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Theosophy was as hot a topic as vegetarianism in the 1890s, but with a diverse inclusion of the Orientalists, Unitarians, Transcendentalists, anti-vivisectionists, and some other New Age writers and reformers as well. Through his active involvement in the London Vegetarian Society, Gandhi made many close friends (see the previous section) who introduced him to prominent theosophists of the day: Annie Besant, Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, the Olcott brothers, and the poet Edwin Arnold—who would be the first among them all to expose Gandhi to the original Sanskrit text of the sacred Hindu classic: Shrimad Bhagavad Gita.

Theosophy ruled the day as “Voice of a New Age Revolution” (Green, 1993). The Theosophical Society was founded in 1875 by Madame Blavatsky and Colonel Olcott, who were inspired by Eastern religions—particularly, Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism. Their three major themes or objectives were: the universal brotherhood of humanity; the study of comparative religion, philosophy, and science; and an investigation of the occult laws of nature and the powers latent in human beings. Though the philosophical side of theosophy attracted Mohandas, he said he had no interest in occultism. Still, Gandhi seems to have been very happy in the company of these theosophists, especially admiring its dynamic women leaders like Madame Blavatsky and Annie Besant—much more the latter—with whom he would later be working in the 1920s as a leader fighting the British for India’s independence. He felt equally at home with both the theosophists and vegetarians, however, with one difference: vegetarianism as a subject was not foreign to him; the LVS had only rationally confirmed what he had been exposed to since birth. By comparison, theosophy—with its keen interest in the study of Asian and other comparative religions—was a totally new subject for Gandhi; it was at once challenging and exciting!