,transcriber's ,notes3 ,underscores before and after a word or phrase indicate italics in the original text4 ,equal signs before and after a word or phrase indicate bold in the original text4 ,small capitals have been converted to ,,solid capitals4 ,typographical errors have been silently corrected but other variations in spelling and punctuation remain unaltered4 ,the heading on page #ahh was changed from 8,,on ,,self-,,reliance0 to 8,,on ,,self-,,sacrifice01 to agree with the ,table of ,contents1 and the subject of the section4 ,the ,key to ,theosophy ,illustration ,,the ,,key ,,to ,,theosophy ,,being ,a ,,clear ,,exposition1 ,,in ,,the ,,form ,,of ,,question ,,and ,,answer ,,of ,,the ,,ethics1 ,,science ,,and ,,philosophy ,,for ,,the ,,study ,,of ,,which ,,the ,,theosophical ,,society ,,has ,,been ,,founded ,,by ,h4 ,p4 ,,blavatsky ,reprinted ,verbatim from the ,original ,edition first published in #ahhi4 ,,the ,,united ,,lodge ,,of ,,theosophists ,,los ,,angeles1 ,,california #aibj ,dedicated by 8,h4 ,p4 ,b40 ,to all her ,pupils that ,they may ,learn and ,teach in their turn ,,contents ,,section ,i4 ,page ,,theosophy ,,and ,,the ,,theosophical ,,society3 ,the ,meaning of the ,name #a ,the ,policy of the ,theosophical ,society #c ,the ,wisdom-,religion ,esoteric in all ,ages #e ,theosophy is not ,buddhism #aj ,,section ,,ii4 ,,exoteric ,,and ,,esoteric ,,theosophy3 ,what the ,modern ,theosophical ,society is not #ab ,theosophists and ,members of the 8,t4,s40 #ae ,the ,difference between ,theosophy and ,occultism #ai ,the ,difference between ,theosophy and ,spiritualism #ba ,why is ,theosophy accepted8 #bg ,,section ,,iii4 ,,the ,,working ,,system ,,of ,,the ,t4,s43 ,the ,objects of the ,society #cj ,the ,common ,origin of ,man #ca ,our other ,objects #cf ,on the ,sacredness of the ,pledge #cg ,,section ,,iv4 ,,the ,,relations ,,of ,,the ,,theosophical ,,society ,,to ,,theosophy3 ,on ,self-,improvement #dj ,the ,abstract and the ,concrete #dc ,,section ,v4 ,,the ,,fundamental ,,teachings ,,of ,,theosophy3 ,on ,god and ,prayer #dg ,is it ,necessary to ,pray8 #ej ,prayer ,kills ,self-,reliance #ee ,on the ,source of the ,human ,soul #eg ,the ,buddhist ,teachings on the above #ei ,,section ,,vi4 ,,theosophical ,,teachings ,,as ,,to ,,nature ,,and ,,man3 ,the ,unity of ,all in ,all #fd ,evolution and ,illusion #fe ,the ,septenary ,constitution of our ,planet #fg ,the ,septenary ,nature of ,man #fi ,the ,distinction between ,soul and ,spirit #gb ,the ,greek ,teachings #ge ,,section ,,vii4 ,,on ,,the ,,various ,,post-,,mortem ,,states3 ,the ,physical and the ,spiritual ,man #gi ,our ,eternal ,reward and ,punishment2 and on ,nirvana #he ,on the ,various 8,principles0 in ,man #ia ,,section ,,viii4 ,,on ,,re-,,incarnation ,,or ,,rebirth3 ,what is ,memory according to ,theosophical ,teaching8 #if ,why do we not ,remember our ,past ,lives8 #ii ,on ,individuality and ,personality #ajd ,on the ,reward and ,punishment of the ,ego #ajg ,,section ,,ix4 ,,on ,,the ,,kama-,,loka ,,and ,,devachan3 ,on the ,fate of the ,lower 8,principles0 #aab ,why ,theosophists do not believe in the ,return of ,pure 8,spirits0 #aad ,a few ,words about the ,skandhas #abj ,on ,post-mortem and ,post-natal ,consciousness #abc ,what is really meant by ,annihilation #abg ,definite ,words for ,definite ,things #acd ,,section ,x4 ,,on ,,the ,,nature ,,of ,,our ,,thinking ,,principle3 ,the ,mystery of the ,ego #aci ,the ,complex ,nature of ,manas #adc ,the ,doctrine is ,taught in ,st4 ,john's ,gospel #adf ,,section ,,xi4 ,,on ,,the ,,mysteries ,,of ,,re-,,incarnation3 ,periodical ,rebirths #aee ,what is ,karma8 #aeh ,who are ,those who ,know8 #agj ,the ,difference between ,faith and ,knowledge2 or1 ,blind and ,reasoned ,faith #agb ,has ,god the ,right to ,forgive8 #agf ,,section ,,xii4 ,,what ,,is ,,practical ,,theosophy8 ,duty #ahj ,the ,relations of the ,t4,s4 to ,political ,reforms #ahc ,on ,self-,sacrifice #ahh ,on ,charity #aib ,theosophy for the ,masses #aid ,how ,members can ,help the ,society #aif ,what a ,theosophist ought not to do #aig ,,section ,,xiii4 ,,on ,,the ,,misconceptions ,,about ,,the ,,theosophical ,,society3 ,theosophy and ,asceticism #bjd ,theosophy and ,marriage #bjg ,theosophy and ,education #bjh ,why1 then1 is there so much ,prejudice against the ,t4,s8 #bad ,is the ,theosophical ,society a ,money-making ,concern8 #bba ,the ,working ,staff of the ,t4,s4 #bbe ,,section ,,xiv4 ,,the 8,,theosophical ,,mahatmas03 ,are ,they 8,spirits of ,light0 or 8,goblins ,damn'd08 #bbh ,the ,abuse of ,sacred ,names and ,terms #bcg ,,conclusion4 ,the ,future of the ,theosophical ,society #bda ,,preface ,the purpose of this book is exactly expressed in its title1 8,,the ,,key ,,to ,,theosophy10 and needs but few words of explanation4 ,it is not a complete or exhaustive text-book of ,theosophy1 but only a key to unlock the door that leads to the deeper study4 ,it traces the broad outlines of the ,wisdom ,religion1 and explains its fundamental principles2 meeting1 at the same time1 the various objections raised by the average ,western enquirer1 and endeavouring to present unfamiliar concepts in a form as simple and in language as clear as possible4 ,that it should succeed in making ,theosophy intelligible without mental effort on the part of the reader1 would be too much to expect2 but it is hoped that the obscurity still left is of the thought not of the language1 is due to depth not to confusion4 ,to the mentally lazy or obtuse1 ,theosophy must remain a riddle2 for in the world mental as in the world spiritual each man must progress by his own efforts4 ,the writer cannot do the reader's thinking for him1 nor would the latter be any the better off if such vicarious thought were possible4 ,the need for such an exposition as the present has long been felt among those interested in the ,theosophical ,society and its work1 and it is hoped that it will supply information1 as free as possible from technicalities1 to many whose attention has been awakened1 but who1 as yet1 are merely puzzled and not convinced4 ,some care has been taken in disentangling some part of what is true from what is false in ,spiritualistic teachings as to the post-mortem life1 and to showing the true nature of ,spiritualistic phnomena4 ,previous explanations of a similar kind have drawn much wrath upon the writer's devoted head2 the ,spiritualists1 like too many others1 preferring to believe what is pleasant rather than what is true1 and becoming very angry with anyone who destroys an agreeable delusion4 ,for the past year ,theosophy has been the target for every poisoned arrow of ,spiritualism1 as though the possessors of a half truth felt more antagonism to the possessors of the whole truth than those who had no share to boast of4 ,very hearty thanks are due from the author to many ,theosophists who have sent suggestions and questions1 or have otherwise contributed help during the writing of this book4 ,the work will be the more useful for their aid1 and that will be their best reward4 ,h4 ,p4 ,b4 ,,the ,,key ,,to ,,theosophy4 ,i4 ,,theosophy ,,and ,,the ,,theosophical ,,society4 ,,the ,,meaning ,,of ,,the ,,name4 ,,enquirer4 ,theosophy and its doctrines are often referred to as a new-fangled religion4 ,is it a religion8 ,,theosophist4 ,it is not4 ,theosophy is ,divine ,knowledge or ,science4 ,,enq4 ,what is the real meaning of the term8 ,,theo4 8,divine ,wisdom10 7,theosophia7 or ,wisdom of the gods1 as 7theogonia71 genealogy of the gods4 ,the word means a god in ,greek1 one of the divine beings1 certainly not 8,god0 in the sense attached in our day to the term4 ,therefore1 it is not 8,wisdom of ,god10 as translated by some1 but ,divine ,wisdom such as that possessed by the gods4 ,the term is many thousand years old4 ,,enq4 ,what is the origin of the name8 ,,theo4 ,it comes to us from the ,alexandrian philosophers1 called lovers of truth1 ,philatheians1 from 7phil7 8loving10 and 7aletheia7 8truth40 ,the name ,theosophy dates from the third century of our era1 and began with ,ammonius ,saccas and his disciples1#a who started the ,eclectic ,theosophical system4 ,,enq4 ,what was the object of this system8 ,,theo4 ,first of all to inculcate certain great moral truths upon its disciples1 and all those who were 8lovers of the truth40 ,hence the motto adopted by the ,theosophical ,society3 8,there is no religion higher than truth40#b ,the chief aim of the ,founders of the ,eclectic ,theosophical ,school was one of the three objects of its modern successor1 the ,theosophical ,society1 namely1 to reconcile all religions1 sects and nations under a common system of ethics1 based on eternal verities4 ,,enq4 ,what have you to show that this is not an impossible dream2 and that all the world's religions are based on the one and the same truth8 ,,theo4 ,their comparative study and analysis4 ,the 8,wisdom-,religion0 was one in antiquity2 and the sameness of primitive religious philosophy is proven to us by the identical doctrines taught to the ,initiates during the ,,mysteries1 an institution once universally diffused4 8,all the old worships indicate the existence of a single ,theosophy anterior to them4 ,the key that is to open one must open all2 otherwise it cannot be the right key40 7,eclect4 ,philo47 ,,the ,,policy ,,of ,,the ,,theosophical ,,society4 ,,enq4 ,in the days of ,ammonius there were several ancient great religions1 and numerous were the sects in ,egypt and ,palestine alone4 ,how could he reconcile them8 ,,theo4 ,by doing that which we again try to do now4 ,the ,neo-,platonists were a large body1 and belonged to various religious philosophies#c2 so do our ,theosophists4 ,in those days1 the ,jew ,aristobulus affirmed that the ethics of ,aristotle represented the esoteric teachings of the ,law of ,moses2 ,philo ,judus endeavoured to reconcile the ,pentateuch with the ,pythagorean and ,platonic philosophy2 and ,josephus proved that the ,essenes of ,carmel were simply the copyists and followers of the ,egyptian ,therapeut 7the healers74 ,so it is in our day4 ,we can show the line of descent of every ,christian religion1 as of every1 even the smallest1 sect4 ,the latter are the minor twigs or shoots grown on the larger branches2 but shoots and branches spring from the same trunk--the ,,wisdom-,,religion4 ,to prove this was the aim of ,ammonius1 who endeavoured to induce ,gentiles and ,christians1 ,jews and ,idolators1 to lay aside their contentions and strifes1 remembering only that they were all in possession of the same truth under various vestments1 and were all the children of a common mother4#d ,this is the aim of ,theosophy likewise4 ,,enq4 ,what are your authorities for saying this of the ancient ,theosophists of ,alexandria8 ,,theo4 ,an almost countless number of well-known writers4 ,mosheim1 one of them1 says that3-- 8,ammonius taught that the religion of the multitude went hand-in-hand with philosophy1 and with her had shared the fate of being by degrees corrupted and obscured with mere human conceits1 superstitions1 and lies2 that it ought1 therefore1 to be brought back to its original purity by purging it of this dross and expounding it upon philosophical principles2 and the whole ,christ had in view was to reinstate and restore to its primitive integrity the wisdom of the ancients2 to reduce within bounds the universally-prevailing dominion of superstition2 and in part to correct1 and in part to exterminate the various errors that had found their way into the different popular religions40 ,this1 again1 is precisely what the modern ,theosophists say4 ,only while the great ,philaletheian was supported and helped in the policy he pursued by two ,church ,fathers1 ,clement and ,athenagoras1 by all the learned ,rabbis of the ,synagogue1 the ,academy and the ,groves1 and while he taught a common doctrine for all1 we1 his followers on the same line1 receive no recognition1 but1 on the contrary1 are abused and persecuted4 ,people #a1ejj years ago are thus shown to have been more tolerant than they are in this enlightened century4 ,,enq4 ,was he encouraged and supported by the ,church because1 notwithstanding his heresies1 ,ammonius taught ,christianity and was a ,christian8 ,,theo4 ,not at all4 ,he was born a ,christian1 but never accepted ,church ,christianity4 ,as said of him by the same writer3 8,he had but to propound his instructions according to the ancient pillars of ,hermes1 which ,plato and ,pythagoras knew before1 and from them constituted their philosophy4 ,finding the same in the prologue of the ,gospel according to ,st4 ,john1 he very properly supposed that the purpose of ,jesus was to restore the great doctrine of wisdom in its primitive integrity4 ,the narratives of the ,bible and the stories of the gods he considered to be allegories illustrative of the truth1 or else fables to be rejected40 ,moreover1 as says the ,edinburgh ,encyclopedia1 8he acknowledged that ,jesus ,christ was an excellent man and the #8friend of ,god1' but alleged that it was not his design entirely to abolish the worship of demons 7gods71 and that his only intention was to purify the ancient religion40 ,,the ,,wisdom-,,religion ,,esoteric ,,in ,,all ,,ages4 ,,enq4 ,since ,ammonius never committed anything to writing1 how can one feel sure that such were his teachings8 ,,theo4 ,neither did ,buddha1 ,pythagoras1 ,confucius1 ,orpheus1 ,socrates1 or even ,jesus1 leave behind them any writings4 ,yet most of these are historical personages1 and their teachings have all survived4 ,the disciples of ,ammonius 7among whom ,origen and ,herennius7 wrote treatises and explained his ethics4 ,certainly the latter are as historical1 if not more so1 than the ,apostolic writings4 ,moreover1 his pupils--,origen1 ,plotinus1 and ,longinus 7counsellor of the famous ,queen ,zenobia7--have all left voluminous records of the ,philaletheian ,system--so far1 at all events1 as their public profession of faith was known1 for the school was divided into exoteric and esoteric teachings4 ,,enq4 ,how have the latter tenets reached our day1 since you hold that what is properly called the ,,wisdom-,,religion was esoteric8 ,,theo4 ,the ,,wisdom-,,religion was ever one1 and being the last word of possible human knowledge1 was1 therefore1 carefully preserved4 ,it preceded by long ages the ,alexandrian ,theosophists1 reached the modern1 and will survive every other religion and philosophy4 ,,enq4 ,where and by whom was it so preserved8 ,,theo4 ,among ,initiates of every country2 among profound seekers after truth--their disciples2 and in those parts of the world where such topics have always been most valued and pursued3 in ,india1 ,central ,asia1 and ,persia4 ,,enq4 ,can you give me some proofs of its esotericism8 ,,theo4 ,the best proof you can have of the fact is that every ancient religious1 or rather philosophical1 cult consisted of an esoteric or secret teaching1 and an exoteric 7outward public7 worship4 ,furthermore1 it is a well-known fact that the ,,mysteries of the ancients comprised with every nation the 8greater0 7secret7 and 8,lesser0 7public7 ,,mysteries--e4g41 in the celebrated solemnities called the ,eleusinia1 in ,greece4 ,from the ,hierophants of ,samothrace1 ,egypt1 and the initiated ,brahmins of the ,india of old1 down to the later ,hebrew ,rabbis1 all preserved1 for fear of profanation1 their real bona fide beliefs secret4 ,the ,jewish ,rabbis called their secular religious series the ,mercavah 7the exterior body71 8the vehicle10 or1 the covering which contains the hidden soul--i4e41 their highest secret knowledge4 ,not one of the ancient nations ever imparted through its priests its real philosophical secrets to the masses1 but allotted to the latter only the husks4 ,northern ,buddhism has its 8greater0 and its 8lesser0 vehicle1 known as the ,mahayana1 the esoteric1 and the ,hinayana1 the exoteric1 ,schools4 ,nor can you blame them for such secrecy2 for surely you would not think of feeding your flock of sheep on learned dissertations on botany instead of on grass8 ,pythagoras called his ,gnosis 8the knowledge of things that are10 or 1 and preserved that knowledge for his pledged disciples only3 for those who could digest such mental food and feel satisfied2 and he pledged them to silence and secrecy4 ,occult alphabets and secret ciphers are the development of the old ,egyptian hieratic writings1 the secret of which was1 in the days of old1 in the possession only of the ,hierogrammatists1 or initiated ,egyptian priests4 ,ammonius ,saccas1 as his biographers tell us1 bound his pupils by oath not to divulge his higher doctrines except to those who had already been instructed in preliminary knowledge1 and who were also bound by a pledge4 ,finally1 do we not find the same even in early ,christianity1 among the ,gnostics1 and even in the teachings of ,christ8 ,did he not speak to the multitudes in parables which had a two-fold meaning1 and explain his reasons only to his disciples8 8,to you10 he says1 8it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven2 but unto them that are without1 all these things are done in parables0 7,mark iv4 #aa74 8,the ,essenes of ,judea and ,carmel made similar distinctions1 dividing their adherents into neophytes1 brethren1 and the perfect1 or those initiated0 7,eclec4 ,phil474 ,examples might be brought from every country to this effect4 ,,enq4 ,can you attain the 8,secret ,wisdom0 simply by study8 ,encyclopdias define ,theosophy pretty much as ,webster's ,dictionary does1 i4e41 as 8supposed intercourse with ,god and superior spirits1 and consequent attainment of superhuman knowledge by physical means and chemical processes40 ,is this so8 ,,theo4 ,i think not4 ,nor is there any lexicographer capable of explaining1 whether to himself or others1 how superhuman knowledge can be attained by physical or chemical processes4 ,had ,webster said 8by metaphysical and alchemical processes10 the definition would be approximately correct3 as it is1 it is absurd4 ,ancient ,theosophists claimed1 and so do the modern1 that the infinite cannot be known by the finite--i4e41 sensed by the finite ,self--but that the divine essence could be communicated to the higher ,spiritual ,self in a state of ecstacy4 ,this condition can hardly be attained1 like hypnotism1 by 8physical and chemical means40 ,,enq4 ,what is your explanation of it8 ,,theo4 ,real ecstacy was defined by ,plotinus as 8the liberation of the mind from its finite consciousness1 becoming one and identified with the infinite40 ,this is the highest condition1 says ,prof4 ,wilder1 but not one of permanent duration1 and it is reached only by the very very few4 ,it is1 indeed1 identical with that state which is known in ,india as ,samadhi4 ,the latter is practised by the ,yogis1 who facilitate it physically by the greatest abstinence in food and drink1 and mentally by an incessant endeavour to purify and elevate the mind4 ,meditation is silent and unuttered prayer1 or1 as ,plato expressed it1 8the ardent turning of the soul toward the divine2 not to ask any particular good 7as in the common meaning of prayer71 but for good itself--for the universal ,supreme ,good0 of which we are a part on earth1 and out of the essence of which we have all emerged4 ,therefore1 adds ,plato1 8remain silent in the presence of the divine ones1 till they remove the clouds from thy eyes and enable thee to see by the light which issues from themselves1 not what appears as good to thee1 but what is intrinsically good40#e ,,enq4 ,theosophy1 then1 is not1 as held by some1 a newly devised scheme8 ,,theo4 ,only ignorant people can thus refer to it4 ,it is as old as the world1 in its teachings and ethics1 if not in name1 as it is also the broadest and most catholic system among all4 ,,enq4 ,how comes it1 then1 that ,theosophy has remained so unknown to the nations of the ,western ,hemisphere8 ,why should it have been a sealed book to races confessedly the most cultured and advanced8 ,,theo4 ,we believe there were nations as cultured in days of old and certainly more spiritually 8advanced0 than we are4 ,but there are several reasons for this willing ignorance4 ,one of them was given by ,st4 ,paul to the cultured ,athenians--a loss1 for long centuries1 of real spiritual insight1 and even interest1 owing to their too great devotion to things of sense and their long slavery to the dead letter of dogma and ritualism4 ,but the strongest reason for its lies in the fact that real ,theosophy has ever been kept secret4 ,,enq4 ,you have brought forward proofs that such secrecy has existed2 but what was the real cause for it8 ,,theo4 ,the causes for it were3 ,firstly1 the perversity of average human nature and its selfishness1 always tending to the gratification of personal desires to the detriment of neighbours and next of kin4 ,such people could never be entrusted with divine secrets4 ,secondly1 their unreliability to keep the sacred and divine knowledge from desecration4 ,it is the latter that led to the perversion of the most sublime truths and symbols1 and to the gradual transformation of things spiritual into anthropomorphic1 concrete1 and gross imagery--in other words1 to the dwarfing of the god-idea and to idolatry4 ,,theosophy ,,is ,,not ,,buddhism4 ,,enq4 ,you are often spoken of as 8,esoteric ,buddhists40 ,are you then all followers of ,gautama ,buddha8 ,,theo4 ,no more than musicians are all followers of ,wagner4 ,some of us are ,buddhists by religion2 yet there are far more ,hindus and ,brahmins than ,buddhists among us1 and more ,christian-born ,europeans and ,americans than converted ,buddhists4 ,the mistake has arisen from a misunderstanding of the real meaning of the title of ,mr4 ,sinnett's excellent work1 8,esoteric ,buddhism10 which last word ought to have been spelt with one1 instead of two1 d's1 as then ,budhism would have meant what it was intended for1 merely 8,wisdomism0 7,bodha1 bodhi1 8intelligence10 8wisdom07 instead of ,buddhism1 ,gautama's religious philosophy4 ,theosophy1 as already said1 is the ,,wisdom-,,religion4 ,,enq4 ,what is the difference between ,buddhism1 the religion founded by the ,prince of ,kapilavastu1 and ,budhism1 the 8,wisdomism0 which you say is synonymous with ,theosophy8 ,,theo4 ,just the same difference as there is between the secret teachings of ,christ1 which are called 8the mysteries of the ,kingdom of ,heaven10 and the later ritualism and dogmatic theology of the ,churches and ,sects4 ,buddha means the 8,enlightened0 by ,bodha1 or understanding1 ,wisdom4 ,this has passed root and branch into the esoteric teachings that ,gautama imparted to his chosen ,arhats only4 ,,enq4 ,but some ,orientalists deny that ,buddha ever taught any esoteric doctrine at all8 ,,theo4 ,they may as well deny that ,nature has any hidden secrets for the men of science4 ,further on ,i will prove it by ,buddha's conversation with his disciple ,ananda4 ,his esoteric teachings were simply the ,gupta ,vidya 7secret knowledge7 of the ancient ,brahmins1 the key to which their modern successors have1 with few exceptions1 completely lost4 ,and this ,vidya has passed into what is now known as the inner teachings of the ,mahayana school of ,northern ,buddhism4 ,those who deny it are simply ignorant pretenders to ,orientalism4 ,i advise you to read the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,edkins' ,chinese ,buddhism--especially the chapters on the ,exoteric and ,esoteric schools and teachings--and then compare the testimony of the whole ancient world upon the subject4 ,,enq4 ,but are not the ethics of ,theosophy identical with those taught by ,buddha8 ,,theo4 ,certainly1 because these ethics are the soul of the ,wisdom-,religion1 and were once the common property of the initiates of all nations4 ,but ,buddha was the first to embody these lofty ethics in his public teachings1 and to make them the foundation and the very essence of his public system4 ,it is herein that lies the immense difference between exoteric ,buddhism and every other religion4 ,for while in other religions ritualism and dogma hold the first and most important place1 in ,buddhism it is the ethics which have always been the most insisted upon4 ,this accounts for the resemblance1 amounting almost to identity1 between the ethics of ,theosophy and those of the religion of ,buddha4 ,,enq4 ,are there any great points of difference8 ,,theo4 ,one great distinction between ,theosophy and exoteric ,buddhism is that the latter1 represented by the ,southern ,church1 entirely denies 7a7 the existence of any ,deity1 and 7b7 any conscious post-mortem life1 or even any self-conscious surviving individuality in man4 ,such at least is the teaching of the ,siamese sect1 now considered as the purest form of exoteric ,buddhism4 ,and it is so1 if we refer only to ,buddha's public teachings2 the reason for such reticence on his part ,i will give further on4 ,but the schools of the ,northern ,buddhist ,church1 established in those countries to which his initiated ,arhats retired after the ,master's death1 teach all that is now called ,theosophical doctrines1 because they form part of the knowledge of the initiates--thus proving how the truth has been sacrificed to the dead-letter by the too-zealous orthodoxy of ,southern ,buddhism4 ,but how much grander and more noble1 philosophical and scientific1 even in its dead-letter1 is this teaching than that of any other ,church or religion4 ,yet ,theosophy is not ,buddhism4 ,,footnotes3 #a ,also called ,analogeticists4 ,as explained by ,prof4 ,alex4 ,wilder1 ,f4,t4,s41 in his 8,eclectic ,philosophy10 they were called so because of their practice of interpreting all sacred legends and narratives1 myths and mysteries1 by a rule or principle of analogy and correspondence3 so that events which were related as having occurred in the external world were regarded as expressing operations and experiences of the human soul4 ,they were also denominated ,neo-,platonists4 ,though ,theosophy1 or the ,eclectic ,theosophical system1 is generally attributed to the third century1 yet1 if ,diogenes ,laertius is to be credited1 its origin is much earlier1 as he attributed the system to an ,egyptian priest1 ,pot-,amun1 who lived in the early days of the ,ptolemaic dynasty4 ,the same author tells us that the name is ,coptic1 and signifies one consecrated to ,amun1 the ,god of ,wisdom4 ,theosophy is the equivalent of ,brahma-,vidya1 divine knowledge4 #b ,eclectic ,theosophy was divided under three heads3 7#a7 ,belief in one absolute1 incomprehensible and supreme ,deity1 or infinite essence1 which is the root of all nature1 and of all that is1 visible and invisible4 7#b7 ,belief in man's eternal immortal nature1 because1 being a radiation of the ,universal ,soul1 it is of an identical essence with it4 7#c7 ,theurgy1 or 8divine work10 or producing a work of gods2 from theoi1 8gods10 and ergein1 8to work40 ,the term is very old1 but1 as it belongs to the vocabulary of the ,,mysteries1 was not in popular use4 ,it was a mystic belief--practically proven by initiated adepts and priests--that1 by making oneself as pure as the incorporeal beings--i4e41 by returning to one's pristine purity of nature--man could move the gods to impart to him ,divine mysteries1 and even cause them to become occasionally visible1 either subjectively or objectively4 ,it was the transcendental aspect of what is now called ,spiritualism2 but having been abused and misconceived by the populace1 it had come to be regarded by some as necromancy1 and was generally forbidden4 ,a travestied practice of the theurgy of ,iamblichus lingers still in the ceremonial magic of some modern ,kabalists4 ,modern ,theosophy avoids and rejects both these kinds of magic and 8necromancy0 as being very dangerous4 ,real divine theurgy requires an almost superhuman purity and holiness of life2 otherwise it degenerates into mediumship or black magic4 ,the immediate disciples of ,ammonius ,saccas1 who was called ,theodidaktos1 8god-taught0--such as ,plotinus and his follower ,porphyry--rejected theurgy at first1 but were finally reconciled to it through ,iamblichus1 who wrote a work to that effect entitled 8,de ,mysteriis10 under the name of his own master1 a famous ,egyptian priest called ,abammon4 ,ammonius ,saccas was the son of ,christian parents1 and1 having been repelled by dogmatic spiritualistic ,christianity from his childhood1 became a ,neo-,platonist1 and like ,j4 ,boehme and other great seers and mystics1 is said to have had divine wisdom revealed to him in dreams and visions4 ,hence his name of ,theodidaktos4 ,he resolved to reconcile every system of religion1 and by demonstrating their identical origin to establish one universal creed based on ethics4 ,his life was so blameless and pure1 his learning so profound and vast1 that several ,church ,fathers were his secret disciples4 ,clemens ,alexandrinus speaks very highly of him4 ,plotinus1 the 8,st4 ,john0 of ,ammonius1 was also a man universally respected and esteemed1 and of the most profound learning and integrity4 ,when thirty-nine years of age he accompanied the ,roman ,emperor ,gordian and his army to the ,east1 to be instructed by the sages of ,bactria and ,india4 ,he had a ,school of ,philosophy in ,rome4 ,porphyry1 his disciple1 whose real name was ,malek 7a ,hellenized ,jew71 collected all the writings of his master4 ,porphyry was himself a great author1 and gave an allegorical interpretation to some parts of ,homer's writings4 ,the system of meditation the ,philaletheians resorted to was ecstacy1 a system akin to ,indian ,yoga practice4 ,what is known of the ,eclectic ,school is due to ,origen1 ,longinus1 and ,plotinus1 the immediate disciples of ,ammonius4--7,vide ,eclectic ,philos41 by ,a4 ,wilder74 #c ,it was under ,philadelphus that ,judaism established itself in ,alexandria1 and forthwith the ,hellenic teachers became the dangerous rivals of the ,college of ,rabbis of ,babylon4 ,as the author of 8,eclectic ,philosophy0 very pertinently remarks3 8,the ,buddhistic1 ,vedantic1 and ,magian systems were expounded along with the philosophies of ,greece at that period4 ,it was not wonderful that thoughtful men supposed that the strife of words ought to cease1 and considered it possible to extract one harmonious system from these various teachings4444 ,pannus1 ,athenagoras1 and ,clement were thoroughly instructed in ,platonic philosophy1 and comprehended its essential unity with the ,oriental systems40 #d ,says ,mosheim of ,ammonius3 8,conceiving that not only the philosophers of ,greece1 but also all those of the different barbarian nations1 were perfectly in unison with each other with regard to every essential point1 he made it his business so to expound the thousand tenets of all these various sects as to show they had all originated from one and the same source1 and tended all to one and the same end40 ,if the writer on ,ammonius in the ,edinburgh ,encyclopdia knows what he is talking about1 then he describes the modern ,theosophists1 their beliefs1 and their work1 for he says1 speaking of the ,theodidaktos3 8,he adopted the doctrines which were received in ,egypt 7the esoteric were those of ,india7 concerning the ,universe and the ,deity1 considered as constituting one great whole2 concerning the eternity of the world 444 and established a system of moral discipline which allowed the people in general to live according to the laws of their country and the dictates of nature1 but required the wise to exalt their mind by contemplation40 #e ,this is what the scholarly author of 8,the ,eclectic ,philosophy10 ,prof4 ,a4 ,wilder1 ,f4,t4,s41 describes as 8spiritual photography03 8,the soul is the camera in which facts and events1 future1 past1 and present1 are alike fixed2 and the mind becomes conscious of them4 ,beyond our every-day world of limits all is one day or state--the past and future comprised in the present40 444 8,death is the last ecstasis on earth4 ,then the soul is freed from the constraint of the body1 and its nobler part is united to higher nature and becomes partaker in the wisdom and foreknowledge of the higher beings40 ,real ,theosophy is1 for the mystics1 that state which ,apollonius of ,tyana was made to describe thus3 8,i can see the present and the future as in a clear mirror4 ,the sage need not wait for the vapours of the earth and the corruption of the air to foresee events4444 ,the theoi1 or gods1 see the future2 common men the present2 sages that which is about to take place40 8,the ,theosophy of the ,sages0 he speaks of is well expressed in the assertion1 8,the ,kingdom of ,god is within us40 ,,ii4 ,,exoteric ,,and ,,esoteric ,,theosophy4 ,,what ,,the ,,modern ,,theosophical ,,society ,,is ,,not4 ,,enq4 ,your doctrines1 then1 are not a revival of ,buddhism1 nor are they entirely copied from the ,neo-,platonic ,theosophy8 ,,theo4 ,they are not4 ,but to these questions ,i cannot give you a better answer than by quoting from a paper read on 8,theosophy0 by ,dr4 ,j4 ,d4 ,buck1 ,f4,t4,s41 before the last ,theosophical ,convention1 at ,chicago1 ,america 7,april1 #ahhi74 ,no living theosophist has better expressed and understood the real essence of ,theosophy than our honoured friend ,dr4 ,buck3-- 8,the ,theosophical ,society was organized for the purpose of promulgating the ,theosophical doctrines1 and for the promotion of the ,theosophic life4 ,the present ,theosophical ,society is not the first of its kind4 ,i have a volume entitled3 #8,theosophical ,transactions of the ,philadelphian ,society1' published in ,london in #afig2 and another with the following title3 #8,introduction to ,theosophy1 or the ,science of the ,mystery of ,christ2 that is1 of ,deity1 ,nature1 and ,creature1 embracing the philosophy of all the working powers of life1 magical and spiritual1 and forming a practical guide to the sublimest purity1 sanctity1 and evangelical perfection2 also to the attainment of divine vision1 and the holy angelic arts1 potencies1 and other prerogatives of the regeneration1' published in ,london in #ahee4 ,the following is the dedication of this volume3 #8,to the students of ,universities1 ,colleges1 and schools of ,christendom3 ,to ,professors of ,metaphysical1 ,mechanical1 and ,natural ,science in all its forms3 ,to men and women of ,education generally1 of fundamental orthodox faith3 ,to ,deists1 ,arians1 ,unitarians1 ,swedenborgians1 and other defective and ungrounded creeds1 rationalists1 and sceptics of every kind3 ,to just-minded and enlightened ,mohammedans1 ,jews1 and oriental ,patriarch-religionists3 but especially to the gospel minister and missionary1 whether to the barbaric or intellectual peoples1 this introduction to ,theosophy1 or the science of the ground and mystery of all things1 is most humbly and affectionately dedicated4' ,in the following year 7#ahef7 another volume was issued1 royal octavo1 of #fjj pages1 diamond type1 of #8,theosophical ,miscellanies4' ,of the last-named work #ejj copies only were issued1 for gratuitous distribution to ,libraries and ,universities4 ,these earlier movements1 of which there were many1 originated within the ,church1 with persons of great piety and earnestness1 and of unblemished character2 and all of these writings were in orthodox form1 using the ,christian expressions1 and1 like the writings of the eminent ,churchman ,william ,law1 would only be distinguished by the ordinary reader for their great earnestness and piety4 ,these were one and all but attempts to derive and explain the deeper meanings and original import of the ,christian ,scriptures1 and to illustrate and unfold the ,theosophic life4 ,these works were soon forgotten1 and are now generally unknown4 ,they sought to reform the clergy and revive genuine piety1 and were never welcomed4 ,that one word1 8,heresy10 was sufficient to bury them in the limbo of all such ,utopias4 ,at the time of the ,reformation ,john ,reuchlin made a similar attempt with the same result1 though he was the intimate and trusted friend of ,luther4 ,orthodoxy never desired to be informed and enlightened4 ,these reformers were informed1 as was ,paul by ,festus1 that too much learning had made them mad1 and that it would be dangerous to go farther4 ,passing by the verbiage1 which was partly a matter of habit and education with these writers1 and partly due to religious restraint through secular power1 and coming to the core of the matter1 these writings were ,theosophical in the strictest sense1 and pertain solely to man's knowledge of his own nature and the higher life of the soul4 ,the present ,theosophical movement has sometimes been declared to be an attempt to convert ,christendom to ,buddhism1 which means simply that the word #8,heresy' has lost its terrors and relinquished its power4 ,individuals in every age have more or less clearly apprehended the ,theosophical doctrines and wrought them into the fabric of their lives4 ,these doctrines belong exclusively to no religion1 and are confined to no society or time4 ,they are the birthright of every human soul4 ,such a thing as orthodoxy must be wrought out by each individual according to his nature and his needs1 and according to his varying experience4 ,this may explain why those who have imagined ,theosophy to be a new religion have hunted in vain for its creed and its ritual4 ,its creed is ,loyalty to ,truth1 and its ritual #8,to honour every truth by use4' ,how little this principle of ,universal ,brotherhood is understood by the masses of mankind1 how seldom its transcendent importance is recognised1 may be seen in the diversity of opinion and fictitious interpretations regarding the ,theosophical ,society4 ,this ,society was organized on this one principle1 the essential ,brotherhood of ,man1 as herein briefly outlined and imperfectly set forth4 ,it has been assailed as ,buddhistic and anti-,christian1 as though it could be both these together1 when both ,buddhism and ,christianity1 as set forth by their inspired founders1 make brotherhood the one essential of doctrine and of life4 ,theosophy has been also regarded as something new under the sun1 or at best as old mysticism masquerading under a new name4 ,while it is true that many ,societies founded upon1 and united to support1 the principles of altruism1 or essential brotherhood1 have borne various names1 it is also true that many have also been called ,theosophic1 and with principles and aims as the present society bearing that name4 ,with these societies1 one and all1 the essential doctrine has been the same1 and all else has been incidental1 though this does not obviate the fact that many persons are attracted to the incidentals who overlook or ignore the essentials40 ,no better or more explicit answer--by a man who is one of our most esteemed and earnest ,theosophists--could be given to your questions4 ,,enq4 ,which system do you prefer or follow1 in that case1 besides ,buddhistic ethics8 ,,theo4 ,none1 and all4 ,we hold to no religion1 as to no philosophy in particular3 we cull the good we find in each4 ,but here1 again1 it must be stated that1 like all other ancient systems1 ,theosophy is divided into ,exoteric and ,esoteric ,sections4 ,,enq4 ,what is the difference8 ,,theo4 ,the members of the ,theosophical ,society at large are free to profess whatever religion or philosophy they like1 or none if they so prefer1 provided they are in sympathy with1 and ready to carry out one or more of the three objects of the ,association4 ,the ,society is a philanthropic and scientific body for the propagation of the idea of brotherhood on practical instead of theoretical lines4 ,the ,fellows may be ,christians or ,mussulmen1 ,jews or ,parsees1 ,buddhists or ,brahmins1 ,spiritualists or ,materialists1 it does not matter2 but every member must be either a philanthropist1 or a scholar1 a searcher into ,aryan and other old literature1 or a psychic student4 ,in short1 he has to help1 if he can1 in the carrying out of at least one of the objects of the programme4 ,otherwise he has no reason for becoming a 8,fellow40 ,such are the majority of the exoteric ,society1 composed of 8attached0 and 8unattached0 members4#f ,these may1 or may not1 become ,theosophists de facto4 ,members they are1 by virtue of their having joined the ,society2 but the latter cannot make a ,theosophist of one who has no sense for the divine fitness of things1 or of him who understands ,theosophy in his own--if the expression may be used--sectarian and egotistic way4 8,handsome is1 as handsome does0 could be paraphrased in this case and be made to run3 8,theosophist is1 who ,theosophy does40 ,,theosophists ,,and ,,members ,,of ,,the 8,t4,s40 ,,enq4 ,this applies to lay members1 as ,i understand4 ,and what of those who pursue the esoteric study of ,theosophy2 are they the real ,theosophists8 ,,theo4 ,not necessarily1 until they have proven themselves to be such4 ,they have entered the inner group and pledged themselves to carry out1 as strictly as they can1 the rules of the occult body4 ,this is a difficult undertaking1 as the foremost rule of all is the entire renunciation of one's personality--i4e41 a pledged member has to become a thorough altruist1 never to think of himself1 and to forget his own vanity and pride in the thought of the good of his fellow-creatures1 besides that of his fellow-brothers in the esoteric circle4 ,he has to live1 if the esoteric instructions shall profit him1 a life of abstinence in everything1 of self-denial and strict morality1 doing his duty by all men4 ,the few real ,theosophists in the ,t4,s4 are among these members4 ,this does not imply that outside of the ,t4,s4 and the inner circle1 there are no ,theosophists2 for there are1 and more than people know of2 certainly far more than are found among the lay members of the ,t4,s4 ,,enq4 ,then what is the good of joining the so-called ,theosophical ,society in that case8 ,where is the incentive8 ,,theo4 ,none1 except the advantage of getting esoteric instructions1 the genuine doctrines of the 8,wisdom-,religion10 and if the real programme is carried out1 deriving much help from mutual aid and sympathy4 ,union is strength and harmony1 and well-regulated simultaneous efforts produce wonders4 ,this has been the secret of all associations and communities since mankind existed4 ,,enq4 ,but why could not a man of well-balanced mind and singleness of purpose1 one1 say1 of indomitable energy and perseverance1 become an ,occultist and even an ,adept if he works alone8 ,,theo4 ,he may2 but there are ten thousand chances against one that he will fail4 ,for one reason out of many others1 no books on ,occultism or ,theurgy exist in our day which give out the secrets of alchemy or medival ,theosophy in plain language4 ,all are symbolical or in parables2 and as the key to these has been lost for ages in the ,west1 how can a man learn the correct meaning of what he is reading and studying8 ,therein lies the greatest danger1 one that leads to unconscious black magic or the most helpless mediumship4 ,he who has not an ,initiate for a master had better leave the dangerous study alone4 ,look around you and observe4 ,while two-thirds of civilized society ridicule the mere notion that there is anything in ,theosophy1 ,occultism1 ,spiritualism1 or in the ,kabala1 the other third is composed of the most heterogeneous and opposite elements4 ,some believe in the mystical1 and even in the supernatural 7671 but each believes in his own way4 ,others will rush single-handed into the study of the ,kabala1 ,psychism1 ,mesmerism1 ,spiritualism1 or some form or another of ,mysticism4 ,result3 no two men think alike1 no two are agreed upon any fundamental occult principles1 though many are those who claim for themselves the ultima thule of knowledge1 and would make outsiders believe that they are full-blown adepts4 ,not only is there no scientific and accurate knowledge of ,occultism accessible in the ,west--not even of true astrology1 the only branch of ,occultism which1 in its exoteric teachings1 has definite laws and a definite system--but no one has any idea of what real ,occultism means4 ,some limit ancient wisdom to the ,kabala and the ,jewish ,zohar1 which each interprets in his own way according to the dead-letter of the ,rabbinical methods4 ,others regard ,swedenborg or ,boehme as the ultimate expressions of the highest wisdom2 while others again see in mesmerism the great secret of ancient magic4 ,one and all of those who put their theory into practice are rapidly drifting1 through ignorance1 into black magic4 ,happy are those who escape from it1 as they have neither test nor criterion by which they can distinguish between the true and the false4 ,,enq4 ,are we to understand that the inner group of the ,t4,s4 claims to learn what it does from real initiates or masters of esoteric wisdom8 ,,theo4 ,not directly4 ,the personal presence of such masters is not required4 ,suffice it if they give instructions to some of those who have studied under their guidance for years1 and devoted their whole lives to their service4 ,then1 in turn1 these can give out the knowledge so imparted to others1 who had no such opportunity4 ,a portion of the true sciences is better than a mass of undigested and misunderstood learning4 ,an ounce of gold is worth a ton of dust4 ,,enq4 ,but how is one to know whether the ounce is real gold or only a counterfeit8 ,,theo4 ,a tree is known by its fruit1 a system by its results4 ,when our opponents are able to prove to us that any solitary student of ,occultism throughout the ages has become a saintly adept like ,ammonius ,saccas1 or even a ,plotinus1 or a ,theurgist like ,iamblichus1 or achieved feats such as are claimed to have been done by ,st4 ,germain1 without any master to guide him1 and all this without being a medium1 a self-deluded psychic1 or a charlatan--then shall we confess ourselves mistaken4 ,but till then1 ,theosophists prefer to follow the proven natural law of the tradition of the ,sacred ,science4 ,there are mystics who have made great discoveries in chemistry and physical sciences1 almost bordering on alchemy and ,occultism2 others who1 by the sole aid of their genius1 have rediscovered portions1 if not the whole1 of the lost alphabets of the 8,mystery language10 and are1 therefore1 able to read correctly ,hebrew scrolls2 others still1 who1 being seers1 have caught wonderful glimpses of the hidden secrets of ,nature4 ,but all these are specialists4 ,one is a theoretical inventor1 another a ,hebrew1 i4e41 a ,sectarian ,kabalist1 a third a ,swedenborg of modern times1 denying all and everything outside of his own particular science or religion4 ,not one of them can boast of having produced a universal or even a national benefit thereby1 not even to himself4 ,with the exception of a few healers--of that class which the ,royal ,college of ,physicians and ,surgeons would call quacks--none have helped with their science ,humanity1 nor even a number of men of the same community4 ,where are the ,chaldees of old1 those who wrought marvellous cures1 8not by charms but by simples08 ,where is an ,apollonius of ,tyana1 who healed the sick and raised the dead under any climate and circumstances8 ,we know some specialists of the former class in ,europe1 but none of the latter--except in ,asia1 where the secret of the ,yogi1 8to live in death10 is still preserved4 ,,enq4 ,is the production of such healing adepts the aim of ,theosophy8 ,,theo4 ,its aims are several2 but the most important of all are those which are likely to lead to the relief of human suffering under any or every form1 moral as well as physical4 ,and we believe the former to be far more important than the latter4 ,theosophy has to inculcate ethics2 it has to purify the soul1 if it would relieve the physical body1 whose ailments1 save cases of accidents1 are all hereditary4 ,it is not by studying ,occultism for selfish ends1 for the gratification of one's personal ambition1 pride1 or vanity1 that one can ever reach the true goal3 that of helping suffering mankind4 ,nor is it by studying one single branch of the esoteric philosophy that a man becomes an ,occultist1 but by studying1 if not mastering1 them all4 ,,enq4 ,is help1 then1 to reach this most important aim1 given only to those who study the esoteric sciences8 ,,theo4 ,not at all4 ,every lay member is entitled to general instruction if he only wants it2 but few are willing to become what is called 8working members10 and most prefer to remain the drones of ,theosophy4 ,let it be understood that private research is encouraged in the ,t4,s41 provided it does not infringe the limit which separates the exoteric from the esoteric1 the blind from the conscious magic4 ,,the ,,difference ,,between ,,theosophy ,,and ,,spiritualism4 ,,enq4 ,you speak of ,theosophy and ,occultism2 are they identical8 ,,theo4 ,by no means4 ,a man may be a very good ,theosophist indeed1 whether in or outside of the ,society1 without being in any way an ,occultist4 ,but no one can be a true ,occultist without being a real ,theosophist2 otherwise he is simply a black magician1 whether conscious or unconscious4 ,,enq4 ,what do you mean8 ,,theo4 ,i have said already that a true ,theosophist must put in practice the loftiest moral ideal1 must strive to realize his unity with the whole of humanity1 and work ceaselessly for others4 ,now1 if an ,occultist does not do all this1 he must act selfishly for his own personal benefit2 and if he has acquired more practical power than other ordinary men1 he becomes forthwith a far more dangerous enemy to the world and those around him than the average mortal4 ,this is clear4 ,,enq4 ,then is an ,occultist simply a man who possesses more power than other people8 ,,theo4 ,far more--if he is a practical and really learned ,occultist1 and not one only in name4 ,occult sciences are not1 as described1 in ,encyclopdias1 8those imaginary sciences of the ,middle ,ages which related to the supposed action or influence of ,occult qualities or supernatural powers1 as alchemy1 magic1 necromancy1 and astrology10 for they are real1 actual1 and very dangerous sciences4 ,they teach the secret potency of things in ,nature1 developing and cultivating the hidden powers 8latent in man10 thus giving him tremendous advantages over more ignorant mortals4 ,hypnotism1 now become so common and a subject of serious scientific inquiry1 is a good instance in point4 ,hypnotic power has been discovered almost by accident1 the way to it having been prepared by mesmerism2 and now an able hypnotizer can do almost anything with it1 from forcing a man1 unconsciously to himself1 to play the fool1 to making him commit a crime--often by proxy for the hypnotizer1 and for the benefit of the latter4 ,is not this a terrible power if left in the hands of unscrupulous persons8 ,and please to remember that this is only one of the minor branches of ,occultism4 ,,enq4 ,but are not all these ,occult sciences1 magic1 and sorcery1 considered by the most cultured and learned people as relics of ancient ignorance and superstition8 ,,theo4 ,let me remind you that this remark of yours cuts both ways4 ,the 8most cultured and learned0 among you regard also ,christianity and every other religion as a relic of ignorance and superstition4 ,people begin to believe now1 at any rate1 in hypnotism1 and some--even of the most cultured--in ,theosophy and phenomena4 ,but who among them1 except preachers and blind fanatics1 will confess to a belief in ,biblical miracles8 ,and this is where the point of difference comes in4 ,there are very good and pure ,theosophists who may believe in the supernatural1 divine miracles included1 but no ,occultist will do so4 ,for an ,occultist practices scientific ,theosophy1 based on accurate knowledge of ,nature's secret workings2 but a ,theosophist1 practising the powers called abnormal1 minus the light of ,occultism1 will simply tend toward a dangerous form of mediumship1 because1 although holding to ,theosophy and its highest conceivable code of ethics1 he practises it in the dark1 on sincere but blind faith4 ,anyone1 ,theosophist or ,spiritualist1 who attempts to cultivate one of the branches of ,occult science--e4g41 ,hypnotism1 ,mesmerism1 or even the secrets of producing physical phenomena1 etc4--without the knowledge of the philosophic rationale of those powers1 is like a rudderless boat launched on a stormy ocean4 ,,the ,,difference ,,between ,,theosophy ,,and ,,spiritualism4 ,,enq4 ,but do you not believe in ,spiritualism8 ,,theo4 ,if by 8,spiritualism0 you mean the explanation which ,spiritualists give of some abnormal phenomena1 then decidedly we do not4 ,they maintain that these manifestations are all produced by the 8spirits0 of departed mortals1 generally their relatives1 who return to earth1 they say1 to communicate with those they have loved or to whom they are attached4 ,we deny this point blank4 ,we assert that the spirits of the dead cannot return to earth--save in rare and exceptional cases1 of which ,i may speak later2 nor do they communicate with men except by entirely subjective means4 ,that which does appear objectively1 is only the phantom of the ex-physical man4 ,but in psychic1 and so to say1 8,spiritual0 ,spiritualism1 we do believe1 most decidedly4 ,,enq4 ,do you reject the phenomena also8 ,,theo4 ,assuredly not--save cases of conscious fraud4 ,,enq4 ,how do you account for them1 then8 ,,theo4 ,in many ways4 ,the causes of such manifestations are by no means so simple as the ,spiritualists would like to believe4 ,foremost of all1 the deus ex machin of the so-called 8materializations0 is usually the astral body or 8double0 of the medium or of some one present4 ,this astral body is also the producer or operating force in the manifestations of slate-writing1 8,davenport0-like manifestations1 and so on4 ,,enq4 ,you say 8usually02 then what is it that produces the rest8 ,,theo4 ,that depends on the nature of the manifestations4 ,sometimes the astral remains1 the ,kamalokic 8shells0 of the vanished personalities that were2 at other times1 ,elementals4 8,spirit0 is a word of manifold and wide significance4 ,i really do not know what ,spiritualists mean by the term2 but what we understand them to claim is that the physical phenomena are produced by the reincarnating ,ego1 the ,spiritual and immortal 8individuality40 ,and this hypothesis we entirely reject4 ,the ,conscious ,individuality of the disembodied cannot materialize1 nor can it return from its own mental ,devachanic sphere to the plane of terrestrial objectivity4 ,,enq4 ,but many of the communications received from the 8spirits0 show not only intelligence1 but a knowledge of facts not known to the medium1 and sometimes even not consciously present to the mind of the investigator1 or any of those who compose the audience4 ,,theo4 ,this does not necessarily prove that the intelligence and knowledge you speak of belong to spirits1 or emanate from disembodied souls4 ,somnambulists have been known to compose music and poetry and to solve mathematical problems while in their trance state1 without having ever learnt music or mathematics4 ,others answered intelligently to questions put to them1 and even1 in several cases1 spoke languages1 such as ,hebrew and ,latin1 of which they were entirely ignorant when awake--all this in a state of profound sleep4 ,will you1 then1 maintain that this was caused by 8spirits08 ,,enq4 ,but how would you explain it8 ,,theo4 ,we assert that the divine spark in man being one and identical in its essence with the ,universal ,spirit1 our 8spiritual ,self0 is practically omniscient1 but that it cannot manifest its knowledge owing to the impediments of matter4 ,now the more these impediments are removed1 in other words1 the more the physical body is paralyzed1 as to its own independent activity and consciousness1 as in deep sleep or deep trance1 or1 again1 in illness1 the more fully can the inner ,self manifest on this plane4 ,this is our explanation of those truly wonderful phenomena of a higher order1 in which undeniable intelligence and knowledge are exhibited4 ,as to the lower order of manifestations1 such as physical phenomena and the platitudes and common talk of the general 8spirit10 to explain even the most important of the teachings we hold upon the subject would take up more space and time than can be allotted to it at present4 ,we have no desire to interfere with the belief of the ,spiritualists any more than with any other belief4 ,the onus probandi must fall on the believers in 8spirits40 ,and at the present moment1 while still convinced that the higher sort of manifestations occur through the disembodied souls1 their leaders and the most learned and intelligent among the ,spiritualists are the first to confess that not all the phenomena are produced by spirits4 ,gradually they will come to recognize the whole truth2 but meanwhile we have no right nor desire to proselytize them to our views4 ,the less so1 as in the cases of purely psychic and spiritual manifestations we believe in the intercommunication of the spirit of the living man with that of disembodied personalities4#g ,,enq4 ,this means that you reject the philosophy of ,spiritualism in toto8 ,,theo4 ,if by 8philosophy0 you mean their crude theories1 we do4 ,but they have no philosophy1 in truth4 ,their best1 their most intellectual and earnest defenders say so4 ,their fundamental and only unimpeachable truth1 namely1 that phenomena occur through mediums controlled by invisible forces and intelligences--no one1 except a blind materialist of the 8,huxley big toe0 school1 will or can deny4 ,with regard to their philosophy1 however1 let me read to you what the able editor of ,light1 than whom the ,spiritualists will find no wiser nor more devoted champion1 says of them and their philosophy4 ,this is what 8,m4,a4 ,oxon10 one of the very few philosophical ,spiritualists1 writes1 with respect to their lack of organization and blind bigotry3-- ,it is worth while to look steadily at this point1 for it is of vital moment4 ,we have an experience and a knowledge beside which all other knowledge is comparatively insignificant4 ,the ordinary ,spiritualist waxes wroth if anyone ventures to impugn his assured knowledge of the future and his absolute certainty of the life to come4 ,where other men have stretched forth feeble hands groping into the dark future1 he walks boldly as one who has a chart and knows his way4 ,where other men have stopped short at a pious aspiration or have been content with a hereditary faith1 it is his boast that he knows what they only believe1 and that out of his rich stores he can supplement the fading faiths built only upon hope4 ,he is magnificent in his dealings with man's most cherished expectations4 8,you hope10 he seems to say1 8for that which ,i can demonstrate4 ,you have accepted a traditional belief in what ,i can experimentally prove according to the strictest scientific method4 ,the old beliefs are fading2 come out from them and be separate4 ,they contain as much falsehood as truth4 ,only by building on a sure foundation of demonstrated fact can your superstructure be stable4 ,all round you old faiths are toppling4 ,avoid the crash and get you out40 ,when one comes to deal with this magnificent person in a practical way1 what is the result8 ,very curious and very disappointing4 ,he is so sure of his ground that he takes no trouble to ascertain the interpretation which others put upon his facts4 ,the wisdom of the ages has concerned itself with the explanation of what he rightly regards as proven2 but he does not turn a passing glance on its researches4 ,he does not even agree altogether with his brother ,spiritualist4 ,it is the story over again of the old ,scotch body who1 together with her husband1 formed a 8kirk40 ,they had exclusive keys to ,heaven1 or1 rather1 she had1 for she was 8na certain aboot ,jamie40 ,so the infinitely divided and subdivided and resubdivided sects of ,spiritualists shake their heads1 and are 8na certain aboot0 one another4 ,again1 the collective experience of mankind is solid and unvarying on this point that union is strength1 and disunion a source of weakness and failure4 ,shoulder to shoulder1 drilled and disciplined1 a rabble becomes an army1 each man a match for a hundred of the untrained men that may be brought against it4 ,organization in every department of man's work means success1 saving of time and labour1 profit and development4 ,want of method1 want of plan1 haphazard work1 fitful energy1 undisciplined effort--these mean bungling failure4 ,the voice of humanity attests the truth4 ,does the ,spiritualist accept the verdict and act on the conclusion8 ,verily1 no4 ,he refuses to organize4 ,he is a law unto himself1 and a thorn in the side of his neighbours4--,light1 ,june #bb1 #ahhi4 ,,enq4 ,i was told that the ,theosophical ,society was originally founded to crush ,spiritualism and belief in the survival of the individuality in man8 ,,theo4 ,you are misinformed4 ,our beliefs are all founded on that immortal individuality4 ,but then1 like so many others1 you confuse personality with individuality4 ,your ,western psychologists do not seem to have established any clear distinction between the two4 ,yet it is precisely that difference which gives the key-note to the understanding of ,eastern philosophy1 and which lies at the root of the divergence between the ,theosophical and ,spiritualistic teachings4 ,and though it may draw upon us still more the hostility of some ,spiritualists1 yet ,i must state here that it is ,theosophy which is the true and unalloyed ,spiritualism1 while the modern scheme of that name is1 as now practised by the masses1 simply transcendental materialism4 ,,enq4 ,please explain your idea more clearly4 ,,theo4 ,what ,i mean is that though our teachings insist upon the identity of spirit and matter1 and though we say that spirit is potential matter1 and matter simply crystallized spirit 7e4g41 as ice is solidified steam71 yet since the original and eternal condition of all is not spirit but meta-spirit1 so to speak1 7visible and solid matter being simply its periodical manifestation17 we maintain that the term spirit can only be applied to the true individuality4 ,,enq4 ,but what is the distinction between this 8true individuality0 and the 8,i0 or 8,ego0 of which we are all conscious8 ,,theo4 ,before ,i can answer you1 we must argue upon what you mean by 8,i0 or 8,ego40 ,we distinguish between the simple fact of self-consciousness1 the simple feeling that 8,i am ,i10 and the complex thought that 8,i am ,mr4 ,smith0 or 8,mrs4 ,brown40 ,believing as we do in a series of births for the same ,ego1 or re-incarnation1 this distinction is the fundamental pivot of the whole idea4 ,you see 8,mr4 ,smith0 really means a long series of daily experiences strung together by the thread of memory1 and forming what ,mr4 ,smith calls 8himself40 ,but none of these 8experiences0 are really the 8,i0 or the ,ego1 nor do they give 8,mr4 ,smith0 the feeling that he is himself1 for he forgets the greater part of his daily experiences1 and they produce the feeling of ,egoity in him only while they last4 ,we ,theosophists1 therefore1 distinguish between this bundle of 8experiences10 which we call the false 7because so finite and evanescent7 personality1 and that element in man to which the feeling of 8,i am ,i0 is due4 ,it is this 8,i am ,i0 which we call the true individuality2 and we say that this 8,ego0 or individuality plays1 like an actor1 many parts on the stage of life4#h ,let us call every new life on earth of the same ,ego a night on the stage of a theatre4 ,one night the actor1 or 8,ego10 appears as 8,macbeth10 the next as 8,shylock10 the third as 8,romeo10 the fourth as 8,hamlet0 or 8,king ,lear10 and so on1 until he has run through the whole cycle of incarnations4 ,the ,ego begins his life-pilgrimage as a sprite1 an 8,ariel10 or a 8,puck02 he plays the part of a super1 is a soldier1 a servant1 one of the chorus2 rises then to 8speaking parts10 plays leading rles1 interspersed with insignificant parts1 till he finally retires from the stage as 8,prospero10 the magician4 ,,enq4 ,i understand4 ,you say1 then1 that this true ,ego cannot return to earth after death4 ,but surely the actor is at liberty1 if he has preserved the sense of his individuality1 to return if he likes to the scene of his former actions8 ,,theo4 ,we say not1 simply because such a return to earth would be incompatible with any state of unalloyed bliss after death1 as ,i am prepared to prove4 ,we say that man suffers so much unmerited misery during his life1 through the fault of others with whom he is associated1 or because of his environment1 that he is surely entitled to perfect rest and quiet1 if not bliss1 before taking up again the burden of life4 ,however1 we can discuss this in detail later4 ,,why ,,is ,,theosophy ,,accepted8 ,,enq4 ,i understand to a certain extent2 but ,i see that your teachings are far more complicated and metaphysical than either ,spiritualism or current religious thought4 ,can you tell me1 then1 what has caused this system of ,theosophy which you support to arouse so much interest and so much animosity at the same time8 ,,theo4 ,there are several reasons for it1 ,i believe2 among other causes that may be mentioned is1 firstly1 the great reaction from the crassly materialistic theories now prevalent among scientific teachers4 ,secondly1 general dissatisfaction with the artificial theology of the various ,christian ,churches1 and the number of daily increasing and conflicting sects4 ,thirdly1 an ever-growing perception of the fact that the creeds which are so obviously self--and mutually--contradictory cannot be true1 and that claims which are unverified cannot be real4 ,this natural distrust of conventional religions is only strengthened by their complete failure to preserve morals and to purify society and the masses4 ,fourthly1 a conviction on the part of many1 and knowledge by a few1 that