The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-04-12
Theosophy.

We have now arrived at the conclusion
that Theosophy presents US with q science
of man; and the natural question which
next arises is: What proofs have we that
this science is a real science, and that its
| teachings are right! The answer is that
complete and convincing proofs can be
sought for only in our inner being; that
they are obvious only to the seeker himself;
and that they are of such nature that alb
solute proof can be given by one man to an
! other, but only by himself to himself |
can easily imagine that this explanation, at
the the first glance, seems delightful way
OF Sinking the question; for hera we have
science claiming to be little less than di-
vine, whose advocates instead OF giving
practical demonstration of the truths which
| they claim to teach-as all natural sciences
are obliged to do-assert that each one is to
be his own judge Of what is true and what
Is false. But on closer inspection this SEEM
Ing lrregularity vanishes. The knowledge
which we are accustomed to associate with
the name of science is what we must call
lmmanenJ in the character is to say,
It confines itself within the bounds of all
possible experience which can reach Us
through the channels of our senses from
the world around US; whereas the knowI
edge which we gain of the inner life is tran
scendental, or, knowledge which passes the
bounds of all those phenomenal experiences
which illustrate the former; so that the
kind OF demonstration which is suitable for
the one is obviously inapplicable to the
other. Now by denying the validity of
proof which comes straight from the inner
consciousness we are only emphasizing the
fact, already sufficiently well established,
that most OF us know hardly anything
about our inner being; for want of knowl-
edge in this direction, and not the absence of
the occult side of man, is the true reason
why such proofs are diScredited. Surely it
Is obvious that while nature seeks to make
her presence known to maa by acting on b 9
senses. there must be something behind
these same senses which represents their
vitality and subjective quality. Nature is
necessarily judged by external manifesto
tions. Man in his turn can be known onlv
by his internal manifestations
We have, therefore, a definite and ever
present object for theosophical study, which
We may synthesize in the word conscious
ness" and. while our exterior life teaches
US the relation of things to things, our in
terror life explains Ito those who know how
to learn) the relation of things to them
selves; for here the object of study is also
the subject, and the result may be said to
be inner conviction, or facts present to
themselves.
This study is profound, for it is ALWAYS
carried along the line of depth instead of
extension, as is the case with the study of
phenomena. But it is certainly accompa-
MED by dangers, rightly understood by pop
ular opinion, which generally condemns in
trospection. But the wisdom of which I
have already spoken acts as complete safe
guard against all peril, guiding the foot
steps OF the traveller safely past the pitfalls
in the path.
We hold, moreover, that sooner or later
every human being must learn to know
himself, either by voluntary effort or forced
there to by the hard and cruel pressure of
outside circumstances. This knowledge is
the golden crown theosophy offers to man,
in order that he may cease to live bound by
the law of necessity; and the light which
illuminates him will beautify life to a de
gree undreamt of by the slaves of passion
and desire, who represent the units of our
present social system. 1t offers no definite
recompenses as inducements to others to be-
come theosophists, for 1t holds that each
one OF US is potentially God, whose latent
powers it rouses into life, through the lib
GRAFTON of will by knowledge; and it would
therefore be only defeating its own object