Judge, Helena Blavatsky co-founded the Theosophical Society in 1875 in New York. She then published Isis Unveiled, a book that revealed the history, scope, and development of the Occult Sciences and her Theosophical world-view. Blavatsky defined Theosophy as "the synthesis of science, religion and philosophy", which she associated closely with the esoteric doctrines of Neoplatonism and Hermeticism. She proclaimed she was reviving an "ancient wisdom" that she believed was the reason behind the existence of various world religions. She was soon revered as "The Founding Mother of Occult in America" in the words of American author Kurt Vonnegut.
In 1880, Blavatsky and Olcott relocated to India and made connections with the Hindu reform movement called Arya Samaj. That year, she and Olcott also became the first Westerners to convert to Buddhism. The Theosophical Society continued to flourish in India, despite opposition from the British administration. However, the Society also experienced internal issues when Blavatsky was accused of and criticised for creating false psychic phenomena, though these accusations could not be proven either way.
Blavatsky was larger than life and very controversial indeed. She had a huge following, her supporters considered her an enlightened guru, and she was hailed as an icon – the Mother of Modern Spirituality. On the other hand, there was another group of people who rejected her and scorned her as a fraud.
Regardless, there is no doubt that her Theosophical doctrines introduced and spearheaded the spread of Buddhism and Hinduism in the West. Her doctrines also helped develop Western esoteric subjects such as Anthroposophy, Ariosophy and the New Age Movement.
A painting of young Blavatsky with her mother, titled "Two Helens"
Helena Petrovna von Hahn was born into an aristocratic Russian-German family. She was the daughter of Colonel Peter von Hahn and Helena de Fadeyev, a well-known Russian novelist and granddaughter of the talented Princess Helena Dolgorukov, a writer and renowned botanist. Helena Petrovna was baptised into the Russian Orthodox Church immediately after she was born.
As a child, Helena moved from one place to another; due to her father's career in the Russian Imperial Military, the family had to go wherever he was posted in the Russian Empire. This is probably one of the reasons she was so comfortable leading a nomadic lifestyle in her adulthood.
Young Helena P. Blavatsky (1850s – early 1860s)
The oldest child in the family, Helena Petrovna had a younger brother named Sasha, who died when she was two years old. At that time, her family lived in an army township that did not have the medical facilities needed to save his life. Then in 1835, she moved with her mother to Odessa, the third most populated city in the Ukraine. It was there that her mother gave birth to her sister, Vera Petrovna. Helena's maternal grandfather, Andrei Fadeyev, was also posted in the same city as a civil administrator for the Russian Imperial Government.
In 1836, Helena's family relocated to Saint Petersburg. Her mother was fond of the city and this is where she began her writing career under the pseudonym "Zenaida R-va", authoring novels and translating the works of the famous English author and poet, Edward Bulwer-Lytton.
Helena Blavatsky in the 1950s
A year later, in 1837, Helena's grandfather was assigned to be the trustee for the Kalmyk people in Central Asia. Helena and her mother accompanied him to Astrakhan, where they became friends with Tumen, a Kalmyk leader who was a Tibetan Buddhist. Kalmyks are usually practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism, and this was when Helena first encountered the religion.
In 1838, Helena's mother reunited with her husband and moved the family back to Poltava. She taught young Helena how to play the piano and arranged for her to have dance lessons. Unfortunately, Helena's mother was not in the peak of health, and so they moved back to Odessa, where young Helena learned English from her British governess. Not long after that, the whole family relocated to Saratov, and in June 1840, she welcomed a baby brother named Leonid. After Leonid's birth, they moved to Poland for a short period of time before returning to Odessa. This is when her mother's health deteriorated further and in June 1842, she passed away from tuberculosis. She was only 28.
Helena Blavatsky's mother, Helena de Fadeyev or Helena Andreyevna von Hahn, was the granddaughter of the talented Princess Helena Dolgorukov, a writer and renowned botanist
After her mother passed away, Helena's maternal grandparents took in all three children. They moved to Saratov where their grandfather, Andrei, was the Governor. Richard Davenport-Hines, a historian, described young Helena as "a petted, wayward, invalid child" and a "beguiling story-teller". There are several accounts by her relatives explaining how little Helena would socialise with children from the lower-classes, often played pranks and enjoyed reading. Although she did not go to school like other children, she was well educated and even studied French, art and music, subjects which at that time were thought to help women find suitable suitors. Helena spent her holidays in Tumen's Kalmyk summer camp with her grandparents, where she learnt to ride horses and read rudimentary Tibetan.
Different from other children her age, Helena was an exceptional, gifted child in touch with her psychic abilities and highly sensitive to the environment. She was also acutely aware of this difference between herself and other children. A rebel at heart, she would not always listen to authority. With her intelligence, linguistic abilities, talent in the arts and music, and her fearless passion for riding half-trained horses, it was clear that she was in tune with nature, her surroundings and those whom she met. From a young age, she sensed that she had a special mission that would somehow lead her towards dedicating her life to the service of others. She also believed she was guided and protected by some higher power to fulfil this purpose.
Helena during her youth
Helena claimed she discovered her great-grandfather Prince Pavel Vasilevich Dolgorukov's personal library while living in Saratov. It was in this library that she is said to have found various books on esoteric subjects, sparking her interest which rapidly grew over the years.
Her great-grandfather, Dolgorukov, was a Freemason and belonged to the Rite of Strict Observance. Rumour has it that he had met adventurers of the occult arts such as Alessandro Cagliostro, an Italian magician with the royal courts of Europe, and the Count of St. Germain, a great philosopher.
Around this time, it is said that Helena had strange visions of meeting a "mysterious Indian man", whom she did meet in person later in life. According to her biographers, this was the first appearance of the "Masters" in Helena's life.
Helena's maternal grandfather, Andrei Mihailovich de Fadeyev (1789-1867) and grandmother Princess Helena Dolgorukov (1789-1860)
Helena spent one year living with her aunt, Yekaterina Andreyevna Witte, and then she moved to Tiflis, Georgia, where she befriended Alexander Vladimirovich Golitsyn from the princely family line of the Golitsyn noble houses. He was a Russian Freemason member and he greatly encouraged her interest in the esoteric arts. It was also during this time that Helena claimed to have had paranormal experiences, such as astral traveling and more visions of the "mysterious Indian man".
Helena Blavatsky and the great masters. Blavatsky said these masters appeared to her in her visions, guiding her on a spiritual mission which led up to the establishment of the Theosophical Society.
Travelling the World
When Helena turned 17, she agreed to a marriage with the Vice Governor of Erivan Province, Nikifor Vladimirovich Blavatsky, a man in his forties. It is said she agreed to this marriage probably because she wanted to find a way to free herself from the environment she was in.
Helena was a rebel at heart, and so it is possible she plotted her way to freedom and independence. However, she claimed she married Nikifor because she was attracted to his belief in magic, an interest she shared. Before their wedding ceremony, it is said she tried to back out several times, but eventually went ahead with it. She was married on 7th July 1849 and from then on was known as Helena Blavatsky.
After the marriage, Blavatsky moved to Sardar Palace with her husband and later attempted to run away several times. Unfortunately, her attempts were not successful. Eventually, her husband relented and gave up, allowing her to return to her family. Her family sent two escorts, a servant and a maid, to accompany her on the journey back to Odessa where her father was living. The plan was to return to Saint Petersburg together with her father. However, this did not happen as Blavatsky escaped her escorts and bribed the captain of the ship she was on to take them to Kerch. She ended up in Constantinople, and this marked the beginning of Blavatsky's travels around the world.
Blavatsky explored Turkey, Egypt, and Greece, and her father most likely financed her travels. Unfortunately, most of her activities cannot be verified accurately, as she kept no diary nor did she travel with companions. This is why Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, a historian of esotericism, noted that these travels were based solely on "her own largely uncorroborated accounts", which were somewhat contradictory as they were "occasionally conflicting in their chronology".
Blavatsky claimed that while in Constantinople, she became friends with a Hungarian opera singer named Agardi Metrovitch, whom she met while saving him from being murdered. There she also met the Countess Sofia Kiselyova and together, they went travelling around Eastern Europe, Egypt and Greece. When she was in Cairo, she met Albert Rawson, an American art student who later wrote about the Middle East at great length. Apparently, they both visited and studied under the celebrated Coptic magician, Paulos Metamon, for a while.
Blavatsky went on to Paris in 1851, where she met Victor Michal, a spiritist-magnetiser and was greatly impressed by him. From there, she travelled to England and she claimed this was when she met the "mysterious Indian man", whom she had visions of during her childhood. He was a Hindu teacher called Master Morya. Although it is unclear how they finally met due to conflicting versions of the story, one thing that was consistently mentioned and maintained by Blavatsky was that Morya had a special mission for her, and that he insisted she travel to Tibet.
The "mysterious Indian man", Master Morya, had a special mission for Blavatsky
During the autumn of 1851, Blavatsky made her way to Asia from America. She was inspired by James Fenimore Cooper's novels and was hoping to see Native American communities in Quebec. She wanted to meet their magico-religious specialists, but an unfortunate event occurred and she was robbed during her journey. Blavatsky blamed the corrupt influence of Christian missionaries for the Native American people's ruthless actions. Hence, she headed South instead, making her way to New Orleans, Texas, Mexico, and the Andes and finally boarding a ship to Ceylon, eventually landing in Bombay.
Based on the correspondences Blavatsky had with Master Morya, she is said to have been following instructions given by him. Blavatsky spent two years in India and also attempted several times to get into Tibet but the British administration stopped her.
There are many stories regarding her travels that no one can guarantee are 100% accurate. In one account, Blavatsky claimed that when she was on her way back to Europe, before reaching England, she survived a shipwreck close to the Cape of Good Hope in 1854. While in England, she experienced hostility because she was Russian — it was the time of the Crimean War, when Russia and Britain were in conflict. She also had to work and landed a role as a musician at the Royal Philharmonic Society.