there must be somewhere a philosophical and religious system which shall be scientific and not merely speculative4 ,finally1 a belief1 perhaps1 that such a system must be sought for in teachings far antedating any modern faith4 ,,enq4 ,but how did this system come to be put forward just now8 ,,theo4 ,just because the time was found to be ripe1 which fact is shown by the determined effort of so many earnest students to reach the truth1 at whatever cost and wherever it may be concealed4 ,seeing this1 its custodians permitted that some portions at least of that truth should be proclaimed4 ,had the formation of the ,theosophical ,society been postponed a few years longer1 one half of the civilized nations would have become by this time rank materialists1 and the other half anthropomorphists and phenomenalists4 ,,enq4 ,are we to regard ,theosophy in any way as a revelation8 ,,theo4 ,in no way whatever--not even in the sense of a new and direct disclosure from some higher1 supernatural1 or1 at least1 superhuman beings2 but only in the sense of an 8unveiling0 of old1 very old1 truths to minds hitherto ignorant of them1 ignorant even of the existence and preservation of any such archaic knowledge4#i ,,enq4 ,you spoke of 8,persecution40 ,if truth is as represented by ,theosophy1 why has it met with such opposition1 and with no general acceptance8 ,,theo4 ,for many and various reasons again1 one of which is the hatred felt by men for 8innovations10 as they call them4 ,selfishness is essentially conservative1 and hates being disturbed4 ,it prefers an easy-going1 unexacting lie to the greatest truth1 if the latter requires the sacrifice of one's smallest comfort4 ,the power of mental inertia is great in anything that does not promise immediate benefit and reward4 ,our age is pre-eminently unspiritual and matter of fact4 ,moreover1 there is the unfamiliar character of ,theosophic teachings2 the highly abstruse nature of the doctrines1 some of which contradict flatly many of the human vagaries cherished by sectarians1 which have eaten into the very core of popular beliefs4 ,if we add to this the personal efforts and great purity of life exacted of those who would become the disciples of the inner circle1 and the very limited class to which an entirely unselfish code appeals1 it will be easy to perceive the reason why ,theosophy is doomed to such slow1 uphill work4 ,it is essentially the philosophy of those who suffer1 and have lost all hope of being helped out of the mire of life by any other means4 ,moreover1 the history of any system of belief or morals1 newly introduced into a foreign soil1 shows that its beginnings were impeded by every obstacle that obscurantism and selfishness could suggest4 8,the crown of the innovator is a crown of thorns0 indeed6 ,no pulling down of old1 worm-eaten buildings can be accomplished without some danger4 ,,enq4 ,all this refers rather to the ethics and philosophy of the ,t4,s4 ,can you give me a general idea of the ,society itself1 its object and statutes8 ,,theo4 ,this was never made secret4 ,ask1 and you shall receive accurate answers4 ,,enq4 ,but ,i heard that you were bound by pledges8 ,,theo4 ,only in the ,arcane or 8,esoteric0 ,section4 ,,enq4 ,and also1 that some members after leaving did not regard themselves bound by them4 ,are they right8 ,,theo4 ,this shows that their idea of honour is an imperfect one4 ,how can they be right8 ,as well said in the ,path1 our theosophical organ at ,new ,york1 treating of such a case3 8,suppose that a soldier is tried for infringement of oath and discipline1 and is dismissed from the service4 ,in his rage at the justice he has called down1 and of whose penalties he was distinctly forewarned1 the soldier turns to the enemy with false information1--a spy and traitor--as a revenge upon his former ,chief1 and claims that his punishment has released him from his oath of loyalty to a cause40 ,is he justified1 think you8 ,don't you think he deserves being called a dishonourable man1 a coward8 ,,enq4 ,i believe so2 but some think otherwise4 ,,theo4 ,so much the worse for them4 ,but we will talk on this subject later1 if you please4 ,,footnotes3 #f ,an 8attached member0 means one who has joined some particular branch of the ,t4,s4 ,an 8unattached10 one who belongs to the ,society at large1 has his diploma1 from the ,headquarters 7,adyar1 ,madras71 but is connected with no branch or lodge4 #g ,we say that in such cases it is not the spirits of the dead who descend on earth1 but the spirits of the living that ascend to the pure ,spiritual ,souls4 ,in truth there is neither ascending nor descending1 but a change of state or condition for the medium4 ,the body of the latter becoming paralyzed1 or 8entranced10 the spiritual ,ego is free from its trammels1 and finds itself on the same plane of consciousness with the disembodied spirits4 ,hence1 if there is any spiritual attraction between the two they can communicate1 as often occurs in dreams4 ,the difference between a mediumistic and a non-sensitive nature is this3 the liberated spirit of a medium has the opportunity and facility of influencing the passive organs of its entranced physical body1 to make them act1 speak1 and write at its will4 ,the ,ego can make it repeat1 echo-like1 and in the human language1 the thoughts and ideas of the disembodied entity1 as well as its own4 ,but the non-receptive or non-sensitive organism of one who is very positive cannot be so influenced4 ,hence1 although there is hardly a human being whose ,ego does not hold free intercourse1 during the sleep of his body1 with those whom it loved and lost1 yet1 on account of the positiveness and non-receptivity of its physical envelope and brain1 no recollection1 or a very dim1 dream-like remembrance1 lingers in the memory of the person once awake4 #h ,vide infra1 8,on ,individuality and ,personality40 #i ,it has become 8fashionable10 especially of late1 to deride the notion that there ever was1 in the mysteries of great and civilized peoples1 such as the ,egyptians1 ,greeks1 or ,romans1 anything but priestly imposture4 ,even the ,rosicrucians were no better than half lunatics1 half knaves4 ,numerous books have been written on them2 and tyros1 who had hardly heard the name a few years before1 sallied out as profound critics and ,gnostics on the subject of alchemy1 the fire-philosophers1 and mysticism in general4 ,yet a long series of the ,hierophants of ,egypt1 ,india1 ,chaldea1 and ,arabia are known1 along with the greatest philosophers and sages of ,greece and the ,west1 to have included under the designation of wisdom and divine science all knowledge1 for they considered the base and origin of every art and science as essentially divine4 ,plato regarded the mysteries as most sacred1 and ,clemens ,alexandrinus1 who had been himself initiated into the ,eleusinian mysteries1 has declared 8that the doctrines taught therein contained in them the end of all human knowledge40 ,were ,plato and ,clemens two knaves or two fools1 we wonder1 or--both8 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,working ,,system ,,of ,,the ,t4,s4#aj ,,the ,,objects ,,of ,,the ,,society4 ,,enq4 ,what are the objects of the 8,theosophical ,society08 ,,theo4 ,they are three1 and have been so from the beginning4 7#a74 ,to form the nucleus of a ,universal ,brotherhood of ,humanity without distinction of race1 colour1 or creed4 7#b74 ,to promote the study of ,aryan and other ,scriptures1 of the ,world's religion and sciences1 and to vindicate the importance of old ,asiatic literature1 namely1 of the ,brahmanical1 ,buddhist1 and ,zoroastrian philosophies4 7#c74 ,to investigate the hidden mysteries of ,nature under every aspect possible1 and the psychic and spiritual powers latent in man especially4 ,these are1 broadly stated1 the three chief objects of the ,theosophical ,society4 ,,enq4 ,can you give me some more detailed information upon these8 ,,theo4 ,we may divide each of the three objects into as many explanatory clauses as may be found necessary4 ,,enq4 ,then let us begin with the first4 ,what means would you resort to1 in order to promote such a feeling of brotherhood among races that are known to be of the most diversified religions1 customs1 beliefs1 and modes of thought8 ,,theo4 ,allow me to add that which you seem unwilling to express4 ,of course we know that with the exception of two remnants of races--the ,parsees and the ,jews--every nation is divided1 not merely against all other nations1 but even against itself4 ,this is found most prominently among the so-called civilized ,christian nations4 ,hence your wonder1 and the reason why our first object appears to you a ,utopia4 ,is it not so8 ,,enq4 ,well1 yes2 but what have you to say against it8 ,,theo4 ,nothing against the fact2 but much about the necessity of removing the causes which make ,universal ,brotherhood a ,utopia at present4 ,,enq4 ,what are1 in your view1 these causes8 ,,theo4 ,first and foremost1 the natural selfishness of human nature4 ,this selfishness1 instead of being eradicated1 is daily strengthened and stimulated into a ferocious and irresistible feeling by the present religious education1 which tends not only to encourage1 but positively to justify it4 ,people's ideas about right and wrong have been entirely perverted by the literal acceptance of the ,jewish ,bible4 ,all the unselfishness of the altruistic teachings of ,jesus has become merely a theoretical subject for pulpit oratory2 while the precepts of practical selfishness taught in the ,mosaic ,bible1 against which ,christ so vainly preached1 have become ingrained into the innermost life of the ,western nations4 8,an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth0 has come to be the first maxim of your law4 ,now1 ,i state openly and fearlessly1 that the perversity of this doctrine and of so many others ,theosophy alone can eradicate4 ,,the ,,common ,,origin ,,of ,,man4 ,,enq4 ,how8 ,,theo4 ,simply by demonstrating on logical1 philosophical1 metaphysical1 and even scientific grounds that3--7a7 ,all men have spiritually and physically the same origin1 which is the fundamental teaching of ,theosophy4 7b7 ,as mankind is essentially of one and the same essence1 and that essence is one--infinite1 uncreate1 and eternal1 whether we call it ,god or ,nature--nothing1 therefore1 can affect one nation or one man without affecting all other nations and all other men4 ,this is as certain and as obvious as that a stone thrown into a pond will1 sooner or later1 set in motion every single drop of water therein4 ,,enq4 ,but this is not the teaching of ,christ1 but rather a pantheistic notion4 ,,theo4 ,that is where your mistake lies4 ,it is purely ,christian1 although not ,judaic1 and therefore1 perhaps1 your ,biblical nations prefer to ignore it4 ,,enq4 ,this is a wholesale and unjust accusation4 ,where are your proofs for such a statement8 ,,theo4 ,they are ready at hand4 ,christ is alleged to have said3 8,love each other0 and 8,love your enemies02 for 8if ye love them 7only7 which love you1 what reward 7or merit7 have ye8 ,do not even the publicans#aa the same8 ,and if you salute your brethren only1 what do ye more than others8 ,do not even publicans so80 ,these are ,christ's words4 ,but ,genesis ix4 #be1 says 8,cursed be ,canaan1 a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren40 ,and1 therefore1 ,christian but ,biblical people prefer the law of ,moses to ,christ's law of love4 ,they base upon the ,old ,testament1 which panders to all their passions1 their laws of conquest1 annexation1 and tyranny over races which they call inferior4 ,what crimes have been committed on the strength of this infernal 7if taken in its dead letter7 passage in ,genesis1 history alone gives us an idea1 however inadequate4#ab ,,enq4 ,i have heard you say that the identity of our physical origin is proved by science1 that of our spiritual origin by the ,wisdom-,religion4 ,yet we do not find ,darwinists exhibiting great fraternal affection4 ,,theo4 ,just so4 ,this is what shows the deficiency of the materialistic systems1 and proves that we ,theosophists are in the right4 ,the identity of our physical origin makes no appeal to our higher and deeper feelings4 ,matter1 deprived of its soul and spirit1 or its divine essence1 cannot speak to the human heart4 ,but the identity of the soul and spirit1 of real1 immortal man1 as ,theosophy teaches us1 once proven and deep-rooted in our hearts1 would lead us far on the road of real charity and brotherly goodwill4 ,,enq4 ,but how does ,theosophy explain the common origin of man8 ,,theo4 ,by teaching that the root of all nature1 objective and subjective1 and everything else in the universe1 visible and invisible1 is1 was1 and ever will be one absolute essence1 from which all starts1 and into which everything returns4 ,this is ,aryan philosophy1 fully represented only by the ,vedantins1 and the ,buddhist system4 ,with this object in view1 it is the duty of all ,theosophists to promote in every practical way1 and in all countries1 the spread of non-sectarian education4 ,,enq4 ,what do the written statutes of your ,society advise its members to do besides this8 ,on the physical plane1 ,i mean8 ,,theo4 ,in order to awaken brotherly feeling among nations we have to assist in the international exchange of useful arts and products1 by advice1 information1 and co-operation with all worthy individuals and associations 7provided1 however1 add the statutes1 8that no benefit or percentage shall be taken by the ,society or the #8,fellows' for its or their corporate services074 ,for instance1 to take a practical illustration4 ,the organization of ,society1 depicted by ,edward ,bellamy1 in his magnificent work 8,looking ,backwards10 admirably represents the ,theosophical idea of what should be the first great step towards the full realization of universal brotherhood4 ,the state of things he depicts falls short of perfection1 because selfishness still exists and operates in the hearts of men4 ,but in the main1 selfishness and individualism have been overcome by the feeling of solidarity and mutual brotherhood2 and the scheme of life there described reduces the causes tending to create and foster selfishness to a minimum4 ,,enq4 ,then as a ,theosophist you will take part in an effort to realize such an ideal8 ,,theo4 ,certainly2 and we have proved it by action4 ,have not you heard of the ,nationalist clubs and party which have sprung up in ,america since the publication of ,bellamy's book8 ,they are now coming prominently to the front1 and will do so more and more as time goes on4 ,well1 these clubs and this party were started in the first instance by ,theosophists4 ,one of the first1 the ,nationalist ,club of ,boston1 ,mass41 has ,theosophists for ,president and ,secretary1 and the majority of its executive belong to the ,t4,s4 ,in the constitution of all their clubs1 and of the party they are forming1 the influence of ,theosophy and of the ,society is plain1 for they all take as their basis1 their first and fundamental principle1 the ,brotherhood of ,humanity as taught by ,theosophy4 ,in their declaration of ,principles they state3--8,the principle of the ,brotherhood of ,humanity is one of the eternal truths that govern the world's progress on lines which distinguish human nature from brute nature40 ,what can be more ,theosophical than this8 ,but it is not enough4 ,what is also needed is to impress men with the idea that1 if the root of mankind is one1 then there must also be one truth which finds expression in all the various religions--except in the ,jewish1 as you do not find it expressed even in the ,kabala4 ,,enq4 ,this refers to the common origin of religions1 and you may be right there4 ,but how does it apply to practical brotherhood on the physical plane8 ,,theo4 ,first1 because that which is true on the metaphysical plane must be also true on the physical4 ,secondly1 because there is no more fertile source of hatred and strife than religious differences4 ,when one party or another thinks himself the sole possessor of absolute truth1 it becomes only natural that he should think his neighbour absolutely in the clutches of ,error or the ,devil4 ,but once get a man to see that none of them has the whole truth1 but that they are mutually complementary1 that the complete truth can be found only in the combined views of all1 after that which is false in each of them has been sifted out--then true brotherhood in religion will be established4 ,the same applies in the physical world4 ,,enq4 ,please explain further4 ,,theo4 ,take an instance4 ,a plant consists of a root1 a stem1 and many shoots and leaves4 ,as humanity1 as a whole1 is the stem which grows from the spiritual root1 so is the stem the unity of the plant4 ,hurt the stem and it is obvious that every shoot and leaf will suffer4 ,so it is with mankind4 ,,enq4 ,yes1 but if you injure a leaf or a shoot1 you do not injure the whole plant4 ,,theo4 ,and therefore you think that by injuring one man you do not injure humanity8 ,but how do you know8 ,are you aware that even materialistic science teaches that any injury1 however slight1 to a plant will affect the whole course of its future growth and development8 ,therefore1 you are mistaken1 and the analogy is perfect4 ,if1 however1 you overlook the fact that a cut in the finger may often make the whole body suffer1 and react on the whole nervous system1 ,i must all the more remind you that there may well be other spiritual laws1 operating on plants and animals as well as on mankind1 although1 as you do not recognize their action on plants and animals1 you may deny their existence4 ,,enq4 ,what laws do you mean8 ,,theo4 ,we call them ,karmic laws2 but you will not understand the full meaning of the term unless you study ,occultism4 ,however1 my argument did not rest on the assumption of these laws1 but really on the analogy of the plant4 ,expand the idea1 carry it out to a universal application1 and you will soon find that in true philosophy every physical action has its moral and everlasting effect4 ,hurt a man by doing him bodily harm2 you may think that his pain and suffering cannot spread by any means to his neighbours1 least of all to men of other nations4 ,we affirm that it will1 in good time4 ,therefore1 we say1 that unless every man is brought to understand and accept as an axiomatic truth that by wronging one man we wrong not only ourselves but the whole of humanity in the long run1 no brotherly feelings such as preached by all the great ,reformers1 pre-eminently by ,buddha and ,jesus1 are possible on earth4 ,,our ,,other ,,objects4 ,,enq4 ,will you now explain the methods by which you propose to carry out the second object8 ,,theo4 ,to collect for the library at our headquarters of ,adyar1 ,madras1 7and by the ,fellows of their ,branches for their local libraries17 all the good works upon the world's religions that we can4 ,to put into written form correct information upon the various ancient philosophies1 traditions1 and legends1 and disseminate the same in such practicable ways as the translation and publication of original works of value1 and extracts from and commentaries upon the same1 or the oral instructions of persons learned in their respective departments4 ,,enq4 ,and what about the third object1 to develop in man his latent spiritual or psychic powers8 ,,theo4 ,this has to be achieved also by means of publications1 in those places where no lectures and personal teachings are possible4 ,our duty is to keep alive in man his spiritual intuitions4 ,to oppose and counteract--after due investigation and proof of its irrational nature--bigotry in every form1 religious1 scientific1 or social1 and cant above all1 whether as religious sectarianism or as belief in miracles or anything supernatural4 ,what we have to do is to seek to obtain knowledge of all the laws of nature1 and to diffuse it4 ,to encourage the study of those laws least understood by modern people1 the so-called ,occult ,sciences1 based on the true knowledge of nature1 instead of1 as at present1 on superstitious beliefs based on blind faith and authority4 ,popular folk-lore and traditions1 however fanciful at times1 when sifted may lead to the discovery of long-lost1 but important1 secrets of nature4 ,the ,society1 therefore1 aims at pursuing this line of inquiry1 in the hope of widening the field of scientific and philosophical observation4 ,,on ,,the ,,sacredness ,,of ,,the ,,pledge4 ,,enq4 ,have you any ethical system that you carry out in the ,society8 ,,theo4 ,the ethics are there1 ready and clear enough for whomsoever follow them4 ,they are the essence and cream of the world's ethics1 gathered from the teachings of all the world's great reformers4 ,therefore1 you will find represented therein ,confucius and ,zoroaster1 ,lao-,tze and the ,bhagavat-,gita1 the precepts of ,gautama ,buddha and ,jesus of ,nazareth1 of ,hillel and his school1 as of ,pythagoras1 ,socrates1 ,plato1 and their schools4 ,,enq4 ,do the members of your ,society carry out these precepts8 ,i have heard of great dissensions and quarrels among them4 ,,theo4 ,very naturally1 since although the reform 7in its present shape7 may be called new1 the men and women to be reformed are the same human1 sinning natures as of old4 ,as already said1 the earnest working members are few2 but many are the sincere and well-disposed persons1 who try their best to live up to the ,society's and their own ideals4 ,our duty is to encourage and assist individual fellows in self-improvement1 intellectual1 moral1 and spiritual2 not to blame or condemn those who fail4 ,we have1 strictly speaking1 no right to refuse admission to anyone--especially in the ,esoteric ,section of the ,society1 wherein 8he who enters is as one newly born40 ,but if any member1 his sacred pledges on his word of honour and immortal ,self1 notwithstanding1 chooses to continue1 after that 8new birth10 with the new man1 the vices or defects of his old life1 and to indulge in them still in the ,society1 then1 of course1 he is more than likely to be asked to resign and withdraw2 or1 in case of his refusal1 to be expelled4 ,we have the strictest rules for such emergencies4 ,,enq4 ,can some of them be mentioned8 ,,theo4 ,they can4 ,to begin with1 no ,fellow in the ,society1 whether exoteric or esoteric1 has a right to force his personal opinions upon another ,fellow4 8,it is not lawful for any officer of the ,parent ,society to express in public1 by word or act1 any hostility to1 or preference for1 any one section1#ac religious or philosophical1 more than another4 ,all have an equal right to have the essential features of their religious belief laid before the tribunal of an impartial world4 ,and no officer of the ,society1 in his capacity as an officer1 has the right to preach his own sectarian views and beliefs to members assembled1 except when the meeting consists of his co-religionists4 ,after due warning1 violation of this rule shall be punished by suspension or expulsion40 ,this is one of the offenses in the ,society at large4 ,as regards the inner section1 now called the ,esoteric1 the following rules have been laid down and adopted1 so far back as #ahhj4 8,no ,fellow shall put to his selfish use any knowledge communicated to him by any member of the first section 7now a higher #8degree'72 violation of the rule being punished by expulsion40 ,now1 however1 before any such knowledge can be imparted1 the applicant has to bind himself by a solemn oath not to use it for selfish purposes1 nor to reveal anything said except by permission4 ,,enq4 ,but is a man expelled1 or resigning1 from the section free to reveal anything he may have learned1 or to break any clause of the pledge he has taken8 ,,theo4 ,certainly not4 ,his expulsion or resignation only relieves him from the obligation of obedience to the teacher1 and from that of taking an active part in the work of the ,society1 but surely not from the sacred pledge of secrecy4 ,,enq4 ,but is this reasonable and just8 ,,theo4 ,most assuredly4 ,to any man or woman with the slightest honourable feeling a pledge of secrecy taken even on one's word of honour1 much more to one's ,higher ,self--the ,god within--is binding till death4 ,and though he may leave the ,section and the ,society1 no man or woman of honour will think of attacking or injuring a body to which he or she has been so pledged4 ,,enq4 ,but is not this going rather far8 ,,theo4 ,perhaps so1 according to the low standard of the present time and morality4 ,but if it does not bind as far as this1 what use is a pledge at all8 ,how can anyone expect to be taught secret knowledge1 if he is to be at liberty to free himself from all the obligations he had taken1 whenever he pleases8 ,what security1 confidence1 or trust would ever exist among them1 if pledges such as this were to have no really binding force at all8 ,believe me1 the law of retribution 7,karma7 would very soon overtake one who so broke his pledge1 and perhaps as soon as the contempt of every honourable man would1 even on this physical plane4 ,as well expressed in the ,n4 ,y4 8,path0 just cited on this subject1 8,a pledge once taken1 is for ever binding in both the moral and the occult worlds4 ,if we break it once and are punished1 that does not justify us in breaking it again1 and so long as we do1 so long will the mighty lever of the ,law 7of ,karma7 react upon us40 7,the ,path1 ,july1 #ahhi47 ,,footnotes3 #aj ,vide 7at the end7 the official rules of the ,t4,s41 ,appendix ,a4 ,nota bene1 8,t4,s40 is an abbreviation for 8,theosophical ,society40 #aa ,publicans--regarded as so many thieves and pickpockets in those days4 ,among the ,jews the name and profession of a publican was the most odious thing in the world4 ,they were not allowed to enter the ,temple1 and ,matthew 7xviii4 #ag7 speaks of a heathen and a publican as identical4 ,yet they were only ,roman tax-gatherers occupying the same position as the ,british officials in ,india and other conquered countries4 #ab 8,at the close of the ,middle ,ages slavery1 under the power of moral forces1 had mainly disappeared from ,europe2 but two momentous events occurred which overbore the moral power working in ,european society and let loose a swarm of curses upon the earth such as mankind had scarcely ever known4 ,one of these events was the first voyaging to a populated and barbarous coast where human beings were a familiar article of traffic2 and the other the discovery of a new world1 where mines of glittering wealth were open1 provided labour could be imported to work them4 ,for four hundred years men and women and children were torn from all whom they knew and loved1 and were sold on the coast of ,africa to foreign traders2 they were chained below decks--the dead often with the living--during the horrible #8middle passage1' and1 according to ,bancroft1 an impartial historian1 two hundred and fifty thousand out of three and a quarter millions were thrown into the sea on that fatal passage1 while the remainder were consigned to nameless misery in the mines1 or under the lash in the cane and rice fields4 ,the guilt of this great crime rests on the ,christian ,church4 #8,in the name of the most ,holy ,trinity' the ,spanish ,government 7,roman ,catholic7 concluded more than ten treaties authorising the sale of five hundred thousand human beings2 in #aefb ,sir ,john ,hawkins sailed on his diabolical errand of buying slaves in ,africa and selling them in the ,west ,indies in a ship which bore the sacred name of ,jesus2 while ,elizabeth1 the ,protestant ,queen1 rewarded him for his success in this first adventure of ,englishmen in that inhuman traffic by allowing him to wear as his crest #8a demi-,moor in his proper colour1 bound with a cord1 or1 in other words1 a manacled negro slave4'0--,conquests of the ,cross 7quoted from the ,agnostic ,journal74 #ac ,a 8branch10 or lodge1 composed solely of co-religionists1 or a branch in partibus1 as they are now somewhat bombastically called4 ,,iv4 ,,the ,,relations ,,of ,,the ,,theosophical ,,society ,,to ,,theosophy4 ,,on ,,self-,,improvement4 ,,enq4 ,is moral elevation1 then1 the principal thing insisted upon in your ,society8 ,,theo4 ,undoubtedly6 ,he who would be a true ,theosophist must bring himself to live as one4 ,,enq4 ,if so1 then1 as ,i remarked before1 the behaviour of some members strangely belies this fundamental rule4 ,,theo4 ,indeed it does4 ,but this cannot be helped among us1 any more than amongst those who call themselves ,christians and act like fiends4 ,this is no fault of our statutes and rules1 but that of human nature4 ,even in some exoteric public branches1 the members pledge themselves on their 8,higher ,self0 to live the life prescribed by ,theosophy4 ,they have to bring their ,divine ,self to guide their every thought and action1 every day and at every moment of their lives4 ,a true ,theosophist ought 8to deal justly and walk humbly40 ,,enq4 ,what do you mean by this8 ,,theo4 ,simply this3 the one self has to forget itself for the many selves4 ,let me answer you in the words of a true ,philaletheian1 an ,f4,t4,s41 who has beautifully expressed it in the ,theosophist3 8,what every man needs first is to find himself1 and then take an honest inventory of his subjective possessions1 and1 bad or bankrupt as it may be1 it is not beyond redemption if we set about it in earnest40 ,but how many do8 ,all are willing to work for their own development and progress2 very few for those of others4 ,to quote the same writer again3 8,men have been deceived and deluded long enough2 they must break their idols1 put away their shams1 and go to work for themselves--nay1 there is one little word too much or too many1 for he who works for himself had better not work at all2 rather let him work himself for others1 for all4 ,for every flower of love and charity he plants in his neighbour's garden1 a loathsome weed will disappear from his own1 and so this garden of the gods--,humanity--shall blossom as a rose4 ,in all ,bibles1 all religions1 this is plainly set forth--but designing men have at first misinterpreted and finally emasculated1 materialized1 besotted them4 ,it does not require a new revelation4 ,let every man be a revelation unto himself4 ,let once man's immortal spirit take possession of the temple of his body1 drive out the money-changers and every unclean thing1 and his own divine humanity will redeem him1 for when he is thus at one with himself if he will know the #8builder of the ,temple4'0 ,,enq4 ,this is pure ,altruism1 ,i confess4 ,,theo4 ,it is4 ,and if only one ,fellow of the ,t4,s4 out of ten would practise it ours would be a body of elect indeed4 ,but there are those among the outsiders who will always refuse to see the essential difference between ,theosophy and the ,theosophical ,society1 the idea and its imperfect embodiment4 ,such would visit every sin and shortcoming of the vehicle1 the human body1 on the pure spirit which sheds thereon its divine light4 ,is this just to either8 ,they throw stones at an association that tries to work up to1 and for the propagation of1 its ideal with most tremendous odds against it4 ,some vilify the ,theosophical ,society only because it presumes to attempt to do that in which other systems--,church and ,state ,christianity pre-eminently--have failed most egregiously2 others because they would fain preserve the existing state of things3 ,pharisees and ,sadducees in the seat of ,moses1 and publicans and sinners revelling in high places1 as under the ,roman ,empire during its decadence4 ,fair-minded people1 at any rate1 ought to remember that the man who does all he can1 does as much as he who has achieved the most1 in this world of relative possibilities4 ,this is a simple truism1 an axiom supported for believers in the ,gospels by the parable of the talents given by their ,master2 the servant who doubled his two talents was rewarded as much as that other fellow-servant who had received five4 ,to every man it is given 8according to his several ability40 ,,enq4 ,yet it is rather difficult to draw the line of demarcation between the abstract and the concrete in this case1 as we have only the latter to our judgment by4 ,,theo4 ,then why make an exception for the ,t4,s48 ,justice1 like charity1 ought to begin at home4 ,will you revile and scoff at the 8,sermon on the ,mount0 because your social1 political and even religious laws have1 so far1 not only failed to carry out its precepts in their spirit1 but even in their dead letter8 ,abolish the oath in ,courts1 ,parliament1 ,army and everywhere1 and do as the ,quakers do1 if you will call yourselves ,christians4 ,abolish the ,courts themselves1 for if you would follow the ,commandments of ,christ1 you have to give away your coat to him who deprives you of your cloak1 and turn your left cheek to the bully who smites you on the right4 8,resist not evil1 love your enemies1 bless them that curse you1 do good to them that hate you10 for 8whosoever shall break one of the least of these ,commandments and shall teach men so1 he shall be called the least in the ,kingdom of ,heaven10 and 8whosoever shall say #8,thou fool' shall be in danger of hell fire40 ,and why should you judge1 if you would not be judged in your turn8 ,insist that between ,theosophy and the ,theosophical ,society there is no difference1 and forthwith you lay the system of ,christianity and its very essence open to the same charges1 only in a more serious form4 ,,enq4 ,why more serious8 ,,theo4 ,because1 while the leaders of the ,theosophical movement1 recognising fully their shortcomings1 try all they can do to amend their ways and uproot the evil existing in the ,society2 and while their rules and by-laws are framed in the spirit of ,theosophy1 the ,legislators and the ,churches of nations and countries which call themselves ,christian do the reverse4 ,our members1 even the worst among them1 are no worse than the average ,christian4 ,moreover1 if the ,western ,theosophists experience so much difficulty in leading the true ,theosophical life1 it is because they are all the children of their generation4 ,every one of them was a ,christian1 bred and brought up in the sophistry of his ,church1 his social customs1 and even his paradoxical laws4 ,he was this before he became a ,theosophist1 or rather1 a member of the ,society of that name1 as it cannot be too often repeated that between the abstract ideal and its vehicle there is a most important difference4 ,,the ,,abstract ,,and ,,the ,,concrete4 ,,enq4 ,please elucidate this difference a little more4 ,,theo4 ,the ,society is a great body of men and women1 composed of the most heterogeneous elements4 ,theosophy1 in its abstract meaning1 is ,divine ,wisdom1 or the aggregate of the knowledge and wisdom that underlie the ,universe--the homogeneity of eternal ,,good2 and in its concrete sense it is the sum total of the same as allotted to man by nature1 on this earth1 and no more4 ,some members earnestly endeavour to realize and1 so to speak1 to objectivize ,theosophy in their lives2 while others desire only to know of1 not to practise it2 and others still may have joined the ,society merely out of curiosity1 or a passing interest1 or perhaps1 again1 because some of their friends belong to it4 ,how1 then1 can the system be judged by the standard of those who would assume the name without any right to it8 ,is poetry or its muse to be measured only by those would-be poets who afflict our ears8 ,the ,society can be regarded as the embodiment of ,theosophy only in its abstract motives2 it can never presume to call itself its concrete vehicle so long as human imperfections and weaknesses are all represented in its body2 otherwise the ,society would be only repeating the great error and the outflowing sacrileges of the so-called ,churches of ,christ4 ,if ,eastern comparisons may be permitted1 ,theosophy is the shoreless ocean of universal truth1 love1 and wisdom1 reflecting its radiance on the earth1 while the ,theosophical ,society is only a visible bubble on that reflection4 ,theosophy is divine nature1 visible and invisible1 and its ,society human nature trying to ascend to its divine parent4 ,theosophy1 finally1 is the fixed eternal sun1 and its ,society the evanescent comet trying to settle in an orbit to become a planet1 ever revolving within the attraction of the sun of truth4 ,it was formed to assist in showing to men that such a thing as ,theosophy exists1 and to help them to ascend towards it by studying and assimilating its eternal verities4 ,,enq4 ,i thought you said you had no tenets or doctrines of your own8 ,,theo4 ,no more we have4 ,the ,society has no wisdom of its own to support or teach4 ,it is simply the storehouse of all the truths uttered by the great seers1 initiates1 and prophets of historic and even pre-historic ages2 at least1 as many as it can get4 ,therefore1 it is merely the channel through which more or less of truth1 found in the accumulated utterances of humanity's great teachers1 is poured out into the world4 ,,enq4 ,but is such truth unreachable outside of the ,society8 ,does not every ,church claim the same8 ,,theo4 ,not at all4 ,the undeniable existence of great initiates--true 8,sons of ,god0--shows that such wisdom was often reached by isolated individuals1 never1 however1 without the guidance of a master at first4 ,but most of the followers of such1 when they became masters in their turn1 have dwarfed the catholicism of these teachings into the narrow groove of their own sectarian dogmas4 ,the commandments of a chosen master alone were then adopted and followed1 to the exclusion of all others--if followed at all1 note well1 as in the case of the ,sermon on the ,mount4 ,each religion is thus a bit of the divine truth1 made to focus a vast panorama of human fancy which claimed to represent and replace that truth4 ,,enq4 ,but ,theosophy1 you say1 is not a religion8 ,,theo4 ,most assuredly it is not1 since it is the essence of all religion and of absolute truth1 a drop of which only underlies every creed4 ,to resort once more to metaphor4 ,theosophy1 on earth1 is like the white ray of the spectrum1 and every religion only one of the seven prismatic colours4 ,ignoring all the others1 and cursing them as false1 every special coloured ray claims not only priority1 but to be that white ray itself1 and anathematizes even its own tints from light to dark1 as heresies4 ,yet1 as the sun of truth rises higher and higher on the horizon of man's perception1 and each coloured ray gradually fades out until it is finally reabsorbed in its turn1 humanity will at last be cursed no longer with artificial polarizations1 but will find itself bathing in the pure colourless sunlight of eternal truth4 ,and this will be ,theosophia4 ,,enq4 ,your claim is1 then1 that all the great religions are derived from ,theosophy1 and that it is by assimilating it that the world will be finally saved from the curse of its great illusions and errors8 ,,theo4 ,precisely so4 ,and we add that our ,theosophical ,society is the humble seed which1 if watered and left to live1 will finally produce the ,tree of ,knowledge of ,good and ,evil which is grafted on the ,tree of ,life ,eternal4 ,for it is only by studying the various great religions and philosophies of humanity1 by comparing them dispassionately and with an unbiased mind1 that men can hope to arrive at the truth4 ,it is especially by finding out and noting their various points of agreement that we may achieve this result4 ,for no sooner do we arrive--either by study1 or by being taught by someone who knows--at their inner meaning1 than we find1 almost in every case1 that it expresses some great truth in ,nature4 ,,enq4 ,we have heard of a ,golden ,age that was1 and what you describe would be a ,golden ,age to be realised at some future day4 ,when shall it be8 ,,theo4 ,not before humanity1 as a whole1 feels the need of it4 ,a maxim in the ,persian 8,javidan ,khirad0 says3 8,truth is of two kinds--one manifest and self-evident2 the other demanding incessantly new demonstrations and proofs40 ,it is only when this latter kind of truth becomes as universally obvious as it is now dim1 and therefore liable to be distorted by sophistry and casuistry2 it is only when the two kinds will have become once more one1 that all people will be brought to see alike4 ,,enq4 ,but surely those few who have felt the need of such truths must have made up their minds to believe in something definite8 ,you tell me that1 the ,society having no doctrines of its own1 every member may believe as he chooses and accept what he pleases4 ,this looks as if the ,theosophical ,society was bent upon reviving the confusion of languages and beliefs of the ,tower of ,babel of old4 ,have you no beliefs in common8 ,,theo4 ,what is meant by the ,society having no tenets or doctrines of its own is1 that no special doctrines or beliefs are obligatory on its members2 but1 of course1 this applies only to the body as a whole4 ,the ,society1 as you were told1 is divided into an outer and an inner body4 ,those who belong to the latter have1 of course1 a philosophy1 or--if you so prefer it-- a religious system of their own4 ,,enq4 ,may we be told what it is8 ,,theo4 ,we make no secret of it4 ,it was outlined a few years ago in the ,theosophist and 8,esoteric ,buddhism10 and may be found still more elaborated in the 8,secret ,doctrine40 ,it is based on the oldest philosophy in the world1 called the ,wisdom-,religion or the ,archaic ,doctrine4 ,if you like1 you may ask questions and have them explained4 ,v4 ,,the ,,fundamental ,,teachings ,,of ,,theosophy4 ,,on ,,god ,,and ,,prayer4 ,,enq4 ,do you believe in ,god8 ,,theo4 ,that depends what you mean by the term4 ,,enq4 ,i mean the ,god of the ,christians1 the ,father of ,jesus1 and the ,creator3 the ,biblical ,god of ,moses1 in short4 ,,theo4 ,in such a ,god we do not believe4 ,we reject the idea of a personal1 or an extra-cosmic and anthropomorphic ,god1 who is but the gigantic shadow of man1 and not of man at his best1 either4 ,the ,god of theology1 we say--and prove it--is a bundle of contradictions and a logical impossibility4 ,therefore1 we will have nothing to do with him4 ,,enq4 ,state your reasons1 if you please4 ,,theo4 ,they are many1 and cannot all receive attention4 ,but here are a few4 ,this ,god is called by his devotees infinite and absolute1 is he not8 ,,enq4 ,i believe he is4 ,,theo4 ,then1 if infinite--i4e41 limitless--and especially if absolute1 how can he have a form1 and be a creator of anything8 ,form implies limitation1 and a beginning as well as an end2 and1 in order to create1 a ,being must think and plan4 ,how can the ,,absolute be supposed to think--i4e41 to have any relation whatever to that which is limited1 finite1 and conditioned8 ,this is a philosophical and a logical absurdity4 ,even the ,hebrew ,kabala rejects such an idea1 and therefore makes of the one and the ,absolute ,deific ,principle an infinite ,unity called ,ain-,soph4#ad ,in order to create1 the ,creator has to become active2 and as this is impossible for ,,absoluteness1 the infinite principle had to be shown becoming the cause of evolution 7not creation7 in an indirect way--i4e41 through the emanation from itself 7another absurdity1 due this time to the translators of the ,kabala7#ae of the ,sephiroth4 ,,enq4 ,how about those ,kabalists1 who1 while being such1 still believe in ,jehovah1 or the ,tetragrammaton8 ,,theo4 ,they are at liberty to believe in what they please1 as their belief or disbelief can hardly affect a self-evident fact4 ,the ,jesuits tell us that two and two are not always four to a certainty1 since it depends on the will of ,god to make #b x #b #e4 ,shall we accept their sophistry for all that8 ,,enq4 ,then you are ,atheists8 ,,theo4 ,not that we know of1 and not unless the epithet of 8,atheist0 is to be applied to those who disbelieve in an anthropomorphic ,god4 ,we believe in a ,universal ,divine ,principle1 the root of ,,all1 from which all proceeds1 and within which all shall be absorbed at the end of the great cycle of ,being4 ,,enq4 ,this is the old1 old claim of ,pantheism4 ,if you are ,pantheists1 you cannot be ,deists2 and if you are not ,deists1 then you have to answer to the name of ,atheists4 ,,theo4 ,not necessarily so4 ,the term 8,pantheism0 is again one of the many abused terms1 whose real and primitive meaning has been distorted by blind prejudice and a one-sided view of it4 ,if you accept the ,christian etymology of this compound word1 and form it of 1 8all10 and 1 8god10 and then imagine and teach that this means that every stone and every tree in ,nature is a ,god or the ,,one ,god1 then1 of course1 you will be right1 and make of ,pantheists fetish-worshippers1 in addition to their legitimate name4 ,but you will hardly be as successful if you etymologise the word ,pantheism esoterically1 and as we do4 ,,enq4 ,what is1 then your definition of it8 ,,theo4 ,let me ask you a question in my turn4 ,what do you understand by ,pan or ,nature8 ,,enq4 ,nature is1 ,i suppose1 the sum total of things existing around us2 the aggregate of causes and effects in the world of matter1 the creation or universe4 ,,theo4 ,hence the personified sum and order of known causes and effects2 the total of all finite agencies and forces1 as utterly disconnected from an intelligent ,creator or ,creators1 and perhaps 8conceived of as a single and separate force0--as in your cyclopdias8 ,,enq4 ,yes1 ,i believe so4 ,,theo4 ,well1 we neither take into consideration this objective and material nature1 which we call an evanescent illusion1 nor do we mean by ,nature1 in the sense of its accepted derivation from the ,latin ,natura 7becoming1 from nasci1 to be born74 ,when we speak of the ,deity and make it identical1 hence coeval1 with ,nature1 the eternal and uncreate nature is meant1 and not your aggregate of flitting shadows and finite unrealities4 ,we leave it to the hymn-makers to call the visible sky or heaven1 ,god's ,throne1 and our earth of mud ,his footstool4 ,our ,,deity is neither in a paradise1 nor in a particular tree1 building1 or mountain2 it is everywhere1 in every atom of the visible as of the invisible ,cosmos1 in1 over1 and around every invisible atom and divisible molecule2 for ,,it is the mysterious power of evolution and involution1 the omnipresent1 omnipotent1 and even omniscient creative potentiality4 ,,enq4 ,stop6 ,omniscience is the prerogative of something that thinks1 and you deny to your ,absoluteness the power of thought4 ,,theo4 ,we deny it to the ,,absolute1 since thought is something limited and conditioned4 ,but you evidently forget that in philosophy absolute unconsciousness is also absolute consciousness1 as otherwise it would not be absolute4 ,,enq4 ,then your ,absolute thinks8 ,,theo4 ,no1 ,,it does not2 for the simple reason that it is ,absolute ,thought itself4 ,nor does it exist1 for the same reason1 as it is absolute existence1 and ,be-ness1 not a ,being4 ,read the superb ,kabalistic poem by ,solomon ,ben ,jehudah ,gabirol1 in the ,kether-,malchut1 and you will understand3--8,thou art one1 the root of all numbers1 but not as an element of numeration2 for unity admits not of multiplication1 change1 or form4 ,thou art one1 and in the secret of ,thy unity the wisest of men are lost1 because they know it not4 ,thou art one1 and ,thy unity is never diminished1 never extended1 and cannot be changed4 ,thou art one1 and no thought of mine can fix for ,thee a limit1 or define ,thee4 ,thou ,,art1 but not as one existent1 for the understanding and vision of mortals cannot attain to ,thy existence1 nor determine for ,thee the where1 the how and the why10 etc41 etc4 ,in short1 our ,deity is the eternal1 incessantly evolving1 not creating1 builder of the universe2 that universe itself unfolding out of its own essence1 not being made4 ,it is a sphere1 without circumference1 in its symbolism1 which has but one ever-acting attribute embracing all other existing or thinkable attributes--,,itself4 ,it is the one law1 giving the impulse to manifested1 eternal1 and immutable laws1 within that never-manifesting1 because absolute ,,law1 which in its manifesting periods is ,the ever-,becoming4 ,,enq4 ,i once heard one of your members remarking that ,universal ,deity1 being everywhere1 was in vessels of dishonour1 as in those of honour1 and1 therefore1 was present in every atom of my cigar ash6 ,is this not rank blasphemy8 ,,theo4 ,i do not think so1 as simple logic can hardly be regarded as blasphemy4 ,were we to exclude the ,omnipresent ,principle from one single mathematical point of the universe1 or from a particle of matter occupying any conceivable space1 could we still regard it as infinite8 ,,is ,,it ,,necessary ,,to ,,pray8 ,,enq4 ,do you believe in prayer1 and do you ever pray8 ,,theo4 ,we do not4 ,we act1 instead of talking4 ,,enq4 ,you do not offer prayers even to the ,absolute ,principle8 ,,theo4 ,why should we8 ,being well-occupied people1 we can hardly afford to lose time in addressing verbal prayers to a pure abstraction4 ,the ,unknowable is capable of relations only in its parts to each other1 but is non-existent as regards any finite relations4 ,the visible universe depends for its existence and phenomena on its mutually acting forms and their laws1 not on prayer or prayers4 ,,enq4 ,do you not believe at all in the efficacy of prayer8 ,,theo4 ,not in prayer taught in so many words and repeated externally1 if by prayer you mean the outward petition to an unknown ,god as the addressee1 which was inaugurated by the ,jews and popularised by the ,pharisees4 ,,enq4 ,is there any other kind of prayer8 ,,theo4 ,most decidedly2 we call it ,,will-,,prayer1 and it is rather an internal command than a petition4 ,,enq4 ,to whom1 then1 do you pray when you do so8 ,,theo4 ,to 8our ,father in heaven0--in its esoteric meaning4 ,,enq4 ,is that different from the one given to it in theology8 ,,theo4 ,entirely so4 ,an ,occultist or a ,theosophist addresses his prayer to his ,father which is in secret 7read1 and try to understand1 ch4 vi4 v4 #f1 ,matthew71 not to an extra-cosmic and therefore finite ,god2 and that 8,father0 is in man himself4 ,,enq4 ,then you make of man a ,god8 ,,theo4 ,please say 8,god0 and not a ,god4 ,in our sense1 the inner man is the only ,god we can have cognizance of4 ,and how can this be otherwise8 ,grant us our postulate that ,god is a universally diffused1 infinite principle1 and how can man alone escape from being soaked through by1 and in1 the ,deity8 ,we call our 8,father in heaven0 that deific essence of which we are cognizant within us1 in our heart and spiritual consciousness1 and which has nothing to do with the anthropomorphic conception we may form of it in our physical brain or its fancy3 8,know ye not that ye are the temple of ,god1 and that the great spirit of that the spirit of 7the absolute7 ,god dwelleth in you80#af ,yet1 let no man anthropomorphise that essence in us4 ,let no ,theosophist1 if he would hold to divine1 not human truth1 say that this 8,god in secret0 listens to1 or is distinct from1 either finite man or the infinite essence--for all are one4 ,nor1 as just remarked1 that a prayer is a petition4 ,it is a mystery rather2 an occult process by which finite and conditioned thoughts and desires1 unable to be assimilated by the absolute spirit which is unconditioned1 are translated into spiritual wills and the will2 such process being called 8spiritual transmutation40 ,the intensity of our ardent aspirations changes prayer into the 8philosopher's stone10 or that which transmutes lead into pure gold4 ,the only homogeneous essence1 our 8will-power0 becomes the active or creative force1 producing effects according to our desire4 ,,enq4 ,do you mean to say that prayer is an occult process bringing about physical results8 ,,theo4 ,i do4 ,will-,power becomes a living power4 ,but woe unto those ,occultists and ,theosophists1 who1 instead of crushing out the desires of the lower personal ego or physical man1 and saying1 addressing their ,higher ,spiritual ,ego immersed in ,atma-,buddhic light1 8,thy will be done1 not mine10 etc41 send up waves of will-power for selfish or unholy purposes6 ,for this is black magic1 abomination1 and spiritual sorcery4 ,unfortunately1 all this is the favorite occupation of our ,christian statesmen and generals1 especially when the latter are sending two armies to murder each other4 ,both indulge before action in a bit of such sorcery1 by offering respectively prayers to the same ,god of ,hosts1 each entreating his help to cut its enemies' throats4 ,,enq4 ,david prayed to the ,lord of ,hosts to help him smite the ,philistines and slay the ,syrians and the ,moabites1 and 8the ,lord preserved ,david whithersoever he went40 ,in that we only follow what we find in the ,bible4 ,,theo4 ,of course you do4 ,but since you delight in calling yourselves ,christians1 not ,israelites or ,jews1 as far as we know1 why do you not rather follow that which ,christ says8 ,and he distinctly commands you not to follow 8them of old times10 or the ,mosaic law1 but bids you do as he tells you1 and warns those who would kill by the sword1 that they1 too1 will perish by the sword4 ,christ has given you one prayer of which you have made a lip prayer and a boast1 and which none but the true ,occultist understands4 ,in it you say1 in your dead-sense meaning3 8,forgive us our debts1 as we forgive our debtors10 which you never do4 ,again1 he told you to love your enemies and do good to them that hate you4 ,it is surely not the 8meek prophet of ,nazareth0 who taught you to pray to your 8,father0 to slay1 and give you victory over your enemies6 ,this is why we reject what you call 8prayers40 ,,enq4 ,but how do you explain the universal fact that all nations and peoples have prayed to1 and worshipped a ,god or ,gods8 ,some have adored and propitiated devils and harmful spirits1 but this only proves the universality of the belief in the efficacy of prayer4 ,,theo4 ,it is explained by that other fact that prayer has several other meanings besides that given it by the ,christians4 ,it means not only a pleading or petition1 but meant1 in days of old1 far more an invocation and incantation4 ,the mantra1 or the rhythmically chanted prayer of the ,hindus1 has precisely such a meaning1 as the ,brahmins hold themselves higher than the common devas or 8,gods40 ,a prayer may be an appeal or an incantation for malediction1 and a curse 7as in the case of two armies praying simultaneously for mutual destruction7 as much as for blessing4 ,and as the great majority of people are intensely selfish1 and pray only for themselves1 asking to be given their 8daily bread0 instead of working for it1 and begging ,god not to lead them 8into temptation0 but to deliver them 7the memoralists only7 from evil1 the result is1 that prayer1 as now understood1 is doubly pernicious3 7a7 ,it kills in man self-reliance2 7b7 ,it develops in him a still more ferocious selfishness and egotism than he is already endowed with by nature4 ,i repeat1 that we believe in 8communion0 and simultaneous action in unison with our 8,father in secret02 and in rare moments of ecstatic bliss1 in the mingling of our higher soul with the universal essence1 attracted as it is towards its origin and centre1 a state1 called during life ,samadhi1 and after death1 ,nirvana4 ,we refuse to pray to created finite beings--i4e41 gods1 saints1 angels1 etc41 because we regard it as idolatry4 ,we cannot pray to the ,,absolute for reasons explained before2 therefore1 we try to replace fruitless and useless prayer by meritorious and good-producing actions4 ,,enq4 ,christians would call it pride and blasphemy4 ,are they wrong8 ,,theo4 ,entirely so4 ,it is they1 on the contrary1 who show ,satanic pride in their belief that the ,absolute or the ,infinite1 even if there was such a thing as the possibility of any relation between the unconditioned and the conditioned--will stoop to listen to every foolish or egotistical prayer4 ,and it is they again1 who virtually blaspheme1 in teaching that an ,omniscient and ,omnipotent ,god needs uttered prayers to know what he has to do6 ,this--understood esoterically--is corroborated by both ,buddha and ,jesus4 ,the one says 8seek nought from the helpless ,gods--pray not6 but rather act2 for darkness will not brighten4 ,ask nought from silence1 for it can neither speak nor hear40 ,and the other--,jesus--recommends3 8,whatsoever ye shall ask in my name 7that of ,christos7 that will ,i do40 ,of course1 this quotation1 if taken in its literal sense1 goes against our argument4 ,but if we accept it esoterically1 with the full knowledge of the meaning of the term1 8,christos10 which to us represents ,atma-,buddhi-,manas1 the 8,,self10 it comes to this3 the only ,god we must recognise and pray to1 or rather act in unison with1 is that spirit of ,god of which our body is the temple1 and in which it dwelleth4 ,,prayer ,,kills ,,self ,,reliance4 ,,enq4 ,but did not ,christ himself pray and recommend prayer8 ,,theo4 ,it is so recorded1 but those 8prayers0 are precisely of that kind of communion just mentioned with one's 8,father in secret40 ,otherwise1 and if we identify ,jesus with the universal deity1 there would be something too absurdly illogical in the inevitable conclusion that he1 the 8very ,god himself0 prayed to himself1 and separated the will of that ,god from his own6 ,,enq4 ,one argument more2 an argument1 moreover1 much used by some ,christians4 ,they say1 8,i feel that ,i am not able to conquer any passions and weaknesses in my own strength4 ,but when ,i pray to ,jesus ,christ ,i feel that he gives me strength and that in his power ,i am able to conquer40 ,,theo4 ,no wonder4 ,if 8,christ ,jesus0 is ,god1 and one independent and separate from him who prays1 of course everything is1 and must be possible to 8a mighty ,god40 ,but1 then1 where's the merit1 or justice either1 of such a conquest8 ,why should the pseudo-conqueror be rewarded for something done which has cost him only prayers8 ,would you1 even a simple mortal man1 pay your labourer a full day's wage if you did most of his work for him1 he sitting under an apple tree1 and praying to you to do so1 all the while8 ,this idea of passing one's whole life in moral idleness1 and having one's hardest work and duty done by another--whether ,god or man--is most revolting to us1 as it is most degrading to human dignity4 ,,enq4 ,perhaps so1 yet it is the idea of trusting in a personal ,saviour to help and strengthen in the battle of life1 which is the fundamental idea of modern ,christianity4 ,and there is no doubt that1 subjectively1 such belief is efficacious1 i4e41 that those who believe do feel themselves helped and strengthened4 ,,theo4 ,nor is there any more doubt1 that some patients of 8,christian0 and 8,mental ,scientists0--the great 8,deniers0#ag--;are also sometimes cured2 nor that hypnotism1 and suggestion1 psychology1 and even mediumship1 will produce such results1 as often1 if not oftener4 ,you take into consideration1 and string on the thread of your argument1 successes alone4 ,and how about ten times the number of failures8 ,surely you will not presume to say that failure is unknown even with a sufficiency of blind faith1 among fanatical ,christians8 ,,enq4 ,but how can you explain those cases which are followed by full success8 ,where does a ,theosophist look to for power to subdue his passions and selfishness8 ,,theo4 ,to his ,higher ,self1 the divine spirit1 or the ,god in him1 and to his ,karma4 ,how long shall we have to repeat over and over again that the tree is known by its fruit1 the nature of the cause by its effects8 ,you speak of subduing passions1 and becoming good through and with the help of ,god or ,christ4 ,we ask1 where do you find more virtuous1 guiltless people1 abstaining from sin and crime1 in ,christendom or ,buddhism--in ,christian countries or in heathen lands8 ,statistics are there to give the answer and corroborate our claims4 ,according to the last census in ,ceylon and ,india1 in the comparative table of crimes committed by ,christians1 ,mussulmen1 ,hindoos1 ,eurasians1 ,buddhists1 etc41 etc41 on two millions of population taken at random from each1 and covering the misdemeanours of several years1 the proportion of crimes committed by the ,christian stands as #ae to #d as against those committed by the ,buddhist population4 7,vide ,,lucifer for ,april1 #ahhh1 p4 #adg1 ,art4 ,christian ,lectures on ,buddhism47 ,no ,orientalist1 no historian of any note1 or traveller in ,buddhist land1 from ,bishop ,bigandet and ,abb ,huc1 to ,sir ,william ,hunter and every fair-minded official1 will fail to give the palm of virtue to ,buddhists before ,christians4 ,yet the former 7not the true ,buddhist ,siamese sect1 at all events7 do not believe in either ,god or a future reward1 outside of this earth4 ,they do not pray1 neither priests nor laymen4 8,pray60 they would exclaim in wonder1 8to whom1 or what80 ,,enq4 ,then they are truly ,atheists4 ,,theo4 ,most undeniably1 but they are also the most virtue-loving and virtue-keeping men in the whole world4 ,buddhism says3 ,respect the religions of other men and remain true to your own2 but ,church ,christianity1 denouncing all the gods of other nations as devils1 would doom every non-,christian to eternal perdition4 ,,enq4 ,does not the ,buddhist priesthood do the same8 ,,theo4 ,never4 ,they hold too much to the wise precept found in the ,,dhammapada to do so1 for they know that1 8,if any man1 whether he be learned or not1 consider himself so great as to despise other men1 he is like a blind man holding a candle--blind himself1 he illumines others40 ,,on ,,the ,,source ,,of ,,the ,,human ,,soul4 ,,enq4 ,how1 then1 do you account for man being endowed with a ,spirit and ,soul8 ,whence these8 ,,theo4 ,from the ,universal ,soul4 ,certainly not bestowed by a personal ,god4 ,whence the moist element in the jelly-fish8 ,from the ,ocean which surrounds it1 in which it lives and breathes and has its being1 and whither it returns when dissolved4 ,,enq4 ,so you reject the teaching that ,soul is given1 or breathed into man1 by ,god8 ,,theo4 ,we are obliged to4 ,the 8,soul0 spoken of in ch4 ii4 of ,genesis 7v4 #g7 is1 as therein stated1 the 8living ,soul0 or ,nephesh 7the vital1 animal soul7 with which ,god 7we say 8nature0 and immutable law7 endows man like every animal1 is not at all the thinking ,soul or mind2 least of all is it the immortal ,spirit4 ,,enq4 ,well1 let us put it otherwise3 is it ,god who endows man with a human rational ,soul and immortal ,spirit8 ,,theo4 ,again1 in the way you put the question1 we must object to it4 ,since we believe in no personal ,god1 how can we believe that he endows man with anything8 ,but granting1 for the sake of argument1 a ,god who takes upon himself the risk of creating a new ,soul for every new-born baby1 all that can be said is that such a ,god can hardly be regarded as himself endowed with any wisdom or prevision4 ,certain other difficulties and the impossibility of reconciling this with the claims made for the mercy1 justice1 equity and omniscience of that ,god1 are so many deadly reefs on which this theological dogma is daily and hourly broken4 ,,enq4 ,what do you mean8 ,what difficulties8 ,,theo4 ,i am thinking of an unanswerable argument offered once in my presence by a ,cingalese ,buddhist priest1 a famous preacher1 to a ,christian missionary--one in no way ignorant or unprepared for the public discussion during which it was advanced4 ,it was near ,colombo1 and the ,missionary had challenged the priest ,megattivati to give his reasons why the ,christian ,god should not be accepted by the 8heathen40 ,well1 the ,missionary came out of that for ever memorable discussion second best1 as usual4 ,,enq4 ,i should be glad to learn in what way4 ,,theo4 ,simply this3 the ,buddhist priest premised by asking the padri whether his ,god had given commandments to ,moses only for men to keep1 but to be broken by ,god himself4 ,the missionary denied the supposition indignantly4 ,well1 said his opponent1 8you tell us that ,god makes no exceptions to this rule1 and that no ,soul can be born without his will4 ,now ,god forbids adultery1 among other things1 and yet you say in the same breath that it is he who creates every baby born1 and he who endows it with a ,soul4 ,are we then to understand that the millions of children born in crime and adultery are your ,god's work8 ,that your ,god forbids and punishes the breaking of his laws2 and that1 nevertheless1 he creates daily and hourly souls for just such children8 ,according to the simplest logic1 your ,god is an accomplice in the crime2 since1 but for his help and interference1 no such children of lust could be born4 ,where is the justice of punishing not only the guilty parents but even the innocent babe for that which is done by that very ,god1 whom yet you exonerate from any guilt himself80 ,the missionary looked at his watch and suddenly found it was getting too late for further discussion4 ,,enq4 ,you forget that all such inexplicable cases are mysteries1 and that we are forbidden by our religion to pry into the mysteries of ,god4 ,,theo4 ,no1 we do not forget1 but simply reject such impossibilities4 ,nor do we want you to believe as we do4 ,we only answer the questions you ask4 ,we have1 however1 another name for your 8mysteries40 ,,the ,,buddhist ,,teachings ,,on ,,the ,,above4 ,,enq4 ,what does ,buddhism teach with regard to the ,soul8 ,,theo4 ,it depends whether you mean exoteric1 popular ,buddhism1 or its esoteric teachings4 ,the former explains itself in the ,buddhist ,catechism in this wise3 8,soul it considers a word used by the ignorant to express a false idea4 ,if everything is subject to change1 then man is included1 and every material part of him must change4 ,that which is subject to change is not