Great people of the past have been unnecessarily forgotten, because they can teach us a lot of important lessons that can help out not only in this life ...
Acquaintance
Charles Leadbeater was a freemason, bishop, writer, founder of the Liberal Catholic Church, and a member of the Theosophical Society. His formation as a clergyman was influenced by his uncle William Caps, an Anglican priest. The Leadbeater was not at all a bore, those who knew him speak of him as a cheerful, insightful and good-natured person.
Interest in mysticism
Already as an adult, he begins to show a genuine interest in esotericism. It all started with visits to the medium of William Eglinton. It was then that a new feeling awakens in Leadbeater, which is not connected with his spiritual order. In practice, he is convinced that otherworldly forces attract him, he longs to study them.
Theosophical Society
The peak of Charles Leadbeater's interest in mysticism was the moment after reading the book “The Occult World” by A.P. Sinnett. In 1883 he decided to sign a statement of entry into the Theosophical Society. Thanks to this, a year later he meets a very mysterious and still person - Elena Blavatsky - during her arrival in London. This useful acquaintance helped Charles move forward - he receives a letter from Mahatma Kut Humi, in which he agrees to accept Charles as a student.
Charles Leadbeater devotes the next four years to teaching. He absorbs every word of the master and demonstrates the first successes. During this time he learns a special meditative practice. He later said that it was she who prompted the disclosure of clairvoyant abilities. Soon, Leadbeater learned to use astral vision. After that, he was finally able to describe his real experiences in books.
In 1890, Charles Leadbeater met Annie Besant. Relations develop into a tender friendship, which leads to a fruitful and long-term cooperation. Leadbeater wrote almost all of his books with A. Besant. Many of her ideas were reflected in his writings.
Occultism
Together with Annie Besant, Leadbeater devoted much time to occult experiences. They explored the past lives of many famous people of their time. In addition, they reported unknown details from the lives of such people as Giordano Bruno, Francis Bacon, Shakespeare.
Particular attention was paid to occult chemistry. Leadbeater described the structure of many chemical elements. He also engaged in sketching thoughts, emotions and even music.
The astral plane
In 1896, Charles Webster Leadbeater wrote his most famous book, The Astral Plane, in which he attempted to generalize theosophical knowledge in a simple language. The reason for the release of this book was an increase in interest in esotericism and an increase in the mass of erroneous information. The audience longed to hear the truth personally, from the lips of the great master, from the lips of the one who knows what he is writing about. The book collects and organizes general information about the invisible world that surrounds everyone. It became the alphabet for many followers of Leadbeater, because it gave an idea of the basics of occultism.
The book "The Astral Plan" is considered the peak of the writings of Charles Leadbeater, since it was she who gained the greatest popularity among the public. In fact, all his works deserve attention, and each written line carries so much meaning that you have to reread it several times in order to understand hidden knowledge.
At the turn of the century, he was already recognized as one of the most prominent figures of Theosophy.
How to Develop Clairvoyance
The next significant milestone in the life of the Theosophist Charles Leadbeater was the writing of the book "How Clairvoyance Is Developed." In this work, he laid emphasis on the practical side of the issue, in contrast to the "Astral Plan." The motivation for writing the book was again the public. After reading the "Astral Plan", which impressed so many, people were inspired and wanted to experience the described miracles in practice. The one who dedicated them to the world of another reality should tell how to do this correctly.
The book "How clairvoyance is developed" is purely practical, the theory in it is given only to explain the principle of our brain. It consists of practical tasks and tips for their implementation.
"Beyond Death"
The theme that has excited the minds of people since ancient times is the afterlife. What will happen to a person after death? Where will the soul go? Will she find peace or be doomed to eternal torment and suffering? Which of us would not want to get at least a rough answer to these questions?
The book “Beyond Death” tells about the afterlife of the soul, about the paths of transition, purification and the future that awaits the liberated soul. The work begins with general theories of death, in which the author condemns some statements of religion and orthodox theology, talking about the absurdity of many views.
In addition, Leadbeater explains in simple terms such figurative concepts as heaven, hell and purgatory. And he is trying to convey to the reader that the horror of death should disappear, since it is completely unfounded. Further, the author proceeds to the proofs of eternal life and dispels religious errors that have been living in the mind of man for years, poisoning the normal perception of being and death as natural phenomena.
Besides the fact that Leadbeater was a famous theologian, to some extent he was also a gifted teacher and historian. He was unusually attracted to the history of the past. Even in his travels in the astral world, he devoted a great deal of time to researching and studying the great civilizations and peoples of the long past.
In 1889, A.P. Sinnett asked Leadbeater to work out with his two sons. Charles willingly agreed and, although there was not much time for preparation, and Leadbeater himself lived very poorly, he successfully prepared the guys for university entrance. As a result, life was formed in such a way that they became presidents of the Theosophical Society. This moment in the life of the Theosophist once again confirms his extraordinary abilities and craving for teaching.
As a writer, he also gained fame, but readers who do not want to go into details or believe in esoterics are read by his books simply as science fiction. In the end, it is the choice of each individual.
Leadbeater did not hide the fact that some moments in his historical books were thought up due to a lack of truthful and verified data. Based on this, it can be argued that to some extent he really wrote science fiction. His books are full of completely new ideas, fresh views on familiar things. Even today, his works capture the reader from the first pages and do not let go to the last line.
Scandal
In 1906, Leadbeater was involved in a high-profile court case, which in our time looks simply ridiculous and petty. This concerned the allegedly immoral recommendations that he gave to several teenagers to relieve psychophysiological stress in a long known and simple way. But at that time it was a real moral challenge, because of which a huge number of first-class moral guardians pounced on Leadbeater.
The consideration of the case lasted about two hours, during which disputes constantly flared up, but still for Charles everything ended successfully, and soon he was already restored to the Theosophical Society.
Charles Leadbeater was a unique person of his time. He left behind a worthy legacy - knowledge that is reliably recorded in his writings. It’s quite difficult to understand clearly who Charles Leadbeater was, whose books are still in great demand. Nevertheless, his talent and enormous contribution to the development of Theosophy are simply invaluable.