In his book Hitler's Monsters (London, Yale University Press, 2017), about the "supernatural imaginary" in Germany, from 1888 to 1945, with special emphasis in paganism, myths, secret societies, occultism, astrology and doctrines of national socialism, focusing mostly in the Weimar's period (1919-1933) and Hitler's time (1933-1945), the auctor, Eric Kurlander, professor of history at Stetson University, USA, although presenting a broad and detailed view of the actors, doctrines, groups and influences that shaped German beliefs and hates (as the monsters were mostly Slavs, Bolsheviks, Jews and Freemasons), has in it some sensationalism, mitigations and contradictions and, for our particular study in this article, three short misguiding statements about the German painter and teacher Bô Yin Râ, who lived from 1876 to 1943, having left Germany for Swizerland in 1923.
It is understandable in such a big work some chapters had to be more superficial or with less knowdlege, as Erik Karlander is not so much a knower of spirituality or even of esotericism, but more a historian of ideas and mouvements, and probably with some indulgence for Hitler and the Third Reich.
The writer on esoterism Julian Strube has made a very lucid and exigent review (Correspondences 5, 2017) about his shortcomings and may be even to some kind of valorization of Hitler and the Nazi party in terms of occultism, even if Eric Kurlander prefered, with some reasons, to use the term "supernatural imaginary", that he justifies in this way: «I argue that no mass political movement drew as consciously or consistently as the Nazis on what I call the ‘supernatural imaginary’ — occultism and ‘border science’, pagan, New Age, and Eastern religions, folklore, mythology, and many other supernatural doctrines — in order to attract a generation of German men and women seeking new forms of spirituality and novel explanations of the world that stood somewhere between scientific verifiability and the shopworn truths of traditional religion.» Also dangerous, or in a certain way also lessening the bad aspects of nazism, some affirmations as the one: “Like any shaman or magician, the spoken word was essential to Hitler’s magic.”
But let us concentrate in the misguiding opinions: the first one is when he says that the Bô Yin Râ was "a painter and a poet", as he was a painter and spiritual writer, a teacher or master with a magnus opera of 4o books, and not a poet, even if time to time he has given his teachings in poetry. In a certain way this characterization of Bô Yin Râ manifests either ignorance, either bad will, making him much less important then what he was in reality, as we know by narratives of Rom Landau, Corinna Treitel and magazines and newspapers of his time, or by his disciples, like Felix Weingarten, Baron of Winspeare and Rudolf Schott, that thousands of persons were reading his books.
The second error is when Erik Karlander says that Bô Yin Râ, as the writer Gustav Meyrink (1868-1932 and who made the preface of the first edition of The Book of Living God, that after Bô Yin Râ decided to cut, as their friendship finished), prefered theosophy in his path.
We know that statement is incorrect even if recurrent, because we can read in many parts of his work Bô Yin Râ speaking against the errors, misconceptions and mystifications made by the theosophical founder Helena P. Blavatsky, and then by their sucessors. But, surely, it is natural that Bô Yin Râ in young age had read some theosophical books, as they were very popular at that time.
Anyway, he explained that in a kind of presentation of himself, in a short book, writen in 1936, On my behalf :
«Every attempt to integrate my revelations, teachings and explanations into the systems of thought and perception found in the mysticism of an ancient oriental and later Christian orientation – simply because I make use of the linguistic and conceptual heritage these systems possess and they offer me a form which is currently without substitute if I am to make myself understood –, must lead with all certainty to a confused misinterpretation of my books». And then also:
«Even the most ingenious and well–read mind will fail to get nearer to what I have written if he approaches my teachings using measures he has brought with him, or derived from beliefs or philosophical “systems” close to his heart which explain the spiritual in the world. Least of all will one attain what could be found if the urge to make a hasty judgement leads one into counting me amongst the modern “Theosophists” or “Occultists”, or whatever other name they like to call themselves. For here too I have not anxiously avoided using the terminology current in these circles where it has offered me an aid to understanding.
All ancient oriental and later Christian mysticism was only possible in humanity because that of which I give an account was uninterruptedly present on earth from the first awakening of the eternal spiritual spark in the souls of a few earthly men in remote primeval times, – and a true understanding of the development of religious ideas presupposes a knowledge of this continual presence, in the same way one knows the law of gravity...