Besides Europe, she also explored America, sailing through New York, where she came across Mr. Rawson whom she had befriended in Cairo. She continued on to Chicago, Salt Lake City and San Francisco. After that, she sailed back to India, passing through Japan. When she was in India, she explored the cities of Kashmir and Ladakh, and later journeyed to Burma.
Around 1856, she claimed to have made a second attempt to get into Tibet and this time, she succeeded. Blavatsky supposedly entered Tibet via Kashmir with a Tartar shaman as her companion. He was trying to get to Siberia and thought Blavatsky, being a Russian, could help him get in. Based on their stories, they ended up in Leh before getting lost and later joined a group of travelling Tartar shamans before returning to India once again. Blavatsky eventually went back to Europe through Madras and Java.
Blavatsky spent time in Germany and France before returning to her family in Pskov in 1858. Here is where she claimed to have experienced more paranormal phenomena, such as knocking and creaking sounds that followed her and furniture moving on its own in the house.
Giuseppe Garibaldi (1866) was an Italian general, politician and nationalist who personally commanded and fought in many military campaigns that led to the unification of Italy
Two years later, in 1860, Blavatsky and her sister visited their maternal grandmother in Tiflis, where she met with Metrovitch, the Hungarian opera singer whom she had saved. In 1862, she reunited with her ex-husband Nikifor and they adopted a child, named Yuri. Unfortunately, Yuri passed away at age five, and he was buried with Metrovitch's surname.
In 1864, Blavatsky went horse riding in Mingrelia when she fell and fractured her spine. This accident put her in a coma. As she recovered from her injury in Tiflis, she claimed to have gained full control over her psychic abilities.
After Blavatsky recovered, she continued to travel, this time to Italy, Transylvania and Serbia, where she may have studied the Kabbalah with a rabbi. Then in 1867, she visited the Balkans, Hungary and then returned to Italy, spending time in Venice, Florence and Mentana. She also claimed she was injured during the Battle of Mentana as she fought for the great Italian general Giuseppe Garibaldi.
Journey to Tibet
In 1868, Blavatsky said she received a message from Master Morya that she should go to Constantinople to meet with him, and this was when they journeyed to Tibet together. When they were in Tibet, Master Morya's friend and colleague, Master Koot Hoomi, opened his house located near Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Shigatse and hosted them.
Koot Hoomi (also known as Kuthumi or K.H.) is one of the Mahatmas or masters who inspired Blavatsky to establish the Theosophical Society.
According to Blavatsky, both Morya and Koot Hoomi were Kashmiris of Punjabi descent. It is said that Koot Hoomi taught students of the Gelug tradition of Tibetan Buddhism in his house, but it is not clear exactly what he taught them. Koot Hoomi was fluent in both English and French and, like his friend Morya, he was also a vegetarian.
Blavatsky claimed that during her time in Tibet, she learned the ancient language of Senzar and translated several ancient scriptures from the monastery. She was not allowed to enter the monastery, so it would be logical to assume that she did the translations in Koot Hoomi's house. She also mentioned that during this time, Master Morya and Master Koot Hoomi guided and helped her develop her psychic abilities and taught her how to control them.
The psychic abilities that Blavatsky developed were clairvoyance, clairaudience, telepathy, de-materialisation and re-materialisation of physical objects, the ability to control another person's consciousness, and to project one's astral body, giving the illusion of being in two places simultaneously. Blavatsky also claimed she had to engage in a spiritual retreat from late 1868 to late 1870, while she was in Tibet. Although Blavatsky did not write about her visit to Lhasa, this was later mentioned by various sources, one of them an account by her sister.
According to biographers, Blavatsky visited Tashi Lhunpo Monastery near Shigatse. Some reports state that Blavatsky's years in Tashi Lhunpo would have resulted in her meeting the 8th Panchen Lama Tenpai Wangchuk and getting to know him well. This information can be found in the book called "The Voice of the Silence", published by the Chinese Society for Buddhism Study at Peking, at the request of the 9th Panchen Lama in 1927
Many critics and biographers doubted Blavatsky's claims regarding her travels, particularly her expedition to Tibet. However, there are also those who believed it was possible, especially as traders and pilgrims from neighbouring lands were known to have visited the country. Some biographers suggest Blavatsky could have entered Tibet since she was accompanied by Morya and could have disguised herself as an Asian. There is also an eyewitness account of seeing her in Shigatse. Furthermore, the renowned scholar D.T. Suzuki mentioned Blavatsky possessed advanced knowledge of Mahayana Buddhist subjects, which seems consistent with her claims of studying in a Tibetan monastery during her travels.
Establishing Theosophy
Blavatsky travelled to Tibet to prove to the world that the esoteric phenomena enacted by Spiritualists were real, and she defended this concept fiercely, especially against scientific materialists who accused her of being a fraud. However, she was unbiased and pointed out that the entities some of the mediums were contacting might not be the spirits of the dead, as was often claimed by Spiritualists. These entities could have been mischievous elementals or "shells" left behind by the deceased.
Séances were popular at the time and Blavatsky participated in these. However, she soon realised that the answers provided by these spirits were not accurate and some were actually mischievous elementals or "shells" left behind by the deceased.
Next, she proceeded to Greece via the Suez Canal where she met another Master – Master Hilarion, who is considered a saint in the I AM movement. In July 1871, Blavatsky boarded the SS Eumonia to Egypt, but the ship tragically exploded en route. There were only 16 survivors and Blavatsky was one of them. When she arrived in Cairo, she met with Paulos Metamon. She also established société spirite with the help of a lady named Emma Cutting. The society advocated Spiritism, a form of Spiritualism originated by Allan Kardec. Kardec acknowledged the belief of reincarnation, which was a huge contrast from the beliefs of mainstream Spiritualists. However, after just two weeks, Blavatsky discovered that many mediums the society employed were frauds and decided to shut it down.
While in Cairo, Blavatsky also met the renowned French scholar and Egyptologist Sir Gaston Maspero and another one of her Masters, Serapis Bey, the 13th member of the Council of Adepts of the Ascension Temple, also known as Serapis Soleil (Serapis of the Sun).
After Egypt, Blavatsky went on to Syria, Palestine and Lebanon and became acquainted with members of the Druze religion. During these interesting travels, she met and became friends with writer and traveller Lidia Pashkova. Pashkova later provided independent confirmation regarding Blavatsky's travels during this period.
Blavatsky returned to visit her family in Odessa in July 1872 before following Morya's instructions to go to America. She arrived in New York in July 1873, and stayed in a women's housing co-operative on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. She earned a small wage from odd jobs, such as sewing and designing advertising cards. Along the way, she attracted the attention of a journalist named Anna Ballard, who interviewed her for The Sun, a New York newspaper. In the interview, Blavatsky claimed to have travelled to the mysterious Tibet, the first written source of her travels to the Land of Snows.
By the age of 42, Blavatsky possessed unusual spiritual and occult powers. It was believed she was the most suitable instrument for the work the great Masters had planned and the best person to present it to the world. This message was "The accumulated Wisdom of the ages, tested and verified by generations of Seers…", a belief that the main Truth was all religions, great and small, are like the many branches that stem from the parent tree. Blavatsky was given the task by the Masters to challenge the deep-rooted beliefs and dogmas of Christian Theology and the materialistic view of science during her time. In Blavatsky's own words,
"I was sent to prove the phenomena and their reality, and to show the fallacy of the spiritualistic theory of spirits."
Not long after Blavatsky arrived in New York, she received news that her father had passed away, leaving her a substantial inheritance that allowed her to move from poor living conditions into a luxurious hotel.
In December 1874, Blavatsky met Mikheil Betaneli, a Georgian who had become infatuated with her. He persisted in pursuing her hand in marriage and in the end, Blavatsky conceded. However, since Blavatsky had not divorced her husband from her first marriage, this was considered bigamy. Nevertheless, Blavatsky would not consummate the marriage with Betaneli, which led him to file for a divorce.
Establishing the Theosophical Society
Helena Blavatsky and Henry Olcott were the founders of the Theosophical Society
Blavatsky was fascinated by stories of William and Horatio Eddy, also known as the Eddy brothers, two American mediums from Chittenden, Vermont. The brothers claimed to levitate and manifest psychic phenomena. Intrigued, Blavatsky visited Chittenden in October 1874, where she met the renowned journalist Henry Steel Olcott, who was the investigating reporter on the Eddys' claims for the New York Daily Graphic newspaper.
Olcott said he was impressed with Blavatsky's ability to manifest psychic powers, which made him write an article on her for the paper. They quickly became close friends and they even had nicknames for one another, "Jack" for Blavatsky and "Maloney" for Olcott. He promoted her, generating more attention to her claims, and persuaded the editor of the Daily Graphic to publish an interview with Blavatsky. He also talked about Blavatsky in his book, Spiritualism, People from the Other World (1875).
Blavatsky gave instructions to Olcott based on her own beliefs, and she also encouraged him to become vegetarian, teetotal and celibate. Sometime in January 1875, they visited the mediums Nelson and Jennie Owen, who were Spiritualists based in Philadelphia. The Owens asked to be tested by Olcott to prove they were not frauds and that the phenomena they produced were real. Olcott believed them but Blavatsky spoke up to expose them, saying some of their phenomena were fake, and failed to manifest as they claimed.
Eager to find ways and ideas to promote their beliefs, Blavatsky and Olcott published a circular letter in The Spiritual Scientist, Eldridge Gerry Brown's Boston-based Spiritualist publication, and called themselves "Brotherhood of Luxor", which could have been inspired by the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor. They lived together in rented apartments in New York, presumably supported and funded by Olcott who continued his work as a lawyer. Their last apartment was called Lamasery, which means a monastery of lamas. Blavatsky and Olcott also founded the Miracle Club, supposedly inspired by the Masters, in which they facilitated many lectures on esoteric subjects. From this Club, they connected with an Irish Spiritualist named William Quan Judge, who shared similar interests.
