The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1892-08-20
THEosoPHY.
Fundamental TeHets OF a RatiOna
Philosophy.

d. The Theosophical Society was organ
:. lied in New York city in 1875. Its
,e world ,and it's membership comprises men
g and women of every profession, race and
u belief. Iheosophical ideas color the lit :
e erature of the world and influence the ad-
vanced thought of the age. Scholars and
e scientists are now delving III ancient ar
/ chives of oriental literature and discov-
y ering immense stores of knowledge which
' solve many problems otherwise 1nsolv-
, able. Oriental literature is being trans
lated by Theosophlsts, and contains
knowledge upon astronomy, architecture,
agriculture, mathematics, mental and
/ physical science, ana other departments
of human thought, far in advance of that
of our own time.
The Theosophcal Society has three OBJ
jects: 1st-To form the nuclues Of a
brotherhood of humanity without dis
tlnction OF race, creed, sex or color. I'd
To study oriental literature, religions and
sciences and demonstrate their import
ance. 3d-To investigate unexplained
laws Of nature and latent powers In man.
The two principal tenets of Theosophy
are karma and reincarnation. = Cycles of
| activity and inactivity sway over all ma
| ture. Day and night, summer and WIN |
| tel, the ebb and flood of the tides and pro- |
| cession of the equinoxes, are some phases |
of this LAWS operation. Man IS not an
| exception to the universal law, but gov
erned by it. His periods of activity and |
rest are life and death. The spiritual |
Ego, the Thinker, of each man is eternal,
though the personalities, the transient
| phases of the former, are not. The
Thinker is one and continuous, but the
personalities or separate ear,h-lives are
many. Each lite IS a personality, and |
during each wisdom IS evolved through |
experience which at death is added 10 the !
store previously acquired in other earth
lives. This store of wisdom, the result
of many lives, is the Thinker. 1t has IN
finite capacity which requires eternity
wherein 10 satisfy it. This earth affords
vast opportunities and the Ego repeatedly
returns to earth TO utilize them. Each
life is an advance, there is no retrogres-
sion. One life is inadequate wherein To
perfect the SOULS plan of perfection
hence, it returns again and again until Its /
plan is perfected, then, and not till then it |
leaves this earth and rises to higher
plane. Karma, the law of cause and |
effect, connects the many earth-lives in an
unbroken chain. Each life is link in
the chain. AS a man thought and acted
in past lives, he is now. He has thus
made himself. AS he now acts, he is
making his future lives happy or miser
able, because present thought and action
are either violations OF, or conformances
to, law. If in past lives given man vIo- ,
lated law, sought his own selfish cnds | .
was cruel and inscriptions, he is now Z
paying, or will In future lives pay, for ! :
of his evil acts. The law
of karma is inexorable and absolutely
just. The same Is true as to right
thought and action in past lives. The
man is now reaping, or snail In the future E
reap happiness. There is no room in
for the false teaching of vlcari- b
Gus atonement. Each man absolutely
stands upon merit or demerlt and that IS c
of his own good or EVIL
thought and action of this and other lives
Ii 1t were possible for an innocent one to / p
suffer Tor a guilty man and he escape | g
consequences of outraged law, 1t would | ii
also be possible tor selfish man to rob | :,
and deprive one of fruits of conformance y
10 law. Thus,a double injustice Is lodged | -
IN the fallacy of vicarious atonement. 1t =
has no basis in logic, reason or common 8
sense; nor has 1t foundation in any law n
Of God OF nature, hut is base prostitu- =;
ion OF the philosophical principle that II
each man has to sacrifice his lower to his /,
higher nature, which is the Christ within | =;
him, if he would attain conscious Immor ~
allty. =,
There is need to enlarge our study and a.
observation beyond present narrow bound ~
lries regarding these and other problems. te
When that is done we shall discover .f
,ast deal more knowledge bearing there n,
IN than IS now known to US. Theosophy is q,
hat knowledge, and is the basis upon ar
which rests, and from which originally tr
prang, all religious and PHILOSOPHERS of Al
whatsoever time and people. Study and W
observation will reveal the fact that the mr.
,nly differences existing between all re- mr.
iglons and PHILOSOPHERS are changes 81,
made by priestcraft of past and theolo- ar
sians of present times. Creeds and dog in
mas which attempt to define the infinite su
md its attributes; which attempt to find tn
and place restrictions upon the ii,
oul, are ensfaying bonds which prevent te
Is development, estop all progress, and fri
end to produce a race of weakllngs. ca
Theosophy is the only philosophy ex- all
ant which offers comprehensive and ra- an
ional solution and throws hight upon the ho
hidden but pote1t mysteries of lite. No Nj
'ther system even touches upon many E.
most vital problems to any considerable Nj
legree, but mo. often rIdlcu es and de- ca
lies their existence. Theosophy exhaust LIE
ye deals with ali known issues and con- NJ
tantiy projects exp oration into unknown tel
eaims OF both physical and super physl- an
al rea ms. 1t applies to every racial and an
condition and reveals the hid Ne
en- things of darkness. Nothing Is too MI
acred tor investigation. The very gods N.
re questioned. 1t is believed that wnat an
he mind of man aspires to is contained mt
q the mind of cosmos and Is attainabie is
hat the mind of Deity and man is one in a 4
he ratio of expansion of the latter. tip
The 1heosophical society Is body of grs
tudenis searching for more knowledge, no.
1ore light, and desirous of imparting to the
heir fellows, and thus helping men in the
MY true way, by he ping them helpl Pr
lemselves. A teaching of Theosophy is,
Accept nothing on authority, hearsay, or
ecause of source; but rigidly investigate Edi
efore either accepting or rejecting any
hing" master once said, "rhe Fheo- =.
optical society was formed no, to graf QUE
" individual aspirations, but to hep our Th
sllOw men," All so inc ined are invited du1
} join it. Information may be had by
Secretary Pac fic Coast Com IN
l Itee for Theosophc Work, Room 35, cou
504 Market street, =. +. we