It was decided to publicly release this colour image of DK, as it has already ‘leaked out’ onto the internet from sources to whom it was privately loaned. Originally, it was going to be published with permission, in an updated edition of Masters of the Seven Rays, now deferred to a later date.
Hence, I thought it best to release a higher quality picture than that which is currently online, but more importantly, include some explanation about it. The DK picture is from one of five paintings made in the 1930’s. The original of this particular painting was in the possession of one of the principals of The School for Esoteric Studies in North Carolina, USA, and was passed on to the SES for safekeeping.
The SES has a particular lineage with two of its founders participating in some of DK’s experimental groups in the 1940’s, namely ‘RSU’ and ‘FCD’ – Regina Keller and Roberto Assagioli. These groups of aspirants and disciples are discussed in the two books, Discipleship in the New Age (Volumes I & II), by Alice A. Bailey.
The DK image was scanned from an original painting by the South African artist, Annie Gowland. Below is a description from the wife of one of Gowland’s students about the painting. My original concern for releasing this image on the internet was that it might be mis-used and create alot of unnecessary comment and fuss. (That still might be the case!)
The Tibetan Master, Djwhal Khul (D.K.)
(From a painting by Annie Gowland, 1931. Occult rumour has it that DK said this image was a “reasonable likeness”.)
Notwithstanding, I feel it should be available to everybody, as an image of inspiration and veneration for those students of The Tibetan. It is not something that should be exclusive to a few, and indeed, its global release in colour may well be symbolic of the imminent reappearance of the Masters of Wisdom amongst Humanity again, as prophesied for the rapidly approaching year of 2025. (That’s just 4 years away!)
Also, it is worth bearing in mind, the subject of images and their illusory nature. The picture viewed here is from the period of the nineteenth to twentieth centuries when Djwhal Khul was incarnate in a Tibetan body and was the abbot of a certain Lamasery.
Who knows what body He inhabits now, or has appropriated as a “mayavirupa” (“body of illusion”)? Students need to be aware of the pitfalls in creating an ‘idol’ from the ‘idea’ of DK. (Not to mention cluttering up the astral plane with thoughtforms.)
Nevertheless, the image of The Tibetan, the body he inhabited at his Master’s Initiation (the 5th degree), is widely loved and most evocative of this Mahatma who so humbly stated, “had fought his way into a greater measure of light”.
As a “messenger of the Masters”, it was Djwhal Khul who transmitted a great deal of the Eastern mysteries and its rich wisdom to the West – through H.P. Blavatsky and The Secret Doctrine, as well as twenty-four books through Alice A. Bailey. There are other visual interpretations by artists that can be viewed on the internet or in books. Truth, like beauty, is in the eye or heart of the beholder.
A photo that has recently come to light, bearing a striking resemblance to the existing painting of Master Djwhal Khul, and currently being researched (2021) to analyse its authenticity.
Original black and white showing mala beads. In the colour photo they are missing for some reason.
Phillip Lindsay, 2014. (Revised 2021.)
Click here to download (384 kb), or to save to hard disk, go to the image above, right mouse click, then select, “save image as”. (See also, The Masters Gallery.)
ON THE PORTRAIT OF “THE TIBETAN”
by Marjorie Artus.
(Discovered after Marjorie Artus’ death; typed on a sheet of
paper and folded and taped to the back of the portrait.)
In 1963, on the death of my husband, Norman Artus, I inherited a picture which had been his greatest treasure for some 15 years perhaps. I had first seen the picture in the hotel room of the artist, Annie Gowland, in Cape Town, South Africa in 1948. Annie Gowland had long been an esoteric student in the Arcane School.
Norman Artus had received from Annie Gowland his first teaching in the Ageless Wisdom. On her death, she left the picture to him. All she would ever claim for it was “this is how I saw Him.” Meantime, over the years in Cape Town, she had painted small copies of the original for other Arcane School students, each one slightly different, and she always said that the difference was elicited by the intended recipient, as it were.
Some of these Arcane students told me that it was not known whether A.G. had seen the Tibetan “in the flesh”, she had once traveled to India and to the borders of Tibet or whether she had had a dream, or some such. She just stuck to her statement above. Norman also had one of the smaller pictures, but I gave this away to friends after his passing. I myself now have the “original” larger portrait.
Doubts have been cast on its “authenticity.” I never make any claims about it at all, and have shunned all photographic reproductions. Shortly after I acquired it, I sort of put up a “prayer” indicating I would much like to know if it were in any way, or in any degree, “authentic.” I did not think there was any possibility of “reply.”
