New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-09-25
THE LIFE OF THE SOUL.
MRS. ANNIE BESANT SPEAKS TO A BROOK
LYN AUDIENCE.
" DEATH AND AFTER" EXPLAINED FROM THE
PHILOSOPHICAL POINT OF VIEW-HIS-
TORICAL HALL FILLED.

TORICAL HALL FILLED.
Mrs Annie Besant addressed a large audience at
Historical Hail. Brooklyn last evening, upon
Death and After" The lecture was under the
auspices OF the Brooklyn Philosophical Society," anu
a number of we-known people were present MIS-
Besant spoke with earnest feeling upon her theile
She said that the entire conception of mans lie,
in its widest sense, from theosop ical point vi
view was so different from the ordinary orthouoA'
Christian view that it would be necessary 10 eA-
pound it.
The Christian Church teaches that the SOUL coN''
ing into existence birth, passes term on
earth and out Of by death TO spiritual state oil
existence, differently eXpouoded by different cnulcNe7
All cac. that short life the soul fixes it, eterhai
fate never to earth. 1t is true tha' soio
teach progress through various spheres but in the maui
the teaching that life fixes the post-moroem S'..
All agree that cannot know the after STATE UNA
passing earth, and that Christ is the only one "o
has back
The theosophical doctrine of life and death is en-
trcly different The. houl passes, in long cycle OIL
pilgrimage through successive states and lives mere u1
eyond life, term It. To the IheosopnlsO ',e
life Of the soul is the real HE IL passes 'n,ous"
many earth experiences, and many more IN the oiseh-
bodied state This life the place for necessary eN'
pericnce that build up that divine character "heh
tho ultimate object The life OF the soul is INC iA
life and not the body life. The life OF the soul apart
from the body IL its real normal and actual eAstence
Fran tho theosophc standpoint soul passes through
certain experience the body life, and lives III lour
planes OF existence Death implies the shaking oh Vi
this four.fod covering OF the body ,
At death we drop the body a whole but all through
life We have been changing the material BODY Inc o
difference I'm the passing away OF the body at DEAN anu
IN life is that in the 1t is done by degrees anu "
the former in an instant There must BE- some
beneath the body that is permanent II IL ID consume
changing There chemical electrical ana vital io'eoH
playing through our These forces play through the
means OF subtle ether without this there would Ia
no life The physical plane Is the i'eai o'
the ether forming astral life confined within the Doul
all going 70 form what call the body Modern sciece
has found exactly constituent parts OF the ne
~ mon that theosophy teaches The physical ana astral
bdes clothe the soul Beside these there l. the Douy
., desire BY which soul feels and experiences appe'
es emotions and sensations. lis final form Is us own
thought body which the soul has with IL always.
Iyhcn death takes place. ply steal body Is shaken
off and tho astral body withdraws and all the vital
energies from the material molecules anu e
coordination impulse is The body becomes mass
f corruption This, from the standpoint OF occutsh
can take place in call life, aud the astral body
IN is thought body can other planes and knowledge
u them ca. be acquired and impressed on the physical
brain. These experiences are by no means uncommon
and arc gradually becoming normal.
After occupying the astral body for bref period
tho soul passes into transition state, colored by tn.
rarth ife II the soul is unicveoped IL ha: lNe vgo
a ed5i D', tate by the way IN whch our earth fe ma
ci ONE feeble and SOUL is able to become Tree 10 3
| u It's LIE. A.. ,oud ,,o cod.
for every soul Is god. The soul Is goa fallen mt
,,,,t,r cain cXlerience II remains in It's own pac
r long ueriod after experimenting lfe assmatln9 tha
r,peripnce Every thought leaves an indeHDe lmptr >
upon the soul and these nyriade Of thoughts are oeroy
in the soul life Every dr. am and aspiration Wiz %
dryelopod and that foundation the soul wiz Dulu
ia ~ beautiful achievements. and then IN some far
on century YOU may bring back to the earth ne UNI
mighty purp1se splendid decd Every hero saht an'
MARTYR IN this world H. scu that mas drought oacA Io
life ~ the gods tho beautiful cam OF tne sT ar,
and grown strong by meultabou an
brought back bless men. The groaer the hu"i.f :,
nob ASH ratlons tho finer and greater the HE OF IN
soul after death there is no break or jar an "a
ing from the earth life 10 the soul NE Inc ire Vi u
IS real life.