The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-29
WHAT Is THEOSOPHY?
Mrs. Annie Besant's Explana-
ton Of the New Cult.
EVERY MOLEcULE HAS LIFE.
Tho Divine IL In Everything-rheo OF
ReincarnatiOn-India Manners
and Morals Preferable.

Mrs Annie Besant lef, Seattle yesterday On
the steamer Multnomah for Tacoma During
her stay here she was the guest OF Mr.. and Mrs.
r l. B!odgett, at 3Q05 Yesler avenue. A recep-
ton was given her there at II q. m. Speaking
OF theosophy and of her lecture of Tuesday
night she said:
My lecture was not strictly on theosophy a.
such. II was intended only to illustrate the
part that theosophy had in relation TO our every
day life. Theosophy is simp.v this We believe
that every moleeule of matter is instinct with
consciousness more or less developed, and that
the desire for life and growth, tendency TO rise
upward OF each molecuIe to higher plane il
what makes this world Take the internal mole.
cules or atoms of this paper hold in my hand,
or OF that piece OF granite out there on the
ground and compare them to human being;
the difference is one OF degree only. In long
cycle OF ages. you or may be in Nirvana. the
molecules OF that stone be human beings. The
purpose of ali oeing is endless cycles OF develop
menE From the great central essence OF the
universe are given OUT successive orders of con-
sciousness, more or less refined, and their efforts
to return to the great central body make
Life and the world. This is pan.heistic,
this means that what we call divine is in
everything. And that everything is striving to
reach up to the divine again. The Nirvana or
perfect state In which the soul has thrown OF
all its three bodies is attained as the result of
many experiences here which have to be gained
after each death and each return of the soul TO
the earth. This is reiucarnetion, which means
simply in English that the soul or spirit re-
turns to earth after what is called death and
takes on itself again a body for another course
OF development After successive developments
of this kind, probations here and hereafter. the
spirit attains with perfect knowledge and ex-
perieuce 10 the vast central essence OF the uni
verse, Nirvana as drop of water in the ocean.
But there is this difference: The individual re-
tains its consciousness, though merged into the
vast central mass. Its function then is to re-
turn to this life in some exalted form, as in the
case OF Budiha or Jesus. and point the way to
US here TO better things"
'iou use the word divine How does your
present position on the idea of Supreme Being
CONFORM to your atheistic stand taken in years
past?'
al never took an atheistic stand in the sense
OF denying the existence OF q God. Even my
friend Charles Bradlaugh, the very type of mill.
tant atheism did not deny the existence OF
God. We simply declined the conception be-
cause the evidence of it was insufficient That
was all The present attitude OF seeing God in
everything and everything God is NOT at all
inconsistent with my attitude before had the
evidence now have. The objection to the old
definitions OF the Supreme Is their self.contra-
dieting character the IDEA OF personality that is
contained in them. The othodox friends soy
the Supreme is an infinite person. which, as
you SEC, IS u sell destroying phrase. A person
is a human, and therefore fiuite, thing. To say
an Infinite person is the same saying an
infinite finite thing. the sbsurdity OF which
needs no explanation. Our idea of the Infinite
is Invested of all the human conceptions which
gather around the word person"
'ln this new cult you take stand which re-
peals existing restraints, rules which conserve
the morals OF many people; do you not feel con-
siderable responsibility in the premises?"
81 do not know what you mean by repeating
existing moral agencies or restraints, but in
other respects your question answers itself.
Your religion, gagged by your morality. is an
utter failure, is not SUCCESS"
~Do you mean TO say that Indian manners and
morals are preferable to English or those of
English speaking people?"
ITO 3 great extent do, and even where they
are not, the fault rests largely with Christian
England and to her conquest"
Way has this revelation of Theosophic truth
been confined 20 India and ,Hindoos? Does not
that LOOK like the same kind OF alleged Divine
iayoriism TO special people that is objected
10 in so-called orthodox reigions?"
1.-The answer to that is that no such favorit-
ism exists as far as our faith Is concerned.
some of the greatest minds in ali ages have ar
rived at knowledge On our truths Take the
great German, Schopeuhauer. He is mostly re-
membered to and thought of because Of hi
intense pessimism; but in his works he gives
expression TO our thoughts. Alfred Tennyson,
tho English poet, ii describing how his best
inspirations came to him, told the very PHI
nomenon which we know as TIE separation
the astral body from the physical. Othe. gre
men have given expression to Theosophic truth
No, we slege no divine favoritism to lis at all
Mrs Besant is remarkable woman. Pc
sonslly she is simplicity itself She is of above
medium height, of good figure, has dark, search
ing eyes and hair plentifully sprinkled with
gray Her voice is quiet and deep and her
manner is absolutely free from the dognatism
or volubility which so often characterizes per-
sons of great mental sttai n ments ana wide ex.
perience. she is absolutely lair In discussion,
but holds her antagonist 10 strictest account,
to closest definition Of terms and expressions
used in argument Her whole manner and
demeanor suggest thought and reflection.