permanent1 so there can be no immortal survival of a changeful thing40 ,this seems plain and definite4 ,but when we come to the question that the new personality in each succeeding re-birth is the aggregate of 8,skandhas10 or the attributes1 of the old personality1 and ask whether this new aggregation of ,skandhas is a new being likewise1 in which nothing has remained of the last1 we read that3 8,in one sense it is a new being1 in another it is not4 ,during this life the ,skandhas are continually changing1 while the man ,a4 ,b4 of forty is identical as regards personality with the youth ,a4 ,b4 of eighteen1 yet by the continual waste and reparation of his body and change of mind and character1 he is a different being4 ,nevertheless1 the man in his old age justly reaps the reward or suffering consequent upon his thoughts and actions at every previous stage of his life4 ,so the new being of the re-birth1 being the same individuality as before 7but not the same personality71 with but a changed form1 or new aggregation of ,skandhas1 justly reaps the consequences of his actions and thoughts in the previous existence40 ,this is abstruse metaphysics1 and plainly does not express disbelief in ,soul by any means4 ,,enq4 ,is not something like this spoken of in ,esoteric ,buddhism8 ,,theo4 ,it is1 for this teaching belongs both to ,esoteric ,budhism or ,secret ,wisdom1 and to the exoteric ,buddhism1 or the religious philosophy of ,gautama ,buddha4 ,,enq4 ,but we are distinctly told that most of the ,buddhists do not believe in the ,soul's immortality8 ,,theo4 ,no more do we1 if you mean by ,soul the personal ,ego1 or life-,soul--,nephesh4 ,but every learned ,buddhist believes in the individual or divine ,ego4 ,those who do not1 err in their judgment4 ,they are as mistaken on this point1 as those ,christians who mistake the theological interpolations of the later editors of the ,gospels about damnation and hell-fire1 for verbatim utterances of ,jesus4 ,neither ,buddha nor 8,christ0 ever wrote anything themselves1 but both spoke in allegories and used 8dark sayings10 as all true ,initiates did1 and will do for a long time yet to come4 ,both ,scriptures treat of all such metaphysical questions very cautiously1 and both1 ,buddhist and ,christian records1 sin by that excess of exotericism2 the dead letter meaning far overshooting the mark in both cases4 ,,enq4 ,do you mean to suggest that neither the teachings of ,buddha nor those of ,christ have been heretofore rightly understood8 ,,theo4 ,what ,i mean is just as you say4 ,both ,gospels1 the ,buddhist and the ,christian1 were preached with the same object in view4 ,both reformers were ardent philanthropists and practical altruists--preaching most unmistakably ,socialism of the noblest and highest type1 self-sacrifice to the bitter end4 8,let the sins of the whole world fall upon me that ,i may relieve man's misery and suffering60 cries ,buddha2 444 8,i would not let one cry whom ,i could save60 exclaims the ,prince-beggar1 clad in the refuse rags of the burial-grounds4 8,come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and ,i will give you rest10 is the appeal to the poor and the disinherited made by the 8,man of ,sorrows10 who hath not where to lay his head4 ,the teachings of both are boundless love for humanity1 charity1 forgiveness of injury1 forgetfulness of self1 and pity for the deluded masses2 both show the same contempt for riches1 and make no difference between meum and tuum4 ,their desire was1 without revealing to all the sacred mysteries of initiation1 to give the ignorant and the misled1 whose burden in life was too heavy for them1 hope enough and an inkling into the truth sufficient to support them in their heaviest hours4 ,but the object of both ,reformers was frustrated1 owing to excess of zeal of their later followers4 ,the words of the ,masters having been misunderstood and misinterpreted1 behold the consequences6 ,,enq4 ,but surely ,buddha must have repudiated the soul's immortality1 if all the ,orientalists and his own ,priests say so6 ,,theo4 ,the ,arhats began by following the policy of their ,master and the majority of the subsequent priests were not initiated1 just as in ,christianity2 and so1 little by little1 the great esoteric truths became almost lost4 ,a proof in point is1 that1 out of the two existing sects in ,ceylon1 the ,siamese believes death to be the absolute annihilation of individuality and personality1 and the other explains ,nirvana1 as we theosophists do4 ,,enq4 ,but why1 in that case1 do ,buddhism and ,christianity represent the two opposite poles of such belief8 ,,theo4 ,because the conditions under which they were preached were not the same4 ,in ,india the ,brahmins1 jealous of their superior knowledge1 and excluding from it every caste save their own1 had driven millions of men into idolatry and almost fetishism4 ,buddha had to give the death-blow to an exuberance of unhealthy fancy and fanatical superstition resulting from ignorance1 such as has rarely been known before or after4 ,better a philosophical atheism than such ignorant worship for those-- 8,who cry upon their gods and are not heard1 ,or are not heeded--0 and who live and die in mental despair4 ,he had to arrest first of all this muddy torrent of superstition1 to uproot errors before he gave out the truth4 ,and as he could not give out all1 for the same good reason as ,jesus1 who reminds his disciples that the ,mysteries of ,heaven are not for the unintelligent masses1 but for the elect alone1 and therefore 8spake he to them in parables0 7,matt4 xiii4 #aa7--so his caution led ,buddha to conceal too much4 ,he even refused to say to the monk ,vacchagotta whether there was1 or was not an ,ego in man4 ,when pressed to answer1 8the ,exalted one maintained silence40#ah ,,enq4 ,this refers to ,gautama1 but in what way does it touch the ,gospels8 ,,theo4 ,read history and think over it4 ,at the time the events narrated in the ,gospels are alleged to have happened1 there was a similar intellectual fermentation taking place in the whole civilized world1 only with opposite results in the ,east and the ,west4 ,the old gods were dying out4 ,while the civilized classes drifted in the train of the unbelieving ,sadducees into materialistic negations and mere dead-letter ,mosaic form in ,palestine1 and into moral dissolution in ,rome1 the lowest and poorer classes ran after sorcery and strange gods1 or became hypocrites and pharisees4 ,once more the time for a spiritual reform had arrived4 ,the cruel1 anthropomorphic and jealous ,god of the ,jews1 with his sanguinary laws of 8an eye for eye and tooth for tooth10 of the shedding of blood and animal sacrifice1 had to be relegated to a secondary place and replaced by the merciful 8,father in ,secret40 ,the latter had to be shown1 not as an extra-,cosmic ,god1 but as a divine ,saviour of the man of flesh1 enshrined in his own heart and soul1 in the poor as in the rich4 ,no more here than in ,india1 could the secrets of initiation be divulged1 lest by giving that which is holy to the dogs1 and casting pearls before swine1 both the ,revealer and the things revealed should be trodden under foot4 ,thus1 the reticence of both ,buddha and ,jesus--whether the latter lived out the historic period allotted to him or not1 and who equally abstained from revealing plainly the ,mysteries of ,life and ,death--led in the one case to the blank negations of ,southern ,buddhism1 and in the other1 to the three clashing forms of the ,christian ,church and the #cjj sects in ,protestant ,england alone4 ,,footnotes3 #ad ,ain-,soph1 ,nature1 the non-existent which ,,is1 but is not a ,being4 #ae ,how can the non-active eternal principle emanate or emit8 ,the ,parabrahm of the ,vedantins does nothing of the kind2 nor does the ,ain-,soph of the ,chaldean ,kabala4 ,it is an eternal and periodical law which causes an active and creative force 7the logos7 to emanate from the ever-concealed and incomprehensible one principle at the beginning of every maha-manvantara1 or new cycle of life4 #af ,one often finds in ,theosophical writings conflicting statements about the ,christos principle in man4 ,some call it the sixth principle 7,buddhi71 others the seventh 7,atman74 ,if ,christian ,theosophists wish to make use of such expressions1 let them be made philosophically correct by following the analogy of the old ,wisdom-,religion symbols4 ,we say that ,christos is not only one of the three higher principles1 but all the three regarded as a ,trinity4 ,this ,trinity represents the ,holy ,ghost1 the ,father1 and the ,son1 as it answers to abstract spirit1 differentiated spirit1 and embodied spirit4 ,krishna and ,christ are philosophically the same principle under its triple aspect of manifestation4 ,in the ,bhagavatgita we find ,krishna calling himself indifferently ,atman1 the abstract ,spirit1 ,kshetragna1 the ,higher or reincarnating ,ego1 and the ,universal ,,self1 all names which1 when transferred from the ,universe to man1 answer to ,atma1 ,buddhi and ,manas4 ,the ,anugita is full of the same doctrine4 #ag ,the new sect of healers1 who1 by disavowing the existence of anything but spirit1 which spirit can neither suffer nor be ill1 claim to cure all and every disease1 provided the patient has faith that what he denies can have no existence4 ,a new form of self-hypnotism4 #ah ,buddha gives to ,ananda1 his initiated disciple1 who enquires for the reason of this silence1 a plain and unequivocal answer in the dialogue translated by ,oldenburg from the ,samyuttaka ,nikaya3--8,if ,i1 ,ananda1 when the wandering monk ,vacchagotta asked me3 #8,is there the ,ego8' had answered #8,the ,ego is1' then that1 ,ananda1 would have confirmed the doctrine of the ,samanas and ,brahmanas1 who believed in permanence4 ,if ,i1 ,ananda1 when the wandering monk ,vacchagotta asked me1 #8,is there not the ,ego8' had answered1 #8,the ,ego is not1' then that1 ,ananda1 would have confirmed the doctrine of those who believed in annihilation4 ,if ,i1 ,ananda1 when the wandering monk ,vacchagotta asked me1 #8,is there the ,ego8' had answered1 #8,the ,ego is1' would that have served my end1 ,ananda1 by producing in him the knowledge3 all existences 7dhamma7 are non-ego8 ,but if ,i1 ,ananda1 had answered1 #8,the ,ego is not1' then that1 ,ananda1 would only have caused the wandering monk ,vacchagotta to be thrown from one bewilderment to another3 #8,my ,ego1 did it not exist before8 ,but now it exists no longer6'0 ,this shows1 better than anything1 that ,gautama ,buddha withheld such difficult metaphysical doctrines from the masses in order not to perplex them more4 ,what he meant was the difference between the personal temporary ,ego and the ,higher ,self1 which sheds its light on the imperishable ,ego1 the spiritual 8,i0 of man4 ,,vi4 ,,theosophical ,,teachings ,,as ,,to ,,nature ,,and ,,man4 ,,the ,,unity ,,of ,,all ,,in ,,all4 ,,enq4 ,having told me what ,god1 the ,soul and ,man are not1 in your views1 can you inform me what they are1 according to your teachings8 ,,theo4 ,in their origin and in eternity the three1 like the universe and all therein1 are one with the absolute ,unity1 the unknowable deific essence ,i spoke about sometime back4 ,we believe in no creation1 but in the periodical and consecutive appearances of the universe from the subjective on to the objective plane of being1 at regular intervals of time1 covering periods of immense duration4 ,,enq4 ,can you elaborate the subject8 ,,theo4 ,take as a first comparison and a help towards a more correct conception1 the solar year1 and as a second1 the two halves of that year1 producing each a day and a night of six months' duration at the ,north ,pole4 ,now imagine1 if you can1 instead of a ,solar year of #cfe days1 ,,eternity4 ,let the sun represent the universe1 and the polar days and nights of #f months each--days and nights lasting each #ahb trillions and quadrillions of years1 instead of #ahb days each4 ,as the sun arises every morning on our objective horizon out of its 7to us7 subjective and antipodal space1 so does the ,universe emerge periodically on the plane of objectivity1 issuing from that of subjectivity--the antipodes of the former4 ,this is the 8,cycle of ,life40 ,and as the sun disappears from our horizon1 so does the ,universe disappear at regular periods1 when the 8,universal night0 sets in4 ,the ,hindoos call such alternations the 8,days and ,nights of ,brahma10 or the time of ,manvantara and that of ,pralaya 7dissolution74 ,the ,westerns may call them ,universal ,days and ,nights if they prefer4 ,during the latter 7the nights7 ,all is in ,all2 every atom is resolved into one ,homogeneity4 ,,evolution ,,and ,,illusion4 ,,enq4 ,but who is it that creates each time the ,universe8 ,,theo4 ,no one creates it4 ,science would call the process evolution2 the pre-,christian philosophers and the ,orientalists called it emanation3 we1 ,occultists and ,theosophists1 see in it the only universal and eternal reality casting a periodical reflection of itself on the infinite ,spatial depths4 ,this reflection1 which you regard as the objective material universe1 we consider as a temporary illusion and nothing else4 ,that alone which is eternal is real4 ,,enq4 ,at that rate1 you and ,i are also illusions4 ,,theo4 ,as flitting personalities1 to-day one person1 to-morrow another--we are4 ,would you call the sudden flashes of the ,aurora borealis1 the ,northern lights1 a 8reality10 though it is as real as can be while you look at it8 ,certainly not2 it is the cause that produces it1 if permanent and eternal1 which is the only reality1 while the other is but a passing illusion4 ,,enq4 ,all this does not explain to me how this illusion called the universe originates2 how the conscious to be1 proceeds to manifest itself from the unconsciousness that is4 ,,theo4 ,it is unconsciousness only to our finite consciousness4 ,verily may we paraphrase verse v1 in the #ast chapter of ,st4 ,john1 and say 8and 7,absolute7 light 7which is darkness7 shineth in darkness 7which is illusionary material light72 and the darkness comprehendeth it not40 ,this absolute light is also absolute and immutable law4 ,whether by radiation or emanation--we need not quarrel over terms--the universe passes out of its homogeneous subjectivity on to the first plane of manifestation1 of which planes there are seven1 we are taught4 ,with each plane it becomes more dense and material until it reaches this1 our plane1 on which the only world approximately known and understood in its physical composition by ,science1 is the planetary or ,solar system--one sui generis1 we are told4 ,,enq4 ,what do you mean by sui generis8 ,,theo4 ,i mean that1 though the fundamental law and the universal working of laws of ,nature are uniform1 still our ,solar system 7like every other such system in the millions of others in ,cosmos7 and even our ,earth1 has its own programme of manifestations differing from the respective programmes of all others4 ,we speak of the inhabitants of other planets and imagine that if they are men1 i4e41 thinking entities1 they must be as we are4 ,the fancy of poets and painters and sculptors never fails to represent even the angels as a beautiful copy of man--plus wings4 ,we say that all this is an error and a delusion2 because1 if on this little earth alone one finds such a diversity in its flora1 fauna and mankind--from the seaweed to the cedar of ,lebanon1 from the jelly-fish to the elephant1 from the ,bushman and negro to the ,apollo ,belvedere--alter the conditions cosmic and planetary1 and there must be as a result quite a different flora1 fauna and mankind4 ,the same laws will fashion quite a different set of things and beings even on this our plane1 including in it all our planets4 ,how much more different then must be external nature in other ,solar systems1 and how foolish is it to judge of other stars and worlds and human beings by our own1 as physical science does6 ,,enq4 ,but what are your data for this assertion8 ,,theo4 ,what science in general will never accept as proof--the cumulative testimony of an endless series of ,seers who have testified to this fact4 ,their spiritual visions1 real explorations by1 and through1 physical and spiritual senses untrammeled by blind flesh1 were systematically checked and compared one with the other1 and their nature sifted4 ,all that was not corroborated by unanimous and collective experience was rejected1 while that only was recorded as established truth which1 in various ages1 under different climes1 and throughout an untold series of incessant observations1 was found to agree and receive constantly further corroboration4 ,the methods used by our scholars and students of the psycho-spiritual sciences do not differ from those of students of the natural and physical sciences1 as you may see4 ,only our fields of research are on two different planes1 and our instruments are made by no human hands1 for which reason perchance they are only the more reliable4 ,the retorts1 accumulators1 and microscopes of the chemist and naturalist may get out of order2 the telescope and the astronomer's horological instruments may get spoiled2 our recording instruments are beyond the influence of weather or the elements4 ,,enq4 ,and therefore you have implicit faith in them8 ,,theo4 ,faith is a word not to be found in theosophical dictionaries3 we say knowledge based on observation and experience4 ,there is this difference1 however1 that while the observation and experience of physical science lead the ,scientists to about as many 8working0 hypotheses as there are minds to evolve them1 our knowledge consents to add to its lore only those facts which have become undeniable1 and which are fully and absolutely demonstrated4 ,we have no two beliefs or hypotheses on the same subject4 ,,enq4 ,is it on such data that you came to accept the strange theories we find in ,esoteric ,buddhism8 ,,theo4 ,just so4 ,these theories may be slightly incorrect in their minor details1 and even faulty in their exposition by lay students2 they are facts in nature1 nevertheless1 and come nearer the truth than any scientific hypothesis4 ,,on ,,the ,,septenary ,,constitution ,,of ,,our ,,planet4 ,,enq4 ,i understand that you describe our earth as forming part of a chain of earths8 ,,theo4 ,we do4 ,but the other six 8earths0 or globes1 are not on the same plane of objectivity as our earth is2 therefore we cannot see them4 ,,enq4 ,is that on account of the great distance8 ,,theo4 ,not at all1 for we see with our naked eye planets and even stars at immeasurably greater distances2 but it is owing to those six globes being outside our physical means of perception1 or plane of being4 ,it is not only that their material density1 weight1 or fabric are entirely different from those of our earth and the other known planets2 but they are 7to us7 on an entirely different layer of space1 so to speak2 a layer not to be perceived or felt by our physical senses4 ,and when ,i say 8layer10 please do not allow your fancy to suggest to you layers like strata or beds laid one over the other1 for this would only lead to another absurd misconception4 ,what ,i mean by 8layer0 is that plane of infinite space which by its nature cannot fall under our ordinary waking perceptions1 whether mental or physical2 but which exists in nature outside of our normal mentality or consciousness1 outside of our three dimensional space1 and outside of our division of time4 ,each of the seven fundamental planes 7or layers7 in space--of course as a whole1 as the pure space of ,locke's definition1 not as our finite space--has its own objectivity and subjectivity1 its own space and time1 its own consciousness and set of senses4 ,but all this will be hardly comprehensible to one trained in the modern ways of thought4 ,,enq4 ,what do you mean by a different set of senses8 ,is there anything on our human plane that you could bring as an illustration of what you say1 just to give a clearer idea of what you may mean by this variety of senses1 spaces1 and respective perceptions8 ,,theo4 ,none2 except1 perhaps1 that which for ,science would be rather a handy peg on which to hang a counter-argument4 ,we have a different set of senses in dream-life1 have we not8 ,we feel1 talk1 hear1 see1 taste and function in general on a different plane2 the change of state of our consciousness being evidenced by the fact that a series of acts and events embracing years1 as we think1 pass ideally through our mind in one instant4 ,well1 that extreme rapidity of our mental operations in dreams1 and the perfect naturalness1 for the time being1 of all the other functions1 show us that we are on quite another plane4 ,our philosophy teaches us that1 as there are seven fundamental forces in nature1 and seven planes of being1 so there are seven states of consciousness in which man can live1 think1 remember and have his being4 ,to enumerate these here is impossible1 and for this one has to turn to the study of ,eastern metaphysics4 ,but in these two states--the waking and the dreaming--every ordinary mortal1 from a learned philosopher down to a poor untutored savage1 has a good proof that such states differ4 ,,enq4 ,you do not accept1 then1 the well-known explanations of biology and physiology to account for the dream state8 ,,theo4 ,we do not4 ,we reject even the hypotheses of your psychologists1 preferring the teachings of ,eastern ,wisdom4 ,believing in seven planes of ,kosmic being and states of ,consciousness1 with regard to the ,universe or the ,macrocosm1 we stop at the fourth plane1 finding it impossible to go with any degree of certainty beyond4 ,but with respect to the ,microcosm1 or man1 we speculate freely on his seven states and principles4 ,,enq4 ,how do you explain these8 ,,theo4 ,we find1 first of all1 two distinct beings in man2 the spiritual and the physical1 the man who thinks1 and the man who records as much of these thoughts as he is able to assimilate4 ,therefore we divide him into two distinct natures2 the upper or the spiritual being1 composed of three 8principles0 or aspects2 and the lower or the physical quaternary1 composed of four--in all seven4 ,,the ,,septenary ,,nature ,,of ,,man4 ,,enq4 ,is it what we call ,spirit and ,soul1 and the man of flesh8 ,,theo4 ,it is not4 ,that is the old ,platonic division4 ,plato was an ,initiate1 and therefore could not go into forbidden details2 but he who is acquainted with the archaic doctrine finds the seven in ,plato's various combinations of ,soul and ,spirit4 ,he regarded man as constituted of two parts--one eternal1 formed of the same essence as the ,absoluteness1 the other mortal and corruptible1 deriving its constituent parts from the minor 8created0 ,gods4 ,man is composed1 he shows1 of 7#a7 ,a mortal body1 7#b7 ,an immortal principle1 and 7#c7 ,a 8separate mortal kind of ,soul40 ,it is that which we respectively call the physical man1 the ,spiritual ,soul or ,spirit1 and the animal ,soul 7the ,nous and psuche74 ,this is the division adopted by ,paul1 another ,initiate1 who maintains that there is a psychical body which is sown in the corruptible 7astral soul or body71 and a spiritual body that is raised in incorruptible substance4 ,even ,james 7iii4 #ae7 corroborates the same by saying that the 8wisdom0 7of our lower soul7 descendeth not from the above1 but is terrestrial 78psychical10 8demoniacal10 vide ,greek text72 while the other is heavenly wisdom4 ,now so plain is it that ,plato and even ,pythagoras1 while speaking but of three 8principles10 give them seven separate functions1 in their various combinations1 that if we contrast our teachings this will become quite plain4 ,let us take a cursory view of these seven aspects by drawing two tables4 ,,theosophical ,,division4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------------ ,,sanscrit ,,terms4 ,,exoteric ,,meaning4 ,,explanatory4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------- ,l o 7a7 ,rupa1 or 7a7 ,physical 7a7 ,is the vehicle of w ,sthula-,sarira4 body4 all the other e 8principles0 during r life4 7b7 ,pran4 7b7 ,life1 or 7b7 ,necessary only to ,vital principle4 a1 c1 d1 and ,q the functions of the u lower ,manas1 which a embrace all those t limited to the e 7physical7 brain4 r 7c7 ,linga ,sharira47c7 ,astral ,body47c7 ,the ,double1 the n phantom body4 a 7d7 ,kama rupa4 7d7 ,the seat of 7d7 ,this is the centre r animal desires of the animal man1 y and passions4 wherelies the line 4 of demarcation which separates the mortal man from the immortal entity4 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------------ ---------------------------------------- ------------------------------ ,,sanscrit ,,terms4 ,,exoteric ,,meaning4 ,,explanatory4 ,t ---------------------------------------- --------------------------- ,h 7e7 ,manas--a 7e7 ,mind1 ,intelligence37e7 ,the future state ,e dual principle which is the higher and the ,karmic in its human mind1 whose destiny of man ,u functions4 light1 or radiation1 depend on whether ,p links the ,,monad1 for ,manas gravitates ,p the lifetime1 to the more downward to ,e mortal man4 ,kama rupa1 the ,r seat of the animal passions1 or ,i upwards to,buddhi1 ,m ,spiritual ,ego4 ,in ,p the latter case1 ,e the higher ,r consciousness of ,i the individual ,s ,spiritual ,h aspirations of ,a mind 7,manas71 ,b assimilating ,l ,buddhi1 are ,e absorbed by it and form the ,ego1 ,t which goes into ,r ,devachanic bliss4#ai ,i 7f7 ,buddhi4 7f7 ,the ,spiritual 7f7 ,the vehicle of ,a ,soul4 pure universal ,d spirit4 4 7g7 ,atma4 7g7 ,spirit4 7g7 ,one with the ,absolute1 as its radiation4 ---------------------------------------- ----------------------------- ,now what does ,plato teach8 ,he speaks of the interior man as constituted of two parts--one immutable and always the same1 formed of the same substance as ,deity1 and the other mortal and corruptible4 ,these 8two parts0 are found in our upper ,triad1 and the lower ,quaternary 7vide ,table74 ,he explains that when the ,soul1 psuche1 8allies herself to the ,nous 7divine spirit or substance#bj71 she does everything aright and felicitously02 but the case is otherwise when she attaches herself to ,anoia1 7folly1 or the irrational animal ,soul74 ,here1 then1 we have ,manas 7or the ,soul in general7 in its two aspects3 when attaching itself to ,anoia 7our ,kama rupa1 or the 8,animal ,soul0 in 8,esoteric ,buddhism107 it runs towards entire annihilation1 as far as the personal ,ego is concerned2 when allying itself to the ,nous 7,atma-,buddhi7 it merges into the immortal1 imperishable ,ego1 and then its spiritual consciousness of the personal that was1 becomes immortal4 ,,the ,,distinction ,,between ,,soul ,,and ,,spirit4 ,,enq4 ,do you really teach1 as you are accused of doing by some ,spiritualists and ,french ,spiritists1 the annihilation of every personality8 ,,theo4 ,we do not4 ,but as this question of the duality--the individuality of the ,divine ,ego1 and the personality of the human animal--involves that of the possibility of the real immortal ,ego appearing in ,sance rooms as a 8materialised spirit10 which we deny as already explained1 our opponents have started the nonsensical charge4 ,,enq4 ,you have just spoken of psuche running towards its entire annihilation if it attaches itself to ,anoia4 ,what did ,plato1 and do you mean by this8 ,,theo4 ,the entire annihilation of the personal consciousness1 as an exceptional and rare case1 ,i think4 ,the general and almost invariable rule is the merging of the personal into the individual or immortal consciousness of the ,ego1 a transformation or a divine transfiguration1 and the entire annihilation only of the lower quaternary4 ,would you expect the man of flesh1 or the temporary personality1 his shadow1 the 8astral10 his animal instincts and even physical life1 to survive with the 8spiritual ,ego0 and become sempiternal8 ,naturally all this ceases to exist1 either at1 or soon after corporeal death4 ,it becomes in time entirely disintegrated and disappears from view1 being annihilated as a whole4 ,,enq4 ,then you also reject resurrection in the flesh8 ,,theo4 ,most decidedly we do6 ,why should we1 who believe in the archaic esoteric philosophy of the ,ancients1 accept the unphilosophical speculations of the later ,christian theology1 borrowed from the ,egyptian and ,greek exoteric ,systems of the ,gnostics8 ,,enq4 ,the ,egyptians revered ,nature-,spirits1 and deified even onions3 your ,hindus are idolaters1 to this day2 the ,zoroastrians worshipped1 and do still worship1 the ,sun2 and the best ,greek philosophers were either dreamers or materialists--witness ,plato and ,democritus4 ,how can you compare8 ,,theo4 ,it may be so in your modern ,christian and even ,scientific catechism2 it is not so for unbiased minds4 ,the ,egyptians revered the 8,one-,only-,one10 as ,nout2 and it is from this word that ,anaxagoras got his denomination ,nous1 or as he calls it1 1 8the ,mind or ,spirit ,self-,potent10 the 1 the leading motor1 or primum-mobile of all4 ,with him the ,nous was ,god1 and the logos was man1 his emanation4 ,the ,nous is the spirit 7whether in ,kosmos or in man71 and the logos1 whether ,universe or astral body1 the emanation of the former1 the physical body being merely the animal4 ,our external powers perceive phenomena2 our ,nous alone is able to recognise their noumena4 ,it is the logos alone1 or the noumenon1 that survives1 because it is immortal in its very nature and essence1 and the logos in man is the ,eternal ,ego1 that which reincarnates and lasts for ever4 ,but how can the evanescent or external shadow1 the temporary clothing of that divine ,emanation which returns to the source whence it proceeded1 be that which is raised in incorruptibility8 ,,enq4 ,still you can hardly escape the charge of having invented a new division of man's spiritual and psychic constituents2 for no philosopher speaks of them1 though you believe that ,plato does4 ,,theo4 ,and ,i support the view4 ,besides ,plato1 there is ,pythagoras1 who also followed the same idea4#ba ,he described the ,soul as a self-moving ,unit 7monad7 composed of three elements1 the ,nous 7,spirit71 the phren 7mind71 and the thumos 7life1 breath or the ,nephesh of the ,kabalists7 which three correspond to our 8,atma-,buddhi10 7higher ,spirit-,soul71 to ,manas 7,the ,,ego71 and to ,kama-rupa in conjunction with the lower reflection of ,manas4 ,that which the ,ancient ,greek philosophers termed ,soul1 in general1 we call ,spirit1 or ,spiritual ,soul1 ,buddhi1 as the vehicle of ,atma 7the ,agathon1 or ,plato's ,supreme ,deity74 ,the fact that ,pythagoras and others state that phren and thumos are shared by us with the brutes1 proves that in this case the lower ,manasic reflection 7instinct7 and ,kama-rupa 7animal living passions7 are meant4 ,and as ,socrates and ,plato accepted the clue and followed it1 if to these five1 namely1 ,agathon 7,deity or ,atma71 ,psuche 7,soul in its collective sense71 ,nous 7,spirit or ,mind71 ,phren 7physical mind71 and ,thumos 7,kama-rupa or passions7 we add the eidolon of the ,mysteries1 the shadowy form or the human double1 and the physical body1 it will be easy to demonstrate that the ideas of both ,pythagoras and ,plato were identical with ours4 ,even the ,egyptians held to the ,septenary division4 ,in its exit1 they taught1 the ,soul 7,,ego7 had to pass through its seven chambers1 or principles1 those it left behind1 and those it took along with itself4 ,the only difference is that1 ever bearing in mind the penalty of revealing ,mystery-doctrines1 which was death1 they gave out the teaching in a broad outline1 while we elaborate it and explain it in its details4 ,but though we do give out to the world as much as is lawful1 even in our doctrine more than one important detail is withheld1 which those who study the esoteric philosophy and are pledged to silence1 are alone entitled to know4 ,,the ,,greek ,,teachings4 ,,enq4 ,we have magnificent ,greek and ,latin1 ,sanskrit and ,hebrew scholars4 ,how is it that we find nothing in their translations that would afford us a clue to what you say8 ,,theo4 ,because your translators1 their great learning notwithstanding1 have made of the philosophers1 the ,greeks especially1 misty instead of mystic writers4 ,take as an instance ,plutarch1 and read what he says of 8the principles0 of man4 ,that which he describes was accepted literally and attributed to metaphysical superstition and ignorance4 ,let me give you an illustration in point3 8,man10 says ,plutarch1 8is compound2 and they are mistaken who think him to be compounded of two parts only4 ,for they imagine that the understanding 7brain intellect7 is a part of the soul 7the upper ,triad71 but they err in this no less than those who make the soul to be a part of the body1 i4e41 those who make of the ,triad part of the corruptible mortal quaternary4 ,for the understanding 7nous7 as far exceeds the soul1 as the soul is better and diviner than the body4 ,now this composition of the soul 77 with the understanding 77 makes reason2 and with the body 7or thumos1 the animal soul7 passion2 of which the one is the beginning or principle of pleasure and pain1 and the other of virtue and vice4 ,of these three parts conjoined and compacted together1 the earth has given the body1 the moon the soul1 and the sun the understanding to the generation of man40 ,this last sentence is purely allegorical1 and will be comprehended only by those who are versed in the esoteric science of correspondences and know which planet is related to every principle4 ,plutarch divides the latter into three groups1 and makes of the body a compound of physical frame1 astral shadow1 and breath1 or the triple lower part1 which 8from earth was taken and to earth returns02 of the middle principle and the instinctual soul1 the second part1 derived from and through and ever influenced by the moon#bb2 and only of the higher part or the ,spiritual ,soul1 with the ,atmic and ,manasic elements in it does he make a direct emanation of the ,sun1 who stands here for ,agathon the ,supreme ,deity4 ,this is proven by what he says further as follows3 8,now of the deaths we die1 the one makes man two of three and the other one of 7out of7 two4 ,the former is in the region and jurisdiction of ,demeter1 whence the name given to the ,mysteries1 1 resembled that given to death1 4 ,the ,athenians also heretofore called the deceased sacred to ,demeter4 ,as for the other death1 it is in the moon or region of ,persephone40 ,here you have our doctrine1 which shows man a septenary during life2 a quintile just after death1 in ,kama-loka2 and a threefold ,ego1 ,spirit-,soul1 and consciousness in ,devachan4 ,this separation1 first in 8the ,meadows of ,hades10 as ,plutarch calls the ,kama-loka1 then in ,devachan1 was part and parcel of the performances during the sacred ,mysteries1 when the candidates for initiation enacted the whole drama of death1 and the resurrection as a glorified spirit1 by which name we mean ,consciousness4 ,this is what ,plutarch means when he says3-- 8,and as with the one1 the terrestrial1 so with the other celestial ,hermes doth dwell4 ,this suddenly and with violence plucks the soul from the body2 but ,proserpina mildly and in a long time disjoins the understanding from the soul4#bc ,for this reason she is called ,monogenes1 only begotten1 or rather begetting one alone2 for the better part of man becomes alone when it is separated by her4 ,now both the one and the other happens thus according to nature4 ,it is ordained by ,fate 7,fatum or ,karma7 that every soul1 whether with or without understanding 7mind71 when gone out of the body1 should wander for a time1 though not all for the same1 in the region lying between the earth and moon 7,kama-loka74#bd ,for those that have been unjust and dissolute suffer then the punishment due to their offences2 but the good and virtuous are there detained till they are purified1 and have1 by expiation1 purged out of them all the infections they might have contracted from the contagion of the body1 as if from foul health1 living in the mildest part of the air1 called the ,meadows of ,hades1 where they must remain for a certain prefixed and appointed time4 ,and then1 as if they were returning from a wandering pilgrimage or long exile into their country1 they have a taste of joy1 such as they principally receive who are initiated into ,sacred ,mysteries1 mixed with trouble1 admiration1 and each one's proper and peculiar hope40 ,this is ,nirvanic bliss1 and no ,theosophist could describe in plainer though esoteric language the mental joys of ,devachan1 where every man has his paradise around him1 erected by his consciousness4 ,but you must beware of the general error into which too many even of our ,theosophists fall4 ,do not imagine that because man is called septenary1 then quintuple and a triad1 he is a compound of seven1 five1 or three entities2 or1 as well expressed by a ,theosophical writer1 of skins to be peeled off like the skins of an onion4 ,the 8principles10 as already said1 save the body1 the life1 and the astral eidolon1 all of which disperse at death1 are simply aspects and states of consciousness4 ,there is but one real man1 enduring through the cycle of life and immortal in essence1 if not in form1 and this is ,manas1 the ,mind-man or embodied ,consciousness4 ,the objection made by the materialists1 who deny the possibility of mind and consciousness acting without matter is worthless in our case4 ,we do not deny the soundness of their argument2 but we simply ask our opponents1 8,are you acquainted with all the states of matter1 you who knew hitherto but of three8 ,and how do you know whether that which we refer to as ,,absolute ,,consciousness or ,deity for ever invisible and unknowable1 be not that which1 though it eludes for ever our human finite conception1 is still universal ,spirit-matter or matter-,spirit in its absolute infinitude80 ,it is then one of the lowest1 and in its manvantaric manifestations fractioned-aspects of this ,spirit-matter1 which is the conscious ,ego that creates its own paradise1 a fool's paradise1 it may be1 still a state of bliss4 ,,enq4 ,but what is ,devachan8 ,,theo4 ,the 8land of gods0 literally2 a condition1 a state of mental bliss4 ,philosophically a mental condition analogous to1 but far more vivid and real than1 the most vivid dream4 ,it is the state after death of most mortals4 ,,footnotes3 #ai ,in ,mr4 ,sinnett's 8,esoteric ,buddhism0 d1 e1 and f1 are respectively called the ,animal1 the ,human1 and the ,spiritual ,souls1 which answers as well4 ,though the principles in ,esoteric ,buddhism are numbered1 this is1 strictly speaking1 useless4 ,the dual ,monad alone 7,atma-,buddhi7 is susceptible of being thought of as the two highest numbers 7the #fth and #gth74 ,as to all others1 since that 8principle0 only which is predominant in man has to be considered as the first and foremost1 no numeration is possible as a general rule4 ,in some men it is the higher ,intelligence 7,manas or the #eth7 which dominates the rest2 in others the ,animal ,soul 7,kama-rupa7 that reigns supreme1 exhibiting the most bestial instincts1 etc4 #bj ,paul calls ,plato's ,nous 8,spirit02 but as this spirit is 8substance10 then1 of course1 ,buddhi and not ,atma is meant1 as the latter cannot philosophically be called 8substance0 under any circumstance4 ,we include ,atma among the human 8principles0 in order not to create additional confusion4 ,in reality it is no 8human0 but the universal absolute principle of which ,buddhi1 the ,soul-,spirit1 is the carrier4 #ba 8,plato and ,pythagoras10 says ,plutarch1 8distribute the soul into two parts1 the rational 7noetic7 and irrational 7agnoia72 that that part of the soul of man which is rational is eternal2 for though it be not ,god1 yet it is the product of an eternal deity1 but that part of the soul which is divested of reason 7agnoia7 dies40 ,the modern term ,agnostic comes from ,agnosis1 a cognate word4 ,we wonder why ,mr4 ,huxley1 the author of the word1 should have connected his great intellect with 8the soul divested of reason0 which dies8 ,is it the exaggerated humility of the modern materialist8 #bb ,the ,kabalists who know the relation of ,jehovah1 the life and children-giver1 to the ,moon1 and the influence of the latter on generation1 will again see the point as much as some astrologers will4 #bc ,proserpina1 or ,persephone1 stands here for post mortem ,karma1 which is said to regulate the separation of the lower from the higher 8principles03 the ,soul1 as ,nephesh1 the breath of animal life1 which remains for a time in ,kama-loka1 from the higher compound ,ego1 which goes into the state of ,devachan1 or bliss4 #bd ,until the separation of the higher1 spiritual 8principle0 takes place from the lower ones1 which remain in the ,kama-loka until disintegrated4 ,,vii4 ,,on ,,the ,,various ,,post ,,mortem ,,states4 ,,the ,,physical ,,and ,,the ,,spiritual ,,man4 ,,enq4 ,i am glad to hear you believe in the immortality of the ,soul4 ,,theo4 ,not of 8the ,soul10 but of the divine ,spirit2 or rather in the immortality of the reincarnating ,ego4 ,,enq4 ,what is the difference8 ,,theo4 ,a very great one in our philosophy1 but this is too abstruse and difficult a question to touch lightly upon4 ,we shall have to analyse them separately1 and then in conjunction4 ,we may begin with ,spirit4 ,we say that the ,spirit 7the 8,father in secret0 of ,jesus71 or ,atman1 is no individual property of any man1 but is the ,divine essence which has no body1 no form1 which is imponderable1 invisible and indivisible1 that which does not exist and yet is1 as the ,buddhists say of ,nirvana4 ,it only overshadows the mortal2 that which enters into him and pervades the whole body being only its omnipresent rays1 or light1 radiated through ,buddhi1 its vehicle and direct emanation4 ,this is the secret meaning of the assertions of almost all the ancient philosophers1 when they said that 8the rational part of man's soul0#be never entered wholly into the man1 but only overshadowed him more or less through the irrational spiritual ,soul or ,buddhi4#bf ,,enq4 ,i laboured under the impression that the 8,animal ,soul0 alone was irrational1 not the ,divine4 ,,theo4 ,you have to learn the difference between that which is negatively1 or passively 8irrational10 because undifferentiated1 and that which is irrational because too active and positive4 ,man is a correlation of spiritual powers1 as well as a correlation of chemical and physical forces1 brought into function by what we call 8principles40 ,,enq4 ,i have read a good deal upon the subject1 and it seems to me that the notions of the older philosophers differed a great deal from those of the medival ,kabalists1 though they do agree in some particulars4 ,,theo4 ,the most substantial difference between them and us is this4 ,while we believe with the ,neo-,platonists and the ,eastern teachings that the spirit 7,atma7 never descends hypostatically into the living man1 but only showers more or less its radiance on the inner man 7the psychic and spiritual compound of the astral principles71 the ,kabalists maintain that the human ,spirit1 detaching itself from the ocean of light and ,universal ,spirit1 enters man's ,soul1 where it remains throughout life imprisoned in the astral capsule4 ,all ,christian ,kabalists still maintain the same1 as they are unable to break quite loose from their anthropomorphic and ,biblical doctrines4 ,,enq4 ,and what do you say8 ,,theo4 ,we say that we only allow the presence of the radiation of ,spirit 7or ,atma7 in the astral capsule1 and so far only as that spiritual radiancy is concerned4 ,we say that man and ,soul have to conquer their immortality by ascending towards the unity with which1 if successful1 they will be finally linked and into which they are finally1 so to speak1 absorbed4 ,the individualization of man after death depends on the spirit1 not on his soul and body4 ,although the word 8personality10 in the sense in which it is usually understood1 is an absurdity if applied literally to our immortal essence1 still the latter is1 as our individual ,ego1 a distinct entity1 immortal and eternal1 per se4 ,it is only in the case of black magicians or of criminals beyond redemption1 criminals who have been such during a long series of lives--that the shining thread1 which links the spirit to the personal soul from the moment of the birth of the child1 is violently snapped1 and the disembodied entity becomes divorced from the personal soul1 the latter being annihilated without leaving the smallest impression of itself on the former4 ,if that union between the lower1 or personal ,manas1 and the individual reincarnating ,ego1 has not been effected during life1 then the former is left to share the fate of the lower animals1 to gradually dissolve into ether1 and have its personality annihilated4 ,but even then the ,ego remains a distinct being4 ,it 7the spiritual ,ego7 only loses one ,devachanic state--after that special1 and in that case indeed useless1 life--as that idealized ,personality1 and is reincarnated1 after enjoying for a short time its freedom as a planetary spirit1 almost immediately4 ,,enq4 ,it is stated in ,isis ,unveiled that such planetary ,spirits or ,angels1 8the gods of the ,pagans or the ,archangels of the ,christians10 will never be men on our planet4 ,,theo4 ,quite right4 ,not 8such10 but some classes of higher ,planetary ,spirits4 ,they will never be men on this planet1 because they are liberated ,spirits from a previous1 earlier world1 and as such they cannot re-become men on this one4 ,yet all these will live again in the next and far higher ,mahamanvantara1 after this 8great ,age10 and 8,brahma pralaya10 7a little period of #af figures or so7 is over4 ,for you must have heard1 of course1 that ,eastern philosophy teaches us that mankind consists of such 8,spirits0 imprisoned in human bodies8 ,the difference between animals and men is this3 the former are ensouled by the 8principles0 potentially1 the latter actually4#bg ,do you understand now the difference8 ,,enq4 ,yes2 but this specialisation has been in all ages the stumbling-block of metaphysicians4 ,,theo4 ,it was4 ,the whole esotericism of the ,buddhistic philosophy is based on this mysterious teaching1 understood by so few persons1 and so totally misrepresented by many of the most learned modern scholars4 ,even metaphysicians are too inclined to confound the effect with the cause4 ,an ,ego who has won his immortal life as spirit will remain the same inner self throughout all his rebirths on earth2 but this does not imply necessarily that he must either remain the ,mr4 ,smith or ,mr4 ,brown he was on earth1 or lose his individuality4 ,therefore1 the astral soul and the terrestrial body of man may1 in the dark hereafter1 be absorbed into the cosmical ocean of sublimated elements1 and cease to feel his last personal ,ego 7if it did not deserve to soar higher71 and the divine ,ego still remain the same unchanged entity1 though this terrestrial experience of his emanation may be totally obliterated at the instant of separation from the unworthy vehicle4 ,,enq4 ,if the 8,spirit10 or the divine portion of the soul1 is pre-existent as a distinct being from all eternity1 as ,origen1 ,synesius1 and other semi-,christians and semi-,platonic philosophers taught1 and if it is the same1 and nothing more than the metaphysically-objective soul1 how can it be otherwise than eternal8 ,and what matters it in such a case1 whether man leads a pure life or an animal1 if1 do what he may1 he can never lose his individuality8 ,,theo4 ,this doctrine1 as you have stated it1 is just as pernicious in its consequences as that of vicarious atonement4 ,had the latter dogma1 in company with the false idea that we are all immortal1 been demonstrated to the world in its true light1 humanity would have been bettered by its propagation4 ,let me repeat to you again4 ,pythagoras1 ,plato1 ,timaeus of ,locris1 and the old ,alexandrian ,school1 derived the ,soul of man 7or his higher 8principles0 and attributes7 from the ,universal ,world ,soul1 the latter being1 according to their teachings1 ,aether 7,pater-,zeus74 ,therefore1 neither of these 8principles0 can be unalloyed essence of the ,pythagorean ,monas1 or our ,atma-,buddhi1 because the ,anima ,mundi is but the effect1 the subjective emanation or rather radiation of the former4 ,both the human ,spirit 7or the individuality71 the reincarnating ,spiritual ,ego1 and ,buddhi1 the ,spiritual soul1 are pre-existent4 ,but1 while the former exists as a distinct entity1 an individualization1 the soul exists as pre-existing breath1 an unscient portion of an intelligent whole4 ,both were originally formed from the ,eternal ,ocean of light2 but as the ,fire-,philosophers1 the medival ,theosophists1 expressed it1 there is a visible as well as invisible spirit in fire4 ,they made a difference between the anima bruta and the anima divina4 ,empedocles firmly believed all men and animals to possess two souls2 and in ,aristotle we find that he calls one the reasoning soul1 and the other1 the animal soul1 4 ,according to these philosophers1 the reasoning soul comes from within the universal soul1 and the other from without4 ,,enq4 ,would you call the ,soul1 i4e41 the human thinking ,soul1 or what you call the ,ego--matter8 ,,theo4 ,not matter1 but substance assuredly2 nor would the word 8matter10 if prefixed with the adjective1 primordial1 be a word to avoid4 ,that matter1 we say1 is co-eternal with ,spirit1 and is not our visible1 tangible1 and divisible matter1 but its extreme sublimation4 ,pure ,spirit is but one remove from the no-,spirit1 or the absolute all4 ,unless you admit that man was evolved out of this primordial ,spirit-matter1 and represents a regular progressive scale of 8principles0 from meta-,spirit down to the grossest matter1 how can we ever come to regard the inner man as immortal1 and at the same time as a spiritual ,entity and a mortal man8 ,,enq4 ,then why should you not believe in ,god as such an ,entity8 ,,theo4 ,because that which is infinite and unconditioned can have no form1 and cannot be a being1 not in any ,eastern philosophy worthy of the name1 at any rate4 ,an 8entity0 is immortal1 but is so only in its ultimate essence1 not in its individual form4 ,when at the last point of its cycle1 it is absorbed into its primordial nature2 and it becomes spirit1 when it loses its name of ,entity4 ,its immortality as a form is limited only to its life-cycle or the ,mahamanvantara2 after which it is one and identical with the ,universal ,spirit1 and no longer a separate ,entity4 ,as to the personal ,soul--by which we mean the spark of consciousness that preserves in the ,spiritual ,ego the idea of the personal 8,i0 of the last incarnation--this lasts1 as a separate distinct recollection1 only throughout the ,devachanic period2 after which time it is added to the series of other innumerable incarnations of the ,ego1 like the remembrance in our memory of one of a series of days1 at the end of a year4 ,will you bind the infinitude you claim for your ,god to finite conditions8 ,that alone which is indissolubly cemented by ,atma 7i4e41 ,buddhi-,manas7 is immortal4 ,the ,soul of man 7i4e41 of the personality7 per se is neither immortal1 eternal nor divine4 ,says the ,zohar 7vol4 iii41 p4 #faf71 8the soul1 when sent to this earth1 puts on an earthly garment1 to preserve herself here1 so she receives above a shining garment1 in order to be able to look without injury into the mirror1 whose light proceeds from the ,lord of ,light40 ,moreover1 the ,zohar teaches that the soul cannot reach the abode of bliss1 unless she has received the 8holy kiss10 or the reunion of the soul with the substance from which she emanated--spirit4 ,all souls are dual1 and1 while the latter is a feminine principle1 the spirit is masculine4 ,while imprisoned in body1 man is a trinity1 unless his pollution is such as to have caused his divorce from the spirit4 8,woe to the soul which prefers to her divine husband 7spirit7 the earthly wedlock with her terrestrial body10 records a text of the ,book of the ,keys1 a ,hermetic work4 ,woe indeed1 for nothing will remain of that personality to be recorded on the imperishable tablets of the ,ego's memory4 ,,enq4 ,how can that which1 if not breathed by ,god into man1 yet is on your own confession of an identical substance with the divine1 fail to be immortal8 ,,theo4 ,every atom and speck of matter1 not of substance only1 is imperishable in its essence1 but not in its individual consciousness4 ,immortality is but one's unbroken consciousness2 and the personal consciousness can hardly last longer than the personality itself1 can it8 ,and such consciousness1 as ,i already told you1 survives only throughout ,devachan1 after which it is reabsorbed1 first1 in the individual1 and then in the universal consciousness4 ,better enquire of your theologians how it is that they have so sorely jumbled up the ,jewish ,scriptures4 ,read the ,bible1 if you would have a good proof that the writers of the ,pentateuch1 and ,genesis especially1 never regarded nephesh1 that which ,god breathes into ,adam 7,gen4 ch4 ii471 as the immortal soul4 ,here are some instances3--8,and ,god created 444 every nephesh 7life7 that moveth0 7,gen i4 #ba71 meaning animals2 and 7,gen4 ii4 #g7 it is said3 8,and man became a nephesh0 7living soul71 which shows that the word nephesh was indifferently applied to immortal man and to mortal beast4 8,and surely your blood of your nepheshim 7lives7 will ,i require2 at the hand of every beast will ,i require it1 and at the hand of man0 7,gen4 ix4 #e71 8,escape for nephesh0 7escape for thy life1 it is translated71 7,gen4 xix4 #ag74 8,let us not kill him10 reads the ,english version 7,gen4 xxxvii4 #ba74 8,let us not kill his nephesh0 is the ,hebrew text4 8,nephesh for nephesh10 says ,leviticus 7xvii4 #h74 8,he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death10 literally 8,he that smiteth the nephesh of a man0 7,lev4 xxiv4 #ag72 and from verse #ah and following it reads3 8,and he that killeth a beast 7nephesh7 shall make it good 444 ,beast for beast10 whereas the original text has it 8nephesh for nephesh40 ,how could man kill that which is immortal8 ,and this explains also why the ,sadducees denied the immortality of the soul1 as it also affords another proof that very probably the ,mosaic ,jews--the uninitiated at any rate--never believed in the soul's survival at all4 ,,on ,,eternal ,,reward ,,and ,,punishment2 ,,and ,,on ,,nirvana4 ,,enq4 ,it is hardly necessary1 ,i suppose1 to ask you whether you believe in the ,christian dogmas of ,paradise and ,hell1 or in future rewards and punishments as taught by the ,orthodox churches8 ,,theo4 ,as described in your catechisms1 we reject them absolutely2 least of all would we accept their eternity4 ,but we believe firmly in what we call the ,law of ,retribution1 and in the absolute justice and wisdom guiding this ,law1 or ,karma4 ,hence we positively refuse to accept the cruel and unphilosophical belief in eternal reward or eternal punishment4 ,we say with ,horace3-- 8,let rules be fixed that may our rage contain1 ,and punish faults with a proportion'd pain2 ,but do not flay him who deserves alone ,a whipping for the fault that he has done40 ,this is a rule for all men1 and a just one4 ,have we to believe that ,god1 of whom you make the embodiment of wisdom1 love and mercy1 is less entitled to these attributes than mortal man8 ,,enq4 ,have you any other reasons for rejecting this dogma8 ,,theo4 ,our chief reason for it lies in the fact of re-incarnation4 ,as already stated1 we reject the idea of a new soul created for every newly-born babe4 ,we believe that every human being is the bearer1 or ,vehicle1 of an ,ego coeval with every other ,ego2 because all ,egos are of the same essence and belong to the primeval emanation from one universal infinite ,ego4 ,plato calls the latter the logos 7or the second manifested ,god72 and we1 the manifested divine principle1 which is one with the universal mind or soul1 not the anthropomorphic1 extra-cosmic and personal ,god in which so many ,theists believe4 ,pray do not confuse4 ,,enq4 ,but where is the difficulty1 once you accept a manifested principle1 in believing that the soul of every new mortal is created by that ,principle1 as all the ,souls before it have been so created8 ,,theo4 ,because that which is impersonal can hardly create1 plan and think1 at its own sweet will and pleasure4 ,being a universal ,law1 immutable in its periodical manifestations1 those of radiating and manifesting its own essence at the beginning of every new cycle of life1 ,,it is not supposed to create men1 only to repent a few years later of having created them4 ,if we have to believe in a divine principle at all1 it must be in one which is as absolute harmony1 logic1 and justice1 as it is absolute love1 wisdom1 and impartiality2 and a ,god who would create every soul for the space of one brief span of life1 regardless of the fact whether it has to animate the body of a wealthy1 happy man1 or that of a poor suffering wretch1 hapless from birth to death though he has done nothing to deserve his cruel fate--would be rather a senseless fiend than a ,god4 7,vide infra1 8,on the ,punishment of the ,ego407 ,why1 even the ,jewish philosophers1 believers in the ,mosaic ,bible 7esoterically1 of course71 have never entertained such an idea2 and1 moreover1 they believed in re-incarnation1 as we do4 ,,enq4 ,can you give me some instances as a proof of this8 ,,theo4 ,most decidedly ,i can4 ,philo ,judus says 7in 8,de ,somniis10 p4 #dee73 8,the air is full of them 7of souls72 those which are nearest the earth1 descending to be tied to mortal bodies1 return to other bodies1 being desirous to live in them40 ,in the ,zohar1 the soul is made to plead her freedom before ,god3 8,lord of the ,universe6 ,i am happy in this world1 and do not wish to go into another world1 where ,i shall be a handmaid1 and be exposed to all kinds of pollutions40#bh ,the doctrine of fatal necessity1 the everlasting immutable law1 is asserted in the answer of the ,deity3 8,against thy will thou becomest an embryo1 and against thy will thou art born40#bi ,light would be incomprehensible without darkness to make it manifest by contrast2 good would be no longer good without evil to show the priceless nature of the boon2 and so personal virtue could claim no merit1 unless it had passed through the furnace of temptation4 ,nothing is eternal and unchangeable1 save the concealed ,deity4 ,nothing that is finite--whether because it had a beginning1 or must have an end--can remain stationary4 ,it must either progress or recede2 and a soul which thirsts after a reunion with its spirit1 which alone confers upon it immortality1 must purify itself through cyclic transmigrations onward toward the only land of bliss and eternal rest1 called in the ,zohar1 8,the ,palace of ,love10 2 in the ,hindu religion1 8,moksha02 among the ,gnostics1 8,the ,pleroma of ,eternal ,light02 and by the ,buddhists1 8,nirvana40 ,and all these states are temporary1 not eternal4 ,,enq4 ,yet there is no re-incarnation spoken of in all this4 ,,theo4 ,a soul which pleads to be allowed to remain where she is1 must be pre-existent1 and not have been created for the occasion4 ,in the ,zohar 7vol4 iii41 p4 #fa71 however1 there is a still better proof4 ,speaking of the reincarnating ,egos 7the rational souls71 those whose last personality has to fade out entirely1 it is said3 8,all souls which have alienated themselves in heaven from the ,holy ,one--blessed be ,his name--have thrown themselves into an abyss at their very existence1 and have anticipated the time when they are to descend once more on earth40 8,the ,holy ,one0 means here1 esoterically1 the ,atman1 or ,atma-,buddhi4 ,,enq4 ,moreover1 it is very strange to find ,nirvana spoken of as something synonymous with the ,kingdom of ,heaven1 or the ,paradise1 since according to every ,orientalist of note ,nirvana is a synonym of annihilation6 ,,theo4 ,taken literally1 with regard to the personality and differentiated matter1 not otherwise4 ,these ideas on re-incarnation and the trinity of man were held by many of the early ,christian ,fathers4 ,it is the jumble made by the translators of the ,new ,testament and ancient philosophical treatises between soul and spirit1 that has occasioned the many misunderstandings4 ,it is also one of the many reasons why ,buddha1 ,plotinus1 and so many other ,initiates are now accused of having longed for the total extinction of their souls3 8absorption unto the ,deity10 or 8reunion with the universal soul10 meaning1 according to modern ideas1 annihilation4 ,the personal soul must1 of course1 be disintegrated into its particles1 before it is able to link its purer essence for ever with the immortal spirit4 ,but the translators of both the ,acts and the ,epistles1 who laid the foundation of the ,kingdom of ,heaven1 and the modern commentators on the ,buddhist ,sutra of the ,foundation of the ,kingdom of ,righteousness1 have muddled the sense of the great apostle of ,christianity as of the great reformer of ,india4 ,the former have smothered the word so that no reader imagines it to have any relation with soul2 and with this confusion of soul and spirit together1 ,bible readers get only a perverted sense of anything on the subject4 ,on the other hand1 the interpreters of ,buddha have failed to understand the meaning and object of the ,buddhist four degrees of ,dhyna4 ,ask the ,pythagoreans1 8,can that spirit1 which gives life and motion and partakes of the nature of light1 be reduced to nonentity80 8,can even that sensitive spirit in brutes which exercises memory1 one of the rational faculties1 die and become nothing80 observe the ,occultists4 ,in ,buddhistic philosophy annihilation means only a dispersion of matter1 in whatever form or semblance of form it may be1 for everything that has form is temporary1 and is1 therefore1 really an illusion4 ,for in eternity the longest periods of time are as a wink of the eye4 ,so with form4 ,before we have time to realize that we have seen it1 it is gone like an instantaneous flash of lightning1 and passed for ever4 ,when the ,spiritual entity breaks loose for ever from every particle of matter1 substance1 or form1 and re-becomes a ,spiritual breath3 then only does it enter upon the eternal and unchangeable ,nirvana1 lasting as long as the cycle of life has lasted--an eternity1 truly4 ,and then that ,breath1 existing in ,spirit1 is nothing because it is all2 as a form1 a semblance1 a shape1 it is completely annihilated2 as absolute ,spirit it still is1 for it has become ,be-ness itself4 ,the very word used1 8absorbed in the universal essence10 when spoken of the 8,soul0 as ,spirit1 means 8union with40 ,it can never mean annihilation1 as that would mean eternal separation4 ,,enq4 ,do you not lay yourself open to the accusation of preaching annihilation by the language you yourself use8 ,you have just spoken of the ,soul of man returning to its primordial elements4 ,,theo4 ,but you forget that ,i have given you the differences between the various meanings of the word 8,soul10 and shown the loose way in which the term 8,spirit0 has been hitherto translated4 ,we speak of an animal1 a human1 and a spiritual1 ,soul1 and distinguish between them4 ,plato1 for instance1 calls 8rational ,,soul0 that which we call ,buddhi1 adding to it the adjective of 8spiritual10 however2 but that which we call the reincarnating ,ego1 ,manas1 he calls ,spirit1 ,nous1 etc41 whereas we apply the term ,spirit1 when standing alone and without any qualification1 to ,atma alone4 ,pythagoras repeats our archaic doctrine when stating that the ,ego 7,nous7 is eternal with ,deity2 that the soul only passed through various stages to arrive at divine excellence2 while thumos returned to the earth1 and even the phren1 the lower ,manas1 was eliminated4 ,again1 ,plato defines ,soul 7,buddhi7 as 8the motion that is able to move itself40 8,soul10 he adds 7,laws ,x471 8is the most ancient of all things1 and the commencement of motion10 thus calling ,atma-,buddhi 8,soul10 and ,manas 8,spirit10 which we do not4 8,soul was generated prior to body1 and body is posterior and secondary1 as being according to nature1 ruled over by the ruling soul40 8,the soul which administers all things that are moved in every way1 administers likewise the heavens40 8,soul then leads everything in heaven1 and on earth1 and in the sea1 by its movements--the names of which are1 to will1 to consider1 to take care of1 to consult1 to form opinions true and false1 to be in a state of joy1 sorrow1 confidence1 fear1 hate1 love1 together with all such primary movements as are allied to these4444 ,being a goddess herself1 she ever takes as an ally ,nous1 a god1 and disciplines all things correctly and happily2 but when with ,annoia--not nous--it works out everything the contrary40 ,in this language1 as in the ,buddhist texts1 the negative is treated as essential existence4 ,annihilation comes under a similar exegesis4 ,the positive state is essential being1 but no manifestation as such4 ,when the spirit1 in ,buddhistic parlance1 enters ,nirvana1 it loses objective existence1 but retains subjective being4 ,to objective minds this is becoming absolute 8nothing02 to subjective1 ,,no-,,thing1 nothing to be displayed to sense4 ,thus1 their ,nirvana means the certitude of individual immortality in ,spirit1 not in ,soul1 which1 though 8the most ancient of all things10 is still--along with all the other ,gods--a finite emanation1 in forms and individuality1 if not in substance4 ,,enq4 ,i do not quite seize the idea yet1 and would be thankful to have you explain this to me by some illustrations4 ,,theo4 ,no doubt it is very difficult to understand1 especially to one