However, a few days later I was invited to dinner with old South African friends of Norman’s. After dinner, the wife and I discussed various things concerning Norman and esoteric matters. For some reason, she pressed upon me a copy of Clara Codd’s So Rich a Life, an autobiography. Clara Codd is a Theosophist, and at that time was a well-known lecturer, and Norman had heard her in South Africa and liked her. I don’t have much time for reading, and I really didn’t much want to borrow the book. But, not wanting to seem rude, and because Norman had known her, I took it home.
That night in bed I began to read it, opening it at random. As I read a certain passage, there seemed a great radiance in the room. It was where Leadbeater (quoted by C.C.) was clarifying a question regarding the authenticity of the three Theosophical Society pictures of the Masters. It appeared that he had been “told” that whereas the actual features of a portrait of a Master might not be utterly exact line for line, yet while the artist was painting the picture the Master could stand behind directing the brush and, later, would impregnate it with his vibration.
As I read this passage, something in my head seemed to be telling me that this was the answer to my plea. So, though I make no claims, and could not, the picture seems to carry a power, and I accept it with thanks and humility.
Marjorie Artus
October 10, 1973.
P.S.- Roberto Assagioli [F.C.D. in the DINA books] accepted the above and himself had a small photocopy.
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thaks
Hi Phillip,
Your site is wonderful and I have recommended it to several of my friends.
As for Blavatsky knowing and/or having contact with Djwhal Khul, it didn’t
happen. Her informers for the Secret Doctrine were Master Kuthumi and
Master Morya. Keep up with the excellent work and be blessed always.
Nilsa, I think that might be a stale old theosophical chestnut about DK so I think you might be misinformed. DK was not called the messenger of the masters for nothing. He had a great deal to do with the Secret Doctrine, as he did with A Treatise on Cosmic Fire through Alice A. Bailey – which was called a “psychological key to the Secret Doctrine” – hence the continuity by one Master of those texts.
Phillip, is it known where the “original” picture of DK which Marjorie had is at present? She used to come to Meditation Mount often and trimmed the roses in back of Florence’s house. I lived in the basement and Frances Adams Moore lived across the hall from me. I was the Esoteric Director of the GCM when I lived and worked at the Mount – so many years ago. The picture, with minor changes, is very familiar to me. Thank you for your work!
Well there is one at the School of Esoteric Studies in North Carolina. The artist did five altogether I think, so I would imagine one or two might be in South Africa where she lived.
Nilsa, this quote from one of DK’s books:
“The Master Djwhal Khul, or the Master D. K. as He is frequently called, is another adept on the second Ray of Love-Wisdom. He is the latest of the adepts taking initiation, having taken the fifth initiation in 1875, and is therefore occupying the same body in which He took the initiation, most of the other Masters having taken the fifth initiation whilst occupying earlier vehicles. His body is not a young one, and He is a Tibetan. He is very devoted to the Master K. H. and occupies a little house not far distant from the larger one of the Master, and from His willingness to serve and to do anything that has to be done, He has been called “the Messenger of the Masters.” He is profoundly learned, and knows more about the rays and planetary Hierarchies of the solar system than anyone else in the ranks of the Masters. He works with those who heal, and co-operates unknown and unseen with the seekers after truth in the world’s great laboratories, with all who definitely aim at the healing and solacing of the world, and with the great philanthropic world movements [Page 58] such as the Red Cross. He occupies Himself with various pupils of different Masters who can profit by His instruction, and within the last ten years has relieved both the Master M. and the Master K. H. of a good deal of Their teaching work, taking over from Them for certain stated times some of Their pupils and disciples. He works largely, too, with certain groups of the devas of the ethers, who are the healing devas, and who thus collaborate with Him in the work of healing some of the physical ills of humanity. He it was Who dictated a large part of that momentous book The Secret Doctrine, and Who showed to H. P. Blavatsky many of the pictures, and gave her much of the data that is to be found in that book.”
The original picture belongs to Nicholas Roerich. He took it in his trips to Tibet. He really saw him face to face. And the prove of that is the picture he took. It’s on the archives of his museum in New York. I held it in my hands. Other people claiming that it’s theirs or that saw him and that this is the picture they took are lying. I hope this clarifies the origin of the picture. And it’s black and white
Very clarifying, Philip! Didnt know about the origins of this DK’s picture. I also feel that it has a power of its own. Congrats and thank you so much.
Thank you for making this available here. It was also good to read how it came to be made public. I knew Margart Artus from Meditation Mount and Santa Barbara. Wonderful to read the comments and mentions of old friends.
I had a dream with a teacher, He was in front of a blackboard but he dress as an abbot,He told me there were 3 reasons for the covi 19, I only remember one now, there were many beautiful flowers also hanging on the blackboard,The dream was a beautiful and intense, A few days later, what a coincidence! I saw for first time in my life this picture on internet and I still amused because he is the same person I saw on my dream. (sorry for my spelling)
Somewhere in the whole discussion some words alleged to be the Tibetan’s epxlanation of depicting the Masters, he is letting us know that maybe it is him or one of his disciples that he is working through; saying with his injunction to not hold on to astral shells of his image, we are driven to further the light of intuition about his occult whereabouts, which are so Collective to be reduced to personality images.
