Annie Besant: biography, photos, quotes

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:41

Who is Annie Besant? Many people know this well. She is considered to be a follower of Helena Blavatsky. She was also a fighter for the rights of women around the world, a writer, orator and theosophist. We offer you the opportunity to learn more about this amazing woman!

Biography of Annie Besant

Annie was born in London. It happened in October 1847. The girl's parents were supporters of the Anglican Church, and therefore her childhood years were spent in severity. Annie Wood (she bore this name before marriage) was an extremely impressionable child, and therefore she accepted religion with all her heart. Perhaps this was the reason why, at the age of 19, Annie married Frank Besant, a clergyman. True, this marriage cannot be called long - it lasted only five years. After parting with her husband, Annie Besant also abandoned religion: she was simply torn apart by internal contradictions, because the girl was sincere and honest, did not want to wear a mask of stiffness and hypocrisy. The desire for justice led Besant to socialism.

Annie's entire subsequent life was influenced by the famous public figure and leader of the socialist movement in Albion, Charles Burrow. Besant began the fight for the rights of the poor, was engaged in charity work. It is worth saying that thanks to the initiative of this unique personality, canteens and hospitals for the poor appeared in the country. Changes have come in Annie's personal life - she married Charles Bradlow - a radical and atheist.

From Socialism to Theosophy

The idea of socialism fascinated Besant long enough. All this time, Annie wrote pamphlets and articles, distinguished by passion and ardor. In addition, she became the leader of the British Socialist movement.

Despite such employment, Annie Besant managed to educate herself. One day, a book by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky called The Secret Doctrine fell into her hands. The incredible synthesis of religion, science and philosophy interested the activist. Her contemporaries said that Annie accepted the new "religion" absolutely! Theosophy so captured Besant that she began to lecture, began to write books.

1907 was a special year in Annie's life - she became the leader of the Theosophical Society and even moved to India, where his headquarters were located. The new field of activity did not prevent the woman from doing good deeds - as before, Besant paid attention to the problems of socially unprotected segments of the population. Thanks to Annie's efforts, shelters, food outlets and medical facilities have appeared.

Writing activity

Annie Besant was an incredibly active writer. From under her pen came out more than a dozen works translated into different languages (including Russian). Her books reveal to readers the most secret depths of all religious wisdom. Annie says that the divine spirit cannot be looked for outside the human body, because it is hidden inside. To find him, faith alone is not enough - you need an unshakable conviction in his presence. The writer was able to answer the question of what theosophy is. Annie Besant writes:

Once a student asked the teacher about knowledge, and he said that there are two kinds of knowledge: lower and higher. Everything that can be taught by one person to another, all science, all art, all literature, even St. The Scriptures, even the Vedas themselves, were all classified as forms of lower knowledge. Then he proceeds to the fact that the highest knowledge is the knowledge of the One, knowing which, you will know everything. The knowledge of Him is Theosophy. This is "the knowledge of God, which is Eternal Life".

Quotes from books

Let's get acquainted with other quotes from Annie Besant. So, she argued - all religions were given to people from one source, they have similar truths and one goal. It is this thought that the writer dedicated to the book "The Brotherhood of Religions". Readers note that Annie managed to collect fragments from the Holy Scriptures of different peoples, proving the unity of religions. In this book, Besant writes the following:

All religions agree in the bright certainty that man -An immortal Spiritual Being and that his purpose is to love, know and help for countless centuries.

In the same book, Annie says that any test that befalls a person is created by his own hands. The writer continues her conversation with the reader about religion in the book Esoteric Christianity:

"The purpose of knowledge" is to know God, not just to believe in Him; become one with God, not just worship from afar.

By the way, this work was recognized as one of the best works of Besant. It was based on the work of Clement of Alexandria, the first fathers of the Church of Origen. Annie managed to tell readers about the sacraments of the first Christians, their mysteries in an accessible way. The author also introduces the history of Christian mysticism:

Myth is incomparably closer to the truth than history, for history tells us only about cast shadows, while myth gives us information about the essence that casts these shadows from itself.

One of the simplest (but at the same time important books by Annie Besant) readers call The Teaching of the Heart. Here Annie writes that the spiritual life of a person and his love cannot decrease, rather, on the contrary, the more they are spent, the more power they acquire! That is why, the writer says to her readers, it is important to always be in a state of love and happiness, because joy is the main part of the life of any person.