brought up in the regular orthodox ideas of the ,christian ,church4 ,moreover1 ,i must tell you one thing2 and this is that unless you have studied thoroughly well the separate functions assigned to all the human 8principles0 and the state of all these after death1 you will hardly realize our ,eastern philosophy4 ,,on ,,the ,,various 8,,principles0 ,,in ,,man4 ,,enq4 ,i have heard a good deal about this constitution of the 8inner man0 as you call it1 but could never make 8head or tail on't0 as ,gabalis expresses it4 ,,theo4 ,of course1 it is most difficult1 and1 as you say1 8puzzling0 to understand correctly and distinguish between the various aspects1 called by us1 the 8principles0 of the real ,,ego4 ,it is the more so as there exists a notable difference in the numbering of those principles by various ,eastern schools1 though at the bottom there is the same identical substratum of teaching4 ,,enq4 ,do you mean the ,vedantins1 as an instance8 ,don't they divide your seven 8principles0 into five only8 ,,theo4 ,they do2 but though ,i would not presume to dispute the point with a learned ,vedantin1 ,i may yet state as my private opinion that they have an obvious reason for it4 ,with them it is only that compound spiritual aggregate which consists of various mental aspects that is called ,man at all1 the physical body being in their view something beneath contempt1 and merely an illusion4 ,nor is the ,vedanta the only philosophy to reckon in this manner4 ,lao-,tze1 in his ,tao-te-,king1 mentions only five principles1 because he1 like the ,vedantins1 omits to include two principles1 namely1 the spirit 7,atma7 and the physical body1 the latter of which1 moreover1 he calls 8the cadaver40 ,then there is the ,taraka ,raj ,yog ,school4 ,its teaching recognises only three 8principles0 in fact2 but then1 in reality1 their ,sthulopadi1 or the physical body1 in its waking conscious state1 their ,sukshmopadhi1 the same body in ,svapna1 or the dreaming state1 and their ,karanopadhi or 8causal body10 or that which passes from one incarnation to another1 are all dual in their aspects1 and thus make six4 ,add to this ,atma1 the impersonal divine principle or the immortal element in ,man1 undistinguished from the ,universal ,spirit1 and you have the same seven again4#cj ,they are welcome to hold to their division2 we hold to ours4 ,,enq4 ,then it seems almost the same as the division made by the mystic ,christians3 body1 soul and spirit8 ,,theo4 ,just the same4 ,we could easily make of the body the vehicle of the 8vital ,double02 of the latter the vehicle of ,life or ,pran2 of ,kama-rupa1 or 7animal7 soul1 the vehicle of the higher and the lower mind1 and make of this six principles1 crowning the whole with the one immortal spirit4 ,in ,occultism every qualificative change in the state of our consciousness gives to man a new aspect1 and if it prevails and becomes part of the living and acting ,ego1 it must be 7and is7 given a special name1 to distinguish the man in that particular state from the man he is when he places himself in another state4 ,,enq4 ,it is just that which it is so difficult to understand4 ,,theo4 ,it seems to me very easy1 on the contrary1 once that you have seized the main idea1 i4e41 that man acts on this or another plane of consciousness1 in strict accordance with his mental and spiritual condition4 ,but such is the materialism of the age that the more we explain the less people seem capable of understanding what we say4 ,divide the terrestrial being called man into three chief aspects1 if you like1 and unless you make of him a pure animal you cannot do less4 ,take his objective body2 the thinking principle in him--which is only a little higher than the instinctual element in the animal--or the vital conscious soul2 and that which places him so immeasurably beyond and higher than the animal--i4e41 his reasoning soul or 8spirit40 ,well1 if we take these three groups or representative entities1 and subdivide them1 according to the occult teaching1 what do we get8 ,first of all1 ,spirit 7in the sense of the ,absolute1 and therefore1 indivisible ,,all71 or ,atma4 ,as this can neither be located nor limited in philosophy1 being simply that which ,,is in ,eternity1 and which cannot be absent from even the tiniest geometrical or mathematical point of the universe of matter or substance1 it ought not to be called1 in truth1 a 8human0 principle at all4 ,rather1 and at best1 it is in ,metaphysics1 that point in space which the human ,monad and its vehicle man occupy for the period of every life4 ,now that point is as imaginary as man himself1 and in reality is an illusion1 a maya2 but then for ourselves1 as for other personal ,egos1 we are a reality during that fit of illusion called life1 and we have to take ourselves into account1 in our own fancy at any rate1 if no one else does4 ,to make it more conceivable to the human intellect1 when first attempting the study of ,occultism1 and to solve the ,a ,b ,c of the mystery of man1 ,occultism calls this seventh principle the synthesis of the sixth1 and gives it for vehicle the ,spiritual ,soul1 ,buddhi4 ,now the latter conceals a mystery1 which is never given to any one1 with the exception of irrevocably pledged chelas1 or those1 at any rate1 who can be safely trusted4 ,of course1 there would be less confusion1 could it only be told2 but1 as this is directly concerned with the power of projecting one's double consciously and at will1 and as this gift1 like the 8ring of ,gyges10 would prove very fatal to man at large and to the possessor of that faculty in particular1 it is carefully guarded4 ,but let us proceed with the 8principles40 ,this divine soul1 or ,buddhi1 then1 is the vehicle of the ,spirit4 ,in conjunction1 these two are one1 impersonal and without any attributes 7on this plane1 of course71 and make two spiritual 8principles40 ,if we pass on to the ,human ,soul1 ,manas or mens1 every one will agree that the intelligence of man is dual to say the least3 e4g41 the high-minded man can hardly become low-minded2 the very intellectual and spiritual-minded man is separated by an abyss from the obtuse1 dull1 and material1 if not animal-minded man4 ,,enq4 ,but why should not man be represented by two 8principles0 or two aspects1 rather8 ,,theo4 ,every man has these two principles in him1 one more active than the other1 and in rare cases1 one of these is entirely stunted in its growth1 so to say1 or paralysed by the strength and predominance of the other aspect1 in whatever direction4 ,these1 then1 are what we call the two principles or aspects of ,manas1 the higher and the lower2 the former1 the higher ,manas1 or the thinking1 conscious ,,ego gravitating toward the spiritual ,soul 7,buddhi72 and the latter1 or its instinctual principle1 attracted to ,kama1 the seat of animal desires and passions in man4 ,thus1 we have four 8principles0 justified2 the last three being 7#a7 the 8,double10 which we have agreed to call ,protean1 or ,plastic ,soul2 the vehicle of 7#b7 the life principle2 and 7#c7 the physical body4 ,of course no physiologist or biologist will accept these principles1 nor can he make head or tail of them4 ,and this is why1 perhaps1 none of them understand to this day either the functions of the spleen1 the physical vehicle of the ,protean ,double1 or those of a certain organ on the right side of man1 the seat of the above-mentioned desires1 nor yet does he know anything of the pineal gland1 which he describes as a horny gland with a little sand in it1 which gland is in truth the very seat of the highest and divinest consciousness in man1 his omniscient1 spiritual and all-embracing mind4 ,and this shows to you still more plainly that we have neither invented these seven principles1 nor are they new in the world of philosophy1 as we can easily prove4 ,,enq4 ,but what is it that reincarnates1 in your belief8 ,,theo4 ,the ,spiritual thinking ,ego1 the permanent principle in man1 or that which is the seat of ,manas4 ,it is not ,atma1 or even ,atma-,buddhi1 regarded as the dual ,monad1 which is the individual1 or divine man1 but ,manas2 for ,atman is the ,universal ,,all1 and becomes the ,,higher-,,self of man only in conjunction with ,buddhi1 its vehicle1 which links ,,it to the individuality 7or divine man74 ,for it is the ,buddhi-,manas which is called the ,causal body1 7the ,united #eth and #fth ,principles7 and which is ,consciousness1 that connects it with every personality it inhabits on earth4 ,therefore1 ,soul being a generic term1 there are in men three aspects of soul--the terrestrial1 or animal2 the ,human ,soul2 and the ,spiritual ,soul2 these1 strictly speaking1 are one ,soul in its three aspects4 ,now of the first aspect1 nothing remains after death2 of the second 7nous or ,manas7 only its divine essence if left unsoiled survives1 while the third in addition to being immortal becomes consciously divine1 by the assimilation of the higher ,manas4 ,but to make it clear1 we have to say a few words first of all about ,re-incarnation4 ,,enq4 ,you will do well1 as it is against this doctrine that your enemies fight the most ferociously4 ,,theo4 ,you mean the ,spiritualists8 ,i know2 and many are the absurd objections laboriously spun by them over the pages of ,light4 ,so obtuse and malicious are some of them1 that they will stop at nothing4 ,one of them found recently a contradiction1 which he gravely discusses in a letter to that journal1 in two statements picked out of ,mr4 ,sinnett's lectures4 ,he discovers that grave contradiction in these two sentences3 8,premature returns to earth-life in the cases when they occur may be due to ,karmic complication 44402 and 8there is no accident in the supreme act of divine justice guiding evolution40 ,so profound a thinker would surely see a contradiction of the law of gravitation if a man stretched out his hand to stop a falling stone from crushing the head of a child6 ,,footnotes3 #be ,in its generic sense1 the word 8rational0 meaning something emanating from the ,eternal ,wisdom4 #bf ,irrational in the sense that as a pure emanation of the ,universal mind it can have no individual reason of its own on this plane of matter1 but like the ,moon1 who borrows her light from the ,sun and her life from the ,earth1 so ,buddhi1 receiving its light of ,wisdom from ,atma1 gets its rational qualities from ,manas4 ,per se1 as something homogeneous1 it is devoid of attributes4 #bg ,vide 8,secret ,doctrine10 ,vol4 ,,ii41 stanzas4 #bh 8,zohar10 ,vol4 ,,ii41 p4 #if4 #bi 8,mishna10 8,aboth10 ,vol4 ,,iv41 p4 #bi4 #cj ,see 8,secret ,doctrine0 for a clearer explanation4 ,vol4 ,i41 p4 #aeg4 ,,viii4 ,,on ,,re-,,incarnation ,,or ,,rebirth4 ,,what ,,is ,,memory ,,according ,,to ,,theosophical ,,teaching8 ,,enq4 ,the most difficult thing for you to do1 will be to explain and give reasonable grounds for such a belief4 ,no ,theosophist has ever yet succeeded in bringing forward a single valid proof to shake my scepticism4 ,first of all1 you have against this theory of re-incarnation1 the fact that no single man has yet been found to remember that he has lived1 least of all who he was1 during his previous life4 ,,theo4 ,your argument1 ,i see1 tends to the same old objection2 the loss of memory in each of us of our previous incarnation4 ,you think it invalidates our doctrine8 ,my answer is that it does not1 and that at any rate such an objection cannot be final4 ,,enq4 ,i would like to hear your arguments4 ,,theo4 ,they are short and few4 ,yet when you take into consideration 7a7 the utter inability of the best modern psychologists to explain to the world the nature of mind2 and 7b7 their complete ignorance of its potentialities1 and higher states1 you have to admit that this objection is based on an a priori conclusion drawn from prim facie and circumstantial evidence more than anything else4 ,now what is 8memory0 in your conception1 pray8 ,,enq4 ,that which is generally accepted3 the faculty in our mind of remembering and of retaining the knowledge of previous thoughts1 deeds and events4 ,,theo4 ,please add to it that there is a great difference between the three accepted forms of memory4 ,besides memory in general you have ,remembrance1 ,recollection and ,reminiscence1 have you not8 ,have you ever thought over the difference8 ,memory1 remember1 is a generic name4 ,,enq4 ,yet1 all these are only synonyms4 ,,theo4 ,indeed1 they are not--not in philosophy1 at all events4 ,memory is simply an innate power in thinking beings1 and even in animals1 of reproducing past impressions by an association of ideas principally suggested by objective things or by some action on our external sensory organs4 ,memory is a faculty depending entirely on the more or less healthy and normal functioning of our physical brain2 and remembrance and recollection are the attributes and handmaidens of that memory4 ,but reminiscence is an entirely different thing4 8,reminiscence0 is defined by the modern psychologist as something intermediate between remembrance and recollection1 or 8a conscious process of recalling past occurrences1 but without that full and varied reference to particular things which characterises recollection40 ,locke1 speaking of recollection and remembrance1 says3 8,when an idea again recurs without the operation of the like object on the external sensory1 it is remembrance2 if it be sought after by the mind1 and with pain and endeavour found and brought again into view1 it is recollection40 ,but even ,locke leaves reminiscence without any clear definition1 because it is no faculty or attribute of our physical memory1 but an intuitional perception apart from and outside our physical brain2 a perception which1 covering as it does 7being called into action by the ever-present knowledge of our spiritual ,ego7 all those visions in man which are regarded as abnormal--from the pictures suggested by genius to the ravings of fever and even madness--are classed by science as having no existence outside of our fancy4 ,occultism and ,theosophy1 however1 regard reminiscence in an entirely different light4 ,for us1 while memory is physical and evanescent and depends on the physiological conditions of the brain--a fundamental proposition with all teachers of mnemonics1 who have the researches of modern scientific psychologists to back them--we call reminiscence the memory of the soul4 ,and it is this memory which gives the assurance to almost every human being1 whether he understands it or not1 of his having lived before and having to live again4 ,indeed1 as ,wordsworth has it3 8,our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting1 ,the soul that rises with us1 our life's star1 ,hath elsewhere had its setting1 ,and cometh from afar40 ,,enq4 ,if it is on this kind of memory--poetry and abnormal fancies1 on your own confession--that you base your doctrine1 then you will convince very few1 ,i am afraid4 ,,theo4 ,i did not 8confess0 it was a fancy4 ,i simply said that physiologists and scientists in general regard such reminiscences as hallucinations and fancy1 to which learned conclusion they are welcome4 ,we do not deny that such visions of the past and glimpses far back into the corridors of time1 are abnormal1 as contrasted with our normal daily life experience and physical memory4 ,but we do maintain with ,professor ,w4 ,knight1 that 8the absence of memory of any action done in a previous state cannot be a conclusive argument against our having lived through it40 ,and every fair-minded opponent must agree with what is said in ,butler's ,lectures on ,platonic ,philosophy--8that the feeling of extravagance with which it 7pre-existence7 affects us has its secret source in materialistic or semi-materialistic prejudices40 ,besides which we maintain that memory1 as ,olympiodorus called it1 is simply phantasy1 and the most unreliable thing in us4#ca ,ammonius ,saccas asserted that the only faculty in man directly opposed to prognostication1 or looking into futurity1 is memory4 ,furthermore1 remember that memory is one thing and mind or thought is another2 one is a recording machine1 a register which very easily gets out of order2 the other 7thoughts7 are eternal and imperishable4 ,would you refuse to believe in the existence of certain things or men only because your physical eyes have not seen them8 ,would not the collective testimony of past generations who have seen him be a sufficient guarantee that ,julius ,csar once lived8 ,why should not the same testimony of the psychic senses of the masses be taken into consideration8 ,,enq4 ,but don't you think that these are too fine distinctions to be accepted by the majority of mortals8 ,,theo4 ,say rather by the majority of materialists4 ,and to them we say1 behold3 even in the short span of ordinary existence1 memory is too weak to register all the events of a lifetime4 ,how frequently do even most important events lie dormant in our memory until awakened by some association of ideas1 or aroused to function and activity by some other link4 ,this is especially the case with people of advanced age1 who are always found suffering from feebleness of recollection4 ,when1 therefore1 we remember that which we know about the physical and the spiritual principles in man1 it is not the fact that our memory has failed to record our precedent life and lives that ought to surprise us1 but the contrary1 were it to happen4 ,,why ,,do ,,we ,,not ,,remember ,,our ,,past ,,lives8 ,,enq4 ,you have given me a bird's eye view of the seven principles2 now how do they account for our complete loss of any recollection of having lived before8 ,,theo4 ,very easily4 ,since those 8principles0 which we call physical1 and none of which is denied by science1 though it calls them by other names1#cb are disintegrated after death with their constituent elements1 memory along with its brain1 this vanished memory of a vanished personality1 can neither remember nor record anything in the subsequent re-incarnation of the ,,ego4 ,re-incarnation means that this ,ego will be furnished with a new body1 a new brain1 and a new memory4 ,therefore it would be as absurd to expect this memory to remember that which it has never recorded as it would be idle to examine under a microscope a shirt never worn by a murderer1 and seek on it for the stains of blood which are to be found only on the clothes he wore4 ,it is not the clean shirt that we have to question1 but the clothes worn during the perpetration of the crime2 and if these are burnt and destroyed1 how can you get at them8 ,,enq4 ,aye6 how can you get at the certainty that the crime was ever committed at all1 or that the 8man in the clean shirt0 ever lived before8 ,,theo4 ,not by physical processes1 most assuredly2 nor by relying on the testimony of that which exists no longer4 ,but there is such a thing as circumstantial evidence1 since our wise laws accept it1 more1 perhaps1 even than they should4 ,to get convinced of the fact of re-incarnation and past lives1 one must put oneself in rapport with one's real permanent ,ego1 not one's evanescent memory4 ,,enq4 ,but how can people believe in that which they do not know1 nor have ever seen1 far less put themselves in rapport with it8 ,,theo4 ,if people1 and the most learned1 will believe in the ,gravity1 ,ether1 ,force1 and what not of ,science1 abstractions 8and working hypotheses10 which they have neither seen1 touched1 smelt1 heard1 nor tasted--why should not other people believe1 on the same principle1 in one's permanent ,ego1 a far more logical and important 8working hypothesis0 than any other8 ,,enq4 ,what is1 finally1 this mysterious eternal principle8 ,can you explain its nature so as to make it comprehensible to all8 ,,theo4 ,the ,,ego which reincarnates1 the individual and immortal--not personal--8,i02 the vehicle1 in short1 of the ,atma-,buddhic ,,monad1 that which is rewarded in ,devachan and punished on earth1 and that1 finally1 to which the reflection only of the ,skandhas1 or attributes1 of every incarnation attaches itself4#cc ,,enq4 ,what do you mean by ,skandhas8 ,,theo4 ,just what ,i said3 8attributes10 among which is memory1 all of which perish like a flower1 leaving behind them only a feeble perfume4 ,here is another paragraph from ,h4 ,s4 ,olcott's 8,buddhist ,catechism0#cd which bears directly upon the subject4 ,it deals with the question as follows3--8,the aged man remembers the incidents of his youth1 despite his being physically and mentally changed4 ,why1 then1 is not the recollection of past lives brought over by us from our last birth into the present birth8 ,because memory is included within the ,skandhas1 and the ,skandhas having changed with the new existence1 a memory1 the record of that particular existence1 develops4 ,yet the record or reflection of all the past lives must survive1 for when ,prince ,siddhartha became ,buddha1 the full sequence of ,his previous births were seen by ,him 444 and any one who attains to the state of ,jhana can thus retrospectively trace the line of his lives40 ,this proves to you that while the undying qualities of the personality--such as love1 goodness1 charity1 etc4--attach themselves to the immortal ,ego1 photographing on it1 so to speak1 a permanent image of the divine aspect of the man who was1 his material ,skandhas 7those which generate the most marked ,karmic effects7 are as evanescent as a flash of lightning1 and cannot impress the new brain of the new personality2 yet their failing to do so impairs in no way the identity of the reincarnating ,ego4 ,,enq4 ,do you mean to infer that that which survives is only the ,soul-memory1 as you call it1 that ,soul or ,ego being one and the same1 while nothing of the personality remains8 ,,theo4 ,not quite2 something of each personality1 unless the latter was an absolute materialist with not even a chink in his nature for a spiritual ray to pass through1 must survive1 as it leaves its eternal impress on the incarnating permanent ,self or ,spiritual ,ego4#ce 7,see ,on post mortem and post natal ,consciousness47 ,the personality with its ,skandhas is ever changing with every new birth4 ,it is1 as said before1 only the part played by the actor 7the true ,ego7 for one night4 ,this is why we preserve no memory on the physical plane of our past lives1 though the real 8,ego0 has lived them over and knows them all4 ,,enq4 ,then how does it happen that the real or ,spiritual man does not impress his new personal 8,i0 with this knowledge8 ,,theo4 ,how is it that the servant-girls in a poor farm-house could speak ,hebrew and play the violin in their trance or somnambulic state1 and knew neither when in their normal condition8 ,because1 as every genuine psychologist of the old1 not your modern1 school1 will tell you1 the ,spiritual ,ego can act only when the personal ,ego is paralysed4 ,the ,spiritual 8,i0 in man is omniscient and has every knowledge innate in it2 while the personal self is the creature of its environment and the slave of the physical memory4 ,could the former manifest itself uninterruptedly1 and without impediment1 there would be no longer men on earth1 but we should all be gods4 ,,enq4 ,still there ought to be exceptions1 and some ought to remember4 ,,theo4 ,and so there are4 ,but who believes in their report8 ,such sensitives are generally regarded as hallucinated hysteriacs1 as crack-brained enthusiasts1 or humbugs1 by modern materialism4 ,let them read1 however1 works on this subject1 pre-eminently 8,re-incarnation1 a ,study of ,forgotten ,truth0 by ,e4 ,d4 ,walker1 ,f4,t4,s41 and see in it the mass of proofs which the able author brings to bear on this vexed question4 ,one speaks to people of soul1 and some ask 8,what is ,soul80 8,have you ever proved its existence80 ,of course it is useless to argue with those who are materialists4 ,but even to them ,i would put the question3 8,can you remember what you were or did when a baby8 ,have you preserved the smallest recollection of your life1 thoughts1 or deeds1 or that you lived at all during the first eighteen months or two years of your existence8 ,then why not deny that you have ever lived as a babe1 on the same principle80 ,when to all this we add that the reincarnating ,ego1 or individuality1 retains during the ,devachanic period merely the essence of the experience of its past earth-life or personality1 the whole physical experience involving into a state of in potentia1 or being1 so to speak1 translated into spiritual formul2 when we remember further that the term between two rebirths is said to extend from ten to fifteen centuries1 during which time the physical consciousness is totally and absolutely inactive1 having no organs to act through and therefore no existence1 the reason for the absence of all remembrance in the purely physical memory is apparent4 ,,enq4 ,you just said that the ,,spiritual ,,ego was omniscient4 ,where1 then1 is that vaunted omniscience during his ,devachanic life1 as you call it8 ,,theo4 ,during that time it is latent and potential1 because first of all1 the ,spiritual ,ego 7the compound of ,buddhi-,manas7 is not the ,higher ,,self1 which being one with the ,universal ,soul or ,mind is alone omniscient2 and1 secondly1 because ,devachan is the idealized continuation of the terrestrial life just left behind1 a period of retributive adjustment1 and a reward for unmerited wrongs and sufferings undergone in that special life4 ,it is omniscient only potentially in ,devachan1 and de facto exclusively in ,nirvana1 when the ,ego is merged in the ,universal ,mind-,soul4 ,yet it re-becomes quasi omniscient during those hours on earth when certain abnormal conditions and physiological changes in the body make the ,ego free from the trammels of matter4 ,thus the examples cited above of somnambulists1 a poor servant speaking ,hebrew1 and another playing the violin1 give you an illustration of the case in point4 ,this does not mean that the explanations of these two facts offered us by medical science have no truth in them1 for one girl had1 years before1 heard her master1 a clergyman1 read ,hebrew works aloud1 and the other had heard an artist playing a violin at their farm4 ,but neither could have done so as perfectly as they did had they not been ensouled by ,,that which1 owing to the sameness of its nature with the ,universal ,mind1 is omniscient4 ,here the higher principle acted on the ,skandhas and moved them2 in the other1 the personality being paralysed1 the individuality manifested itself4 ,pray do not confuse the two4 ,,on ,,individuality ,,and ,,personality4#cf ,,enq4 ,but what is the difference between the two8 ,i confess that ,i am still in the dark4 ,indeed it is just that difference1 then1 that you cannot impress too much on our minds4 ,,theo4 ,i try to2 but alas1 it is harder with some than to make them feel a reverence for childish impossibilities1 only because they are orthodox1 and because orthodoxy is respectable4 ,to understand the idea well1 you have to first study the dual sets of 8principles02 the spiritual1 or those which belong to the imperishable ,ego2 and the material1 or those principles which make up the ever-changing bodies or the series of personalities of that ,ego4 ,let us fix permanent names to these1 and say that3-- ,i4 ,atma1 the 8,higher ,self10 is neither your ,spirit nor mine1 but like sunlight shines on all4 ,it is the universally diffused 8divine principle10 and is inseparable from its one and absolute ,meta-,spirit1 as the sunbeam is inseparable from sunlight4 ,,ii4 ,buddhi 7the spiritual soul7 is only its vehicle4 ,neither each separately1 nor the two collectively1 are of any more use to the body of man1 then sunlight and its beams are for a mass of granite buried in the earth1 unless the divine ,duad is assimilated by1 and reflected in1 some consciousness4 ,neither ,atma nor ,buddhi are ever reached by ,karma1 because the former is the highest aspect of ,karma1 its working agent of ,,itself in one aspect1 and the other is unconscious on this plane4 ,this consciousness or mind is1 ,,iii4 ,manas1#cg the derivation or product in a reflected form of ,ahamkara1 8the conception of ,i10 or ,,ego-,,ship4 ,it is1 therefore1 when inseparably united to the first two1 called the ,,spiritual ,,ego1 and ,taijasi 7the radiant74 ,this is the real ,individuality1 or the divine man4 ,it is this ,ego which--having originally incarnated in the senseless human form animated by1 but unconscious 7since it had no consciousness7 of1 the presence in itself of the dual monad--made of that human-like form a real man4 ,it is that ,ego1 that 8,causal ,body10 which overshadows every personality ,karma forces it to incarnate into2 and this ,ego which is held responsible for all the sins committed through1 and in1 every new body or personality--the evanescent masks which hide the true ,individual through the long series of rebirths4 ,,enq4 ,but is this just8 ,why should this ,,ego receive punishment as the result of deeds which it has forgotten8 ,,theo4 ,it has not forgotten them2 it knows and remembers its misdeeds as well as you remember what you have done yesterday4 ,is it because the memory of that bundle of physical compounds called 8body0 does not recollect what its predecessor 7the personality that was7 did1 that you imagine that the real ,ego has forgotten them8 ,as well say it is unjust that the new boots on the feet of a boy1 who is flogged for stealing apples1 should be punished for that which they know nothing of4 ,,enq4 ,but are there no modes of communication between the ,spiritual and human consciousness or memory8 ,,theo4 ,of course there are2 but they have never been recognised by your scientific modern psychologists4 ,to what do you attribute intuition1 the 8voice of the conscience10 premonitions1 vague undefined reminiscences1 etc41 etc41 if not to such communications8 ,would that the majority of educated men1 at least1 had the fine spiritual perceptions of ,coleridge1 who shows how intuitional he is in some of his comments4 ,hear what he says with respect to the probability that 8all thoughts are in themselves imperishable40 8,if the intelligent faculty 7sudden #8revivals' of memory7 should be rendered more comprehensive1 it would require only a different and appropriate organization1 the body celestial instead of the body terrestrial1 to bring before every human soul the collective experience of its whole past existence 7existences1 rather740 ,and this body celestial is our ,manasic ,,ego4 ,,on ,,the ,,reward ,,and ,,punishment ,,of ,,the ,,ego4 ,,enq4 ,i have heard you say that the ,ego1 whatever the life of the person he incarnated in may have been on ,earth1 is never visited with post-mortem punishment4 ,,theo4 ,never1 save in very exceptional and rare cases of which we will not speak here1 as the nature of the 8punishment0 in no way approaches any of your theological conceptions of damnation4 ,,enq4 ,but if it is punished in this life for the misdeeds committed in a previous one1 then it is this ,ego that ought to be rewarded also1 whether here1 or when disincarnated4 ,,theo4 ,and so it is4 ,if we do not admit of any punishment outside of this earth1 it is because the only state the ,spiritual ,self knows of1 hereafter1 is that of unalloyed bliss4 ,,enq4 ,what do you mean8 ,,theo4 ,simply this3 crimes and sins committed on a plane of objectivity and in a world of matter1 cannot receive punishment in a world of pure subjectivity4 ,we believe in no hell or paradise as localities2 in no objective hell-fires and worms that never die1 nor in any ,jerusalems with streets paved with sapphires and diamonds4 ,what we believe in is a post-mortem state or mental condition1 such as we are in during a vivid dream4 ,we believe in an immutable law of absolute ,love1 ,justice1 and ,mercy4 ,and believing in it1 we say3 8,whatever the sin and dire results of the original ,karmic transgression of the now incarnated ,egos#ch no man 7or the outer material and periodical form of the ,spiritual ,entity7 can be held1 with any degree of justice1 responsible for the consequences of his birth4 ,he does not ask to be born1 nor can he choose the parents that will give him life4 ,in every respect he is a victim to his environment1 the child of circumstances over which he has no control2 and if each of his transgressions were impartially investigated1 there would be found nine out of every ten cases when he was the one sinned against1 rather than the sinner4 ,life is at best a heartless play1 a stormy sea to cross1 and a heavy burden often too difficult to bear4 ,the greatest philosophers have tried in vain to fathom and find out its raison d'tre1 and have all failed except those who had the key to it1 namely1 the ,eastern sages4 ,life is1 as ,shakespeare describes it3-- 444 but a walking shadow--a poor player1 ,that struts and frets his hour upon the stage1 ,and then is heard no more4 ,it is a tale ,told by an idiot1 full of sound and fury1 ,signifying nothing44440 ,nothing in its separate parts1 yet of the greatest importance in its collectivity or series of lives4 ,at any rate1 almost every individual life is1 in its full development1 a sorrow4 ,and are we to believe that poor1 helpless men1 after being tossed about like a piece of rotten timber on the angry billows of life1 is1 if he proves too weak to resist them1 to be punished by a sempiternity of damnation1 or even a temporary punishment8 ,never6 ,whether a great or an average sinner1 good or bad1 guilty or innocent1 once delivered of the burden of physical life1 the tired and worn-out ,manu 78thinking ,ego07 has won the right to a period of absolute rest and bliss4 ,the same unerringly wise and just rather than merciful ,law1 which inflicts upon the incarnated ,ego the ,karmic punishment for every sin committed during the preceding life on ,earth1 provided for the now disembodied ,entity a long lease of mental rest1 i4e41 the entire oblivion of every sad event1 aye1 to the smallest painful thought1 that took place in its last life as a personality1 leaving in the soul-memory but the reminiscence of that which was bliss1 or led to happiness4 ,plotinus1 who said that our body was the true river of ,lethe1 for 8souls plunged into it forget all10 meant more than he said4 ,for1 as our terrestrial body is like ,lethe1 so is our celestial body in ,devachan1 and much more4 ,,enq4 ,then am ,i to understand that the murderer1 the transgressor of law divine and human in every shape1 is allowed to go unpunished8 ,,theo4 ,who ever said that8 ,our philosophy has a doctrine of punishment as stern as that of the most rigid ,calvinist1 only far more philosophical and consistent with absolute justice4 ,no deed1 not even a sinful thought1 will go unpunished2 the latter more severely even than the former1 as a thought is far more potential in creating evil results than even a deed4#ci ,we believe in an unerring law of ,retribution1 called ,,karma1 which asserts itself in a natural concatenation of causes and their unavoidable results4 ,,enq4 ,and how1 or where1 does it act8 ,,theo4 ,every labourer is worthy of his hire1 saith ,wisdom in the ,gospel2 every action1 good or bad1 is a prolific parent1 saith the ,wisdom of the ,ages4 ,put the two together1 and you will find the 8why40 ,after allowing the ,soul1 escaped from the pangs of personal life1 a sufficient1 aye1 a hundredfold compensation1 ,karma1 with its army of ,skandhas1 waits at the threshold of ,devachan1 whence the ,ego re-emerges to assume a new incarnation4 ,it is at this moment that the future destiny of the now-rested ,ego trembles in the scales of just ,retribution1 as it now falls once again under the sway of active ,karmic law4 ,it is in this re-birth which is ready for it1 a re-birth selected and prepared by this mysterious1 inexorable1 but in the equity and wisdom of its decrees infallible ,,law1 that the sins of the previous life of the ,ego are punished4 ,only it is into no imaginary ,hell1 with theatrical flames and ridiculous tailed and horned devils1 that the ,ego is cast1 but verily on to this earth1 the plane and region of his sins1 where he will have to atone for every bad thought and deed4 ,as he has sown1 so will he reap4 ,re-incarnation will gather around him all those other ,egos who have suffered1 whether directly or indirectly1 at the hands1 or even through the unconscious instrumentality1 of the past personality4 ,they will be thrown by ,nemesis in the way of the new man1 concealing the old1 the eternal ,,ego1 and 444 ,,enq4 ,but where is the equity you speak of1 since these new 8personalities0 are not aware of having sinned or been sinned against8 ,,theo4 ,has the coat torn to shreds from the back of the man who stole it1 by another man who was robbed of it and recognises his property1 to be regarded as fairly dealt with8 ,the new 8personality0 is no better than a fresh suit of clothes with its specific characteristics1 colour1 form and qualities2 but the real man who wears it is the same culprit as of old4 ,it is the individuality who suffers through his 8personality40 ,and it is this1 and this alone1 that can account for the terrible1 still only apparent1 injustice in the distribution of lots in life to man4 ,when your modern philosophers will have succeeded in showing to us a good reason1 why so many apparently innocent and good men are born only to suffer during a whole lifetime2 why so many are born poor unto starvation in the slums of great cities1 abandoned by fate and men2 why1 while these are born in the gutter1 others open their eyes to light in palaces2 while a noble birth and fortune seem often given to the worst of men and only rarely to the worthy2 while there are beggars whose inner selves are peers to the highest and noblest of men2 when this1 and much more1 is satisfactorily explained by either your philosophers or theologians1 then only1 but not till then1 you will have the right to reject the theory of re-incarnation4 ,the highest and grandest of poets have dimly perceived this truth of truths4 ,shelley believed in it1 ,shakespeare must have thought of it when writing on the worthlessness of ,birth4 ,remember his words3 8,why should my birth keep down my mounting spirit8 ,are not all creatures subject unto time8 ,there's legions now of beggars on the earth1 ,that their original did spring from ,kings1 ,and many monarchs now1 whose fathers were ,the riff-raff of their age44440 ,alter the word 8fathers0 into 8,egos0--and you will have the truth4 ,,footnotes3 #ca 8,the phantasy10 says ,olympiodorus 7in ,platonis ,phd47 8is an impediment to our intellectual conceptions2 and hence1 when we are agitated by the inspiring influence of the ,divinity1 if the phantasy intervenes1 the enthusiastic energy ceases3 for enthusiasm and the ecstasy are contrary to each other4 ,should it be asked whether the soul is able to energise without the phantasy1 we reply1 that its perception of universals proves that it is able4 ,it has perceptions1 therefore1 independent of the phantasy2 at the same time1 however1 the phantasy attends in its energies1 just as a storm pursues him who sails on the sea40 #cb ,namely1 the body1 life1 passional and animal instincts1 and the astral eidolon of every man 7whether perceived in thought or our mind's eye1 or objectively and separate from the physical body71 which principles we call ,sthula sarira1 ,pran1 ,kama rupa1 and ,linga sarira 7vide supra74 #cc ,there are five ,skandhas or attributes in the ,buddhist teachings3 8,rupa 7form or body71 material qualities2 ,vedana1 sensation2 ,sanna1 abstract ideas2 ,samkhara1 tendencies of mind2 ,vinnana1 mental powers4 ,of these we are formed2 by them we are conscious of existence2 and through them communicate with the world about us40 #cd ,by ,h4 ,s4 ,olcott1 ,president and ,founder of the ,theosophical ,society4 ,the accuracy of the teaching is sanctioned by the ,rev4 ,h4 ,sumangala1 ,high ,priest of the ,sripada and ,galle1 and ,principal of the ,widyodaya ,parivena 7,college7 at ,colombo1 as being in agreement with the ,canon of the ,southern ,buddhist ,church4 #ce ,or the ,spiritual1 in contradistinction to the personal ,self4 ,the student must not confuse this ,spiritual ,ego with the 8,,higher ,,self0 which is ,atma1 the ,god within us1 and inseparable from the ,universal ,spirit4 #cf ,even in his ,buddhist ,cathechism1 ,col4 ,olcott1 forced to it by the logic of ,esoteric philosophy1 found himself obliged to correct the mistakes of previous ,orientalists who made no such distinction1 and gives the reader his reason for it4 ,thus he says3 8,the successive appearances upon the earth1 or #8descents into generation1' of the tanhaically coherent parts 7,skandhas7 of a certain being are a succession of personalities4 ,in each birth the ,,personality differs from that of a previous or next succeeding birth4 ,karma1 the ,,deus ,,ex ,,machina1 masks 7or shall we say reflects87 itself now in the personality of a sage1 again as an artisan1 and so on throughout the string of births4 ,but though personalities ever shift1 the one line of life along which they are strung1 like beads1 runs unbroken2 it is ever that particular line1 never any other4 ,it is therefore individual1 an individual vital undulation1 which began in ,nirvana1 or the subjective side of nature1 as the light or heat undulation through ther began at its dynamic source2 is careering through the objective side of nature under the impulse of ,karma and the creative direction of ,tanha 7the unsatisfied desire for existence72 and leads through many cyclic changes back to ,nirvana4 ,mr4 ,rhys-,davids calls that which passes from personality to personality along the individual chain #8character1' or #8doing4' ,since #8character' is not a mere metaphysical abstraction1 but the sum of one's mental qualities and moral propensities1 would it not help to dispel what ,mr4 ,rhys-,davids calls #8the desperate expedient of a mystery' 7,buddhism1 p4 #aja7 if we regarded the life-undulation as individuality1 and each of its series of natal manifestations as a separate personality8 ,the perfect individual1 ,buddhistically speaking1 is a ,buddha1 ,i should say2 for ,buddha is but the rare flower of humanity1 without the least supernatural admixture4 ,and as countless generations 7#8four asankheyyas and a hundred thousand cycles1' ,fausboll and ,rhys-,davids' ,,buddhist ,,birth ,,stories1 p4 #ac7 are required to develop a man into a ,buddha1 and the iron will to become one runs throughout all the successive births1 what shall we call that which thus wills and perseveres8 ,character8 ,one's individuality3 an individuality but partly manifested in any one birth1 but built up of fragments from all the births80 7,bud4 ,cat41 ,appendix ,a4 #acg47 #cg ,,mahat or the 8,universal ,mind0 is the source of ,manas4 ,the latter is ,mahat1 i4e41 mind1 in man4 ,manas is also called ,kshetrajna1 8embodied ,spirit10 because it is1 according to our philosophy1 the ,manasa-putras1 or 8,sons of the ,universal ,mind10 who created1 or rather produced1 the thinking man1 8manu10 by incarnating in the third ,race mankind in our ,round4 ,it is ,manas1 therefore1 which is the real incarnating and permanent ,spiritual ,ego1 the ,,individuality1 and our various and numberless personalities only its external masks4 #ch ,it is on this transgression that the cruel and illogical dogma of the ,fallen ,angels has been built4 ,it is explained in ,vol4 ,,ii4 of the ,secret ,doctrine4 ,all our 8,egos0 are thinking and rational entities 7,manasa-putras7 who had lived1 whether under human or other forms1 in the precedent life-cycle 7,manvantara71 and whose ,karma it was to incarnate in the man of this one4 ,it was taught in the ,,mysteries that1 having delayed to comply with this law 7or having 8refused to create0 as ,hinduism says of the ,kumaras and ,christian legend of the ,archangel ,michael71 i4e41 having failed to incarnate in due time1 the bodies predestined for them got defiled 7,vide ,stanzas ,,viii4 and ,,ix4 in the 8,slokas of ,dzyan10 ,vol4 ,,ii4 ,secret ,doctrine1 pp4 #ai and #bj71 hence the original sin of the senseless forms and the punishment of the ,egos4 ,that which is meant by the rebellious angels being hurled down into ,hell is simply explained by these pure ,spirits or ,egos being imprisoned in bodies of unclean matter1 flesh4 #ci 8,verily1 ,i say unto you1 that whosoever looketh at a woman to lust after her1 hath committed adultery with her already in his heart40 7,matt4 v41 #bh47 ,,ix4 ,,on ,,the ,,kama-,,loka ,,and ,,devachan4 ,,on ,,the ,,fate ,,of ,,the ,,lower 8,,principles40 ,,enq4 ,you spoke of ,kama-loka1 what is it8 ,,theo4 ,when the man dies1 his lower three principles leave him for ever2 i4e41 body1 life1 and the vehicle of the latter1 the astral body or the double of the living man4 ,and then1 his four principles--the central or middle principle1 the animal soul or ,kama-rupa1 with what it has assimilated from the lower ,manas1 and the higher triad find themselves in ,kama-loka4 ,the latter is an astral locality1 the limbus of scholastic theology1 the ,hades of the ancients1 and1 strictly speaking1 a locality only in a relative sense4 ,it has neither a definite area nor boundary1 but exists within subjective space2 i4e41 is beyond our sensuous perceptions4 ,still it exists1 and it is there that the astral eidolons of all the beings that have lived1 animals included1 await their second death4 ,for the animals it comes with the disintegration and the entire fading out of their astral particles to the last4 ,for the human eidolon it begins when the ,atma-,buddhi-,manasic triad is said to 8separate0 itself from its lower principles1 or the reflection of the ex-personality1 by falling into the ,devachanic state4 ,,enq4 ,and what happens after this8 ,,theo4 ,then the ,kama-rupic phantom1 remaining bereft of its informing thinking principle1 the higher ,manas1 and the lower aspect of the latter1 the animal intelligence1 no longer receiving light from the higher mind1 and no longer having a physical brain to work through1 collapses4 ,,enq4 ,in what way8 ,,theo4 ,well1 it falls into the state of the frog when certain portions of its brain are taken out by the vivisector4 ,it can think no more1 even on the lowest animal plane4 ,henceforth it is no longer even the lower ,manas1 since this 8lower0 is nothing without the 8higher40 ,,enq4 ,and is it this nonentity which we find materializing in ,sance rooms with ,mediums8 ,,theo4 ,it is this nonentity4 ,a true nonentity1 however1 only as to reasoning or cogitating powers1 still an ,entity1 however astral and fluidic1 as shown in certain cases when1 having been magnetically and unconsciously drawn toward a medium1 it is revived for a time and lives in him by proxy1 so to speak4 ,this 8spook10 or the ,kama-rupa1 may be compared with the jelly-fish1 which has an ethereal gelatinous appearance so long as it is in its own element1 or water 7the medium's specific ,,aura71 but which1 no sooner is it thrown out of it1 than it dissolves in the hand or on the sand1 especially in sunlight4 ,in the medium's ,aura1 it lives a kind of vicarious life and reasons and speaks either through the medium's brain or those of other persons present4 ,but this would lead us too far1 and upon other people's grounds1 whereon ,i have no desire to trespass4 ,let us keep to the subject of re-incarnation4 ,,enq4 ,what of the latter8 ,how long does the incarnating ,ego remain in the ,devachanic state8 ,,theo4 ,this1 we are taught1 depends on the degree of spirituality and the merit or demerit of the last incarnation4 ,the average time is from ten to fifteen centuries1 as ,i already told you4 ,,enq4 ,but why could not this ,ego manifest and communicate with mortals as ,spiritualists will have it8 ,what is there to prevent a mother from communicating with the children she left on earth1 a husband with his wife1 and so on8 ,it is a most consoling belief1 ,i must confess2 nor do ,i wonder that those who believe in it are so averse to give it up4 ,,theo4 ,nor are they forced to1 unless they happen to prefer truth to fiction1 however 8consoling40 ,uncongenial our doctrines may be to ,spiritualists2 yet1 nothing of what we believe in and teach is half as selfish and cruel as what they preach4 ,,enq4 ,i do not understand you4 ,what is selfish8 ,,theo4 ,their doctrine of the return of ,spirits1 the real 8personalities0 as they say2 and ,i will tell you why4 ,if ,devachan--call it 8paradise0 if you like1 a 8place of bliss and of supreme felicity10 if it is anything--is such a place 7or say state71 logic tells us that no sorrow or even a shade of pain can be experienced therein4 8,god shall wipe away all the tears from the eyes0 of those in paradise1 we read in the book of many promises4 ,and if the 8,spirits of the dead0 are enabled to return and see all that is going on on earth1 and especially in their homes1 what kind of bliss can be in store for them8 ,,why ,,theosophists ,,do ,,not ,,believe ,,in ,,the ,,return ,,of ,,pure 8,,spirits40 ,,enq4 ,what do you mean8 ,why should this interfere with their bliss8 ,,theo4 ,simply this2 and here is an instance4 ,a mother dies1 leaving behind her little helpless children--orphans whom she adores--perhaps a beloved husband also4 ,we say that her 8,spirit0 or ,ego--that individuality which is now all impregnated1 for the entire ,devachanic period1 with the noblest feelings held by its late personality1 i4e41 love for her children1 pity for those who suffer1 and so on--we say that it is now entirely separated from the 8vale of tears10 that its future bliss consists in that blessed ignorance of all the woes it left behind4 ,spiritualists say1 on the contrary1 that it is as vividly aware of them1 and more so than before1 for 8,spirits see more than mortals in the flesh do40 ,we say that the bliss of the ,devachanee consists in its complete conviction that it has never left the earth1 and that there is no such thing as death at all2 that the post-mortem spiritual consciousness of the mother will represent to her that she lives surrounded by her children and all those whom she loved2 that no gap1 no link1 will be missing to make her disembodied state the most perfect and absolute happiness4 ,the ,spiritualists deny this point blank4 ,according to their doctrine1 unfortunate man is not liberated even by death from the sorrows of this life4 ,not a drop from the life-cup of pain and suffering will miss his lips2 and nolens volens1 since he sees everything now1 shall he drink it to the bitter dregs4 ,thus1 the loving wife1 who during her lifetime was ready to save her husband sorrow at the price of her heart's blood1 is now doomed to see1 in utter helplessness1 his despair1 and to register every hot tear he sheds for her loss4 ,worse than that1 she may see the tears dry too soon1 and another beloved face shine on him1 the father of her children2 find another woman replacing her in his affections2 doomed to hear her orphans giving the holy name of 8mother0 to one indifferent to them1 and to see those little children neglected1 if not ill-treated4 ,according to this doctrine the 8gentle wafting to immortal life0 becomes without any transition the way into a new path of mental suffering6 ,and yet1 the columns of the 8,banner of ,light10 the veteran journal of the ,american ,spiritualists1 are filled with messages from the dead1 the 8dear departed ones10 who all write to say how very happy they are6 ,is such a state of knowledge consistent with bliss8 ,then 8bliss0 stands in such a case for the greatest curse1 and orthodox damnation must be a relief in comparison to it6 ,,enq4 ,but how does your theory avoid this8 ,how can you reconcile the theory of ,soul's omniscience with its blindness to that which is taking place on earth8 ,,theo4 ,because such is the law of love and mercy4 ,during every ,devachanic period the ,ego1 omniscient as it is per se1 clothes itself1 so to say1 with the reflection of the 8personality0 that was4 ,i have just told you that the ideal efflorescence of all the abstract1 therefore undying and eternal qualities or attributes1 such as love and mercy1 the love of the good1 the true and the beautiful1 that ever spoke in the heart of the living 8personality10 clung after death to the ,ego1 and therefore followed it to ,devachan4 ,for the time being1 then1 the ,ego becomes the ideal reflection of the human being it was when last on earth1 and that is not omniscient4 ,were it that1 it would never be in the state we call ,devachan at all4 ,,enq4 ,what are your reasons for it8 ,,theo4 ,if you want an answer on the strict lines of our philosophy1 then ,i will say that it is because everything is illusion 7,maya7 outside of eternal truth1 which has neither form1 colour1 nor limitation4 ,he who has placed himself beyond the veil of maya--and such are the highest ,adepts and ,initiates--can have no ,devachan4 ,as to the ordinary mortal1 his bliss in it is complete4 ,it is an absolute oblivion of all that gave it pain or sorrow in the past incarnation1 and even oblivion of the fact that such things as pain or sorrow exist at all4 ,the ,devachanee lives its intermediate cycle between two incarnations surrounded by everything it had aspired to in vain1 and in the companionship of everyone it loved on earth4 ,it has reached the fulfilment of all its soul-yearnings4 ,and thus it lives throughout long centuries an existence of unalloyed happiness1 which is the reward for its sufferings in earth-life4 ,in short1 it bathes in a sea of uninterrupted felicity spanned only by events of still greater felicity in degree4 ,,enq4 ,but this is more than simple delusion1 it is an existence of insane hallucinations6 ,,theo4 ,from your standpoint it may be1 not so from that of philosophy4 ,besides which1 is not our whole terrestrial life filled with such delusions8 ,have you never met men and women living for years in a fool's paradise8 ,and because you should happen to learn that the husband of a wife1 whom she adores and believes herself as beloved by him1 is untrue to her1 would you go and break her heart and beautiful dream by rudely awakening her to the reality8 ,i think not4 ,i say it again1 such oblivion and hallucination--if you call it so--are only a merciful law of nature and strict justice4 ,at any rate1 it is a far more fascinating prospect than the orthodox golden harp with a pair of wings4 ,the assurance that 8the soul that lives ascends frequently and runs familiarly through the streets of the heavenly ,jerusalem1 visiting the patriarchs and prophets1 saluting the apostles1 and admiring the army of martyrs0 may seem of a more pious character to some4 ,nevertheless1 it is a hallucination of a far more delusive character1 since mothers love their children with an immortal love1 we all know1 while the personages mentioned in the 8heavenly ,jerusalem0 are still of a rather doubtful nature4 ,but ,i would1 still1 rather accept the 8new ,jerusalem10 with its streets paved like the show windows of a jeweller's shop1 than find consolation in the heartless doctrine of the ,spiritualists4 ,the idea alone that the intellectual conscious souls of one's father1 mother1 daughter or brother find their bliss in a 8,summer land0--only a little more natural1 but just as ridiculous as the 8,new ,jerusalem0 in its description--would be enough to make one lose every respect for one's 8departed ones40 ,to believe that a pure spirit can feel happy while doomed to witness the sins1 mistakes1 treachery1 and1 above all1 the sufferings of those from whom it is severed by death and whom it loves best1 without being able to help them1 would be a maddening thought4 ,,enq4 ,there is something in your argument4 ,i confess to having never seen it in this light4 ,,theo4 ,just so1 and one must be selfish to the core and utterly devoid of the sense of retributive justice1 to have ever imagined such a thing4 ,we are with those whom we have lost in material form1 and far1 far nearer to them now1 than when they were alive4 ,and it is not only in the fancy of the ,devachanee1 as some may imagine1 but in reality4 ,for pure divine love is not merely the blossom of a human heart1 but has its roots in eternity4 ,spiritual holy love is immortal1 and ,karma brings sooner or later all those who loved each other with such a spiritual affection to incarnate once more in the same family group4 ,again we say that love beyond the grave1 illusion though you may call it1 has a magic and divine potency which reacts on the living4 ,a mother's ,ego filled with love for the imaginary children it sees near itself1 living a life of happiness1 as real to it as when on earth--that love will always be felt by the children in flesh4 ,it will manifest in their dreams1 and often in various events--in providential protections and escapes1 for love is a strong shield1 and is not limited by space or time4 ,as with this ,devachanic 8mother10 so with the rest of human relationships and attachments1 save the purely selfish or material4 ,analogy will suggest to you the rest4 ,,enq4 ,in no case1 then1 do you admit the possibility of the communication of the living with the disembodied spirit8 ,,theo4 ,yes1 there is a case1 and even two exceptions to the rule4 ,the first exception is during the few days that follow immediately the death of a person and before the ,ego passes into the ,devachanic state4 ,whether any living mortal1 save a few exceptional cases--7when the intensity of the desire in the dying person to return for some purpose forced the higher consciousness to remain awake1 and therefore it was really the individuality1 the 8,spirit0 that communicated7--has derived much benefit from the return of the spirit into the objective plane is another question4 ,the spirit is dazed after death and falls very soon into what we call 8pre-devachanic unconsciousness40 ,the second exception is found in the ,nirmanakayas4 ,,enq4 ,what about them8 ,and what does the name mean for you8 ,,theo4 ,it is the name given to those who1 though they have won the right to ,nirvana and cyclic rest--7not 8,devachan10 as the latter is an illusion of our consciousness1 a happy dream1 and as those who are fit for ,nirvana must have lost entirely every desire or possibility of the world's illusions7--have out of pity for mankind and those they left on earth renounced the ,nirvanic state4 ,such an adept1 or ,saint1 or whatever you may call him1 believing it a selfish act to rest in bliss while mankind groans under the burden of misery produced by ignorance1 renounces ,nirvana1 and determines to remain invisible in spirit on this earth4 ,they have no material body1 as they have left it behind2 but otherwise they remain with all their principles even in astral life in our sphere4 ,and such can and do communicate with a few elect ones1 only surely not with ordinary mediums4 ,,enq4 ,i have put you the question about ,nirmanakayas because ,i read in some ,german and other works that it was the name given to the terrestrial appearances or bodies assumed by ,buddhas in the ,northern ,buddhistic teachings4 ,,theo4 ,so they are1 only the ,orientalists have confused this terrestrial body by understanding it to be objective and physical instead of purely astral and subjective4 ,,enq4 ,and what good can they do on earth8 ,,theo4 ,not much1 as regards individuals1 as they have no right to interfere with ,karma1 and can only advise and inspire mortals for the general good4 ,yet they do more beneficent actions than you imagine4 ,,enq4 ,to this ,science would never subscribe1 not even modern psychology4 ,for them1 no portion of intelligence can survive the physical brain4 ,what would you answer them8 ,,theo4 ,i would not even go to the trouble of answering1 but would simply say1 in the words given to 8,m4,a4 ,oxon10 8,intelligence is perpetuated after the body is dead4 ,though it is not a question of the brain only4444 ,it is reasonable to propound the indestructibility of the human spirit from what we know0 7,spirit ,identity1 p4 #fi74 ,,enq4 ,but 8,m4,a4 ,oxon0 is a ,spiritualist8 ,,theo4 ,quite so1 and the only true ,spiritualist ,i know of1 though we may still disagree with him on many a minor question4 ,apart from this1 no ,spiritualist comes nearer to the occult truths than he does4 ,like any one of us he speaks incessantly 8of the surface dangers that beset the ill-equipped1 feather-headed muddler with the occult1 who crosses the threshold without counting the cost40#dj ,our only disagreement rests in the question of 8,spirit ,identity40 ,otherwise1 ,i1 for one1 coincide almost entirely with him1 and accept the three propositions he embodied in his address of ,july1 #ahhd4 ,it is this eminent ,spiritualist1 rather1 who disagrees with us1 not we with him4 ,,enq4 ,what are these propositions8 ,,theo4 8#a4 ,that there is a life coincident with1 and independent of the physical life of the body40 8#b4 ,that1 as a necessary corollary1 this life extends beyond the life of the body0 7we say it extends throughout ,devachan74 8#c4 ,that there is communication between the denizens of that state of existence and those of the world in which we now live40 ,all depend1 you see1 on the minor and secondary aspects of these fundamental propositions4 ,everything depends on the views we take of ,spirit and ,soul1 or ,individuality and ,personality4 ,spiritualists confuse the two 8into one02 we separate them1 and say that1 with the exceptions above enumerated1 no ,spirit will revisit the earth1 though the animal ,soul may4 ,but let us return once more to our direct subject1 the ,skandhas4 ,,enq4 ,i begin to understand better now4 ,it is the ,spirit1 so to say1 of those ,skandhas which are the most ennobling1 which1 attaching themselves to the incarnating ,ego1 survive1 and are added to the stock of its angelic experiences4 ,and it is the attributes connected with the material ,skandhas1 with selfish and personal motives1 which1 disappearing from the field of action between two incarnations1 reappear at the subsequent incarnation as ,karmic results to be atoned for2 and therefore the ,spirit will not leave ,devachan4 ,is it so8 ,,theo4 ,very nearly so4 ,if you add to this that the law of retribution1 or ,karma1 rewarding the highest and most spiritual in ,devachan1 never fails to reward them again on earth by giving them a further development1 and furnishing the ,ego with a body fitted for it1 then you will be quite correct4 ,a ,,few ,,words ,,about ,,the ,,skandhas4 ,,enq4 ,what becomes of the other1 the lower ,skandhas of the personality1 after the death of the body8 ,are they quite destroyed8 ,,theo4 ,they are and yet they are not--a fresh metaphysical and occult mystery for you4 ,they are destroyed as the working stock in hand of the personality2 they remain as ,karmic effects1 as germs1 hanging in the atmosphere of the terrestrial plane1 ready to come to life1 as so many avenging fiends1 to attach themselves to the new personality of the ,ego when it reincarnates4 ,,enq4 ,this really passes my comprehension1 and is very difficult to understand4 ,,theo4 ,not once that you have assimilated all the details4 ,for then you will see that for logic1 consistency1 profound philosophy1 divine mercy and equity1 this doctrine of ,re-incarnation has not its equal on earth4 ,it is a belief in a perpetual progress for each incarnating ,ego1 or divine soul1 in an evolution from the outward into the inward1 from the material to the ,spiritual1 arriving at the end of each stage at absolute unity with the divine ,principle4 ,from strength to strength1 from beauty and perfection of one plane to the greater beauty and perfection of another1 with accessions of new glory1 of fresh knowledge and power in each cycle1 such is the destiny of every ,ego1 which thus becomes its own ,saviour in each world and incarnation4 ,,enq4 ,but ,christianity teaches the same4 ,it also preaches progression4 ,,theo4 ,yes1 only with the addition of something else4 ,it tells us of the impossibility of attaining ,salvation without the aid of a miraculous ,saviour1 and therefore dooms to perdition all those who will not accept the dogma4 ,this is just the difference between ,christian theology and ,theosophy4 ,the former enforces belief in the ,descent of the ,spiritual ,ego into the ,lower ,self the latter inculcates the necessity of endeavouring to elevate oneself to the ,christos1 or ,buddhi state4 ,,enq4 ,by teaching the annihilation of consciousness in case of failure1 however1 don't you think that it amounts to the annihilation of ,self1 in the opinion of the non-metaphysical8 ,,theo4 ,from the standpoint of those who believe in the resurrection of the body literally1 and insist that every bone1 every artery and atom of flesh will be raised bodily on the ,judgment ,day--of course it does4 ,if you still insist that it is the perishable form and finite qualities that make up immortal man1 then we shall hardly understand each other4 ,and if you do not understand that1 by limiting the existence of every ,ego to one life on earth1 you make of ,deity an ever-drunken ,indra of the ,puranic dead letter1 a cruel ,moloch1 a god who makes an inextricable mess on ,earth1 and yet claims thanks for it1 then the sooner we drop the conversation the better4 ,,enq4 ,but let us return1 now that the subject of the ,skandhas is disposed of1 to the question of the consciousness which survives death4 ,this is the point which interests most people4 ,do we possess more knowledge in ,devachan than we do in ,earth life8 ,,theo4 ,in one sense1 we can acquire more knowledge2 that is1 we can develop further any faculty which we loved and strove after during life1 provided it is concerned with abstract and ideal things1 such as music1 painting1 poetry1 etc41 since ,devachan is merely an idealized and subjective continuation of earth-life4 ,,enq4 ,but if in ,devachan the ,spirit is free from matter1 why should it not possess all knowledge8 ,,theo4 ,because1 as ,i told you1 the ,ego is1 