But let us concentrate in the misguiding opinions: the first one is when he says that the Bô Yin Râ was "a painter and a poet", as he was a painter and spiritual writer, a teacher or master with a magnus opera of 4o books, and not a poet, even if time to time he has given his teachings in poetry. In a certain way this characterization of Bô Yin Râ manifests either ignorance, either bad will, making him much less important then what he was in reality, as we know by narratives of Rom Landau, Corinna Treitel and magazines and newspapers of his time, or by his disciples, like Felix Weingarten, Baron of Winspeare and Rudolf Schott, that thousands of persons were reading his books.
We know that statement is incorrect even if recurrent, because we can read in many parts of his work Bô Yin Râ speaking against the errors, misconceptions and mystifications made by the theosophical founder Helena P. Blavatsky, and then by their sucessors. But, surely, it is natural that Bô Yin Râ in young age had read some theosophical books, as they were very popular at that time.
Anyway, he explained that in a kind of presentation of himself, in a short book, writen in 1936, On my behalf :
«Every attempt to integrate my revelations, teachings and explanations into the systems of thought and perception found in the mysticism of an ancient oriental and later Christian orientation – simply because I make use of the linguistic and conceptual heritage these systems possess and they offer me a form which is currently without substitute if I am to make myself understood –, must lead with all certainty to a confused misinterpretation of my books». And then also:
«Even the most ingenious and well–read mind will fail to get nearer to what I have written if he approaches my teachings using measures he has brought with him, or derived from beliefs or philosophical “systems” close to his heart which explain the spiritual in the world. Least of all will one attain what could be found if the urge to make a hasty judgement leads one into counting me amongst the modern “Theosophists” or “Occultists”, or whatever other name they like to call themselves. For here too I have not anxiously avoided using the terminology current in these circles where it has offered me an aid to understanding.
All ancient oriental and later Christian mysticism was only possible in humanity because that of which I give an account was uninterruptedly present on earth from the first awakening of the eternal spiritual spark in the souls of a few earthly men in remote primeval times, – and a true understanding of the development of religious ideas presupposes a knowledge of this continual presence, in the same way one knows the law of gravity...
I explicitly say here, once and for all, in the face of this foolish whispering and murmuring, that I have never, at any point in my life, had any allegiance or even belonged to these or similar corporations (for this too has been claimed!); likewise I have never shown any allegiance, directly or indirectly, to any political party in any country.
I have also never belonged to a “theosophical” or “occult” association and was never even a “pupil” of a member or associate of these societies and communities, nor of anyone who was well disposed to such assemblies.»
The third affirmation of Eric Kurlander, that Bô Yin Râ "claimed to have met the spirit of Jesus "
after years of training his mental powers" is also incorrect, as he didn't claim like that and it were not Bô Yin Râ's mental powers who gave him acess to the master Jesus, but his spiritual state of being a master enabled him to communicate with the others masters when it was needed or even wanted, as they are bound or united in an invisible spiritual communion, even when they are far away in time or space...
It seems to me, that the auctor ignores and unrecognizes such a union of the masters of the Primordial Light ("Leuchtenden des Urlichts"), so axial in the teaching of Bô Yin Râ, and prefers to downgraded it to a kind of occult power by means of a long effort of concentration, in the way of many occultist work to achieve their magic feats. Also the expression "to meet the spirit of Jesus" has may be some intention of comparing to spiritism, something that Bô Yin Râ has considered more than once a dangerous pratice.
As without doubts his source was Corinna Treitel, who presented the image of Jesus in her book, with an incredible biased legend-explanation, specialy with the funny idea that after some theosophical training he achieved astral travel: «Bô Yin Râ. Jesus (circa 1932). A Theosophical guru whose followers included the writer Gustav Meyrink. Bô Yin Râ said he painted from real life. He claimed to have encountered Jesus in immaterial form during one of the many spiritual journeys he undertook according to Theosophical precepts. Rudolf Schott. Der Maler Bô Yin Râ (Munich, Franz Hanfstäengel, 1927), plate 19»
In the whole, and taking in account that he gives only three lines to Bô Yin Ra, Eric Kurlander, shouldn't be seen as so much against Bô Yin Râ, in trying to make it a ordinary theosophical reader, and in making him almost a fakir who after many years claimed to have seen or met Jesus.