The Theosophical Society was born in 1875 with Olcott as the Chairman, Judge as the secretary, and Blavatsky as another secretary. However, everyone knew that Blavatsky was the actual leader and driving force behind the society.
On 7th September 1875, at a Miracle Club meeting, Blavatsky, Olcott, and Judge decided to create an esoteric organisation, and Charles Sotheran suggested that it be named the 'Theosophical Society'. The word 'theosophy' derives from the Greek word 'theos' which means "god(s)" and 'sophia', meaning "wisdom"; therefore, theosophy means "god-wisdom" or "divine wisdom". Blavatsky insisted that Theosophy was not a religion and would clarify this many times over the course of her life.
The Logo of the Theosophical Society
The Theosophical Society was officially formed on 17th November 1875. Colonel Henry Steel Olcott was the chairman, William Quan Judge was the secretary, and Helena Petrovna Blavatsky was another secretary. However, there is no doubt that Blavatsky was the principal theoretician and leader of the group. The early members consisted of many prominent spiritualists such as Emma Hardinge Britten, C.C. Massey, Signor Bruzzesi, and William L. Alden who were, in their own right, successful members of the society.
The main objective of the Society was initially a general statement:
"…to collect and diffuse a knowledge of the laws which govern the Universe."
However, the founders made several revisions to express their goals more accurately, and today they are the following:
To form a nucleus of the Universal Brotherhood of Humanity, without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste, or colour.
To encourage the study of Comparative Religion, Philosophy, and Science.
To investigate unexplained laws of Nature and the powers latent in man.
This is the commemorative plaque of the founding members of the Theosophical Society in Adyar, India.
Isis Unveiled
In the summer of 1875, Blavatsky wrote Isis Unveiled, a book that outlined her Theosophical worldview, from the home of Hiram Corson, a Professor of English Literature at Cornell University, Ithaca. In the course of her work, she became aware of a second consciousness, which she called "the lodger who is in me" and claimed that it inspired most of her writing.
According to Olcott, Blavatsky quoted from many religious texts and scriptures that she did not have access to in Isis Unveiled. Furthermore, the topics Blavatsky wrote about are still unanswerable over a century after her passing. Thus, Isis Unveiled was an original fusion that connected contrasting ideas and concepts not brought up before in Western literature. Blavatsky's concept was about all world religions stemming from one "Ancient Wisdom" which she connected with the Western esoteric traditions of Hermeticism and Neoplatonism, openly disagreeing with Darwinian evolution theory that mainly focused on the physical world while ignoring the spiritual realm.
Isis Unveiled was Helena Blavatsky's first book and it was a huge success, selling 1,000 copies in a week.
Edited by Alexander Wilder, Professor of Philosophy, and published in two volumes by J.W. Bouton in 1877, the book encountered negative criticism and bad press reviews; some even said that she had quoted around 100 books but gave no credit or acknowledgement. Yet, despite all the negative reviews, Isis Unveiled still became a huge success, selling 1,000 copies in a week. It was such a success that the publisher asked for a sequel, but Blavatsky stayed true to her mission and rejected the offer.
However, while the world witnessed the great success of Isis Unveiled, it was not the same with the Society, which became quiet and inactive towards the autumn of 1876. This occurred although new lodges were being set up all around the United States and in London, and even though new prominent members like Thomas Edison and Abner Doubleday had joined the Society. Not long after her book's success, Blavatsky became a U.S. citizen in July 1878.
Connections with India
Helena Blavatsky and Hindu Theosophists in India around 1884
The Theosophical Society connected with a Hindu reform movement called the Arya Samaj, founded by Swami Dayananda Saraswati, as members believed these two organisations shared a common spiritual worldview. Shortly thereafter, Blavatsky became unhappy living in the U.S and decided to move to India. Her good friend Olcott agreed to join her in this relocation — they auctioned off many of their possessions in preparation for the move. Olcott also secured himself a position as a U.S. trade representative to the country. They arrived in Bombay in February 1879 and were warmly greeted with celebrations, organised by Hurrychund Chintamon, an Arya Samaj member.
Blavatsky preferred associating with Indians than with the governing British elite, and kept a 15-year-old Gujarati boy, named Vallah "Babula" Bulla, as her personal attendant. Many educated Indians were impressed when they discovered that Theosophists advocated and supported Indian religions, especially during that period of colonialism, British imperialism and on-going missionary efforts to convert them to Christianity. Hence, it was no surprise that her activities were closely monitored by the British Intelligence Service as they were concerned she could be a Russian spy.
Bombay, 1881 – Standing behind Olcott (seated in the middle) is Blavatsky and Damodar Mavalankar (seated to Olcott's left)
Neither Christian missionaries nor the British government were happy with the spreading of Theosophy. India's English-language press was also critical towards the Society. However, its popularity continued to grow, with many branches mushrooming all over India. Later, Blavatsky moved into a comfortable bungalow in the elite estate of a Bombay suburb called Breach Candy. This place was more easily accessible, especially for her Western guests. Olcott also established the Buddhist Education Fund to counter the spread of Christianity in Ceylon. His objective was to create awareness, to inspire, and to encourage locals to take pride and interest in Buddhism. Initially, Blavatsky was opposed to this, saying the Masters would not approve, but Olcott went ahead and it proved to be a great success. This made Blavatsky change her mind.
The Theosophist, the monthly magazine started by Blavatsky and Olcott, gained a huge readership
In July 1879, Blavatsky and Olcott began working on The Theosophist, a monthly magazine, and released the first issue in October of the same year. The magazine quickly gained a huge readership and its management underwent rapid change — a Theosophist, Damodar K. Mavalankar, soon took the helm. He introduced the idea that the Masters should be referred to as Mahatmas which means 'Great Soul' in Sanskrit.
In December, Buddhist monks invited Blavatsky and Olcott to Ceylon. During this time, Blavatsky and Olcott officially became Buddhists, and they are said to be the first people from America to do so. They took the Five Precepts in May 1880, in a ceremony at Ramayana Nikayana. As they toured the island, they were greeted with crowds fascinated to see foreigners accepting Buddhism, instead of trying to convert them to Christianity. Their message was a great boost to the self-esteem of the Sinhalese people, and with that, they were cordially invited to visit Kandy to pay homage to the Buddha's tooth relic.
Buddhist monks with Olcott in Colombo, 1883
Alfred Percy Sinnett invited Blavatsky to spend time with him, during which she performed the phenomena of materialising objects, stunning his guests in the process. In one incident, she made a cup and a saucer appear from beneath the soil while they were out having a picnic. Enthralled, Sinnet wanted to contact the Masters — in his eagerness, he kept persuading Blavatsky to help him facilitate this communication, which resulted in 1,400 pages of letters supposedly authored by Morya and Koot Hoomi, known as the Mahatma Letters. The teachings in these letters were summarised by Sinnett and published in a book titled Esoteric Buddhism (1883). However, Buddhist authors such as Max Müller openly emphasised that the contents of the book were not Buddhist in nature. Blavatsky herself was also not too pleased and disliked the title, which she thought was misleading. Since its publication, the book has sparked many debates on who the author actually was; some have even said it was written by Blavatsky herself.
Having been diagnosed with Bright's disease, Blavatsky took up an offer from the Society in Madras, hoping the weather there would be more favourable to her condition. Later, in November 1882, an estate in Adyar was purchased by the Society. It became the new headquarters and a few rooms were reserved for Blavatsky, who moved there in December. Still active, Blavatsky toured the subcontinent and also claimed that she visited her teacher's ashram in Sikkim and Tibet for a few days around this time.
The headquarters of the Theosophical Society in Adyar, Madras, 1887
Blavatsky's health further deteriorated and she agreed to return to Britain with Olcott, who had a case on Ceylonese Buddhism to debate as well as issues regarding the Society's London Lodge to resolve. While in London, Blavatsky connected with the Society for Psychical Research (SPR) and complied with their request to study her psychic abilities. However, she was not very impressed with them and would mockingly call them "Spookical Research Society".
A photograph taken in London in 1888 with Blavatsky (front left) and her sister Vera Petrovna de Zhelihovsky. Standing behind them are Vera (Blavatsky's niece) with her husband Charles Johnston as well as Henry S. Olcott.
While Blavatsky was in Europe, a conflict with Emma and Alexis Coulomb, known as the Coulomb Affair, arose at the Adyar headquarters. Emma Coulomb was accused of misappropriating funds for her own purposes. The Society's Board of Control asked her to leave but she and her husband refused. They blackmailed the Society by producing letters they claimed were written by Blavatsky, supposedly proving that her paranormal abilities were a sham. The Society did not buy it, refused to pay, and barred them from the Society's premises. The Coulombs then turned to the Christian College Magazine based in Madras, who published the letters and exposed Blavatsky as a fraud. The resulting scandal created international attention and the news was picked up by The Times, a London-based newspaper.
In response, Blavatsky with Theosophist Charles Webster Leadbeater went to Cairo in November 1884 in search of information on Emma Coulomb. There, they discovered the ugly truth — that Emma was a suspected extortionist and criminal. Fortunately, although the Society suffered great 'internal' damage from this scandal, it did not affect the Society's or Blavatsky's popularity, especially in India.
Today, the Theosophical Society, located along the Adyar River, is one of the popular attractions in the city of Chennai. The campus consists of a Hindu temple, a Jain temple, a Christian church and a Buddhist temple. The library has a rich collection of sacred books and manuscripts on all major faiths. The campus of the Theosophical Society is also well known for its huge 200-year-old Banyan tree.
Madame Blavatsky in London, 1887
1885 was an eventful year. Having returned to Europe due to deteriorating health, Blavatsky resumed writing her book The Secret Doctrine, living off a pension provided by the Theosophical Society in Naples, Italy.
She moved to Würzburg, Bavaria, where she was visited by her good friend, Countess Constance Wachtmeister, a Swedish Theosophist who "loyally and lovingly helped in the great work". But then disaster struck — Richard Hodgson from the Society for Psychical Research (SPR) reported that Blavatsky and her alleged spiritual phenomena were fake and that she was a Russian spy.