so to say1 wedded to the memory of its last incarnation4 ,thus1 if you think over what ,i have said1 and string all the facts together1 you will realize that the ,devachanic state is not one of omniscience1 but a transcendental continuation of the personal life just terminated4 ,it is the rest of the soul from the toils of life4 ,,enq4 ,but the scientific materialists assert that after the death of man nothing remains2 that the human body simply disintegrates into its component elements2 and that what we call soul is merely a temporary self-consciousness produced as a bye-product of organic action1 which will evaporate like steam4 ,is not theirs a strange state of mind8 ,,theo4 ,not strange at all1 that ,i see4 ,if they say that self-consciousness ceases with the body1 then in their case they simply utter an unconscious prophecy1 for once they are firmly convinced of what they assert1 no conscious after-life is possible for them4 ,for there are exceptions to every rule4 ,,on ,,post-,,mortem ,,and ,,post-,,natal ,,consciousness4#da ,,enq4 ,but if human self-consciousness survives death as a rule1 why should there be exceptions8 ,,theo4 ,in the fundamental principles of the spiritual world no exception is possible4 ,but there are rules for those who see1 and rules for those who prefer to remain blind4 ,,enq4 ,quite so1 ,i understand4 ,this is but an aberration of the blind man1 who denies the existence of the sun because he does not see it4 ,but after death his spiritual eyes will certainly compel him to see4 ,is this what you mean8 ,,theo4 ,he will not be compelled1 nor will he see anything4 ,having persistently denied during life the continuance of existence after death1 he will be unable to see it1 because his spiritual capacity having been stunted in life1 it cannot develop after death1 and he will remain blind4 ,by insisting that he must see it1 you evidently mean one thing and ,i another4 ,you speak of the spirit from the spirit1 or the flame from the flame--of ,atma1 in short--and you confuse it with the human soul--,manas4444 ,you do not understand me2 let me try to make it clear4 ,the whole gist of your question is to know whether1 in the case of a downright materialist1 the complete loss of self-consciousness and self-perception after death is possible8 ,isn't it so8 ,i answer1 ,it is possible4 ,because1 believing firmly in our ,esoteric ,doctrine1 which refers to the post-mortem period1 or the interval between two lives or births as merely a transitory state1 ,i say1 whether that interval between two acts of the illusionary drama of life lasts one year or a million1 that post-mortem state may1 without any breach of the fundamental law1 prove to be just the same state as that of a man who is in a dead faint4 ,,enq4 ,but since you have just said that the fundamental laws of the after death state admit of no exceptions1 how can this be8 ,,theo4 ,nor do ,i say that it does admit of an exception4 ,but the spiritual law of continuity applies only to things which are truly real4 ,to one who has read and understood ,mundakya ,upanishad and ,vedanta-,sara all this becomes very clear4 ,i will say more3 it is sufficient to understand what we mean by ,buddhi and the duality of ,manas to gain a clear perception why the materialist may fail to have a self-conscious survival after death4 ,since ,manas1 in its lower aspect1 is the seat of the terrestrial mind1 it can1 therefore1 give only that perception of the ,universe which is based on the evidence of that mind2 it cannot give spiritual vision4 ,it is said in the ,eastern school1 that between ,buddhi and ,manas 7the ,ego71 or ,iswara and ,pragna#db there is in reality no more difference than between a forest and its trees1 a lake and its waters1 as the ,mundakya teaches4 ,one or hundreds of trees dead from loss of vitality1 or uprooted1 are yet incapable of preventing the forest from being still a forest4 ,,enq4 ,but1 as ,i understand it1 ,buddhi represents in this simile the forest1 and ,manas-taijasi#dc the trees4 ,and if ,buddhi is immortal1 how can that which is similar to it1 i4e41 ,manas-taijasi1 entirely lose its consciousness till the day of its new incarnation8 ,i cannot understand it4 ,,theo4 ,you cannot1 because you will mix up an abstract representation of the whole with its casual changes of form4 ,remember that if it can be said of ,buddhi-,manas that it is unconditionally immortal1 the same cannot be said of the lower ,manas1 still less of ,taijasi1 which is merely an attribute4 ,neither of these1 neither ,manas nor ,taijasi1 can exist apart from ,buddhi1 the divine soul1 because the first 7,manas7 is1 in its lower aspect1 a qualificative attribute of the terrestrial personality1 and the second 7,taijasi7 is identical with the first1 because it is the same ,manas only with the light of ,buddhi reflected on it4 ,in its turn1 ,buddhi would remain only an impersonal spirit without this element which it borrows from the human soul1 which conditions and makes of it1 in this illusive ,universe1 as it were something separate from the universal soul for the whole period of the cycle of incarnation4 ,say rather that ,buddhi-,manas can neither die nor lose its compound self-consciousness in ,eternity1 nor the recollection of its previous incarnations in which the two--i4e1 the spiritual and the human soul--had been closely linked together4 ,but it is not so in the case of a materialist1 whose human soul not only receives nothing from the divine soul1 but even refuses to recognise its existence4 ,you can hardly apply this axiom to the attributes and qualifications of the human soul1 for it would be like saying that because your divine soul is immortal1 therefore the bloom on your cheek must also be immortal2 whereas this bloom1 like ,taijasi1 is simply a transitory phenomenon4 ,,enq4 ,do ,i understand you to say that we must not mix in our minds the noumenon with the phenomenon1 the cause with its effect8 ,,theo4 ,i do say so1 and repeat that1 limited to ,manas or the human soul alone1 the radiance of ,taijasi itself becomes a mere question of time2 because both immortality and consciousness after death become1 for the terrestrial personality of man1 simply conditioned attributes1 as they depend entirely on conditions and beliefs created by the human soul itself during the life of its body4 ,karma acts incessantly2 we reap in our after-life only the fruit of that which we have ourselves sown in this4 ,,enq4 ,but if my ,ego can1 after the destruction of my body1 become plunged in a state of entire unconsciousness1 then where can be the punishment for the sins of my past life8 ,,theo4 ,our philosophy teaches that ,karmic punishment reaches ,ego only in its next incarnation4 ,after death it receives only the reward for the unmerited sufferings endured during its past incarnation4#dd ,the whole punishment after death1 even for the materialist1 consists1 therefore1 in the absence of any reward1 and the utter loss of the consciousness of one's bliss and rest4 ,karma is the child of the terrestrial ,ego1 the fruit of the actions of the tree which is the objective personality visible to all1 as much as the fruit of all the thoughts and even motives of the spiritual 8,i02 but ,karma is also the tender mother1 who heals the wounds inflicted by her during the preceding life1 before she will begin to torture this ,ego by inflicting upon him new ones4 ,if it may be said that there is not a mental or physical suffering in the life of a mortal which is not the direct fruit and consequence of some sin in a preceding existence2 on the other hand1 since he does not preserve the slightest recollection of it in his actual life1 and feels himself not deserving of such punishment1 and therefore thinks he suffers for no guilt of his own1 this alone is sufficient to entitle the human soul to the fullest consolation1 rest1 and bliss in his post-mortem existence4 ,death comes to our spiritual selves ever as a deliverer and friend4 ,for the materialist1 who1 notwithstanding his materialism1 was not a bad man1 the interval between the two lives will be like the unbroken and placid sleep of a child1 either entirely dreamless1 or filled with pictures of which he will have no definite perception2 while for the average mortal it will be a dream as vivid as life1 and full of realistic bliss and visions4 ,,enq4 ,then the personal man must always go on suffering blindly the ,karmic penalties which the ,ego has incurred8 ,,theo4 ,not quite so4 ,at the solemn moment of death every man1 even when death is sudden1 sees the whole of his past life marshalled before him1 in its minutest details4 ,for one short instant the personal becomes one with the individual and all-knowing ,ego4 ,but this instant is enough to show to him the whole claim of causes which have been at work during his life4 ,he sees and now understands himself as he is1 unadorned by flattery or self-deception4 ,he reads his life1 remaining as a spectator looking down into the arena he is quitting2 he feels and knows the justice of all the suffering that has overtaken him4 ,,enq4 ,does this happen to everyone8 ,,theo4 ,without any exception4 ,very good and holy men see1 we are taught1 not only the life they are leaving1 but even several preceding lives in which were produced the causes that made them what they were in the life just closing4 ,they recognise the law of ,karma in all its majesty and justice4 ,,enq4 ,is there anything corresponding to this before re-birth8 ,,theo4 ,there is4 ,as the man at the moment of death has a retrospective insight into the life he has led1 so1 at the moment he is reborn on to earth1 the ,ego1 awaking from the state of ,devachan1 has a prospective vision of the life which awaits him1 and realizes all the causes that have led to it4 ,he realizes them and sees futurity1 because it is between ,devachan and re-birth that the ,ego regains his full manasic consciousness1 and re-becomes for a short time the god he was1 before1 in compliance with ,karmic law1 he first descended into matter and incarnated in the first man of flesh4 ,the 8golden thread0 sees all its 8pearls0 and misses not one of them4 ,,what ,,is ,,really ,,meant ,,by ,,annihilation4 ,,enq4 ,i have heard some ,theosophists speak of a golden thread on which their lives were strung4 ,what do they mean by this8 ,,theo4 ,in the ,hindu ,sacred books it is said that that which undergoes periodical incarnation is the ,sutratma1 which means literally the 8,thread ,soul40 ,it is a synonym of the reincarnating ,ego--,manas conjoined with ,buddhi--which absorbs the ,manasic recollections of all our preceding lives4 ,it is so called1 because1 like the pearls on a thread1 so is the long series of human lives strung together on that one thread4 ,in some ,upanishad these recurrent rebirths are likened to the life of a mortal which oscillates periodically between sleep and waking4 ,,enq4 ,this1 ,i must say1 does not seem very clear1 and ,i will tell you why4 ,for the man who awakes1 another day commences1 but that man is the same in soul and body as he was the day before2 whereas at every incarnation a full change takes place not only of the external envelope1 sex1 and personality1 but even of the mental and psychic capacities4 ,the simile does not seem to me quite correct4 ,the man who arises from sleep remembers quite clearly what he has done yesterday1 the day before1 and even months and years ago4 ,but none of us has the slightest recollection of a preceding life or of any fact or event concerning it4444 ,i may forget in the morning what ,i have dreamt during the night1 still ,i know that ,i have slept and have the certainty that ,i lived during sleep2 but what recollection can ,i have of my past incarnation until the moment of death8 ,how do you reconcile this8 ,,theo4 ,some people do recollect their past incarnations during life2 but these are ,buddhas and ,initiates4 ,this is what the ,yogis call ,samma-,sambuddha1 or the knowledge of the whole series of one's past incarnations4 ,,enq4 ,but we ordinary mortals who have not reached ,samma-,sambuddha1 how are we to understand this simile8 ,,theo4 ,by studying it and trying to understand more correctly the characteristics and the three kinds of sleep4 ,sleep is a general and immutable law for man as for beast1 but there are different kinds of sleep and still more different dreams and visions4 ,,enq4 ,but this takes us to another subject4 ,let us return to the materialist who1 while not denying dreams1 which he could hardly do1 yet denies immortality in general and the survival of his own individuality4 ,,theo4 ,and the materialist1 without knowing it1 is right4 ,one who has no inner perception of1 and faith in1 the immortality of his soul1 in that man the soul can never become ,buddhi-taijasi1 but will remain simply ,manas1 and for ,manas alone there is no immortality possible4 ,in order to live in the world to come a conscious life1 one has to believe first of all in that life during the terrestrial existence4 ,on these two aphorisms of the ,secret ,science all the philosophy about the post-mortem consciousness and the immortality of the soul is built4 ,the ,ego receives always according to its deserts4 ,after the dissolution of the body1 there commences for it a period of full awakened consciousness1 or a state of chaotic dreams1 or an utterly dreamless sleep undistinguishable from annihilation1 and these are the three kinds of sleep4 ,if our physiologists find the cause of dreams and visions in an unconscious preparation for them during the waking hours1 why cannot the same be admitted for the post-mortem dreams8 ,i repeat it3 death is sleep4 ,after death1 before the spiritual eyes of the soul1 begins a performance according to a programme learnt and very often unconsciously composed by ourselves3 the practical carrying out of correct beliefs or of illusions which have been created by ourselves4 ,the ,methodist will be ,methodist1 the ,mussulman a ,mussulman1 at least for some time--in a perfect fool's paradise of each man's creation and making4 ,these are the post-mortem fruits of the tree of life4 ,naturally1 our belief or unbelief in the fact of conscious immortality is unable to influence the unconditioned reality of the fact itself1 once that it exists2 but the belief or unbelief in that immortality as the property of independent or separate entities1 cannot fail to give colour to that fact in its application to each of these entities4 ,now do you begin to understand it8 ,,enq4 ,i think ,i do4 ,the materialist1 disbelieving in everything that cannot be proven to him by his five senses1 or by scientific reasoning1 based exclusively on the data furnished by these senses in spite of their inadequacy1 and rejecting every spiritual manifestation1 accepts life as the only conscious existence4 ,therefore according to their beliefs so will it be unto them4 ,they will lose their personal ,ego1 and will plunge into a dreamless sleep until a new awakening4 ,is it so8 ,,theo4 ,almost so4 ,remember the practically universal teaching of the two kinds of conscious existence3 the terrestrial and the spiritual4 ,the latter must be considered real from the very fact that it is inhabited by the eternal1 changeless and immortal ,monad2 whereas the incarnating ,ego dresses itself up in new garments entirely different from those of its previous incarnations1 and in which all except its spiritual prototype is doomed to a change so radical as to leave no trace behind4 ,,enq4 ,how so8 ,can my conscious terrestrial 8,i0 perish not only for a time1 like the consciousness of the materialist1 but so entirely as to leave no trace behind8 ,,theo4 ,according to the teaching1 it must so perish and in its fullness1 all except the principle which1 having united itself with the ,monad1 has thereby become a purely spiritual and indestructible essence1 one with it in the ,eternity4 ,but in the case of an out-and-out materialist1 in whose personal 8,i0 no ,buddhi has ever reflected itself1 how can the latter carry away into the ,eternity one particle of that terrestrial personality8 ,your spiritual 8,i0 is immortal2 but from your present self it can carry away into ,eternity that only which has become worthy of immortality1 namely1 the aroma alone of the flower that has been mown by death4 ,,enq4 ,well1 and the flower1 the terrestrial 8,i08 ,,theo4 ,the flower1 as all past and future flowers which have blossomed and will have to blossom on the mother bough1 the ,sutratma1 all children of one root or ,buddhi--will return to dust4 ,your present 8,i10 as you yourself know1 is not the body now sitting before me1 nor yet is it what ,i would call ,manas-,sutratma1 but ,sutratma-,buddhi4 ,,enq4 ,but this does not explain to me1 at all1 why you call life after death immortal1 infinite and real1 and the terrestrial life a simple phantom or illusion2 since even that post-mortem life has limits1 however much wider they may be than those of terrestrial life4 ,,theo4 ,no doubt4 ,the spiritual ,ego of man moves in eternity like a pendulum between the hours of birth and death4 ,but if these hours1 marking the periods of life terrestrial and life spiritual1 are limited in their duration1 and if the very number of such stages in ,eternity between sleep and awakening1 illusion and reality1 has its beginning and its end1 on the other hand1 the spiritual pilgrim is eternal4 ,therefore are the hours of his post-mortem life1 when1 disembodied1 he stands face to face with truth and not the mirages of his transitory earthly existences1 during the period of that pilgrimage which we call 8the cycle of rebirths0--the only reality in our conception4 ,such intervals1 their limitation notwithstanding1 do not prevent the ,ego1 while ever perfecting itself1 from following undeviatingly1 though gradually and slowly1 the path to its last transformation1 when that ,ego1 having reached its goal1 becomes a divine being4 ,these intervals and stages help towards this final result instead of hindering it2 and without such limited intervals the divine ,ego could never reach its ultimate goal4 ,i have given you once already a familiar illustration by comparing the ,ego1 or the individuality1 to an actor1 and its numerous and various incarnations to the parts it plays4 ,will you call these parts or their costumes the individuality of the actor himself8 ,like that actor1 the ,ego is forced to play during the cycle of necessity1 up to the very threshold of ,paranirvana1 many parts such as may be unpleasant to it4 ,but as the bee collects its honey from every flower1 leaving the rest as food for the earthly worms1 so does our spiritual individuality1 whether we call it ,sutratma or ,ego4 ,collecting from every terrestrial personality1 into which ,karma forces it to incarnate1 the nectar alone of the spiritual qualities and self-consciousness1 it unites all these into one whole and emerges from its chrysalis as the glorified ,dhyan ,chohan4 ,so much the worse for those terrestrial personalities from which it could collect nothing4 ,such personalities cannot assuredly outlive consciously their terrestrial existence4 ,,enq4 ,thus1 then1 it seems that1 for the terrestrial personality1 immortality is still conditional4 ,is1 then1 immortality itself not unconditional8 ,,theo4 ,not at all4 ,but immortality cannot touch the non-existent3 for all that which exists as ,,sat1 or emanates from ,,sat1 immortality and ,eternity are absolute4 ,matter is the opposite pole of spirit1 and yet the two are one4 ,the essence of all this1 i4e41 ,spirit1 ,force and ,matter1 or the three in one1 is as endless as it is beginningless2 but the form acquired by this triple unity during its incarnations1 its externality1 is certainly only the illusion of our personal conceptions4 ,therefore do we call ,nirvana and the ,universal life alone a reality1 while relegating the terrestrial life1 its terrestrial personality included1 and even its ,devachanic existence1 to the phantom realm of illusion4 ,,enq4 ,but why in such a case call sleep the reality1 and waking the illusion8 ,,theo4 ,it is simply a comparison made to facilitate the grasping of the subject1 and from the standpoint of terrestrial conceptions it is a very correct one4 ,,enq4 ,and still ,i cannot understand1 if the life to come is based on justice and the merited retribution for all our terrestrial suffering1 how in the case of materialists1 many of whom are really honest and charitable men1 there should remain of their personality nothing but the refuse of a faded flower4 ,,theo4 ,no one ever said such a thing4 ,no materialist1 however unbelieving1 can die for ever in the fulness of his spiritual individuality4 ,what was said is that consciousness can disappear either fully or partially in the case of a materialist1 so that no conscious remains of his personality survive4 ,,enq4 ,but surely this is annihilation8 ,,theo4 ,certainly not4 ,one can sleep a dead sleep and miss several stations during a long railway journey1 without the slightest recollection or consciousness1 and awake at another station and continue the journey past innumerable other halting-places till the end of the journey or the goal is reached4 ,three kinds of sleep were mentioned to you3 the dreamless1 the chaotic1 and the one which is so real1 that to the sleeping man his dreams become full realities4 ,if you believe in the latter why can't you believe in the former2 according to the after life a man has believed in and expected1 such is the life he will have4 ,he who expected no life to come will have an absolute blank1 amounting to annihilation1 in the interval between the two rebirths4 ,this is just the carrying out of the programme we spoke of1 a programme created by the materialists themselves4 ,but there are various kinds of materialists1 as you say4 ,a selfish1 wicked ,egoist1 one who never shed a tear for anyone but himself1 thus adding entire indifference to the whole world to his unbelief1 must1 at the threshold of death1 drop his personality for ever4 ,this personality having no tendrils of sympathy for the world around and hence nothing to hook on to ,sutratma1 it follows that with the last breath every connection between the two is broken4 ,there being no ,devachan for such a materialist1 the ,sutratma will reincarnate almost immediately4 ,but those materialists who erred in nothing but their disbelief will oversleep but one station4 ,and the time will come when that ex-materialist will perceive himself in the ,eternity and perhaps repent that he lost even one day1 one station1 from the life eternal4 ,,enq4 ,still1 would it not be more correct to say that death is birth into a new life1 or a return once more into eternity8 ,,theo4 ,you may if you like4 ,only remember that births differ1 and that there are births of 8still-born0 beings1 which are failures of nature4 ,moreover1 with your ,western fixed ideas about material life1 the words 8living0 and 8being0 are quite inapplicable to the pure subjective state of post-mortem existence4 ,it is just because1 save in a few philosophers who are not read by the many1 and who themselves are too confused to present a distinct picture of it1 it is just because your ,western ideas of life and death have finally become so narrow1 that on the one hand they have led to crass materialism1 and on the other1 to the still more material conception of the other life1 which the spiritualists have formulated in their ,summer-land4 ,there the souls of men eat1 drink1 marry1 and live in a paradise quite as sensual as that of ,mohammed1 but even less philosophical4 ,nor are the average conceptions of the uneducated ,christians any better1 being if possible still more material4 ,what between truncated angels1 brass trumpets1 golden harps1 and material hell-fires1 the ,christian heaven seems like a fairy scene at a ,christmas pantomime4 ,it is because of these narrow conceptions that you find such difficulty in understanding4 ,it is just because the life of the disembodied soul1 while possessing all the vividness of reality1 as in certain dreams1 is devoid of every grossly objective form of terrestrial life1 that the ,eastern philosophers have compared it with visions during sleep4 ,,definite ,,words ,,for ,,definite ,,things4 ,,enq4 ,don't you think it is because there are no definite and fixed terms to indicate each 8,principle0 in man1 that such a confusion of ideas arises in our minds with respect to the respective functions of these 8,principles08 ,,theo4 ,i have thought of it myself4 ,the whole trouble has arisen from this3 we have started our expositions of1 and discussion about1 the 8,principles0 using their ,sanskrit names instead of coining immediately1 for the use of ,theosophists1 their equivalents in ,english4 ,we must try and remedy this now4 ,,enq4 ,you will do well1 as it may avoid further confusion2 no two theosophical writers1 it seems to me1 have hitherto agreed to call the same 8,principle0 by the same name4 ,,theo4 ,the confusion is more apparent than real1 however4 ,i have heard some of our ,theosophists express surprise at1 and criticize several essays speaking of these 8principles02 but1 when examined1 there was no worse mistake in them than that of using the word 8,soul0 to cover the three principles without specifying the distinctions4 ,the first1 as positively the clearest of our ,theosophical writers1 ,mr4 ,a4 ,p4 ,sinnett1 has some comprehensive and admirably-written passages on the 8,higher ,self40#de ,his real idea has also been misconceived by some1 owing to his using the word 8,soul0 in a general sense4 ,yet here are a few passages which will show to you how clear and comprehensive is all that he writes on the subject3-- 444 8,the human soul1 once launched on the streams of evolution as a human individuality1#df passes through alternate periods of physical and relatively spiritual existence4 ,it passes from the one plane1 or stratum1 or condition of nature to the other under the guidance of its ,karmic affinities2 living in incarnations the life which its ,karma has pre-ordained2 modifying its progress within the limitations of circumstances1 and1--developing fresh ,karma by its use or abuse of opportunities1--it returns to spiritual existence 7,devachan7 after each physical life1--through the intervening region of ,kamaloca--for rest and refreshment and for the gradual absorption into its essence1 as so much cosmic progress1 of the life's experience gained #8on earth' or during physical existence4 ,this view of the matter will1 moreover1 have suggested many collateral inferences to anyone thinking over the subject2 for instance1 that the transfer of consciousness from the ,kamaloca to the ,devachanic stage of this progression would necessarily be gradual#dg2 that in truth1 no hard-and-fast line separates the varieties of spiritual conditions2 that even the spiritual and physical planes1 as psychic faculties in living people show1 are not so hopelessly walled off from one another as materialistic theories would suggest2 that all states of nature are all around us simultaneously1 and appeal to different perceptive faculties2 and so on4444 ,it is clear that during physical existence people who possess psychic faculties remain in connection with the planes of superphysical consciousness2 and although most people may not be endowed with such faculties1 we all1 as the phenomena of sleep1 even1 and especially 444 those of somnambulism or mesmerism1 show1 are capable of entering into conditions of consciousness that the five physical senses have nothing to do with4 ,we--the souls within us--are not as it were altogether adrift in the ocean of matter4 ,we clearly retain some surviving interest or rights in the shore from which1 for a time1 we have floated off4 ,the process of incarnation1 therefore1 is not fully described when we speak of an alternate existence on the physical and spiritual planes1 and thus picture the soul as a complete entity slipping entirely from the one state of existence to the other4 ,the more correct definitions of the process would probably represent incarnation as taking place on this physical plane of nature by reason of an efflux emanating from the soul4 ,the ,spiritual realm would all the while be the proper habitat of the ,soul1 which would never entirely quit it2 and that non-materializable portion of the ,soul which abides permanently on the spiritual plane may fitly1 perhaps1 be spoken of as the ,,higher ,,self40 ,this 8,higher ,self0 is ,,atma1 and of course it is 8non-materializable10 as ,mr4 ,sinnett says4 ,even more1 it can never be 8objective0 under any circumstances1 even to the highest spiritual perception4 ,for ,atman or the 8,higher ,self0 is really ,brahma1 the ,,absolute1 and indistinguishable from it4 ,in hours of ,samadhi1 the higher spiritual consciousness of the ,initiate is entirely absorbed in the ,,one essence1 which is ,atman1 and therefore1 being one with the whole1 there can be nothing objective for it4 ,now some of our ,theosophists have got into the habit of using the words 8,self0 and 8,ego0 as synonymous1 of associating the term 8,self0 with only man's higher individual or even personal 8,self0 or ,ego1 whereas this term ought never to be applied except to the ,one universal ,self4 ,hence the confusion4 ,speaking of ,manas1 the 8causal body10 we may call it--when connecting it with the ,buddhic radiance--the 8,,higher ,,ego10 never the 8,higher ,self40 ,for even ,buddhi1 the 8,spiritual ,soul10 is not the ,,self1 but the vehicle only of ,,self4 ,all the other 8,selves0--such as the 8,individual0 self and 8personal0 self--ought never to be spoken or written of without their qualifying and characteristic adjectives4 ,thus in this most excellent essay on the 8,higher ,self10 this term is applied to the sixth principle or ,buddhi 7of course in conjunction with ,manas1 as without such union there would be no thinking principle or element in the spiritual soul72 and has in consequence given rise to just such misunderstandings4 ,the statement that 8a child does not acquire its sixth principle--or become a morally responsible being capable of generating ,karma--until seven years old10 proves what is meant therein by the ,,higher ,,self4 ,therefore1 the able author is quite justified in explaining that after the 8,higher ,self0 has passed into the human being and saturated the personality--in some of the finer organizations only--with its consciousness 8people with psychic faculties may indeed perceive this ,higher ,self through their finer senses from time to time40 ,but so are those1 who limit the term 8,higher ,self0 to the ,universal ,divine ,principle1 8justified0 in misunderstanding him4 ,for1 when we read1 without being prepared for this shifting of metaphysical terms1#dh that while 8fully manifesting on the physical plane 444 the ,higher ,self still remains a conscious spiritual ,ego on the corresponding plane of ,nature0--we are apt to see in the 8,higher ,self0 of this sentence1 8,atma10 and in the spiritual ,ego1 8,manas10 or rather ,buddhi-,manas1 and forthwith to criticise the whole thing as incorrect4 ,to avoid henceforth such misrepresentations1 ,i propose to translate literally from the ,occult ,eastern terms their equivalents in ,english1 and offer these for future use4 ,atma1 the inseparable ray of the ,universal ,,the ,,higher and ,,one ,,self4 ,it is the ,god above1 more ,,self is than within1 us4 ,happy the man who succeeds in saturating his inner ,ego with it6 ,,the ,,spiritual the ,spiritual soul or ,buddhi1 in close union divine with ,manas1 the mind-principle1 without ,,ego is which it is no ,,ego at all1 but only the ,atmic ,vehicle4 ,manas1 the 8,fifth0 ,principle1 so called1 independently of ,buddhi4 ,the ,mind-,principle ,,the ,,inner1 is only the ,spiritual ,ego when merged or ,,higher into one with ,buddhi1--no materialist being 8,ego0 is supposed to have in him such an ,ego1 however great his intellectual capacities4 ,it is the permanent ,individuality or the 8,reincarnating ,ego40 the physical man in conjunction with his lower ,self1 i4e41 animal instincts1 passions1 ,,the ,,lower1 desires1 etc4 ,it is called the 8false personality10 or ,,personal and consists of the lower ,manas combined 8,ego0 is with ,kama-rupa1 and operating through the ,physical body and its phantom or 8double40 ,the remaining 8,principle0 8,pran10 or 8,life10 is1 strictly speaking1 the radiating force or ,energy of ,atma--as the ,universal ,life and the ,,one ,,self1--,,its lower or rather 7in its effects7 more physical1 because manifesting1 aspect4 ,pran or ,life permeates the whole being of the objective ,universe2 and is called a 8principle0 only because it is an indispensable factor and the deus ex machin of the living man4 ,,enq4 ,this division being so much simplified in its combinations will answer better1 ,i believe4 ,the other is much too metaphysical4 ,,theo4 ,if outsiders as well as ,theosophists would agree to it1 it would certainly make matters much more comprehensible4 ,,footnotes3 #dj 8,some things that ,i do know of ,spiritualism and some that ,i do not40 #da ,a few portions of this chapter and of the preceding were published in ,lucifer in the shape of a 8,dialogue on the ,mysteries of ,after ,life10 in the ,january number1 #ahhi4 ,the article was unsigned1 as if it were written by the editor1 but it came from the pen of the author of the present volume4 #db ,iswara is the collective consciousness of the manifested deity1 ,brahma1 i4e41 the collective consciousness of the ,host of ,dhyan ,chohans 7vide ,,secret ,,doctrine72 and ,pragna is their individual wisdom4 #dc ,taijasi means the radiant in consequence of its union with ,buddhi2 i4e41 ,manas1 the human soul1 illuminated by the radiance of the divine soul4 ,therefore1 ,manas-taijasi may be described as radiant mind2 the human reason lit by the light of the spirit2 and ,buddhi-,manas is the revelation of the divine plus human intellect and self-consciousness4 #dd ,some ,theosophists have taken exception to this phrase1 but the words are those of ,master1 and the meaning attached to the word 8unmerited0 is that given above4 ,in the ,t4,p4,s4 pamphlet ,no4 #f1 a phrase1 criticised subsequently in ,,lucifer1 was used which was intended to convey the same idea4 ,in form1 however1 it was awkward and open to the criticism directed against it2 but the essential idea was that men often suffer from the effects of the actions done by others1 effects which thus do not strictly belong to their own ,karma--and for these sufferings they of course deserve compensation4 #de ,vide ,transactions of the ,,london ,,lodge of the ,theos4 ,soc41 ,no4 #g1 ,oct41 #ahhe4 #df ,the 8reincarnating ,ego10 or 8,human ,soul10 as he called it1 the ,causal ,body with the ,hindus4 #dg ,the length of this 8transfer0 depends1 however1 on the degree of spirituality in the ex-personality of the disembodied ,ego4 ,for those whose lives were very spiritual this transfer1 though gradual1 is very rapid4 ,the time becomes longer with the materialistically inclined4 #dh 8,shifting of ,metaphysical terms0 applies here only to the shifting of their translated equivalents from the ,eastern expressions2 for to this day there never existed any such terms in ,english1 every ,theosophist having to coin his own terms to render his thought4 ,it is nigh time then to settle on some definite nomenclature4 ,x4 ,,on ,,the ,,nature ,,of ,,our ,,thinking ,,principle4 ,,the ,,mystery ,,of ,,the ,,ego4 ,,enq4 ,i perceive in the quotation you brought forward a little while ago from the ,buddhist ,catechism a discrepancy that ,i would like to hear explained4 ,it is there stated that the ,skandhas--memory included--change with every new incarnation4 ,and yet1 it is asserted that the reflection of the past lives1 which1 we are told1 are entirely made up of ,skandhas1 8must survive40 ,at the present moment ,i am not quite clear in my mind as to what it is precisely that survives1 and ,i would like to have it explained4 ,what is it8 ,is it only that 8reflection10 or those ,skandhas1 or always that same ,ego1 the ,manas8 ,,theo4 ,i have just explained that the reincarnating ,principle1 or that which we call the divine man1 is indestructible throughout the life cycle3 indestructible as a thinking ,entity1 and even as an ethereal form4 ,the 8reflection0 is only the spiritualised remembrance1 during the ,devachanic period1 of the ex-personality1 ,mr4 ,a4 or ,mrs4 ,b4--with which the ,ego identifies itself during that period4 ,since the latter is but the continuation of the earth-life1 so to say1 the very acme and pitch1 in an unbroken series1 of the few happy moments in that now past existence1 the ,ego has to identify itself with the personal consciousness of that life1 if anything shall remain of it4 ,,enq4 ,this means that the ,ego1 notwithstanding its divine nature1 passes every such period between two incarnations in a state of mental obscuration1 or temporary insanity4 ,,theo4 ,you may regard it as you like4 ,believing that1 outside the ,,one ,reality1 nothing is better than a passing illusion--the whole ,universe included--we do not view it as insanity1 but as a very natural sequence or development of the terrestrial life4 ,what is life8 ,a bundle of the most varied experiences1 of daily changing ideas1 emotions1 and opinions4 ,in our youth we are often enthusiastically devoted to an ideal1 to some hero or heroine whom we try to follow and revive2 a few years later1 when the freshness of our youthful feelings has faded out and sobered down1 we are the first to laugh at our fancies4 ,and yet there was a day when we had so thoroughly identified our own personality with that of the ideal in our mind--especially if it was that of a living being--that the former was entirely merged and lost in the latter4 ,can it be said of a man of fifty that he is the same being that he was at twenty8 ,the inner man is the same2 the outward living personality is completely transformed and changed4 ,would you also call these changes in the human mental states insanity8 ,,enq4 ,how would you name them1 and especially how would you explain the permanence of one and the evanescence of the other8 ,,theo4 ,we have our own doctrine ready1 and to us it offers no difficulty4 ,the clue lies in the double consciousness of our mind1 and also1 in the dual nature of the mental 8principle40 ,there is a spiritual consciousness1 the ,manasic mind illumined by the light of ,buddhi1 that which subjectively perceives abstractions2 and the sentient consciousness 7the lower ,manasic light71 inseparable from our physical brain and senses4 ,this latter consciousness is held in subjection by the brain and physical senses1 and1 being in its turn equally dependent on them1 must of course fade out and finally die with the disappearance of the brain and physical senses4 ,it is only the former kind of consciousness1 whose root lies in eternity1 which survives and lives for ever1 and may1 therefore1 be regarded as immortal4 ,everything else belongs to passing illusions4 ,,enq4 ,what do you really understand by illusion in this case8 ,,theo4 ,it is very well described in the just-mentioned essay on 8,the ,higher ,self40 ,says its author3 8,the theory we are considering 7the interchange of ideas between the ,higher ,ego and the lower self7 harmonizes very well with the treatment of this world in which we live as a phenomenal world of illusion1 the spiritual plans of nature being on the other hand the noumenal world or plane of reality4 ,that region of nature in which1 so to speak1 the permanent soul is rooted is more real than that in which its transitory blossoms appear for a brief space to wither and fall to pieces1 while the plant recovers energy for sending forth a fresh flower4 ,supposing flowers only were perceptible to ordinary senses1 and their roots existed in a state of ,nature intangible and invisible to us1 philosophers in such a world who divined that there were such things as roots in another plane of existence would be apt to say of the flowers1 ,these are not the real plants2 they are of no relative importance1 merely illusive phenomena of the moment40 ,this is what ,i mean4 ,the world in which blossom the transitory and evanescent flowers of personal lives is not the real permanent world2 but that one in which we find the root of consciousness1 that root which is beyond illusion and dwells in the eternity4 ,,enq4 ,what do you mean by the root dwelling in eternity8 ,,theo4 ,i mean by this root the thinking entity1 the ,ego which incarnates1 whether we regard it as an 8,angel10 8,spirit10 or a ,force4 ,of that which falls under our sensuous perceptions only what grows directly from1 or is attached to this invisible root above1 can partake of its immortal life4 ,hence every noble thought1 idea and aspiration of the personality it informs1 proceeding from and fed by this root1 must become permanent4 ,as to the physical consciousness1 as it is a quality of the sentient but lower 8principle10 7,kama-rupa or animal instinct1 illuminated by the lower manasic reflection71 or the human ,soul--it must disappear4 ,that which displays activity1 while the body is asleep or paralysed1 is the higher consciousness1 our memory registering but feebly and inaccurately--because automatically--such experiences1 and often failing to be even slightly impressed by them4 ,,enq4 ,but how is it that ,,manas1 although you call it ,nous1 a 8,god10 is so weak during its incarnations1 as to be actually conquered and fettered by its body8 ,,theo4 ,i might retort with the same question and ask3 8,how is it that he1 whom you regard as #8the ,god of ,gods' and the ,one living ,god1 is so weak as to allow evil 7or the ,devil7 to have the best of him as much as of all his creatures1 whether while he remains in ,heaven1 or during the time he was incarnated on this earth80 ,you are sure to reply again3 8,this is a ,mystery2 and we are forbidden to pry into the mysteries of ,god40 ,not being forbidden to do so by our religious philosophy1 ,i answer your question that1 unless a ,god descends as an ,avatar1 no divine principle can be otherwise than cramped and paralysed by turbulent1 animal matter4 ,heterogeneity will always have the upper hand over homogeneity1 on this plane of illusions1 and the nearer an essence is to its root-principle1 ,primordial ,homogeneity1 the more difficult it is for the latter to assert itself on earth4 ,spiritual and divine powers lie dormant in every human ,being2 and the wider the sweep of his spiritual vision the mightier will be the ,god within him4 ,but as few men can feel that ,god1 and since1 as an average rule1 deity is always bound and limited in our thought by earlier conceptions1 those ideas that are inculcated in us from childhood1 therefore1 it is so difficult for you to understand our philosophy4 ,,enq4 ,and is it this ,ego of ours which is our ,god8 ,,theo4 ,not at all2 8,a ,god0 is not the universal deity1 but only a spark from the one ocean of ,divine ,fire4 ,our ,god within us1 or 8our ,father in ,secret0 is what we call the 8,,higher ,,self10 ,atma4 ,our incarnating ,ego was a ,god in its origin1 as were all the primeval emanations of the ,one ,unknown ,principle4 ,but since its 8fall into ,matter10 having to incarnate throughout the cycle1 in succession1 from first to last1 it is no longer a free and happy god1 but a poor pilgrim on his way to regain that which he has lost4 ,i can answer your more fully by repeating what is said of the ,,inner ,,man in ,,isis ,,unveiled 7,vol4 ,,ii4 #eic73-- 8,from the remotest antiquity mankind as a whole have always been convinced of the existence of a personal spiritual entity within the personal physical man4 ,this inner entity was more or less divine1 according to its proximity to the crown4 ,the closer the union the more serene man's destiny1 the less dangerous the external conditions4 ,this belief is neither bigotry nor superstition1 only an ever-present1 instinctive feeling of the proximity of another spiritual and invisible world1 which1 though it be subjective to the senses of the outward man1 is perfectly objective to the inner ego4 ,furthermore1 they believed that there are external and internal conditions which affect the determination of our will upon our actions4 ,they rejected fatalism1 for fatalism implies a blind course of some still blinder power4 ,but they believed in destiny or ,karma1 which from birth to death every man is weaving thread by thread around himself1 as a spider does his cobweb2 and this destiny is guided by that presence termed by some the guardian angel1 or our more intimate astral inner man1 who is but too often the evil genius of the man of flesh or the personality4 ,both these lead on ,,man1 but one of them must prevail2 and from the very beginning of the invisible affray the stern and implacable law of compensation and retribution steps in and takes its course1 following faithfully the fluctuations of the conflict4 ,when the last strand is woven1 and man is seemingly enwrapped in the network of his own doing1 then he finds himself completely under the empire of this self-made destiny4 ,it then either fixes him like the inert shell against the immovable rock1 or like a feather carries him away in a whirlwind raised by his own actions40 ,such is the destiny of the ,,man--the true ,ego1 not the ,automaton1 the shell that goes by that name4 ,it is for him to become the conqueror over matter4 ,,the ,,complex ,,nature ,,of ,,manas4 ,,enq4 ,but you wanted to tell me something of the essential nature of ,manas1 and of the relation in which the ,skandhas of physical man stand to it8 ,,theo4 ,it is this nature1 mysterious1 ,protean1 beyond any grasp1 and almost shadowy in its correlations with the other principles1 that is most difficult to realise1 and still more so to explain4 ,manas is a 8principle10 and yet it is an 8,entity0 and individuality or ,ego4 ,he is a 8,god10 and yet he is doomed to an endless cycle of incarnations1 for each of which he is made responsible1 and for each of which he has to suffer4 ,all this seems as contradictory as it is puzzling2 nevertheless1 there are hundreds of people1 even in ,europe1 who realise all this perfectly1 for they comprehend the ,ego not only in its integrity but in its many aspects4 ,finally1 if ,i would make myself comprehensible1 ,i must begin by the beginning and give you the genealogy of this ,ego in a few lines4 ,,enq4 ,say on4 ,,theo4 ,try to imagine a 8,spirit10 a celestial ,being1 whether we call it by one name or another1 divine in its essential nature1 yet not pure enough to be one with the ,,all1 and having1 in order to achieve this1 to so purify its nature as to finally gain that goal4 ,it can do so only by passing individually and personally1 i4e41 spiritually and physically1 through every experience and feeling that exists in the manifold or differentiated ,universe4 ,it has1 therefore1 after having gained such experience in the lower kingdoms1 and having ascended higher and still higher with every rung on the ladder of being1 to pass through every experience on the human planes4 ,in its very essence it is ,,thought1 and is1 therefore1 called in its plurality ,manasa putra1 8the ,sons of the 7,universal7 mind40 ,this individualised 8,thought0 is what we ,theosophists call the real human ,,ego1 the thinking ,entity imprisoned in a case of flesh and bones4 ,this is surely a ,spiritual ,entity1 not ,matter1 and such ,entities are the incarnating ,,egos that inform the bundle of animal matter called mankind1 and whose names are ,manasa or 8,minds40 ,but once imprisoned1 or incarnate1 their essence becomes dual3 that is to say1 the rays of the eternal divine ,mind1 considered as individual entities1 assume a two-fold attribute which is 7a7 their essential inherent characteristic1 heaven-aspiring mind 7higher ,manas7 and 7b7 the human quality of thinking1 or animal cogitation1 rationalised owing to the superiority of the human brain1 the ,kama-tending or lower ,manas4 ,one gravitates toward ,buddhi1 the other1 tending downward1 to the seat of passions and animal desires4 ,the latter have no room in ,devachan1 nor can they associate with the divine triad which ascends as ,,one into mental bliss4 ,yet it is the ,ego1 the ,manasic ,entity1 which is held responsible for all the sins of the lower attributes1 just as a parent is answerable for the transgressions of his child1 so long as the latter remains irresponsible4 ,,enq4 ,is this 8child0 the 8personality08 ,,theo4 ,it is4 ,when1 therefore1 it is stated that the 8personality0 dies with the body it does not state all4 ,the body1 which was only the objective symbol of ,mr4 ,a4 or ,mrs4 ,b41 fades away with all its material ,skandhas1 which are the visible expressions thereof4 ,but all that which constituted during life the spiritual bundle of experiences1 the noblest aspirations1 undying affections1 and unselfish nature of ,mr4 ,a4 or ,mrs4 ,b4 clings for the time of the ,devachanic period to the ,,ego1 which is identified with the spiritual portion of that terrestrial ,entity1 now passed away out of sight4 ,the ,,actor is so imbued with the rle just played by him that he dreams of it during the whole ,devachanic night1 which vision continues till the hour strikes for him to return to the stage of life to enact another part4 ,,enq4 ,but how is it that this doctrine1 which you say is as old as thinking men1 has found no room1 say1 in ,christian theology8 ,,theo4 ,you are mistaken1 it has2 only theology has disfigured it out of all recognition1 as it has many other doctrines4 ,theology calls the ,,ego the ,angel that ,god gives us at the moment of our birth1 to take care of our ,soul4 ,instead of holding that 8,angel0 responsible for the transgressions of the poor helpless 8,soul10 it is the latter which1 according to theological logic1 is punished for all the sins of both flesh and mind6 ,it is the ,soul1 the immaterial breath of ,god and his alleged creation1 which1 by some most amazing intellectual jugglery1 is doomed to burn in a material hell without ever being consumed1#di while the 8,angel0 escapes scot free after folding his white pinions and wetting them with a few tears4 ,aye1 these are our 8ministering ,spirits10 the 8messengers of mercy0 who are sent1 ,bishop ,mant tells us-- 84444 to fulfil ,good for ,salvation's heirs1 for us they still ,grieve when we sin1 rejoice when we repent20 ,yet it becomes evident that if all the ,bishops the world over were asked to define once for all what they mean by ,soul and its functions1 they would be as unable to do so as to show us any shadow of logic in the orthodox belief6 ,,the ,,doctrine ,,is ,,taught ,,in ,,st4 ,,john',s ,,gospel4 ,,enq4 ,to this the adherents to this belief might answer1 that if even the orthodox dogma does promise the impenitent sinner and materialist a bad time of it in a rather too realistic ,inferno1 it gives them1 on the other hand1 a chance for repentance to the last minute4 ,nor do they teach annihilation1 or loss of personality1 which is all the same4 ,,theo4 ,if the ,church teaches nothing of the kind1 on the other hand1 ,jesus does2 and that is something to those1 at least1 who place ,christ higher than ,christianity4 ,,enq4 ,does ,christ teach anything of the sort8 ,,theo4 ,he does2 and every well-informed ,occultist and even ,kabalist will tell you so4 ,christ1 or the fourth ,gospel at any rate1 teaches re-incarnation as also the annihilation of the personality1 if you but forget the dead letter and hold to the esoteric ,spirit4 ,remember verses #a and #b in chapter xv4 of ,st4 ,john4 ,what does the parable speak about if not of the upper triad in man8 ,atma is the ,husbandman--the ,spiritual ,ego or ,buddhi 7,christos7 the ,vine1 while the animal and vital ,soul1 the personality1 is the 8branch40 8,i am the true vine1 and my ,father is the ,husbandman4 ,every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away4444 ,as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine2 no more can ye1 except ye abide in me4 ,i am the ,vine--ye are the branches4 ,if a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch1 and is withered and cast into the fire and burned40 ,now we explain it in this way4 ,disbelieving in the hell-fires which theology discovers as underlying the threat to the branches1 we say that the 8,husbandman0 means ,atma1 the ,symbol for the infinite1 impersonal ,principle1#ej while the ,vine stands for the ,spiritual ,soul1 ,christos1 and each 8branch0 represents a new incarnation4 ,,enq4 ,but what proofs have you to support such an arbitrary interpretation8 ,,theo4 ,universal symbology is a warrant for its correctness and that it is not arbitrary4 ,hermas says of 8,god0 that he 8planted the ,vineyard10 i4e41 he created mankind4 ,in the ,kabala1 it is shown that the ,aged of the ,aged1 or the 8,long ,face10 plants a vineyard1 the latter typifying mankind2 and a vine1 meaning ,life4 ,the ,spirit of 8,king ,messiah0 is1 therefore1 shown as washing his garments in the wine from above1 from the creation of the world4#ea ,and ,king ,messiah is the ,,ego purified by washing his garments 7i4e41 his personalities in re-birth71 in the wine from above1 or ,,buddhi4 ,adam1 or ,a-,dam1 is 8blood40 ,the ,life of the flesh is in the blood 7nephesh--soul71 ,leviticus xvii4 ,and ,adam-,kadmon is the ,only-,begotten4 ,noah also plants a vineyard--the allegorical hot-bed of future humanity4 ,as a consequence of the adoption of the same allegory1 we find it reproduced in the ,nazarene ,codex4 ,seven vines are procreated--which seven vines are our ,seven ,races with their seven ,saviours or ,buddhas--which spring from ,iukabar ,zivo1 and ,ferho 7or ,parcha7 ,raba waters them4#eb ,when the blessed will ascend among the creatures of ,light1 they shall see ,iavar-,xivo1 ,lord of ,,life1 and the ,,first ,,vine4#ec ,these kabalistic metaphors are thus naturally repeated in the ,gospel according to ,st4 ,john 7xv41 #a74 ,let us not forget that in the human system--even according to those philosophies which ignore our septenary division--the ,,ego or thinking man is called the ,logos1 or the ,son of ,soul and ,spirit4 8,manas is the adopted ,son of ,king ---- and ,queen ----0 7esoteric equivalents for ,atma and ,buddhi71 says an occult work4 ,he is the 8man-god0 of ,plato1 who crucifies himself in ,space 7or the duration of the life cycle7 for the redemption of ,,matter4 ,this he does by incarnating over and over again1 thus leading mankind onward to perfection1 and making thereby room for lower forms to develop into higher4 ,not for one life does he cease progressing himself and helping all physical nature to progress2 even the occasional1 very rare event of his losing one of his personalities1 in the case of the latter being entirely devoid of even a spark of spirituality1 helps toward his individual progress4 ,,enq4 ,but surely1 if the ,ego is held responsible for the transgressions of its personalities1 it has to answer also for the loss1 or rather the complete annihilation1 of one of such4 ,,theo4 ,not at all1 unless it has done nothing to avert this dire fate4 ,but if1 all its efforts notwithstanding1 its voice1 that of our conscience1 was unable to penetrate through the wall of matter1 then the obtuseness of the latter proceeding from the imperfect nature of the material is classed with other failures of nature4 ,the ,ego is sufficiently punished by the loss of ,devachan1 and especially by having to incarnate almost immediately4 ,,enq4 ,this doctrine of the possibility of losing one's soul--or personality1 do you call it8--militates against the ideal theories of both ,christians and ,spiritualists1 though ,swedenborg adopts it to a certain extent1 in what he calls ,spiritual death4 ,they will never accept it4 ,,theo4 ,this can in no way alter a fact in nature1 if it be a fact1 or prevent such a thing occasionally taking place4 ,the universe and everything in it1 moral1 mental1 physical1 psychic1 or ,spiritual1 is built on a perfect law of equilibrium and harmony4 ,as said before 7vide ,isis ,unveiled71 the centripetal force could not manifest itself without the centrifugal in the harmonious revolutions of the spheres1 and all forms and their progress are the products of this dual force in nature4 ,now the ,spirit 7or ,buddhi7 is the centrifugal and the soul 7,manas7 the centripetal spiritual energy2 and to produce one result they have to be in perfect union and harmony4 ,break or damage the centripetal motion of the earthly soul tending toward the centre which attracts it2 arrest its progress by clogging it with a heavier weight of matter than it can bear1 or than is fit for the ,devachanic state1 and the harmony of the whole will be destroyed4 ,personal life1 or perhaps rather its ideal reflection1 can only be continued if sustained by the two-fold force1 that is by the close union of ,buddhi and ,manas in every re-birth or personal life4 ,the least deviation from harmony damages it2 and when it is destroyed beyond redemption the two forces separate at the moment of death4 ,during a brief interval the personal form 7called indifferently ,kama rupa and ,mayavi rupa71 the spiritual efflorescence of which1 attaching itself to the ,ego1 follows it into ,devachan and gives to the permanent individuality its personal colouring 7pro tem41 so to speak71 is carried off to remain in ,kama-loka and to be gradually annihilated4 ,for it is after the death of the utterly depraved1 the unspiritual and the wicked beyond redemption1 that arrives the critical and supreme moment4 ,if during life the ultimate and desperate effort of the ,,inner ,,self 7,manas71 to unite something of the personality with itself and the high glimmering ray of the divine ,buddhi is thwarted2 if this ray is allowed to be more and more shut out from the ever-thickening crust of physical brain1 the ,spiritual ,,ego or ,manas1 once freed from the body1 remains severed entirely from the ethereal relic of the personality2 and the latter1 or ,kama rupa1 following its earthly attractions1 is drawn into and remains in ,hades1 which we call the ,kama-loka4 ,these are 8the withered branches0 mentioned by ,jesus as being cut off from the ,vine4 ,annihilation1 however1 is never instantaneous1 and may require centuries sometimes for its accomplishment4 ,but there the personality remains along with the remnants of other more fortunate personal ,egos1 and becomes with them a shell and an ,elementary4 ,as said in ,isis1 it is these two classes of 8,spirits10 the shells and the ,elementaries1 which are the leading 8,stars0 on the great spiritual stage of 8materialisations40 ,and you may be sure of it1 it is not they who incarnate2 and1 therefore1 so few of these 8dear departed ones0 know anything of re-incarnation1 misleading thereby the ,spiritualists4 ,,enq4 ,but does not the author of 8,isis ,unveiled0 stand accused of having preached against re-incarnation8 ,,theo4 ,by those who have misunderstood what was said1 yes4 ,at the time that work was written1 re-incarnation was not believed in by any ,spiritualists1 either ,english or ,american1 and what is said there of re-incarnation was directed against the ,french ,spiritists1 whose theory is as unphilosophical and absurd as the ,eastern teaching is logical and self-evident in its truth4 ,the ,re-incarnationists of the ,allan ,kardec ,school believe in an arbitrary and immediate re-incarnation4 ,with them1 the dead father can incarnate in his own unborn daughter1 and so on4 ,they have neither ,devachan1 ,karma1 nor any philosophy that would warrant or prove the necessity of consecutive rebirths4 ,but how can the author of 8,isis0 argue against ,karmic re-incarnation1 at long intervals varying between #a1jjj and #a1ejj years1 when it is the fundamental belief of both ,buddhists and ,hindus8 ,,enq4 ,then you reject the theories of both the ,spiritists and the ,spiritualists1 in their entirety8 ,,theo4 ,not in their entirety1 but only with regard to their respective fundamental beliefs4 ,both rely on what their 8,spirits0 tell them2 and both disagree as much with each other as we ,theosophists disagree with both4 ,truth is one2 and when we hear the ,french spooks preaching re-incarnation1 and the ,english spooks denying and denouncing the doctrine1 we say that either the ,french or the ,english 8,spirits0 do not know what they are talking about4 ,we believe with the ,spiritualists and the ,spiritists in the existence of 8,spirits10 or invisible ,beings endowed with more or less intelligence4 ,but1 while in our teachings their kinds and genera are legion1 our opponents admit of no other than human disembodied 8,spirits10 which1 to our knowledge1 are mostly ,kamalokic ,,shells4 ,,enq4 ,you seem very bitter against ,spirits4 ,as you have given me your views and your reasons for disbelieving in the materialization of1 and direct communication in sances1 with the disembodied spirits--or the 8spirits of the dead0--would you mind enlightening me as to one more fact8 ,why are some ,theosophists never tired of saying how dangerous is intercourse with spirits1 and mediumship8 ,have they any particular reason for this8 ,,theo4 ,we must suppose so4 ,i know ,i have4 ,owing to my familiarity for over half a century with these invisible1 yet but too tangible and undeniable 8influences10 from the conscious ,elementals1 semi-conscious shells1 down to the utterly senseless and nondescript spooks of all kinds1 ,i claim a certain right to my views4 ,,enq4 ,can you give an instance or instances to show why these practices should be regarded as dangerous8 ,,theo4 ,this would require more time than ,i can give you4 ,every cause must be judged by the effects it produces4 ,go over the history of ,spiritualism for the last fifty years1 ever since its reappearance in this century in ,america--and judge for yourself whether it has done its votaries more good or harm4 ,pray understand me4 ,i do not speak against real ,spiritualism1 but against the modern movement which goes under that name1 and the so-called philosophy invented to explain its phenomena4 ,,enq4 ,don't you believe in their phenomena at all8 ,,theo4 ,it is because ,i believe in them with too good reason1 and 7save some cases of deliberate fraud7 know them to be as true as that you and ,i live1 that all my being revolts against them4 ,once more ,i speak only of physical1 not mental or even psychic phenomena4 ,like attracts like4 ,there are several high-minded1 pure1 good men and women1 known to me personally1 who have passed years of their lives under the direct guidance and even protection of high 8,spirits10 whether disembodied or planetary4 ,but these ,intelligences are not of the type of the ,john ,kings and the ,ernests who figure in sance rooms4 ,these ,intelligences guide and control mortals only in rare and exceptional cases to which they are attracted and magnetically drawn by the ,karmic past of the individual4 ,it is not enough to sit 8for development0 in order to attract them4 ,that only opens the door to a swarm of 8spooks10 good1 bad and indifferent1 to which the medium becomes a slave for life4 ,it is against such promiscuous mediumship and intercourse with goblins that ,i raise my voice1 not against spiritual mysticism4 ,the latter is ennobling and holy2 the former is of just the same nature as the phenomena of two centuries ago1 for which so many witches and wizards have been made to suffer4 ,read ,glanvil and other authors on the subject of witchcraft1 and you will find recorded there the parallels of most1 if not all1 of the physical phenomena of nineteenth century 8,spiritualism40 ,,enq4 ,do you mean to suggest that it is all witchcraft and nothing more8 ,,theo4 ,what ,i mean is that1 whether conscious or unconscious1 all this dealing with the dead is necromancy1 and a most dangerous practice4 ,for ages before ,moses such raising of the dead was regarded by all the intelligent nations as sinful and cruel1 inasmuch as it disturbs the rest of the souls and interferes with their evolutionary development into higher states4 ,the collective wisdom of all past centuries has ever been loud in denouncing such practices4 ,finally1 ,i say1 what ,i have never ceased repeating orally and in print for fifteen years3 ,while some of the so-called 8spirits0 do not know what they are talking about1 repeating merely--like poll-parrots--what they find in the mediums' and other people's brains1 others are most dangerous1 and can only lead one to evil4 ,these are two self-evident facts4 ,go into spiritualistic circles of the ,allan ,kardec school1 and you find 8spirits0 asserting re-incarnation and speaking like ,roman ,catholics born4 ,turn to the 8dear departed ones0 in ,england and ,america1 and you will hear them denying re-incarnation through thick and thin1 denouncing those who teach it1 and holding to ,protestant views4 ,your best1 your most powerful mediums1 have all suffered in health of body and mind4 ,think of the sad end of ,charles ,foster1 who died in an asylum1 a raving lunatic2 of ,slade1 an epileptic2 of ,eglinton--the best medium now in ,england--subject to the same4 ,look back over the life of ,d4 ,d4 ,home1 a man whose mind was steeped in gall and bitterness1 who never had a good word to say of anyone whom he suspected of possessing psychic powers1 and who slandered every other medium to the bitter end4 ,this ,calvin of ,spiritualism suffered for years from a terrible spinal disease1 brought on by his intercourse with the 8spirits10 and died a perfect wreck4 ,think again of the sad fate of poor ,washington ,irving ,bishop4 ,i knew him in ,new ,york1 when he was fourteen1 and he was undeniably a medium4 ,it is true that the poor man stole a march on his 8spirits10 and baptized them 8unconscious muscular action10 to the great gaudium of all the corporations of highly learned and scientific fools1 