The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-11-28
THE THEosoPHlsTs.
Mr.. Burcham Harding, Their Lecturer
Speaks on Reincarnation.

Mr.. Burcham Harding, lecturer for the
Theosophical Society, spoke in brown
Block last evening on "Reincarnatlon.
He said in part:
Study of comparative religions shows
that there is one truth underlying all
religions. The various sects, denomlna-
tions and religions are but methods oe
vnei by man to help him to reach tha5
central truth.
When the Truth is reached the lnd1~
vidual becomes one with the truth,
and no longer requires the rellglon.
Religions are therefore a means and not
an end. In our imperfect state of knowl-
| edge, it is absurd to dogmatlze, as
man can only believe what he knows,
and be hopes to advance in knowledge.
The Philosophical Society is made up of
students seeking for the truth. They
have no creed, but are bound by the tie
of doing something to help humanity.
The chief work today seems to lie in
spreading a knowledge Of man, his
that he is spiritual being, possessing
soul, and Is immortal. A belief
grounded on these facts would make
man a responsible being in his own
eyes, and convince him of the necessity
of living unselfishly.
Reincarnation is the only means OF
showing man that he is immortal, and
strangely to be told that each person has
lived countless lives in this world In
other bodies; each life on earth being
followed by an existence in Heaven.
That man gains partial experience in
each life which is assimilated by the soul
in Heaven, after which the soul returns
to earth, taking another body.
Relncarnation extends the horizon OF
our existence from the few years spent in
this body to the eternity of the past. 1t
thus adds to our Importance very greatly.
The doctrine also gives great hope
to all afflicted ones, for if they live their
present lives Alright their next ones will
bring happier circumstances.
Whatsoever man sows that shall he
reap" Paul said. Is it not more reason
able to think that he was right. and ian
creates his own circumstances. We SOW
in one life and reap in the next earth
life. This will account for some people
being rich, intelligent, happy, beautiful,
gifted, others poor, Ignorant. stupid, mis-
cradle and deformed. Or shall we say
some unjust Deity curses some aud bless
es others?
The whole evolution of nature is carried
Oh by the process of reincarnation or re-
embodiment, The evolutionary wave
passes through every form of the min
eraI, vegetable and animal Kingdom.
How can it change from form to form
without passing from one TO announcer
being re-em bodied into each. Renlcar-
nation is the application OF this evolu-
tionary law to man., which must con-
tinue until man gains all experience.
If rencaInation be not accepted, we have
but one life in which to perfect our
selves. Of the one life, a third il passed
in sleep, and most of the remainder in
attention to bodily wants, infancy, and
earning living. The soul has hardly
any time for perfecting itself-yet we are
in this world to acquire perfection.
To become perfect, all departments OF
knowledge are necessary. All experience
of every age and condition must be had.
Character must he perfectly moulded.
One life does not sufflce.
Some think that the act of dying
makes all equal, but if SO, life has no
meaning, and it matters not how we pass
the time on earth. Spiritual discipline
after death is believed in by some, but
there is no proof of such thing being
reached. Why are we born here, IT the
discipline is to be had after we die?
These suggestions are unsatisfactory
but reincarnation answers every question
put to it. Successive lives on earth en-
able us to gain all knowledge. They
bring us back at all times of the worlds
progress. We can pass through every
experience one by one. We can develop
all faculties, including those OF patti .nce
and sympathy, which are OF slow growth.
Self control can be reached. A gradual
broadening of ideas takes place in Sue
cessive lives, giving basis for brother
hood. Reincarnation explains why races
aud nations decay, for the souls no
longer require the experience OF those
nations, and reincarnate in others. 1T
restore s us our conception of justice in the
Deity.
Nearly seventy per cent. OF the lnhab-
jtapts of the world believe in reincarna-
ton. 1t was taught in Christianity up
to the year 535 AID, when it was ex-
plunged by some ignorant monks. Jesus
Christ refers to it in the Bible. He SAID
John the Baptist was Elias. who had
been dead hundreds OF years. Paul
John. Solomon also speaks of it in the
Bible. 1t WAS taught by Origen. Synes-
JUS and other Christian fathers. The Rev
Edward Beecher, in his book the Con
fiict of the Ages" says that "Christlan-
ity is illogical without reincarnation,
1t is rapidly being accepted by the more
enlightened ministers of today, for with
out it man is soulless being in his own
conception. and he cannot understand
religion.
Some ask, why do we not recollect
our past livess" The brains with which
we try to remem Der belong to this body,
which did not exist in previous life.
Some do recollect their past lives
those who have acquired the conscious
ness of the soul, which lived before.
Heredity does not contradict reincar
nation, for we do not love because we
are related, but are related because we
loved in previous life. Members Of
the same family differ greatly in charac-
ter, but if heredity be the law they
should be similar. There Was only Que
Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Shakespeare
in the family, but by heredity the broth
ers and sisters should have been similar
to them.
By rencarnation we reap exactly what
we sow, and man becomes responsible
for all his actions. 1t makes the fact of
Immortality a real belief, grasped by the
mind. The soul, which is the man him
self. has experienced during these count
less lives of the past, and today repre-
SCENTS the storage of this vast experience.
IF the soul began to exist with the body
the man is without a soul, for the ex-
perience of this life is in the mind. How
- have hapjDpipo9