The herald., 1894-06-18
YESTERDAY IN THE CHURCHES,
DR.. Allen Griffith Outlines the
Principles of Theosophy.
DR.. Thomson of Unity Church ON
Christ's Nature.
Gospel Meeting OF the Y. w. O. A.-ssr'
Woes In the Simpson Tabernacle.
Church OF tho New Err
Other Services.

DR.. Allen Griffith, the Pacific coast
lecturer OF the Theosophical society. ad-
dressed large audience last evening at
the headquarters of the cult here, on the
High Lights of Theosophy. His dis
course was in substance as follows:
Theosophy is not new, but az old as
man. The Theosophical society, organ
ICED In New York city in 1875, 10 the
body chosen by adopts through which
greater knowledge is impaired to the
race in this last quarter OF our century.
Similar organizations existed in COR
responding periods of the past, as q
knowledge OF history demonstrates.
Cycles of activity and rest sway
throughout cosmos and the last quarter
OF each century is q minor cycle OF
activity. Adopts, Mahatmas, meaning
Great Souls, are an order of men who
possess great knowledge as result OF
ages OF study and investigation OF law
and the finer forces of man and ma
ture. They do not die and be-
come unconscious, as do ordinary
men, but maintain an existen ce
of unbroken Consciousness extending
over ages. They were once men like
ourselves and natural evolution will
later raise us to their state.
Mahatmas, the elder brothers OF our
race, are the custodians OF occult knowl-
edge, as yet unknown to ourselves.
They are imbued with altruism, are the
teachers of the race, and in the last
quarter of each century, which is the
worlds spring time, impart knowledge
to the race and thus assist it to advance
in the only true way, /. g., in helping
men help themselves. Any other
method would tend to produce q race
of weaklings, and without this help
mankind would stagnate or deteriorate.
We are now in the last quarter OF our
century. Nine. II. P. Blavatsky was the
messenger and the Theosophicsl society
the channel chosen by the adopts to Of.
feet that object at this time, proof OF
which Ia submitted, in that Nine. Bla-
vatsky's two principal works, Isis I'm
yelled and The Secret Doctrine, contain
knowledge not found elsewhere.
The motto OF the society is: There Is
No Religion Higher than Truth. In a
relative sense, truth ia knowledge OF
realities. of law. OF the mind of man
and cosmos, and thsir relation and in
tefaction.
Amaxim OF theosophy is: "Accept
nothing on authority, hearssy or be-
cause of source. but rigidly investigate
before accepting or rejecting anything"
This course affords scope for individual
thought and action, prevents bigotry
and dogmatism, and permits OF that toll
Grafton which is absolutely indispens-
able to real progress and true happi-
ness.
Karma and reincarnation are taught
by theosophy. The soul, the thinker,
that within man which ia the deific
spark, is eternal as to past as we'll as flu
ture. To presume an eternity OF only
one dimension is logical absurdity.
The thinker has lived many lives on this
earth prior to the present one, and will
live many more on this same earth. One
life even of 20 years 10 inadequate where
in to develop the soul to the fullest ex.
tent which, in visw of lite present status,
opportunities are alone afforded by
earthly existence. Therefore, it returns
repeatedly to earth. This ia the process
OF character building and is known as
reincarnation. When the thinker shall
have attained all held in earthly posi-
bilities it will rise to higher planes Of be-
ing, and not until then, simply because
perfection is required upon lower planes
as condition for advance to the next
higher. In each earth life wisdom is
gained through individual experience.
On death of body the wisdom evolved
in that life is added to that evolved in
all past ones. Thus each life is an adj
vance upon all preceding ones. In ages
past the soul evolved up through the
mineral. vegetable and animal Kingdoms
to the human stage, where rsincarna-
tion is the natural order OF it's evolution.
When once the soul reaches the human
plane il never again incarnates in any
lower kingdom. Above the human plane
Ia that OF the adept, the Grand Being !;
grand by virtue of great knowledge, al
trusm and compassion. in that He for
goes His own advance that He may he'll p
the race progress, without which assist
ance il would TAIL.
Karms is the law of cause and effect
which connects all the many earth lives
OF each thinker in an unbroken eeries.
BY this law we may understand the
reason for the apparently unjust suffer.
ing OF many, and the seemingly unmerit-
ed happiness of others. The former in
pact earth lives violated laws and now
suffer the consequences; the latter, then
and there c0nformed to Law, and now
enjoy. There is an absolute method in
the succession of events! Thought and
action are causes. generating correspond
ing effects. Cause and effect are insep-
erable, both lodge in the actor, and are
part of him, and he cannot eecape from