and to the replenishment of his own pocket4 ,but de mortuis nil nisi bonum2 his end was a sad one4 ,he had strenuously concealed his epileptic fits--the first and strongest symptom of genuine mediumship--and who knows whether he was dead or in a trance when the post-mortem examination was performed8 ,his relatives insist that he was alive1 if we are to believe ,reuter's telegrams4 ,finally1 behold the veteran mediums1 the founders and prime movers of modern spiritualism--the ,fox sisters4 ,after more than forty years of intercourse with the 8,angels10 the latter have led them to become incurable sots1 who are now denouncing1 in public lectures1 their own life-long work and philosophy as a fraud4 ,what kind of spirits must they be who prompted them1 ,i ask you8 ,,enq4 ,but is your inference a correct one8 ,,theo4 ,what would you infer if the best pupils of a particular school of singing broke down from overstrained sore throats8 ,that the method followed was a bad one4 ,so ,i think the inference is equally fair with regard to ,spiritualism when we see their best mediums fall a prey to such a fate4 ,we can only say3--,let those who are interested in the question judge the tree of ,spiritualism by its fruits1 and ponder over the lesson4 ,we ,theosophists have always regarded the ,spiritualists as brothers having the same mystic tendency as ourselves1 but they have always regarded us as enemies4 ,we1 being in possession of an older philosophy1 have tried to help and warn them2 but they have repaid us by reviling and traducing us and our motives in every possible way4 ,nevertheless1 the best ,english ,spiritualists say just as we do1 wherever they treat of their belief seriously4 ,hear 8,m4,a4 ,oxon40 confessing this truth3 8,spiritualists are too much inclined to dwell exclusively on the intervention of external spirits in this world of ours1 and to ignore the powers of the incarnate ,spirit40#ed ,why vilify and abuse us1 then1 for saying precisely the same8 ,henceforward1 we will have nothing more to do with ,spiritualism4 ,and now let us return to ,re-incarnation4 ,,footnotes3 #di ,being of 8an asbestos-like nature10 according to the eloquent and fiery expression of a modern ,english ,tertullian4 #ej ,during the ,mysteries1 it is the ,hierophant1 the 8,father10 who planted the ,vine4 ,every symbol has ,seven ,keys to it4 ,the discloser of the ,pleroma was always called 8,father40 #ea ,zohar ,,xl41 #aj4 #eb ,codex ,nazarus1 ,vol4 ,,iii41 pp4 #fj1 #fa4 #ec ,ibid41 ,vol4 ,,ii41 p4 #bha4 #ed ,second ,sight1 8,introduction40 ,,xi4 ,,on ,,the ,,mysteries ,,of ,,re-,,incarnation4 ,,periodical ,,rebirths4 ,,enq4 ,you mean1 then1 that we have all lived on earth before1 in many past incarnations1 and shall go on so living8 ,,theo4 ,i do4 ,the life-cycle1 or rather the cycle of conscious life1 begins with the separation of the mortal animal-man into sexes1 and will end with the close of the last generation of men1 in the seventh round and seventh race of mankind4 ,considering we are only in the fourth round and fifth race1 its duration is more easily imagined than expressed4 ,,enq4 ,and we keep on incarnating in new personalities all the time8 ,,theo4 ,most assuredly so2 because this life-cycle or period of incarnation may be best compared to human life4 ,as each such life is composed of days of activity separated by nights of sleep or of inaction1 so1 in the incarnation-cycle1 an active life is followed by a ,devachanic rest4 ,,enq4 ,and it is this succession of births that is generally defined as re-incarnation8 ,,theo4 ,just so4 ,it is only through these births that the perpetual progress of the countless millions of ,egos toward final perfection and final rest 7as long as was the period of activity7 can be achieved4 ,,enq4 ,and what is it that regulates the duration1 or special qualities of these incarnations8 ,,theo4 ,karma1 the universal law of retributive justice4 ,,enq4 ,is it an intelligent law8 ,,theo4 ,for the ,materialist1 who calls the law of periodicity which regulates the marshalling of the several bodies1 and all the other laws in nature1 blind forces and mechanical laws1 no doubt ,karma would be a law of chance and no more4 ,for us1 no adjective or qualification could describe that which is impersonal and no entity1 but a universal operative law4 ,if you question me about the causative intelligence in it1 ,i must answer you ,i do not know4 ,but if you ask me to define its effects and tell you what these are in our belief1 ,i may say that the experience of thousands of ages has shown us that they are absolute and unerring equity1 wisdom1 and intelligence4 ,for ,karma in its effects1 is an unfailing redresser of human injustice1 and of all the failures of nature2 a stern adjuster of wrongs2 a retributive law which rewards and punishes with equal impartiality4 ,it is1 in the strictest sense1 8no respecter of persons10 though1 on the other hand1 it can neither be propitiated1 nor turned aside by prayer4 ,this is a belief common to ,hindus and ,buddhists1 who both believe in ,karma4 ,,enq4 ,in this ,christian dogmas contradict both1 and ,i doubt whether any ,christian will accept the teaching4 ,,theo4 ,no2 and ,inman gave the reason for it many years ago4 ,as he puts it1 while 8the ,christians will accept any nonsense1 if promulgated by the ,church as a matter of faith 444 the ,buddhists hold that nothing which is contradicted by sound reason can be a true doctrine of ,buddha40 ,they do not believe in any pardon for their sins1 except after an adequate and just punishment for each evil deed or thought in a future incarnation1 and a proportionate compensation to the parties injured4 ,,enq4 ,where is it so stated8 ,,theo4 ,in most of their sacred works4 ,in the 8,wheel of the ,law0 7p4 #eg7 you may find the following ,theosophical tenet3--8,buddhists believe that every act1 word or thought has its consequence1 which will appear sooner or later in the present or in the future state4 ,evil acts will produce evil consequences1 good acts will produce good consequences3 prosperity in this world1 or birth in heaven 7,devachan7444 in the future state40 ,,enq4 ,christians believe the same thing1 don't they8 ,,theo4 ,oh1 no2 they believe in the pardon and the remission of all sins4 ,they are promised that if they only believe in the blood of ,christ 7an innocent victim671 in the blood offered by ,him for the expiation of the sins of the whole of mankind1 it will atone for every mortal sin4 ,and we believe neither in vicarious atonement1 nor in the possibility of the remission of the smallest sin by any god1 not even by a 8personal ,absolute0 or 8,infinite10 if such a thing could have any existence4 ,what we believe in1 is strict and impartial justice4 ,our idea of the unknown ,universal ,deity1 represented by ,karma1 is that it is a ,power which cannot fail1 and can1 therefore1 have neither wrath nor mercy1 only absolute ,equity1 which leaves every cause1 great or small1 to work out its inevitable effects4 ,the saying of ,jesus3 8,with what measure you mete it shall be measured to you again0 7,matth4 vii41 #b71 neither by expression nor implication points to any hope of future mercy or salvation by proxy4 ,this is why1 recognising as we do in our philosophy the justice of this statement1 we cannot recommend too strongly mercy1 charity1 and forgiveness of mutual offences4 ,resist not evil1 and render good for evil1 are ,buddhist precepts1 and were first preached in view of the implacability of ,karmic law4 ,for man to take the law into his own hands is anyhow a sacrilegious presumption4 ,human ,law may use restrictive not punitive measures2 but a man who1 believing in ,karma1 still revenges himself and refuses to forgive every injury1 thereby rendering good for evil1 is a criminal and only hurts himself4 ,as ,karma is sure to punish the man who wronged him1 by seeking to inflict an additional punishment on his enemy1 he1 who instead of leaving that punishment to the great ,law adds to it his own mite1 only begets thereby a cause for the future reward of his own enemy and a future punishment for himself4 ,the unfailing ,regulator affects in each incarnation the quality of its successor2 and the sum of the merit or demerit in preceding ones determines it4 ,,enq4 ,are we then to infer a man's past from his present8 ,,theo4 ,only so far as to believe that his present life is what it justly should be1 to atone for the sins of the past life4 ,of course--seers and great adepts excepted--we cannot as average mortals know what those sins were4 ,from our paucity of data1 it is impossible for us even to determine what an old man's youth must have been2 neither can we1 for like reasons1 draw final conclusions merely from what we see in the life of some man1 as to what his past life may have been4 ,,what ,,is ,,karma8 ,,enq4 ,but what is ,karma8 ,,theo4 ,as ,i have said1 we consider it as the ,ultimate ,law of the ,universe1 the source1 origin and fount of all other laws which exist throughout ,nature4 ,karma is the unerring law which adjusts effect to cause1 on the physical1 mental and spiritual planes of being4 ,as no cause remains without its due effect from greatest to least1 from a cosmic disturbance down to the movement of your hand1 and as like produces like1 ,karma is that unseen and unknown law which adjusts wisely1 intelligently and equitably each effect to its cause1 tracing the latter back to its producer4 ,though itself unknowable1 its action is perceivable4 ,,enq4 ,then it is the 8,absolute10 the 8,unknowable0 again1 and is not of much value as an explanation of the problems of life8 ,,theo4 ,on the contrary4 ,for1 though we do not know what ,karma is per se1 and in its essence1 we do know how it works1 and we can define and describe its mode of action with accuracy4 ,we only do not know its ultimate ,cause1 just as modern philosophy universally admits that the ultimate ,cause of anything is 8unknowable40 ,,enq4 ,and what has ,theosophy to say in regard to the solution of the more practical needs of humanity8 ,what is the explanation which it offers in reference to the awful suffering and dire necessity prevalent among the so-called 8lower classes40 ,,theo4 ,to be pointed1 according to our teaching all these great social evils1 the distinction of classes in ,society1 and of the sexes in the affairs of life1 the unequal distribution of capital and of labour--all are due to what we tersely but truly denominate ,,karma4 ,,enq4 ,but1 surely1 all these evils which seem to fall upon the masses somewhat indiscriminately are not actual merited and ,,individual ,karma8 ,,theo4 ,no1 they cannot be so strictly defined in their effects as to show that each individual environment1 and the particular conditions of life in which each person finds himself1 are nothing more than the retributive ,karma which the individual generated in a previous life4 ,we must not lose sight of the fact that every atom is subject to the general law governing the whole body to which it belongs1 and here we come upon the wider track of the ,karmic law4 ,do you not perceive that the aggregate of individual ,karma becomes that of the nation to which those individuals belong1 and further1 that the sum total of ,national ,karma is that of the ,world6 ,the evils that you speak of are not peculiar to the individual or even to the ,nation1 they are more or less universal2 and it is upon this broad line of ,human interdependence that the law of ,karma finds its legitimate and equable issue4 ,,enq4 ,do ,i1 then1 understand that the law of ,karma is not necessarily an individual law8 ,,theo4 ,that is just what ,i mean4 ,it is impossible that ,karma could readjust the balance of power in the world's life and progress1 unless it had a broad and general line of action4 ,it is held as a truth among ,theosophists that the interdependence of ,humanity is the cause of what is called ,distributive ,karma1 and it is this law which affords the solution to the great question of collective suffering and its relief4 ,it is an occult law1 moreover1 that no man can rise superior to his individual failings1 without lifting1 be it ever so little1 the whole body of which he is an integral part4 ,in the same way1 no one can sin1 nor suffer the effects of sin1 alone4 ,in reality1 there is no such thing as 8,separateness02 and the nearest approach to that selfish state1 which the laws of life permit1 is in the intent or motive4 ,,enq4 ,and are there no means by which the distributive or national ,karma might be concentred or collected1 so to speak1 and brought to its natural and legitimate fulfilment without all this protracted suffering8 ,,theo4 ,as a general rule1 and within certain limits which define the age to which we belong1 the law of ,karma cannot be hastened or retarded in its fulfilment4 ,but of this ,i am certain1 the point of possibility in either of these directions has never yet been touched4 ,listen to the following recital of one phase of national suffering1 and then ask yourself whether1 admitting the working power of individual1 relative1 and distributive ,karma1 these evils are not capable of extensive modification and general relief4 ,what ,i am about to read to you is from the pen of a ,national ,saviour1 one who1 having overcome ,self1 and being free to choose1 has elected to serve ,humanity1 in bearing at least as much as a woman's shoulders can possibly bear of ,national ,karma4 ,this is what she says3-- 8,yes1 ,nature always does speak1 don't you think8 only sometimes we make so much noise that we drown her voice4 ,that is why it is so restful to go out of the town and nestle awhile in the ,mother's arms4 ,i am thinking of the evening on ,hampstead ,heath when we watched the sun go down2 but oh6 upon what suffering and misery that sun had set6 ,a lady brought me yesterday a big hamper of wild flowers4 ,i thought some of my ,east-end family had a better right to it than ,i1 and so ,i took it down to a very poor school in ,whitechapel this morning4 ,you should have seen the pallid little faces brighten6 ,thence ,i went to pay for some dinners at a little cookshop for some children4 ,it was in a back street1 narrow1 full of jostling people2 stench indescribable1 from fish1 meat1 and other comestibles1 all reeking in a sun that1 in ,whitechapel1 festers instead of purifying4 ,the cookshop was the quintessence of all the smells4 ,indescribable meat-pies at #a;d41 loathsome lumps of #8food' and swarms of flies1 a very altar of ,beelzebub6 ,all about1 babies on the prowl for scraps1 one1 with the face of an angel1 gathering up cherrystones as a light and nutritious form of diet4 ,i came westward with every nerve shuddering and jarred1 wondering whether anything can be done with some parts of ,london save swallowing them up in an earthquake and starting their inhabitants afresh1 after a plunge into some purifying ,lethe1 out of which not a memory might emerge6 ,and then ,i thought of ,hampstead ,heath1 and--pondered4 ,if by any sacrifice one could win the power to save these people1 the cost would not be worth counting2 but1 you see1 ,,they must be changed--and how can that be wrought8 ,in the condition they now are1 they would not profit by any environment in which they might be placed2 and yet1 in their present surroundings they must continue to putrefy4 ,it breaks my heart1 this endless1 hopeless misery1 and the brutish degradation that is at once its outgrowth and its root4 ,it is like the banyan tree2 every branch roots itself and sends out new shoots4 ,what a difference between these feelings and the peaceful scene at ,hampstead6 and yet we1 who are the brothers and sisters of these poor creatures1 have only a right to use ,hampstead ,heaths to gain strength to save ,whitechapels40 7,signed by a name too respected and too well known to be given to scoffers47 ,,enq4 ,that is a sad but beautiful letter1 and ,i think it presents with painful conspicuity the terrible workings of what you have called 8,relative and ,distributive ,karma40 ,but alas6 there seems no immediate hope of any relief short of an earthquake1 or some such general ingulfment6 ,,theo4 ,what right have we to think so while one-half of humanity is in a position to effect an immediate relief of the privations which are suffered by their fellows8 ,when every individual has contributed to the general good what he can of money1 of labour1 and of ennobling thought1 then1 and only then1 will the balance of ,national ,karma be struck1 and until then we have no right nor any reasons for saying that there is more life on the earth than ,nature can support4 ,it is reserved for the heroic souls1 the ,saviours of our ,race and ,nation1 to find out the cause of this unequal pressure of retributive ,karma1 and by a supreme effort to readjust the balance of power1 and save the people from a moral ingulfment a thousand times more disastrous and more permanently evil than the like physical catastrophe1 in which you seem to see the only possible outlet for this accumulated misery4 ,,enq4 ,well1 then1 tell me generally how you describe this law of ,karma8 ,,theo4 ,we describe ,karma as that ,law of readjustment which ever tends to restore disturbed equilibrium in the physical1 and broken harmony in the moral world4 ,we say that ,karma does not act in this or that particular way always2 but that it always does act so as to restore ,harmony and preserve the balance of equilibrium1 in virtue of which the ,universe exists4 ,,enq4 ,give me an illustration4 ,,theo4 ,later on ,i will give you a full illustration4 ,think now of a pond4 ,a stone falls into the water and creates disturbing waves4 ,these waves oscillate backwards and forwards till at last1 owning to the operation of what physicists call the law of the dissipation of energy1 they are brought to rest1 and the water returns to its condition of calm tranquillity4 ,similarly all action1 on every plane1 produces disturbance in the balanced harmony of the ,universe1 and the vibrations so produced will continue to roll backwards and forwards1 if its area is limited1 till equilibrium is restored4 ,but since each such disturbance starts from some particular point1 it is clear that equilibrium and harmony can only be restored by the reconverging to that same point of all the forces which were set in motion from it4 ,and here you have proof that the consequences of a man's deeds1 thoughts1 etc41 must all react upon himself with the same force with which they were set in motion4 ,,enq4 ,but ,i see nothing of a moral character about this law4 ,it looks to me like the simple physical law that action and reaction are equal and opposite4 ,,theo4 ,i am not surprised to hear you say that4 ,europeans have got so much into the ingrained habit of considering right and wrong1 good and evil1 as matters of an arbitrary code of law laid down either by men1 or imposed upon them by a ,personal ,god4 ,we ,theosophists1 however1 say that 8,good0 and 8,harmony10 and 8,evil0 and 8,dis-harmony10 are synonymous4 ,further we maintain that all pain and suffering are results of want of ,harmony1 and that the one terrible and only cause of the disturbance of ,harmony is selfishness in some form or another4 ,hence ,karma gives back to every man the actual consequences of his own actions1 without any regard to their moral character2 but since he receives his due for all1 it is obvious that he will be made to atone for all sufferings which he has caused1 just as he will reap in joy and gladness the fruits of all the happiness and harmony he had helped to produce4 ,i can do no better than quote for your benefit certain passages from books and articles written by our ,theosophists--those who have a correct idea of ,karma4 ,,enq4 ,i wish you would1 as your literature seems to be very sparing on this subject8 ,,theo4 ,because it is the most difficult of all our tenets4 ,some short time ago there appeared the following objection from a ,christian pen3-- 8,granting that the teaching in regard to ,theosophy is correct1 and that #8man must be his own saviour1 must overcome self and conquer the evil that is in his dual nature1 to obtain the emancipation of his soul1' what is man to do after he has been awakened and converted to a certain extent from evil or wickedness8 ,how is he to get emancipation1 or pardon1 or the blotting out of the evil or wickedness he has already done80 ,to this ,mr4 ,j4 ,h4 ,connelly replies very pertinently that no one can hope to 8make the theosophical engine run on the theological track40 ,as he has it3-- 8,the possibility of shirking individual responsibility is not among the concepts of ,theosophy4 ,in this faith there is no such thing as pardoning1 or #8blotting out of evil or wickedness already done1' otherwise than by the adequate punishment therefor of the wrong-doer and the restoration of the harmony in the universe that had been disturbed by his wrongful act4 ,the evil has been his own1 and while others must suffer its consequences1 atonement can be made by nobody but himself4 8,the condition contemplated 444 in which a man shall have been #8awakened and converted to a certain extent from evil or wickedness1' is that in which a man shall have realized that his deeds are evil and deserving of punishment4 ,in that realization a sense of personal responsibility is inevitable1 and just in proportion to the extent of his awakening or #8converting' must be the sense of that awful responsibility4 ,while it is strong upon him is the time when he is urged to accept the doctrine of vicarious atonement4 8,he is told that he must also repent1 but nothing is easier than that4 ,it is an amiable weakness of human nature that we are quite prone to regret the evil we have done when our attention is called1 and we have either suffered from it ourselves or enjoyed its fruits4 ,possibly1 close analysis of the feeling would show us that that which we regret is rather the necessity that seemed to require the evil as a means of attainment of our selfish ends than the evil itself4 8,attractive as this prospect of casting our burden of sins #8at the foot of the cross' may be to the ordinary mind1 it does not commend itself to the ,theosophic student4 ,he does not apprehend why the sinner by attaining knowledge of his evil can thereby merit any pardon for or the blotting out of his past wickedness2 or why repentance and future right living entitle him to a suspension in his favour of the universal law of relation between cause and effect4 ,the results of his evil deeds continue to exist2 the suffering caused to others by his wickedness is not blotted out4 ,the ,theosophical student takes the result of wickedness upon the innocent into his problem4 ,he considers not only the guilty person1 but his victims4 8,evil is an infraction of the laws of harmony governing the universe1 and the penalty thereof must fall upon the violator of that law himself4 ,christ uttered the warning1 #8,sin no more1 lest a worse thing come upon thee1' and ,st4 ,paul said1 #8,work out your own salvation4 ,whatsoever a man soweth1 that shall he also reap4' ,that1 by the way1 is a fine metaphoric rendering of the sentence of the ,puranas far antedating him--that #8every man reaps the consequences of his own acts4' 8,this is the principle of the law of ,karma which is taught by ,theosophy4 ,sinnett1 in his #8,esoteric ,buddhism1' rendered ,karma as #8the law of ethical causation4' #8,the law of retribution1' as ,mdme4 ,blavatsky translates its meaning1 is better4 ,it is the power which ,just though mysterious1 leads us on unerring ,through ways unmarked from guilt to punishment4 8,but it is more4 ,it rewards merit as unerringly and amply as it punishes demerit4 ,it is the outcome of every act1 of thought1 word and deed1 and by it men mould themselves1 their lives and happenings4 ,eastern philosophy rejects the idea of a newly created soul for every baby born4 ,it believes in a limited number of monads1 evolving and growing more and more perfect through their assimilation of many successive personalities4 ,those personalities are the product of ,karma and it is by ,karma and re-incarnation that the human monad in time returns to its source--absolute deity40 ,e4 ,d4 ,walker1 in his 8,re-incarnation10 offers the following explanation3-- 8,briefly1 the doctrine of ,karma is that we have made ourselves what we are by former actions1 and are building our future eternity by present actions4 ,there is no destiny but what we ourselves determine4 ,there is no salvation or condemnation except what we ourselves bring about4444 ,because it offers no shelter for culpable actions and necessitates a sterling manliness1 it is less welcome to weak natures than the easy religious tenets of vicarious atonement1 intercession1 forgiveness and death-bed conversions4444 ,in the domain of eternal justice the offence and the punishment are inseparably connected as the same event1 because there is no real distinction between the action and its outcome4444 ,it is ,karma1 or our old acts1 that draws us back into earthly life4 ,the spirit's abode changes according to its ,karma1 and this ,karma forbids any long continuance in one condition1 because it is always changing4 ,so long as action is governed by material and selfish motives1 just so long must the effect of that action be manifested in physical rebirths4 ,only the perfectly selfless man can elude the gravitation of material life4 ,few have attained this1 but it is the goal of mankind40 ,and then the writer quotes from the ,secret ,doctrine3 8,those who believe in ,karma have to believe in destiny1 which1 from birth to death1 every man is weaving1 thread by thread1 around himself1 as a spider does his cobweb1 and this destiny is guided either by the heavenly voice of the invisible prototype outside of us1 or by our more intimate astral or inner man1 who is but too often the evil genius of the embodied entity called man4 ,both these lead on the outward man1 but one of them must prevail2 and from the very beginning of the invisible affray the stern and implacable law of compensation steps in and takes its course1 faithfully following the fluctuations4 ,when the last strand is woven1 and man is seemingly enwrapped in the network of his own doing1 then he finds himself completely under the empire of this self-made destiny4444 ,an ,occultist or a philosopher will not speak of the goodness or cruelty of ,providence2 but1 identifying it with ,karma-,nemesis1 he will teach that1 nevertheless1 it guards the good and watches over them in this as in future lives2 and that it punishes the evil-doer--aye1 even to his seventh re-birth--so long1 in short1 as the effect of his having thrown into perturbation even the smallest atom in the infinite world of harmony has not been finally readjusted4 ,for the only decree of ,karma--an eternal and immutable decree--is absolute harmony in the world of matter as it is in the world of spirit4 ,it is not1 therefore1 ,karma that rewards or punishes1 but it is we who reward or punish ourselves according to whether we work with1 through and along with nature1 abiding by the laws on which that harmony depends1 or--break them4 ,nor would the ways of ,karma be inscrutable were men to work in union and harmony1 instead of disunion and strife4 ,for our ignorance of those ways--which one portion of mankind calls the ways of ,providence1 dark and intricate2 while another sees in them the action of blind fatalism2 and a third simple chance1 with neither gods nor devils to guide them--would surely disappear if we would but attribute all these to their correct cause4444 ,we stand bewildered before the mystery of our own making and the riddles of life that we will not solve1 and then accuse the great ,sphinx of devouring us4 ,but verily there is not an accident of our lives1 not a misshapen day1 or a misfortune1 that could not be traced back to our own doings in this or in another life4444 ,the law of ,karma is inextricably interwoven with that of re-incarnation4444 ,it is only this doctrine that can explain to us the mysterious problem of good and evil1 and reconcile man to the terrible and apparent injustice of life4 ,nothing but such certainty can quiet our revolted sense of justice4 ,for1 when one unacquainted with the noble doctrine looks around him and observes the inequalities of birth and fortune1 of intellect and capacities2 when one sees honour paid to fools and profligates1 on whom fortune has heaped her favours by mere privilege of birth1 and their nearest neighbour1 with all his intellect and noble virtues--far more deserving in every way--perishing for want and for lack of sympathy--when one sees all this and has to turn away1 helpless to relieve the undeserved suffering1 one's ears ringing and heart aching with the cries of pain around him--that blessed knowledge of ,karma alone prevents him from cursing life and men as well as their supposed ,creator4444 ,this law1 whether conscious or unconscious1 predestines nothing and no one4 ,it exists from and in eternity truly1 for it is eternity itself2 and as such1 since no act can be coequal with eternity1 it cannot be said to act1 for it is action itself4 ,it is not the wave which drowns the man1 but the personal action of the wretch who goes deliberately and places himself under the impersonal action of the laws that govern the ocean's motion4 ,karma creates nothing1 nor does it design4 ,it is man who plants and creates causes1 and ,karmic law adjusts the effects1 which adjustment is not an act but universal harmony1 tending ever to resume its original position1 like a bough1 which1 bent down too forcibly1 rebounds with corresponding vigour4 ,if it happen to dislocate the arm that tried to bend it out of its natural position1 shall we say it is the bough which broke our arm or that our own folly has brought us to grief8 ,karma has never sought to destroy intellectual and individual liberty1 like the god invented by the ,monotheists4 ,it has not involved its decrees in darkness purposely to perplex man1 nor shall it punish him who dares to scrutinize its mysteries4 ,on the contrary1 he who unveils through study and meditation its intricate paths1 and throws light on those dark ways1 in the windings of which so many men perish owing to their ignorance of the labyrinth of life1 is working for the good of his fellow-men4 ,karma is an absolute and eternal law in the world of manifestation2 and as there can only be one ,absolute1 as one ,eternal1 ever-present ,cause1 believers in ,karma cannot be regarded as atheists or materialists1 still less as fatalists1 for ,karma is one with the ,unknowable1 of which it is an aspect1 in its effects in the phenomenal world40 ,another able ,theosophic writer says 7,purpose of ,theosophy1 by ,mrs4 ,p4 ,sinnett73-- 8,every individual is making ,karma either good or bad in each action and thought of his daily round1 and is at the same time working out in this life the ,karma brought about by the acts and desires of the last4 ,when we see people afflicted by congenital ailments it may be safely assumed that these ailments are the inevitable results of causes started by themselves in a previous birth4 ,it may be argued that1 as these afflictions are hereditary1 they can have nothing to do with a past incarnation2 but it must be remembered that the ,ego1 the real man1 the individuality1 has no spiritual origin in the parentage by which it is re-embodied1 but it is drawn by the affinities which its previous mode of life attracted round it into the current that carries it1 when the time comes for re-birth1 to the home best fitted for the development of those tendencies4444 ,this doctrine of ,karma1 when properly understood1 is well calculated to guide and assist those who realize its truth to a higher and better mode of life1 for it must not be forgotten that not only our actions but our thoughts also are most assuredly followed by a crowd of circumstances that will influence for good or for evil our own future1 and1 what is still more important1 the future of many of our fellow-creatures4 ,if sins of omission and commission could in any case be only self-regarding1 the effect on the sinner's ,karma would be a matter of minor consequence4 ,the fact that every thought and act through life carries with it for good or evil a corresponding influence on other members of the human family renders a strict sense of justice1 morality1 and unselfishness so necessary to future happiness or progress4 ,a crime once committed1 an evil thought sent out from the mind1 are past recall--no amount of repentance can wipe out their results in the future4 ,repentance1 if sincere1 will deter a man from repeating errors2 it cannot save him or others from the effects of those already produced1 which will most unerringly overtake him either in this life or in the next re-birth40 ,mr4 ,j4 ,h4 ,connelly proceeds-- 8,the believers in a religion based upon such doctrine are willing it should be compared with one in which man's destiny for eternity is determined by the accidents of a single1 brief earthly existence1 during which he is cheered by the promise that #8as the tree falls so shall it lie'2 in which his brightest hope1 when he wakes up to a knowledge of his wickedness1 is the doctrine of vicarious atonement1 and in which even that is handicapped1 according to the ,presbyterian ,confession of ,faith4 8,by the decree of ,god1 for the manifestation of his glory1 some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life and others foreordained to everlasting death4 8,these angels and men thus predestinated and foreordained are particularly and unchangeably designed2 and their number is so certain and definite that it cannot be either increased or diminished4 444 ,as ,god hath appointed the elect unto glory4444 ,neither are any other redeemed by ,christ effectually called1 justified1 adopted1 sanctified1 and saved1 but the elect only4 8,the rest of mankind ,god was pleased1 according to the unsearchable counsel of his own will1 whereby he extendeth or withholdeth mercy as he pleaseth1 for the glory of his sovereign power over his creatures1 to pass by and to ordain them to dishonour and wrath for their sin to the praise of his glorious justice40 ,this is what the able defender says4 ,nor can we do any better than wind up the subject as he does1 by a quotation from a magnificent poem4 ,as he says3-- 8,the exquisite beauty of ,edwin ,arnold's exposition of ,karma in #8,the ,light of ,asia' tempts to its reproduction here1 but it is too long for quotation in full4 ,here is a portion of it3-- ,karma--all that total of a soul ,which is the things it did1 the thoughts it had1 ,the 8self0 it wove with woof of viewless time ,crossed on the warp invisible of acts4 99 99 99 99 99 ,before beginning and without an end1 ,as space eternal and as surety sure1 ,is fixed a ,power divine which moves to good1 ,only its laws endure4 ,it will not be contemned of anyone2 ,who thwarts it loses1 and who serves it gains3 ,the hidden good it pays with peace and bliss1 ,the hidden ill with pains4 ,it seeth everywhere and marketh all2 ,do right--it recompenseth6 ,do one wrong-- ,the equal retribution must be made1 ,though ,dharma tarry long4 ,it knows not wrath nor pardon2 utter-true1 ,its measures mete1 its faultless balance weighs2 ,times are as naught1 to-morrow it will judge ,or after many days4 99 99 99 99 99 ,such is the law which moves to righteousness1 ,which none at last can turn aside or stay2 ,the heart of it is love1 the end of it ,is peace and consummation sweet4 ,obey4 ,and now ,i advise you to compare our ,theosophic views upon ,karma1 the law of ,retribution1 and say whether they are not both more philosophical and just than this cruel and idiotic dogma which makes of 8,god0 a senseless fiend2 the tenet1 namely1 that the 8elect only0 will be saved1 and the rest doomed to eternal perdition6 ,,enq4 ,yes1 ,i see what you mean generally2 but ,i wish you could give some concrete example of the action of ,karma8 ,,theo4 ,that ,i cannot do4 ,we can only feel sure1 as ,i said before1 that our present lives and circumstances are the direct results of our own deeds and thoughts in lives that are past4 ,but we1 who are not ,seers or ,initiates1 cannot know anything about the details of the working of the law of ,karma4 ,,enq4 ,can anyone1 even an ,adept or ,seer1 follow out this ,karmic process of readjustment in detail8 ,,theo4 ,certainly3 8,those who know0 can do so by the exercise of powers which are latent even in all men4 ,,who ,,are ,,those ,,who ,,know8 ,,enq4 ,does this hold equally of ourselves as of others8 ,,theo4 ,equally4 ,as just said1 the same limited vision exists for all1 save those who have reached in the present incarnation the acme of spiritual vision and clairvoyance4 ,we can only perceive that1 if things with us ought to have been different1 they would have been different2 that we are what we have made ourselves1 and have only what we have earned for ourselves4 ,,enq4 ,i am afraid such a conception would only embitter us4 ,,theo4 ,i believe it is precisely the reverse4 ,it is disbelief in the just law of retribution that is more likely to awaken every combative feeling in man4 ,a child1 as much as a man1 resents a punishment1 or even a reproof he believes to be unmerited1 far more than he does a severer punishment1 if he feels that it is merited4 ,belief in ,karma is the highest reason for reconcilement to one's lot in this life1 and the very strongest incentive towards effort to better the succeeding re-birth4 ,both of these1 indeed1 would be destroyed if we supposed that our lot was the result of anything but strict ,law1 or that destiny was in any other hands than our own4 ,,enq4 ,you have just asserted that this system of ,re-incarnation under ,karmic law commended itself to reason1 justice1 and the moral sense4 ,but1 if so1 is it not at some sacrifice of the gentler qualities of sympathy and pity1 and thus a hardening of the finer instincts of human nature8 ,,theo4 ,only apparently1 not really4 ,no man can receive more or less than his deserts without a corresponding injustice or partiality to others2 and a law which could be averted through compassion would bring about more misery than it saved1 more irritation and curses than thanks4 ,remember also1 that we do not administer the law1 if we do create causes for its effects2 it administers itself2 and again1 that the most copious provision for the manifestation of just compassion and mercy is shown in the state of ,devachan4 ,,enq4 ,you speak of ,adepts as being an exception to the rule of our general ignorance4 ,do they really know more than we do of ,re-incarnation and after states8 ,,theo4 ,they do1 indeed4 ,by the training of faculties we all possess1 but which they alone have developed to perfection1 they have entered in spirit these various planes and states we have been discussing4 ,for long ages1 one generation of ,adepts after another has studied the mysteries of being1 of life1 death1 and re-birth1 and all have taught in their turn some of the facts so learned4 ,,enq4 ,and is the production of ,adepts the aim of ,theosophy8 ,,theo4 ,theosophy considers humanity as an emanation from divinity on its return path thereto4 ,at an advanced point upon the path1 ,adeptship is reached by those who have devoted several incarnations to its achievement4 ,for1 remember well1 no man has ever reached ,adeptship in the ,secret ,sciences in one life2 but many incarnations are necessary for it after the formation of a conscious purpose and the beginning of the needful training4 ,many may be the men and women in the very midst of our ,society who have begun this uphill work toward illumination several incarnations ago1 and who yet1 owing to the personal illusions of the present life1 are either ignorant of the fact1 or on the road to losing every chance in this existence of progressing any farther4 ,they feel an irresistible attraction toward occultism and the ,higher ,life1 and yet are too personal and self-opinionated1 too much in love with the deceptive allurements of mundane life and the world's ephemeral pleasures1 to give them up2 and so lose their chance in their present birth4 ,but1 for ordinary men1 for the practical duties of daily life1 such a far-off result is inappropriate as an aim and quite ineffective as a motive4 ,,enq4 ,what1 then1 may be their object or distinct purpose in joining the ,theosophical ,society8 ,,theo4 ,many are interested in our doctrines and feel instinctively that they are truer than those of any dogmatic religion4 ,others have formed a fixed resolve to attain the highest ideal of man's duty4 ,,the ,,difference ,,between ,,faith ,,and ,,knowledge2 ,,or1 ,,blind ,,and ,,reasoned ,,faith4 ,,enq4 ,you say that they accept and believe in the doctrines of ,theosophy4 ,but1 as they do not belong to those ,adepts you have just mentioned1 then they must accept your teachings on blind faith4 ,in what does this differ from that of conventional religions8 ,,theo4 ,as it differs on almost all the other points1 so it differs on this one4 ,what you call 8faith10 and that which is blind faith1 in reality1 and with regard to the dogmas of the ,christian religions1 becomes with us 8knowledge10 the logical sequence of things we know1 about facts in nature4 ,your ,doctrines are based upon interpretation1 therefore1 upon the second-hand testimony of ,seers2 ours upon the invariable and unvarying testimony of ,seers4 ,the ordinary ,christian theology for instance1 holds that man is a creature of ,god1 of three component parts--body1 soul1 and spirit--all essential to his integrity1 and all1 either in the gross form of physical earthly existence or in the etherealized form of post-resurrection experience1 needed to so constitute him for ever1 each man having thus a permanent existence separate from other men1 and from the ,divine4 ,theosophy1 on the other hand1 holds that man1 being an emanation from the ,unknown1 yet ever present and infinite ,divine ,essence1 his body and everything else is impermanent1 hence an illusion2 ,spirit alone in him being the one enduring substance1 and even that losing its separated individuality at the moment of its complete reunion with the ,universal ,spirit4 ,,enq4 ,if we lose even our individuality1 then it becomes simply annihilation4 ,,theo4 ,i say it does not1 since ,i speak of separate1 not of universal individuality4 ,the latter becomes as a part transformed into the whole2 the dewdrop is not evaporated1 but becomes the sea4 ,is physical man annihilated1 when from a ftus he becomes an old man8 ,what kind of ,satanic pride must be ours if we place our infinitesimally small consciousness and individuality higher than the universal and infinite consciousness6 ,,enq4 ,it follows1 then1 that there is1 de facto1 no man1 but all is ,spirit8 ,,theo4 ,you are mistaken4 ,it thus follows that the union of ,spirit with matter is but temporary2 or1 to put it more clearly1 since ,spirit and matter are one1 being the two opposite poles of the universal manifested substance--that ,spirit loses its right to the name so long as the smallest particle and atom of its manifesting substance still clings to any form1 the result of differentiation4 ,to believe otherwise is blind faith4 ,,enq4 ,thus it is on knowledge1 not on faith1 that you assert that the permanent principle1 the ,spirit1 simply makes a transit through matter8 ,,theo4 ,i would put it otherwise and say--we assert that the appearance of the permanent and one principle1 ,spirit1 as matter is transient1 and1 therefore1 no better than an illusion4 ,,enq4 ,very well2 and this1 given out on knowledge not faith8 ,,theo4 ,just so4 ,but as ,i see very well what you are driving at1 ,i may just as well tell you that we hold faith1 such as you advocate1 to be a mental disease1 and real faith1 i4e41 the pistis of the ,greeks1 as 8belief based on knowledge10 whether supplied by the evidence of physical or spiritual senses4 ,,enq4 ,what do you mean8 ,,theo4 ,i mean1 if it is the difference between the two that you want to know1 then ,i can tell you that between faith on authority and faith on one's spiritual intuition1 there is a very great difference4 ,,enq4 ,what is it8 ,,theo4 ,one is human credulity and superstition1 the other human belief and intuition4 ,as ,professor ,alexander ,wilder says in his 8,introduction to the ,eleusinian ,mysteries10 8,it is ignorance which leads to profanation4 ,men ridicule what they do not properly understand4444 ,the undercurrent of this world is set towards one goal2 and inside of human credulity 444 is a power almost infinite1 a holy faith capable of apprehending the supremest truths of all existence40 ,those who limit that 8credulity0 to human authoritative dogmas alone1 will never fathom that power nor even perceive it in their natures4 ,it is stuck fast to the external plane and is unable to bring forth into play the essence that rules it2 for to do this they have to claim their right of private judgment1 and this they never dare to do4 ,,enq4 ,and is it that 8intuition0 which forces you to reject ,god as a personal ,father1 ,ruler and ,governor of the ,universe8 ,,theo4 ,precisely4 ,we believe in an ever unknowable ,principle1 because blind aberration alone can make one maintain that the ,universe1 thinking man1 and all the marvels contained even in the world of matter1 could have grown without some intelligent powers to bring about the extraordinarily wise arrangement of all its parts4 ,nature may err1 and often does1 in its details and the external manifestations of its materials1 never in its inner causes and results4 ,ancient pagans held on this question far more philosophical views than modern philosophers1 whether ,agnostics1 ,materialists or ,christians2 and no pagan writer has ever yet advanced the proposition that cruelty and mercy are not finite feelings1 and can therefore be made the attributes of an infinite god4 ,their gods1 therefore1 were all finite4 ,the ,siamese author of the ,wheel of the ,law1 expresses the same idea about your personal god as we do2 he says 7p4 #be73 8,a ,buddhist might believe in the existence of a god2 sublime above all human qualities and attributes--a perfect god1 above love1 and hatred1 and jealousy1 calmly resting in a quietude that nothing could disturb1 and of such a god he would speak no disparagement1 not from a desire to please him or fear to offend him1 but from natural veneration2 but he cannot understand a god with the attributes and qualities of men1 a god who loves and hates1 and shows anger2 a ,deity who1 whether described as by ,christian ,missionaries or by ,mahometans or ,brahmins1#ee or ,jews1 falls below his standard of even an ordinary good man40 ,,enq4 ,faith for faith1 is not the faith of the ,christian who believes1 in his human helplessness and humility1 that there is a merciful ,father in ,heaven who will protect him from temptation1 help him in life1 and forgive him his transgressions1 better than the cold and proud1 almost fatalistic faith of the ,buddhists1 ,vedantins1 and ,theosophists8 ,,theo4 ,persist in calling our belief 8faith0 if you will4 ,but once we are again on this ever-recurring question1 ,i ask in my turn3 faith for faith1 is not the one based on strict logic and reason better than the one which is based simply on human authority or--hero-worship8 ,our 8faith0 has all the logical force of the arithmetical truism that #b and #b will produce #d4 ,your faith is like the logic of some emotional woman1 of whom ,tourgenyeff said that for them #b and #b were generally #e1 and a tallow candle into the bargain4 ,yours is a faith1 moreover1 which clashes not only with every conceivable view of justice and logic1 but which1 if analysed1 leads man to his moral perdition1 checks the progress of mankind1 and positively making of might1 right--transforms every second man into a ,cain to his brother ,abel4 ,,enq4 ,what do you allude to8 ,,has ,,god ,,the ,,right ,,to ,,forgive8 ,,theo4 ,to the ,doctrine of ,atonement2 ,i allude to that dangerous dogma in which you believe1 and which teaches us that no matter how enormous our crimes against the laws of ,god and of man1 we have but to believe in the self-sacrifice of ,jesus for the salvation of mankind1 and his blood will wash out every stain4 ,it is twenty years that ,i preach against it1 and ,i may now draw your attention to a paragraph from ,isis ,unveiled1 written in #ahge4 ,this is what ,christianity teaches1 and what we combat3-- 8,god's mercy is boundless and unfathomable4 ,it is impossible to conceive of a human sin so damnable that the price paid in advance for the redemption of the sinner would not wipe it out if a thousandfold worse4 ,and furthermore1 it is never too late to repent4 ,though the offender wait until the last minute of the last hour of the last day of his mortal life1 before his blanched lips utter the confession of faith1 he may go to ,paradise2 the dying thief did it1 and so may all others as vile4 ,these are the assumptions of the ,church1 and of the ,clergy2 assumptions banged at the heads of your countrymen by ,england's favourite preachers1 right in the #8light of the ,x,i,xth century1'0 this most paradoxical age of all4 ,now to what does it lead8 ,,enq4 ,does it not make the ,christian happier than the ,buddhist or ,brahmin8 ,,theo4 ,no2 not the educated man1 at any rate1 since the majority of these have long since virtually lost all belief in this cruel dogma4 ,but it leads those who still believe in it more easily to the threshold of every conceivable crime1 than any other ,i know of4 ,let me quote to you from ,isis once more 7vide ,vol4 ,,ii41 pp4 #edb and #edc7-- 8,if we step outside the little circle of creed and consider the universe as a whole balanced by the exquisite adjustment of parts1 how all sound logic1 how the faintest glimmering sense of ,justice1 revolts against this ,vicarious ,atonement6 ,if the criminal sinned only against himself1 and wronged no one but himself2 if by sincere repentance he could cause the obliteration of past events1 not only from the memory of man1 but also from that imperishable record1 which no deity--not even the ,supremes1 of the ,supreme--can cause to disappear1 then this dogma might not be incomprehensible4 ,but to maintain that one may wrong his fellow-man1 kill1 disturb the equilibrium of society and the natural order of things1 and then--through cowardice1 hope1 or compulsion1 it matters not--be forgiven by believing that the spilling of one blood washes out the other blood spilt--this is preposterous6 ,can the results of a crime be obliterated even though the crime itself should be pardoned8 ,the effects of a cause are never limited to the boundaries of the cause1 nor can the results of crime be confined to the offender and his victim4 ,every good as well as evil action has its effects1 as palpably as the stone flung into calm water4 ,the simile is trite1 but it is the best ever conceived1 so let us use it4 ,the eddying circles are greater and swifter as the disturbing object is greater or smaller1 but the smallest pebble1 nay1 the tiniest speck1 makes its ripples4 ,and this disturbance is not alone visible and on the surface4 ,below1 unseen1 in every direction--outward and downward--drop pushes drop until the sides and bottom are touched by the force4 ,more1 the air above the water is agitated1 and this disturbance passes1 as the physicists tell us1 from stratum to stratum out into space forever and ever2 an impulse has been given to matter1 and that is never lost1 can never be recalled6444 8,so with crime1 and so with its opposite4 ,the action may be instantaneous1 the effects are eternal4 ,when1 after the stone is once flung into the pond1 we can recall it to the hand1 roll back the ripples1 obliterate the force expended1 restore the etheric waves to their previous state of non-being1 and wipe out every trace of the act of throwing the missile1 so that ,time's record shall not show that it ever happened1 then1 then we may patiently hear ,christians argue for the efficacy of this ,atonement10 and--cease to believe in ,karmic ,law4 ,as it now stands1 we call upon the whole world to decide1 which of our two doctrines is the most appreciative of deific justice1 and which is more reasonable1 even on simple human evidence and logic4 ,,enq4 ,yet millions believe in the ,christian dogma and are happy4 ,,theo4 ,pure sentimentalism overpowering their thinking faculties1 which no true philanthropist or ,altruist will ever accept4 ,it is not even a dream of selfishness1 but a nightmare of the human intellect4 ,look where it leads to1 and tell me the name of that pagan country where crimes are more easily committed or more numerous than in ,christian lands4 ,look at the long and ghastly annual records of crimes committed in ,european countries2 and behold ,protestant and ,biblical ,america4 ,there1 conversions effected in prisons are more numerous than those made by public revivals and preaching4 ,see how the ledger-balance of ,christian justice 767 stands2 ,red-handed murderers1 urged on by the demons of lust1 revenge1 cupidity1 fanaticism1 or mere brutal thirst for blood1 who kill their victims1 in most cases1 without giving them time to repent or call on ,jesus4 ,these1 perhaps1 died sinful1 and1 of course--consistently with theological logic--met the reward of their greater or lesser offences4 ,but the murderer1 overtaken by human justice1 is imprisoned1 wept over by sentimentalists1 prayed with and at1 pronounces the charmed words of conversion1 and goes to the scaffold a redeemed child of ,jesus6 ,except for the murder1 he would not have been prayed with1 redeemed1 pardoned4 ,clearly this man did well to murder1 for thus he gained eternal happiness6 ,and how about the victim and his1 or her family1 relatives1 dependents1 social relations2 has justice no recompense for them8 ,must they suffer in this world and the next1 while he who wronged them sits beside the 8holy thief0 of ,calvary1 and is for ever blessed8 ,on this question the clergy keep a prudent silence4 7,isis ,unveiled47 ,and now you know why ,theosophists--whose fundamental belief and hope is justice for all1 in ,heaven as on earth1 and in ,karma--reject this dogma4 ,,enq4 ,the ultimate destiny of man1 then1 is not a ,heaven presided over by ,god1 but the gradual transformation of matter into its primordial element1 ,spirit8 ,,theo4 ,it is to that final goal to which all tends in nature4 ,,enq4 ,do not some of you regard this association or 8fall of spirit into matter0 as evil1 and re-birth as a sorrow8 ,,theo4 ,some do1 and therefore strive to shorten their period of probation on earth4 ,it is not an unmixed evil1 however1 since it ensures the experience upon which we mount to knowledge and wisdom4 ,i mean that experience which teaches that the needs of our spiritual nature can never be met by other than spiritual happiness4 ,as long as we are in the body1 we are subjected to pain1 suffering and all the disappointing incidents occurring during life4 ,therefore1 and to palliate this1 we finally acquire knowledge which alone can afford us relief and hope of a better future4 ,,footnotes3 #ee ,sectarian ,brahmins are here meant4 ,the ,parabrahm of the ,vedantins is the ,deity we accept and believe in4 ,,xii4 ,,what ,,is ,,practical ,,theosophy8 ,,duty4 ,,enq4 ,why1 then1 the need for rebirths1 since all alike fail to secure a permanent peace8 ,,theo4 ,because the final goal cannot be reached in any way but through life experiences and because the bulk of these consist in pain and suffering4 ,it is only through the latter that we can learn4 ,joys and pleasures teach us nothing2 they are evanescent1 and can only bring in the long run satiety4 ,moreover1 our constant failure to find any permanent satisfaction in life which would meet the wants of our higher nature1 shows us plainly that those wants can be met only on their own plane1 to-wit--the spiritual4 ,,enq4 ,is the natural result of this a desire to quit life by one means or another8 ,,theo4 ,if you mean by such desire 8suicide10 then ,i say1 most decidedly not4 ,such a result can never be a 8natural0 one1 but is ever due to a morbid brain disease1 or to most decided and strong materialistic views4 ,it is the worst of crimes and dire in its results4 ,but if by desire1 you mean simply aspiration to reach spiritual existence1 not a wish to quit the earth1 then ,i would call it a very natural desire indeed4 ,otherwise voluntary death would be an abandonment of our present post and of the duties incumbent on us1 as well as an attempt to shirk ,karmic responsibilities1 and thus involve the creation of new ,karma4 ,,enq4 ,but if actions on the material plane are unsatisfying1 why should duties1 which are such actions1 be imperative8 ,,theo4 ,first of all1 because our philosophy teaches us that the object of doing our duties to all men and to ourselves the last1 is not the attainment of personal happiness1 but of the happiness of others2 the fulfilment of right for the sake of right1 not for what it may bring us4 ,happiness1 or rather contentment1 may indeed follow the performance of duty1 but is not and must not be the motive for it4 ,,enq4 ,what do you understand precisely by 8duty0 in ,theosophy8 ,it cannot be the ,christian duties preached by ,jesus and his ,apostles1 since you recognize neither8 ,,theo4 ,you are once more mistaken4 ,what you call 8,christian duties0 were inculcated by every great moral and religious ,reformer ages before the ,christian era4 ,all that was great1 generous1 heroic1 was1 in days of old1 not only talked about and preached from pulpits as in our own time1 but acted upon sometimes by whole nations4 ,the history of the ,buddhist reform is full of the most noble and most heroically unselfish acts4 8,be ye all of one mind1 having compassion one of another2 love as brethren1 be pitiful1 be courteous2 not rendering evil for evil1 or railing for railing2 but contrariwise1 blessing0 was practically carried out by the followers of ,buddha1 several centuries before ,peter4 ,the ,ethics of ,christianity are grand1 no doubt2 but as undeniably they are not new1 and have originated as 8,pagan0 duties4 ,,enq4 ,and how would you define these duties1 or 8duty10 in general1 as you understand the term8 ,,theo4 ,duty is that which is due to ,humanity1 to our fellow-men1 neighbours1 family1 and especially that which we owe to all those who are poorer and more helpless than we are ourselves4 ,this is a debt which1 if left unpaid during life1 leaves us spiritually insolvent and moral bankrupts in our next incarnation4 ,theosophy is the quintessence of duty4 ,,enq4 ,so is ,christianity when rightly understood and carried out4 ,,theo4 ,no doubt it is2 but then1 were it not a lip-religion in practice1 ,theosophy would have little to do amidst ,christians4 ,unfortunately it is but such lip-ethics4 ,those who practise their duty towards all1 and for duty's own sake1 are few2 and fewer still are those who perform that duty1 remaining content with the satisfaction of their own secret consciousness4 ,it is-- 8444 the public voice ,of praise that honours virtue and rewards it10 which is ever uppermost in the minds of the 8world renowned0 philanthropists4 ,modern ethics are beautiful to read about and hear discussed2 but what are words unless converted into actions8 ,finally3 if you ask me how we understand ,theosophical duty practically and in view of ,karma1 ,i may answer you that our duty is to drink without a murmur to the last drop1 whatever contents the cup of life may have in store for us1 to pluck the roses of life only for the fragrance they may shed on others1 and to be ourselves content but with the thorns1 if that fragrance cannot be enjoyed without depriving some one else of it4 ,,enq4 ,all this is very vague4 ,what do you do more than ,christians do8 ,,theo4 ,it is not what we members of the ,theosophical ,society do--though some of us try our best--but how much farther ,theosophy leads to good than modern ,christianity does4 ,i say--action1 enforced action1 instead of mere intention and talk4 ,a man may be what he likes1 the most worldly1 selfish and hard-hearted of men1 even a deep-dyed rascal1 and it will not prevent him from calling himself a ,christian1 or others from so regarding him4 ,but no ,theosophist has the right to this name1 unless he is thoroughly imbued with the correctness of ,carlyle's truism3 8,the end of man is an action and not a thought1 though it were the noblest0--and unless he sets and models his daily life upon this truth4 ,the profession of a truth is not yet the enactment of it2 and the more beautiful and grand it sounds1 the more loudly virtue or duty is talked about instead of being acted upon1 the more forcibly it will always remind one of the ,dead ,sea fruit4 ,cant is the most loathsome of all vices2 and cant is the most prominent feature of the greatest ,protestant country of this century--,england4 ,,enq4 ,what do you consider as due to humanity at large8 ,,theo4 ,full recognition of equal rights and privileges for all1 and without distinction of race1 colour1 social position1 or birth4 ,,enq4 ,when would you consider such due not given8 ,,theo4 ,when there is the slightest invasion of another's right--be that other a man or a nation2 when there is any failure to show him the same justice1 kindness1 consideration or mercy which we desire for ourselves4 ,the whole present system of politics is built on the oblivion of such rights1 and the most fierce assertion of national selfishness4 ,the ,french say3 8,like master1 like man02 they ought to add1 8,like national policy1 like citizen40 ,,enq4 ,do you take any part in politics8 ,,theo4 ,as a ,society1 we carefully avoid them1 for the reasons given below4 ,to seek to achieve political reforms before we have affected a reform in human nature1 is like putting new wine into old bottles4 ,make men feel and recognise in their innermost hearts what is their real1 true duty to all men1 and every old abuse of power1 every iniquitous law in the national policy1 based on human1 social or political selfishness1 will disappear of itself4 ,foolish is the gardener who seeks to weed his flower-bed of poisonous plants by cutting them off from the surface of the soil1 instead of tearing them out by the roots4 ,no lasting political reform can be ever achieved with the same selfish men at the head of affairs as of old4 ,,the ,,relations ,,of ,,the ,t4,s4 ,,to ,,political ,,reforms4 ,,enq4 ,the ,theosophical ,society is not1 then1 a political organization8 ,,theo4 ,certainly not4 ,it is international in the highest sense in that its members comprise men and women of all races1 creeds1 and forms of thought1 who work together for one object1 the improvement of humanity2 but as a society it takes absolutely no part in any national or party politics4 ,,enq4 ,why is this8 ,,theo4 ,just for the reasons ,i have mentioned4 ,moreover1 political action must necessarily vary with the circumstances of the time and with the idiosyncracies of individuals4 ,while from the very nature of their position as ,theosophists the members of the ,t4,s4 are agreed on the principles of ,theosophy1 or they would not belong to the society at all1 it does not thereby follow that they agree on every other subject4 ,as a society they can only act together in matters which are common to all--that is1 in ,theosophy itself2 as individuals1 each is left perfectly free to follow out his or her particular line of political thought and action1 so long as this does not conflict with ,theosophical principles1 or hurt the ,theosophical ,society4 ,,enq4 ,but surely the ,t4,s4 does not stand altogether aloof from the social questions which are now so fast coming to the front8 ,,theo4 ,the very principles of the ,t4,s4 are a proof that it does not--or1 rather1 that most of its members do not--so stand aloof4 ,if humanity can only be developed mentally and spiritually by the enforcement1 first of all1 of the soundest and most scientific physiological laws1 it is the bounden duty of all who strive for this development to do their utmost to see that those laws shall be generally carried out4 ,all ,theosophists are only too sadly aware that1 in ,occidental countries especially1 the social condition of large masses of the people renders it impossible for either their bodies or their spirits to be properly trained1 so that the development of both is thereby arrested4 ,as this training and development is one of the express objects of ,theosophy1 the ,t4,s4 is in thorough sympathy and harmony with all true efforts in this direction4 ,,enq4 ,but what do you mean by 8true efforts08 ,each social reformer has his own panacea1 and each believes his to be the one and only thing which can improve and save humanity8 ,,theo4 ,perfectly true1 and this is the real reason why so little satisfactory social work is accomplished4 ,in most of these panaceas there is no really guiding principle1 and there is certainly no one principle which connects them all4 ,valuable time and energy are thus wasted2 for men1 instead of co-operating1 strive one against the other1 often1 it is to be feared1 for the sake of fame and reward rather than for the great cause which they profess to have at heart1 and which should be supreme in their lives4 ,,enq4 ,how1 then1 should ,theosophical principles be applied so that social co-operation may be promoted and true efforts for social amelioration be carried on8 ,,theo4 ,let me briefly remind you what these principles are--universal ,unity and ,causation2 ,human ,solidarity2 the ,law of ,karma2 ,re-incarnation4 ,these are the four links of the golden chain which should bind humanity into one family1 one universal ,brotherhood4 ,,enq4 ,how8 ,,theo4 ,in the present state of society1 especially in so-called civilized countries1 we