This did not sit well with members of the Society. Blavatsky was denounced by some followers while others quit the organisation in the fallout. For the sake of the Society, Olcott stopped Blavatsky from taking legal action against her accusers. At the same time, many Theosophists criticised Hodgson and stated that his methodologies were only set out to disprove and attack Blavatsky. However, it was only in 1886 that the SPR accepted this and retracted the findings of the report.
Despite the tension created by Hodgson's report, the growth of the Theosophical Society was unstoppable and towards the end of Blavatsky's life, there were 121 lodges with charters around the world, mostly located in India, Burma and Ceylon. Although she had to move around in a wheelchair, she started a small ink-producing business and moved to Belgium. At this time, she received complaints from dissatisfied members of the London Lodge who claimed Sinnett neglected the propagation of Theosophy in exchange for gathering support from the upper-class.
Blavatsky published 'Lucifer', a controversial magazine, to discuss philosophical ideas
In 1887, 'Lucifer', a controversial magazine, was born and Blavatsky directed its focus on the discussion of philosophical ideas. In 1888, Blavatsky started a special section of the Society for which admittance was only available to those who passed her tests. She nurtured and called them the "True Theosophists" — members of the Esoteric Section of the Theosophical Society who would focus on the system's philosophy. Blavatsky moved to London, staying with Theosophist Mabel Collins in Upper Norwood, and later in Holland Park with Bertram Keightley and his nephew Archibald Keightley, where she held lodge meetings on Thursday nights, establishing the Blavatsky Lodge to rival Sinnett's.
Her work, The Secret Doctrine was published by her own Theosophical Publishing Company in two volumes, months apart. She claimed it was a commentary on the Book of Dzyan, which Buddhologist David Reigle appeared to agree with, stating it was part of the Tantra section of the Tibetan Buddhist canon. Many Buddhist scholars refuted Reigle's claim and denied the existence of the Book of Dzyan, saying it was mere fiction, a creation of Blavatsky's in which she promoted her concept of how the universe, planets and humans came about.
In 1889, she received a visit from Mohandas Gandhi, who became an associate member of the lodge two years later, declaring the close connection between Theosophy and Hinduism. Blavatsky also spoke about the soul and the afterlife — Annie Besant, a social reformer who reviewed books for the Pall Mall Gazette, was so impressed that she joined the Theosophists. Soon, Blavatsky moved into Besant's large home at 19 Avenue Road in St. John's Wood, which became the new European headquarters of the Theosophical Society.
Blavatsky writing at her desk
Blavatsky authored many books there such as The Key to Theosophy, which was a book of questions and answers. The Voice of Silence was a devotional text based on The Book of the Golden Precepts, which Blavatsky claimed was based on another ancient text.
For the rest of Blavatsky's living years, she had to bear with accusations of being a fraud. In 1890, there was even an article published in a U.S. newspaper, The Sun, with information from Elliott Coues, an ex-member of the Society. The paper later retracted their accusations when Blavatsky sued them for libel.
In 1892, Blavatsky contracted the influenza virus due to the epidemic in Britain and she passed away on 8th May 1891 in the Society's European headquarters. The date was declared "White Lotus Day" by Theosophists.
London 1890: Blavatsky is seen here with Theosophist James Pryse (left) and G.R.S. Mead
Theosophical Belief and Movement
A painting of Blavatsky by the famous artist Nicholas Roerich. Click to enlarge.
Helena Blavatsky was responsible for establishing the doctrinal basis of the Theosophical Society and for the emergence of the Theosophical movement. Theosophy dismissed the Christian idea of a "God" which Blavatsky described to be "a bundle of contradictions and a logical impossibility". Blavatsky believed and emphasised that an "ancient wisdom religion" existed and this wisdom was also known to many great philosophers of the world such as Plato, the Hindu sages and other wise men of the past. She believed all the existing world religions could trace their sources to this ancient wisdom.
Blavatsky also claimed she obtained her Theosophical teachings from various adepts around the world. In addition, she believed the Theosophical movement marked the revival and spreading of this ancient wisdom-religion and that it would eventually eclipse all existing world religions. A pantheist who promoted the idea of mystical, monotheistic and immanentist cosmology, Blavatsky believed in the:
"…universal Divine Principle, the root of All, from which all proceeds, and within which all shall be absorbed at the end of the great cycle of being."
Blavatsky has also said that each particle in the universe is infused with a spark of the divine:
"Lower Orders emanated from higher ones, before becoming increasingly dense and being absorbed back into the Divine Principle. This cosmology exhibited commonalities with the scientific discoveries of geology and biological evolution, both of which had been revealed by scientific enquiry during the 19th century."
Bevir, Mark (1994). "The West Turns Eastward: Madame Blavatsky and the Transformation of the Occult Tradition". Journal of the American Academy of Religion.
In The Secret Doctrine, Blavatsky stated that absolute nothingness existed at the beginning of time, and this essence was separated into Seven Rays, which then created the universe using an energy, called Fohat. The earth underwent seven rounds of creation, where different living beings were created in each round. She also advocated the idea of seven root races:
The first root race lived on a continent named "Imperishable Sacred Land" and was created from pure spirit.
The second root race lived in the land near the North Pole and is known as the Hyperboreans. This race was also created from pure spirit.
The third root race lived on the continent of Lemuria, the present-day Rapa-Nui and Australia.
The fourth root race lived on Atlantis and consisted of higher beings, who descended to the planet. They had psychic powers, physical bodies, and advanced technology.
The fifth root race were the Aryans, who existed around the world when she wrote her book The Secret Doctrine.
The sixth root race would replace the fifth, which will be marked by Maitreya's arrival.
The seventh root race would eventually replace the sixth root race.
In addition, Blavatsky believed humans consisted of three separate parts: the physical body, the astral fluid body, and a divine spark.
Although Blavatsky was initially sceptical of the concept of reincarnation as stated in her book Isis Unveiled, she later changed her mind. This change was reflected in her book, The Secret Doctrine, where she stated karma governed the law of incarnation, and the final purpose of humanity is the soul's emancipation from the cycle of death and rebirth.
When she lived in New York City, Blavatsky claimed herself to be a Buddhist, although her form of Buddhism was unique. She believed the Buddha:
"…had sought to return to the teachings of the Vedas, and that Buddhism therefore represented a more accurate survival of ancient Brahmanism than modern Hinduism."
Colonel Henry Steel Olcott helped to shape the design of the Buddhist flag. He felt that a long streaming shape was somewhat inconvenient and impractical, hence he modified its size and shape to be similar to national flags.
The Theosophical movement owed its popularity to the charismatic Blavatsky's leadership and perseverance. Her belief sparked interest in spiritualism and her philosophy appealed to women because it provided them the opportunity to take on spiritual leadership that was equal to men.
Theosophical teachings borrow many concepts and beliefs from Buddhism and, as a result of this, Helena Blavatsky and Henry Olcott were amongst the pioneering Westerners who became Buddhist during that time.
Henry Steel Olcott even helped designed the Buddhist flag that is still in use today. In fact, Tibetan Buddhism became popular in the West because of great Theosophist authors like Evans-Wentz and Alexandra David-Neel.
Blavatsky would often compare Theosophy to Mahayana Buddhism and in her book, The Key to Theosophy she wrote,
"But the schools of the Northern Buddhist Church … teach all that is now called Theosophical doctrines, because they form part of the knowledge of the initiates…"
In 1891, by the time of Blavatsky's passing, the Theosophical community had grown to 100,000 and her writings had been published in various Asian and European languages.
The Theosophical Society in America today is located in Wheaton, Illinois on a beautiful 42-acre campus. The grounds are open to the public and it comprises of the headquarter building, where classes, lectures, and workshops are held. There is also a huge library and the Quest Bookshop. Also on campus are tree groves, gardens, a beautiful pond and a labyrinth.
VIDEO: A Documentary on Madame Helena Blavatsky, founder of the Theosophical Society and scholar of ancient wisdom and literature
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/MdmBlavatsky_SpiritualTraveller.mp4
Selected Books by Helena Blavatsky
Isis Unveiled (1877). Click on image to download the PDF version.
The Secret Doctrine (1888). Click on image to download the PDF version.
The Key to Theosophy (1889). Click on image to download the PDF version.
The Voice of Silence (1889). Click on image to download the PDF version.
The texts above were sourced from legitimate book-hosting services offering these texts for free download. They are made available here for purely educational, non-commercial purposes.
Selected Quotes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helena_Blavatsky
http://blavatskyarchives.com/longseal.htm
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Helena-Blavatsky
https://tssydney.org
http://fromparent2child.blogspot.my/2013/11/founder-of-novgorod-russias-geneology.html
http://www.theosophycardiff.care4free.net/Blavatsky%20Chronology.htm
http://www.katinkahesselink.net/blavatsky/articles/v1/outline_prior_public.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhist_flag
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_and_Theosophy
For more interesting information:
Kazi Dawa Samdup: a Pioneering Translator of Tibetan Buddhist Texts
Professor Garma C.C. Chang -The Illustrious Pioneer
Alexandra David-Néel
Herbert Guenther – Master of Languages & Buddhism
Ekai Kawaguchi – Three Years in Tibet
Danzan Ravjaa: The Controversial Mongolian Monk
Agvan Dorjiev: The Diplomat Monk
John Blofeld and His Spiritual Journey
George Roerich – Light of the Morning Star
The Russian Princess Buddhist Nun
In the Footsteps of Joseph Rock
Nicholas Roerich & art (1874-1947)
Wonderful Sri Lanka
Bill Porter (Red Pine): The Translator of Chinese Poems and Promoter of Zen Buddhism
Tags: biography, explorer, pilgrimage, spirituality, travel
« Gods, Symbols and Creatures of Luck
Take Me Anywhere
རྒྱ་གར་གསར་ཁང་"The Tribune" ཞེས་པ་ནས་ཁྱབ་སྤེལ་བྱས་པ་ལྟར། ༧གོང་ས་མཆོག་རྒྱ་ནག་ཐུགས་འཕྲད་དུ་བསྐྱོད་རྒྱུའི་འཆར་གཞི་བཀོད་བཞིན་འདུག ། »
Popular From Travel
The Beishan Grottoes
Bangkok Monks and Why Make Offerings
Theos Bernard – The American Explorer of Tibet
A Tiny Place In Bali
Incredible inspirational Entrepreneur Wu Shihong
CEO of Facebook says, "I Only Eat What I Kill"
नरोपाको गुफामा पुजा, काठमाडौँ, नेपाल
Singapore's Best Actor Turned Monk!
Bao En Si (Temple of Repaying Kindness) | 四川平武报恩寺
I visited the holy Jokhang Temple, Lhasa 2008
Super Rich people that enrich
Wonderful Russia
