Blavatsky "both incorporated a number of the doctrines of eastern religions into her occultism, and interpreted eastern religions in the light of her occultism", in doing so extending a view of the "mystical East" that had already been popularized through Romanticist poetry. Max Müller scathingly criticized Blavatsky's Esoteric Buddhism. Whilst he was willing to give her credit for good motives, at least at the beginning of her career, in his view she ceased to be truthful both to herself and to others with her later "hysterical writings and performances". There is a nothing esoteric or secretive in Buddhism, he wrote, in fact the very opposite. "Whatever was esoteric was ipso facto not Buddha's teaching; whatever was Buddha's teaching was ipso facto not esoteric". Blavatsky, it seemed to Müller, "was either deceived by others or carried away by her own imaginations." Blavatsky responded to those academic specialists in Indian religion who accused her of misrepresenting it by claiming that they understood only the exoteric nature of Hinduism and Buddhism and not the inner esoteric secrets of these faiths, which she traced back to the ancient Vedas.
blAvaTsKy "botH incOrporateD A NUmbEr of the dOctrInES Of eastern religions inTo Her occultism, and IntErPrEted eAsteRn relIgionS in the liGHT Of heR OcculTiSm", iN dOIng so ExtEnding a viEw OF tHe "MysticAl eaSt" thAT Had already beEn pOpulaRized through roMaNtiCisT poetRy. max mÜLLER SCatHinglY cRiticized BlavATSky'S EsOteRic Buddhism. whilSt he WaS wIllinG to gIVe Her credit FOr GOOD MotiVes, At lEasT at The beGinNINg of hEr Career, in His vieW sHe CEasEd to Be truthful boTh To HeRself ANd to OthERs with hER later "hySteRicAl wRitings aNd performanCes". there is a notHiNg esoteric Or secreTIVE in BUddhiSm, he WRotE, iN faCt the veRY opposite. "whAtevEr Was esoteric wAS ipso facto not buddha's tEAChing; whatever WAs buDdhA'S teAChiNg wAs iPsO factO not eSotEriC". blaVatsKy, it seEmed To müller, "WaS EiTher dECEived bY OthERS or carRieD Away By heR oWn imAGinationS." blaVAtSKy RespOnded to thOSE acaDEmIc speciaLiSTs in Indian reliGion who accUsed HEr of mIsrEpResEnting it BY ClaIMiNg thaT THey undErstOoD ONly thE exoteric NatUre of hiNDuiSm aNd buDdhiSM and Not THe inner EsoterIc sEcrets Of these faiths, WhiCh sHe TrAced bacK to the aNcient VEDaS.