The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1892-04-04
THEOSOPHY.
An Outline Of the Belief by
One Of Its Promoters.
offered for Publication by a
Reader on Behalf of
Enquirers

The following tract has been Of
fered for publication as communi-
cation, by reader of the BULLETIN
who wishes, in this way, TO answer
the often heard question, "What is
TheosophyY'
In this age of multitudinous be-
liefs-religious, philosophic, scien-
tilic, and mystical broad minded
people who are free from prejudice
in favor of any particular belief, are
at loss which to accept; and not
being able to accept all, generally
end in accepting none, that is in be-
coming agnostics. But the agnostic
position, however free from shackles,
is after all one of debasement; TO
confess ones self ignorant does not
raise ones self-respect. Neither is
the sentiment of vencration, and 9TH
ers akin thereto, satisfied. Hence an
agnostic, unless he be devoid of such
sentiments, ]. e., a moral deformity,
must ever be conscious of an aching
void. y
Is there, then, no alternative be-
tween being an agnostic and accept
ing one of the exclusive forms of be-
lief and worship called religions?
Must an earnest and broad minded
enquirer either contine his soaring
p,,irit uithi,, nd nj, A.
ed limits of church, or else profess
himself an atheist Ask Mrs. Besant
and many others who have had this
perpeXing question solved for them,
and they will tell you that there is a
system called Theosophy, which will
enable man to preserve his breadth
of mind without compelling him TO
sacrifice his aspirations and venera-
ton for the supreme.
WHAT, THEN, Is THEOSOPHY!
Theosophy is a system designed to
reconcile all religions, PHILOSOPHERS,
and sciences under one common sys-
ten of ethics based on eternal veri-
| ties. This is stock definition and
TO those who are accustomed to hear
big words used to express small ideas
or to define empty dogmas they may
seem pretentious; but little expla-
nation will remove this objection.
People may say, ''IIow can all relig
ions be recouciled under one system,
when they are so opposed to one
another in their doctrnes?" The
answer is that Theosophy does not
try to reconcile doctrines, since these
are merely the external forms of re-
ligions, due to cumulative effect of
differences in the climatic, racial and
intellectual characteristics of the var
lous peoples who profess them.
In days long gone by, before that
event took place which is described
IN the Bible as the "Fall of Man" +,
and is known by Theosophists as the
fall of Spirit into matter, the human
race was more spiritual and god-like
than at present, and the confusion of
races, nations, and creeds did not
exist, for the curse of separateness
and selfishness had not yet descend
ed, and man was a harmonious
brotherhood. The knowledge Of God,
of the Universe, of Life, had not be-
come degraded 10 mere speculation
AS it is at present, when everyone is
at liberty TO build up religion or
philosophy of his own. Neither were
the aspirations of the heart severed
from those of the intellect, and the
science of life divided into two
Religion and Science--as at
the present day. There was one
single system of knowledge, en-
bracing all departments of enquiry,
whether ethical, social, scientific, or
what not, and it has been called the
INTERPRETATIONS, OR THE SECRET
DOCTRINE,
or the Divine Gnosis. AS man be-
came more material. selfish, and evil
it became necessary to keep this
divine knowledge more or less secret,
because it was dangerous to entrust
it to people who might use it for theil
own private advantage, instead OF
for the general welfare. Hence il
we examine the pages of history We
find that it was taught from time tC
time, under names similar to the
above, by persons calling themselves
"Hierophants' or Initiates, tc
small select bodies or schools by
means of ceremonies known a,
"Mysteries".
To mention a few instances, there
were the Mysteries of Egypt ant
Samothrace, Pythagoras and his
school, Plato, the Alexandrian philo
sophers and Neo-Platonists, the Mys
teries known as Eleusinia in Greece
and the IogiS and Adopts of mo
dern India, with their religio- philo
sOphical systems, eXoteric and ESQ