25 Makanan Terlazat Di Malaysia
86 Grand Statues of the World
5尺金泽(财王)像驾临克切拉禅修林
The Island Yacht is for sale!!!
Four Sacred Sites of Vajra Yogini in Nepal
Huge Statue of Luang Phor Thuad (龙普托) in Thailand
I Visited the Largest Buddha Statue in Thailand!!!!
Spectacular Dorje Shugden Mural in Kathmandu, Nepal!
Dorje Shugden Cham Dance in Nyemo Gyelche Monastery, Tibet
About Joy Kam
The day Joy met His Eminence the 25th Tsem Rinpoche changed her life forever. Joining Kechara full time in 2004 as an administrator, Joy's current portfolio includes painting, restoring and beautifying Buddha statues. As a writer in Kechara, Joy is also one of the blog chat moderators on tsemrinpoche.com.
An aspiring nun (sangha-to-be), Joy looks forward to promote the sacred lineage of Je Tsongkhapa through modern platforms and social media.
Read more from Joy Kam »
Latest posts by Joy Kam (see all)
Nagaloka Centre: Buddhist Training and International Conference Centre - Feb 4, 2019
Bojo Jinul: Uniter of Korean Buddhism - Aug 1, 2018
Madame Blavatsky: Mother of Modern Spirituality - Apr 11, 2018
9 Responses to Madame Blavatsky: Mother of Modern Spirituality
Andrew on Nov 19, 2018 at 7:31 pm
tashi delek
wow and then after this came jiddhu Krishnamurti. he dismantled the theosophical society and left a 30 million dollar fund in the krishna merti fund. jhidus message was clear. complete the investigation. do it now
Joy Kam on Jul 26, 2018 at 5:21 am
Listening to the chanting of sacred words, melodies, mantras, sutras and prayers has a very powerful healing effect on our outer and inner environments. It clears the chakras, spiritual toxins, the paths where our 'chi' travels within our bodies for health as well as for clearing the mind. It is soothing and relaxing but at the same time invigorates us with positive energy. The sacred sounds invite positive beings to inhabit our environment, expels negative beings and brings the sound of growth to the land, animals, water and plants. Sacred chants bless all living beings on our land as well as inanimate objects. Do download and play while in traffic to relax, when you are about to sleep, during meditation, during stress or just anytime. Great to play for animals and children. Share with friends the blessing of a full Dorje Shugden puja performed at Kechara Forest Retreat by our puja department for the benefit of others. Tsem Rinpoche
Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbzgskLKxT8&t=5821s
very cool. how is paris and Titula going?
wan wai meng on Jun 2, 2018 at 2:51 am
Madame Blavatsky has through her investigation and travels has exposed Buddhism to people in the West. Through interacting with Madame Blavatsky and her organization the West understands much more about Buddhism and what it stands for.
I think her work allowed her to help women also to explore spiritual paths and careers. She was so dogged, she found a way to get into Tibet despite all the problems and difficulties of entering into Tibet. Many have thought of her as a spy and a fake, yet she persevered.
wan wai meng on Jun 2, 2018 at 12:58 pm
Madame Blavatsky, was certainly an unconventional figure of her time, unconventional as a woman and unconventional also a a truth seekers of her time. She was probably one of the first few spiritual travellers on top of that she also protected traditional spiritual beliefs from the encroachment Christian missionaries work at Sri Lanka and India.
Anne Ong on Apr 26, 2018 at 9:40 pm
Very interesting story about Madame Blavatsky: Mother of Modern Spirituality "From a young age, she sensed that she had a special mission that would somehow lead her towards dedicating her life to the service of others. She also believed she was guided and protected by some higher power to fulfil this purpose." .Thank you Rinpoche and Joy for such an inspiring story. 👍🙏😀
Samfoonheei on Apr 13, 2018 at 11:17 am
Helena Petrovna Blavatsky was a Russian occultist, philosopher, and author who co-founded the Theosophical Society. Although she died more than a century ago, her name still turns up in serious discussions about "ancient wisdom,". She has travelled extensively throughout Asia and Europe as she claimed. Somehow she was the first to introduce knowledge of eastern religions to the West including the ideas of karma and reincarnation. She even revealed that all major religions are acquired from one original religious philosophy. As claimed she has possessed extraordinary psychic powers. She has an interesting life story of up and down yet she has left a legacy with many written articles and ideas been promoted by several foundations and websites till today. That her esoteric spiritual knowledge is consistent with new science which is considered to be the first instance. She was named Mother of Modern spirituality.
Thank you Rinpoche and Joy Kam for this interesting sharing.
Pastor Han Nee on Apr 11, 2018 at 5:05 pm
Thank you Rinpoche and Joy for this interesting article on Madame Blavatsky – Mother of Modern Spirituality.
The following are some of the qualities and achievements of Madam Blavatsky that impress me deeply. One of the world's most extraordinary spiritualists, she was the creator and popularizer of many of the ideas and terms which shaped the New Age Movement. She founded the Theosophical Society and through it, engendered a new world view of spirituality and philosophy. It also became the avenue via which the Eastern religions ,like Buddhism and Hinduism, were introduced to the West.She was fearless in confronting conventional beliefs and challenged them , such as the belief in One God.
She visited Tibet,in her travels around the world to absorb spirituality from diverse viewpoints. The visit to Tibet was the result of advice by a group of adepts, the "Masters of the Ancient Wisdom".
She sums up her path of spirituality, which is quite akin to the Buddhist path,in the definition of the Holy Science as follows:
The spiritual path is an upward movement, where we pass through stages where we mistake "shadows for realities". "The upward progress of the Ego is a series of progressive awakenings". However, only when we have reached "the absolute consciousness and blended our own with it, shall we be free from the delusions produced by Mayo (illusion)".
In her concept of modern spirituality which has influenced spiritual thinking of this age, she has included occultism and the esoteric. She was also a spirit medium. Such is the extraordinary woman whom the world credits to have influenced greatly and helped to shape spirituality in the 21st century!
Notice: It seems you have Javascript disabled in your Browser. In order to submit a comment to this post, please write this code along with your comment: f15cb856acffa8033144f0231ce78915
More articles from Celebrities & People / Explorers / Travel
Into The Universe With Stephen Hawking - Time Travel
Ku Shulan, Goddess of Paper Cut
Into the Universe With Stephen Hawking - The Story Of Everything
Longkou Nanshan Giant Buddha | 龙口南山大佛
How I got into John Lennon
Rei Kawakubo - Grand Dame of 'Hiroshima Chic'
Trisong Detsen, the Great Dharma King of Tibet
Into The Universe With Stephen Hawking - Aliens (1 of 5)
Paul Robeson: The Beacon of Hope for the Oppressed
Historic Tsunmo Tsel Monastery with the body of Duldzin Drakpa Gyaltsen
Dr R. Nyamaa: The Grande Dame of Mongolian Medical Health
Acharya Dharmananda Damodar Kosambi: The Sanskrit and Pali Scholar
10 Significant Chinese Buddhist Scholars
Nagaloka Centre: Buddhist Training and International Conference Centre
Tengboche Monastery - Nepal
Trekking in Tibet: All You Need To Know
Dr. Ambedkar: Supreme Champion of Human Rights
Geshe Ngawang Wangyal: America's First Pioneering Buddhist Lama
Mahatma Gandhi: The Great Soul
Potala of the West: Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art
Hermit – A Profound Documentary by Bill Porter
World Reknowned Physicist Stephen Hawking on Existence
Pusa-Ding of Mount Wutai
尼泊尔加德满都的庄严多杰雄登壁画
Paramahansa Yogananda: The Father of Yoga in the West
Shirdi Sai Baba: The Wise Indian Saint
Wonderful Kedah, Malaysia
Ishwar Puri Ji: The Great Sikh Master in the West
புனிதர் பாபா சாவான் சிங் : தெய்வீகத்தன்மை கொண்ட சீக்கிய மத குரு
Bodhgaya & Vajrayogini
Rumi: The Legendary Sufi Poet
Carlos Castaneda: Godfather of the New Age Movement
His Holiness Baba Sawan Singh: The Charismatic Sikh Saint
Su Shi: The Song Dynasty Poet and Chan Buddhism Enthusiast
Wonderful Kalmykia
Amazing Angkor: A Guide to the Buddhist Temples of Siem Reap
20 Awesome Malaysian Animals
Wonderful Hong Kong
Wat Phra Dhammakaya: World's Largest Temple
Malaysia A-Z: Everything You Need To Know
Anagarika Dharmapala: The Revered Buddhist Revivalist
Professor Lokesh Chandra: India's Great Scholar
Pilgrimage to Sri Lanka
Wonderful Lhasa
Wonderful Korea - Gangwon
走在甘丹寺的天路上
नेपाल, पाटनकी उडिरहेकी बज्रयोगिनी
Helena Roerich: Writer, Philosopher and Peacemaker
Top 10 Hill and Jungle Adventures in Malaysia
Top 10 Spiritual Power Places in Malaysia
Top Ten Events and Festivals to Visit in Malaysia
Wonderful Thailand
Wonderful Okinawa
Top 10 Island Holidays in Malaysia
Sacred Mountains Around the World
Li Gotami: The Woman Who Dedicated Her Life to the Arts
The Imperial Tomb of Emperor Kangxi
Two Holy Places in Yunnan, China | 中国云南省的两个新圣地
Wonderful Lumbini
Why are these Tibetans successful without the CTA?
Important Sites of Buddhist Pilgrimage – Kushinagar, India
Tibetan MP Tenpa Yarphel Speaks Up Against Nechung | 西藏流亡政府人民议会议员丹巴雅培发表反对乃琼护法的谈话
Bishop John Spong on Religion and God - Very interesting!
Rabindranath Tagore: A beacon for humanity
Walter Evans-Wentz: American Pioneer Scholar on Tibetan Buddhism
Wonderful Japan - Hokkaido
Louis Tse does something incredible!
Wonderful Japan - Tokyo
Princess Sophia Duleep Singh: Heroine of the Suffragette Movement
Wonderful Korea - Jeju
Wonderful Japan - Kansai
Wonderful Korea – Gyeongsang
Herbert Guenther - Master of Languages & Buddhism
五台山朝圣之旅
五台山——文殊菩萨人间道场
Professor Garma C.C. Chang - The Illustrious Pioneer
Stunning Pilgrimage to Bodhgaya
Wonderful Nepal
Wonderful Japan - Shikoku
Wonderful Japan - Honshu
Wonderful Korea – Seoul
Wonderful Japan - Kyoto and Nara
Wonderful Vietnam
Wonderful Japan - Kyushu
Ganden Sumtseling Monastery the beautiful
The Magnificent Jetavanaramaya Stupa & the Power of Repentance (Sri Lanka)
Jack Ma the Alibaba
Kizil Grottoes - The Thousand-Buddha Caves
Pilgrimage to Sarnath, Varanasi
Wonderful Laos
Kumarajiva - the Great Translator from Kucha
The Beautiful & Sacred Kiri Vehera in Kataragama (Sri Lanka)
Wonderful Cambodia
New Nalanda University in China!
Must-Visit Bodhgaya: The Navel of the World
Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara: A Sacred Place to Visit
Exquisite Nagadeepa Vihara in Sri Lanka
Wonderful Myanmar
Brief Garden: A Hidden Paradise in Sri Lanka
Must visit Chengdu (exotic and exciting)
Avalokiteshvara in Sri Lanka
Massive 2,600 year old Buddhist Monastery
Du Fu - a Poet Savant
Giritale, Sri Lanka (site of the replica Avukana Buddha)
George Roerich - Light of the Morning Star
九王爷诞
Nine Emperor Gods Festival
Chinese Passports Become More Powerful
Bodhidharma - the founder of Gongfu
马来西亚最美的十大海滩
10 Pantai Tercantik di Malaysia
10 Best Beaches in Malaysia
The Princess of Polka Dots: Yayoi Kusama
மலேசியாவிலுள்ள 10 சிறந்த கடற்கரைகள்
Empty Cloud
GO BENTONG!与菩萨有约
steve holley
Margo Mitchell
Victor Phang
Dear Rinpoche I was immediately drawn to this photo of H.H.Kyabje Zong Rinpoche. It seems to me to capture all the Wisdom of the Ancients.I had the great good fortune ... Read More
Tsem Rinpoche, I love your blogs. you explain everthing so well, not above people to the people. I never in my life would have thought I would see so many ... Read More
Dear Rinpoche, For normal people, it is hard to have strong devotion to his/her guru; harder to follow 100% instruction from his/her guru; hardest to let go all the attachments ... Read More