In fact that opposition was more the case of Corinna Treitel, in his A Science for the Soul: Occultism and the Genesis of the German Modern, 2004, a broad study on the occult in Germany, but a bit confused as she divided the study and pratice of the Occultism in three areas: arts and creative process, aplied sciences and psychology, and Theosophy, by this name englobing all the ones practiced or developed to achieve spiritual enlightenment. Or that name "theosophy"has become quickly taken to mean Theosophical Society and their so mixed and mystified theosophy pseudo-given by some of the so called Mahatmas or oriental masters.
I have also never belonged to a “theosophical” or “occult” association and was never even a “pupil” of a member or associate of these societies and communities, nor of anyone who was well disposed to such assemblies.»
It seems to me, that the auctor ignores and unrecognizes such a union of the masters of the Primordial Light ("Leuchtenden des Urlichts"), so axial in the teaching of Bô Yin Râ, and prefers to downgraded it to a kind of occult power by means of a long effort of concentration, in the way of many occultist work to achieve their magic feats. Also the expression "to meet the spirit of Jesus" has may be some intention of comparing to spiritism, something that Bô Yin Râ has considered more than once a dangerous pratice.
As without doubts his source was Corinna Treitel, who presented the image of Jesus in her book, with an incredible biased legend-explanation, specialy with the funny idea that after some theosophical training he achieved astral travel: «Bô Yin Râ. Jesus (circa 1932). A Theosophical guru whose followers included the writer Gustav Meyrink. Bô Yin Râ said he painted from real life. He claimed to have encountered Jesus in immaterial form during one of the many spiritual journeys he undertook according to Theosophical precepts. Rudolf Schott. Der Maler Bô Yin Râ (Munich, Franz Hanfstäengel, 1927), plate 19»
In the whole, and taking in account that he gives only three lines to Bô Yin Ra, Eric Kurlander, shouldn't be seen as so much against Bô Yin Râ, in trying to make it a ordinary theosophical reader, and in making him almost a fakir who after many years claimed to have seen or met Jesus.
In fact that opposition was more the case of Corinna Treitel, in his A Science for the Soul: Occultism and the Genesis of the German Modern, 2004, a broad study on the occult in Germany, but a bit confused as she divided the study and pratice of the Occultism in three areas: arts and creative process, aplied sciences and psychology, and Theosophy, by this name englobing all the ones practiced or developed to achieve spiritual enlightenment. Or that name "theosophy"has become quickly taken to mean Theosophical Society and their so mixed and mystified theosophy pseudo-given by some of the so called Mahatmas or oriental masters.
After that ocorrence, to call theosophists to Bô Yin Râ, or Rudolf Steiner (also not so well studied and treated by Eric Kurlander) or even Gustave Meyrinck, all of them distanciating themselves expressely from Theosophy and or Theosophical Society, is misguiding. In fact or not very well explained, Corinna doesn't explain that and seems by the contrary to she is biased (may be by being a theosophist) to catalogue Bô Yin Râ as theosophist and specially that he met Jesus in one of his travels in the invisible that he achieved by "following the Theosophical precepts". What a non sense...
It is so much probably from Corinna that Eric Kurlander has taken his ignorance about Bô Yin Râ, considering him just a painter and poet, following Theosophy and achieving the vision of Jesus "after years of training his mental powers", as Corinna Treitel uses exactly these same words some lines after in her book. It is possible even that Eric Kurlander didn't read anything from Bô Yin Râ. It would be good for him to do it, and may be also contemplate some of his paintings...
It is so much probably from Corinna that Eric Kurlander has taken his ignorance about Bô Yin Râ, considering him just a painter and poet, following Theosophy and achieving the vision of Jesus "after years of training his mental powers", as Corinna Treitel uses exactly these same words some lines after in her book. It is possible even that Eric Kurlander didn't read anything from Bô Yin Râ. It would be good for him to do it, and may be also contemplate some of his paintings...
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