Sinceramente yo ya me tengo hecha una idea de la imagen del Tibetano, y por supuesto han influido las imágenes que se han publicado y que yo también continúo publicando.
Ahora, bien tengo asumido que ninguna imagen importa, que lo que en verdad importa es la enseñanza y que provenga de quien provenga, cada uno de nosotros hemos de investigar para corroborar su verdad.
Considero que el Tibetano tiene una forma particular de impartir sus enseñanzas y que a mi me parece la mejor.
Thank you for the inspiring pictures. Only four years before the Masters reveal themselves …
Found a black and white picture of the same picture here (three lamas) and in your picture above what he holds in it’s hand have been blurred (photoshopped away)
How come?
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k_5u-KWc0TU/Xx5R5dwQlDI/AAAAAAAAWgY/EuTIsMMKIfk7DSUftQ25ZE9GCXQmBvvSACLcBGAsYHQ/w480/Djwhal%2BKhul.png
here is the unaltered one.
I have no idea Carlos, perhaps the person who colourised it. The coloured one looks like a ribbon, perhaps the beads did not convert to colour correctly, I do not know.
I does not retract the fact of this picture being the “blueprint” for the paintings (too much similarities to me). Knowing my way around photos and their manipulation tools, I know no conversion to color, or the like will blur the picture in this precise way. The blurring/erasion of the beads is no mistake, but deliberate. Too precise not to be. Now, the question of why, we’ll never know I guess. (One possibility could be that some could interpret them as a Christian symbol, and another, that it could be a way of identifying the monastery. However, both seems unlikely…)
The colorized picture is from the Black and White one, it was done with colorizing software that uses AI. However it will often blur things together that it cannot distinguish. None of it is intentional, simply the software. I know because I have used it.
Under the pseudonym ‘Shamballaram’ I brought to the ‘esoteric’ community’s attention primarily on Facebook and Twitter the uncanny likeness between the photo and the Gowland painting. It’s clear to anyone with eye(s) to see that photograph attributed sometimes incorrectly to Nicholas Roerich but reportedly historically taken by a female adventurer who’s name escapes me presently is obviously the prototype predecessor of the painting. You are correct about the coloring situation; It was an instant colorization account on Twitter with which the color version was generated poorly obscuring the prayer mala and obviously darkening the color of the robes that Tibetan monks would be wearing. I regret posting the color version. Only the black & white one is original. I’m certain there are much better colorization apps, software, or graphic arts attempts which can be made than the one above if anyone insists. A Special Blessing was given and upon us at the time this photo, it’s impression and thought forms well beyond the astral forms we’ve been warned about, and the tumultuous speculative chatter surrounding it made it’s rounds which the holier than thou gatekeepers including quite ego maniacal self proclaimed ‘psychics and leaders’ weighed in with morbid obesity of glamorous authority. It was a telling moment of the state of consciousness and affairs in the so called esoteric or Ageless Wisdom community and why some of us steer well clear these days indefinitely. Namaskaram Blessed Be All -Shantiasta Avadhuta
De acuerdo al marco de la mente de la persona puede tener experiencias místicas con Djwhal khul con su antigua imagen ya conocida o con nueva apariencia. Los cuerpos mueren y vuelven al planeta, el alma vuelve con cuerpo nuevo en circunstancias diferentes para un nuevo aprendizaje, de lo contrario lis iniciados y maestros quedarían estancados. Mi correo si alguien desea conversar, discernir. jeancquintana@hotmail.com
According to the frame of mind of the person he can have mystical experiences with Djwhal khul with his old image already known or with new appearance. The bodies die and return to the planet, the soul returns with a new body in different circumstances for a new learning, otherwise the initiates and teachers would be stagnant. My mail if someone wants to talk, discern. jeancquintana@hotmail.com
The photo is of the 9th Panchen Lama (1883-1937) who was head of the main lamasery in Shigatze, Tibet. In Alice Bailey’s writings, DK was said to have lived in Shigatze, and was the head of the lamasery there. If DK was actually this man, then he died well before he finished dictating Bailey’s books. Not that he couldn’t have continued the dictation from the inner planes, whether he had a physical body or not. Or, a sceptic might surmise that somebody read that DK lived in Shigatze, and was the head of the lamasery there, and assuming he was indeed who Bailey was referring to, proceeded to locate one of a number of photos of him to paint her picture from. See link below for info about the life of the man.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thubten_Choekyi_Nyima,_9th_Panchen_Lama#References