Available to everyone, we offer a wide range of courses across many sectors that are cost effective and flexible.
UK accredited online courses designed by industry experts, interactive and rich in voice led exercises.
Learn about different types of customer and how to deal with them to deliver exceptional customer service.
Whether you are a large multi-site corporation or an individual wanting to develop you and your team, we can provide you with the level of service you would expect at a price that you can afford.
We used GlobeUs Training last year to put 10 of our staff through a Personal Licence course and were so pleased with the company from start to finish we have asked them back this year to complete a 1 day Emergency First Aid at Work Course and a Resuscitation and Defibrillation course. The Tutors are knowledgeable, friendly but most of all professional, they use excellent resources and make learning fun for the staff. I would not hesitate in using GlobeUs Training again.
Just want to let you know that I got my certificate by post today. Thank you very much for everything you did for me. I have no words to express my gratitude to you. I came a long way within a short period of time because of your help and hard work. Fortunately I met such a nice lady and a brilliant teacher like you who understood me very well. Your kindness and focus really changed the way I feel. I can keep my head high and I have some qualifications.
Globeus Training, highly commended. They have an enthusiastic and knowledgeable team with many years experience and are totally dedicated to providing a great service, tailored around individual needs. They even provide their courses in various different languages, to meet with the diverse workforce.
Great Company that goes that extra mile to help you achieve your potential. They are always willing to help and will support and help all through the training programme.