are continually brought face to face with the fact that large numbers of people are suffering from misery1 poverty and disease4 ,their physical condition is wretched1 and their mental and spiritual faculties are often almost dormant4 ,on the other hand1 many persons at the opposite end of the social scale are leading lives of careless indifference1 material luxury1 and selfish indulgence4 ,neither of these forms of existence is mere chance4 ,both are the effects of the conditions which surround those who are subject to them1 and the neglect of social duty on the one side is most closely connected with the stunted and arrested development on the other4 ,in sociology1 as in all branches of true science1 the law of universal causation holds good4 ,but this causation necessarily implies1 as its logical outcome1 that human solidarity on which ,theosophy so strongly insists4 ,if the action of one reacts on the lives of all1 and this is the true scientific idea1 then it is only by all men becoming brothers and all women sisters1 and by all practising in their daily lives true brotherhood and true sisterhood1 that the real human solidarity1 which lies at the root of the elevation of the race1 can ever be attained4 ,it is this action and interaction1 this true brotherhood and sisterhood1 in which each shall live for all and all for each1 which is one of the fundamental ,theosophical principles that every ,theosophist should be bound1 not only to teach1 but to carry out in his or her individual life4 ,,enq4 ,all this is very well as a general principle1 but how would you apply it in a concrete way8 ,,theo4 ,look for a moment at what you would call the concrete facts of human society4 ,contrast the lives not only of the masses of the people1 but of many of those who are called the middle and upper classes1 with what they might be under healthier and nobler conditions1 where justice1 kindness1 and love were paramount1 instead of the selfishness1 indifference1 and brutality which now too often seem to reign supreme4 ,all good and evil things in humanity have their roots in human character1 and this character is1 and has been1 conditioned by the endless chain of cause and effect4 ,but this conditioning applies to the future as well as to the present and the past4 ,selfishness1 indifference1 and brutality can never be the normal state of the race--to believe so would be to despair of humanity--and that no ,theosophist can do4 ,progress can be attained1 and only attained1 by the development of the nobler qualities4 ,now1 true evolution teaches us that by altering the surroundings of the organism we can alter and improve the organism2 and in the strictest sense this is true with regard to man4 ,every ,theosophist1 therefore1 is bound to do his utmost to help on1 by all the means in his power1 every wise and well-considered social effort which has for its object the amelioration of the condition of the poor4 ,such efforts should be made with a view to their ultimate social emancipation1 or the development of the sense of duty in those who now so often neglect it in nearly every relation of life4 ,,enq4 ,agreed4 ,but who is to decide whether social efforts are wise or unwise8 ,,theo4 ,no one person and no society can lay down a hard-and-fast rule in this respect4 ,much must necessarily be left to the individual judgment4 ,one general test may1 however1 be given4 ,will the proposed action tend to promote that true brotherhood which it is the aim of ,theosophy to bring about8 ,no real ,theosophist will have much difficulty in applying such a test2 once he is satisfied of this1 his duty will lie in the direction of forming public opinion4 ,and this can be attained only by inculcating those higher and nobler conceptions of public and private duties which lie at the root of all spiritual and material improvement4 ,in every conceivable case he himself must be a center of spiritual action1 and from him and his own daily individual life must radiate those higher spiritual forces which alone can regenerate his fellow-men4 ,,enq4 ,but why should he do this8 ,are not he and all1 as you teach1 conditioned by their ,karma1 and must not ,karma necessarily work itself out on certain lines8 ,,theo4 ,it is this very law of ,karma which gives strength to all that ,i have said4 ,the individual cannot separate himself from the race1 nor the race from the individual4 ,the law of ,karma applies equally to all1 although all are not equally developed4 ,in helping on the development of others1 the ,theosophist believes that he is not only helping them to fulfil their ,karma1 but that he is also1 in the strictest sense1 fulfilling his own4 ,it is the development of humanity1 of which both he and they are integral parts1 that he has always in view1 and he knows that any failure on his part to respond to the highest within him retards not only himself but all1 in their progressive march4 ,by his actions1 he can make it either more difficult or more easy for humanity to attain the next higher plane of being4 ,,enq4 ,how does this bear on the fourth of the principles you mentioned1 viz41 ,re-incarnation8 ,,theo4 ,the connection is most intimate4 ,if our present lives depend upon the development of certain principles which are a growth from the germs left by a previous existence1 the law holds good as regards the future4 ,once grasp the idea that universal causation is not merely present1 but past1 present and future1 and every action on our present plane falls naturally and easily into its true place1 and is seen in its true relation to ourselves and to others4 ,every mean and selfish action sends us backward and not forward1 while every noble thought and every unselfish deed are stepping-stones to the higher and more glorious planes of being4 ,if this life were all1 then in many respects it would indeed be poor and mean2 but regarded as a preparation for the next sphere of existence1 it may be used as the golden gate through which we may pass1 not selfishly and alone1 but in company with our fellows1 to the palaces which lie beyond4 ,,on ,,self-,,sacrifice4 ,,enq4 ,is equal justice to all and love to every creature the highest standard of ,theosophy8 ,,theo4 ,no2 there is an even far higher one4 ,,enq4 ,what can it be8 ,,theo4 ,the giving to others more than to oneself--self-sacrifice4 ,such was the standard and abounding measure which marked so pre-eminently the greatest ,teachers and ,masters of ,humanity--e4g41 ,gautama ,buddha in ,history1 and ,jesus of ,nazareth as in the ,gospels4 ,this trait alone was enough to secure to them the perpetual reverence and gratitude of the generations of men that come after them4 ,we say1 however1 that self-sacrifice has to be performed with discrimination2 and such a self-abandonment1 if made without justice1 or blindly1 regardless of subsequent results1 may often prove not only made in vain1 but harmful4 ,one of the fundamental rules of ,theosophy is1 justice to oneself--viewed as a unit of collective humanity1 not as a personal self-justice1 not more but not less than to others2 unless1 indeed1 by the sacrifice of the one self we can benefit the many4 ,,enq4 ,could you make your idea clearer by giving an instance8 ,,theo4 ,there are many instances to illustrate it in history4 ,self-sacrifice for practical good to save many1 or several people1 ,theosophy holds as far higher than self-abnegation for a sectarian idea1 such as that of 8saving the heathen from damnation10 for instance4 ,in our opinion1 ,father ,damien1 the young man of thirty who offered his whole life in sacrifice for the benefit and alleviation of the sufferings of the lepers at ,molokai1 and who went to live for eighteen years alone with them1 to finally catch the loathsome disease and die1 has not died in vain4 ,he has given relief and relative happiness to thousands of miserable wretches4 ,he has brought to them consolation1 mental and physical4 ,he threw a streak of light into the black and dreary night of an existence1 the hopelessness of which is unparalleled in the records of human suffering4 ,he was a true ,theosophist1 and his memory will live for ever in our annals4 ,in our sight this poor ,belgian priest stands immeasurably higher than--for instance--all those sincere but vain-glorious fools1 the ,missionaries who have sacrificed their lives in the ,south ,sea ,islands or ,china4 ,what good have they done8 ,they went in one case to those who are not yet ripe for any truth2 and in the other to a nation whose systems of religious philosophy are as grand as any1 if only the men who have them would live up to the standard of ,confucius and their other sages4 ,and they died victims of irresponsible cannibals and savages1 and of popular fanaticism and hatred4 ,whereas1 by going to the slums of ,whitechapel or some other such locality of those that stagnate right under the blazing sun of our civilization1 full of ,christian savages and mental leprosy1 they might have done real good1 and preserved their lives for a better and worthier cause4 ,,enq4 ,but the ,christians do not think so8 ,,theo4 ,of course not1 because they act on an erroneous belief4 ,they think that by baptising the body of an irresponsible savage they save his soul from damnation4 ,one church forgets her martyrs1 the other beatifies and raises statues to such men as ,labro1 who sacrificed his body for forty years only to benefit the vermin which it bred4 ,had we the means to do so1 we would raise a statue to ,father ,damien1 the true1 practical saint1 and perpetuate his memory for ever as a living exemplar of ,theosophical heroism and of ,buddha- and ,christ-like mercy and self-sacrifice4 ,,enq4 ,then you regard self-sacrifice as a duty8 ,,theo4 ,we do2 and explain it by showing that altruism is an integral part of self-development4 ,but we have to discriminate4 ,a man has no right to starve himself to death that another man may have food1 unless the life of that man is obviously more useful to the many than is his own life4 ,but it is his duty to sacrifice his own comfort1 and to work for others if they are unable to work for themselves4 ,it is his duty to give all that which is wholly his own and can benefit no one but himself if he selfishly keeps it from others4 ,theosophy teaches self-abnegation1 but does not teach rash and useless self-sacrifice1 nor does it justify fanaticism4 ,,enq4 ,but how are we to reach such an elevated status8 ,,theo4 ,by the enlightened application of our precepts to practice4 ,by the use of our higher reason1 spiritual intuition and moral sense1 and by following the dictates of what we call 8the still small voice0 of our conscience1 which is that of our ,,ego1 and which speaks louder in us than the earthquakes and the thunders of ,jehovah1 wherein 8the ,lord is not40 ,,enq4 ,if such are our duties to humanity at large1 what do you understand by our duties to our immediate surroundings8 ,,theo4 ,just the same1 plus those that arise from special obligations with regard to family ties4 ,,enq4 ,then it is not true1 as it is said1 that no sooner does a man enter into the ,theosophical ,society than he begins to be gradually severed from his wife1 children1 and family duties8 ,,theo4 ,it is a groundless calumny1 like so many others4 ,the first of the ,theosophical duties is to do one's duty by all men1 and especially by those to whom one's specific responsibilities are due1 because one has either voluntarily undertaken them1 such as marriage ties1 or because one's destiny has allied one to them2 ,i mean those we owe to parents or next of kin4 ,,enq4 ,and what may be the duty of a ,theosophist to himself8 ,,theo4 ,to control and conquer1 through the ,higher1 the lower self4 ,to purify himself inwardly and morally2 to fear no one1 and nought1 save the tribunal of his own conscience4 ,never to do a thing by halves2 i4e41 if he thinks it the right thing to do1 let him do it openly and boldly1 and if wrong1 never touch it at all4 ,it is the duty of a ,theosophist to lighten his burden by thinking of the wise aphorism of ,epictetus1 who says3 8,be not diverted from your duty by any idle reflection the silly world may make upon you1 for their censures are not in your power1 and consequently should not be any part of your concern40 ,,enq4 ,but suppose a member of your ,society should plead inability to practice altruism by other people1 on the ground that 8charity begins at home02 urging that he is too busy1 or too poor1 to benefit mankind or even any of its units--what are your rules in such a case8 ,,theo4 ,no man has a right to say that he can do nothing for others1 on any pretext whatever4 8,by doing the proper duty in the proper place1 a man may make the world his debtor10 says an ,english writer4 ,a cup of cold water given in time to a thirsty wayfarer is a nobler duty and more worth1 than a dozen of dinners given away1 out of season1 to men who can afford to pay for them4 ,no man who has not got it in him will ever become a ,theosophist2 but he may remain a member of our ,society all the same4 ,we have no rules by which we could force any man to become a practical ,theosophist1 if he does not desire to be one4 ,,enq4 ,then why does he enter the ,society at all8 ,,theo4 ,that is best known to him who does so4 ,for1 here again1 we have no right to pre-judge a person1 not even if the voice of a whole community should be against him1 and ,i may tell you why4 ,in our day1 vox populi 7so far as regards the voice of the educated1 at any rate7 is no longer vox dei1 but ever that of prejudice1 of selfish motives1 and often simply that of unpopularity4 ,our duty is to sow seeds broadcast for the future1 and see they are good2 not to stop to enquire why we should do so1 and how and wherefore we are obliged to lose our time1 since those who will reap the harvest in days to come will never be ourselves4 ,,on ,,charity4 ,,enq4 ,how do you ,theosophists regard the ,christian duty of charity8 ,,theo4 ,what charity do you mean8 ,charity of mind1 or practical charity in the physical plane8 ,,enq4 ,i mean practical charity1 as your idea of ,universal brotherhood would include1 of course1 charity of mind4 ,,theo4 ,then you have in your mind the practical carrying out of the commandments given by ,jesus in the ,sermon on the ,mount8 ,,enq4 ,precisely so4 ,,theo4 ,then why call them 8,christian08 ,because1 although your ,saviour preached and practised them1 the last thing the ,christians of to-day think of is to carry them out in their lives4 ,,enq4 ,and yet many are those who pass their lives in dispensing charity8 ,,theo4 ,yes1 out of the surplus of their great fortunes4 ,but point out to me that ,christian1 among the most philanthropic1 who would give to the shivering and starving thief1 who would steal his coat1 his cloak also2 or offer his right cheek to him who smote him on the left1 and never think of resenting it6 ,,enq4 ,ah1 but you must remember that these precepts have not to be taken literally4 ,times and circumstances have changed since ,christ's day4 ,moreover1 ,he spoke in ,parables4 ,,theo4 ,then why don't your ,churches teach that the doctrine of damnation and hell-fire is to be understood as a parable too8 ,why do some of your most popular preachers1 while virtually allowing these 8parables0 to be understood as you take them1 insist on the literal meaning of the fires of ,hell and the physical tortures of an 8,asbestos-like0 soul8 ,if one is a 8parable10 then the other is4 ,if ,hell-fire is a literal truth1 then ,christ's commandments in the ,sermon on the ,mount have to be obeyed to the very letter4 ,and ,i tell you that many who do not believe in the ,divinity of ,christ--like ,count ,leo ,tolstoi and more than one ,theosophist--do carry out these noble1 because universal1 precepts literally2 and many more good men and women would do so1 were they not more than certain that such a walk in life would very probably land them in a lunatic asylum--so ,christian are your laws6 ,,enq4 ,but surely every one knows that millions and millions are spent annually on private and public charities8 ,,theo4 ,oh1 yes2 half of which sticks to the hands it passes through before getting to the needy2 while a good portion or remainder gets into the hands of professional beggars1 those who are too lazy to work1 thus doing no good whatever to those who are really in misery and suffering4 ,haven't you heard that the first result of the great outflow of charity towards the ,east-end of ,london was to raise the rents in ,whitechapel by some #bj per cent48 ,,enq4 ,what would you do1 then8 ,,theo4 ,act individually and not collectively2 follow the ,northern ,buddhist precepts3 8,never put food into the mouth of the hungry by the hand of another02 8,never let the shadow of thy neighbour 7a third person7 come between thyself and the object of thy bounty02 8,never give to the ,sun time to dry a tear before thou hast wiped it40 ,again 8,never give money to the needy1 or food to the priest1 who begs at thy door1 through thy servants1 lest thy money should diminish gratitude1 and thy food turn to gall40 ,,enq4 ,but how can this be applied practically8 ,,theo4 ,the ,theosophical ideas of charity mean personal exertion for others2 personal mercy and kindness2 personal interest in the welfare of those who suffer2 personal sympathy1 forethought and assistance in their troubles or needs4 ,we ,theosophists do not believe in giving money 7,n4,b41 if we had it7 through other people's hands or organizations4 ,we believe in giving to the money a thousandfold greater power and effectiveness by our personal contact and sympathy with those who need it4 ,we believe in relieving the starvation of the soul1 as much if not more than the emptiness of the stomach2 for gratitude does more good to the man who feels it1 than to him for whom it is felt4 ,where's the gratitude which your 8millions of pounds0 should have called forth1 or the good feelings provoked by them8 ,is it shown in the hatred of the ,east-,end poor for the rich8 in the growth of the party of anarchy and disorder8 or by those thousands of unfortunate working girls1 victims to the 8sweating0 system1 driven daily to eke out a living by going on the streets8 ,do your helpless old men and women thank you for the workhouses2 or your poor for the poisonously unhealthy dwellings in which they are allowed to breed new generations of diseased1 scrofulous and rickety children1 only to put money into the pockets of the insatiable ,shylocks who own houses8 ,therefore it is that every sovereign of all those 8millions10 contributed by good and would-be charitable people1 falls like a burning curse instead of a blessing on the poor whom it should relieve4 ,we call this generating national ,karma1 and terrible will be its results on the day of reckoning4 ,,theosophy ,,for ,,the ,,masses4 ,,enq4 ,and you think that ,theosophy would1 by stepping in1 help to remove these evils1 under the practical and adverse conditions of our modern life8 ,,theo4 ,had we more money1 and had not most of the ,theosophists to work for their daily bread1 ,i firmly believe we could4 ,,enq4 ,how8 ,do you expect that your doctrines could ever take hold of the uneducated masses1 when they are so abstruse and difficult that well-educated people can hardly understand them8 ,,theo4 ,you forget one thing1 which is that your much-boasted modern education is precisely that which makes it difficult for you to understand ,theosophy4 ,your mind is so full of intellectual subtleties and preconceptions that your natural intuition and perception of the truth cannot act4 ,it does not require metaphysics or education to make a man understand the broad truths of ,karma and ,re-incarnation4 ,look at the millions of poor and uneducated ,buddhists and ,hindoos1 to whom ,karma and re-incarnation are solid realities1 simply because their minds have never been cramped and distorted by being forced into an unnatural groove4 ,they have never had the innate human sense of justice perverted in them by being told to believe that their sins would be forgiven because another man had been put to death for their sakes4 ,and the ,buddhists1 note well1 live up to their beliefs without a murmur against ,karma1 or what they regard as a just punishment1 whereas1 the ,christian populace neither lives up it to its moral ideal1 nor accepts its lot contentedly4 ,hence murmuring and dissatisfaction1 and the intensity of the struggle for existence in ,western lands4 ,,enq4 ,but this contentedness1 which you praise so much1 would do away with all motive for exertion and bring progress to a stand-still4 ,,theo4 ,and we1 ,theosophists1 say that your vaunted progress and civilization are no better than a host of will-o'-the-wisps1 flickering over a marsh which exhales a poisonous and deadly miasma4 ,this1 because we see selfishness1 crime1 immorality1 and all the evils imaginable1 pouncing upon unfortunate mankind from this ,pandora's box which you call an age of progress1 and increasing pari passu with the growth of your material civilization4 ,at such a price1 better the inertia and inactivity of ,buddhist countries1 which have arisen only as a consequence of ages of political slavery4 ,,enq4 ,then is all this metaphysics and mysticism with which you occupy yourself so much1 of no importance8 ,,theo4 ,to the masses1 who need only practical guidance and support1 they are not of much consequence2 but for the educated1 the natural leaders of the masses1 those whose modes of thought and action will sooner or later be adopted by those masses1 they are of the greatest importance4 ,it is only by means of the philosophy that an intelligent and educated man can avoid the intellectual suicide of believing on blind faith2 and it is only by assimilating the strict continuity and logical coherence of the ,eastern1 if not esoteric1 doctrines1 that he can realize their truth4 ,conviction breeds enthusiasm1 and 8,enthusiasm10 says ,bulwer ,lytton1 8is the genius of sincerity1 and truth accomplishes no victories without it02 while ,emerson most truly remarks that 8every great and commanding movement in the annals of the world is the triumph of enthusiasm40 ,and what is more calculated to produce such a feeling than a philosophy so grand1 so consistent1 so logical1 and so all-embracing as our ,eastern ,doctrines8 ,,enq4 ,and yet its enemies are very numerous1 and every day ,theosophy acquires new opponents4 ,,theo4 ,and this is precisely that which proves its intrinsic excellence and value4 ,people hate only the things they fear1 and no one goes out of his way to overthrow that which neither threatens nor rises beyond mediocrity4 ,,enq4 ,do you hope to impart this enthusiasm1 one day1 to the masses8 ,,theo4 ,why not8 since history tells us that the masses adopted ,buddhism with enthusiasm1 while1 as said before1 the practical effect upon them of this philosophy of ethics is still shown by the smallness of the percentage of crime amongst ,buddhist populations as compared with every other religion4 ,the chief point is1 to uproot that most fertile source of all crime and immorality--the belief that it is possible for them to escape the consequences of their own actions4 ,once teach them that greatest of all laws1 ,karma and ,re-incarnation1 and besides feeling in themselves the true dignity of human nature1 they will turn from evil and eschew it as they would a physical danger4 ,,how ,,members ,,can ,,help ,,the ,,society4 ,,enq4 ,how do you expect the ,fellows of your ,society to help in the work8 ,,theo4 ,first by studying and comprehending the theosophical doctrines1 so that they may teach others1 especially the young people4 ,secondly1 by taking every opportunity of talking to others and explaining to them what ,theosophy is1 and what it is not2 by removing misconceptions and spreading an interest in the subject4 ,thirdly1 by assisting in circulating our literature1 by buying books when they have the means1 by lending and giving them and by inducing their friends to do so4 ,fourthly1 by defending the ,society from the unjust aspersions cast upon it1 by every legitimate device in their power4 ,fifth1 and most important of all1 by the example of their own lives4 ,,enq4 ,but all this literature1 to the spread of which you attach so much importance1 does not seem to me of much practical use in helping mankind4 ,this is not practical charity4 ,,theo4 ,we think otherwise4 ,we hold that a good book which gives people food for thought1 which strengthens and clears their minds1 and enables them to grasp truths which they have dimly felt but could not formulate--we hold that such a book does a real1 substantial good4 ,as to what you call practical deeds of charity1 to benefit the bodies of our fellow-men1 we do what little we can2 but1 as ,i have already told you1 most of us are poor1 whilst the ,society itself has not even the money to pay a staff of workers4 ,all of us who toil for it1 give our labour gratis1 and in most cases money as well4 ,the few who have the means of doing what are usually called charitable actions1 follow the ,buddhist precepts and do their work themselves1 not by proxy or by subscribing publicly to charitable funds4 ,what the ,theosophist has to do above all is to forget his personality4 ,,what ,a ,,theosophist ,,ought ,,not ,,to ,,do4 ,,enq4 ,have you any prohibitory laws or clauses for ,theosophists in your ,society8 ,,theo4 ,many1 but1 alas6 none of them are enforced4 ,they express the ideal of our organization1--but the practical application of such things we are compelled to leave to the discretion of the ,fellows themselves4 ,unfortunately1 the state of men's minds in the present century is such that1 unless we allow these clauses to remain1 so to speak1 obsolete1 no man or woman would dare to risk joining the ,theosophical ,society4 ,this is precisely why ,i feel forced to lay such a stress on the difference between true ,theosophy and its hard-struggling and well-intentioned1 but still unworthy vehicle1 the ,theosophical ,society4 ,,enq4 ,may ,i be told what are these perilous reefs in the open sea of ,theosophy8 ,,theo4 ,well may you call them reefs1 as more than one otherwise sincere and well-meaning ,f4,t4,s4 has had his ,theosophical canoe shattered into splinters on them6 ,and yet to avoid certain things seems the easiest thing in the world to do4 ,for instance1 here is a series of such negatives1 screening positive ,theosophical duties3-- ,no ,theosophist should be silent when he hears evil reports or slanders spread about the ,society1 or innocent persons1 whether they be his colleagues or outsiders4 ,,enq4 ,but suppose what one hears is the truth1 or may be true without one knowing it8 ,,theo4 ,then you must demand good proofs of the assertion1 and hear both sides impartially before you permit the accusation to go uncontradicted4 ,you have no right to believe in evil1 until you get undeniable proof of the correctness of the statement4 ,,enq4 ,and what should you do then8 ,,theo4 ,pity and forbearance1 charity and long-suffering1 ought to be always there to prompt us to excuse our sinning brethren1 and to pass the gentlest sentence possible upon those who err4 ,a ,theosophist ought never to forget what is due to the shortcomings and infirmities of human nature4 ,,enq4 ,ought he to forgive entirely in such cases8 ,,theo4 ,in every case1 especially he who is sinned against4 ,,enq4 ,but if by so doing1 he risks to injure1 or allow others to be injured8 ,what ought he to do then8 ,,theo4 ,his duty2 that which his conscience and higher nature suggests to him2 but only after mature deliberation4 ,justice consists in doing no injury to any living being2 but justice commands us also never to allow injury to be done to the many1 or even to one innocent person1 by allowing the guilty one to go unchecked4 ,,enq4 ,what are the other negative clauses8 ,,theo4 ,no ,theosophist ought to be contented with an idle or frivolous life1 doing no real good to himself and still less to others4 ,he should work for the benefit of the few who need his help if he is unable to toil for ,humanity1 and thus work for the advancement of the ,theosophical cause4 ,,enq4 ,this demands an exceptional nature1 and would come rather hard upon some persons4 ,,theo4 ,then they had better remain outside the ,t4 ,s4 instead of sailing under false colours4 ,no one is asked to give more than he can afford1 whether in devotion1 time1 work or money4 ,,enq4 ,what comes next8 ,,theo4 ,no working member should set too great value on his personal progress or proficiency in ,theosophic studies2 but must be prepared rather to do as much altruistic work as lies in his power4 ,he should not leave the whole of the heavy burden and responsibility of the ,theosophical movement on the shoulders of the few devoted workers4 ,each member ought to feel it his duty to take what share he can in the common work1 and help it by every means in his power4 ,,enq4 ,this is but just4 ,what comes next8 ,,theo4 ,no ,theosophist should place his personal vanity1 or feelings1 above those of his ,society as a body4 ,he who sacrifices the latter1 or other people's reputations on the altar of his personal vanity1 worldly benefit1 or pride1 ought not to be allowed to remain a member4 ,one cancerous limb diseases the whole body4 ,,enq4 ,is it the duty of every member to teach others and preach ,theosophy8 ,,theo4 ,it is indeed4 ,no fellow has a right to remain idle1 on the excuse that he knows too little to teach4 ,for he may always be sure that he will find others who know still less than himself4 ,and also it is not until a man begins to try to teach others1 that he discovers his own ignorance and tries to remove it4 ,but this is a minor clause4 ,,enq4 ,what do you consider1 then1 to be the chief of these negative ,theosophical duties8 ,,theo4 ,to be ever prepared to recognize and confess one's faults4 ,to rather sin through exaggerated praise than through too little appreciation of one's neighbour's efforts4 ,never to back-bite or slander another person4 ,always to say openly and direct to his face anything you have against him4 ,never to make yourself the echo of anything you may hear against another1 nor harbour revenge against those who happen to injure you4 ,,enq4 ,but it is often dangerous to tell people the truth to their faces4 ,don't you think so8 ,i know of one of your members who was bitterly offended1 left the ,society1 and became its greatest enemy1 only because he was told some unpleasant truths to his face1 and was blamed for them4 ,,theo4 ,of such we have had many4 ,no member1 whether prominent or insignificant1 has ever left us without becoming our bitter enemy4 ,,enq4 ,how do you account for it8 ,,theo4 ,it is simply this4 ,having been1 in most cases1 intensely devoted to the ,society at first1 and having lavished upon it the most exaggerated praises1 the only possible excuse such a backslider can make for his subsequent behaviour and past short-sightedness1 is to pose as an innocent and deceived victim1 thus casting the blame from his own shoulders on to those of the ,society in general1 and its leaders especially4 ,such persons remind one of the old fable about the man with a distorted face1 who broke his looking-glass on the ground that it reflected his countenance crookedly4 ,,enq4 ,but what makes these people turn against the ,society8 ,,theo4 ,wounded vanity in some form or other1 almost in every case4 ,generally1 because their dicta and advice are not taken as final and authoritative2 or else1 because they are of those who would rather reign in ,hell than serve in ,heaven4 ,because1 in short1 they cannot bear to stand second to anybody in anything4 ,so1 for instance1 one member--a true 8,sir ,oracle0--criticized1 and almost defamed every member in the ,t4,s4 to outsiders as much as to ,theosophists1 under the pretext that they were all untheosophical1 blaming them precisely for what he was himself doing all the time4 ,finally1 he left the ,society1 giving as his reason a profound conviction that we were all 7the ,founders especially7--,,frauds6 ,another one1 after intriguing in every possible way to be placed at the head of a large ,section of the ,society1 finding that the members would not have him1 turned against the ,founders of the ,t4 ,s41 and became their bitterest enemy1 denouncing one of them whenever he could1 simply because the latter could not1 and would not1 force him upon the ,members4 ,this was simply a case of an outrageous wounded vanity4 ,still another wanted to1 and virtually did1 practise black-magic--i4e41 undue personal psychological influence on certain ,fellows1 while pretending devotion and every ,theosophical virtue4 ,when this was put a stop to1 the ,member broke with ,theosophy1 and now slanders and lies against the same hapless leaders in the most virulent manner1 endeavouring to break up the society by blackening the reputation of those whom that worthy 8,fellow0 was unable to deceive4 ,,enq4 ,what would you do with such characters8 ,,theo4 ,leave them to their ,karma4 ,because one person does evil that is no reason for others to do so4 ,,enq4 ,but1 to return to slander1 where is the line of demarcation between backbiting and just criticism to be drawn8 ,is it not one's duty to warn one's friends and neighbors against those whom one knows to be dangerous associates8 ,,theo4 ,if by allowing them to go on unchecked other persons may be thereby injured1 it is certainly our duty to obviate the danger by warning them privately4 ,but true or false1 no accusation against another person should ever be spread abroad4 ,if true1 and the fault hurts no one but the sinner1 then leave him to his ,karma4 ,if false1 then you will have avoided adding to the injustice of the world4 ,therefore1 keep silent about such things with every one not directly concerned4 ,but if your discretion and silence are likely to hurt or endanger others1 then ,i add3 ,speak the truth at all costs1 and say1 with ,annesly1 8,consult duty1 not events40 ,there are cases when one is forced to exclaim1 8,perish discretion1 rather than allow it to interfere with duty40 ,,enq4 ,methinks1 if you carry out these maxims1 you are likely to reap a nice crop of troubles6 ,,theo4 ,and so we do4 ,we have to admit that we are now open to the same taunt as the early ,christians were4 8,see1 how these ,theosophists love one another60 may now be said of us without a shadow of injustice4 ,,enq4 ,admitting yourself that there is at least as much1 if not more1 backbiting1 slandering1 and quarrelling in the ,t4,s4 as in the ,christian ,churches1 let alone ,scientific ,societies--,what kind of ,brotherhood is this8 ,i may ask4 ,,theo4 ,a very poor specimen1 indeed1 as at present1 and1 until carefully sifted and reorganized1 no better than all others4 ,remember1 however1 that human nature is the same in the ,theosophical ,society as out of it4 ,its members are no saints3 they are at best sinners trying to do better1 and liable to fall back owing to personal weakness4 ,add to this that our 8,brotherhood0 is no 8recognised0 or established body1 and stands1 so to speak1 outside of the pale of jurisdiction4 ,besides which1 it is in a chaotic condition1 and as unjustly unpopular as is no other body4 ,what wonder1 then1 that those members who fail to carry out its ideal should turn1 after leaving the ,society1 for sympathetic protection to our enemies1 and pour all their gall and bitterness into their too willing ears6 ,knowing that they will find support1 sympathy1 and ready credence for every accusation1 however absurd1 that it may please them to launch against the ,theosophical ,society1 they hasten to do so1 and vent their wrath on the innocent looking-glass1 which reflected too faithfully their faces4 ,people never forgive those whom they have wronged4 ,the sense of kindness received1 and repaid by them with ingratitude1 drives them into a madness of self-justification before the world and their own consciences4 ,the former is but too ready to believe in anything said against a society it hates4 ,the latter--but ,i will say no more1 fearing ,i have already said too much4 ,,enq4 ,your position does not seem to me a very enviable one4 ,,theo4 ,it is not4 ,but don't you think that there must be something very noble1 very exalted1 very true1 behind the ,society and its philosophy1 when the leaders and the founders of the movement still continue to work for it with all their strength8 ,they sacrifice to it all comfort1 all worldly prosperity1 and success1 even to their good name and reputation--aye1 even to their honour--to receive in return incessant and ceaseless obloquy1 relentless persecution1 untiring slander1 constant ingratitude1 and misunderstanding of their best efforts1 blows1 and buffets from all sides--when by simply dropping their work they would find themselves immediately released from every responsibility1 shielded from every further attack4 ,,enq4 ,i confess1 such a perseverance seems to me very astounding1 and ,i wondered why you did all this4 ,,theo4 ,believe me for no self-gratification2 only in the hope of training a few individuals to carry on our work for humanity by its original programme when the ,founders are dead and gone4 ,they have already found a few such noble and devoted souls to replace them4 ,the coming generations1 thanks to these few1 will find the path to peace a little less thorny1 and the way a little widened1 and thus all this suffering will have produced good results1 and their self-sacrifice will not have been in vain4 ,at present1 the main1 fundamental object of the ,society is to sow germs in the hearts of men1 which may in time sprout1 and under more propitious circumstances lead to a healthy reform1 conducive of more happiness to the masses than they have hitherto enjoyed4 ,,xiii4 ,,on ,,the ,,misconceptions ,,about ,,the ,,theosophical ,,society4 ,,theosophy ,,and ,,asceticism4 ,,enq4 ,i have heard people say that your rules require all members to be vegetarians1 celibates1 and rigid ascetics2 but you have not told me anything of the sort yet4 ,can you tell the truth once for all about this8 ,,theo4 ,the truth is that our rules require nothing of the kind4 ,the ,theosophical ,society does not even expect1 far less require of any of its members that they should be ascetics in any way1 except--if you call that asceticism--that they should try and benefit other people and be unselfish in their own lives4 ,,enq4 ,but still many of your members are strict vegetarians1 and openly avow their intention of remaining unmarried4 ,this1 too1 is most often the case with those who take a prominent part in connection with the work of your ,society4 ,,theo4 ,that is only natural1 because most of our really earnest workers are members of the ,inner ,section of the ,society1 which ,i told you about before4 ,,enq4 ,oh6 then you do require ascetic practices in that ,inner ,section8 ,,theo4 ,no2 we do not require or enjoin them even there2 but ,i see that ,i had better give you an explanation of our views on the subject of asceticism in general1 and then you will understand about vegetarianism and so on4 ,,enq4 ,please proceed4 ,,theo4 ,as ,i have already told you1 most people who become really earnest students of ,theosophy1 and active workers in our ,society1 wish to do more than study theoretically the truths we teach4 ,they wish to know the truth by their own direct personal experience1 and to study ,occultism with the object of acquiring the wisdom and power1 which they feel that they need in order to help others1 effectually and judiciously1 instead of blindly and at haphazard4 ,therefore1 sooner or later1 they join the ,inner ,section4 ,,enq4 ,but you said that 8ascetic practices0 are not obligatory even in that ,inner ,section8 ,,theo4 ,no more they are2 but the first thing which the members learn there is a true conception of the relation of the body1 or physical sheath1 to the inner1 the true man4 ,the relation and mutual interaction between these two aspects of human nature are explained and demonstrated to them1 so that they soon become imbued with the supreme importance of the inner man over the outer case or body4 ,they are taught that blind unintelligent asceticism is mere folly2 that such conduct as that of ,st4 ,labro which ,i spoke of before1 or that of the ,indian ,fakirs and jungle ascetics1 who cut1 burn and macerate their bodies in the most cruel and horrible manner1 is simply self-torture for selfish ends1 i4e41 to develop will-power1 but is perfectly useless for the purpose of assisting true spiritual1 or ,theosophic1 development4 ,,enq4 ,i see1 you regard only moral asceticism as necessary4 ,it is as a means to an end1 that end being the perfect equilibrium of the inner nature of man1 and the attainment of complete mastery over the body with all its passions and desires8 ,,theo4 ,just so4 ,but these means must be used intelligently and wisely1 not blindly and foolishly2 like an athlete who is training and preparing for a great contest1 not like the miser who starves himself into illness that he may gratify his passion for gold4 ,,enq4 ,i understand now your general idea2 but let us see how you apply it in practice4 ,how about vegetarianism1 for instance8 ,,theo4 ,one of the great ,german scientists has shown that every kind of animal tissue1 however you may cook it1 still retains certain marked characteristics of the animal which it belonged to1 which characteristics can be recognised4 ,and apart from that1 every one knows by the taste what meat he is eating4 ,we go a step farther1 and prove that when the flesh of animals is assimilated by man as food1 it imparts to him1 physiologically1 some of the characteristics of the animal it came from4 ,moreover1 occult science teaches and proves this to its students by ocular demonstration1 showing also that this 8coarsening0 or 8animalizing0 effect on man is greatest from the flesh of the larger animals1 less for birds1 still less for fish and other cold-blooded animals1 and least of all when he eats only vegetables4 ,,enq4 ,then he had better not eat at all8 ,,theo4 ,if he could live without eating1 of course it would4 ,but as the matter stands1 he must eat to live1 and so we advise really earnest students to eat such food as will least clog and weight their brains and bodies1 and will have the smallest effect in hampering and retarding the development of their intuition1 their inner faculties and powers4 ,,enq4 ,then you do not adopt all the arguments which vegetarians in general are in the habit of using8 ,,theo4 ,certainly not4 ,some of their arguments are very weak1 and often based on assumptions which are quite false4 ,but1 on the other hand1 many of the things they say are quite true4 ,for instance1 we believe that much disease1 and especially the great predisposition to disease which is becoming so marked a feature in our time1 is very largely due to the eating of meat1 and especially of tinned meats4 ,but it would take too long to go thoroughly into this question of vegetarianism on its merits2 so please pass on to something else4 ,,enq4 ,one question more4 ,what are your members of the ,inner ,section to do with regard to their food when they are ill8 ,,theo4 ,follow the best practical advice they can get1 of course4 ,don't you grasp yet that we never impose any hard-and-fast obligations in this respect8 ,remember once for all that in all such questions we take a rational1 and never a fanatical1 view of things4 ,if from illness or long habit a man cannot go without meat1 why1 by all means let him eat it4 ,it is no crime2 it will only retard his progress a little2 for after all is said and done1 the purely bodily actions and functions are of far less importance than what a man thinks and feels1 what desires he encourages in his mind1 and allows to take root and grow there4 ,,enq4 ,then with regard to the use of wine and spirits1 ,i suppose you do not advise people to drink them8 ,,theo4 ,they are worse for his moral and spiritual growth than meat1 for alcohol in all its forms has a direct1 marked1 and very deleterious influence on man's psychic condition4 ,wine and spirit drinking is only less destructive to the development of the inner powers1 than the habitual use of hashish1 opium1 and similar drugs4 ,,theosophy ,,and ,,marriage4 ,,enq4 ,now to another question2 must a man marry or remain a celibate8 ,,theo4 ,it depends on the kind of man you mean4 ,if you refer to one who intends to live in the world1 one who1 even though a good1 earnest ,theosophist1 and an ardent worker for our cause1 still has ties and wishes which bind him to the world1 who1 in short1 does not feel that he has done for ever with what men call life1 and that he desires one thing and one thing only--to know the truth1 and to be able to help others--then for such a one ,i say there is no reason why he should not marry1 if he likes to take the risks of that lottery where there are so many more blanks than prizes4 ,surely you cannot believe us so absurd and fanatical as to preach against marriage altogether8 ,on the contrary1 save in a few exceptional cases of practical ,occultism1 marriage is the only remedy against immorality4 ,,enq4 ,but why cannot one acquire this knowledge and power when living a married life8 ,,theo4 ,my dear sir1 ,i cannot go into physiological questions with you2 but ,i can give you an obvious and1 ,i think1 a sufficient answer1 which will explain to you the moral reasons we give for it4 ,can a man serve two masters8 ,no6 ,then it is equally impossible for him to divide his attention between the pursuit of ,occultism and a wife4 ,if he tries to1 he will assuredly fail in doing either properly2 and1 let me remind you1 practical ,occultism is far too serious and dangerous a study for a man to take up1 unless he is in the most deadly earnest1 and ready to sacrifice all1 himself first of all1 to gain his end4 ,but this does not apply to the members of our ,inner ,section4 ,i am only referring to those who are determined to tread that path of discipleship which leads to the highest goal4 ,most1 if not all of those who join our ,inner ,section1 are only beginners1 preparing themselves in this life to enter in reality upon that path in lives to come4 ,,theosophy ,,and ,,education4 ,,enq4 ,one of your strongest arguments for the inadequacy of the existing forms of religion in the ,west1 as also to some extent the materialistic philosophy which is now so popular1 but which you seem to consider as an abomination of desolation1 is the large amount of misery and wretchedness which undeniably exists1 especially in our great cities4 ,but surely you must recognize how much has been1 and is being done to remedy this state of things by the spread of education and the diffusion of intelligence4 ,,theo4 ,the future generations will hardly thank you for such a 8diffusion of intelligence10 nor will your present education do much good to the poor starving masses4 ,,enq4 ,ah6 but you must give us time4 ,it is only a few years since we began to educate the people4 ,,theo4 ,and what1 pray1 has your ,christian religion been doing ever since the fifteenth century1 once you acknowledge that the education of the masses has not been attempted till now--the very work1 if ever there could be one1 which a ,christian1 i4e41 a ,christ-following church and people1 ought to perform8 ,,enq4 ,well1 you may be right2 but now-- ,,theo4 ,just let us consider this question of education from a broad standpoint1 and ,i will prove to you that you are doing harm not good1 with many of your boasted improvements4 ,the schools for the poorer children1 though far less useful than they ought to be1 are good in contrast with the vile surroundings to which they are doomed by your modern ,society4 ,the infusion of a little practical ,theosophy would help a hundred times more in life the poor suffering masses than all this infusion of 7useless7 intelligence4 ,,enq4 ,but1 really---- ,,theo4 ,let me finish1 please4 ,you have opened a subject on which we ,theosophists feel deeply1 and ,i must have my say4 ,i quite agree that there is a great advantage to a small child bred in the slums1 having the gutter for playground1 and living amid continued coarseness of gesture and word1 in being placed daily in a bright1 clean school-room hung with pictures1 and often gay with flowers4 ,there it is taught to be clean1 gentle1 orderly2 there it learns to sing and to play2 has toys that awaken its intelligence2 learns to use its fingers deftly2 is spoken to with a smile instead of a frown2 is gently rebuked or coaxed instead of cursed4 ,all this humanises the children1 arouses their brains1 and renders them susceptible to intellectual and moral influences4 ,the schools are not all they might be and ought to be2 but1 compared with the homes1 they are paradises2 and they slowly are reacting on the homes4 ,but while this is true of many of the ,board schools1 your system deserves the worst one can say of it4 ,,enq4 ,so be it2 go on4 ,,theo4 ,what is the real object of modern education8 ,is it to cultivate and develop the mind in the right direction2 to teach the disinherited and hapless people to carry with fortitude the burden of life 7allotted them by ,karma72 to strengthen their will2 to inculcate in them the love of one's neighbour and the feeling of mutual interdependence and brotherhood2 and thus to train and form the character for practical life8 ,not a bit of it4 ,and yet1 these are undeniably the objects of all true education4 ,no one denies it2 all your educationalists admit it1 and talk very big indeed on the subject4 ,but what is the practical result of their action8 ,every young man and boy1 nay1 every one of the younger generation of schoolmasters will answer3 8,the object of modern education is to pass examinations10 a system not to develop right emulation1 but to generate and breed jealousy1 envy1 hatred almost1 in young people for one another1 and thus train them for a life of ferocious selfishness and struggle for honours and emoluments instead of kindly feeling4 ,,enq4 ,i must admit you are right there4 ,,theo4 ,and what are these examinations--the terror of modern boyhood and youth8 ,they are simply a method of classification by which the results of your school teaching are tabulated4 ,in other words1 they form the practical application of the modern science methods to the genus homo1 qua intellection4 ,now 8science0 teaches that intellect is a result of the mechanical interaction of the brain-stuff2 therefore it is only logical that modern education should be almost entirely mechanical--a sort of automatic machine for the fabrication of intellect by the ton4 ,very little experience of examinations is enough to show that the education they produce is simply a training of the physical memory1 and1 sooner or later1 all your schools will sink to this level4 ,as to any real1 sound cultivation of the thinking and reasoning power1 it is simply impossible while everything has to be judged by the results as tested by competitive examinations4 ,again1 school training is of the very greatest importance in forming character1 especially in its moral bearing4 ,now1 from first to last1 your modern system is based on the so-called scientific revelations3 8,the struggle for existence0 and the 8survival of the fittest40 ,all through his early life1 every man has these driven into him by practical example and experience1 as well as by direct teaching1 till it is impossible to eradicate from his mind the idea that 8self10 the lower1 personal1 animal self1 is the end-all1 and be-all1 of life4 ,here you get the great source of all the after-misery1 crime1 and heartless selfishness1 which you admit as much as ,i do4 ,selfishness1 as said over and over again1 is the curse of humanity1 and the prolific parent of all the evils and crimes in this life2 and it is your schools which are the hotbeds of such selfishness4 ,,enq4 ,that is all very fine as generalities1 but ,i should like a few facts1 and to learn also how this can be remedied4 ,,theo4 ,very well1 ,i will try and satisfy you4 ,there are three great divisions of scholastic establishments1 board1 middle-class and public schools1 running up the scale from the most grossly commercial to the idealistic classical1 with many permutations and combinations4 ,the practical commercial begets the modern side1 and the ancient and orthodox classical reflects its heavy respectability even as far as the ,school ,board pupil teacher's establishments4 ,here we plainly see the scientific and material commercial supplanting the effete orthodox and classical4 ,neither is the reason very far to seek4 ,the objects of this branch of education are1 then1 pounds1 shillings1 and pence1 the summum bonum of the ,x,i,xth century4 ,thus1 the energies generated by the brain molecules of its adherents are all concentrated on one point1 and are1 therefore1 to some extent1 an organized army of educated and speculative intellects of the minority of men1 trained against the hosts of the ignorant1 simple-minded masses doomed to be vampirised1 lived and sat upon by their intellectually stronger brethren4 ,such training is not only untheosophical1 it is simply ,,unchristian4 ,result3 ,the direct outcome of this branch of education is an overflooding of the market with money-making machines1 with heartless selfish men--animals--who have been most carefully trained to prey on their fellows and take advantage of the ignorance of their weaker brethren6 ,,enq4 ,well1 but you cannot assert that of our great public schools1 at any rate8 ,,theo4 ,not exactly1 it is true4 ,but though the form is different1 the animating spirit is the same3 untheosophical and unchristian1 whether ,eton and ,harrow turn out scientists or divines and theologians4 ,,enq4 ,surely you don't mean to call ,eton and ,harrow 8commercial08 ,,theo4 ,no4 ,of course the ,classical system is above all things respectable1 and in the present day is productive of some good4 ,it does still remain the favourite at our great public schools1 where not only an intellectual1 but also a social education is obtainable4 ,it is1 therefore1 of prime importance that the dull boys of aristocratic and wealthy parents should go to such schools to meet the rest of the young life of the 8blood0 and money classes4 ,but unfortunately there is a huge competition even for entrance2 for the moneyed classes are increasing1 and poor but clever boys seek to enter the public schools by the rich scholarships1 both at the schools themselves and from them to the ,universities4 ,,enq4 ,according to this view1 the wealthier 8dullards0 have to work even harder than their poorer fellows8 ,,theo4 ,it is so4 ,but1 strange to say1 the faithful of the cult of the 8,survival of the fittest0 do not practice their creed2 for their whole exertion is to make the naturally unfit supplant the fit4 ,thus1 by bribes of large sums of money1 they allure the best teachers from their natural pupils to mechanicalise their naturally unfit progeny into professions which they uselessly overcrowd4 ,,enq4 ,and you attribute all this to what8 ,,theo4 ,all this is owing to the perniciousness of a system which turns out goods to order1 irrespective of the natural proclivities and talents of the youth4 ,the poor little candidate for this progressive paradise of learning1 comes almost straight from the nursery to the treadmill of a preparatory school for sons of gentlemen4 ,here he is immediately seized upon by the workmen of the materio-intellectual factory1 and crammed with ,latin1 ,french and ,greek ,accidence1 ,dates and ,tables1 so that if he have any natural genius it is rapidly squeezed out of him by the rollers of what ,carlyle has so well-called 8dead vocables40 ,,enq4 ,but surely he is taught something besides 8dead vocables10 and much of that which may lead him direct to ,theosophy1 if not entirely into the ,theosophical ,society8 ,,theo4 ,not much4 ,for of history1 he will attain only sufficient knowledge of his own particular nation to fit him with a steel armour of prejudice against all other peoples1 and be steeped in the foul cess-pools of chronicled national hate and blood-thirstiness2 and surely1 you would not call that--,theosophy8 ,,enq4 ,what are your further objections8 ,,theo4 ,added to this is a smattering of selected1 so-called1 ,biblical facts1 from the study of which all intellect is eliminated4 ,it is simply a memory lesson1 the 8,why0 of the teacher being a 8,why0 of circumstances and not of reason4 ,,enq4 ,yes2 but ,i have heard you congratulate yourself at the ever-increasing number of the ,agnostics and ,atheists in our day1 so that it appears that even people trained in the system you abuse so heartily do learn to think and reason for themselves4 ,,theo4 ,yes2 but it is rather owing to a healthy reaction from that system than due to it4 ,we prefer immeasurably more in our ,society ,agnostics1 and even rank ,atheists1 to bigots of whatever religion4 ,an ,agnostic's mind is ever opened to the truth2 whereas the latter blinds the bigot like the sun does an owl4 ,the best--i4e41 the most truth-loving1 philanthropic1 and honest--of our ,fellows were1 and are1 ,agnostics and ,atheists 7disbelievers in a personal ,god74 ,but there are no free-thinking boys and girls1 and generally early training will leave its mark behind in the shape of a cramped and distorted mind4 ,a proper and sane system of education should produce the most vigorous and liberal mind1 strictly trained in logical and accurate thought1 and not in blind faith4 ,how can you ever expect good results1 while you pervert the reasoning faculty of your children by bidding them believe in the miracles of the ,bible on ,sunday1 while for the six other days of the week you teach them that such things are scientifically impossible8 ,,enq4 ,what would you have1 then8 ,,theo4 ,if we had money1 we would found schools which would turn out something else than reading and writing candidates for starvation4 ,children should above all be taught self-reliance1 love for all men1 altruism1 mutual charity1 and more than anything else1 to think and reason for themselves4 ,we would reduce the purely mechanical work of the memory to an absolute minimum1 and devote the time to the development and training of the inner senses1 faculties and latent capacities4 ,we would endeavour to deal with each child as a unit1 and to educate it so as to produce the most harmonious and equal unfoldment of its powers1 in order that its special aptitudes should find their full natural development4 ,we should aim at creating free men and women1 free intellectually1 free morally1 unprejudiced in all respects1 and above all things1 unselfish4 ,and we believe that much if not all of this could be obtained by proper and truly theosophical education4 ,,why1 ,,then1 ,,is ,,there ,,so ,,much ,,prejudice ,,against ,,the ,t4,s48 ,,enq4 ,if ,theosophy is even half of what you say1 why should there exist such a terrible ill-feeling against it8 ,this is even more of a problem than anything else4 ,,theo4 ,it is2 but you must bear in mind how many powerful adversaries we have aroused ever since the formation of our ,society4 ,as ,i just said1 if the ,theosophical movement were one of those numerous modern crazes1 as harmless at the end as they are evanescent1 it would be simply laughed at--as it is now by those who still do not understand its real purport--and left severely alone4 ,but it is nothing of the kind4 ,intrinsically1 ,theosophy is the most serious movement of this age2 and one1 moreover1 which threatens the very life of most of the time-honoured humbugs1 prejudices1 and social evils of the day--those evils which fatten and make happy the upper ten and their imitators and sycophants1 the wealthy dozens of the middle classes1 while they positively crush and starve out of existence the millions of the poor4 ,think of this1 and you will easily understand the reason of such a relentless persecution by those others who1 more observant and perspicacious1 do see the true nature of ,theosophy1 and therefore dread it4 ,,enq4 ,do you mean to tell me that it is because a few have understood what ,theosophy leads to1 that they try to crush the movement8 ,but if ,theosophy leads only to good1 surely you cannot be prepared to utter such a terrible accusation of perfidious heartlessness and treachery even against those few8 ,,theo4 ,i am so prepared1 on the contrary4 ,i do not call the enemies we have had to battle with during the first nine or ten years of the ,society's existence either powerful or 8dangerous02 but only those who have arisen against us in the last three or four years4 ,and these neither speak1 write nor preach against ,theosophy1 but work in silence and behind the backs of the foolish puppets who act as their visible marionnettes4 ,yet if invisible to most of the members of our ,society1 they are well known to the true 8,founders0 and the protectors of our ,society4 ,but they must remain for certain reasons unnamed at present4 ,,enq4 ,and are they known to many of you1 or to yourself alone8 ,,theo4 ,i never said ,i knew them4 ,i may or may not know them--but ,i know of them1 and this is sufficient2 and ,i defy them to do their worst4 ,they may achieve great mischief and throw confusion into our ranks1 especially among the faint-hearted1 and those who can judge only by appearances4 ,they will not crush the ,society1 do what they may4 ,apart from these truly dangerous enemies--8dangerous10 however1 only to those ,theosophists who are unworthy of the name1 and whose place is rather outside than within the ,t4,s4--the number of our opponents is more than considerable4 ,,enq4 ,can you name these1 at least1 if you will not speak of the others8 ,,theo4 ,of course ,i can4 ,we have to contend against 7#a7 the hatred of the ,spiritualists1 ,american1 ,english1 and ,french2 7#b7 the constant opposition of the clergy of all denominations2 7#c7 especially the relentless hatred and persecution of the missionaries in ,india2 7#d7 this led to the famous and infamous attack on our ,theosophical ,society by the ,society for ,psychical ,research1 an attack which was stirred up by a regular conspiracy organized by the missionaries in ,india4 ,lastly1 we must count the defection of various prominent 787 members1 for reasons ,i have already explained1 all of whom have contributed their utmost to increase the prejudice against us4 ,,enq4 ,cannot you give me more details about these1 so that ,i may know what to answer when asked--a brief history of the ,society1 in short2 and why the world believes all this8 ,,theo4 ,the reason is simple4 ,most outsiders knew absolutely nothing of the ,society itself1 its motives1 objects or beliefs4 ,from its very beginning the world has seen in ,theosophy nothing but certain marvellous phenomena1 in which two-thirds of the non-spiritualists do not believe4 ,very soon the ,society came to be regarded as a body pretending to the possession of 8miraculous0 powers4 ,the world never realised that the ,society taught absolute disbelief in miracle or even the possibility of such2 that in the ,society there were only a few people who possessed such psychic powers and but few who cared for them4 ,nor did it understand that the phenomena were never produced publicly1 but only privately for friends1 and merely given as an accessory1 to prove by direct demonstration that such things could be produced without dark rooms1 spirits1 mediums1 or any of the usual paraphernalia4 ,unfortunately1 this misconception was greatly strengthened and exaggerated by the first book on the subject which excited much attention in ,europe--,mr4 ,sinnett's 8,occult ,world40 ,if this work did much to bring the ,society into prominence1 it attracted still more obloquy1 derision and misrepresentation upon the hapless heroes and heroine thereof4 ,of this the author was more than warned in the ,occult ,world1 but did not pay attention to the prophecy--for such it was1 though half-veiled4 ,,enq4 ,for what1 and since when1 do the ,spiritualists hate you8 ,,theo4 ,from the first day of the ,society's existence4 ,no sooner the fact became known that1 as a body1 the ,t4,s4 did not believe in communications with the spirits of the dead1 but regarded the so-called 8spirits0 as1 for the most part1 astral reflections of disembodied personalities1 shells1 etc41 than the ,spiritualists conceived a violent hatred to us and especially to the ,founders4 ,this hatred found expression in every kind of slander1 uncharitable personal remarks1 and absurd misrepresentations of the ,theosophical teachings in all the ,american ,spiritualistic organs4 ,for years we were persecuted1 denounced and abused4 ,this began in #ahge and continues to the present day4 ,in #ahgi1 the headquarters of the ,t4,s4 were transferred from ,new ,york to ,bombay1 ,india1 and then permanently to ,madras4 ,when the first branch of our ,society1 the ,british ,t4,s41 was founded in ,london1 the ,english ,spiritualists came out in arms against us1 as the ,americans had done2 and the ,french ,spiritists followed suit4 ,,enq4 ,but why should the clergy be hostile to you1 when1 after all1 the main tendency of the ,theosophical doctrines is opposed to ,materialism1 the great enemy of all forms of religion in our day8 ,,theo4 ,the ,clergy opposed us on the general principle that 8,he who is not with me is against me40 ,since ,theosophy does not agree with any one ,sect or ,creed1 it is considered the enemy of all alike1 because it teaches that they are all1 more or less1 mistaken4 ,the missionaries in ,india hated and tried to crush us because they saw the flower of the educated ,indian youth and the ,brahmins1 who are almost inaccessible to them1 joining the ,society in large numbers4 ,and yet1 apart from this general class hatred1 the ,t4,s4 counts in its ranks many clergymen1 and even one or two bishops4 ,,enq4 ,and what led the ,s4,p4,r4 to take the field against you8 ,you were both pursuing the same line of study1 in some respects1 and several of the ,psychic ,researchers belonged to your society4 ,,theo4 ,first of all we were very good friends with the leaders of the ,s4,p4,r42 but when the attack on the phenomena appeared in the ,christian ,college ,magazine1 supported by the pretended revelations of a menial1 the ,s4,p4,r4 found that they had compromised themselves by publishing in their 8,proceedings0 too many of the phenomena which had occurred in connection with the ,t4,s4 ,their ambition is to pose as an authoritative and strictly scientific body2 so that they had to choose between retaining that position by throwing overboard the ,t4,s4 and even trying to destroy it1 and seeing themselves merged1 in the opinion of the ,sadducees of the grand monde1 with the 8credulous0 ,theosophists and ,spiritualists4 ,there was no way for them out of it1 no two choices1 and they chose to throw us overboard4 ,it was a matter of dire necessity for them4 ,but so hard pressed were they to find any apparently reasonable motive for the life of devotion and ceaseless labour led by the two ,founders1 and for the complete absence of any pecuniary profit or other advantage to them1 that our enemies were obliged to resort to the thrice-absurd1 eminently ridiculous1 and now famous 8,russian spy theory10 to explain this devotion4 ,but the old saying1 8,the blood of the martyr is the seed of the ,church10 proved once more correct4 ,after the first shock of this attack1 the ,t4,s4 doubled and tripled its numbers1 but the bad impression produced still remains4 ,a ,french author was right in saying1 8,calomniez1 calomniez toujours et encore1 il en restera toujours quelque chose40 ,therefore it is1 that unjust prejudices are current1 and that everything connected with the ,t4,s41 and especially with its ,founders1 is so falsely distorted1 because based on malicious hearsay alone4 ,,enq4 ,yet in the #ad years during which the ,society has existed1 you must have had ample time and opportunity to show yourselves and your work in their true light8 ,,theo4 ,how1 or when1 have we been given such an opportunity8 ,our most prominent members had an aversion to anything that looked like publicly justifying themselves4 ,their policy has ever been3 8,we must live it down02 and 8,what does it matter what the newspapers say1 or people think80 ,the ,society was too poor to send out public lecturers1 and therefore the expositions of our views and doctrines were confined to a few ,theosophical works that met with success1 but which people often misunderstood1 or only knew of through hearsay4 ,our journals were1 and still are1 boycotted2 our literary works ignored2 and to this day no one seems even to feel quite certain whether the ,theosophists are a kind of ,serpent-and-,devil worshippers1 or simply 8,esoteric ,buddhists0--whatever that may mean4 ,it was useless for us to go on denying1 day after day and year after year1 every kind of inconceivable cock-and-bull stories about us2 for1 no sooner was one disposed of1 than another1 a still more absurd and malicious one1 was born out of the ashes of the first4 ,unfortunately1 human nature is so constituted that any good said of a person is immediately forgotten and never repeated4 ,but one has only to utter a calumny1 or to start a story--no matter how absurd1 false or incredible it may be1 if only it is connected with some unpopular character--for it to be successful and forthwith accepted as a historical fact4 ,like ,don ,basilio's 8,,calumnia10 the rumour springs up1 at first1 as a soft gentle breeze hardly stirring the grass under your feet1 and arising no one knows whence2 then1 in the shortest space of time1 it is transformed into a strong wind1 begins to blow a gale1 and forthwith becomes a roaring storm6 ,a calumny among news1 is what an octopus is among fishes2 it sucks into one's mind1 fastens upon our memory1 which feeds upon it1 leaving indelible marks even after the calumny has been bodily destroyed4 ,a calumnious lie is the only master-key that will open any and every brain4 ,it is sure to receive welcome and hospitality in every human mind1 the highest as the lowest1 if only a little prejudiced1 and no matter from however base a quarter and motive it has started4 ,,enq4 ,don't you think your assertion altogether too sweeping8 ,the ,englishman has never been over-ready to believe in anything said1 and our nation is proverbially known for its love of fair play4 ,a lie has no legs to stand upon for long1 and-- ,,theo4 ,the ,englishman is as ready to believe evil as a man of any other nation2 for it is human nature1 and not a national feature4 ,as to lies1 if they have no legs to stand upon1 according to the proverb1 they have exceedingly rapid wings2 and they can and do fly farther and wider than any other kind of news1 in ,england as elsewhere4 ,remember lies and calumny are the only kind of literature we can always get gratis1 and without paying any subscription4 ,we can make the experiment if you like4 ,will you1 who are so interested in ,theosophical matters1 and have heard so much about us1 will you put me questions on as many of these rumours and 8hearsays0 as you can think of8 ,i will answer you the truth1 and nothing but the truth1 subject to the strictest verification4 ,,enq4 ,before we change the subject1 let us have the whole truth on this one4 ,now1 some writers have called your teachings 8immoral and pernicious02 others1 on the ground that many so-called 8authorities0 and ,orientalists find in the ,indian religions nothing but sex-worship in its many forms1 accuse you of teaching nothing better than ,phallic worship4 ,they say that since modern ,theosophy is so closely allied with ,eastern1 and particularly ,indian1 thought1 it cannot be free from this taint4 ,occasionally1 even1 they go so far as to accuse ,european ,theosophists of reviving the practices connected with this cult4 ,how about this8 ,,theo4 ,i have heard and read about this before1 and ,i answer that no more utterly baseless and lying calumny has ever been invented and circulated4 8,silly people can see but silly dreams10 says a ,russian proverb4 ,it makes one's blood boil to hear such vile accusations made without the slightest foundation1 and on the strength of mere inferences4 ,ask the hundreds of honourable ,english men and women who have been members of the ,theosophical ,society for years whether an immoral precept or a pernicious doctrine was ever taught to them4 ,open the ,secret ,doctrine1 and you will find page after page denouncing the ,jews and other nations precisely on account of this devotion to ,phallic rites1 due to the dead letter interpretation of nature symbolism1 and the grossly materialistic conceptions of her dualism in all the exoteric creeds4 ,such ceaseless and malicious misrepresentation of our teachings and beliefs is really disgraceful4 ,,enq4 ,but you cannot deny that the ,phallic element does exist in the religions of the ,east8 ,,theo4 ,nor do ,i deny it2 only ,i maintain that this proves no more than does its presence in ,christianity1 the religion of the ,west4 ,read ,hargrave ,jenning's ,rosicrucians1 if you would assure yourself of it4 ,in the ,east1 the ,phallic symbolism is1 perhaps1 more crude1 because more true to nature1 or ,i would rather say1 more nave and sincere than in the ,west4 ,but it is not more licentious1 nor does it suggest to the ,oriental mind the same gross and coarse ideas as to the ,western1 with1 perhaps1 one or two exceptions1 such as the shameful sect known as the 8,maharajah10 or ,vallabhachrya sect4 ,,enq4 ,a writer in the ,agnostic journal--one of your accusers--has just hinted that the followers of this disgraceful sect are ,theosophists1 and 8claim true ,theosophic insight40 ,,theo4 ,he wrote a falsehood1 and that's all4 ,there never was1 nor is there at present1 one single ,vallabhachrya in our ,society4 ,as to their having1 or claiming ,theosophic insight1 that is another fib1 based on crass ignorance about the ,indian ,sects4 ,their 8,maharajah0 only claims a right to the money1 wives and daughters of his foolish followers and no more4 ,this sect is despised by all the other ,hindus4 ,but you will find the whole subject dealt with at length in the ,secret ,doctrine1 to which ,i must again refer you for detailed explanations4 ,to conclude1 the very soul of ,theosophy is dead against ,phallic worship2 and its occult or esoteric section more so even than the exoteric teachings4 ,there never was a more lying statement made than the above4 ,and now ask me some other questions4 ,,is ,,the ,,theosophical ,,society ,a ,,money-,,making ,,concern8 ,,enq4 ,agreed4 ,well1 have either of the ,founders1 ,colonel ,h4 ,s4 ,olcott or ,h4 ,p4 ,blavatsky1 ever made any money1 profit1 or derived any worldly benefit from the ,t4,s41 as some papers say8 ,,theo4 ,not one penny4 ,the papers lie4 ,on the contrary1 they have both given all they had1 and literally beggared themselves4 ,as for 8worldly benefits10 think of the calumnies and vilification they have been subjected to1 and then ask the question6 ,,enq4 ,yet ,i have read in a good many missionary organs that the entrance fees and subscriptions much more than covered all expenses2 and one said that the ,founders were making twenty thousand pounds a year6 ,,theo4 ,this is a fib1 like many others4 ,in the published accounts of ,january1 #ahhi1 you will find an exact statement of all the money ever received from any source since #ahgi4 ,the total received from all sources 7entrance fees1 donations1 etc41 etc47 during these ten years is under six thousand pounds1 and of this a large part was contributed by the ,founders themselves from the proceeds of their private resources and their literary work4 ,all this has been openly and officially admitted1 even by our enemies1 the ,psychic ,research ,society4 ,and now both the ,founders are penniless2 one1 too old and ill to work as she did before1 unable to spare time for outside literary work to help the ,society in money1 can only write for the ,theosophical cause2 the other keeps labouring for it as before1 and receives as little thanks for it4 ,,enq4 ,but surely they need money to live8 ,,theo4 ,not at all4 ,so long as they have food and lodging1 even though they owe it to the devotion of a few friends1 they need little more4 ,,enq4 ,but could not ,madame ,blavatsky1 especially1 make more than enough to live upon by her writings8 ,,theo4 ,when in ,india she received on the average some thousand rupees a year for articles contributed to ,russian and other papers1 but gave it all away to the ,society4 ,,enq4 ,political articles8 ,,theo4 ,never4 ,everything she has written throughout the seven years of her stay in ,india is all there in print4 ,it deals only with the religions1 ethnology1 and customs of ,india1 and with ,theosophy--never with politics1 of which she knows nothing and cares less4 ,again1 two years ago she refused several contracts amounting together to about #a1bjj roubles in gold per month2 for she could not accept them without abandoning her work for the ,society1 which needed all her time and strength4 ,she has documents to prove it4 ,,enq4 ,but why could not both she and ,colonel ,olcott do as others--notably many ,theosophists--do2 follow out their respective professions and devote the surplus of their time to the work of the ,society8 ,,theo4 ,because by serving two masters1 either the professional or the philanthropic work would have had to suffer4 ,every true ,theosophist is morally bound to sacrifice the personal to the impersonal1 his own present good to the future benefit of other people4 ,if the ,founders do not set the example1 who will8 ,,enq4 ,and are there many who follow it8 ,,theo4 ,i am bound to answer you the truth4 ,in ,europe about half-a-dozen in all1 out of more than that number of ,branches4 ,,enq4 ,then it is not true that the ,theosophical ,society has a large capital or endowment of its own8 ,,theo4 ,it is false1 for it has none at all4 ,now that the entrance fee of #a and the small annual due have been abolished1 it is even a doubtful question whether the staff at the headquarters in ,india will not soon be starved to death4 ,,enq4 ,then why not raise subscriptions8 ,,theo4 ,we are not the ,salvation ,army2 we cannot and have never begged2 nor have we ever followed the example of the ,churches and sects and 8taken up collections40 ,that which is occasionally sent for the support of the ,society1 the small sums contributed by some devoted ,fellows1 are all voluntary donations4 ,,enq4 ,but ,i have heard of large sums of money given to ,mdme4 ,blavatsky4 ,it was said four years ago that she got #e1jjj from one rich1 young 8,fellow10 who went out to join them in ,india and #aj1jjj from another wealthy and well-known ,american gentleman1 one of your members who died in ,europe four years ago4 ,,theo4 ,say to those who told you this1 that they either themselves utter1 or repeat1 a gross falsehood4 ,never has 8,madame ,blavatsky0 asked or received ,,one ,,penny from the two above-named gentlemen1 nor anything like that from anyone else1 since the ,theosophical ,society was founded4 ,let any man living try to substantiate this calumny1 and it will be easier for him to prove that the ,bank of ,england is a bankrupt than that the said 8,founder0 has ever made any money out of ,theosophy4 ,these two calumnies have been started by two high-born ladies1 belonging to the ,london aristocracy1 and have been immediately traced and disproved4 ,they are the dead bodies1 the carcases of two inventions1 which1 after having been buried in the sea of oblivion1 are once more raised on the surface of the stagnant waters of slander4 ,,enq4 ,then ,i have been told of several large legacies left to the ,t4,s4 ,one--some #h1jjj--was left to it by some eccentric ,englishman1 who did not even belong to the ,society4 ,the other--#c1jjj or #d1jjj--were testated by an ,australian ,f4,t4,s4 ,is this true8 ,,theo4 ,i heard of the first2 and ,i also know that1 whether legally left or not1 the ,t4,s4 has never profited by it1 nor have the ,founders ever been officially notified of it4 ,for1 as our ,society was not then a chartered body1 and thus had no legal existence1 the ,judge at the ,court of ,probate1 as we were told1 paid no attention to such legacy and turned over the sum to the heirs4 ,so much for the first4 ,as for the second1 it is quite true4 ,the testator was one of our devoted ,fellows1 and willed all he had to the ,t4,s4 ,but when the ,president1 ,colonel ,olcott1 came to look into the matter1 he found that the testator had children whom he had disinherited for some family reasons4 ,therefore1 he called a council1 and it was decided that the legacy should be refused1 and the moneys passed to the legal heirs4 ,the ,theosophical ,society would be untrue to its name were it to profit by money to which others are entitled virtually1 at any rate on ,theosophical principles1 if not legally4 ,,enq4 ,again1 and ,i say this on the authority of your own ,journal1 the ,theosophist1 there's a ,rajah of ,india who donated to the ,society #be1jjj rupees4 ,have you not thanked him for his great bounty in the ,january ,theosophist for #ahhh8 ,,theo4 ,we have1 in these words1 8,that the thanks of the ,convention be conveyed to ,h4 ,h4 the ,maharajah 444 for his promised munificent gift of ,rupees #be1jjj to the ,society's ,fund40 ,the thanks were duly conveyed1 but the money is still a 8promise10 and has never reached the ,headquarters4 ,,enq4 ,but surely1 if the ,maharajah promised and received thanks for his gift publicly and in print1 he will be as good as his promise8 ,,theo4 ,he may1 though the promise is #ah months old4 ,i speak of the present and not of the future4 ,,enq4 ,then how do you propose to go on8 ,,theo4 ,so long as the ,t4,s4 has a few devoted members willing to work for it without reward and thanks1 so long as a few good ,theosophists support it with occasional donations1 so long will it exist1 and nothing can crush it4 ,,enq4 ,i have heard many ,theosophists speak of a 8power behind the ,society0 and of certain 8,mahatmas10 mentioned also in ,mr4 ,sinnett's works1 that are said to have founded the ,society1 to watch over and protect it4 ,,theo4 ,you may laugh1 but it is so4 ,,the ,,working ,,staff ,,of ,,the ,t4,s4 ,,enq4 ,these men1 ,i have heard1 are great ,adepts1 ,alchemists1 and what not4 ,if1 then1 they can change lead into gold and make as much money as they like1 besides doing all kinds of miracles at will1 as related in ,mr4 ,sinnett's 8,occult ,world10 why do not they find you money1 and support the ,founders and the ,society in comfort8 ,,theo4 ,because they did not found a 8miracle club40 ,because the ,society is intended to help men to develop the powers latent in them through their own exertions and merit4 ,because whatever they may or may not produce in the way of phenomena1 they are not false coiners2 nor would they throw an additional and very strong temptation on the path of members and candidates3 ,theosophy is not to be bought4 ,hitherto1 for the past #ad years1 not a single working member has ever received pay or salary from either the ,masters or the ,society4 ,,enq4 ,then are none of your workers paid at all8 ,,theo4 ,till now1 not one4 ,but as every one has to eat1 drink1 and clothe himself1 all those who are without any means of their own1 and devote their whole time to the work of the society1 are provided with the necessaries of life at the ,headquarters at ,madras1 ,india1 though these 8necessaries0 are humble enough1 in truth6 7,see ,rules at the end47 ,but now that the ,society's work has increased so greatly and still goes on in increasing 7,n4,b41 owing to slanders7 in ,europe1 we need more working hands4 ,we hope to have a few members who will henceforth be remunerated--if the word can be used in the cases in question4 ,for every one of these ,fellows1 who are preparing to give all their time to the ,society1 are quitting good official situations with excellent prospects1 to work for us at less than half their former salary4 ,,enq4 ,and who will provide the funds for this8 ,,theo4 ,some of our ,fellows who are just a little richer than the rest4 ,the man who would speculate or make money on ,theosophy would be unworthy to remain in our ranks4 ,,enq4 ,but you must surely make money by your books1 magazines1 and other publications8 ,,theo4 ,the ,theosophist of ,madras1 alone among the magazines1 pays a profit1 and this has regularly been turned over to the ,society1 year by year1 as the published accounts show4 ,lucifer is slowly but steadily ingulfing money1 never yet having paid expenses--thanks to its being boycotted by the pious booksellers and railway stalls4 ,the ,lotus1 in ,france--started on the private and not very large means of a ,theosophist1 who has devoted to it his whole time and labour--has ceased to exist1 owing to the same causes1 alas6 ,nor does the ,new ,york ,path pay its way1 while the ,revue ,thosophique of ,paris has only just been started1 also from the private means of a lady-member4 ,moreover1 whenever any of the works issued by the ,theosophical ,publishing ,company in ,london do pay1 the proceeds will be devoted to the service of the ,society4 ,,enq4 ,and now please tell me all you can about the ,mahatmas4 ,so many absurd and contradictory things are said about them1 that one does not know what to believe1 and all sorts of ridiculous stories become current4 ,,theo4 ,well may you call them 8ridiculous60 ,,xiv4 ,,the 8,,theosophical ,,mahatmas40 ,,are ,,they 8,,spirits ,,of ,,light0 ,,or 8,,goblins ,,damn',d08 ,,enq4 ,who are they1 finally1 those whom you call your 8,masters08 ,some say they are 8,spirits10 or some other kind of supernatural beings1 while others call them 8myths40 ,,theo4 ,they are neither4 ,i once heard one outsider say to another that they were a sort of male mermaids1 whatever such a creature may be4 ,but if you listen to what people say1 you will never have a true conception of them4 ,in the first place they are living men1 born as we are born1 and doomed to die like every other mortal4 ,,enq4 ,yes1 but it is rumoured that some of them are a thousand years old4 ,is this true8 ,,theo4 ,as true as the miraculous growth of hair on the head of ,meredith's ,shagpat4 ,truly1 like the 8,identical10 no ,theosophical shaving has hitherto been able to crop it4 ,the more we deny them1 the more we try to set people right1 the more absurd do the inventions become4 ,i have heard of ,methuselah being #ifi years old2 but1 not being forced to believe in it1 have laughed at the statement1 for which ,i was forthwith regarded by many as a blasphemous heretic4 ,,enq4 ,seriously1 though1 do they outlive the ordinary age of men8 ,,theo4 ,what do you call the ordinary age8 ,i remember reading in the ,lancet of a ,mexican who was almost #aij years old2 but ,i have never heard of mortal man1 layman1 or ,adept1 who could live even half the years allotted to ,methuselah4 ,some ,adepts do exceed1 by a good deal1 what you would call the ordinary age2 yet there is nothing miraculous in it1 and very few of them care to live very long4 ,,enq4 ,but what does the word 8,mahatma0 really mean8 ,,theo4 ,simply a 8great soul10 great through moral elevation and intellectual attainment4 ,if the title of great is given to a drunken soldier like ,alexander1 why should we not call those 8,great0 who have achieved far greater conquests in ,nature's secrets1 than ,alexander ever did on the field of battle8 ,besides1 the term is an ,indian and a very old word4 ,,enq4 ,and why do you call them 8,masters08 ,,theo4 ,we call them 8,masters0 because they are our teachers2 and because from them we have derived all the ,theosophical truths1 however inadequately some of us may have expressed1 and others understood1 them4 ,they are men of great learning1 whom we term ,initiates1 and still greater holiness of life4 ,they are not ascetics in the ordinary sense1 though they certainly remain apart from the turmoil and strife of your western world4 ,,enq4 ,but is it not selfish thus to isolate themselves8 ,,theo4 ,where is the selfishness8 ,does not the fate of the ,theosophical ,society sufficiently prove that the world is neither ready to recognise them nor to profit by their teaching8 ,of what use would ,professor ,clerk ,maxwell have been to instruct a class of little boys in their multiplication-table8 ,besides1 they isolate themselves only from the ,west4 ,in their own country they go about as publicly as other people do4 ,,enq4 ,don't you ascribe to them supernatural powers8 ,,theo4 ,we believe in nothing supernatural1 as ,i have told you already4 ,had ,edison lived and invented his phonograph two hundred years ago1 he would most probably have been burnt along with it1 and the whole attributed to the devil4 ,the powers which they exercise are simply the development of potencies lying latent in every man and woman1 and the existence of which even official science begins to recognise4 ,,enq4 ,is it true that these men inspire some of your writers1 and that many1 if not all1 of your ,theosophical works were written under their dictation8 ,,theo4 ,some have4 ,there are passages entirely dictated by them and verbatim1 but in most cases they only inspire the ideas and leave the literary form to the writers4 ,,enq4 ,but this in itself is miraculous2 is1 in fact1 a miracle4 ,how can they do it8 ,,theo4 ,my dear ,sir1 you are labouring under a great mistake1 and it is science itself that will refute your arguments at no distant day4 ,why should it be a 8miracle10 as you call it8 ,a miracle is supposed to mean some operation which is supernatural1 whereas there is really nothing above or beyond ,,nature and ,nature's laws4 ,among the many forms of the 8miracle0 which have come under modern scientific recognition1 there is ,hypnotism1 and one phase of its power is known as 8,suggestion10 a form of thought transference1 which has been successfully used in combating particular physical diseases1 etc4 ,the time is not far distant when the ,world of ,science will be forced to acknowledge that there exists as much interaction between one mind and another1 no matter at what distance1 as between one body and another in closest contact4 ,when two minds are sympathetically related1 and the instruments through which they function are tuned to respond magnetically and electrically to one another1 there is nothing which will prevent the transmission of thoughts from one to the other1 at will2 for since the mind is not of a tangible nature1 that distance can divide it from the subject of its contemplation1 it follows that the only difference that can exist between two minds is a difference of ,,state4 ,so if this latter hindrance is overcome1 where is the 8miracle0 of thought transference1 at whatever distance8 ,,enq4 ,but you will admit that ,hypnotism does nothing so miraculous or wonderful as that8 ,,theo4 ,on the contrary1 it is a well-established fact that a ,hypnotist can affect the brain of his subject so far as to produce an expression of his own thoughts1 and even his words1 through the organism of his subject2 and although the phenomena attaching to this method of actual thought transference are as yet few in number1 no one1 ,i presume1 will undertake to say how far their action may extend in the future1 when the laws that govern their production are more scientifically established4 ,and so1 if such results can be produced by the knowledge of the mere rudiments of ,hypnotism1 what can prevent the ,adept in ,psychic and ,spiritual powers from producing results which1 with your present limited knowledge of their laws1 you are inclined to call 8miraculous08 ,,enq4 ,then why do not our physicians experiment and try if they could not do as much8#ef ,,theo4 ,because1 first of all1 they are not ,adepts with a thorough understanding of the secrets and laws of psychic and spiritual realms1 but materialists1 afraid to step outside the narrow groove of matter2 and1 secondly1 because they must fail at present1 and indeed until they are brought to acknowledge that such powers are attainable4 ,,enq4 ,and could they be taught8 ,,theo4 ,not unless they were first of all prepared1 by having the materialistic dross they have accumulated in their brains swept away to the very last atom4 ,,enq4 ,this is very interesting4 ,tell me1 have the ,adepts thus inspired or dictated to many of your ,theosophists8 ,,theo4 ,no1 on the contrary1 to very few4 ,such operations require special conditions4 ,an unscrupulous but skilled ,adept of the ,black ,brotherhood 78,brothers of the ,shadow10 and ,dugpas1 we call them7 has far less difficulties to labour under4 ,for1 having no laws of the ,spiritual kind to trammel his actions1 such a ,dugpa 8sorcerer0 will most unceremoniously obtain control over any mind1 and subject it entirely to his evil powers4 ,but our ,masters will never do that4 ,they have no right1 except by falling into ,black ,magic1 to obtain full mastery over anyone's immortal ,ego1 and can therefore act only on the physical and psychic nature of the subject1 leaving thereby the free will of the latter wholly undisturbed4 ,hence1 unless a person has been brought into psychic relationship with the ,masters1 and is assisted by virtue of his full faith in1 and devotion to1 his ,teachers1 the latter1 whenever transmitting their thoughts to one with whom these conditions are not fulfilled1 experience great difficulties in penetrating into the cloudy chaos of that person's sphere4 ,but this is no place to treat of a subject of this nature4 ,suffice it to say1 that if the power exists1 then there are ,intelligences 7embodied or disembodied7 which guide this power1 and living conscious instruments through whom it is transmitted and by whom it is received4 ,we have only to beware of black magic4 ,,enq4 ,but what do you really mean by 8black magic08 ,,theo4 ,simply abuse of psychic powers1 or of any secret of nature2 the fact of applying to selfish and sinful ends the powers of ,occultism4 ,a hypnotiser1 who1 taking advantage of his powers of 8suggestion10 forces a subject to steal or murder1 would be called a black magician by us4 ,the famous 8rejuvenating system0 of ,dr4 ,brown-,sequard1 of ,paris1 through a loathsome animal injection into human blood--a discovery all the medical papers of ,europe are now discussing--if true1 is unconscious black magic4 ,,enq4 ,but this is medival belief in witchcraft and sorcery6 ,even ,law itself has ceased to believe in such things8 ,,theo4 ,so much the worse for law1 as it has been led1 through such a lack of discrimination1 into committing more than one judiciary mistake and crime4 ,it is the term alone that frightens you with its 8superstitious0 ring in it4 ,would not law punish an abuse of hypnotic powers1 as ,i just mentioned8 ,nay1 it has so punished it already in ,france and ,germany2 yet it would indignantly deny that it applied punishment to a crime of evident sorcery4 ,you cannot believe in the efficacy and reality of the powers of suggestion by physicians and mesmerisers 7or hypnotisers71 and then refuse to believe in the same powers when used for evil motives4 ,and if you do1 then you believe in ,sorcery4 ,yon cannot believe in good and disbelieve in evil1 accept genuine money and refuse to credit such a thing as false coin4 ,nothing can exist without its contrast1 and no day1 no light1 no good could have any representation as such in your consciousness1 were there no night1 darkness nor evil to offset and contrast them4 ,,enq4 ,indeed1 ,i have known men1 who1 while thoroughly believing in that which you call great psychic1 or magic powers1 laughed at the very mention of ,witchcraft and ,sorcery4 ,,theo4 ,what does it prove8 ,simply that they are illogical4 ,so much the worse for them1 again4 ,and we1 knowing as we do of the existence of good and holy ,adepts1 believe as thoroughly in the existence of bad and unholy ,adepts1 or--,dugpas4 ,,enq4 ,but if the ,masters exist1 why don't they come out before all men and refute once for all the many charges which are made against ,mdme4 ,blavatsky and the ,society8 ,,theo4 ,what charges8 ,,enq4 ,that they do not exist1 and that she has invented them4 ,that they are men of straw1 8,mahatmas of muslin and bladders40 ,does not all this injure her reputation8 ,,theo4 ,in what way can such an accusation injure her in reality8 ,did she ever make money on their presumed existence1 or derive benefit1 or fame1 therefrom8 ,i answer that she has gained only insults1 abuse1 and calumnies1 which would have been very painful had she not learned long ago to remain perfectly indifferent to such false charges4 ,for what does it amount to1 after all8 ,why1 to an implied compliment1 which1 if the fools1 her accusers1 were not carried away by their blind hatred1 they would have thought twice before uttering4 ,to say that she has invented the ,masters comes to this3 ,she must have invented every bit of philosophy that has ever been given out in ,theosophical literature4 ,she must be the author of the letters from which 8,esoteric ,buddhism0 was written2 the sole inventor of every tenet found in the 8,secret ,doctrine10 which1 if the world were just1 would be recognised as supplying many of the missing links of science1 as will be discovered a hundred years hence4 ,by saying what they do1 they are also giving her the credit of being far cleverer than the hundreds of men1 7many very clever and not a few scientific men17 who believe in what she says--inasmuch as she must have fooled them all6 ,if they speak the truth1 then she must be several ,mahatmas rolled into one like a nest of ,chinese boxes2 since among the so-called 8,mahatma letters0 are many in totally different and distinct styles1 all of which her accusers declare that she has written4 ,,enq4 ,it is just what they say4 ,but is it not very painful to her to be publicly denounced as 8the most accomplished impostor of the age1 whose name deserves to pass to posterity10 as is done in the ,report of the 8,society for ,psychical ,research08 ,,theo4 ,it might be painful if it were true1 or came from people less rabidly materialistic and prejudiced4 ,as it is1 personally she treats the whole matter with contempt1 while the ,mahatmas simply laugh at it4 ,in truth1 it is the greatest compliment that could be paid to her4 ,i say so1 again4 ,,enq4 ,but her enemies claim to have proved their case4 ,,theo4 ,aye1 it is easy enough to make such a claim when you have constituted yourself judge1 jury1 and prosecuting counsel at once1 as they did4 ,but who1 except their direct followers and our enemies1 believe in it8 ,,enq4 ,but they sent a representative to ,india to investigate the matter1 didn't they8 ,,theo4 ,they did1 and their final conclusion rests entirely on the unchecked statements and unverified assertions of this young gentleman4 ,a lawyer who read through his report told a friend of mine that in all his experience he had never seen 8such a ridiculous and self-condemnatory document40 ,it was found to be full of suppositions and 8working hypotheses0 which mutually destroy each other4 ,is this a serious charge8 ,,enq4 ,yet it has done the ,society great harm4 ,why1 then1 did she not vindicate her own character1 at least1 before a ,court of ,law8 ,,theo4 ,firstly1 because as a ,theosophist1 it is her duty to leave unheeded all personal insults4 ,secondly1 because neither the ,society nor ,mdme4 ,blavatsky had any money to waste over such a law-suit4 ,and lastly1 because it would have been ridiculous for both to be untrue to their principles1 because of an attack made on them by a flock of stupid old ,british wethers1 who had been led to butt at them by an over frolicksome lambkin from ,australia4 ,,enq4 ,this is complimentary4 ,but do you not think that it would have done real good to the cause of ,theosophy1 if she had authoritatively disproved the whole thing once for all8 ,,theo4 ,perhaps4 ,but do you believe that any ,english jury or judge would have ever admitted the reality of psychic phenomena1 even if entirely unprejudiced beforehand8 ,and when you remember that they would have been set against us already by the 8,russian ,spy0 scare1 the charge of ,atheism and infidelity1 and all the other calumnies that have been circulated against us1 you cannot fail to see that such an attempt to obtain justice in a ,court of ,law would have been worse than fruitless6 ,all this the ,psychic ,researchers knew well1 and they took a base and mean advantage of their position to raise themselves above our heads and save themselves at our expense4 ,,enq4 ,the ,s4,p4,r4 now denies completely the existence of the ,mahatmas4 ,they say that from beginning to end they were a romance which ,madame ,blavatsky has woven from her own brain8 ,,theo4 ,well1 she might have done many things less clever than this4 ,at any rate1 we have not the slightest objection to this theory4 ,as she always says now1 she almost prefers that people should not believe in the ,masters4 ,she declares openly that she would rather people should seriously think that the only ,mahatmaland is the grey matter of her brain1 and that1 in short1 she has evolved them out of the depths of her own inner consciousness1 than that their names and grand ideal should be so infamously desecrated as they are at present4 ,at first she used to protest indignantly against any doubts as to their existence4 ,now she never goes out of her way to prove or disprove it4 ,let people think what they like4 ,,enq4 ,but1 of course1 these ,masters do exist8 ,,theo4 ,we affirm they do4 ,nevertheless1 this does not help much4 ,many people1 even some ,theosophists and ex-,theosophists1 say that they have never had any proof of their existence4 ,very well2 then ,mme4 ,blavatsky replies with this alternative3--,if she has invented them1 then she has also invented their philosophy and the practical knowledge which some few have acquired2 and if so1 what does it matter whether they do exist or not1 since she herself is here1 and her own existence1 at any rate1 can hardly be denied8 ,if the knowledge supposed to have been imparted by them is good intrinsically1 and it is accepted as such by many persons of more than average intelligence1 why should there be such a hullabaloo made over that question8 ,the fact of her being an impostor has never been proved1 and will always remain sub judice2 whereas it is a certain and undeniable fact that1 by whomsoever invented1 the philosophy preached by the 8,masters0 is one of the grandest and most beneficent philosophies once it is properly understood4 ,thus the slanderers1 while moved by the lowest and meanest feelings--those of hatred1 revenge1 malice1 wounded vanity1 or disappointed ambition1--seem quite unaware that they are paying the greatest tribute to her intellectual powers4 ,so be it1 if the poor fools will have it so4 ,really1 ,mme4 ,blavatsky has not the slightest objection to being represented by her enemies as a triple ,adept1 and a 8,mahatma0 to boot4 ,it is only her unwillingness to pose in her own sight as a crow parading in peacock's feathers that compels her to this day to insist upon the truth4 ,,enq4 ,but if you have such wise and good men to guide the ,society1 how is it that so many mistakes have been made8 ,,theo4 ,the ,masters do not guide the ,society1 not even the ,founders2 and no one has ever asserted that they did3 they only watch over and protect it4 ,this is amply proved by the fact that no mistakes have been able to cripple it1 and no scandals from within1 nor the most damaging attacks from without1 have been able to overthrow it4 ,the ,masters look at the future1 not at the present1 and every mistake is so much more accumulated wisdom for days to come4 ,that other 8,master0 who sent the man with the five talents did not tell him how to double them1 nor did he prevent the foolish servant from burying his one talent in the earth4 ,each must acquire wisdom by his own experience and merits4 ,the ,christian ,churches1 who claim a far higher 8,master10 the very ,holy ,ghost itself1 have ever been and are still guilty not only of 8mistakes10 but of a series of bloody crimes throughout the ages4 ,yet1 no ,christian would deny1 for all that1 his belief in that 8,master10 ,i suppose8 although his existence is far more hypothetical than that of the ,mahatmas2 as no one has ever seen the ,holy ,ghost1 and his guidance of the ,church1 moreover1 their own ecclesiastical history distinctly contradicts4 ,errare humanum est4 ,let us return to our subject4 ,,the ,,abuse ,,of ,,sacred ,,names ,,and ,,terms4 ,,enq4 ,then1 what ,i have heard1 namely1 that many of your ,theosophical writers claim to have been inspired by these ,masters1 or to have seen and conversed with them1 is not true8 ,,theo4 ,it may or it may not be true4 ,how can ,i tell8 ,the burden of proof rests with them4 ,some of them1 a few--very few1 indeed--have distinctly either lied or were hallucinated when boasting of such inspiration2 others were truly inspired by great ,adepts4 ,the tree is known by its fruits2 and as all ,theosophists have to be judged by their deeds and not by what they write or say1 so all ,theosophical books must be accepted on their merits1 and not according to any claim to authority which they may put forward4 ,,enq4 ,but would ,mdme4 ,blavatsky apply this to her own works--the ,secret ,doctrine1 for instance8 ,,theo4 ,certainly2 she says expressly in the ,,preface that she gives out the doctrines that she has learnt from the ,masters1 but claims no inspiration whatever for what she has lately written4 ,as for our best ,theosophists1 they would also in this case far rather that the names of the ,masters had never been mixed up with our books in any way4 ,with few exceptions1 most of such works are not only imperfect1 but positively erroneous and misleading4 ,great are the desecrations to which the names of two of the ,masters have been subjected4 ,there is hardly a medium who has not claimed to have seen them4 ,every bogus swindling ,society1 for commercial purposes1 now claims to be guided and directed by 8,masters10 often supposed to be far higher than ours6 ,many and heavy are the sins of those who advanced these claims1 prompted either by desire for lucre1 vanity1 or irresponsible mediumship4 ,many persons have been plundered of their money by such societies1 which offer to sell the secrets of power1 knowledge1 and spiritual truth for worthless gold4 ,worst of all1 the sacred names of ,occultism and the holy keepers thereof have been dragged in this filthy mire1 polluted by being associated with sordid motives and immoral practices1 while thousands of men have been held back from the path of truth and light through the discredit and evil report which such shams1 swindles1 and frauds have brought upon the whole subject4 ,i say again1 every earnest ,theosophist regrets to-day1 from the bottom of his heart1 that these sacred names and things have ever been mentioned before the public1 and fervently wishes that they had been kept secret within a small circle of trusted and devoted friends4 ,,enq4 ,the names certainly do occur very frequently now-a-days1 and ,i never remember hearing of such persons as 8,masters0 till quite recently4 ,,theo4 ,it is so2 and had we acted on the wise principle of silence1 instead of rushing into notoriety and publishing all we knew and heard1 such desecration would never have occurred4 ,behold1 only fourteen years ago1 before the ,theosophical ,society was founded1 all the talk was of 8,spirits40 ,they were everywhere1 in everyone's mouth2 and no one by any chance even dreamt of talking about living 8,adepts10 8,mahatmas10 or 8,masters40 ,one hardly heard even the name of the ,rosicrucians1 while the existence of such a thing as 8,occultism0 was suspected even but by very few4 ,now all that is changed4 ,we ,theosophists were1 unfortunately1 the first to talk of these things1 to make the fact of the existence in the ,east of 8,adepts0 and 8,masters0 and ,occult knowledge known2 and now the name has become common property4 ,it is on us1 now1 that the ,karma1 the consequences of the resulting desecration of holy names and things1 has fallen4 ,all that you now find about such matters in current literature--and there is not a little of it--all is to be traced back to the impulse given in this direction by the ,theosophical ,society and its ,founders4 ,our enemies profit to this day by our mistake4 ,the most recent book directed against our teachings is alleged to have been written by an ,adept of twenty years' standing4 ,now1 it is a palpable lie4 ,we know the amanuensis and his inspirers 7as he is himself too ignorant to have written anything of the sort74 ,these 8inspirers0 are living persons1 revengeful and unscrupulous in proportion to their intellectual powers2 and these bogus ,adepts are not one1 but several4 ,the cycle of 8,adepts10 used as sledge-hammers to break the theosophical heads with1 began twelve years ago1 with ,mrs4 ,emma ,hardinge ,britten's 8,louis0 of ,art ,magic and ,ghost-,land1 and now ends with the 8,adept0 and 8,author0 of ,the ,light of ,egypt1 a work written by ,spiritualists against ,theosophy and its teachings4 ,but it is useless to grieve over what is done1 and we can only suffer in the hope that our indiscretions may have made it a little easier for others to find the way to these ,masters1 whose names are now everywhere taken in vain1 and under cover of which so many iniquities have already been perpetrated4 ,,enq4 ,do you reject 8,louis0 as an ,adept8 ,,theo4 ,we denounce no one1 leaving this noble task to our enemies4 ,the spiritualistic author of ,art ,magic1 etc41 may or may not have been acquainted with such an ,adept--and saying this1 ,i say far less than what that lady has said and written about us and ,theosophy for the last several years--that is her own business4 ,only when1 in a solemn scene of mystic vision1 an alleged 8,adept0 sees 8spirits0 presumably at ,greenwich1 ,england1 through ,lord ,rosse's telescope1 which was built in1 and never moved from1 ,parsonstown1 ,ireland1#eg ,i may well be permitted to wonder at the ignorance of that 8,adept0 in matters of science4 ,this beats all the mistakes and blunders committed at times by the chelas of our ,teachers6 ,and it is this 8,adept0 that is used now to break the teachings of our ,masters6 ,,enq4 ,i quite understand your feeling in this matter1 and think it only natural4 ,and now1 in view of all that you have said and explained to me1 there is one subject on which ,i should like to ask you a few questions4 ,,theo4 ,if ,i can answer them ,i will4 ,what is that8 ,,footnotes3 #ef ,such1 for instance1 as ,prof4 ,bernheim and ,dr4 ,c4 ,lloyd ,tuckey of ,england2 ,professors ,beaunis and ,ligeois1 of ,nancy2 ,delbuf of ,lige2 ,burot and ,bourru1 of ,rochefort2 ,fontain and ,sigard1 of ,bordeaux2 ,forel1 of ,zurich2 and ,drs4 ,despine1 of ,marseilles2 ,van ,renterghem and ,van ,eeden1 of ,amsterdam2 ,wetterstrand1 of ,stockholm2 ,schrenck-,notzing1 of ,leipzig1 and many other physicians and writers of eminence4 #eg ,vide 8,ghost ,land10 ,part ,i41 p4 #acc1 et seq4 ,,conclusion4 ,,the ,,future ,,of ,,the ,,theosophical ,,society4 ,,enq4 ,tell me1 what do you expect for ,theosophy in the future8 ,,theo4 ,if you speak of ,,theosophy1 ,i answer that1 as it has existed eternally throughout the endless cycles upon cycles of the ,past1 so it will ever exist throughout the infinitudes of the ,future1 because ,theosophy is synonymous with ,,everlasting ,,truth4 ,,enq4 ,pardon me2 ,i meant to ask you rather about the prospects of the ,theosophical ,society4 ,,theo4 ,its future will depend almost entirely upon the degree of selflessness1 earnestness1 devotion1 and last1 but not least1 on the amount of knowledge and wisdom possessed by those members on whom it will fall to carry on the work1 and to direct the ,society after the death of the ,founders4 ,,enq4 ,i quite see the importance of their being selfless and devoted1 but ,i do not quite grasp how their knowledge can be as vital a factor in the question as these other qualities4 ,surely the literature which already exists1 and to which constant additions are still being made1 ought to be sufficient8 ,,theo4 ,i do not refer to technical knowledge of the esoteric doctrine1 though that is most important2 ,i spoke rather of the great need which our successors in the guidance of the ,society will have of unbiased and clear judgment4 ,every such attempt as the ,theosophical ,society has hitherto ended in failure1 because1 sooner or later1 it has degenerated into a sect1 set up hard-and-fast dogmas of its own1 and so lost by imperceptible degrees that vitality which living truth alone can impart4 ,you must remember that all our members have been bred and born in some creed or religion1 that all are more or less of their generation both physically and mentally1 and consequently that their judgment is but too likely to be warped and unconsciously biased by some or all of these influences4 ,if1 then1 they cannot be freed from such inherent bias1 or at least taught to recognise it instantly and so avoid being led away by it1 the result can only be that the ,society will drift off on to some sandbank of thought or another1 and there remain a stranded carcass to moulder and die4 ,,enq4 ,but if this danger be averted8 ,,theo4 ,then the ,society will live on into and through the twentieth century4 ,it will gradually leaven and permeate the great mass of thinking and intelligent people with its large-minded and noble ideas of ,religion1 ,duty1 and ,philanthropy4 ,slowly but surely it will burst asunder the iron fetters of creeds and dogmas1 of social and caste prejudices2 it will break down racial and national antipathies and barriers1 and will open the way to the practical realisation of the ,brotherhood of all men4 ,through its teaching1 through the philosophy which it has rendered accessible and intelligible to the modern mind1 the ,west will learn to understand and appreciate the ,east at its true value4 ,further1 the development of the psychic powers and faculties1 the premonitory symptoms of which are already visible in ,america1 will proceed healthily and normally4 ,mankind will be saved from the terrible dangers1 both mental and bodily1 which are inevitable when that unfolding takes place1 as it threatens to do1 in a hot-bed of selfishness and all evil passions4 ,man's mental and psychic growth will proceed in harmony with his moral improvement1 while his material surroundings will reflect the peace and fraternal goodwill which will reign in his mind1 instead of the discord and strife which is everywhere apparent around us to-day4 ,,enq4 ,a truly delightful picture6 ,but tell me1 do you really expect all this to be accomplished in one short century8 ,,theo4 ,scarcely4 ,but ,i must tell you that during the last quarter of every hundred years an attempt is made by those 8,masters10 of whom ,i have spoken1 to help on the spiritual progress of ,humanity in a marked and definite way4 ,towards the close of each century you will invariably find that an outpouring or upheaval of spirituality--or call it mysticism if you prefer--has taken place4 ,some one or more persons have appeared in the world as their agents1 and a greater or less amount of occult knowledge and teaching has been given out4 ,if you care to do so1 you can trace these movements back1 century by century1 as far as our detailed historical records extend4 ,,enq4 ,but how does this bear on the future of the ,theosophical ,society8 ,,theo4 ,if the present attempt1 in the form of our ,society1 succeeds better than its predecessors have done1 then it will be in existence as an organized1 living and healthy body when the time comes for the effort of the ,x,xth century4 ,the general condition of men's minds and hearts will have been improved and purified by the spread of its teachings1 and1 as ,i have said1 their prejudices and dogmatic illusions will have been1 to some extent at least1 removed4 ,not only so1 but besides a large and accessible literature ready to men's hands1 the next impulse will find a numerous and united body of people ready to welcome the new torch-bearer of ,truth4 ,he will find the minds of men prepared for his message1 a language ready for him in which to clothe the new truths he brings1 an organization awaiting his arrival1 which will remove the merely mechanical1 material obstacles and difficulties from his path4 ,think how much one1 to whom such an opportunity is given1 could accomplish4 ,measure it by comparison with what the ,theosophical ,society actually has achieved in the last fourteen years1 without any of these advantages and surrounded by hosts of hindrances which would not hamper the new leader4 ,consider all this1 and then tell me whether ,i am too sanguine when ,i say that if the ,theosophical ,society survives and lives true to its mission1 to its original impulses through the next hundred years--tell me1 ,i say1 if ,i go too far in asserting that earth will be a heaven in the twenty-first century in comparison with what it is now6 ,,finis4 ,the ,united ,lodge of ,theosophists ,,declaration ,the policy of this ,lodge is independent devotion to the cause of ,theosophy1 without professing attachment to any ,theosophical organization4 ,it is loyal to the great ,founders of the ,theosophical ,movement1 but does not concern itself with dissensions or differences of individual opinion4 ,the work it has on hand and the end it keeps in view are too absorbing and too lofty to leave it the time or inclination to take part in side issues4 ,that work and that end is the dissemination of the ,fundamental ,principles of the philosophy of ,theosophy1 and the exemplification in practice of those principles1 through a truer realization of the ,,self2 a profounder conviction of ,universal ,brotherhood4 ,it holds that the unassailable ,basis for ,union among ,theosophists1 wherever and however situated1 is 8similarity of aim1 purpose and teaching10 and therefore has neither ,constitution1 ,by-laws nor ,officers1 the sole bond between its ,associates being that basis4 ,and it aims to disseminate this idea among ,theosophists in the furtherance of ,unity4 ,it regards as ,theosophists all who are engaged in the true service of ,humanity1 without distinction of race1 creed1 sex1 condition or organization1 and ,it welcomes to its association all those who are in accord with its declared purposes and who desire to fit themselves1 by study and otherwise1 to be the better able to help and teach others4 8,the true ,theosophist belongs to no cult or sect1 yet belongs to each and all40 99 99 99 99 99 ,being in sympathy with the purposes of this ,lodge1 as set forth in its 8,declaration10 ,i hereby record my desire to be enrolled as an ,associate2 it being understood that such association calls for no obligation on my part other than that which ,i1 myself1 determine4 ,the foregoing is the ,form signed by ,associates of the ,united ,lodge of ,theosophists4 ,inquiries are invited from all persons to whom this ,movement may appeal4 ,cards for signature will be sent upon request1 and every possible assistance furnished ,associates in their studies and in efforts to form local ,lodges4 ,there are no dues of any kind1 and no formalities to be complied with4 ,correspondence should be addressed to ,general ,registrar1 ,united ,lodge of ,theosophists ,,los ,,angeles1 ,,california #ejd ,metropolitan ,building1 ,broadway at ,fifth ,street 8,to ,spread ,broadcast the ,teachings of ,theosophy1 as ,recorded in the ,writings of ,h4 ,p4 ,blavatsky and ,wm4 ,q4 ,judge40 ,,theosophy ,a ,magazine ,devoted to the ,theosophical ,movement1 the ,brotherhood of ,humanity1 the ,study of ,occult ,science and ,philosophy1 and ,aryan ,literature4 ,,theosophy is a ,monthly ,magazine devoted to the promulgation of ,theosophy as it was given by those who brought it4 ,established in #aiab by the ,united ,lodge of ,theosophists1 the magazine is now in the front rank of ,theosophical publications and its circulation extends to every civilized country4 ,the first eight volumes of the magazine contain reprints of the numerous original articles written by ,h4 ,p4 ,blavatsky and ,william ,q4 ,judge in explanation1 exemplification and application of the philosophy recorded in their published books4 ,these precious articles1 replete with ,occult instruction1 were first published in ,the ,theosophist1 ,lucifer1 and ,the ,path1 now for many years out of print1 so that their surpassing value was lost and inaccessible to ,students of the present generation4 ,,theosophy has made them once more available4 ,in addition to these reprints the magazine contains many original articles written by ,robert ,crosbie and other devoted ,pupils and ,students of the ,messengers of the ,theosophical ,movement of the nineteenth century4 ,not the least of the contents of the magazine are the ,studies of the ,teachings1 the historical articles relating to the ,theosophical ,movement1 the ,parent ,theosophical ,society1 and the many allied and related organizations and societies of the present day4 ,the entire contents of the magazine are universal in scope and application1 unbiased in treatment1 and free from sectarian or partisan influence4 ,in order to preserve at all times the impersonality of its tone1 and that readers may form their judgment from the inherent value perceived in the articles and not from the names signed to them1 the ,editors and ,contributors remain anonymous1 no living person's name being mentioned in connection with the authorship of any article published4 ,,back ,,volumes and ,back ,numbers can be supplied at #e4jj per ,volume and #ej cents per ,number4 ,,subscriptions can begin with any desired ,number of the current ,volume4 ,subscription price1 #b4jj per annum2 single copies #be cents each4 ,address all communications and remittances to ,theosophy1 ,metropolitan ,bldg41 ,los ,angeles1 ,cal4 ,students interested in obtaining a clear and correct understanding of the actual ,teachings of ,,theosophy1 as recorded in the writings of the ,messengers of the ,theosophical ,movement of the nineteenth century or in writings recommended by ,them1 should have the following books4 ,,key ,,to ,,theosophy1 ,by ,h4 ,p4 ,,blavatsky1 #b4ej ,an ,exposition in the form of question and answer4 ,the best ,manual for daily study and reference4 ,a verbatim reprint of the ,original ,edition4 ,large type1 durably and artistically bound in ,buckram4 ,,the ,,ocean ,,of ,,theosophy1 ,by ,,william ,q4 ,,judge1 #a4be ,a succinct presentation of the philosophy free from technical expressions2 a perfect condensation of the ,secret ,doctrines of ,man and ,nature4 ,cloth4 ,,the ,,occult ,,world ,,esoteric ,,buddhism ,by ,a4 ,p4 ,,sinnett1 ,each1 #b4jj ,the two earliest popular presentations of ,theosophical ,teachings1 containing extracts from ,letters written by the ,mahatma ,k4 ,h4 ,from the ,plates of the ,original ,american ,editions4 ,cloth4 ,,isis ,,unveiled1 ,two ,volumes1 ,by ,h4 ,p4 ,,blavatsky1 #aj4jj ,volume i1 ,science2 ,volume ii1 ,theology4 ,a reprint of the ,original ,edition of #ahgg4 ,this1 the first great work of ,h4 ,p4 ,b41 contains a vast wealth of information and instruction not to be had elsewhere4 ,cloth4 ,,the ,,secret ,,doctrine1 ,two ,volumes1 ,by ,h4 ,p4 ,,blavatsky1 #ae4jj ,volume ,i1 ,cosmogenesis2 ,volume ,,ii1 ,anthropogenesis4 ,the ,original ,edition1 published in #ahhh1 is now out of print4 ,this ,edition1 published in ,london1 contains some unwarrantable changes1 but is in the main accurate and is the only one available4 ,written 8for the instruction of students of ,occultism10 it is sui generis and absolutely invaluable to the true student of the mysteries of ,life and ,being4 ,cloth4 ,,abridgment ,,of ,,the ,,secret ,,doctrine1 ,by ,,katherine ,,hillard1 #c4jj ,a very good condensation of the major teachings of ,madame ,blavatsky's 8,secret ,doctrine0 in the language of the ,author4 ,cloth4 ,,theosophical ,,glossary1 ,by ,h4 ,p4 ,,blavatsky1 #e4jj ,a reprint of the ,original ,edition1 containing an exhaustive and scholarly treatment of the ,sanskrit and other technical terms employed in ,theosophical literature4 ,cloth4 ,,those who find the ,teachings of ,theosophy to be comprehensive1 self-explanatory1 and a complete solution of all the problems of ,life from a philosophical1 logical and scientific standpoint1 and who may desire to follow the ,path shown in order to realize in and for themselves the noble ,ideal of ,brotherhood exemplified by the ,,masters ,,of ,,wisdom1 are urged to read1 ponder and assimilate to the utmost extent possible to them1 the following ,treatises on the ,heart ,doctrine3 ,,the ,,voice ,,of ,,the ,,silence4 ,chosen ,fragments from ,the ,book of the ,golden ,precepts4 ,translated and annotated by ,h4 ,p4 ,blavatsky4 ,leather1 #a4ej ,cloth1 #a4be ,,the ,,bhagavad-,,gita1 ,the ,book of ,devotion4 ,containing the ,dialogue between ,krishna1 the ,supreme ,master of ,devotion1 and ,arjuna1 his ,disciple4 ,rendered into exquisite parallel terms in the ,english tongue by ,william ,q4 ,judge4 ,leather1 #a4ej ,cloth1 #a4be ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,bhagavad-,,gita4 ,commentaries of the greatest service to sincere students of to-day4 ,the first ,seven ,chapters by ,w4 ,q4 ,judge2 the remainder by his friend and ,colleague ,robert ,crosbie4 ,leather1 #a4ej ,,yoga ,,aphorisms ,,of ,,patanjali4 ,the ,thought of this ,ancient ,master1 whose ,aphorisms have been the guide of ,disciples in the ,east for untold thousands of years4 ,done into ,english terms with ,notes1 by ,william ,q4 ,judge4 ,leather1 #a4ej ,cloth1 #a4be ,,light ,,on ,,the ,,path4 ,a treatise for the personal use of those who are ignorant of the ,eastern ,wisdom1 and who desire to enter within its ,influence4 ,an exact reprint of the ,original ,edition of #ahhe1 together with the ,comments originally published in ,lucifer4 ,written down by ,m4 ,c4 ,leather1 #a4ej ,cloth1 #a4be ,,letters ,,that ,,have ,,helped ,,me4 ,actual ,letters1 by ,william ,q4 ,judge1 embodying ,lessons and ,guidance of direct personal value to every ,student and ,disciple4 ,volume ,i1 ,cloth1 #a4jj ,volume ,,ii1 ,cloth1 #a4jj ,the ,two ,volumes bound in ,one1 ,cloth1 #a4ej ,,the ,,voice ,,of ,,the ,,silence1 ,,the ,,bhagavad-,,gita1 ,and ,,patanjali',s ,,yoga ,,aphorisms1 ,bound in ,one ,volume1 ,leather1 #c4jj ,,parents and others interested in the ,spiritual and ,moral welfare of ,children and averse to the sectarian dogmas and false ideas prevalent under the name of religious teachings1 have long felt the necessity for literature which should impart true fundamental conceptions of ,nature1 of ,life and of ,duty to the growing generation4 ,as a portion of its ,fraternal activities the ,united ,lodge of ,theosophists has long maintained a ,children's ,school of ,theosophy4 ,to this ,school come children of all ages1 ,theosophists and ,non-,theosophists as to ,parentage4 ,they are taught the primary truths common to all religions and philosophies1 dealing with ,birth1 ,life1 ,death1 ,law1 ,action1 and ,duty4 ,the ,eternal ,verities thus inculcated make for clean1 sturdy1 wholesome physical1 mental1 as well as moral and spiritual happiness and well-being4 ,the experience thus gained in actual practice has been embodied in two books1 wherein the lessons and instructions found helpful and formative to the highest character are plainly and clearly outlined1 with all necessary suggestions and directions to enable ,parents1 ,teachers and others to fit themselves to be the better able to help and guide the plastic minds of the ,children to true perceptions of ,life and ,action4 ,,because--,,for ,,the ,,children ,,who ,,ask ,,why4 ,interesting1 comprehensible and assimilable1 in clear and reverent fashion this ,book presents to ,children the answers to those questions of ,self that ,parents find it most difficult to meet1 and affords a common basis of understanding to ,parent and ,child4 ,cloth1 #a4be ,,the ,,eternal ,,verities4 ,a ,series of ,lessons in basic truths and ideas1 with complete chart and programme so that its full value may be availed of in the instruction of ,children of all ages1 whether in the ,school or the ,home4 ,original ,songs1 ,chants1 ,music1 ,allegories and ,tales of ,symbolism1 in a manner not only to interest but to carry the ,lessons into the ,hearts and ,minds of the ,learners4 ,cloth1 #a4ej ,,in ,,order1 further1 to afford the maximum possible assistance to ,parents and others interested in the proper education of ,children1 ,the ,united ,lodge of ,theosophists maintains a ,bureau of ,correspondence to which particular problems connected with the bringing-up of ,children may be addressed4 ,replies to enquiries are in all cases by ,women ,associates of the ,lodge who are themselves ,mothers and ,teachers and who voluntarily and gladly give their time and experience to benefit their perplexed ,sisters4 ,there are no fees or charges of any description in connection with this labor of love1 and all ,mothers and ,teachers are invited to benefit by it4 ,address1 ,,children',s ,,school ,,of ,,theosophy ,,los ,,angeles1 ,,california #ejd ,metropolitan ,building1 ,broadway at ,fifth ,street ,,no ,,more important work exists for the ,theosophical ,student than to be in a position to direct inquirers to channels where they may inform themselves of the leading ,principles of the teachings of ,,theosophy in their philosophical1 ethical and scientific bearings4 ,the following are recommended for their exact accuracy1 their simplicity and clarity in the presentation of the ,wisdom-,religion4 ,,echoes ,,from ,,the ,,orient1 ,by ,,william ,q4 ,,judge4 ,a ,series of ,chapters written in the most admirable style1 giving an outline of ,theosophy and the ,theosophical ,movement1 and treating of the great ,subjects of ,masters1 ,karma1 ,re-incarnation and ,evolution4 ,cloth1 #j4fj ,paper1 4#ce ,,conversations ,,on ,,theosophy4 ,a ,pamphlet giving the fundamental teachings of the ,secret ,doctrine4 ,from the writings of ,h4 ,p4 ,blavatsky and ,william ,q4 ,judge4 ,paper1 envelope size1 4#aj ,in quantities for propaganda purposes1 #ej copies for #b4ej ,,karma ,,and ,,re-,,incarnation4 ,a large and attractively bound pamphlet1 envelope size1 containing the famous ,aphorisms on ,karma1 and a notably clear and comprehensive treatment of the subjects of ,karma and ,re-incarnation4 4#ae ,in quantities for propaganda purposes1 #ej copies for #d4jj ,,culture ,,of ,,concentration1 ,and ,,of ,,occult ,,powers4 ,two related ,essays by ,william ,q4 ,judge on subjects of supreme importance4 4#aj ,,extracts ,,from ,a ,,letter ,,that ,,has ,,helped ,,me4 ,being a statement of the ,gospel of ,hope and ,responsibility4 ,this ,letter has brought consolation and the comfort of understanding to many regarding the ,great ,mystery4 4#aj ,,thoughts ,,for ,,thinkers4 ,a ,pamphlet designed for the 8man in the street10 who is often an open-minded practical philosopher and thinker of the first rank4 ,these ,,thoughts are undogmatic1 non-argumentative and very suggestive4 4#aj ,the foregoing and other ,books advertised in the preceding pages may all be obtained on order through your local ,bookseller1 or orders may be sent direct to the undersigned4 ,inquiries are invited regarding any ,theosophical ,books and ,publications not specifically mentioned herein4 ,correspondence and questions are also invited on ,theosophical problems and subjects from all interested4 ,address all orders and inquiries and make all remittances payable to ,,united ,,lodge ,,of ,,theosophists ,,los ,,angeles1 ,,california #ejd ,metropolitan ,building1 ,broadway at ,fifth ,street