The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-28
WHAT Is THEOsOPHY?
The Ancient sswfsdom- Religion"-Ob-
jects of the Philosophical Society.


Jects of tho Philosophical Society.
All the world of late has been talking
about theosophy-mostly with a plentiful
lack of observation-disclosures of the death
of the woman who presented it once more
IN the Western world, Helena Petrovna
Blavatsky. Many predicted its disappear
ance with the death of IT'S expounder, but
Nine. Blavatsky was only the latest of q
long line of messengers who, at consider
able intervals of time, have put forth the
same teachings, the same ideas touching
the universe, man and mans destiny.
Theosophy was not born with her physi-
cal body. nor has it died with it; on the
contrary, it has received a new impulse
from her departure, if only in the fresh
proof that it does not depend on the physi-
cal presence of any one personality, how
ever great. And truly her personality
was very great one, how great will be
measured better century hence than it is
today.
Theosophy is the ancient "Wisdom
Religion" as handed down for thousands
of years by generation after generation of
Initiates, who from time to time have
given out portions of its doctrines, as the
evolution of the human race rendered
mankind at large ready for the teaching.
These Initiates are merely men more
highly evolved than their fellow-men, who
have become capable of experimenting the
deeper truths of nature, by developing the
intellectual and spiritual parts of their be-
Ing, and SO coming into contact with por-
tlons OF the universe unknown to the race
at large. For 1t must be remembered that
while our knowledge of the universe is
bounded by our capacity to receive impress
sions from it, the universe itself is not so
bounded. Every fresh sense, every new
point of contact, that can be developed in
man opens up new avenues to knowledge
of the Infinite stores of nature. The Ini-
tiates-called sometimes Adopts, Mahat-
mas, Masters-are men who have opened
up many such new avenues, and who pass
on the knowledge thus acquired to their
more backward brethen. as these are able
to understand it.
This wisdom religion-to give it its older
name, for "theosophy" is modern title.
dating only from the third century A. D.
lis the foundation of all exot-
eric religions. the source of all
true sciences and PHILOSOPHERS. The
chief doctrines of the great religions of
the world are allegories, too often dis
torted, clustered round a nucleus of exo-
teric truth. The science of the nineteenth
century draws some of its most cherished
theories from the Initiates of Greece, and
the chief discoveries" of the Middle Ages
were made by men who had been trained
In occultism in the East-as the discovery
of hydrogen by Paracelsus. Every stu
dent can see how the most advanced phil
osophies of Germany are permeated with
the spirit OF the Eastern schools. And so,
in the course of ages the time has come
when theosophy can stand out to claim a
hearing for its doctrines from the intellec-
tual world, to challenge the theory of ma
terlalism, to lay the scientific foundation
of religion and to give that sure basis for
ethics OF which modern society is so much
in need.
Theosophy teaches that the universe is
life embodied. and regards esprit" and
matter" as the two poles of this manifest
ing energy, which evolves into seven
planes or stages of existence, each charac-
terized by Its own attributes. Man is an
image In miniature of the universe, and is
therefore sevenfold in his constitution,
being related by each plane of his being to
the corresponding plane in the universe.
Hence, as he evolves the higher parts of
himself he comes into contact with the
higher planes of the universe, and can
study, investigate and know them with as
much certainty as he can study, investi-
his i've physical senses. The department
OF theosophy that deals with the methods
OF this evolution is called occultism; it is
the study of the mind of the universe by
theory and by practice. Few have the
seii-sacrince, the endurance, the courage.
the purity, for such investigation, and en-
phatically it is true of students of occult
ism that few are chosen"
Accepting the correspondence between
the universe and man, il follows that man
must also be spirit-embodied, i. e., that he
is spirit using body, not body pos
seit-conscious on all planes OF existence
only by experience, and this experience
can only be won by treading each plane in
all It's phases. until the perfect man, living
on all planes in full self-consciousness, Is
ultimately evolved. The task is a long
ana weary one, needing myriads OF years
Tor complete accomplishment, so that the
spirit and intelligence, which are the per-
manent part of man, must return
to earth life over and over
again, inhabiting body after body,
ind building up brick by brick the splen-
dld temple of a divine humanity. The
osophy, then, teaches the doctrine OF re-
incarnation, and further OF reincarnation
under law. This law, named karma (the
Sanscrit word for action), is the enunci-
alton OF causation in all worlds, mental
ana moral as spiritual, and reincarnation
ID NnueE AUS sway. AS Tue iiau soWS IN
one life, he reaps in succeeding lives, and
he can never escape the consequences ofhis
own actions. ACTIONS" in the theosophiCal
vocabulary, it should be said. includes
all mental as well as bodily activities, the
mental being, indeed, by far the most
potent in their effects. n fashion, any
description of which would far outrun the
limits of my space. man in each life casts
the mold for its future capacities. power
OF seize preston climbing slowly up with
many slips and falls, alas that long ladder