text:
"Axis" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their twelfth studio album, Electric (2013). It was released on 1 May 2013 as the album's lead single.

Background
"Axis" was written during the writing sessions for the duo's previous album, Elysium (2012). The song was produced by Stuart Price.

Release
"Axis" was released digitally on 1 May 2013 and as a twelve-inch single on 15 July 2013. The latter format includes a remix by Boys Noize, which was also released as a digital download.

Music video
The music video for "Axis" was released on 30 April 2013.

Live performances
The song was performed as the opening track on the Electric Tour in a slightly shorter and more up-tempo version.

Track listings

Charts

References

2013 singles
2013 songs
Hi-NRG songs
Pet Shop Boys songs
Song recordings produced by Stuart Price
Songs written by Chris Lowe
Songs written by Neil Tennant

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Regina Red Sox cornerstones answer call to baseball Hall
Search the Elliot Lake Standard
Gary Brotzel, Bernie Eiswirth and Sharon Clarke — key members of the Red Sox — enter the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Rob Vanstone, Regina Leader-Post
More from Rob Vanstone, Regina Leader-Post
Bernie Eiswirth (general manager), Sharon Clarke (secretary) and Gary Brotzel (president) of the Regina Red Sox are to be formally enshrined in the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame on Saturday in Battleford. Rob Vanstone / Regina Leader-Post
The Regina Red Sox are celebrating a triple.
Three foundational members of the Western Canadian Baseball League team — president Gary Brotzel, general manager Bernie Eiswirth and secretary Sharon Clarke — are to be enshrined in the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame as builders Saturday in Battleford.
"It's a great honour … and it means I'm old," Eiswirth said Wednesday night at Currie Field after the Red Sox nailed down a berth in the WCBL's championship series against the Okotoks Dawgs.
"I've been involved in baseball since I was eight years old. I'm 64 now. It's an honour and it's great to be recognized after being involved in baseball all these years."
Eiswirth and Brotzel have held their respective positions since the Red Sox joined the league as an expansion team in 2005. Clarke has been involved with the team for most of that time, in keeping with her devotion to the sport.
"Forty years as a volunteer. What can I say?" Clarke said with a laugh.
"It's an absolute thrill (to enter the Hall). You don't often get thank-yous and you don't expect it, but this has been an absolute treat."
And a surprise.
"First of all, I'm a girl, and apparently there aren't many (females in the Hall)," Clarke said. "You don't get involved in sports for what you're going to get out of it, but this is really nice."
Brotzel's induction could be considered a surprise from one perspective.
"I've never played an inning of baseball," he noted. "I played fastball from the time I was eight years old."
Brotzel was an elite fastball pitcher, but his son, Tanner, embraced baseball at a young age. Tanner is a former Red Sox player, as is Eiswirth's son, Justin.
"Our whole family will be there (in Battleford)," Bernie Eiswirth said. "We're a big baseball family. That's really what it's all about."
That, along with winning the third WCBL championship in franchise history.
The Red Sox won titles in 2011 and 2012, when the loop was known as the Western Major Baseball League. The league's name was changed after the 2018 season.
The Red Sox advanced to the league final by blanking the Swift Current 57's 2-0 in the third and deciding game of the Eastern Division final.
Red Sox ace Michael Batten pitched a complete-game, four-hit, no-walk shutout while striking out 13. Wednesday's victory was achieved in just two hours six minutes.
"I'm glad we had home-field advantage (for Game 3)," Batten said. "It gave the people of Regina a chance to watch us play. We have awesome fans."
During the regular season, Batten won the WCBL's pitching Triple Crown, leading the league in victories (eight), earned-run average (1.53) and strikeouts (81). He helped the Red Sox post a WCBL-leading 41-15 record.
Regina will also have home-field advantage for the league final, which was scheduled to begin Thursday night at Currie Field.
Game 2 is set for Friday in Okotoks, Alta. If a third game is required, it will be played Saturday, 7:05 p.m., at Currie Field — opposite the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame inductions.
If they are forced to make a choice, the three enshrinees from the Red Sox will attend the winner-take-all game versus Okotoks.
"We'll have waited 15 years to get this game at home (if it comes to that), so that's the choice," Brotzel said.
"As soon as they announced (the inductees) and I saw that it was on Aug. 17, the first thing I thought was, 'That's the drop-dead date for the league final.' Let the drama begin …"
rvanstone@postmedia.com
twitter.com/robvanstone
© 2020 Elliot Lake Standard. All rights reserved.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Bomi Ardeshir Jamula (born 26 July 1953) is a former Indian cricket umpire. He stood in five ODI games between 1990 and 1999.

See also
 List of One Day International cricket umpires

References

1953 births
Living people
Indian One Day International cricket umpires
Cricketers from Mumbai


Convert chaos into clarity and information into actionable intelligence.
Modern day landscaping operations are incredibly complex. Managing the moving parts of your business can be a difficult task.
When the smallest delay can throw your schedule into chaos, Betaar3 Technologies can help make going from job site to job site easier than you ever thought possible.
Now you have the ability to track vehicles and equipment using GPS technology for your landscaping business. You can get the data necessary to get the job done faster and more efficiently – while also keeping your customers happy.
Attach Picture of finished projects with your invoice. Our landscaping solutions offer a dashboard camera with GPS which can send pictures of the job site in real-time at the push of a button. Our system will send the pictures from your vehicle to your records automatically. Supervisors can see work in progress with a few clicks as well as monitor the efficiency of the staff.
Reduce billing issues with clients and provide before and after work pictures with a time stamp for more transparency.
A high volume of jobs can make your equipment spread too thin, which makes lost or stolen items an even bigger concern. With Betaar3 systems, you'll know the precise location of your entire fleet of vehicles and equipment in real-time. Our tracking system has the ability to receive power from a vehicle's engine or an internal battery, so whether it's a truck or lawnmower, your assets always remain protected.
Longer than expected time on a job site can disrupt an entire day's schedule – and make a landscaping team late to their next appointment. It can cost your business big if customers are kept waiting with no updates. With Betaar3's Tracking System an accurate location can be provided for any vehicle at any time, so you can give customers a sense of control over their time, and assurance that they haven't been forgotten.
Equipment breakdowns can prevent your team completing jobs, which results in a loss of revenue. With Betaar3 you can be made aware of a potential problem in advance and take preventative maintenance measures that can keep equipment running smoothly and eliminate delays. Betaar3 Technologies' engine diagnostics inform you of engine fault codes as they appear, so you can act before your equipment is knocked out of commission.
Landscaping businesses lose millions of dollars due to lost, stolen, or misplaced equipment. Many businesses have unfortunately accepted these loses as just part of doing business. With accurate telemetry provided by Betaar3, you can instantly locate any and all company property and prevent huge losses to your business.
Betaar3 offers wireless time and attendance integrated with a tracking system. Now you can get accurate working hours in real-time which results in significant savings in payroll and reduced paperwork, simplifying you accounting processes.


Hot off the press. Here's a simple little cover and spread we shot for Venus Zine this summer with Kid Sister. A big thanks to my assistant Seth (who is in a moving van right now on his way to the Big Apple!). Styling was rocked by the one and only Constanze Lyndsay Han in LA.


text:
Delve Into the Dystopian Ceramics of Laura C. Hewitt
The work of Alaskan artist Laura C. Hewitt is strikingly beautiful and startling dark and whimsical. It immediately evokes the work of H.R. Giger but upon further inspection, there's an aesthetic that's so completely unique and ethereal. She earned her MFA in 1998 at the Vermont College of Norwich, and her work has been exhibited from Alaska to Seattle to New York. Her Etsy shop, INAEENT or It's Not Anything Exactly Enterprises, is now the prime location for acquiring one of her mysterious and otherworldly pieces, which include decorative vases, plates, cups and saucers, jars, and ornaments. The work must be seen to be believed. Ms. Hewitt writes,
"I'm particularly interested in exploring the intersections between technology and nature, art and craft, destruction and creation. As inspiration, I look for the magical within the mundane, provoke thoughtfulness with the practical and animate the pragmatic with mischievousness."
For my birthday, I purchased the piece called a "Hybrid Dystopia Cappuccino Mug. On Wheels" and it is detailed exquisitely in 22k gold. It's heavy, solid and even a little sharp is spots.
Holding it for the first time was it's own ephemeral experience. I felt the true artist's energy and passion coming through, and it evoked a strange feeling like she has somehow tapped into a different consciousness and that realm was being channeled directly into her work.
Upon studying the piece, the mind reels out of time, looking for mooring, as faces, hands, teeth, tails emerge and recede. There's a story going on from all sides, underneath, and inside. Its energy transports the imagination to the far reaches of the cosmos.
I reached out to Ms. Hewitt with a few questions, which she graciously answered.
What drew you to this kind of expression and medium?
Pottery was the only medium I've worked in where I could actually make money from home. 18-hour exhibition related flights + teaching job got really old, really fast.
Who are some of the artists that inspire you?
Anything edgy, contemporary, trope defying, a bit of danger and a dash of science helps, too. Currently: Cai Guo Qiang, Adrian Piper, Roberto Lugo, Tsutomu Nihei, William Gibson, Megan Thee Stallion, Carmen Maria Muchado, Augusten Burroughs, Dark Souls video game, Handmaid's Tale (series) and those animated engineering videos on Instagram of concrete being poured underwater or bridges getting built or whatever.
Your work evokes an otherworldliness. What is your sense on the secrets of the cosmos?
Well, that's certainly not a question I've been asked hundreds of times! I really haven't a clue. Probably it's a huge joke we're just not getting.
Your work feels deeply spiritual and meaningful. What is your message?
Think Dangerously. Embrace everything, even the icky stuff. Take care of yourself because no one else can do that for you. When life feels pointless and meaningless, we can create meaning for ourselves, we're responsible for creating meaning for ourselves (those of us who have the privilege, of course, the time and resources) and it can start with small personal rituals, as simple as using a thoughtfully chosen cup for the day's first coffee.
How do your family and friends perceive the work?
Not much different to what you, and others, have written about it, but they've always seen sardonic humor as well. It's been said to me, and they've heard many times, "It looks like it was created by several different people." And they're like "Oh no. That's all her alright."
Follow CyborgWidow on Instagram to keep up with her latest works. They truly are one-of-a-kind artwork that you can own!
Spikey little canister. Embossed with vintage machinist tools. . . . . . #ceramicjar #peturn #jewelrybox #canister #potteryjar #spikes #edgyaesthetic #handmademovement #postindustrial #postapocalyptic #etsysellersofinstagram #pottersofinstagram
A post shared by Laura C. Hewitt (@cyborgwidow) on Jun 1, 2019 at 10:09am PDT
Happy Halfway To Halloween!


