The Dzyan Esoteric School
of the United Lodge of Theosophists

by David Green

The Dzyan Esoteric School is the official name of the esoteric section or school of the United Lodge of Theosophists. According to an esoteric paper of the D.E.S.---

"The active Agent of the School is known as the 'Secretary, D.E.S.' All communications should be addressed to that agent, and all communications, instructions and directions, to applicants and members will be issued by that office and over the signature 'Secretary, D.E.S.'. . ."

"Every application for entrance into this School must be sent to the Secretary, D.E.S."

The office of the "Secretary, D.E.S." was first located in the Headquarters of the United Lodge of Theosophists at 504 Metropolitan Building, Los Angeles, California. This address was at the intersection of Broadway at Fifth Street. Later when the U.L.T. Headquarters was moved to a new location and building at
245 West 33rd Street, the D.E.S. office was also transferred to new location. This West 33rd Street address is still the headquarters of the U.L.T. Los Angeles.

Members of the D.E.S. corresponded with the Secretary and received their esoteric instructions and documents through the U.S. Mail.

At the West 33rd Street Headquarters of the U.L.T., an "Esoteric Room" was reserved exclusively for meetings of D.E.S. members. This room housed the two portraits of Masters Morya and Koot Hoomi. This was the situation as of the late sixties and early seventies. Whether this setup is still in existence is uncertain. One of my U.L.T. informants promises to obtain more information about the setup and possibly a photograph of the D.E.S. office.

Where did the name "Dzyan Esoteric" School or Section originate? In Theosophy magazine, February 1915, p. 188, Mr Robert Crosbie declared-----

"...The actual name of the School of the Masters [is not] used by any of the so-called esoteric sections of the now numerous Theosophical Society."

One might infer from this statement that Mr Crosbie believed he knew the actual name of the School. Mr Crosbie and his U.L.T. colleagues derived the name of the D.E.S. from at least two sources. One source was a "Charter of The Dzyan Esoteric Section of the Theosophical Society" issued to the Boston Esoteric Lodge when Crosbie lived in Boston. This was during the life of William Q Judge. All local esoteric groups of the E.S.T. were issued similar charters during both Mrs Blavatsky's and Mr Judge's lifetimes. A facsimile of one such charter can be seen in Blavatsky's The Original Programme of the Theosophical Society, edited by Mr C. Jinarajadasa and published by The Theosophical Publishing House---Adyar, Madras, India.


.