Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-15
LETTER BAG.
The Difference.

| Los ANGELES, May 10, 1892.
EDITORS HERALD: Please state in YOUR
paper what is the difference between
Theosophy and Buddhism, and oblige a
subscriber. w. G.. CALHOUN.
The difference between Thecsophy and
Buddhism is like the difference between
| Theosophy and Christianity. 1t is the
difference between the synthesis of any
thing and one of its parts. Theosophy
claims to be the root-essence, the funda-
mental principle Of religion, as it is OF
the other two aspects of truth,
viz: Science and philosophy. Just as
there is no part of the teachings of
Christ and of Chrst's disciples, which
Theosophist, understanding them. may
not accept, so with those of Buddha;
there is no part of them, so far as l
know, that may not be understood and
accepted by Theosophist. The fact
that there are hundreds of the most intel
ligent Buddhists, as we'll as Christians
and followers of other faiths, who are at
the same time ardent students of The
osophy would indicate that Theoso-,,r
is, as it claims, a little turtle =, hs fhs
hill OF life and commaads a wider view
Of truth.
The Buddhism of Buddha, like tho
Christianity Of Christ, is gospel c,f
love and absolute unselishness, and in
this It is one with Theosophy. But the
Buddhism commonly represented to us
as the belief OF the Southern church of
India and Ceylon is materialistic, and
in this it is entirely ut variance with
the teachings of Yheosophy. The
doctrine of transmigrstion, which some
ignorant or malignant persons have
thrown at Theosophy, is the very oppo-
site of Theosophy. Transmigration is
| the descent of the human soul to lower
kingdoms. Re-incarnation is the ascent
of everything in the universe from lower
| forms to higher. use the word for ms
| advisedly, for Theosophy teaches that
all forms are but manifestations OF one
life. Back of all forms is one and the
same substance or principle, which is
neither matter or force, nor intelligence
alone, but is the root of all three. AS
man ia no exception to the universal
law, he, too, must be subject to eternal
progress. AS the atom passes through
various stages of mineral and then of
vegetable and OF animal form and yet
retains Its identity as an atom, 60 man,
the thinker" passes through various
forms in his upward evolution.
1t may be that this Hindu ''super-
stition" has, as most of their eastern
teachings have, certain foundation in
fact. Science demonstrates that the
emanation of carbonic acid from the
human lungs is absorbed by plant life.
May it not be that the anima! passions
of man produce psychic emanation,
which enters into the animal kingdom :?
The religions of the world have a
common foundation and express some
partial aspect of eternal truth. They
have each had their time and place.
Each has served purpose, and the race
and age to which it came was better for
it's coming. And the man who lives up
to the highest teachings of any OF them
and disregards the man-made rubbish of
creed and superstitions, with which time
andgreed have overlaid them, and keeps
his mind open to truth on all sides as a
mans horizon wider grows in making
an ascent, is on the high road to The
| ooonhv AnpOrT CLARK n IT