Sunshine at last… We hadn't visited Fermyn Country Park for such a long time; what a treat it turned out to be! We soon found a friendly group of photographers, who already had their eyes on dingy and grizzled skippers. A pleasant hour or so was then had, watching these butterflies flitting around. Although quite drab from a distance and very well camouflaged once landed, on closer inspection, they were really quite beautiful!
I was particularly excited when we were treated to marvellous views of a green hairstreak - my day was made!


text:
Publix rolls out new shopping carts for customers in wheelchairs
Challenges with VPAT(R)s
Evaluating a product for accessibility can be challenging. How do you know a product is really accessible? What can you do to verify the information in a VPAT®?
VPAT® stands for Voluntary Product Accessibility Template®. Organizations request VPAT®s for products to determine if it is accessible but how do you know if that information is correct and if the product is really accessible. In this session you will learn what a VPAT® is and what you can do to evaluate a product to see if it meets the Section 508 standards and WCAG 2.0 guidelines.
At the National Federation of the Blind National Convention on July 1-6 Vital Source Technologies, an Ingram Content Group's leading e-textbook solutions, showcased new features to its already comprehensive accessibility support for the VitalSource Bookshelf platform.
Vital Source Technologies works to continually support industry standards for accessibility through conformance testing on all bookshelf platforms. They test offline on Windows and Macs, online on Windows and Macs using standard browsers (IE, Firefox, Safari), and on mobile devices for iOS and Android. All Bookshelf platforms are evaluated using screen readers such as JAWS and NVDA for Windows, VoiceOver for Mac and IOS, and TalkBack for Android.
Vital Source collaborates with accessibility consultants, the National Federation of the Blind (NFB, American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) to insure the platform is tested in conformance with section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.
In addition to the client updates being released, Vital Source will provide an updated and independently-reviewed Voluntary Product Accessibility Template® (VPAT®) for each of the platforms. The Android, iOS, Browser, Macintosh and Windows VPAT®'s are available for download.
Read more on VPAT®'s and Accessibility Certification.
Section 508 VPAT® or WCAG 2.0 certification for your product
With our services and guidance, you can be compliant with ADA, Section 508, and W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0) and get an accessibility certification. Our thought leadership and expertise in accessibility is recognized globally and we leverage it to help you lead your industry.
On January 9, 2017 the U.S. Access Board released a final rule that updates accessibility requirements for information and communication technology (ICT) in the federal sector covered by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. The rule also refreshes guidelines for telecommunications equipment subject to Section 255 of the Communications Act.
"This update is essential to ensure that the Board's Section 508 standards and the Communications Act guidelines keep pace with the ever-changing technologies covered and continue to meet the access needs of people with disabilities," states Sachin Pavithran, Chair of the Board's ICT ad hoc committee. "The Access Board is grateful for the input it received from the public and stakeholders throughout the rulemaking process which greatly enhanced the final product."
The rule jointly updates and reorganizes the Section 508 standards and Section 255 guidelines in response to market trends and innovations, such as the convergence of technologies. The refresh also harmonizes these requirements with other guidelines and standards both in the U.S. and abroad, including standards issued by the European Commission and with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), a globally recognized voluntary consensus standard for web content and ICT. In fact, the rule references Level A and Level AA Success Criteria and Conformance Requirements in WCAG 2.0 and applies them not only to websites, but also to electronic documents and software.
"Throughout this process," according to Access Board Executive Director David M. Capozzi, "the Board worked very hard to ensure consistency with other consensus guidelines and international standards to promote global harmonization and facilitate compliance." He noted that, "ICT requirements that are closely aligned remove ambiguity, increase marketplace competition, and lead to better accessibility features and outcomes."
The updated requirements specify the technologies covered and provide both performance-based and technical requirements for hardware, software, and support documentation and services. Access is addressed for all types of disabilities, including those pertaining to vision, hearing, color perception, speech, cognition, manual dexterity, and reach. The rule, which will be published later this month in the Federal Register, restructures provisions so that they are categorized by functionality instead of by product type due to the increasingly multi-functional capabilities of ICT products. Revisions are also made to improve ICT usability, including interoperability with assistive technologies, and to clarify the types of ICT covered, such as electronic documents.
The Board released a proposed version of the rule for public comment in February 2015 and, before that, earlier drafts of the rule. The rule is based on recommendations from an advisory panel the Board chartered, the Telecommunications and Electronic and Information Technology Advisory Committee which included representatives from industry, disability groups, government agencies, foreign countries, and other stakeholders.
The rule will take effect in one year. The Section 508 standards, which are incorporated into the federal government's procurement regulations, apply to ICT procured, developed, maintained, or used by federal agencies. The Communications Act guidelines cover telephones, cell phones, pagers, computers with modems, switching equipment and other telecommunications equipment.
The Board will conduct a webinar on the rule on February 2.
For further information, visit the Board's website or contact Timothy Creagan at (202) 272-0016 (v), (202) 272-0074 (TTY), or 508@access-board.gov.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is hosting a live Twitter chat on Thursday, April 2nd from 1:00 – 2:00 pm (EDT). The chat will be an opportunity for those concerned to discuss the impact of technology on federal workers who have disabilities.
Everyone is encourage to participate including federal employees and the public. Questions and comments regarding common technological issues that people with disabilities experience in the federal workforce as they relate to section 508, can be submitted using hashtag #5084FEDs.
EEOC will conduct the chat using the Office of Federal Operation (OFO) official Twitter handle @EEOC_OFO. Chai Feldblum, EEOC Commissioner, will use her personal handle @chaifeldblum.
The US Access Board has made an announcement regarding the Section 508 refresh. The draft rule will now be sent to the Federal Register for publication. After that, there will be a 90-day public comment period.
In the draft rule (255 Chapter 2: Scoping Requirements), Electronic Content, Platforms and Applications will need to comply with WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA. You can read more about the Section 508 refresh at the Access Board website.
There will be two public hearings:
March 5, 2015 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (PT)
Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel
One Market Place
Mission Beach A & B (3rd floor)
Note: This hearing will be held in conjunction with the CSUN Conference but persons wishing only to testify need not register for the conference.
March 11, 2015 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (ET)
U.S. Access Board Conference Room
1331 F Street, NW
Witnesses can testify in person at the hearing in San Diego. Witnesses can testify in person or by telephone at the hearing in Washington, DC. Copies of the rule will not be available at the hearings. Call-in information and a communication access real-time translation (CART) web streaming link for the Washington, DC hearing will be posted before the hearing.
For information on pre-registering to testify, please contact Kathy Johnson at (202) 272–0041, (202) 272-0082(TTY), or johnson@access-board.gov.
If you have questions about the rule once it is made public, please contact Tim Creagan at (202) 272-0016, (202) 272-0074(TTY), or 508@access-board.gov.
There will be a free webinar about the proposed rule on Tuesday, March 31 from 1:00 pm - 2:30pm (ET); sign up for the webinar.
In addition to the client updates being released, Vital Source will provide an updated and independently-reviewed Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) for each of the platforms. The Android, iOS, Browser, Macintosh and Windows VPAT's are available for download.
Read more on VPAT's and Accessibility Certification.
Planting the Accessibility Seed
I've spent more than twenty years developing applications and websites. That's a lot of time spent sitting in a cubicle, head down, coding, and racing toward deadlines to make the business stakeholders happy. It took me twenty years to realize I should have kept my head up and taken time to understand my customers better.
On May 15, 2014 awareness of digital accessibility, which includes web, software, mobile applications and devises, will reach new heights. Global Accessibility Awareness Day is a community-driven effort with the goal of dedicating one day to raising awareness for digital accessibility to a broad audience. The hope is that awareness increases amongst designers, developers and other people involved in information communication technology (ICT).
Businesses and individuals who are looking for guidelines to help achieve accessibility for website or digital products can refer to the Section 508 or WCAG 2.0 guidelines. It may also be helpful to seek guidance from an accessibility consultant.